A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 13, n. 10)
4th Sunday & Week 4 in Ordinary Time: Feb.1-7, 2015 ***
(N.B. The pastoral tool BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year B from three perspectives. For reflections on the Sunday liturgy based on the Gospel reading, please scroll up to the “ARCHIVES” above and open Series 1. For reflections based on the Old Testament reading, open Series 4. For reflections based on the Second Reading, open Series 7. Please go to Series 10 - Series 13 for the back issues of the Weekday Lectio. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: January 25-31, 2015, please go to ARCHIVES Series 13 and click on 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Week 3”.
(Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: February 1-7, 2015.)
***
February 1, 2015: FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches with Authority”
BIBLE READINGS
Year B: Dt 18:15-20 // I Cor 7:32-35 // Mk 1:21-28
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
This Sunday’s liturgy of the Word continues to depict the early phase of the public ministry of Jesus - God’s “Good News” in person. Today’s Gospel passage (Mk 1:21-28) portrays him in the synagogue at Capernaum on a Sabbath, speaking the saving word of God and teaching with authority. The evangelist Mark describes the impact of Jesus’ teaching-prophetic ministry on the worshipping assembly: “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mk 1:22). Indeed, Jesus speaks with authority as he truthfully and faithfully reveals God’s message to the people. Moreover, he reinforces the power of God’s saving word by performing a healing sign – by curing a man possessed by an unclean spirit. The Benedictine liturgist Adrian Nocent remarks: “Both word and action highlight the authority – that is the point St. Mark wants to make. Jesus is manifesting himself as Messiah, and his teaching differs from that of others not only by its content but by the fact that it is linked to an effective power from on high. His teaching thus manifests his person and the fact that he has been sent from God.”
Mediated by priests, the saving word-work of Jesus continues to be operative in today’s world. Here is an example (cf. Nancy Cioffi, “I‘ve Been Healed” in 101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, ed. Sister Patricia Proctor, Spokane: Franciscan Monastery of St. Clare, 2006, p. 69-70).
Our former pastor, Father Milt Jordan, who was the chaplain at the Bronx Fire Department, told us this beautiful story about the power of healing in the sacrament of reconciliation.
One day while he and the guys were sitting around the firehouse talking, in walked another fireman. Something major was bothering him. Soon he asked Father Milt to hear his confession, so the two of them went up to the lieutenant’s office where they could talk privately.
After Joe received absolution from Father Milt, he went tearing out of the office, almost yanking the doors off their hinges, and yelling at the top of his lungs, “I’ve been healed!”
Father Milt said, “What have I done?” Joe had confessed things that he thought were seriously sinful. Father said he didn’t think they were that bad, but he knew what Joe thought was more important because he was the one involved in the situation.
About six months later, Father was at a Christmas party when an attractive woman came up to him and thanked him. Father appreciated her thanks, but wondered why he was being thanked. She said that he had given her husband back to her and that their children had gotten their father back.
Father told us that Joe’s personality completely changed after his confession. He was a “new creation in God”.
***
When seen in light of today’s Old Testament reading (Dt 18:15-20), the Gospel episode of Jesus teaching at a synagogue in Capernaum reinforces the truth that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophetic figure promised by Yahweh to Israel and, eventually, to all peoples: “I will raise up for them a prophet” (Dt 18:18). The liturgical scholar, Adrian Nocent, remarks: “God, not the people, does the choosing of each and every prophet … What is the role of the chosen prophet? I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak all that I command him (Dt. 18:18). This means that God looks upon the prophet as another self. Men must therefore heed his words; not to listen to him is to refuse God, and God will demand an accounting of this refusal. The prophet must speak exactly what is entrusted to him; otherwise he will betray his mission … Jesus, for his part, acts like a prophet, that is, a man who speaks in behalf of God.”
Immersed into the life of Jesus Prophet, the Christian disciples are likewise called to be prophets of truth and of God’s compassion. In order to carry out dutifully and lovingly this challenging and exigent ministry, we need to turn to him and listen to his life-giving word of truth. Indeed, Jesus brings from his Father grace as well as truth, a most surprising miracle of mercy.
The following incident gives insight into our daily prophetic ministry - how we can bring the word of God into a distressing situation (cf. Karen Valentin in Daily Guideposts 2015, p. 231).
I was in pain, so I went to the emergency room. It wasn’t an easy decision because without health insurance, I knew this visit was going to cost me.
I waited in line to register, and the woman in front of me was in obvious pain, as well. The receptionist took her insurance cards as the woman explained in tears that her doctors were going to meet her there. Sure enough, they did. One of the doctors rubbed her back and said, “It’s okay, Carol. We’re going to take care of you.”
I craved that kind of attention and urgency, but all I got was “Next!” I had no insurance cards to give the receptionist so I was told to fill out some papers and have a seat with everyone else. I waited for hours to be seen, only to wait some more in another overcrowded room. I wanted nothing more than to be scooped up as my parents had done when I was a child, to feel like I mattered.
I called my sister in tears. “It’s bad enough I’m in pain”, I cried, “but this place makes me feel worthless.” She proceeded to text me Scripture, reminding me that God cared for me, loved me, would comfort and heal me. Finally, I was given a bed and snuggled into the soft mattress. I felt God’s presence and was reminded that I’m worth everything to him.
***
The Second Reading (I Cor 7:32-35) of this Sunday’s Mass helps us to consider Paul’s prophetic ministry. Configured to Christ the Prophet through baptism and by his intimate participation in the Lord’s paschal mystery, Paul shares in the task and challenge of the Church’s prophetic ministry. St. Paul is an outstanding teacher-prophet in the early Christian community in Antioch (cf. Acts 13:1) and in the entire Church. As the founding father of the church in Corinth, St. Paul helps the believers contend with varied and numerous social-moral-religious issues, such as factions in the church, neglect of the poor, lawsuits against fellow Christians, sexual immorality, questions about marriage, questions about the unmarried and the widows, etc. In today’s scripture passage, he provides remarkable insights for the confused Corinthian Christians, who are bombarded with conflicting ideas, ranging from sexual licentiousness to an ascetic rigor that viewed marriage and sex as sinful.
Responding to questions about the married and the unmarried, St. Paul underlines the value of celibacy in the perspective of the Kingdom of God. As a practicing celibate himself, the prophet-teacher Paul presents virginity as a personal option that reinforces the eschatological dimension of Christian life. The guiding principle that animates the choice for this state of life is adherence to the Lord – to be totally devoted to the service of God without distraction. With his single-hearted love for God and his wholehearted devotion to the proclamation of the Gospel to all nations, peoples and cultures, St. Paul teaches emphatically that celibacy-virginity is indeed a powerful means toward the advent of God’s kingdom. Moreover, in light of the temporal and transient character of our material world, Paul asserts with conviction the legitimacy and importance of a life “consecrated” to the Lord.
The prophetic insight of the great celibate Paul on the beauty and nobility of chastity as a way of life complements his comprehensive teaching on the dignity of marriage as a “sacrament”. He sees marriage as symbolized in the union of Christ and his Church and acknowledges the vital role of the spouses in the building and extension of God’s kingdom (cf. Eph 5:21-33).
