A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 23, n. 11)
Week 5 in Ordinary Time: February 9-15, 2025
(The pastoral tool BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY & WEEKDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy from various perspectives. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: February 2-8, 2025, 2025 please go to ARCHIVES Series 23 and click on Ordinary Week 3.”
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: February 2-8, 2025.)
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February 9, 2025: FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
WORLD MARRIAGE DAY
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Made Them Fishers of Men”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 6:1-2a, 3-8 // 1 Cor 15:1-11 // Lk 5:1-11
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 5:1-11): “They left everything and followed Jesus.”
One moonlit evening our class at Maryhill School of Theology celebrated the “Misa ng Bayang Pilipino”, the Filipino inculturated form of the Roman Mass, with the barrio folks of Talim, a lake island in the Philippines. The following day, we went to the beach to pray the Morning Prayer. We sat on the sand, enchanted by the beauty of that fishing village. The gentle sound of the water lapping against the shore gave us a sense of harmony and peace. Small boats, called “bancas”, were lying upturned on the sand. Fishing nets were draped on bamboo poles and fences to dry. Indeed, the “bancas” and the nets were the life-blood of the fishermen and their families in that village. In light of this experience, I can easily understand the meaning of Simon Peter and the other fishermen leaving their boats and nets to follow Jesus.
The mission of Jesus is to save us all, according to God the Father’s compassionate plan. Today’s Gospel episode begins with a description of Jesus, standing by the lake of Gennesaret, proclaiming the word of God. Eager to listen, the people press around him. In order to minister more effectively to the enthusiastic crowd, Jesus gets into Simon’s boat and asks him to put out a little distance from the shore. Jesus then teaches them from the boat. Seated on that improvised pulpit, his voice, as a true Teacher, resounds. The people listen attentively to the saving word. Jesus is the Divine Master who imparts truth with authority and integrity. He is the origin of our prophetic mission to share the word of God with all.
The next scene portrays the power of the word. Jesus commands the fisherman Simon to put out into the deep water and to lower his nets for a catch. If the night fishing for Simon was so unprofitable, the daytime fishing would be even more so. Hence, the command of the carpenter-turned-prophet to a professional fisherman seems preposterous. Simon, however, acts upon Jesus’ word. In doing so, he and his companions catch such a great number of fish that the nets begin to tear. They have to signal to their partners in the other boat to help them. All are astonished by the “awesome” catch. Simon falls to his knees. Overwhelmed by his unworthiness, he asks Jesus to depart from him. The Lord, however, does not let him go but encourages him not to be afraid. Jesus then gives him the great commission to be fishers of men. Peter will be catching men and women with the bait of God’s word and will be bringing them to the ark of salvation.
Today’s Gospel passage concludes with an inspiring image of radical commitment: “When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.” The radical response of Peter and his companions is a paradigm of our own total commitment to Christ. We must launch into the deep waters of his paschal destiny and renounce whatever impedes God’s plan of salvation. We must leave everything behind and follow Jesus.
B. Old Testament Reading (Is 6:1-2a, 3-8): “Here I am! Send me.”
I made my annual retreat in January 2005 at our convent in peaceful Monrovia, which is in the foothills of the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains. The topic of my meditation was part 2 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church entitled “The Celebration of the Christian Mystery”, one of the richest and most comprehensive documents we have on Christian worship. One of the themes I focused on was the reality of the Eucharist as a foretaste of heavenly glory. On the Sunday Mass that I attended in our parish in Monrovia during my retreat, I received a special gift – a tremendous experience of the nearness of the all-holy God and the community of the angels and saints in heaven. While the choir and the assembly were singing the Sanctus, at one moment I felt the overwhelming presence of the heavenly court, the saints and the faithful departed. The liturgy of the Eucharist celebrated right there and then at the Parish of Immaculate Conception gave me an intimate foretaste of the heavenly liturgy and an incredible glimpse of cosmic worship. As I continued my prayerful contemplation after that Mass, I realized that I had often taken things for granted with regards to the tremendous gift of Christian sacraments, especially the Eucharist. I became greatly cognizant of my mediocre response to the grace that I have received as a disciple and apostle of the Eucharist. I was deeply sorry for not having lived to the full my religious vocation as a Pious Disciple of the Divine Master called to the service of the Eucharist, the Priesthood and the Liturgy. I therefore begged God to purify my motivations and to help me in my resolve to commit myself more totally to his love and the service of my neighbors. That profound religious experience challenged me to recommit myself more deeply to my apostolic mission. My experience of the sacred replicated to some degree that of prophet Isaiah in this Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Is 6:1-2a, 3-8).
