A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 15, n. 43)
Week 24 in Ordinary Time: September 17-23, 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: September 10-16, 2017, please go to ARCHIVES Series 15 and click on “Week 23”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: September 17-23, 2017.)
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September 17, 2017: TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is a Forgiving Lord”
BIBLE READINGS
Sir 27:30-28:7 // Rom 14:7-9 // Mt 18:21-35
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 18:21-35): “I say to you, forgive not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
While the Gospel reading of last Sunday (Mt 18:15-20) presented the duty of Christian correction, today’s Gospel reading explicates the duty of Christian forgiveness. The biblical scholar, Daniel Harrington remarks: “Having dealt with the extreme case of the totally incorrigible member and the extreme punishment of excommunication, the discourse turns to the more ordinary experience of forgiveness and reconciliation in the community. How many times should such a person be forgiven? Once again Peter serves as the spokesman for the group and gives what he imagines to be a very generous answer to his own question. Seven times (v. 21). Jesus corrects Peter and answers it. Seventy-seven times. The new number is not to be taken literally. The point is that Christians have no right to place any limit on forgiveness. Why Christians may not set limits to forgiveness is illustrated by the parable of the merciless steward (vv. 23-25). This parable puts in story form the second “we-petition” of the Lord’s Prayer: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors (Mt 6:12). In other words, God’s willingness to forgive us depends on our willingness to forgive others (cf. Mt 6:14-15) … The story warns us that forgiveness granted to us by God will be revoked unless we are willing to forgive others (v. 35). The unforgiving are excluded from God’s mercy. Those who work to receive God’s mercy must show mercy toward others.”
The ability to forgive others results from our personal response and wholehearted reception of God’s forgiving love. Eugene Maly explains: “God tells us to forgive. The reason for this attitude is that God’s nature is a forgiving one, and anyone who belongs to God must imitate his attitude … It is true that we do find in the Bible references to God’s anger and determination to perish. But in all these cases, it is spoken of those who, in the end, reject God’s forgiveness. Divine forgiveness flows from a creating and unmerited love and a new creation results. If that creating love is rejected, it is clear that the chaos of sin remains. Punishment is the necessary result. But as long as life remains, the forgiving hand of God is outstretched to all. Vengeance is final only when the refusal of forgiving love is final. How do we know that we have accepted God’s forgiving love? Only when we can forgive others.”
The parable of the unforgiving steward continues to challenge us today. Each one of us has received and continues to receive the mercy of God, who has remitted the un-payable debt of sin. Our conduct toward our brothers and sisters who have offended should follow the loving stance of our forgiving God. To act otherwise is to incur divine condemnation. We must pardon from the heart in imitation of God, who is not content to receive lip service from a people whose heart is far from him.
The following personal reflection of Mario Estrella, my former student and member of the religious congregation Opifices Christi is insightful.
When I was working as one of the training officers of the different training programs of the Department of Education, I had made a decision that was detrimental to the mandate of the Department to provide continuous service to teachers and principals. My immediate superior called it to my attention when he discovered my irresponsibility and incompetence. I thought I would be reprimanded and incriminated for negligence and my conduct, which was unbecoming to a government employee.
The superior asked me if I was guilty of the offense and I replied affirmatively. He surprised me when he asked, “If I keep you in your present capacity, can I trust you in the future?”
I replied, “I am sorry, sir. I have learned my lesson and you surely can trust me again.”
He must have detected the sincerity of my repentance. “I am not going to press charges anymore and you can continue in your present responsibility,” he said.
He told me then that he had once succumbed to the same situation, but he was given mercy and was asked to learn from it. His position now in the Department can attest how far he has gone because of the opportunity accorded to him.
Truly, according to Steve Goodlier, those who forgive best are those who are forgiven.
The story is centered on the fruit of forgiveness. Forgiveness multiplies when freely given to the offender. Whether we like it or not, something good may come out from the experience and could probably change the person for the better.
There is another way of looking at why Jesus asked us to forgive seventy-seven times. The number of times we exonerate is most likely equivalent to those who will have a change of heart for the better. The number of recipients who have been rehabilitated as a result of forgiveness is already a great contribution to the continuing proclamation of the Kingdom of God. If the recipients will do the same to their offenders, forgiveness multiplies until it reaches the core number that will make the world a better place to live in.
But the world where we live is far different from the world that is supposed to be the replica of the Kingdom of God. If you go around and see, people are full of hatred, vengeance, jealousy and pride. Many people are preoccupied with living a very convenient life to the detriment of other people who are violated and victims of injustices, and are getting poorer and poorer. Many are living in an instant world where they have an easy, but very complicated life. The values of introspection and contrition have become interferences to success, rather than a motivation for building a closer relationship with God. This is why people are unmindful of seeking forgiveness from the people they have offended.
This is the problem of our time. People simply ignore it because of pride, hatred, vengeance, and sometimes, because they lack the time to do it. Very few people apologize for their offenses. If there are sinners who confess repentance, people doubt the sincerity of their remorse. As I have been emphasizing, the fruit of forgiveness is the rehabilitation of the repentant and the resolve to become a better person. The goodness resulting from the experience of forgiveness would not be possible unless forgiveness is asked and granted to somebody. How could we build a better world if people do not cooperate by being good?
The bigger task for us is how to convince the unrepentant to ask forgiveness. We do not need to look farther for we can start in our family, community, school and offices. In this, we can start asking ourselves when was the last time we asked for forgiveness and granted it to those who have asked for it.
B. First Reading (Sir 27:30-28:9): “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.”
The Sunday celebration continues to shape us in the meaning of Christian discipleship. The purifying and life-giving word of God that echoes in the liturgical assembly teaches that forgiveness is a vital element of our life in Christ and in the Church.
The Old Testament reading (Sir 27:30-28:9) is an exhortation to forgiveness. The writer of the Book of Sirach asserts: “If you forgive someone who has wronged you, your sins will be forgiven when you pray … You yourself are a sinner, and if you won’t forgive another person, you have no right to pray that the Lord will forgive your sins.” We are all in need of forgiveness and life is too short for grudges. Someday, we will die and our body decay. Indeed, it is wise to give up hate, anger and revenge and abide by the Lord’s commands concerning love of neighbor.
The following is a personal testimony of forgiving a neighbor’s injustice (cf. Joshua Sundquist in Daily Guideposts 2015, p. 373).
I entered high school after eight years of home schooling. I knew very few people and had just lost a leg to cancer, so I was worried about how the other students would treat me. As if to confirm my worst fears, an upperclassman deliberately tripped me as I walked down the hall on my artificial leg and then made fun of me. When I told my mom what had happened, she cried.
Years have passed, and a few weeks ago I got an unexpected message online. It was from the upperclassman. He tracked me down to say how guilty he has felt about that day and wanted to know if I would forgive him
I wasn’t sure. Would forgiving him be tantamount to condoning his actions? Wasn’t bullying wrong? I talked it over with a few friends, and the advice was split.
But then I remembered that God forgives and loves me despite much greater shortcomings than those displayed by that bully. So it was not my place to withhold forgiveness. It was not my job to evaluate the merits of his apology or decide whether he deserved forgiveness. I wrote him back and told him that it was no big deal. Because really, it wasn’t. And I’m certainly not going to let a bully trip me up in my relationship with God.
