A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 13, n. 33)
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time and Weekday 15: July 12-18, 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: July 5-11, 2015, please go to ARCHIVES Series 13 and click on “Week 14”.
(Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: July 12-18, 2015.)
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July 12, 2015: FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Sends Them Out”
BIBLICAL READINGS
Am 7:12-15 // Eph 1:3-14 // 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 Witchita, 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. According to Mark, “Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.” 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 and to be sent 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. 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.” In the mission sending, 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 the virulence of sin and to denounce evil wherever its presence is obvious, openly confronting it by appealing to the power of Christ.
In the missionary activity of those sent by Jesus, they are to keep a simple life-style, bereft of material comforts and financial security. According to Jesus’ instruction, they are “to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts.” The exhortation reflects the urgency of the missionary task and the absolute trust in God that it entails. According to Aelred Rosser: “It is absolutely necessary to be unencumbered in the mission field be it in the farthest reaches of the globe or in one’s neighborhood. A heroic faith is required – faith that presumes that God’s loving providence will sustain the dedicated worker. The virtue of detachment is being counseled here, for without detachment the preacher’s attention cannot be centered on the Good News.” Indeed, the life of missionaries is absolutely oriented to the task of preaching God’s kingdom.
Finally, the missionaries must contend with the possibility of not being welcomed and of not being listened to. In this case, they are simply replicating in their lives the destiny of the sending Lord who was rejected even by his neighbors in Nazareth (cf. Mk 6:1-6). According to an ancient Church writer, Theophylact (c. 1050-1109): “He told them to shake the dust off their feet when people refused to receive them, to show that they had made a long journey for their sakes and they owed them nothing; they had received nothing from them, not even their dust, which they shook off as a testimony against them – a testimony of reproach.” The action of shaking the dust off one’s feet is to provoke thought among the unwelcoming people and to make them realize that they have rejected their own salvation. Indeed, the missionaries of all ages will be subjected to all kinds of trials. Their option is not violent reprisal, but humility and kindness. They will humbly accept the indignities of rejection and the painful process of “birthing” in order that the saving word of the Gospel may reach all the ends of the earth.
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Rhoel Gallardo, a member of the Claretian missionary congregation, and Raul Ventigan, a member of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM), a missionary congregation founded in Belgium, were my students at Maryhill School of Theology in Metro Manila, Philippines. After his ordination, Fr. Rhoel was sent to work in the predominantly Muslim-populated Basilan Island, in southern Philippines, where he died a martyr’s death. The notorious Abu Sayaf Islamic rebel group kidnapped and tortured him. Fr. Rhoel was ordered to rape the catechists who were captured with him. But he refused to obey their sadistic command. He defied their mockery and brutality by turning to God in prayer. They eventually shot him to death. Fr. Raul was a young medical doctor when he entered the seminary. As part of his missionary training, he worked for four years in Haiti. He then returned to the Philippines to finish the last year of his group’s theology program. After ordination, he was sent back to Haiti, his mission land. His medical expertise helped him greatly in his pastoral ministry to the poor and the sick. A few months after his return to Haiti, he succumbed to a health condition and was found dead on his bed. Fr. Rhoel and Fr. Raul - two young Filipino missionaries sent out by our Lord Jesus to minister to his people – exemplify God’s gift of missionary vocation to the Church and to the world.
The missionary and prophetic vocation is God’s initiative. The Old Testament reading (Am 7:12-15) reinforces the reality that an apostolic and prophetic vocation originates from God alone. Amos is a prophet through God’s personal intervention. A shepherd and a dresser of sycamore trees, the prophet Amos, from the village of Tekoa – some ten miles south of Jerusalem – in the southern kingdom of Judah, is called by God to prophesy in the more economically prosperous Israel, the northern kingdom of the Hebrew people, during the time of “the schism of Israel” in the eighth century B.C. The name “Amos” means “burden” and the name “Tekoa” probably means, “to sound the ram’s horn”. Carrying a burden of destruction, his prophetic message is sounded loud across the northern kingdom and reverberated long afterward in Jerusalem. Preaching at Bethel, the elite spiritual center of the northern kingdom, Amos causes intense disturbance and annoyance when he inveighs against the immorality, sacred prostitution, social injustice at the shrine and the detestable corruption of Israel’s political and religious institutions. The priest Amaziah of the Bethel temple, who sees him as a threat to the unity and integrity of the Israel kingdom, tries to evict him: “Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying, but never again prophesy in Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”
The response of Amos to the greatly outraged Amaziah gives us a glimpse of the vocation-mission of a prophet as one called directly by God and sent out to declare the divine message. Amos denies that he is a member of a band of prophets who earn their living by foretelling oracles or visions. He does not belong to a group of “professionals”, but is chosen from obscurity and commissioned by God himself for a special task. Summoned by God to speak, it is his absolute responsibility to declare the divine word that both summons and judges the people of Israel. Indeed, the coming of a prophet is a grace since it attests to a faithful and loving God who never abandons his own.