Isaiah is confronted by God’s holiness. Holiness, as God’s essential quality, indicates his utter transcendence, his complete apartness from anything sinful, and his utter power and grandeur. The triple-holy God initiates his love-service relationship with Isaiah by giving him a sacred experience of his glory, which is the radiation of his holiness upon the world, especially his own people. The experience of God’s holiness and awesome grandeur entails an invitation to mission, Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? (cf. Is 6:8). It involves an appeal to total surrender and a submission to his baffling, mysterious command: Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch (Lk 5:4). Like prophet Isaiah, the experience of the sacred and divine power calls us to plunge more deeply into the awesome mystery of his divine life. It purges us of our unworthiness and fickleness, making us partners in his mission to save and bring back humankind and the entire creation to his kingdom of love, beauty and grace. Indeed, God’s holiness cleanses and makes us partners in the saving mission.
C. Second Reading (1 Cor 15:1-11): “So we preached and so you believe.”
Each of the readings of this Sunday’s liturgy depicts a profound religious experience and the conversion-transformation it brings about in the person. The three personages - Isaiah, Simon Peter and Paul – have experienced the mysterium tremendum et fascinans – a terrifying and fascinating mystery, wholly other, yet compassionate and generous. All have encountered deeply the awe-some grandeur of God and his loving mercy. And all have received a call to divine service and mission.
In today’s Second Reading (1 Cor 1:1-11), we realize that by the grace of God, Paul becomes what God intended him to be – totally conformed to Christ. Through divine encounter, Paul becomes a zealous, faithful apostle and preacher of the Good News to the nations. Animated by the power of God, Paul preaches and the people believe. God’s favor at work in Saint Paul makes the latter’s apostolic ministry to the Gentiles fruitful. People from many nations and cultures are brought to the love of God, enabling them to participate in the passion, death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. Paul’s intense religious experience and his unconditional response to the grace of God make him a true and efficacious apostle.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
What is our personal response to the Master’s command to put out into the deep water and lower our nets for a catch? Do we ever allow our human unworthiness and insufficiency to daunt us? Do we imitate the radical faith-response of Peter and his companions? Are we ready to let go of “everything” in order to follow our Lord and Master in his destiny? Are we committed to our Christian vocation of being “fishers of men”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Master,
you proclaimed the word of God to the eager crowd
by the peaceful lake of Gennesaret.
You also challenged Simon Peter
to put out into the deep water
and lower his nets for a catch.
The hard-working fisherman
responded with faith and trust.
Help us to imitate his obedient response
and experience the marvel of the miraculous catch.
Do not let poverty and insufficiency ever daunt us.
May we follow you unreservedly
and never balk at any sacrifice.
Bless us in our ministry as “fishers of men”.
We love and serve you,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“From now on you will be catching men.” (Lk 5:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for all Christians that we may realize the greatness of our vocation as “fishers of men”. Offer special prayers for the holiness and perseverance of the ministerial priests and for an increase of priestly vocations.
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February 10, 2025: MONDAY – SAINT SCHOLASTICA
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is God’s Healing and Creative Word”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 1:1-19 // Mk 6:53-56
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 6:53-56): “As many touched it were healed.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
Today’s Gospel story (Mk 6:53-56) follows upon the weekday lectionary’s omission of St. Mark’s narratives of Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand and walking on the water. The story of the feeding is most probably omitted because on Saturday we will hear the similar story of the feeding of the four thousand. However, there is a big difference in these two feeding stories. The feeding of the five thousand takes place on the Western shore of the Sea of Galilee, that is, in Jewish territory, while the second feeding takes place on the opposite side in Gentile territory. This section of Mark’s Gospel beginning with the Jewish feeding and culminating in the Gentile feeding forms a typical Markan “sandwich,” and is often referred to as the “Bread Section.” So this week we feed on the bread of God’s Word while contemplating the words and actions of Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Today’s story of the healings at Gennesaret, on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, is intimately connected to the story of the feeding of the five thousand. The bounty first exhibited in the feeding is now exhibited in the lavish gift of healing that takes place not only at Gennesaret, but in whatever “villages or towns or countryside he entered.” Gennesaret, and its environs, is totally unlike Nazareth, where lack of faith caused major interference in the healing process. Nazareth’s stance is even unlike the faith of the hemorrhaging woman who reaches for the tassel of Jesus’ cloak. Here in Gennesaret “as many as touched it were healed.” In the story of the healings at Gennesaret, the Lord of the new covenant enters into the place of his activity, the activity of unbounded mercy which affords rest to the multitude.
B. First Reading (Gn 1:1-19): “God spoke and it was done.”
The Old Testament Reading (Gn 1:1-19) presents the visible world as originating from the all-powerful creative word of God. The Genesis account enthralls us with the miracle of creation totally under God’s guiding hand. It affirms the divine sovereignty and the goodness of the created world. God’s personal will, expressed in his word, produces light which overcomes the dark chaos and the watery abyss. Light is an element of the created world. God names the light “day” and the darkness “night” because God has authority over them. God creates the sky which separates the waters above the heavens from the waters below in a continuing creative act that prepares a hospitable and habitable place for human beings, the masterpiece of creation. God puts limits on the expanse of water so that earth can appear and produce vegetation that is capable of growth. The fruitfulness of the earth comes from God and is an expression of his creative power. God likewise creates the sun, the moon and the stars to separate day from night, to give light to the earth and to indicate when the day, the month and the year begin.