Paul’s consecrated celibacy is not a bed of roses. He endures sufferings and trials on account of his radical choice to serve the Lord Jesus and the Gospel. Paul’s virginal life, however, is a tremendous response to a divine vocation. It is a step forward into the mysterious expanse of the unknown. Paul is filled with conviction of the presence and the love of the Lord Jesus who revealed himself to him radically on the road to Damascus. Hence, his personal option to renounce marriage to “please the Lord” is joyful, complete and trusting. The experience of the great celibate Paul thus challenges the unmarried men and women throughout the ages to discern the following issue in the light of God’s grace: “Is the charism of celibacy-virginity for me?”
The following story of a consecrated religious, Sister Blandina Segale (cf. Margaret and Matthew Bunson, “Woman of the Wild, Wild West” in Our Sunday Visitor, March 25, 2007, p. 12) is inspiring. The great celibate Paul would surely have approved of her choice to be single-hearted and totally given to “the things of the Lord”.
One of the most intriguing Catholic women serving the people of the United States was Sister Blandina Segale, a Sister of Charity who cared for those who journeyed along the dangerous Santa Fe Trail. In 1872, Sister Blandina was sent alone to Trinidad, Colorado, a Wild West haven for outlaws and renegades. She was 22 at that time. Because she was a Catholic nun bent on aiding the local Native Americans and the poor, Sister Blandina was not welcomed to Trinidad with overwhelming enthusiasm. The residents of Trinidad faced hard lives and did not fancy the sort of concerns that a nun might have. They were not cruel or insulting her, but they obviously had little interest in her labors. That changed rather abruptly, however, when her “patron” announced one day that he expected one and all to treat her with respect and courtesy. If any of the good people of Trinidad caused Sister Blandina any problems, he would deal with them personally. Actually, he promised to shoot them down like dogs.
The townspeople knew the “patron” well, and some recalled that he had shot a man for snoring too loud at a campsite, so he was a man to take seriously when he made a threat. The “patron” of Sister Blandina was William Bonney, known in history as Billy the Kid. She had given nursing care to one of Billy’s companions when he was shot and left for dead in an abandoned hut, and the famous outlaw was repaying her for her merciful care of his friend. He also appreciated her efforts for others. The first time they met, actually, Billy the Kid had come to town to scalp the four doctors who had refused aid to his wounded companion. Sister Blandina talked him out of it.
She had also saved the life of another man soon after arriving in Trinidad. Caught after fatally wounding a companion in a gun battle, the man was about to be dragged from the jail by an angry mob. Sister Blandina hurried to the bedside of the dying victim and talked him into forgiving his attacker. She and the sheriff then walked the murderer through the streets to the victim, who did forgive his assailant and then died. When Sister Blandina announced the deathbed scene to the angry men standing outside in the street, the mob thought it was all a bit peculiar, but they lost their enthusiasm for a hanging and let justice prevail in a courtroom. (…)
Sister Blandina was transferred to Santa Fe in time, where she continued establishing charitable institutions and programs. She labored for 21 years in the American West, becoming famous and respected … In time, Sister Blandina was assigned to Cincinnati, where she continued her labors with her sister, who was also a nun. She died in Cincinnati on February 23, 1941.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Like Jesus, do we endeavor to proclaim the Gospel and reinforce it with good deeds and acts of compassion? Are we ready to embrace the challenges and sacrifices of a prophet? Are we ready to help those who are exercising the prophetic ministry in a situation of conflict and extreme duress?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord,
you teach with authority.
Your healing ministry
reinforces the power of your saving word.
Give us to courage to speak the truth in today’s convulsed world
and confirm the message with acts of healing and compassion.
We adore you and bless you
for you are the way, the truth and the life,
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.
“He taught them as one having authority…” (Mk 1:22)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that Christian disciples may live to the full their mission and ministry to be prophets of truth in the world today. Endeavor to bring the Lord’s justice and healing love to a painful personal predicament and/or an unjust social situation.
***
February 2, 2015: MONDAY – THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Presentation at the Temple is a Feast of Encounter”
BIBLE READINGS
Mal 3:1-4 // Heb 2:14-18 // Lk 2:22-40
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The February 2003 issue of Reader’s Digest features the story of Norma Super and her daughter, Dani, who became lost while hiking through the mountains straddling the Wyoming-Colorado border. The possibility of saving the mother and daughter was bleak, for no one lost for more than five days in that wilderness had ever been found alive. The seventh day was dawning when Aleta Walker and her friend Diane Holycross set out to find them somewhere in the Zirkel Wilderness, moved by a strange gut feeling that mother and daughter might still be alive. The author, Peter Michelmore, described the saving encounter between the rescuers and the lost campers: “Norma splashed her face with icy creek water. Black spots fluttered in front of her eyes. She shook off the dizziness and trudged on to a meadow sprinkled with blue and pink flowers. ‘There’s something white there,’ said Dani, pointing ahead. They hiked on, watching. ‘It looks like a horse.’ They walked closer. Norma could make out two horses now. Two people on horseback. She broke into a run, pushed by adrenaline through the bog as mud sucked at her boots. One hundred feet from the riders, she saw that they were women. ‘Are you Norma Super?’ one called. Norma collapsed. On her knees and weeping, she said, ‘Yes’.”
Today’s Gospel (Lk 2:22-40) depicts a saving encounter in the temple of Jerusalem: the meeting between Jesus and the two figures of messianic expectation, Simeon and Anna. This redemptive event is commemorated by the Church in a celebration known as the “feast of the Encounter”. Now called the “feast of the Presentation of the Lord”, it is a prolongation of the Christmas mystery. Celebrated forty days after the birth of Jesus, it presents his “epiphany” or “manifestation” in the temple as the Messiah and Savior. Moved by the Holy Spirit, Simeon recognizes in Jesus the Messiah promised long ago. The prophetess Anna, advanced in years and dedicated to the worship of the Lord in the temple, testifies to the people about the arrival of redemption in the person of Jesus. The child brought to the temple for consecration in obedience to the Mosaic prescription (cf. Ex 13:15) is the “light of revelation to the Gentiles” and the “glory for the people of Israel”. Indeed, in God’s saving plan, the light of salvation must shine on all the peoples of the world.
The beautiful ceremony of the lighting and blessing of candles at the beginning of the Mass of the feast of the Lord’s presentation underlines the joy and life-giving encounter with Christ as the “light of the nations”. This liturgical ritual has a paschal connotation. The authors of the book, Days of the Lord, the Liturgical Year remark: “The acclamation of Christ as Light is a prelude to that which will flow unrestrained in the liturgy of the Easter vigil. The Encounter with God coming among us, in his Son made human, has its prolongation and fulfillment in the encounter that the Risen Christ is preparing for us at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, in a Pasch like his.”
***
Today’s Old Testament reading (Mal 3:1-4) is about the coming of the Lord into the temple – the Lord whom we greatly seek. Against the backdrop of this prophetic reading, we see the coming of the Lord Jesus into the temple as the fulfillment of the divine promise of purifying intervention and salvation. The infant Jesus is carried by Mary and Joseph into the Jerusalem Temple, in which many years later he would proclaim the Good News, cleanse its sacred precincts from thieving merchants, and declare his body as the Temple of new worship “in Spirit and truth”.
The following story is a modern-day “encounter” with the Lord in his temple (cf. C.J. Herrmann, “The Visit” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Stories of Faith, ed. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Cos Cob: CSS, 2008, p. 6-9).