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In the Second Reading (Eph 1:3-14), we are invited to contemplate the comprehensive character and expansive horizon of our vocation as Church. The author of the letter to the Ephesians makes us relish the following heartwarming reality: God chose us in Christ. God has bestowed upon us every spiritual blessing in Christ. One of the most remarkable blessings for which we render the almighty God thanksgiving and praise is our vocation to be holy and our destiny to become his adopted children through his beloved Son, who redeemed us by his blood. By the paschal sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the mystery, or the marvelous plan of the Father to unite all things in his Son, was wisely and fully revealed. God destined people of all races, both Jews and Gentiles alike, to share in this plan of total restoration in Jesus Christ. Moreover, the heavenly Father gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit as a pledge of this universal integration and cosmic unification. Our ultimate Christian vocation then, which has its origin from God even before the world began, is to participate in the divine saving plan “to restore all things into one in Christ, in the heavens and on earth” (Eph 1:10). In Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we thus look forward to be united with God the Father forever and with all creation - in peace, joy, harmony and eternal bliss - to the praise and glory of our loving Father.
The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent concludes: “The lesson taught us on this Sunday is clear. The apostles are chosen, but so are we all chosen, and the choice in every instance is a manifestation of God’s merciful love. He chooses us for his own glory and predestines us to be his children. He also chooses us for the great mission that he initiates and that consists in uniting the world under the headship of Christ.”
The following story is a beautiful example of a person who played a wonderful part in God’s plan of salvation (cf. “Ernst” by Mary Chandler in The Way of St. Francis, March-April 2009, p. 12-20). In his unique and humble way, the Swiss born American, Ernst Belz embraced his call to holiness and played an important role in restoring all things in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes a small body contains a heart as big as the whole outdoors. My friend, Ernst Belz, had such a heart. Standing four feet four inches tall, he refused to be hampered by his physical limitations. He hiked. He skied. He was a mountaineer. He lived life fully – and he touched the lives of all he met. Encouraged by our writing class, Ernst collected some of the stories he had read to us into a book, which he called Glimpses of My Life. The youngest of five children, Ernst grew up in a remote area in the Swiss mountains. His life was never easy; but at an early age he showed compassion for the needs of others. During the harsh winter months, he put hay in crib-like stalls for the elk and deer so they wouldn’t starve. He split wood for his mother’s cooking stove and her bread-baking oven, while at the same time mourning the loss of the beloved tree that had been his friend. In one chapter in his book he talks with a spruce that had to be cut down. The tree convinced Ernst that its sacrifice would benefit the family as firewood and by opening up more space and sunlight for other trees. Ernst’s final request to the spruce was simply: “May I embrace you once more?” (…)
In 1934, Ernst immigrated to the United States on the Queen Mary. He disembarked at New York Harbor, wobbly and unsteady on his feet after fourteen days of being seasick, and was welcomed by his sponsors, a young Swiss couple who had immigrated earlier. “As we left the pier”, Ernst said, “it saddened me to notice some lonely and rather bewildered immigrants whom nobody had welcomed. Did they know where they would spend their first night on American soil?” A month later, he left his friends’ home in Connecticut to live in a hostel-type facility, the Sloane House, in New York City. Ernst was determined to “make it”. Every day he went job hunting. American slang proved to be a challenge. One morning a student waiter asked him how he wanted his eggs. Ernst wondered how to order “sunny-side up”. He asked for “two eggs looking at me”, which made the waiter roar with laughter. One morning at Sloane House, a well-dressed gentleman joined Ernst at breakfast and asked if he had a church home. He didn’t. Ernst joined the group, made friends, and for the next four and a half years these young men and women, he said, put meaning and purpose into his life. Ernst landed his first job with a food importer and manufacturing company, where he was expected to keep track of raw materials from the time of shipping until the shipment arrived. He processed the documentation, particularly the proper handling of the bill of lading and the negotiations of the letters of credit. During the job interview, Ernst said, he was touched by his boss’ sensitivity “when he was wondering if the chair would be comfortable because of my height”. Three months after his arrival in the United States, Ernst had a job as the assistant to the vice president. (…)