The sense of sublime wisdom and harmony that permeates creation is awesome. Indeed, we can perceive the power of God in creation and his presence in the daily events of life. The following story, circulated on the Internet, suggests this.
You Can See God: I sat at my desk staring at the letter for a long time. It was written by a friend of mine who was going through some difficult times. It listed problem after problem and seemed full of despair. It ended with these words: "I would like to have faith, but I have always had a problem in believing in what I can’t see. You can’t see God, you know!”
After awhile I still hadn't thought of how to answer my friend's letter and help him. Hoping a walk would help, I put a leash on one of my dogs and headed out the back door. The warm, golden sunshine of spring warmed my face as soon as I stepped off the porch. A fresh breeze carried the scent of a thousand budding trees on it. A butterfly danced above a patch of dandelions floating from flower to flower. Robins were flying back and forth to the maple tree in my backyard carrying fresh grass and twigs to reline their nests. Across the road my new neighbor's children were playing in her backyard with a big ball. It was such a delight seeing her toddler chasing after it with such joy. I felt a nuzzle against my leg and looked down to see my dog cuddling in for a hug. I smiled and scratched his head while the laughter of the children and the sound of crickets in the woods blended together to create a unique and beautiful music. I started to walk back inside and saw my own son grinning at me from the window. Most of the world could only see his mental handicaps, but when I looked at him then his eyes sparkled with a divine light. I waved to him and laughed when his older sister snuck up behind him and wrapped him in a loving hug.
When I got back inside, I knew what to write. I went to my friend's letter and wrote of everything I had just seen, smelled, heard, and felt in those brief moments outside. Then I finished by writing this: “I think we all can see God. We just need to know where to look.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we have faith in the healing power of Jesus? Do we reach out to him to touch him and be healed?
2. Are we sensitive to the manifestation of God’s power and wisdom in creation and to his abiding presence in our life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
we thank you for your unbounded mercy
and the healing power you bring to us.
We lay before you the sickness of our heart,
the misery of our people
and the fragmentation of today’s society.
We beg you to allow us to touch you
– even just the tassel of your cloak –
knowing that we will be healed.
You bring us wholeness, joy and comfort.
Let us enter into the place of rest and quiet
where your loving comfort reigns forever and ever.
Amen.
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O God,
you are our almighty Father
and maker of all things visible and invisible.
How marvelous is your creation!
How powerful the Word you spoke
to bring it about!
Teach us to perceive your presence in creation
and to respond to your compassionate presence
in our daily life.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“As many as touched it were healed.” (Mk 6:56) // “God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gn 1:1)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that the sick may find strength and healing in the Lord. Like the caring people of Gennesaret, and by your ministry on their behalf, bring the sick closer to Jesus, the ultimate healing. // Contribute to the integration of creation by following the ecological principles: reduce, reuse and recycle.
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February 11, 2025: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (5); OUR LADY OF LOURDES
WORLD DAY OF THE SICK
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Means to Communion … All Things Were Created Through Him”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 1:20-2:4a // Mk 7:1-13
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 7:1-13): “You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
The connection between today’s Gospel story (Mk 7:1-13) and yesterday’s (Mk 6:53-56) may not be immediately apparent until we view it in the context of Mark’s whole “Bread” section on which we are feasting this week. The geographic movement from one shore to another represents more than a sail across the lake. It represents Gentile inclusion in the Eucharistic feast. Today’s Gospel addresses what, in Jewish tradition, represents an obstacle to this communion at the table.
Thus today we see Jesus embarking on a mission that has this unity in Eucharistic communion in mind. The Pharisees and scribes in this story represent those who would be opposed to eating with Gentiles based on what Jesus clearly categorizes as “human tradition.” The scribes and the Pharisees here “nullify the word of God in favor of tradition.” They do this specifically here in their neglect of parents by declaring something has been set aside for God. What has ultimately been set aside, however, is the very word of God which calls Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians into communion at the table of the Lord. So the prophet Isaiah’s maxim is invoked against them: “In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.”
B. First Reading (Gn 1:20-2:4a): “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.”
In today’s Old Testament reading (Gn 1:20-2:4a) we continue to contemplate the divine work of creation. The order and harmony in the created universe reveal the wisdom of God and are in accord with his majestic will. God’s creative plan unfolds awesomely and with a special focus toward the creation of humanity (adam). Created in the image and likeness of God, the human being is the high point of creation. As God is ruler of the entire creation, so the human being, as God’s representative, is given care and dominion over the earth. This is indeed a very exalted view of humanity. Moreover, God created human beings as male and female. The distinction of the sexes is of divine origin and therefore good. The full meaning of mankind (adam) is realized only when there is a man and a woman. As male and female, they are blessed by God with procreative power and are enjoined to multiply and be fruitful.
