A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 15, n. 11)
Week 5 in Ordinary Time: February 5-11, 2017
(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 of Year C from various perspectives. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: January 29 – February 4, 2017, please go to ARCHIVES Series 15 and click on “Week 4”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: February 5-11, 2017.)
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February 5, 2017: SUNDAY – FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Calls Us to Be the Light of the World and the Salt of the Earth”
BIBLICAL READINGS
Is 58:7-10 // I Cor 2:1-5 // Mt 5:13-16
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 5:13-16): “You are the light of the world.”
With powerful images, today’s Gospel reading (Mt 5:13-16) depicts the intense demands of Christian discipleship. Just as insipid salt is of no use in flavoring or preserving food, so too the so-called “disciples” are of no use if they fail to live as Christ teaches. The corruption of the best is the worst. Those called to be the greatest constitute the worst tragedy if they fail. The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent asserts: “We have become the salt of the earth by reason of our baptism; we must continue to be the salt for the world and develop the power given us and the dynamic, outgoing energy that in principle is at our disposal. Christ still stands before us with the example of his life, and we are forced to ask ourselves to what extent each Christian in the Church is truly salt for the world.”
Moreover, the Christian disciples – as light of the world - are personally called to bring the light of salvation to others. In order to be a light in the darkness, we must proclaim the Messiah who has come and saved the world. Adrian Nocent explains: “Christians must remember that while they may be legitimately proud of sharing in Christ’s work and his Spirit-inspired activity in the world, they must not communicate their own light but that of Christ, who has come to enlighten every man. The Christian’s activity should lead all men to praise the Father for what he has done. The basis for praising God is the marvelous deeds he has done, and the Christian should be one of these deeds that leads men to the wonder and praise of the Lord. When men thus glorify God, it is a sign of their conversion. Thus the Christian is really called to shed a light that will lead to the salvation of his fellowmen.”
The image of the city set on a mountain reinforces the ecclesial nature of our Christian vocation. We must fulfill our mission of salvation together as Church. The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 4, elucidate: “A town built on a hill appears from afar at night only because of all the lamps burning in the houses. One isolated candle does not produce much light, but many little lamps together show the way. One Christian holding high his or her lamp can encourage the others, perhaps more timid, to also place their lamps on stands. Thus preached by a handful of people wholeheartedly given to Christ, the gospel sets the world ablaze.”
World Marriage Day, an observance sponsored by American organization Worldwide Marriage Encounter and associated with the Catholic Marriage Encounter movement, is observed on the second Sunday of February each year and is linked with Valentine’s Day (February 14). World Marriage Day honors husband and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily married life. It honors and affirms the vocation of husbands and wives and the positive impact of their dedicated example on our society, families, communities, Church, and nation. Through their faithful and serving love for one another, the husband and wife become “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”. The following article, “My Promise to Muriel”, reprinted in Concord, January 2014, p. 13-15 (SSP Canfield, Ohio) from Marriage Magazine, gives an insight into the beauty of a faithful married love.
Care of Muriel – who has Alzheimer’s – was not only challenging when we reached our destination. It was equally challenging en route. I began to empathize with those young fathers you sometimes see in an airport, accosting perfect strangers who emerge from the women’s restroom: “Did you see a little six-year-old girl in there?” Airline attendants watched with well—guarded bemusement as I crowded with Muriel into the tiny cubicle that houses the in-flight toilet. I knew what they didn’t; if she ever got the door shut, unlikely that might be, she never could have gotten it open again.
Once our flight was delayed in Atlanta and we had to wait a couple of hours. Now that’s a challenge. Every few minutes the same questions, the same answers about what we’re doing here and when are we going home? And every few minutes we’d take a fast-paced walk down the terminal in search of … what? Muriel had always been a speed walker. I had to jog to keep up with her.
An attractive woman executive type sat across from us working diligently on her computer. Once, when we returned from an excursion, she said something, without looking up from her papers. Since no one else was nearby I assumed she had spoken to me or at least mumbled in protest of our constant activity. “Pardon?” I asked. “Oh”, she said, “I was just asking myself, “Will I ever find a man to love me like that?”
For years I struggled with the question whether my job or Muriel should be sacrificed. Trusted, lifelong friends – wise and godly – urged me to put her in professional care. “She will quickly become accustomed to the new environment.”
Would she? Would anyone love her at all, let alone love her as I do? Would she not miss that love? I had often seen the empty, listless faces of those lined up in wheelchairs along the corridors of such places, waiting, waiting for the fleeting visit of some loved one. In such an environment Muriel would be tamed only by drugs or bodily restraints. Of that I was confident.