Slowly I walked down the aisle of the empty church. It had been a while since I’d stopped for a visit. After many years of attending Catholic schools I’d slipped into the category of “lapsed”. Whatever spiritual juice I’d felt as a young boy growing up had evaporated years ago.
I looked around before slipping into a pew and kneeling down. It was pretty much the same as I remembered. I glanced up toward the altar and noticed the flickering candle that symbolized God was present, though invisible. “So”, I whispered, “maybe you’re here and maybe you aren’t. We’ll see.” Somewhere along the line I’d lost faith in whatever had sustained me in my earlier days.
I blessed myself, sat back on the hard wooden pew, gazed ahead and continued to address the God whose presence I doubted. “Anyway, if you’re really here, I need your help. I’ve tried everything I can think of. Nothing works. I feel totally helpless. I have no idea what else I can do. I’m thirty-three, healthy and fairly successful. You probably know all this. But I’m lonely. I have no one to share my life with, no special woman to love, no one to start a family with. My life feels empty, and I have nowhere else to go. I’ve taken eighteen seminars in as many months, learned how to access my feelings, release past hurts, complete old relationships, communicate my needs, understand and respond to what my partner wants. But I’m still alone. I can’t seem to find the right woman, the one who feels right deep inside. What am I missing?”
I sat still, listening. There was no reply to my question, no still small voice. Just the occasional car horn outside, or the sound of a bus passing by. Just silence. I shrugged. Continuing to sit quietly, I let the silence wash over me.
Day after day, I repeated this routine. I sat in the same pew, on the same hard bench, uttering the same plea to a flickering candle, in the same silence. Nothing changed. I was as lonely as I had been on day one. There were no mystical answers, no hidden messages.
I continued to live my life, managing to laugh and have some fun. I went on dates and enjoyed myself, whether I was dining out, dancing or at the movies. I also prayed. Day after day, I took an hour away from my regular activities, emptied myself and asked the same questions again and again.
One morning about six weeks later, I awoke and knew that something had shifted. I looked around. Something about the slant of light through the clouds, the fragrance of newly bloomed jasmine, the warm beach breeze, was different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, but I felt it. On my way home that afternoon, I stopped by the church as usual. Instead of my usual whining, I knelt and smiled at the candle.
Then I conveyed my thoughts to God. “I’m not quite sure what happened, but I feel different. Something has shifted inside. I don’t feel lonely anymore. Nothing’s changed ‘out there’, but it all feels completely different. Would you happen to know anything about that?”
Suddenly, I was struck by the foolishness of the question, and I laughed out loud. My laughter echoed off the high ceilings and the stone walls, and then there was silence once more. But even the silence felt different. It no longer conveyed a feeling of emptiness and desolation. On the contrary, it radiated a wonderful serenity and tranquility. I knew in that moment that I had come home to myself. I felt full, complete inside. I bowed my head, took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Thank you”, I whispered. “I have no idea what you did but I feel this happiness comes from you. I know that. I haven’t done anything new or different. So I know it’s not from me. Who else could it be from?”
I continued to sit in the silence, alone, content, happy. Then I spoke again to God. “I surrender to not knowing. I surrender to you being in charge. I surrender to my life being an expression of your will instead of my will. And I thank you for this feeling, this change or transformation or whatever it is.” (…)
***
The sacrificial character of the Messiah, yearned for by the people in need of redemption, is underlined in the Second Reading (Heb 2:14-18). Christ’s complete identification with us as a suffering Messiah and High Priest is presented to us by the author of the letter to the Hebrews: “He had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people.” At the presentation of the Lord Jesus in the temple, his priestly ministry has begun but attains full realization through the sacrifice of the cross. The liturgist, Adrian Nocent, comments: “The cost of the cross was shared by the mother, whose soul – according to Simeon’s words – was to be pierced by a sword, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare.”
The feast of the presentation of the Lord in the temple is also a Marian feast. It celebrates a saving event centered on Christ in which Mary played a vital role of collaboration in the divine plan. In total obedience to the will of God, Mary brought her first-born son into the temple that he may be consecrated to the Lord. The emphasis of the feast is not on Mary’s ritual purification; but rather, on the consecration of the Lord Jesus to the messianic plan as the Savior and “light of all the nations”.
The sacrificial dimension of the saving destiny of Jesus and his mother Mary continues to live on in time and space through his disciples. Here is an example (cf. Senator Ronan Mullen, “Knew He’d Die a Martyr” in Alive! November 2014, p. 4).
On a rainy day in Rome recently I visited the Basilica of San Bartolomeo all’Isola, a typically beautiful Italian church on an island in the middle of the Tiber. I didn’t go there by accident. I wanted to see a relic of Shabbaz Bhatti, the Pakistani Catholic and government minister who was assassinated in Islamabad on 2 March 2011.
Bhatti was appointed Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs in November 2008. He accepted the post on behalf of the “oppressed, down-trodden and marginalized” of Pakistan, for the “struggle for human equality, social justice and religious freedom”, and “to uplift and empower religious minority communities”.
He committed himself to reforming the country’s controversial and intolerant blasphemy laws and he launched a national campaign to promote interfaith harmony. He proposed laws against hate speech and hate literature, introduced comparative religion as a curriculum subject, and promoted quotas for religious minorities in government posts. In July 2010, he brought together the leaders of all faiths in Pakistan, himself leading the National Interfaith Consultation.
But in all this he knew he was courting trouble. He had received death threats since 2009 after speaking in support of Pakistani Christians attacked in the 2009 riots in Punjab. Bhatti also supported Asia Bibi, the illiterate farm worker who was sentenced to death for “blasphemy”. Taunted by her work colleagues, she had dared speak up for her faith in Jesus Christ. (Bibi still languishes in a Pakistani prison.)
Bhatti foretold his own death, and recorded a video to be released in the event of his death. “I believe in Jesus Christ”, he said, “who has given his own life for us, and I am ready to die for a cause. I’m living for my community, and I will die to defend their rights.”
In January 2011, the governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, was assassinated by his security guards because he too opposed the blasphemy laws and defended Asia Bibi. Two months later, it was Bhatti’s turn to die for the truth. As he travelled to work from his mother’s home, his vehicle was sprayed with bullets because he was a “known blasphemer”.
The Basilica of San Bartolomeo, run by the Sant’Egidio Community, commemorates Bhatti among the 20th and 21st century martyrs. In chapel after chapel in the basilica you see artifacts from their lives: here a cross, there a rosary, in another an item of clothing. And one of the first things you see in entering the Church is a Bible, in Arabic, once owned by the Pakistani Minister.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
What is the significance of today’s feast of the Presentation of the Lord for you personally?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(cf. Opening Prayer of the Mass, feast of the Presentation of the Lord)
All-powerful Father,
Christ your Son became man for us
and was presented in the temple.
May he free our hearts from sin
and bring us into your presence.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, 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.
“And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek.” (Mal 3:1)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Participate consciously and actively in today’s Mass and in the “Blessing of Candles and Procession”. Light the blessed candles and use them in your personal prayer. Endeavor to encounter Christ the Light of the nations, especially in the poor and needy who claim your love and compassion.