When the visible world is completed and crowned with the human masterpiece, God beholds it and appraises it as very good. On the seventh day (sabbath), with number “7” signifying wholeness and completion, God is described by the author of the Book of Genesis as taking a “rest”. With this anthropomorphism, the author asserts that nothing is lacking in divine creation. It is complete and adequate for the creatures in it, especially humankind. God, who sustains the whole universe, blesses and consecrates the Sabbath, a sacred time to deepen personally and as a community our special relationship with our Creator God.
Humanity consists of the male and the female, and in their sexuality they marvelously participate in the creative power of God. The birth of a child is a miracle of creation and an experience of the power and love of God. The beautiful story that follows gives an insight into this (cf. Tony Collins, “The Face of God” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Stories of Faith, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Cos Cob: CSS, 2008, p. 200-201).
In my years, I have seen the vastness of the Grand Canyon, the splendor of the Alps, the purple mountains’ majesty of the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and the seeming endlessness of the Pacific Ocean. Yet, nothing I have seen, or ever expect to see, compares with what I once witnessed in a dark-paneled, antiseptic birthing room. Then and there, the power and the love of God enveloped me.
I was on the last night of my clinical rotation as a nursing student on the labor and delivery floor, and I had yet to see a birth. When my children were born, fathers were relegated to the labor waiting room. Now, at 7:00 P.M. on my last student shift, my nursing instructor suggested I check into labor room four to see if I could watch the birth. With some trepidation, I knocked on the door, stuck in my head, and asked the young couple if I could possibly observe the birth of their baby. They gave me permission. I thanked them and found myself a spot in the room that kept me out of the way but still give me a good view of the birth. Then I stood with my hands behind my back, studiously looking around the room at the preparations being made by the nurses.
The young mother, covered with blue sterile drapes, lay in the most uncomfortable and exposed position imaginable and was sweating profusely. Every minute or so, she would grimace, groan and push with all her might. Her husband stood beside her, coaching her breathing and lovingly holding her hand. One nurse dabbed her forehead with a cool washcloth, while another encouraged her to rest when she could. The doctor worked on a low stool to ease the birth as best he could. I stood apart, proud of my unemotional, clinical detachment.
The nurse assisting the doctor said, “Here she comes!” I looked and was amazed at what I saw: the top of a head covered with black hair began to appear. I instantly lost the ability to call this wondrous occurrence something as medical as “crowning”. Then the doctor began gently but firmly to turn the shoulders of the new life and pull. Transfixed to my spot, I am sure my mouth was agape. The doctor continued to turn and pull; the mother pushed; the husband encouraged; and an event that took nine long months of preparation was over in just a few seconds. At the sight of the infant’s beautiful face, I felt such wonder that I truly believe angels sing at such times.
My professionalism and clinical detachment had deserted me, replaced with a warmth that surrounded me. At a loss for words – congratulations seemed such an empty and trite thing to say to these two blessed people at that moment – I nonetheless offered my congratulations anyway. After leaving the room I walked around the corner into a deserted hallway and allowed my tears to flow.
That night some of my fellow students, all of whom were women and many of them mothers, asked me about the birth. Each time, I welled up again with tears and choked out that it was the most beautiful experience I ever had. They would hug me or pat my shoulder, and with a gleam in their eyes say, “I know”. Days passed before I could speak of the birth in any medical light. Even now, as I review that night, I continue to be in awe.
I have seen many sights in my life. Before my life is over, I will see many more. But none can ever compare to the night I saw the love, hope and beauty of God in the face of a newborn child.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are we guilty of disregarding God’s commandments but clinging to human tradition?
2. Do we thank God for the marvels of creation? Do we appreciate the sacredness and the power of human sexuality to promote the creative plan of God?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O Jesus, Divine Master,
you are the way, the truth and the life.
Forgive us for the times we have disregarded God’s commands
in order to cling to mere human traditions.
You are the teacher of communion and true tradition.
You revealed to us the Father’s saving plan
that includes all peoples and cultures,
all nations and creation.
Help us to overcome our prejudices and misconceptions
that we may share fully in the infinite expanse
of your Father’s all-inclusive love.
We love you, adore you and serve you,
now and forever. Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we thank you for the marvels of creation.
We bless you for creating the human being
in your image and likeness
and as male and female.
Teach us to behold
the beauty and sacredness of human sexuality
and the creative power you share with us
to bring forth “new life”.
Let us be careful and responsible stewards
of your creation.
Help us to value the “Sabbath”
as a means to deepen our relationship with you.
We love and adore you, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” (Mk 7:8) // “God created man in his image: in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gn 1:27)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that we may overcome our unhealthy parochialism and vicious legalism. By your acts of justice and charity, promote unity in diversity and the Church’s true tradition of universal love. // In any way you can, promote the right and the dignity of the human person to life, especially the defenseless and the unborn.