C. Second Reading (Rom 14:7-9): “Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”
In the Second Reading (Rom 14:7-9), Saint Paul reiterates our total belonging to Jesus, who died and came to life that he may be Lord of both the dead and the living. We belong to a forgiving God who is kind and compassionate. To forget that we are the Lord’s makes us unable to forgive.
The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent comments: “The verses read today from the letter to the Romans show a fortuitous but real correspondence with the first reading and the Gospel. The main point that Paul is making here is that whether in life or in death we belong to the Lord, since Christ has become Lord of both the living and the dead. If we accept the Gospel, embrace the faith and receive baptism, we are accepting the lordship of Christ: we live to the Lord. But then, all of us alike are under the same lordship, and if we are all servants of one and the same Lord, why do we condemn one another? (…) Such condemnation of one another is unthinkable: we must all appear before God’s judgment seat and render an account of ourselves. In the community of the Church, then, each person must forgive the others and stop passing judgment on them.”
The following intense and impressive personal story illustrates the power of forgiveness (cf. Roberta Messner, “The Kindness Factor” in Guideposts, March 2011, p. 66-70). The narrator avows that forgiveness is how she shows her love for God in return for the unending love he gives her.
A V.A. hospital is a big place. I should know; I work in one. But that morning it wasn’t big enough. Not with my newly ex-husband and fellow nurse, Mark, roaming the halls. I’d managed to avoid him for a few weeks since our divorce had become final, but now, there he was, dressed in his scrubs, escorting a patient to the radiology room. He saw me and smiled. At least I thought it was a smile. “Just thirty-six more days until retirement!” he announced blithely. My blood ran cold. I’d almost forgotten. When we’d married 25 years ago, we’d planned to retire and travel around the world right about now. I guessed that was still Mark’s plan, but thanks to him, it couldn’t be mine anymore. No way could I afford retirement.
I tried to be civil. “So, still planning to do some traveling?” I asked. “Moving to Alaska”, he said. “Maybe do a little consulting, but for the most part, I’ll just fly and live the good life.” “Fly?” “Didn’t I tell you? I bought that vintage airplane I always wanted.”
No. He didn’t tell me. Now my blood was boiling. Even the knowledge he’d be thousands of miles away didn’t soothe me. He was going to live it up while I spent the next five years or more digging out from the financial mess he’d left me in. I stormed off before I made a scene.
The words from the Bible that Mark and I had pledged to each other on our wedding day came to mind: “Whither thou goest I will go; where thou lodgest, I will lodge.” How meaningless these words had been to Mark! Maybe he could on like nothing happened, but I couldn’t.
Since I was a teenager, I’d suffered health problems that could cause debilitating pain and other complications. Stress made it worse, and living with Mark didn’t help. At first, he’d made me laugh with his crazy brand of humor. He’d stood by me through all the doctor’s appointments and treatments. I put almost every cent I earned into paying off our house and making it beautiful. It was even featured in a few home magazines. I pictured us growing old there, together. But instead, we grew apart. Things changed. Mark’s good qualities gave way to the bad ones. He had a miserable temper, and could fly into rages over the littlest things. Bad feelings built up between us. For eight years I’d worked an extra job to get us by while he’d gone back to school for an advanced degree. Then when I mentioned that my boss urged me to consider going on disability during one of my more severe health flare-ups, Mark flew off the handle. “Wait one minute!” he yelled. “I didn’t sign up for this. You’re not going to quit your job and expect me to pick up the slack.” That was the last straw. After all I’d put up with, when I needed him the most, he turned his back. I’d never forgive him for that.
Mark stayed in our house while we worked out the details of the divorce. I moved to a ramshackle log cabin. I thought I could fix it up to start anew. I tried to put a good spin on things to my friends, laughing about how I called my new home The Leaning Log because everywhere I stood in it, the uneven floor made me lean. “I’m sorry, Roberta”, they’d say. “He just treated you awful.” “No”, I’d say, “we just needed to go our separate ways.”
What I couldn’t bear to bring up was how little I got in the divorce settlement, how the lawyers’ fees and the low sale price we’d taken on our house didn’t leave nearly enough to fix up the cabin. I wondered how Mark could afford his retirement. It wasn’t fair!
At a checkup, my doctor said, “Your blood pressure’s up, Roberta. Anything bothering you?” I started to say I was fine when all at once it came out, all the anger I’d been storing up. I told him how Mark had left me with almost nothing in the divorce, how I still had to see him at work, how it seemed he was rubbing my face with his quips about retirement, doing all the stuff we’d dreamed about.
Dr. Brownfield shook his head. “Stress can aggravate your condition. You know that… Take care of yourself. Eat right. Get rest. You’ve got to find a way to let this go.”
Let it go? How? I knew the doctor was right. But I wasn’t done being angry. For a solid week afterward, I couldn’t sleep. I felt myself getting more and more sick. By the weekend, I didn’t know if I’d have the energy to go in to work the following Monday. I collapsed on my bed. I did the only thing I knew to do. I prayed. Not for the first time, of course, not by a long shot. But with a desperation I’d never experienced. “Lord, I know I need to let go of this”, I cried out. “But how? Even when he’s gone, every day at work will just remind me I have no one and he’s out having the time of his life.” I knew what God’s answer was. Forgive Mark. Focus on the future, not the past. But I simply didn’t know how to forgive Mark. I tried. I couldn’t.
The next day at work, I could barely function. “You okay?” asked Sandy, one of the other nurses. She’d recently lost her husband. If she was asking me if I was okay, I must have looked in really bad shape. “I’m fine”, I insisted.
Sandy sat down with one of our long-term patients, Mr. Lansing. He’d once told me how seeing her was the best part of his day. I’d meant to tell Sandy that but had let it slip my mind. At my desk I spied a box of pansy-patterned cards a student I’d once mentored had given me. An inspiration struck. I pulled one out and wrote, “Dear Sandy, you make the biggest difference in your patients’ lives. I see it everyday. Especially this afternoon with Mr. Lansing. He told me that he watches the clock for 8:00 A.M. when your shift begins. Thank you for caring so much about our veteran patients.”
I gave Sandy the card. “You don’t know how much this means”, she said, grasping my hands tight. Seeing her smile meant a lot to me. Being thankful for a person and letting her know felt so much better than being resentful.
I decided to write “Caught in the Act of Caring” notes whenever I saw someone doing a good job or when someone brightened my day. Every time I wrote a note, it seemed my eyes were opened to new people I could give a kind word to. People I’d overlooked because I was so focused on my misery. Giving kindness was like an antidote to the poison of my resentment toward Mark. I felt energized when I came home. Enough to work on my garden at the Leaning Log, which was looking nicer everyday. I potted some red geraniums and gave them out to co-workers. The day Mark left the hospital for good, I barely took note. He’s moving on with his life. I’m moving on with mine.
“Has your diet changed?” Dr. Brownfield asked at my next appointment. My blood pressure had dropped 20 points. “No, just my attitude”, I said.
One night, home at the Leaning Log, sorting through some boxes, I came across an old anniversary card from Mark. Slowly, I opened it up. It was sweet, funny – the Mark I’d fallen in love with. At least those moments I’d always be thankful for.
Thankful for Mark? A few weeks ago, I probably would have ripped up the card. But I wasn’t in the same place anymore. All my caring notes had moved me to a different place. A place of forgiveness and letting go. I didn’t want resentment to rule my life anymore. “Lord”, I said, “wherever Mark is right now, I forgive him. Forgiveness is how I show my love for you in return for the unending love you give me.” It was strange, but the last bit of weight that seemed to sit on my shoulders lifted away.