The final years of Ernst’s active life were spent with the Franciscans. A Benedictine priest invited Ernst to the San Damiano Retreat House in the hills near Danville in Northern California to visit his Franciscan friends. Ernst learned that the Franciscans were beginning the “Franciscan Covenant Program” for lay people, which meant that single men, women, or retired married couples would commit themselves to live and work with the Franciscans for a period of time and share their spiritual life. Ernst decided to leave his position at the University of the Pacific to join the program three years before his scheduled retirement. (…) During his time in the Franciscan Covenant Program, Ernst served, for a few weeks each year, at the Paz Y Bien Franciscan orphanage in Guaymas, Sonora Province in Mexico. “What a privileged opportunity it was! This time I was working and living in the midst of about seventy children between the ages of three and a half and eleven years. Although some of them were the poorest of the poor, their happy and cheerful little faces seemed to light up the whole world … I doubt that there could have been a more meaningful way for me to end my active life than to serve in the midst of those dear, innocent little orphan children.” In the picture he brought to class, Ernst blended in so well with the children that he had to point himself out to us. (…)
Eventually, Ernst stopped coming to the writing class. The trip became too much for him. He spent the last few months of his life in a care facility in Oceanside, California, where he recently passed away. Long ago, Ernst came to the conclusion that “economic success does not necessarily bring personal contentment”. The orphans, “some of them the poorest of the poor, have nothing, yet their happy, smiling and contented faces light up an otherwise dark and hopeless world like little candles.” Because of his tender heart, his quest for knowledge, and his loving outlook and philosophy, I was not surprised when a friend from Oceanside, California sent me a clipping from the San Diego Union-Tribune, dated May 12, 2006. At the dedication of a special Heritage Room, the library director announced that the late Ernst Belz has bequeathed $67,667 to the Oceanside Public Library. Somewhere, my small friend with his big heart is smiling.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we believe that we are called and sent by Jesus to preach the Gospel in the here and now? Are we totally free to commit ourselves to the ministry of evangelization?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord,
you call and send us.
You gave us the Gospel with its power to save.
Be near us as we confront the anguish of today’s world
with the good news of salvation.
Help us to touch the wounded
with the healing power of your love.
Empower us to liberate the enslaved from evil.
Grant us compassion for the weak.
Be with us as we care for the needy.
Teach us to live a life of simplicity and renunciation.
Make us your true disciples and zealous missionaries
in a fragmented society that longs for meaning in life.
Jesus, the one Sent by the Father,
we love and praise 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 began to send them out two by two.” (Mk 6:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for all missionaries that they may carry out their mandate with absolute trust in God and apostolic zeal. Be a missionary to a person close to you and in need of the healing power of the Gospel.
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July 13, 2015: MONDAY – WEEKDAY (15); SAINT HENRY
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us the Way of Peace … He Was Persecuted”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 1:8-14, 22 // Mt 10:34-11:1
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
I was in my third year of high school when I came across Leo Tolstoy’s novel, “War and Peace”. It was irresistible. I did not go to school for three days to read it from cover to cover. I love the works of Tolstoy. I am fascinated by this Russian “prophet”. I am awed by his commitment to Christ’s teaching on love, compassion and non-violence. Peter White’s article, “The World of Tolstoy”, in the June 1986 edition of the National Geographic (cf. p. 758-791) contains interesting insights which I share here.