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February 12, 2025: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (5)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches with Wisdom … He Teaches Obedience to God’s Decrees”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17 // Mk 7:14-23
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 7:14-23): “What comes out of the man that is what defiles him.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
Today’s Gospel passage (Mk 7:14-23) concludes yesterday’s discussion between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees concerning “the tradition of the elders” and concludes with his characteristically Marcan private conversation with his disciples. Whereas Jesus half expects the scribes and Pharisees not to “get it,” he hopes his disciples will. But such is not the case as he exasperatingly remarks: “Are even you likewise without understanding?” And the attentive reader at once realizes that s/he is being personally addressed. We are all responsible for promoting communion and “not getting it” is no excuse, especially for a disciple of any century.
And what is it that scribe, Pharisee, and even disciple fail to comprehend? It’s not about the ritual purity of eating and digestion. As a matter of fact, it’s not about ritual purity at all. The major obstacle to communion is nothing external, but it’s a matter of the heart. “From their hearts come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” These are obstacles to Eucharistic communion that cut both ways. It’s not simply Jewish purity vs. Gentile impurity; it’s about the interior impurity of both that makes such communion impossible.
B. First Reading (Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17): “The Lord God planted a garden in Eden and placed there the man whom he had formed.”
Today’s First Reading (Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17) depicts the creation of humanity (adam in Hebrew) and humanity’s relationship with the earth/ground (adamah in Hebrew). The earth is barren for there is no water and no man to till it. The “chaos” of barrenness is overcome by God’s creative act. The Lord God, who made the universe, takes some soil from the ground and forms man out of it – breathing life-giving breath into his nostrils to make him live. Indeed, God is the source of life. The Lord God then creates the well-watered garden in Eden (Hebrew word for “pleasure”) in which mankind will dwell.
The Garden of Eden is a symbol of God’s blessings. The garden has many trees, but two are mentioned: the “tree of life” and the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The “tree of life” is a symbol of immortality. As long as man has access to the “tree of life” his life is not threatened. Once expelled from the Garden of Eden, he can no longer access the tree, and humanity is subjected to death. God’s command not to eat from the “tree of the knowledge of the good and evil” underlines that man’s happiness is consequent upon his remaining subject to God. Obedience to divine decrees means LIFE and disobedience to God means ALIENATION from the source of life. Indeed, man’s enjoyment of the Garden is a gift of God and that delight depends on his intimate relationship with God.
The following is a modern day example of how to live obediently according to God’s life-giving decrees (cf. Ashley Wiersma in Daily Guideposts 2014, p. 303).
My husband and I had been counting the days until the debut of a new TV drama that promised great things. The producer was world renowned. The lead female was immensely likable. The premise intrigued us both. And so, with sky-high expectations, we set our DVR to record the program and were childishly giddy the night we actually got to pile into bed, a giant bowl of popcorn between us, and hit Play.
The first half hour had us hooked. But then came episode two. Within fifteen minutes, I knew my husband and I weren’t longing for this particular path. As the characters’ stories unfolded, so did vast amounts of selfishness, scheming and smut. “No”, I screamed at the TV, “The teasers looked so good!”
My husband laughed as he flipped channels to find something else, and a verse I’d known since I was a kid eased its way through: “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy, think about such things.”
Avoiding a not-so-pure TV show is admittedly a very small step in what is the vast universe of God-honoring activity in this life. But it was a small step toward the God I adore.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we endeavor to achieve integrity and purity of heart? Do we yearn for true holiness that leads to communion with our brothers and sisters?
2. Do we believe that obedience to divine decrees means “life” and do we endeavor to be obedient to God’s ways?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
teach us integrity of heart and interior purity.
Cleanse us from evil thoughts and wicked desires.
The awful things that ferment within us
make us “unclean” and incite us to do evil.
Loving Lord,
teach us true wisdom that we may reject the wickedness
that draws us away from you and to disobey our gracious God.
We trust in your forgiveness and bounteous mercy.
You are our kind Savior, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
you have wonderfully made us.
You have blessed us with abundant blessings.
Your life-giving decrees
manifest your care and compassion for us.
Let us be nourished by the “tree of life”
and delight in the beauty of the Garden of Eden.
Do not let us be enticed by the “tree of good and evil”.
Teach us the way of obedience
and humble submission to your life-giving will.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“What comes out of the man that is what defiles him.” (Mk 7:20) // “The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground …” (Gn 2:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Make the examination of the heart a regular practice to enable you to detest what is contrary to the will of God and pursue his saving will.
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February 13, 2025: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (5)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Bread of Life for All … He Teaches the Sanctity of Marriage”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 2:18-25 // Mk 7:24-30
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 7:24-30): “The dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
In today’s Gospel story (Mk 7:24-30), Jesus, Wisdom incarnate, recognizes the wisdom of a Gentile woman. This latter woman is not the Queen of Tyre, but a simple mother with a very sick daughter who recognizes something different about this Jewish man who has crossed boundaries and set foot in her Syrophoenician city on the Mediterranean coast. So different that she falls at his feet in an act of worship. She clearly understands worship in a way the scribes and Pharisees of yesterday could not.