***
February 3, 2015: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (4); SAINT BLAISE, bishop, martyr; SAINT ANSGAR, bishop
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Breaks the Power of Death … He Is the Leader and Perfecter of Faith”
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 12:1-4 // Mk 5:21-43
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Gospel (Mk 5:21-43) presents two women who were in the clutches of death: a twelve year old sick girl who died physically and a bleeding woman who died virtually for twelve years. The woman hemorrhaging for twelve years was considered unclean by Jewish law and thus experienced a social death with all the separation and desolation it entails. The compassionate Jesus manifested great power in healing the bleeding woman and in raising Jairus’ twelve-year-old daughter to life. The two women experienced a “resurrection” event - a passage from death to life. Jesus the Healer, who broke demonic powers, has power to destroy death and raise us to new life. The courageous faith of the bleeding woman and the indomitable trust of Jairus inspire us to trust in Jesus. In every death-dealing situation, Jesus Savior exhorts us, “Do not be afraid; just have faith!”
The following beautiful story testifies that resurrection events and miracles continue to happen if only we have faith and trust in Jesus (cf. Brian Thatcer, M.D. “The Greater the Sinner, the Greater the Mercy” in Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart, ed. Jeff Cavins, et. al. West Chester: Ascension Press, 2004, p. 186-190).
On September 9, 1995, the fruit of our healed marriage was born – John Paul. He was special from the start. At his birth, he struggled with life; turning blue and unable to breathe. We prayed intently and John Paul soon stabilized and fully rebounded. A friend distributing Holy Communion walked into the room and said, “Wow, what happened? I can really feel the presence of God.”
I understood in my heart how God had truly blessed us. My three oldest, Andrea, thirteen, Bryan, eleven, and Patricia, eight, did not always fully understand the changes from being doctor’s kids to children of one dedicated to a simple life of service to God. And yet they surely benefited from the renewal of our marriage and my commitment to fatherhood as a holy vocation.
In early November, fourteen months later, I returned home from a conference in the early morning hours. That evening a Mass was going to be celebrated in our home. In spite of very little sleep, I awoke early to take care of some outside work. I stepped onto our back patio, opened the gate to our swimming pool, and walked out to the backyard. Young Bryan suddenly yelled from the front for help starting the lawnmower. After helping him, I was reminded that it was time to drive Andrea to swim practice. We jumped in the car with Patricia and hurried off.
While on our way, I received a call on my cell phone from Bryan. “Dad”, he said in a strained voice, “John Paul is dead. Someone left the pool gate open.” Susan had found John Paul lifeless; he was not breathing and did not have a palpable heartbeat. As a trained nurse, she was already administering CPR in an effort to pump life back into John Paul’s little fourteen-month-old body.
I told the girls what had happened and we immediately said a Hail Mary together. The rest of the drive was spent in tears and silent prayers. “Jesus, have mercy on John Paul and me”, I cried. Guilt overwhelmed me as I envisioned my helpless little boy bobbing up and down in the pool, all because I left the gate open. John Paul had been a part of my healing – a child promised for Susan and me. “Jesus, why would You take him from us now?” my heart cried.
Then, as I frantically had to wait at a red light, I was suddenly hit with the scripture story from Genesis of Abraham being asked to offer his son, Isaac, up to God. “God, are you asking me for my son?” I asked, my heart breaking. It was the moment of truth for me. I had been preaching trust in God’s Divine Mercy for four years. God was calling me to a deeper trust. I wanted my little boy to live. I loved him with all my heart. Could I accept God’s will if it meant never holding John Paul again in my life?
“Jesus”, I prayed. “I trust in You, in all situations. I submit to Your will, whatever that means.” I told God that I did not understand why He would take John Paul from us at this time, but that I offered my son back to Him. I also thanked God for the time He had given us with John Paul. I told Jesus that I placed my trust in Him and wanted only that His will be done. I reflected on the deep trust of Abraham as he was told to sacrifice Isaac. I felt a deep sense of peace after that.
When we arrived at the house, the emergency squad had also gotten there. Although John Paul was bloated and unresponsive, Susan felt a slight pulse after doing CPR. I was ecstatic. There was still hope! Upon arriving at the hospital, I called my sister who lives in another town and asked her to pray for John Paul that night with her prayer group. Over the next thirty-six hours, John Paul’s mental clarity improved hourly. Within two days, he was released, totally normal!
***
Today’s Second Reading (Heb 12:1-4) presents running in the race as a metaphor for Christian life. We must get rid of whatever impedes us as we run in the spiritual race. Above all, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, “the leader and perfecter of faith”. He is the foundation of our faith having imaged what true faith means. He endured the opposition of sinners and the pain of the cross. He went to the extreme in putting up with so much hatred from sinners. On account of his faith and fidelity, God has glorified him. His glorious passion allows believers to have access to “full assurance of faith”. The awesome example of Jesus sustains the Christian disciples in their struggle against sin. We should therefore not let ourselves be discouraged and we should not to give up in our “struggle against sin”.
The life of the Sicilian priest Father Pino Puglisi who, in his priestly ministry, is a beautiful example of resisting evil and sin “to the point of shedding blood” (cf. Katia Di Roucco, “Father Pino Puglisi Embodies in Himself the Word and Death of Christ”, in Il Rosario e la Nuova Pompei, September/October 2012, p. 8-11).
Giuseppe Puglisi was born on September 15, 1937, in Palermo, in the infamous neighborhood of “Brancaccio”, characterized by poverty, high moral degradation and organized crime. He himself was of humble origins, the son of a cobbler and a dressmaker. He was ordained a priest on July 2, 1960, and on the stampita-souvenir he condenses his program: “O Lord, that I be a valuable tool in your hands for the salvation of the world.” Since then his life has been a continuous commitment: collaborator of various parishes, chaplain of the Roosevelt orphanage, parish priest in Godrano, a village ravaged by a fierce battle between Mafia families, where Don Pino can bring reconciliation and peace by practicing the power of forgiveness, addressing himself especially to the wives, the mothers, to the children. (…)
He is interested in the social problems of the most marginalized districts of the city. He follows closely the proceedings of Vatican II and spreads quickly its documents among the faithful, with special regard to the renewal of liturgy, the role of the laity, the values of ecumenism and of the local churches. His desire was always that of embodying the message of Jesus Christ in the territory.
In 1990, he was entrusted with the parish of St. Gaetano, within the Brancaccio quarter where he himself was born. That area was then controlled by the Mafia. (…) A few months after taking over in the parish of St. Gaetano, Don Pino opened the Our Father center entrusted to the Sisters of the Poor, whose primary purpose is that of human promotion and evangelization … When going against the tide, Don Pino was aware that he was being required the sacrifice of his life to follow Christ. (…)
The Mafia decided to eliminate him. And in 1993, on the day of his 56th birthday, he was murdered with a bullet in his nape … His pastoral work was the only motive for the killing. For this, many voices were raised to seek the recognition of martyrdom and, five years after his assassination, Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi established the ecclesiastical Court to start the investigation that ended in 2001, and the dossier is now under review by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican.