I’ve heard from friends that Mark’s doing well in Alaska. He’s enjoying life. And it doesn’t make me unhappy. Anger and resentment did. Mark can’t hurt me anymore. As soon as I stopped counting my grievances, I could see my blessings. I could let go of the pain and embrace the future. My log cabin is paid in full and renovations are progressing well. My health is stable. I love my job more than ever, and my life too, free of the past.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we realize that wrath and anger are hateful things and counterproductive? Do we endeavor to forgive our neighbor’s injustice that we may fully embrace God’s forgiveness?
2. How does the “seventy times seven” duty of forgiveness impinge on us personally? Are we willing to imitate the frequency, intensity and quality of Christian forgiveness?
3. Do we belong totally to the compassionate Lord who forgives all our sins? Do we endeavor to communicate his forgiving love to those who have wronged us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Almighty God and Father,
you are gracious and kind.
How loving and forgiving are you!
Do not allow anger and wrath to grip our hearts.
Let not resentment and vengeance
impel us to death and destruction.
Grant us your forgiveness
for we are truly sorry of our sins.
Heal the wounds caused by sins and violence.
Help us to embrace
the “seventy times seven” duty of forgiveness given by Jesus.
Teach us to gaze upon your beloved Son
whose sacrificial love enabled him
to suffer passion and death on the cross.
He came to life
and is glorified as Lord of both the dead and living.
We belong to him.
As recipients of his saving love,
we too are instruments of his forgiveness
in a fragmented world that needs your healing love.
Let peace reign in us and give us the courage to be always forgiving.
We adore you and praise you;
we love you 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 week. Please memorize it.
“I say to you, forgive not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Mt 18:22)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for forgiveness and for the grace of forgiveness. Make an effort to forgive from the heart one who has wronged you. That we may fully embrace forgiveness and obtain from God the grace to forgive, make an effort to spend some quiet moments of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
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September 18, 2017: MONDAY – WEEKDAY (24)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Heals the Centurion’s Servant … Through Him We Offer our Prayers to God”
BIBLE READINGS
I Tm 2:1-8 // Lk 7:1-10
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 7:1-10): “Not even in Israel I have found such faith.”
(By Bishop Joseph Mukala, India)
The centurion had to face certain challenges when he decided to request him to heal his servant. His own friends must have ridiculed him for seeking the assistance of a so-called Jewish preacher. His own authority over his subjects could prevent him from having recourse to a so-called preacher with magic powers. In any case we can count on his deep faith in the authority of Christ, to whom he pleaded for the cure of his servant … We are in need of healing, both spiritual and mental.
The Lord is ever ready to come under our roof and heal us. He gently tells us that he is ready to come and heal us if only we open ourselves to him and his healing power. The centurion knew that Jesus has power and authority to heal from a distance, as he himself has power and authority to command and get things done. Hence, he humbled himself before Jesus and requested him to exercise his power and authority to heal his servant, without coming to his house … As the centurion acknowledged the power and authority of Jesus in healing his servant, let us also be conscious of our need for the presence of the Lord in our lives – that he may heal us of our spiritual, psychological and mental agonies and wounds. In the same measure, let us also be conscious of people who need our presence for their healing, especially those who are close to us, like the servant who was very close to his master, the centurion.
B. First Reading (I Tm 2:1-8): “I ask that prayers be offered for everyone to God who wills everyone to be saved.”
Today’s First Reading (I Tm 2:1-8) invites us to a ministry of prayer to God who wills everyone to be saved. Prayer is a means of accomplishing the divine plan of salvation. The liturgical scholar, Adrian Nocent comments: “We are urged here to pray for all men so that they may be saved. Such prayer is efficacious, but its efficacy derives from Christ Jesus, who gives himself as a ransom for all. The apostle’s role is to bring this gift to men. The Christian community is meant to be a community of prayer, and Paul asks that in every place Christians should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. This is to say that their intention must be upright; they do not pray to draw down wrath from heaven on their enemies or to further their personal ambition … Paul is here urging us to frequent prayer that is not limited to the time of liturgy. We are to be really preoccupied with the salvation of all men, for we share responsibility for them with Christ.” Let us continue our prayers for all: for civil authorities and for everyone, that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of truth. Let us pray for those who aid the world’s poor and work to bring God’s saving compassion, especially in today’s distressed society.
The following is an example of how the ministry of prayer is at work in our life (cf. David Stefanowicz, “More Than I Asked” in Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart, ed. Jeff Cavis, et. al. West Chester: Ascension Press, 2004, p. 175-178).
I drove home to my wife, Teri. She looked at my stricken face as I walked through the door knowing instantly that something was very wrong. “I have cancer”, I told her immediately, and I explained the situation. In the embrace of my wife my heart finally plugged into my brain, releasing a floodgate of tears. I did not feel alone anymore. We cried and hugged. As I held Teri, the cancer was no longer just about me; it was about Teri, my daughter Brittany, age thirteen, and sons Chris and Benjamin, ages eleven and eight. They all needed me.
With Teri at my side, we told the kids. Then we all cried and prayed together. Looking into the faces of my loved ones, I became determined to do everything possible to beat this cancer. But I realized I could not do it alone. I needed God more than ever.
Teri called her brother, Fr. Wayne Sattler. He suggested I receive the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. He also said he would be praying for the intercession of Mother Teresa. While Fr. Wayne was in seminary in Rome, several meetings with Mother Teresa inspired him to greater spirituality. Although she has not yet been canonized as a saint of the Church, Fr. Wayne believes her to be a powerful intercessor in heaven. He sent us prayer cards with prayers for her intercession.
We did not stop there. We asked everyone we knew to pray for healing. We prayed Rosaries, went to extra Masses and prayed unceasingly. Although I was determined to beat the cancer, I still had to face my mortality head on. My Internet research revealed a fifty percent survival rate five years after treatment for my kind of cancer. That put my life’s odds on par with a coin toss.
I so desperately wanted my life to stay the same. My family needed me. “Please God,” I prayed, “let me live to take care of Teri and the kids.” (…)
I got to the hospital early for the 11:45 a.m. surgery, cautiously relieved the day had finally arrived. Teri and I hugged goodbye as I was wheeled away in the operating room. Three hours later, I woke up to excruciating pain. Shaking violently from the after effects of the anesthesia compounded the throbbing pain in my mouth and throat. Stitches, cotton and a plastic plate covering my mouth made it impossible to speak.
I wanted to know how the surgery went, but I could not form the question to ask the nurse. Not until I was wheeled from the recovery room to the patient room was I able to see Teri. She put her arms around me and kissed me. I looked into her eyes, waiting to hear how the surgery went. “Did they get it all? Has it spread?” I desperately wanted to know yet feared a negative response.
I had prayed so hard for a full recovery. I believed God could allow me to get better, and I prayed that this would be His will. What He did, however, I had never asked for. It was more than I ever dreamed of. “The doctor removed three teeth and quite a bit of tissue and bone at the site”, Teri explained, ‘but Dave, the pathology test done in the surgery room showed no cancer.” Subsequent tests showed there was no trace of cancer. Baffled, Dr. Adams went back to the initial biopsy. The tissue was definitively cancerous. He re-examined the tissue removed during surgery. No cancer whatsoever.