His more-than-meets-the-eye rebuff to her request is not couched in delicate language. He refers to the Jewish community as children who have first access to the food. And that food is not to be thrown to Gentile pups. But what a comeback! She addresses him with the full-force of the Jewish divine title LORD. And then she drops the bomb: “Even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” How wise a saying! How unlike the scribes and Pharisees, who set up roadblocks to sharing the bread of life at one table. She found her daughter “lying in bed and the demon gone.” Really both demons were gone: the demon of sickness and the demon of division and separation. The same bread feeds both children and pups. And it is Jesus himself.
Jesus’ crossing of boundaries led him to a mission of inclusion that brought those who were excluded to the table. The desire of the woman resulted not only in the answer to her own prayer but contributed to the clearer revelation of the mystery of union in Christ.
B. First Reading (Gn 2:18-25): “The Lord God brought her to Adam ans the two of them became one flesh.”
In September 2006 Tomas and Lourdes Banaga celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in our convent. This remarkable couple regularly comes to our Fresno chapel for the weekday Mass. Tomas, with his splendid voice, has greatly helped us in our music ministry. Lourdes, a staunch “prayer warrior” and a devoted adorer of the Blessed Sacrament, has collaborated wonderfully in our Eucharistic apostolate. Tomas became seriously ill in December 2005 and fell into coma. Lourdes ardently prayed for his healing through the intercession of Blesses James Alberione. Lourdes made a vow that if Tomas recovered, they would enter the Holy Family Institute, founded by Blessed Alberione. On the third day of his coma, Tomas woke up and was restored to health. Tomas and Lourdes made good their promise. On the golden anniversary of their marriage, they were admitted to the Novitiate in the Holy Family Institute, which seeks to promote the holiness of married life.
The Old Testament reading (Tobit 8:4b-8) used at the Eucharistic Celebration of the renewal of their marriage vows was intensely appropriate. Tomas and Lourdes felt that the following prayer made by Tobit and Sarah on their wedding night was their very own:
Blessed are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. You said, “it is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.” Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age.
Today’s First Reading (Gen 2:18-24) contains the Yahwist account of the creation of man and woman in the Book of Genesis and offers a foundation for the theology of marriage as a sacrament of unity. This narrative underlines the vocation to human intimacy and communion of man and woman and reinforces the equality and dignity of both of them as perfectly matched partners. The biblical scholar Lawrence Boadt comments: “Being alone is not good for humans. God creates animals and allows man to name them and thereby enter into a living relationship with them, which includes stewardship over them. But none is fit for him. He needs a true partner, and to get one God initiates yet another act of creation. By putting the man into a deep sleep God assures the same autonomy to woman as to man – she depends directly on God for her being. The actual story may derive from an old folk tale that plays on the rib and the nearness to the heart. The heart is the source of both intellect and will in ancient thought and so God makes Eve as fully human as Adam. The description also plays on the attraction of love, which draws men and women to each other from the heart. The fitting identity of the two human creatures is made complete by the little poem in v. 23 – they are the same because he is ’ish and she is ’ishah, a pun in Hebrew that is like saying man and wo-man in English.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we make an effort to share the healing power of Jesus, the bread of life for all?
2. How does the Yahwist account of the creation of man and woman in the Book of Genesis help us appreciate the dignity and equality of the man-woman relationship and the nobility of human sexuality? What are some of our concrete experiences of the beauty and holiness of Christian marriage?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord,
you are the bread of life
to be shared with all peoples of the earth.
You are the divine power that drives away the demon of sickness
and the demon of division and separation.
Help us to overcome the ugly forces of alienation.
Let us be united with you as you cross boundaries of division
in your mission to include all peoples at the table of life.
Your power is awesome
and we love and adore you, now and forever.
Amen.
***
(Adapted from the Nuptial Blessing)
Father,
by your power you have made everything out of nothing.
In the beginning you created the universe
and made man in your own likeness.
You gave man the constant help of woman
so that man and woman should no longer be two, but one flesh,
and you teach us that what you have united may never be divided. (…)
Father,
keep them always true to your commandments.
Keep them faithful in marriage
and let them be examples of Christian life. (…)
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“The dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” (Mk 7:28) // “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.” (Gen 2:24)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for the unity of Christians and all the peoples of the earth. Let your acts of justice and peace surmount artificial barriers and be totally inclusive.
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February 14, 2025: FRIDAY – SAINTS CYRIL, Monk, AND METHODIUS, Bishop
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Heals the Deaf-Mute … He Teaches the Way of Obedience”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 3:1-8 // Mk 7:31-37
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 7:31-37): “He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
In this week’s Gospel stories, Jesus, the boundary crosser, is on the road. Yesterday he was in Gentile Tyre on the Mediterranean. Today he is on the Eastern Gentile shore of the Sea of Galilee in the Decapolis, the heart of Gentile territory. He encounters a Gentile deaf-mute who begs him “to lay his hand on him,” the same hand that was laid on so many of the sick in Jewish Gennesaret. Pope Benedict XVI, in a homily on Christian Unity, took advantage of the fuller sense of this passage. He said: “Is not being deaf and mute, that is, being unable either to listen or speak, a sign of a lack of communion and a symptom of division?”