Here is the motivation of the crime in the written judgment of the Court of Assises: “The figure of a priest emerges who worked tirelessly in the territory, out of the shade of the bell-tower … The work of Don Puglisi became a snare and a thorn on the side of the emerging criminal group that dominated the area, because it was an element of subversion in the context of the conservative, oppressive Mafia order which had been imposed in the area, against which the priest appeared to be one of the most tenacious and brave opponents. All projects and initiatives started by the priest, which have been reported in detail by his collaborators and people close to him, crown the figure of an austere and rigorous religious man, not a contemplative one but fully inserted in the social field, immersed in the difficult neighborhood reality, lucid and disenchanted but not bitter and disillusioned, defeated or weakened by threats, intimidations and open conflicts with the men of the local Mafia establishment. Don Puglisi had chosen not only to “reconstruct” the spiritual and religious sentiments of his faithful, but also siding, concretely, without veils of ambiguity and complicit silence, on the part of the weak and marginalized.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. In death-dealing situations, do I put my trust in Jesus and cling to his words, “Do not be afraid; just have faith”?
2. Do we resolve to follow Jesus Christ, “the leader and perfecter of faith” even at the cost of sacrifice?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O Jesus, we trust in you.
You exhort us, “Do not be afraid; just have faith”.
Strong is your love and great is your power.
In death-dealing situations we turn to you for help.
In our affliction, we stretch out our hand to touch you,
believing that in you we will be healed.
You break the power of death.
You are our life and resurrection.
We give you thanks and praise, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
your Son Jesus endured the cross
for the sake of the eternal joy that lay before him.
By virtue of his glorious passion,
let us be strengthened in our struggle against sin
and the structuralized evil in today’s society.
Be with us that we may resist the power of evil and sin
even to the point of shedding blood.
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.
“Do not be afraid; just have faith.” (Mk 5:36) // “Persevere in running the race … keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus” (Heb 12:2)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for those who are in death-dealing situations that they may courageously trust in God. By your acts of charity to the sick and the dying, allow Christ’s power over death to shine. // By your personal commitment to live out the principles of justice and peace at home, in the neighborhood and in the local Church and by opposing structuralized evil in the society, let the faith of Christ flourish in the land.
***
February 4, 2015: WEDNESDAY - WEEKDAY (4)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Was Rejected by His Own … He Makes Us Share in His Filial Suffering”
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 12:4-7, 11-15 // Mk 6:1-6
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The following story narrated by Anthony de Mello in his book, The Song of the Bird, illustrates poignantly the irony contained in today’s Gospel reading (Mk 6:1-6).
Nasruddin earned his living selling eggs. Someone came to his shop one day and said, “Guess what I have in my hand.” “Give me a clue,” said Nasruddin. “I shall give you several: It has the shape of an egg, the size of an egg. It looks like an egg, tastes like an egg, and smells like an egg. Inside it is yellow and white. It is liquid before it is cooked, becomes thick when heated. It was, moreover, laid by a hen.” “Aha! I know!” said Nasruddin. “It is some sort of cake!”
It is ironic. The expert misses the obvious. And it was also with irony that the neighbors of Jesus of Nazareth missed the obvious. They thought they knew every detail about him. In purporting to have complete knowledge of his personal data, they ended up showing their ignorance. Their knowledge of “the carpenter, the son of Mary” was superficial. Their prejudice prevented them from believing and responding to the Christ, the Son of God.
In today’s reading (Mk 6:1-6), we come face to face with the mystery of a resisting and unbelieving heart. Mark’s narrative illustrates the human possibility and reality of closing one’s heart and mind to the Prophet of truth and Savior of the world. It is ironic that the saving Lord, who would be the object of Peter’s faith declaration: “You are the Christ.” (Mk 8:30) and the centurion’s climactic confession at the foot of the cross: “Truly this man was the Son of God.” (Mk 15:39), was not welcomed by the neighbors of Jesus. According to Mark, “they took offense at him”. They were prejudiced by the utter ordinariness of his background. Disappointment and rejection are part and parcel of the mission of Jesus, as well as of his disciples and the Church.
***
Today’s first reading (Heb 12:4-7, 11-15) underlines that suffering is part of God’s saving plan because it conforms us more closely to his Divine Son who suffered for our sake. The trials to be endured by the Christian disciples are a divine discipline that leads to maturity and grace. Because the suffering disciples share in the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ, they too share in his son-ship. They would surely reap the peaceful reward of a righteous life. Hence, they are exhorted to keep walking on the right path with renewed strength. They must guard against turning back from the grace of God. They must keep the integrity of the Christian community through a peaceful and holy life. They must avoid harming the community through apostasy or infidelity.
The life of Saint Paul Miki and his companions is a beautiful example of total participation in the passion of Christ and their configuration into the Divine Son through suffering (cf. Patricia Mitchell, “A Samurai’s Noble Death: The Witness of St. Paul Miki” in The WORD Among Us, February 1-March 8, 2011, p. 59-64).
Paul Miki saw sparkling Nagasaki harbor coming into view. The six-hundred-mile trek from the Japanese capital of Kyoto through the cold and snow was nearly over. It had taken almost one month. Along the road, villagers jeered at him and the others who had been sentenced to die for their Christian beliefs. “Fools”, the shouted, “Renounce your faith.” Miki, who loved to preach, urged the people to believe in Jesus, the Savior who died for their sins. Not all were insulting the prisoners, however. Fellow believers encouraged and prayed for them, giving them the strength and courage to continue on.
Miki thought how odd it was that he was to die before his ordination as a priest. Now thirty-three years old, he has been a Jesuit brother in training for eleven years. His eloquent and fervent preaching has led to many conversions. Yet he would never celebrate Mass; never raise the consecrated Host in his own hands.
Flourishing Faith: His thoughts often turned to his family. Miki had been born and raised near Kyoto in comfortable surroundings, the son of a brave samurai. A fellow Jesuit, Francis Xavier, had come to Japan forty-eight years earlier, in 1549, and his message of a loving God had won over hundreds of thousands of Japanese. Miki’s parents converted in 1568, when Paul was four. They nurtured his faith and sent him to Jesuit schools; he never doubted his vocation to the priesthood.
The seeds planted by Xavier flourished, but only when it suited the reigning ruler. The military leader Oda Nobunaga allowed the missionaries to preach because he wanted to challenge the power of the Buddhist monks and he was interested in foreign trade. But the next ruler, Toyotumi Hideyoshi, became nervous as more and more Japanese turned to Christ. Christianity was a religion of foreigners, very different from Buddhism or the native Shintoism, which enshrined numerous minor gods. Japan feared conquest by the West. So Hideyoshi worried: What if these foreign missionaries came not to bring their God but their soldiers?
Blessed Are the Persecuted: In the fall of 1596, a Spanish ship crashed into the coast of Japan. While Japanese officials confiscated its cargo, an arrogant remark by the ship’s captain was interpreted to mean that missionaries intended to help Spain conquer Japan. Hideyoshi quickly ordered the arrest of several priests and laymen who had come from the Spanish Philippines to evangelize. He was convinced that a public bloodbath would put an end to this religion of the West. Although a native, Miki was among those who would serve as Hideyoshi’s warning.
On the day after Christmas in 1596, police came to the Jesuit residence in Osaka, and took Miki and two other novices. In prison, they were joined by six Franciscans and fifteen members of the Franciscan third order. A week later, the prisoners were led into the Kyoto public square, where the sentence was pronounced: death by crucifixion. Miki’s heart soared. What an honor to imitate his Lord! Each man then stood by Hideyoshi’s samurai as a portion of his left ear was cut off. It was Miki’s turn, and searing pain shot through his head – the first blood to be spilled for Christ. Then the forced march to Nagasaki began.