My family and I sincerely believe that God healed my cancer through the intercession of Mother Teresa. Through the grace of God I have been blessed with a second chance and I will do everything possible to live each moment in union with Him now. He has given me more than I will ever deserve and more than I asked.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Like the centurion, do we have such faith as to seek healing from our Lord Jesus?
2. Do we believe that prayer is a ministry that promotes the divine saving plan? Do we experience that prayer is “good and pleasing to God”? Do we pray for civil authorities and for everyone that all may be saved? Is our prayer authentic and does it involve the sacrifice of our lives?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
we thank you for the compassionate centurion
who begged you to save the life of his dear servant.
We also thank you for the people
whose lives the centurion’s goodness has touched
and who now intercede with him.
Help us to imitate the centurion’s care for the lowly ones
and for your own people.
Fill us with the same great faith
that inspired him to trust in you.
As you healed the centurion’s dying servant,
touch us anew with your healing power.
Lord Jesus,
we are not worthy that you should enter under our roof,
but only say the word and our souls will be healed.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
O loving God,
Jesus came to save us by dying for us.
Grant that we may unite ourselves
with your Son’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross
that all may be saved.
Teach us to pray not only with our lips,
but with our hearts and with our lives.
Make us realize that prayer is a ministry
that promotes your compassionate plan.
Teach us to be creative, daring and resourceful
in our work for the Kingdom.
We give you thanks and praise
for you are a loving God and a merciful Father.
Through Christ, with Christ and in Christ,
we glorify 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.
“Not even in Israel have I found such faith.” (Lk 7:9) //“I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions and thanksgiving be offered for everyone.” (I Tm 2:1)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray not only for healing, but also to be a healer. Do something kind and comforting for a sick relative, or friend, or a subordinate. // Pray that Christian disciples may work in a concerted effort to promote God’s benevolent plan to save all. By your acts of justice and charity on behalf of the world’s poor, discover the beauty and dignity of being God’s humble instrument of salvation.
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September 19, 2017: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (24); SAINT JANUARIUS, Bishop, Martyr
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Raises the Widow’s Son … He Is the True Minister of the Church”
BIBLE READINGS
I Tm 3:1-13 // Lk 7:11-17
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 7:11-17): “Young man, I tell you arise!”
I was born before Vatican II and the Mass that I attended when I was a little girl was in Latin. I could not make out what was being done by the priest, nor could I understand what was being said. But I knew, from strict discipline, that inside the church I was supposed to behave. One day, during the Mass, after the parish priest had read in Latin, he took a special book and began to read a story in the vernacular – in our Bicol dialect. I was only five years old, but I listened with rapt attention about a man Jesus raising a widow’s son to life. I was fascinated and loved that story, which I never forgot.
In today’s Gospel (Lk 7:11-17), the raising of the dead in Naim depicts Jesus responding compassionately to a tragedy. Death has taken away, with a wicked hand, the only son of a widow, who is in a pitiable condition. Not only has she lost her only son but, as a widow, she is most vulnerable and defenseless in the Jewish society. Just as he responded benevolently with miraculous power to the good centurion’s request to heal his faithful servant, Jesus manifests in Naim his compassion and efficacious power. Seeing the bereaved mother, he is moved with pity for her and tells her not to weep. He touches the coffin and commands, “Young man, I tell you arise!” The dead man sits up and begins to speak. Jesus gives him back to his mother. The miracle elicits the marvel of the people, who give glory to God. Jesus thus manifests anew his power over life and death.
The miracle of life over death lives on in today’s world. When I was teaching confirmation class in Fresno, one of my students – Ian Flores – was involved in a vehicular accident. The car in which he and three high school classmates were riding was hit by a school bus. The girl driving the car was killed; one classmate was seriously injured and was fighting for her life at the ICU – she eventually recovered; one remained unscathed; and Ian was in coma. His mom told me, “He keeps on sleeping… sleeping … sleeping!” On the eighth day, our pastor Msgr. Pat McCormick said to the comatose boy, “Ian, if you want to spend Christmas at home, you better wake up!” The following day, Ian woke up and made it so difficult for the nurses that the doctor gave in to his desire to go home. When Msgr. Pat and I visited Ian at their ranch, he was limping a little and using a crutch, but otherwise he was okay. The sense of gratitude that pervaded the family was akin to the marvelous feeling that filled the widow of Naim when Jesus raised her dead son to life and gave him back to her.
B. First Reading (I Tm 3:1-13): “The bishop must be irreproachable; similarly, deacons must hold fast to the mystery of faith with a clear conscience.”
Today’s First Reading (I Tm 3:1-13) is about the leaders and the helpers in the Church. Saint Paul describes the qualifications in Church ministry. To be a minister of the Church is not for selfish gain, but to promote the welfare of the community. The office of the bishop is a noble task which involves regulating the life of the community and presiding at the assembly of worship. The bishop must have the ability to teach because preaching the Gospel is the central duty of the leader of the faith community. Hence, he must not be a recent convert, for the work of evangelization needs suitable preparation. On account of the importance of his office, he must be irreproachable and self-controlled, gentle and peaceful, temperate and hospitable. Besides being a person of good character, the bishop should be a unifying force both within his home and in the Church. By his life of integrity, the bishop wields a sense of respect even from people outside the Church.
The list of qualifications for deacons is similar to that of a bishop. The deacons must be persons of good character and repute. They must not be polygamous and must be able to manage their children and family. Since deacons are particularly subject to temptations because they are in charge of alms, Saint Paul underlines that they must not be greedy for money. Above all, they must be steadfast in truth. They should hold to the revealed truth of the faith with a clear conscience. Those deacons who do their work well win for themselves a good standing and are able to speak boldly about their faith in Christ Jesus.
The following profile of a modern-day bishop gives insight into the meaning of Church ministry (cf. Matthew Bunson, “Cardinal Luis Tagle: An Emerging Voice in Asia Church” in Our Sunday Visitor, December 30, 2012, p. 11).
On November 24, Pope Benedict XVI officially installed Archbishop Luis Tagle, the archbishop of Manila, Philippines, as a member of the College of Cardinals. The high honor capped a year in which Cardinal Tagle, 55, emerged onto the scene of global Catholicism.
Nicknamed by his friends “Chito”, the American-educated bishop and theologian (he earned a doctorate in theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.) had been bishop of Imus, Philippines, from 2001 until 2011 when he was transferred to the archdiocese of Manila as its new archbishop. He was a member of the International Theological Commission and earned notoriety for his remarks at the Synod of Bishops in 2005 and 2008 and at the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City. He is famous across Asia for his great concern for the poor, taking the bus to work every day and playing the guitar.
His profile increased when he was named by Pope Benedict XVI to the Synod of Bishops held in Rome in October that focused on the New Evangelization. He called on the Church to discover the power of silence as a sign of a new spirit of humility, declaring, “The Church’s humility, respectfulness and silence might reveal more clearly the face of God in Jesus.”
He was subsequently nominated by the Pope as vice president of the “Commission for the Message” and produced the formal statement on the New Evangelization at the synod. He was in Rome during the canonization of St. Pedro Calungsod. Tagle, considered a young and important voice for the rapidly growing Church in Asia.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we truly love Jesus and trust in the compassion he showed to the widow of Naim? How do we share his benevolence with the people around us?
2. How do we understand the meaning of Church ministry today and the role of bishops, priests and deacons in the faith community?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
the sight of tragedy moves you to pity.