Just as Jesus removed obstacles to unity on the Jewish side of the lake, today’s Gospel (Mk 7:31-37) has him removing more obstacles on the Gentile side. He “put his finger into the man’s ears, and, spitting, touched his tongue.” As God created the first human so tactilely in the second chapter of Genesis, so Jesus is recreating this Gentile, endowing him once again with the organs of speech and hearing, the organs of communion that overcome division and disunity. The action culminates in typical Markan fashion: “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” And not just in Gentile Galilee.
B. First Reading (Gn 3:1-8): “You will be like gods, knowing what is good and what is evil.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Gn 3:1-8) depicts the fall of humanity. The Tempter is the “serpent”, the most cunning creature. In Hebrew, “cunning” (arum) forms a word play with “naked” (arummim). The wordplay underlines that the primeval man and woman become aware of their “nakedness” because of the cunning of the serpent. The Genesis account of the Fall tells us that the presence of evil in the world is due to humanity’s decision to oppose God’s command. By following the wiles of the Tempter, humanity indeed does “become like God” in the sense that it now makes decisions as to what is best for itself. But its decisions lack the breadth and width of God’s wisdom. The core of “sin” is the attempt to replace God as the determiner of what is best for humanity. By their rebellion, humanity oversteps the limits imposed by God and appropriates “the knowledge of good and evil”. But created man’s decisions are bereft of the wisdom and vision of the Creator. The immediate consequence of “sin” is the consciousness of “nakedness” – the sad and humiliating realization of one’s broken relationship with God. Sin thus leads to alienation!
Just like the primeval man and woman, modern humanity is tempted to eat the fruit of the “tree of knowledge of good and evil”. The following article is insightful (cf. “What’s after Brittany?” by Editorial in Our Sunday Visitor, November 16, 2014, p. 23).
Britanny Maynard, the beautiful 29-year-old woman diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, took her own life Nov. 1 to avoid the suffering that likely would come with the debilitating progression of her disease. She leaves behind parents, a husband of two years and dreams of a life that didn’t go as planned. Her story indeed is tragic, and most of us will never be able to fully comprehend the emotional and physical pain that she endured.
We do know, however, that Maynard spent the last month of her life as an advocate for the “death with dignity” movement and as a spokeswoman for the right-to-die organization Compassion and Choices. Her advocacy launched a national debate on physician-assisted suicide, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since Jack Kevorkian in the 1990s. She became the new face of personal freedom – hailed for making a difficult decision that worked for her.
The truth, though, is that there is a better way: the way of the Church and the way of the cross. For a different perspective, we need look no further than Philip Johnson, a seminarian with the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, who also is terminally ill. Johnson, who candidly admits his own struggles, wrote to Maynard: “Suffering is not worthless, and our lives are not our own to take. As humans we are relational – we relate to one another and the action of one person affects others. Sadly, the concept of redemptive suffering – that human suffering united to the suffering of Jesus on the Cross for our salvation can benefit others – has often been ignored or lost in modern times. (…)
Euthanasia is well on its way to becoming another feather in the cap of the secular humanist who believes human reason, not God, is the basis of morality and decision-making.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are we spiritually deaf by refusing to listen to the Word of God? Are we spiritually mute by refraining from proclaiming the Word of God?
2. Are there instances when we yearn to eat of the fruit of the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” and appropriate the role of God as determiner of morality?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O loving God,
open the ears of our hearts to listen to the Word of God.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
***
Loving God,
you have created us for yourself
and have destined us to be united with you in Paradise.
But our hearts are rebellious.
We have made decisions that are death-dealing
and contrary to your compassionate plan.
Forgive our disobedience.
Lead us by your grace to the beauty of the heavenly Eden.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mk 7:31-37) // “You will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.” (Gn 3:5)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that people may understand the importance and necessity of Lectio Divina. Introduce your friends and loved ones to this beautiful life-giving practice of the Church. // Be aware of the modern man’s claim to “personal freedom” that negates the wisdom of God and his commands. Pray that God’s reign may prevail.
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February 15, 2025: SATURDAY – WEEKDAY (5); BVM ON SATURDAY
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Fed Them and They Were Satisfied … He Bore the Burden of Humanity’s Sin”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 3:9-24 // Mk 8:1-10
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 8:1-10): “They ate and were satisfied.”
(Gospel Reflection by Fr. Steve Coffey, OSB, San Luis Obispo, CA-USA)
There in the very same Gentile district where Jesus healed the deaf-mute, in today’s Gospel (Mk 8:1-10) we have a quasi-replay of the feeding story on the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee. There is a striking similarity of details: “a great crowd without anything to eat”; the compassionate heart of Jesus “moved with pity”; the lack of compassion and even understanding on the part of the disciples who witnessed and participated in the previous feeding. Of capital importance is the repetition of the fourfold Eucharistic action: “Taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute.”