The Road to the Cross: Under a feudal lord, Nagasaki had become a Christian town, with Jesuits running schools, churches, and homes for the poor. As the caravan entered, thousands of Christians lined the streets. For the twenty-six prisoners (two more had been added to the group), it was like coming home! If Hideyoshi had intended the crucifixion to scare people away from Christianity, his plan was having the opposite effect. On the morning of February 5, Miki and the others were led up Nishizaka Hill. One side of the road, where common criminals were executed was covered with human remains; the other was covered with new, green wheat. The government official in charge of the executions had decided to give the martyrs a more decent killing field, and the wheat would be a carpet for their crosses.
Lying on the ground were twenty-six crosses, each one tailor-made for one of the martyrs. Seeing them, the prisoners began singing the Te Deum, the church’s traditional hymn of thanksgiving. Three youngsters in the group – thirteen-year-olds Thomas Kozaki and Anthony Deynan, and twelve-year-old Louis Ibaraki – raced ahead to find the crosses that fit their small frames. One by one, on their knees, the martyrs embraced their crosses – their way to perfection.
Soldiers tied them on with metal bands and ropes. Then the crosses were lifted and slid into holes in the ground – twenty-six stretching in a row from the bay to the road. The martyrs raised their eyes to heaven and sang, “Praise the Lord, ye children of the Lord.” The Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus of the Mass echoed down the hill. One of the prisoners chanted, “Jesus, Mary. Jesus, Mary”. The crowds of Christians joined in. Then, one by one, the martyrs were given a chance to renounce Christ in exchange for their lives. Each one loudly answered, “No”.
Song of a Samurai: Planted in front of Miki’s cross was the death sentence Hideyoshi had pronounced: “As these men came from the Philippines under the guise of ambassadors, and chose to stay in Kyoto preaching the Christian law which I have severely forbidden all these years, I come to decree that they be put to death, together with the Japanese who had accepted that law.”
Fastened to his cross, Paul Miki gave his defense and final address in the form of a samurai farewell song: “I did not come from the Philippines. I am Japanese by birth, and a brother of the Society of Jesus. I have committed no crime. The only reason I am condemned to die is that I have taught the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am happy to die for such a cause and accept death as a great gift from my Lord. At this critical time, when you can rest assured that I will not try to deceive you, I want to stress and make it unmistakably clear that man can find no way to salvation other than the Christian way. The Christian law commands that we forgive our enemies and those who have wronged us. I must therefore say here that I forgive Hideyoshi and all who took part in my death. I do not hate Hideyoshi, I would rather have him and all the Japanese become Christians.”
The guards listened, spellbound. Miki had shown he could remain a faithful Japanese, adhere to the samurai code of honor, and still give glory to Christ. Looking to heaven, he said, “Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Come to meet me, you saints of God.” While embracing his culture and showing his warrior’s courage, he had gone beyond the samurai need to save face and avenge personal wrongs. By preaching love of enemies as his farewell, Paul Miki showed himself a faithful samurai of the greatest Lord of all.
The Legacy of Resurrection Hill: Two samurai guards stood at the foot of each of the crosses at either end of the line of prisoners. In one moment, each soldier plunged his steel-tipped bamboo spear into the victim’s breast, crossing over each other’s spear in the process. A guttural yell, a sudden thrust, the gush of blood. And it was over. When the gruesome deed was done, the Christians in the crowd pressed toward the crosses, soaking pieces of cloth in the martyrs’ blood and tearing their clothing for relics. Only with difficulty did the guards manage to keep them away.
A month later, a Jesuit missionary in Nagasaki wrote his superior that, even in death, the martyrs were still bearing witness to Christ: “These deaths have been a special gift of divine Providence to this church. Up to now our persecutor had not gone to the extreme of shedding Christian blood. Our teaching therefore had been mostly theoretical, without the corroborating evidence of dying for our faith. But now, seeing by experience these remarkable deaths and most extraordinary deaths, it is beyond belief how much our new Christians have been strengthened, how much encouragement they have received to do the same themselves.”
Today, some four hundred years after their deaths, the twenty-six martyrs of Nagasaki continue to inspire people. They are canonized saints now, and the place is a pilgrimage destination, with a church, museum, and bronze monument. Pope John Paul II visited the site in 1981 and named it “Resurrection Hill”.
On the eve of his execution, thirteen-year-old Thomas Kozaki, who was to die with his father, wrote a farewell letter to his mother. Full of simple yet steadfast faith, the power of this letter, like the power of the cross, has not diminished over the years: “Dear Mother: Dad and I are going to heaven. There we shall wait for you. Do not be discouraged even if all the priests are killed. Bear all sorrow for our Lord and do not forget you are now on the true road to heaven. You must not put my smaller brothers in pagan families. Educate them yourself. These are the dying wishes of father and son. Goodbye, Mother dear. Goodbye.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. How deep is our faith in Jesus? Is it deep enough to allow him to be effective in our midst? Did we ever close our heart to his saving presence and inspiration?
2. Do we believe in the positive and spiritual dimension of human suffering? How do we respond to the trials and difficulties we meet in our daily life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
your co-citizens were scandalized by your humble “roots”.
Your neighbors were prejudiced because you were “merely” a carpenter,
and they knew you “simply” as the son of Mary.
You were not able to perform mighty deeds in Nazareth
for their lack of faith.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, help us to have true faith in you.
You are the true prophet who speaks the word of life.
We welcome you in our hearts.
Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening.
***
God our Father,
we thank you for letting us share
in your Son’s redemptive sacrifice.
We believe in the grace of human suffering.
By partaking in the passion of Christ,
we are configured into him as the Servant-Son.
Help us to endure our trials as formative “discipline”
and guide us by your almighty hand.
We love and trust 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.
“He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mk 6:6) // “Endure your trials as ‘discipline’. God treats you as his sons.” (Heb 12:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
***
February 5, 2015: THURSDAY – SAINT AGATHA, virgin, martyr
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Summons and Sends Out the Twelve … He Is the Mediator of the New Covenant””
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 12:18-29, 21-24 // Mk 6:7-13
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The Burnham couple, Martin and Gracia, who were serving in the Philippines as missionaries, were captured by the dreaded Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group in Southern Philippines whose primary activities were kidnapping and extortion. Gracia survived 14 months of terror in the jungle. On June 7, 2002, Martin died and Gracia was wounded in the shootout that resulted from the rescue attempt made by the Philippine Army. Gracia’s testimony revealed that Martin had been a missionary through and through. Thousands of people – including senators and ambassadors - attended Martin’s funeral at Wichita, Kansas. Gracia remarked: “They admired him most, perhaps, for what he stood for, what we all try to stand for. Nothing complicated. Just a simple, whole-hearted goodness. His death had not been in vain. He showed me what strength was. Faith. Faith in yourself, in those you love, and in God to be present in every moment of your life.” The missionary, Martin Burnham, is a modern-day example of a disciple sent by Jesus, one who had kept faith in him and had shown the world that faith is the inner strength to conquer evil.