Count Tolstoy was deeply inspired by Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, especially his moral exhortation, “Resist not evil” (cf. Mt 5:39), but instead, “Return good for evil”. This would be at the heart of Tolstoy’s doctrine on universal love, moral self-improvement and non-violence, as eventually expressed in his work, “The Kingdom of God Is Within You”. India’s Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by Leo Tolstoy. He avowed that, when he read Tolstoy’s work, “The Kingdom of God Is Within You”, he was overwhelmed. Having exchanged correspondence with Tolstoy, Gandhi was cured of his skepticism and became a firm believer in ahimsa, nonviolence. Through Gandhi’s program of nonviolent struggle, India would later be free from British rule.
Leo Tolstoy, however, was a “sign of contradiction”. His radical view on non-violence was greatly opposed. While praising Tolstoy as a genius who drew incomparable pictures of Russian life and castigated social falsehood and hypocrisy, the communist leader Lenin considered his advocacy of nonresistance to evil as “crackpot preaching” and deplored his inability to understand the class struggle – that a better life could be achieved through the violent overthrow of capitalism by the proletariat.
In his novel, “Resurrection”, Tolstoy indicted the tsarist courts and prison system. The Russian Orthodox Church was angered by his comments in this book against the state religion. The Holy Synod declared Count Tolstoy a false prophet, accusing him of undermining the faith. He was excommunicated, but there was an outpouring of sympathy from other segments of Russian society.
Conscience-stricken and upset by the plight of the poor, Count Tolstoy opted for a simplified life and dedicated more greatly his literary pursuits to socio-religious themes. His wife Sonya did not share his zeal for reform and for his new lifestyle that was simple and austere – for example, making himself a brew of barley and acorns because coffee was a luxury! She was chagrined that he chose to work on pugnacious tracts that put people off, when he could be producing wonderful novels that would bring in lots of money. Tolstoy did not care about money, but she had to, otherwise what would become of their children? Unable to bear any longer the divisive and oppressive situation at home, and detesting the luxury found in his estate, Yasnaya Polyana, the 82-year-old Tolstoy, left home on November 10, 1910, accompanied only by his doctor. He fell ill on a southbound train and died at a stationmaster’s house on November 20, 1910. Indeed, Leo Tolstoy is a fascinating figure – a modern day example of a prophet of contradiction.
Today’s Gospel reading (Mt 10:34-11:1) presents the divisions that Jesus’ mission creates, even in families. His way catalyzes separations and provokes conflicts between those who have made a radical choice for him and those who have not. Jesus’ gift of peace comes from God. It is a result of his immersion into the bloodbath of paschal sacrifice and is therefore not a facile kind of peace. The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 6, explicate: “To welcome the peace of the kingdom which Jesus gives and which is only attained through the cross, places believers in a situation where they are sometimes set in conflict with others. For this peace rests on faith, the choice for Christ and the kingdom, which necessarily involves detachment from, if not rejection of, all that is opposed to Christ and the Gospel or that is incompatible with the choice one makes for it … Every human life is confronted, at some point or another, with choices that in some instances demand real heroism. The situation becomes particularly distressing when one finds oneself torn between faithfulness to God, faith, and the gospel, and on the other hand, to family, friends, and country.”
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For the following three weeks the Old Testament reading is taken from the Book of Exodus. This is about the “exodus” or departure of the people of Israel from Egypt, where they have been slaves. God chooses Moses to lead his people from Egypt. Today’s reading (Ex 1:8-14, 22) tells us what brought about the misery experienced by the Israelites in Egypt. In the previous years, through the good graces earned by Joseph, the governor of Egypt, toward his father Jacob and the entire clan from the reigning Pharaoh, the Israelite nation had flourished in Egypt. The growth of the Israelites in Egypt, where they were once treated as special guests and bestowed special privileges by Joseph’s sympathetic Pharaoh-friend, fulfils the divine promise to the patriarchs to make of them a great nation. Many years later, a new king, who knows nothing about Joseph, comes to power in Egypt. The prolific Israelites seem a political threat to him and he tries to subjugate them through slave labor. But the cruel imposition of slave labor is not able to contain the population growth of the Israelites. The Pharaoh then resorts to infanticide. He orders his subjects to throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile river, but to let the girls live. It is ironic that from “the river of death” will be drawn forth Moses, the Hebrew boy who will lead the Israelites through the Red Sea towards the Promised Land.