However, there are subtle differences in the two stories. In the first they picked up “twelve wicker baskets full of fragments,” while in the second “they picked up the fragments left over – seven baskets.” Why twelve baskets in the first story? It is precisely to evoke the Jewish image of the twelve tribes of Israel. And similarly the seven baskets on the Gentile side evoke the universal number of the Gentile nations. And notice Gentiles did not insist on wicker baskets as did the Jewish community. However, despite these differences in both stories, “they ate and were satisfied.”
How favored we are in being recipients of the Eucharistic gift, the real gift that keeps on giving. In a sense, all of this week’s reflections were Eucharistic. Eucharist is the gathering of the Body of Christ in rich diversity. At Eucharist with ears wide open, we listen and feast at the table of the Word. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist we take, bless, break and distribute bread that has been transformed by the Spirit into the Body of Christ. And like the crowd in today’s Gospel, we are dismissed to go and announce the reconciling Gospel of the Lord.
B. First Reading (Gn 3:9-24): “God banished him from the garden of Eden to till the ground.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Gn 3:9-24) deals with the negative consequence of humanity’s disobedience. The personal intimacy that Adam and Eve enjoy with God Creator has been disrupted. They cannot face God because of shame. When God confronts them, they excuse themselves and the blame goes around. The punishments that follow are expressed in poetic form: serpent crawling on the ground … pain in childbirth … burdensome tilling of the land … expulsion from the Garden of Eden … loss of access to the “tree of life”. The punishment is for the snake as well as for the woman and the man. It is complete and inclusive. Sin has introduced death, and humanity must live with both the power of sin over them and the specter of death. The Genesis story does not end on a negative note. Adam named his wife “Eve” because she will become the mother of all the living. In spite of sin and its dire effects, life will go on. The Lord God makes garments from animal skins for Adam and Eve and he clothes them. God’s care for humanity does not cease because of sin. The love of God is unfailing in spite of mankind’s sin and it is through God’s initiative that the personal relationship disrupted by sin is to be restored.
The following article gives an idea of the death-dealing effects brought by human sin of appropriating the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (cf. “Dutch Experts Were Terribly Wrong about Patient-Killing” in Alive! October 2014, p. 16).
A Dutch ethics professor who once supported euthanasia had had a dramatic change of heart and now warns that if patient-killing by doctors is legalized in any country it cannot be controlled. What led him to change his view on the issue, however, was not moral principle or respect for the sacredness of life, but legal, medical and social developments in Holland. “I used to be a supporter of legalization. But now with 12 years experience, I take a different view”, said Professor Theo Boer in an interview. (…)
In 2001 the Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize both euthanasia (patient-killing) and doctor-assisted suicide. (…) Beginning in 2008, the number of these deaths began to increase by 15% annually, year after year, and by 2012 it stood at 4,188 for the year. He expects it to reach close to 6,000 for 2014.
“Euthanasia is on the way to becoming a ‘default’ mode of dying for cancer patients”, he said. But other developments were also disturbing. The Dutch Right to Die Society founded a network of traveling killer doctors who have already put down hundreds of people. And the Society is still not happy. “They will not rest until a lethal pill is made available to anyone over 70 years who wishes to die”, said Boer.
Again, there has been a shift in the kind of person who is being terminated. Few people with psychiatric illnesses or dementia appeared in the early reports. But these numbers are now rising sharply. Increasingly death is being seen as a cure for loneliness or sadness. “Cases have been reported in which a large part of the ‘suffering’ of those given euthanasia or assisted suicide consisted in being aged, lonely or bereaved”, said the professor. (…) “Once the genie is out of the bottle, it is not likely to ever go back in again.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are we truly grateful for the gift of the Eucharist? Do we share it with a hungry world that yearns for the bread of the Word … the life-giving bread?
2. What does it mean to sin against God and to be alienated from him? Do we believe that God’s love for us continues in spite of our disobedience and sin?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are the “Eucharist” – the bread of the Word
… the life-giving bread … the real gift that keeps on giving.
We thank you for the multiplication of the loaves
and for being bread broken and shared for the life of the world.
You are the Eucharistic gift that builds the Church,
so radiant in beauty and rich in diversity.
Help us to celebrate your paschal sacrifice
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
At the Eucharistic feasting,
we partake of the bread of compassion
and the wine of messianic joy,
which make us fully satisfied and deeply grateful.
Lead us into the eternal banquet of your kingdom
where you live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Loving God, our Creator,
humanity has turned away from you
and appropriated the forbidden fruits
of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”.
Please forgive us for our presumption
and for disobeying your life-giving commands.
Clothe us with your mercy and kindness.
We promise to obey you
and honor the glory of your name.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“They ate and were satisfied.” (Mk 8:8) // “For the man and his wife the Lord God made leather-garments, with which he clothed them.” (Gn 3:21)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for the peoples of the world that their various hungers may be satisfied. By your acts of compassion to the hungry poor, let the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves come alive again. // Be aware of the Catholic social teaching in the public square and do what is possible to share it with the people around you.
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Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US