The grief of the widow of Naim
fills you with compassion.
You therefore raised her dead son to life
and gave him back to her.
We thank you for your loving mercy.
We glorify you for your gift of life
and the triumph of life.
You live and reign, now and forever.
Amen.
***
O loving God,
we thank you for Jesus, the true minister of the Church.
We pray for all baptized Christians
that we may be totally immersed into the life of Jesus,
the one who serves.
We pray for bishops, priests and deacons
that they may be faithful to the ministry they have received.
Make them pure and blameless in your sight.
Let them serve your people with personal dedication.
We give you glory and praise, 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.
“Young man, I tell you arise!” (Lk 7:14) //“A bishop must be irreproachable … deacons must be dignified, holding fast to the mystery of faith with a clear conscience.” (I Tm 3:1, 8)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
If there is any occasion to participate in a funeral liturgy, do so with a conscious spirit of love and compassion for the bereaved. // Make an effort to know more about the bishop, priests and deacons in your local Church. By word, prayer and action assist them in their ministry.
*** *** ***
September 20, 2017: WEDNESDAY – SAINTS ANDREW KIM TAE-GON, Priest, AND PAUL CHONG HA-SANG, AND COMPANIONS, Martyrs
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Does Not Square Up to Their Expectations … He Is the Mystery of Our Faith”
BIBLE READINGS
I Tm 3:14-16 // Lk 7:31-35
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 7:31-35): “We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.”
This happened in Rome many years ago. It was summer and the weather was sultry. Instead of using a black habit (that is, the Sister’s dress), I wore white for hygienic reasons. Several Sisters commented that I look better in black. A few days later, I changed again to a black habit for a practical purpose - because I was making a long trip from Rome to northern Italy by train and a black dress is less messy. Some Sisters remarked that I look better in white. I was chagrined! I could not please them either in black or in white.
In today’s Gospel (Lk 7:31-35), Jesus is likewise chagrined by the whims and capriciousness of the people of his generation. They are like children playing in the marketplace who call to one another: “We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge for you and you did not weep.” The spoiled brats are not happy because their expectations are not met. Similarly, the religious leaders of Israel are difficult to satisfy. Neither John nor Jesus has squared up to their standards and expectations. They find fault with John because he is too ascetic. They are unhappy with Jesus because he is lax and gluttonous. They are indecisive. Their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah reveals their stubbornness and foolishness. They lack wisdom of heart and have negated God’s plan and his gift of salvation through his Son Jesus Christ.
B. First Reading (I Tm 3:14-16): “Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion.”
In today’s First Reading (I Tm 3:14-16), Saint Paul speaks of his travel plans and the possibility of delay. In the event that he should be delayed, he expects them to know how to behave in the Church, which is “the household of God”. The Church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of truth. Indeed, through the divine epiphany in Jesus Christ, the faith community becomes the place of God’s presence and the guarantor and bulwark of faith. Saint Paul then cites a beautiful hymn which encapsulates the mystery of faith, who is Christ: he became man and died for all, vindicated by God and exalted before the angels, preached among the nations and believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. Indeed, the “catholic” Church is the privileged communicator of the saving event centered on our “catholic” Savior, Jesus Christ.
The following article illustrates how the “mystery of devotion” Jesus Christ is proclaimed to the nations today (cf. Brandon Vogt, “Bishop Christopher Coyne: Leading the Flock in the Digital Word” in Our Sunday Visitor, December 30, 2012, p. 11).
In his message for the 44th World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged priests to “make astute use” of new media. After all, he asked, who better to “help the men and women of our digital age sense the Lord’s presence”? Many priests have heeded that call, but few better than Bishop Christopher Coyne, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. In the last few years, he’s started a popular blog titled “Let Us Walk Together” and has connected with thousands of followers through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Every morning, Bishop Coyne tweets out short reflections on the Mass readings or the saints of the day, usually followed by a quote or prayer. His messages are then beamed across the world and even his brother bishops take note. One recently confessed to using Bishop Coyne’s daily Twitter reflections to draft his own morning homilies.
Besides the devotional messages, Bishop Coyne uses new media because it personally connects him to his flock. It’s common for parishioners to tell him, “I read your tweets every morning, and they’re such a great way to start the day.” A young couple once messaged him on Facebook, explaining their baby was about to have surgery. They asked for Bishop Coyne’ prayers and, thanks to Facebook, he was able to immediately respond with encouragement and supplication.
Among bishops, Bishop Coyne is the clear online leader. Back in November, this was affirmed when he was invited to be a panelist at the special USCCB bishops and bloggers meeting. In his opening remarks he explained, “It’s not a question if bishops and the Church should be involved in digital media, but how. As a living bridge between the episcopacy and the digital world, Bishop Coyne modeled that “how” throughout 2012. While his brother bishops may be hesitant about websites and social media, perhaps even afraid, they can rest easy knowing one of their own is leading the way.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. How do we respond to God’s offer of salvation in Jesus Christ? Are we indecisive and obstinate, or are we open and receptive to divine grace?
2. Do we value our belonging to the Church, “the household of God, which is the Church of the living God”? How do we proclaim the “mystery of devotion”, centered on Jesus Christ, to the nations?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Jesus,
you are the Father’s gift of salvation.
But we are full of whims and caprices
like the spoiled brats in the marketplace.
We refuse to let you enter into our lives.
Forgive us, Lord Jesus,
for we are foolish and stubborn.
Grant us wisdom of heart
so that we may receive divine grace.
Let us welcome you as our saving Lord,
now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we thank you for our belonging to the Church,
“the household of God, which is the Church of the living God,
the pillar and foundation of truth”.
How marvelous is the “mystery of devotion”
centered on our Lord Jesus Christ!
Grant that we may fully embrace this saving mystery in our life
and efficaciously share the mystery of faith
to all nations and creation.
We give you glory and praise, 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.
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?” (Lk 7:31) //“Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion.” (I Tm 3:16a)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Today follow through with your decision to imitate the goodness and kindness of Christ to others, especially the needy and the unfortunate. // Invite one or more persons to visit the PDDM website: www.pddm.us and profit from the pastoral tools “LECTIO DIVINA” and “EUCHARISTIC ADORATION”.
*** *** ***
September 21, 2017: THURSDAY – SAINT MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Calls Matthew to Follow Him … He Is the Source of Gifts to Build Up the Church”
BIBLE READINGS
Eph 4:1-7, 11-13 // Mt 9:9-13
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 9:9-13): “Follow me. And standing up, he followed him.”
The Fresno-based Poverello House is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization whose mission is to enrich the lives and spirits of all who pass their way, to feed the hungry, offer focused rehabilitation programs, temporary shelter, medical, dental and other basic services to the poor, the homeless, the disadvantaged, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex or disability through Providential and community support. Its founder is Mike McGarvin, a man who had experienced God’s mercy and transforming compassion through a saintly Franciscan priest, Fr. Simon Scanlon. They met at the “Poverello Coffee House” which Fr. Simon opened in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, notorious for its poverty, prostitution and violence. Mike narrates: “Gradually my life of self-indulgent destruction was being replaced by a life of service … I began seeing people through Father Simon’s eyes. He, in turn, saw people through Christ’s eyes, and he deeply believed that Jesus walked among the poor and the outcast. It was a revelation to me. The more I got to know the people who came to Poverello, the more compassion I felt for them.”