Eventually I approached my supervisor with the request that he begin to look for my successor and decide what my financial future looked like. He said he understood, but I’m not sure. I had been twenty-two years with the firm and how do you say goodbye to colleagues you don’t wish to leave?
My dear wife, Muriel, has been in failing mental health for about 12 years. So far I have been able to meet her ever-growing needs and my job responsibilities. But recently it has become apparent that Muriel is contented most of the time I am with her and almost none of the time I am away from her. It’s not just “discontent”. She is filled with fear – even horror – that she has lost me.
Perhaps it would help you understand if I put it this way; my decision was made, in a way, 42 years ago when I promised to care for Muriel “in sickness and in health till death do us part”. As a man of my word, integrity has thus much to do with it. But so does fairness. She has cared for me fully and sacrificially for all these years and if I cared for her for the next forty years I would not be out of her debt. Duty, of course, can be grim and stoic. But there is more. I love Muriel. She is a delight to me with her childlike dependence and confidence, her warm love, occasional flashes of that wit I used to relish, her happy spirit and tough resilience in the face of her continual distressing frustration. I don’t have to care for her. It is rather a high honor to care for such a wonderful person.
I have been startled by the response to the announcement that I had left my job. Husbands and wives have had long, serious talks about their relationship. Pastors are telling my story to their people. I was puzzled by this until a distinguished doctor who lives constantly with dying people told me: “Almost all women stand by their men, but very few men stand by their women.” Perhaps people sensed this contemporary tragedy and somehow were helped by a simple choice I considered the only option.
It’s more than keeping promises or keeping fair, however. As I watched her brave descent into oblivion, Muriel is the joy of my life. Daily I discern new manifestations of the kind of person she is, the wife I always loved.
B. First Reading (Is 58:7-10): “Your light shall break forth like the dawn.”
Against the backdrop of the Old Testament reading (Is 58:7-10), our Christian vocation to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” impels us to social responsibility. In response to the word of God communicated through the prophet Isaiah, we need to care for the physical needs of the hungry, the oppressed, the homeless and the vulnerable. Indeed, we can make a difference to the world only if we become a community of justice. In our ministry to the poor and the lowly, our light shall break forth like the dawn. Through us, God’s covenant people, the glory of the Lord will shine to all nations.
Stephen Mills, who directs the Sierra Club’s international programs, makes an important observation: “Migration happens when freedom, disaster, economic opportunity, environmental degradation, and desperation are distributed so unevenly across the globe that people are forced to make difficult choices: stay and barely survive, or move and possibly thrive.” The issue on population and immigration and their environmental impact rages. Marilyn Berlin Snell, in her article “A Tale of Two Immigrants” (cf. Sierra, November-December 2004, p. 36-44) presents the opposing stance of two first-generation immigrants: one wants to build walls, the other endeavors to build bridges.
Yeh Ling-ling believes that immigration-driven population growth is harming America’s environment, workers, infrastructure, and social coherence. In the battle to protect America’s natural bounty, she advocates increased militarization of the U.S. border. Yeh Ling-ling argues: “We must assure that illegals can’t work in the United States, that their children can’t go to school.” Harvard graduate Hugo Morales, who spent his childhood picking fruit on a farm, is impatient with what he considers “the current green-washed, anti-brown argument that immigration-fueled population growth is one of the greatest threats to America’s environment”. Morales remarks: “It’s not that people want to leave their homelands. Why risk your life? They don’t do it because they like blue jeans, but because they need jobs. They’d rather stay, but globalization dynamics make border crossing inevitable; it’s a phenomenon around the world.” He responded compassionately to the problem by founding a noncommercial radio station that is meant to be a forum for ideas among immigrants so they can improve their lives. Morales also works to keep pesticides from poisoning laborers, regardless of their nationality.
In light of these two opposing view on immigration, I find the article of Robert Rodriguez on the De Alba Family, our co-parishioners, very interesting (cf. The Fresno Bee, Dec. 25, 2004, p. A11). Remembering its roots in the fields, the family has fed farm workers in the central San Joaquin Valley for many years. It is their way of thanking them for their hard work in harvesting the region’s fruits and vegetables. It is also a reminder of how far this family of twelve has come from their own days of picking cherries, tomatoes and grapes in Valley fields and orchards. The De Alba Family also has held very successful canned food drives for the poor and strongly supports St. Mary Queen of Apostles Church, to which they belong. Msgr. Pat McCormick, a former pastor, testifies: “They have really been a unifying factor for the church. They are a great family.”