Today’s Gospel reading (Mk 6:7-13) is about the Lord who sends and the mission of the disciples he sent. The origin of the missionary vocation is Jesus who prepares the apostles for this important moment. It is Jesus who calls them personally; it is he who selects the Twelve to be his companions. He sends them out to preach with the power to cast out devils. Tutored by Jesus and present with him as he heals many from sickness and evil, the Twelve are sent out with tremendous power bestowed upon them. The apostles respond to the sending with alacrity. The evangelist Mark narrates: “So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them” (verses 12-13). In the mission of the apostles, Mark underlines the potency of the Gospel, the power of action against the reign of evil. The task of those sent by Jesus is to bring the healing balm of forgiveness to those wounded by sin and to denounce evil, openly confronting it by appealing to the power of Christ.
***
Today’s first reading (Heb 12:18-19, 21-24) underlines what the Lord God has done for us through the outpouring of the blood of Jesus Christ, “the mediator of the new covenant”. The assembly of the redeemed is able to approach Mount Zion, “the city of the living God” through the life-giving sacrifice of Jesus. The author of the letter to the Hebrews contrasts the gloomy and fearful aspects of the old covenant to the new covenant wrought by the sacrificial “blood of Christ”, which is far superior to the “blood of Abel”. The blood of Abel cried out for vengeance, while that of Jesus brings forgiveness and access to God. The joyful gathering of the redeemed and the thousands of angels in heaven is already possessed in an anticipatory way by the Christian disciples in pilgrimage to heaven.
The spiritual stance of a “pilgrim” Church that journeys toward Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, can be gleaned from the following words of Archbishop Van Thuan (cf. Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, Testimony of Hope, Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 2000, p. 38-39).
I dream of a Church that is on a journey, the People of God who, behind the Pope, carry the cross, enter the temple of God and, in prayer and song, encounter the Risen Christ, our one hope, and Mary, and all the saints.
I dream of a Church that carries in its heart the fire of the Holy Spirit – and where the Spirit is, there is freedom; there is sincere dialogue with the world and especially with the young, with the poor, and with the marginalized; and there is discernment of the signs of the times. The social doctrine of the Church, the instrument of evangelization, guides us in the discernment amid today’s social changes.
I dream of a Church that is a concrete witness of hope and of love, as personified by the Pope who embraces all: Orthodox, Anglican, Calvinist, Lutheran … in the grace of Jesus Christ, in the love of the Father, and in the communion of the Spirit lived in prayer and humility.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. As Christian disciples today, are we as trusting in God as Jesus called his Twelve to be? What is the specific apostolic mission entrusted to us by Christ today? Do we believe in the Gospel – its power of action against the forces of evil?
2. Do we value the saving work of Jesus Christ, the mediator of the new covenant? What is our personal attitude as a member of the Church in pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you have called us personally to yourself
and given us the Gospel
with its power to overcome the forces of evil.
Give us the grace to proclaim repentance
and to heal the sick with the power of your love.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
O loving Father,
we are a pilgrim Church
that experiences in anticipation
the festal gathering in the heavenly Jerusalem.
As we journey toward the eternal joy of Mount Zion
where God reigns,
let our faith be strengthened by Jesus,
the mediator of the new covenant,
who poured out his blood for our salvation.
We love and serve you, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out.” (Mk 6:7) // “Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.” (Heb 12:24)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
***
February 6, 2015: FRIDAY – SAINT PAUL MIKI AND COMPANIONS, martyrs
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is a Victim for Truth and Justice” … He Is the Same Yesterday, Today and Forever”
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 13:1-8 // Mk 6:14-29
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The death of John the Baptist narrated in today’s Gospel reading (Mk 6:14-29) foretells Jesus’ own death. Herodias is vengeful because John has confronted her illicit husband, Herod, with the unsettling truth: “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife”. Determined to put John to death and resorting to devious ways, Herodias instigates her daughter to ask for his head. The revenge is made possible by feckless Herod who tries to impress others during his birthday party. Though fascinated by John, whom he knows as righteous and holy, his braggadocio gets the better of him. He is deeply distressed. But because of the senseless oath he has made to the girl in front of the guests, he has to give her John’s head on a platter. Herod dispatches an executioner to behead the prophet. Herod’s birthday party thus becomes a bloody orgy. Evoking the death and burial of Jesus, the disciples of John come and take the body and lay it in a tomb.
The martyrdom of John the Baptist, which points to the ultimate witnessing of Jesus, invites us to share deeply in the paschal sacrifice of our Savior. Like John the Baptist, we too are called to manifest to the world the passion and death of Jesus, the victim par excellence for truth and justice. The following article circulated through the internet illustrates the need to continue our life witness for truth and justice, in the spirit of John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Phillip Andrew A. Pestano graduated from Ateneo de Manila High School in 1989, entered the Philippine Military Academy, and became an Ensign in the Philippine Navy in 1993. He was assigned as cargo master on a Navy ship. He discovered that the cargo being loaded onto his vessel included logs that were cut down illegally, were carried to the ship illegally, and were destined to be sold illegally. Then there were 50 sacks of flour, which were not flour, but shabu – worth billions. Literally, billions. And there were military weapons which were destined for sale to the Abu Sayyaf.
He felt that he could not approve this cargo. Superior officers came to him and said: “Please! Be reasonable! This is big business. It involves many important people. Approve this cargo.” But Philip could not, in conscience, sign the approval.
Then his parents received two phone calls, saying: “Get your son off that ship! He is going to be killed!” When Phillip was given leave at home, his family begged him not to go back. Their efforts at persuasion continued until his last night at home, when Phillip was already in bed. His father came to him and said: “Please, son, resign your commission. Give up your military career. Don’t go back. We want you alive. If you go back to the ship, it will be the end of you!” But Phillip said to his father: “Kawawa ang bayan!” (“I pity our people!”) And he went back to the ship. The scheduled trip was very brief – from Cavite to Roxas Boulevard – it usually took only 45 minutes. But on September 27, 1995, it took one hour and a half. When the ship arrived at Roxas Boulevard, Ensign Pestano was dead.
The body was in his stateroom, with a pistol, and a letter saying that he was committing suicide. The family realized at once that the letter was forged. They tried desperately for justice, carrying the case right up to the Senate. The Senatorial Investigation Committee examined all the evidence carefully. Then they issued an official statement, saying among other things: Ensign Phillip Pestano did not commit suicide. He was murdered. He was shot through the head, somewhere outside his stateroom, and the body was carried to his room and placed on the bed. The crime was committed by more than one person. In spite of these findings by the Senate, the family could not get justice. The case is still recorded by the Navy as suicide. (…)
Phillip Pestano died at the age of 24. He was scheduled to be married in January of 1996, four months after he was murdered. He was a martyr. A martyr is one who dies for the faith or for a Christian virtue. Phillip died for a Christian virtue – justice. It is not likely that he will ever be canonized, but he takes his place among the “unknown saints”.
***
After giving an insight into divine worship, the author of the letter to the Hebrews, in today’s first reading (Heb 13:1-8), deals with practical matters of Christian living. The behavior of a Christian is intimately connected with the priestly sacrifice of Christ, from which it flows and derives its strength. Practical Christian conduct is not an indifferent issue for it is a vital expression of one’s faith. Hence, the author gives serious instructions on mutual love, hospitality, concern for prisoners and the needy, fidelity in marriage, and trust in divine providence. There is a spiritual motivation for Christian conduct. With regard to material needs, he tells them to be free from the love of money and to trust that God will be their helper and that he will never abandon them. In view of preserving the integrity of the Christian community, he encourages them to remember their former leaders and learn from their examples of faith. They have passed away, but their lives will continue to give them insight into the invisible realm of God. The author then declares: “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” This means that Jesus Christ will be their immutable faith support: yesterday, today and forever.