Today’s Gospel reading (Mt 9:9-13) is not only a concise presentation of Matthew’s vocation story, but also a powerful theology of the Christ, as full of compassion and mercy. The liturgical scholar, Adrian Nocent explains: “St. Matthew records his own calling in a simple, straightforward way … Christ chooses and calls; the person chosen and called immediately leaves everything and follows Jesus … Jesus comes to dine with Matthew and the other disciples in Matthew’s house at Capernaum; they are joined at table by many tax collectors and sinners, to whose ranks Matthew belonged until now. It is easy to see the point Matthew wants to make, namely, that Jesus has come into the world to save not only the Jews but others as well, including sinners. When Jesus is challenged for eating with sinners, we observe that he does not justify himself but simply speaks of himself as a physician. A physician does not have to justify his presence among the sick; neither does Jesus. Matthew is thus, once again, offering us a theology of the Christ. Jesus is characterized by mercy, because his Father is mercy itself and he, Jesus, has been sent in order to communicate God’s mercy.”
B. First Reading: Eph 4:1-7, 11-13: “It was his gift that some should be apostles, others evangelists.”
Today’s First Reading (Eph 4:1-7, 11-13) is about the unity and growth in the Body of Christ and the various gifts received from Christ for the building up of the Church. Saint Paul urges the believers to live a life worthy of their Christian calling. The Holy Spirit, the single inner source of Christian life, moves all members toward what promotes peace and harmony. Within this basic unity, there are gifts from the Risen Christ so that each member may contribute in a unique way to the growth and progress of the Church. The one who “gave gifts to mankind” has appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. Saint Matthew is an example of those whose roles are essential to the life of the Church. The giftedness of the Church is in view of the unity in our faith and the growth in the knowledge of Christ. We endeavor to become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ’s stature.
The following profile of a parishioner shows how one’s “gifts” are used for Church ministry and the building of the Body of Christ (cf. Jessi Emmert, “Francis O’Brien: Constant Fixture at His Parish” in Our Sunday Visitor, December 30, 2012, p. 12).
Francis O’Brien, a retired military officer, is a vital part of St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell, Georgia. He leads the Rosary before the 8:00 a.m. daily Mass, serves as a lector when needed and is secretary of the parish’s pro-life committee. “He’s the type of person who is quiet”, said Yakaly Fernandez, a fellow parishioner. “He will do things without anybody knowing, and that’s what I think is amazing.” O’Brien is a fixture in the parish. “He’s there every single morning”, Fernandez said.
O’Brien loves his parish because of its active and vibrant culture. “We have perpetual Eucharistic adoration, which is a great thing for a parish”, he said. “I take part in that.”
O’Brien’s wife, Judy, is also involved at St. Peter Chanel and serves on the pro-life committee with him. The parish is the closest one to the couple’s home, and they have been attending since the parish began in 1998. O’Brien described how they have seen the church grow throughout the years. “In the beginning, Mass was being held in school gymnasiums and so on, then to the temporary sanctuary, and now we’re in the permanent church”, he said.
O’Brien is also involved in a Catholic outreach, “The Society of St. Francis and St. Therese” that sends out postcards to the public, offering a free course in Catholicism. He has used his retirement in a beautiful way that gives back to the Church. His passion for stewardship, evangelization, service and commitment to life represent the qualities of a strong and focused parishioner.
O’Brien is a symbol of the countless men and women who serve in parishes around the world. While they may not have an official title in the Church, their dedication and servants’ hearts make the ministry of the Catholic Church possible. Their silent but steadfast work may often go unnoticed, but they deserve a standing ovation for their loyalty and love.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. What is our response to Jesus’ call addressed personally to each of us, “Follow me”? Are we willing to welcome fully into our hearts Jesus and the gift of divine mercy that he brings?
2. How do we promote the unity and vitality of the Church? What are the “gifts” we have received from the Risen Christ and how do we use them for the building up of the Church?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are kind and merciful.
In calling Matthew,
and in dining with sinners and tax collectors,
you reveal that you are truly the divine physician
who comes to heal our sickness and infirmities.
Help us to cling to your words:
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we are many parts of the one body.
We thank you for the oneness and fullness that you give us
through Christ in the Spirit.
May the “gifts” we have received
be wisely used for service
and to build up the Body of Christ.
We give you glory and praise, 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 week. Please memorize it.
“Follow me.” (Mt 9:9) //“But grace was given to each of us.” (Eph 4:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your vocation, ministry and compassionate acts of mercy, resound in today’s world God’s call to Matthew and to us all: “Follow me!” // Identify your “gifts” received from the Risen Christ and, in imitation of Saint Matthew, put them to use for the building up of Christ’s Body, the Church.
*** *** ***
September 22, 2017: FRIDAY – WEEKDAY (24)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Accompanied By Ministering Women … He Ministers Compete Well for the Faith”
BIBLE READINGS
I Tm 6:2c-12 // Lk 8:1-3
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 8:1-3): “Accompanying them were some women who provided for them out of their resources.”
Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 8:1-3) is a beautiful image of ministering women. While Jesus travels through towns and villages preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of God, he is accompanied not only by the “Twelve” apostles but also by women who responded to Jesus out of gratitude for the blessings received from him. These remarkable women use their own resources to help Jesus and his disciples. Jesus imparts a new dignity and role to women, involving them in his public ministry. The “ministering women” of the Gospel are a figure of the wonderful array of women who fulfill vital ministries in the Church through the ages. The backbones in most missionary movements are women and they continue to play prominent and indispensable roles in successful Christian spiritual-apostolic endeavors.
The ministering women in Jesus’ public ministry are intimate participants in the paschal mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. When Jesus dies on the cross, the women who have followed him from Galilee are present, standing and witnessing the event at a distance. They prepare the spices and perfume for Jesus’ burial and witness how Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb. Above all, they are the first witnesses and messengers of the resurrection. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the Risen Lord’s Easter gift, women continue, through time and space, to proclaim zealously the joy of the Gospel.
The following account in the life of Blessed James Alberione, Founder of the Pauline Family, is an example of how women cooperate in the spread of the Gospel and in the priestly zeal (cf. Luigi Rolfo, James Alberione: Apostle for Our Times, trans. Salvatore Paglieri, New York: Alba House, 1987, p. 113-114)
A Great Benefactress: In those days, he came to know a truly precious cooperator to whom he felt duty bound to pay a debt of gratitude … He met her under circumstances of which we have news through the testimony of one of the very first Paulines.
The government had requisitioned a wing of the diocesan seminary for military use. The wing had been left vacant since many clerics had been called into military service. Among the soldiers lodged at the seminary where Father Alberione maintained a bedroom – since he still did not have one at his own house – there was a young, pale official of distinguished and aristocratic mien who one day revealed to the young priest the discomfort it caused him to have to sleep in the middle of such slovenly and poorly educated soldiers. Father Alberione felt obliged to perform an act of Christian and priestly generosity: he let the young official have his room and bed and resigned himself to sleeping on a couch in the refectory or in the hallway of his house.
The mother of the official, a Mrs. Amalia Cavazza-Vitali, occupant of the castle of Barbaresco, informed about what had happened, wanted to meet the priest who had been so generous towards her son; and, in finding out that he didn’t have a mattress, hurried to acquire one better than the one he had given up to her son and donate it to him. Father Alberione thanked her, but immediately passed the mattress on to one of his boys who had none. The lady bought a second one which went yet to another boy. Then, like any mother, she acquired a third and brought it to Father Alberione. She consigned it to him stating very clearly: “Remember I’m not giving this to you but only lending it and I intend to be able to come back and get it at any moment. For that reason, you can use it only. Do I make myself understood?” And so, whether he liked it or not, the priest had to accept these conditions, keep the mattress for himself and use it.