Indeed, this wonderful De Alba family of Fresno is an inspiring example of what it means to be “the salt of the earth … the light of the world”. They also exemplify the zealous response to the prophetic challenge: “If you bestow your bread to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness …” (cf. Is 58:10).
C. Second Reading (I Cor 2:1-5): “I have announced to you the mystery of Christ crucified.”
The Second Reading (I Cor 2:1-5) also helps us understand more profoundly the meaning of our Christian vocation as “light of the world”. Adrian Nocent remarks: “The light we are to bring is light concerning the central object of our faith, namely, Christ crucified. It is for this that the Spirit fills us with his power. To bring light to others, then, means to enable them to meet Christ, the crucified Messiah who is now the risen Lord of glory. True faith is not grounded in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. For a man to receive the gift of faith, the light, is for him to encounter the mystery of Christ or Christ himself in his paschal mystery.”
The following story, circulated through the Internet, is dreamlike and fanciful. But it gives us an insight into how we can radiate the saving light of Christ Crucified and how in our suffering, helplessness and loving we can be light for others, especially the despondent and grieving.
She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: “How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?” The surgeon said, “I’m sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn’t make it.”
Sally said, “Why do little children get cancer? Doesn’t God care anymore? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?”
The surgeon asked, “Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he’s transported to the university.”
Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said goodbye to her son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair. “Would you like a lock of his hair?” the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy’s hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.
The mother said, “It was Jimmy’s idea to donate his body to the University for study. He said it might help somebody else. “I said no at first, but Jimmy said, ‘Mom, I won’t be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom.” She went on, “My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Always waiting to help others if he could.”
Sally walked out of Children’s Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy’s belongings on the seat beside her in the car. The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy’s belongings and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son’s room. She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She laid down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep. It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Lying beside her on bed was a folded letter. The letter said:
Dear Mom,
I know you’re going to miss me; but don’t think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just ‘cause I’m not around to say ‘I love you’. I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won’t be so lonely, that’s okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn’t like the same things us boys do. You’ll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don’t be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got there and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn’t look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus himself took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom? I got to sit on God’s knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important.
That’s when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you goodbye and everything. But I already knew that wasn’t allowed. Well, you know what, Mom? God handed me some paper and His personal pen to write you this letter. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God wants me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him ‘Where was He when I needed him?’
God said He was in the same place with me, as when His Son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children. Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I’ve written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn’t that cool? I have to give God His pen back now. He needs it to write some more names in the Books of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I’m sure the food will be great.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don’t hurt anymore. The cancer is all gone. I’m glad because I couldn’t stand that pain anymore and God couldn’t stand to see me hurt so much, either. That’s when He sent the Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery. How about that?
Signed with love from God, Jesus and me
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Are we “the salt of the earth … the light of the world” and in what way? Is the heavenly Father being glorified by our daily acts of Christian witnessing? Do we have purity of intention and an immense “candle power” as we carry out our works as Christian disciples? What happens if our vocation-mission to be “the salt of the earth … the light of the world” seems to wane? What do we do personally to revive this vital Christian vocation-mission?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you call us to become “the salt of the earth … the light of the world”.
Help us to treasure the beauty of this vocation.
As “the salt of the earth” and by our zestful Christian witnessing,
help us to improve the quality of human existence
and enable our brothers and sisters to relish the joy of salvation.
Let the light of your grace guide us.
Moved by the Holy Spirit
to participate more fully in the paschal mystery of your saving love,
may we be truly “the light of the world” … “the city on the mountaintop”.
In sharing the heart-warming radiance of your compassion
may God the Father be glorified 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 are the salt of the earth … You are the light of the world .” (Mt 5:13a, 14a)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for married couples that by their faithful love they may be “the salt of the earth … the light of the world”. By your acts of charity let the people around you experience the zest and the radiance of Gospel joy.
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February 6, 2017: MONDAY – SAINT PAUL MIKI AND COMPANIONS, Martyrs
“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 7, 2017: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (5)
“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.
*** *** ***
February 8, 2017: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (5); SAINT JEROME EMILIANI; SAINT JOSEPHINE BAKHITA, Virgin
“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 Markan 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.
*** *** ***
February 9, 2017: 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.
*** *** ***
February 10, 2017: FRIDAY – SAINT SCHOLASTICA, Vrigin
FOUNDATION DAY OF THE PDDM CONGREGATION
“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.
*** *** ***
February 11, 2017: SATURDAY – WEEKDAY (5); OUR LADY OF LOURDES; 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.
***
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