The immutable support of Christ for his disciples lives on in the here and now as the following missioner’s tale illustrates (cf. Leo Shea in MARYKNOLL, April 2009, p. 7).
When I went to northern China to teach English at a university, I was told I had to respect the government’s rules: I could not work as a missioner, could not offer Mass in public, nor serve in a parish or preach. On Sundays, I went to Mass with the people in the cathedral in Qingdao (which, incidentally, was packed for the two Masses). I resolved that if asked, I would answer truthfully, but not once was I asked what I did before I came to China.
I enjoyed the fellowship of the professors and students whom I invited to come to my apartment once a week, to share a meal. We never discussed religion, but simply enjoyed a wonderful rapport and camaraderie. Therefore, when I was leaving, I was greatly surprised to receive the gift of a beautiful painting of the Last Supper. My work as a missioner was solely my witness to them by my presence. I never preached a word, and yet they knew all along.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do I fight for truth and justice in the spirit of John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ?
2. Do we conduct our daily life upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, our immutable faith support yesterday, today and forever?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
your cousin John the Baptist fully participated
in your mission of justice and truth.
Give us the courage to fight for the cause of justice and right.
Make us limpid and credible prophets of truth.
We trust in you, O loving Jesus!
We adore and serve you as our only Lord, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
our participation in Christ’s priestly sacrifice
needs to be expressed in mutual love
and concern for one another.
Help us to be hospitable,
to assist the prisoners,
to comfort the suffering,
to uphold the sanctity of marriage,
to be faithful and chaste.
Teach us to trust in your providence
and never to idolize money and material riches.
Show us how to value
the good examples of our leaders.
Above all, help us to conduct every aspect of our life
under the guidance of Jesus Christ,
our immutable faith support:
yesterday, today 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.
“It is John whom I beheaded.” (Mk 6:16) // “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Heb 13:8)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Study the “Catholic Social Teaching in the Public Square” and promote the principle of the right to life and the dignity of the human person in any way and in every way you can. // Manifest your faith in word and deed and let your conduct in daily life be modeled upon Christ, our eternal support.
***
February 7, 2015: SATURDAY – WEEKDAY (4); BVM ON SATURDAY
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Shepherds the Flock …Through Him We Carry Out God’s Will”
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 13:15-17, 20-21 // Mk 6:30-34
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In 1995 I traveled about eight hours by bus to the rural town of San Antonio (in Zambales Province in the Philiipines) to conduct a session on liturgical music for a parish group. San Antonio is situated at the foot of Mount Pinatubo. The volcano that was dormant for about five hundred years erupted violently on July 16, 1991. The devastated San Antonio was still full of sand and volcanic debris when I saw it. I heard vivid stories about the townsfolk’s terrible plight during the eruption. They scrambled in all directions to save their lives. They did not know where to go and were like sheep without a shepherd. My heart was moved for what they went through. In a mysterious way, I was participating in the compassion of Christ Master-Shepherd: “He took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mk 6:34).
The focus of today’s Gospel reading (Mk 6:30-34) is the Lord Jesus who shepherds. He shepherds the weary disciples returning from their missionary ministry, reporting to him what they had done and taught. Above all, he shepherds the large crowd of needy people hungering for the bread of his life-giving Word. Indeed, Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophetic promise reported in Jer 23:1-6 about God himself being the shepherd to his people.
Mark’s narrative describes the tender and loving response of Jesus to the pathetic plight of the pursuing crowd: “He began to teach them many things” (Mk 6:34). Indeed, the primary pastoral action and care of Jesus is to teach, that is, to nourish the hungry souls with the bread of the Word of God. The teaching ministry, which is a nourishing ministry, is the first and foremost task of Jesus Shepherd. He nourishes the crowd with the bread of the Word. He nourishes them with the saving message of God’s love.
***
In today’s first reading (Heb 13:15-17, 20-21), the author of the letter to the Hebrews exhorts them to offer a sacrifice of praise to God through Jesus while at the same time underlining the importance of the sacrifice of good works and service to others. The vertical dimension of divine worship and the horizontal dimension of human solidarity intersect. Moreover, within the community, solidarity cannot be effective without obedience to leaders commissioned by God to watch over the welfare of the members. The author then concludes with a prayer invoking divine grace upon them: that the God of peace provide them with every good thing they need in order to accomplish his saving will. Above all, he prays that God’s will be done upon them through the mediation of Christ, to whom eternal glory is due.
The following article in Taste of Home magazine (cf. February-March 2009 issue, p. 67) about a 12-year-old’s fundraising effort to help poor African children, is very inspiring. It gives us a glimpse of what Christians can do in today’s world to be pleasing to God.
A video shown at church inspired Miranda Walters to make a difference. She saw the faces of children dying from malaria thousands of miles from her Cedar Falls, Iowa home and knew she couldn’t ignore them. A $10 mosquito net dramatically reduces the risk African children face of contracting malaria, an often-fatal infectious disease transmitted through mosquito bites. So Miranda, 12, gave herself a goal: raise $100, enough to buy 10 nets for the nonprofit organization Nothing But Nets. “After seeing the video, I told my grandma I wanted to do something to help them”, Miranda says. “She suggested a bake sale. So we talked to people at church, made posters and baked some things.”
She and her grandmother, Jill Rechkemmer, also of Cedar Falls, made Caramel-Pecan Cheesecake Pie and Caramel-Pecan Apple Pie, both from Taste of Home. They also invited others from the congregation to help with the baking. “At first I worried we wouldn’t get enough baked goods”, says Grandma Jill. “But there were so many!” The bake sale raised $640, enough to buy 64 nets.
Miranda encourages other kids to think about raising money for a cause. “It’s possible no matter how busy you are”, she says. “It feels good to do something to make a difference.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. How do we respond to the plight of those who are weary and heavily burdened? Do we respond to them with the heart of the Shepherd?
2. Do we believe that God will give us the grace to do what is pleasing to him? Do we trust that Jesus Christ is with us to help us carry out the will of God?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
we respond to your invitation,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile”.
You shepherd us and our cup overflows with joy.
Give us your Shepherd’s heart that together with you,
we may alleviate the pain of the weary and heavily burdened.
We thank you, our Master-Shepherd
and follow you all the days of our life.
You are our loving Lord, now and forever.
Amen.
***
All-powerful Father,
you are the God of peace.
we offer you a sacrifice of praise in Jesus Christ
and the sacrifice of good works carried out in his name.
Grant us the grace we need to do your will.
Let your compassionate will be done upon us
through Jesus, your Son.
To him be glory and praise,
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.
“His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd.” (Mk 6:34) // “May God carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ.” (Heb 13:21)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
With the compassionate heart of the Shepherd, welcome those who are “like sheep without a shepherd” and share with them the bread of God’s Word. // When the duties and challenges of daily life become difficult to handle or carry out, ask God for the grace to do everything according to his will and with Jesus.
***
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