The mattresses were just a small part of the many gifts which Mrs. Cavazza, now an enthusiastic cooperator in the works of Father Alberione, gave to the House up to 1922 when the Lord called her to Himself. When she came to know that Father Alberione wanted to have a little chapel in the house, she gave him a beautiful chalice, which was used for the first time on June 29, 1918. Twice a week a cart left Barbaresco carrying to Alba the famous “Barbaresco” wine, coffee, meat, home-made bread, fruit, medicine, etc. – all things destined for Father Alberione but which, because of his disposition, were regularly passed on to his boys.
The lady wanted to do more and to give not only things but her time as well: she helped in editing The Gazette of Alba; she offered two manuscripts of her own, “The Duties of Daughters” and “Duties of Wives and Mothers”; and she assisted every time she could in reading and correcting the proofs.
B. First Reading (I Tm 6:2c-12): “But you, man of God, pursue righteousness.”
In today’s Second Reading (I Tm 6:2c-12), Saint Paul reminds Timothy about the danger of wealth and money. Timothy, a leader of a Christian community, must not succumb to seductions of worldly riches, but rather pursue the virtues and qualities of true discipleship. He must “compete well for the faith” in order to reach the goal of eternal life. Paul reminds Timothy of the “noble confession” he made at his baptismal consecration and ordination. Timothy’s task is to bear faithful witness to Christ and the Gospel. His duty as bishop includes the pursuit of justice and righteousness - of love, patience and gentleness - on behalf of the people he serves. His pastoral commission involves striving for justice and care for the poor.
The Korean martyrs Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and Sant Paul Chong Hasang exemplify the sterling qualities of Christian discipleship and Church ministry (cf. Wikipedia profiles on the Internet).
Saint Andrew Kim Taegon: Saint Kim Taegon Andrea (1821-1846), generally referred to as Saint Andrew Kim Taegon in English, was the first Korean-born Catholic priest and is the patron saint of Korea. In the late 18th century, Roman Catholicism began to take root slowly in Korea and was introduced by laypeople. It was not until 1836 that Korea saw its first consecrated missionaries (members of the Paris Foreign Missions Society) arrive, only to find out that the people were already practicing Catholicism.
Kim’s parents were converts and his father was subsequently martyred for practicing Christianity, a prohibited activity in heavily Confucian Korea. After being baptized at age 15, Kim studied at a seminary in the Portuguese colony of Macau. He also spent time in study at Lolomboy, Bulacan, Philippines, where a statue of his stands in a village. He was ordained a priest in Shanghai after nine years (1844) by the French bishop Jean Joseph Ferreol. He then returned to Korea to preach and evangelize. During the Joseon Dynasty, Christianity was suppressed and many Christians were persecuted and executed. Catholics had to covertly practice their faith. Kim was one of several thousand Christians who were executed during this time. In 1846, at the age of 25, he was tortured and beheaded near Seoul on the Han River.
His last words were: “This is my last hour of life, listen to me attentively; if I have held communication with foreigners, it has been for my religion and for my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is on the point of beginning. Become Christians if you wish to be happy after death, because God has eternal chastisements in store for those who have refused to know Him.”
Before Ferreol, the first Bishop of Korea, died from exhaustion on the third of February 1853, he wanted to be buried beside Kim, stating, “You will never know how sad I was to lose this young native priest. I have loved him as a father loved his son; it is a consolation for me to think of his eternal happiness.”
On May 6, 1984, Pope John Paul II canonized Kim along with 102 other Korean martyrs, including Paul Chong Hasang, during his trip to Korea. Their memorial is September 20.
***
Saint Paul Chong Hasang: Saint Paul Chong Hasang (1794 or 1795 – September 22, 1839) was one of the Korean martyrs. He was the son of the martyr Augustine Jeong Yak-Jong and a nephew of noted philosopher John Jeong Yak-Jong, who were among the first converts of Korea, who wrote the first catechism for the Roman Catholic Church in Korea (entitled “Jugyo Yoji”). When Yakjong was martyred with Hasang’s older brother, Yakjong’s wife and the remaining children were spared and went into a rural place. Hasang was seven years old.
When he grew up, Hasang chose to become a servant of a government interpreter. This enabled him to travel to Beijing multiple times, where he entreated the bishop of Beijing to send priests to Korea, and wrote to Pope Gregory XVI via the bishop of Beijing, requesting the establishment of a diocese in Korea. This happened in 1825.
Some years later, Bishop Laurent-Marie Joseph and two priests were sent. The bishop found Hasang to be talented, zealous and virtuous. He taught him Latin and theology, and was about to ordain him when a persecution broke out. Hasang was captured and gave a judge a written statement defending Catholicism. The judge, after reading it, said: “You are right in what you have written, but the king forbids this religion; it is your duty to renounce it.” Hasang replied, “I have told you that I am a Christian, and will be one until my death.”
After this Hasang went through a series of tortures in which his countenance remained tranquil. Finally, he was bound to a cross on a cart and cheerfully met his death at the age of 45.
The Korean Martyrs are commemorated by the Roman Catholic Church with a memorial on 20 September. 103 of them, including Hasang, were canonized by Pope Paul II in 1984.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Am I sensitive to the needs of the Gospel workers? Do I promote and collaborate in their ministry? How?
2. Like Saint Timothy and the martyrs, are we willing to compete well for our faith and to make a noble confession of our faith?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
your Son Jesus became poor
and allowed the ministering women
to provide for his needs.
Like the holy women who joined Jesus in his public ministry,
may we collaborate intimately in his saving ministry.
We give you glory and praise, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we pray for the ministers of the Church
that they may strive
for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Grant that they may compete well for the faith
and firmly profess their faith before all.
We give you glory and praise, 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.
“They provided for them out of their resources.” (Lk 8:3) // “Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life.” (I Tm 6:11-12)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Endeavor to help the needy priests in any way you can. // Pray for priests who are in crisis. Do what you can to help them persevere in the race of faith.
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September 23, 2017: SATURDAY – SAINT PIUS OF PIETRELCINA, Priest
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Sows the Seed of the Living Word … He Is God’s Faithful Witness”
BIBLE READINGS
I Tm 6:13-16 // Lk 8:4-15
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 8:4-15): “As for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who embrace the word and bear much fruit through perseverance.”
(Gospel Reflection by Dr. Eleanor Ronquillo, Member: ASSOCIATION OF PAULINE COOPERATORS – Friends of the Divine Master, Antipolo Unit, Philippines)
Here is the story of three people:
1. A mother of a young boy, an only son, served her parish well. Then her young son got sick and died of dengue fever. She transferred to the Born Again Movement.
2. A father of four young children, two boys and two girls, had been a devout Catholic, a humble servant. His eldest child, one of his daughters, suddenly died in a car accident. Then within a few months, his other daughter died of a lingering heart disease. He has remained steadfast, in fact more busy with his apostolate, so that people admire his courage and great faith.
3. A fifty-year old man had several medical illnesses, many physical pains and fears. He often fought with neighbors and relatives. Then he began to study the Bible and claimed he had found God. Now, he goes about criticizing priests, scrutinizing the works of parish workers, largely becoming disgusted by the way people behave.
Three lives, three different levels of faith. Which seed fell on good ground and bore fruit? Which seed started to grow on rock, but was scorched by the sun? Which seed grew among thistles and weeds, ready to be choked by them?
Our lives are constantly challenged by weeds, thistles, rocks, the heat of the sun … Can we say we are founded on good ground? Such are the pains of life that some may reach their breaking point at which they break away. Others are strengthened in faith by their intense crises. Quite honestly, I am afraid. Like the plant that grows on good ground, I want to grow and bear fruit. But there are just times when strong forces of heavy rains, strong winds, intense heat, and being trampled upon might weaken the plant. Those are the times I need to cling, I need to hold on, I need to anchor, to be nurtured. Like the plant, we all need to be nurtured. And we must be nurtured in our faith in order to grow.
B. First Reading (I Tm 6:13-16): “Keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In today’s reading (I Tm 6:13-17), Saint Paul reminds Timothy of the “noble confession” he made at his baptismal consecration and ordination, as well as the faith confession Jesus himself made before Pontius Pilate, which climaxed in Christ’s passion and death on the cross. With this powerful reminder, Paul admonishes Timothy to fulfill God’s command faithfully until the Lord’s coming. Timothy’s task is to bear faithful witness to Christ and the Gospel, just as Jesus bore faithful witness before Pilate. His duty as bishop includes the pursuit of justice and righteousness - of love, patience and gentleness - on behalf of the people he serves. Indeed, Timothy’s pastoral commission involves striving for justice and care for the poor.
Aelred Rosser concludes: “The letter to Timothy advises the young bishop about his new role as a leader of the community. It also reveals the kind of persons we ought to be. We are to have integrity, which means putting everything together for God and fellow human beings.”
Mother Teresa of Calcutta exemplifies the power of love that ministers to the needy and the pursuit of gentleness that benefits the world’s poor. A person of profound integrity and tremendous dedication, she became God’s instrument to alleviate the pain and hunger, the fear and despair, of the “Lazarus” in our world today. As we celebrate the centenary of the birth of Mother Teresa, it is our joy to present the following excerpt that depicts her boundless love for the poor and destitute (cf. Paul Cheruthottuputam, SDB, “The Power of a Smile” in L’Osservatore Romano, September 10, 2010, p. 6-7).
Mother Teresa’s Contribution to Church and Society: It is difficult to judge the impact Mother Teresa had on the Church and society. It would be true to say that her dedication to helping those who couldn’t help themselves has been an inspiration to the world. I know of a young man who volunteered in her Kalighat home for the dying. Inspired by her philosophy of service, he made a film entitled “My Karma” which won several international awards. Not only did this Hindu Bengali youth quit his job as an officer in the Indian navy and now works in a Muslim slum in Narekeldanga area of Calcutta, calling Mother Teresa his mother and Mahatman Gandhi his father. Mother Teresa did more than inspire. She taught that the greatest way to show God’s love is to meet the needs of others, one person at a time, here and now. She offered no magical solution to the problems and injustices in the world. But, she showed how we can make a difference in the life of one person at a time!
The Nirmal Hriday (home for the dying), her first institution started in 1952 in the temple precincts of Calcutta’s presiding deity, Kali, is still the hallowed place which makes her friends and foes stand in awe. It was the place where Mother Teresa met every journalist who interviewed her for the first time. Since its creation, some 50,000 men, women and children taken from the streets have been transported to this home. Of these, one half died surrounded by love and kindness. For those who survived, the Sisters helped to find a job or they were sent to homes where they could live happily,
Her Shishu Bavan (home for babies) as well as other orphanages have offered shelter and hope to countless children around the world. Many of the children that were raised in them went on to become productive citizens and some even joined her mission. The leper colony which Mother Teresa founded with monies from her 1971 Pope John XXIII Peace Prize has offered a place where the outcasts can find acceptance. When she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she convinced the committee to cancel the official banquet and use the money to buy meals for 15,000 poor. She opened houses for alcoholics, drug addicts, AIDS patients, and the homeless and destitute in Rome. Mother Teresa also supported the rehabilitation of women prisoners with the help of late West Bengal Marxist Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu.
Mother Teresa and Her Critics: She has been praised by many individuals, governments and organizations; however, she has also faced a diverse range of criticisms. (…) Attacking the wrinkled, hunched-over Sister of Calcutta, accusing her of being a goggle-eyed fanatic and a mad and disgusting celebrator of poverty, is the aetheistic equivalent of mugging an old woman
To take us into Mother Teresa’s word, celebrated British journalist Malcom Muggeridge sets up a contrast between his commonplace perception of the world and those of Mother Teresa. Early in his book Something Beautiful for God (Harper & Row, 1971) Muggeridge mentions a brief stay (as the assistant editor of The Statesman newspaper) in Calcutta in the 1930s during which he became disgusted by the slums and wretched social conditions. He remembers self-righteously asking people, “Why don’t the authorities do something?” And he quickly left. Mother Teresa, by contrast, saw the same squalor and stayed – armed, as Muggeridge puts it, only with “this Christian love shining about her”. Muggeridge remarks, “As for my expatiations on Bengal’s wretched social conditions – I regret to say that I doubt whether in any divine accounting, they will equal one single quizzical half smile bestowed by Mother Teresa on a street urchin who happened to catch her eye” (p. 220).
Mother Teresa had a short response to her critics: “No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work.”
Mother Teresa’s Spirituality: (…) As much as she believed in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, she believed that in the bodies of the poorest of the poor, she touched the body of Jesus. (…) Maintaining constant union with God was the hallmark of her spirit of prayer. Have you seen any of her photos without those gnarled hands clutching her Rosary beads? For she knew there was no other way to know what God wanted every moment of the day except by asking Him for the grace to know His divine will and then to do it with all her heart! (…) The striking aspect of Mother Teresa’s spirituality is that she never did anything more than what she insisted with every Missionary of Charity Sister – the spirituality of the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, and the fourth vow, to give “wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor”.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. With eagerness and humility, do we endeavor to be the rich, welcoming soil that will make the seed of the Kingdom grow and bear abundant fruit to be shared with those who long for the blessings of God? When we are not receptive to grace, what do we do to surmount this spiritual resistance and difficulty?
2. Do we endeavor to keep God’s commandments without stain or reproach until the “appearance” of our Lord Jesus Christ that God will make manifest at the proper time?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
let the gentle dew of your grace
fall on the parched soil of our heart
to soften it and make it fruitful.
Let the seed of your living Word grow in our heart
and yield a bountiful harvest.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
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O loving God,
the blessed Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of Lords
you alone are immortal.
You dwell in unapproachable light.
With Jesus Christ
and Saint Paul, Saint Timothy and all the apostles and disciples,
let us give faithful witness to you.
To you br honor and eternal power!
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 week. Please memorize it.
“They bear fruit through perseverance.” (Lk 8:15) // “Keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Tm 6:14)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that the seed of the Kingdom may find rich soil to nourish it, and make it grow and be fruitful. Pray for Christian disciples-apostles who broadcast the seed of the word of God in today’s field of human concerns and affairs that they may be strengthened in their endeavors. Do what you can to cooperate in their mission of sowing the word of God. // Spend some quiet moments before the Blessed Sacrament to meditate and pray on God’s life-giving commands.
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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