The population control that the Pharaoh uses in his attempt to subjugate and oppress the Israelites is a brutal tactic that modern people likewise employ. The following newspaper article illustrates the irony of it all (cf. Alive! March 2013, p.2).
Israel didn’t want black immigrants having babies: Israel has admitted that it has been injecting Ethiopian Jewish immigrants with a dangerous, long-lasting contraceptive without their consent. The practice is said to have been going on for years. Women in transit camps waiting to emigrate to Israel were told the injection was obligatory, or that it was simply for immunization, according to a report in Haaretz.
“We said we won’t have the shot”, one woman told the Israeli newspaper. “They told us, if you don’t, you won’t go to Israel. And also you won’t get aid or medical care.” The woman who left Ethiopia eight years ago added: “We were afraid. We didn’t have a choice. Without them and their aid we couldn’t leave there. So, we accepted the injection.”
The scandal was revealed by an investigative program on Israel Educational TV, and was at first denied by Israel’s Health Ministry. Journalist Hedva Eyal, who wrote the report, commented, “We believe it is a method of reducing the number of births in a community that is black and mostly poor.”
Since the story broke, the Health Ministry has ordered an end to the injections. Doctors have been told “not to renew prescriptions for Depo-Provera for women of Ethiopian origin if there is concern that they might not understand the ramifications of the treatment.” A civil rights activist noted that “findings from investigations into Depo-Provera are extremely worrisome, raising concerns of harmful health policies, with racist implications.” Numerous studies have linked the controversial drug with osteoporosis, increased risk of blood clots, breast cancer, cervical cancer and heart disease. Pushed by Western agencies, it also causes abortions by preventing implantation of the newly-conceived human being in the womb.
According to a LifeSiteNews.com report, Israeli schools have, in recent years, refused to enroll Ethiopian children, and the government has engaged in mass deportations of African immigrants.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Why does the peace that Jesus brings lead to division? Do we welcome the peace of Christ and his example of total commitment to the kingdom? Are we willing to embrace the detachment, renunciation and opposition that the peace of Christ entails? Are we willing to be fully united with Christ and become, in him, a “sword of division” in today’s world?
2. How do the cruel decisions of the Egyptian Pharaoh to subjugate the Israelites impact us? What do we do when civil authorities impose policies that are contrary to the right to life and the dignity of the human person?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus Christ,
you said to your apostles:
“I leave you peace, my peace I give you.”
Look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom.
Jesus, sword of division,
you take away the sins of the world:
have mercy on us.
Make us walk in the ways of peace
and help us to worship in spirit and in truth.
We love and praise you, now and forever.
Amen.
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All-powerful God,
you are the author of life and the defender of life.
The destiny of the Israelite nation is in your hands.
We too are in your hands.
Protect us from those who violate the sanctity of life.
Give us the wisdom and strength
to promote the right to life
and the dignity of every person
created lovingly in your image.
Bless us and grant us the gift of eternal life.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” (Mt 10:34) //“Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel are growing.” (Ex 1:9)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
While avoiding facile compromises and easy tradeoffs, endeavor to bring the peace of Christ to a distressing situation that needs healing and reconciliation. Be courageous to be a “sword of contradiction” when the situation calls for it. // By word and action, promote the Church’s social teaching on the right to life and the dignity of a human person.
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July 14, 2015: TUESDAY – SAINT KATERI TEKAKWITHA
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Reproaches Them for Their Unbelief … He Cares for His People”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 2:1-15a // Mt 11:20-24
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Gospel (Mt 11:20-24) teaches us that repentance is a key dimension of Christian discipleship. Those who hear Jesus’ words and witness his mighty deeds, but do not repent, will suffer the same fate as those of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, the epitome of lack of repentance. The mission of Jesus in Galilee produces only a few disciples. Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum are recipients of his teachings and miracles. But there are those unmoved by his proclamation. Those with hardened hearts refuse to respond to the miracles that reveal his tender solicitude and compassion. Like the inhabitants of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, we are free to make choices and respond to God’s word. But we are ultimately responsible for what we are: our sins, failures, shortcomings, imperfections, the dismal acts that precipitate us to destruction. Jesus calls us to conversion. We must open up to the grace of repentance. Those who have been gifted with much have greater liability and accountability on judgment day.
The words of Mother Teresa contain a tinge of reproach for those who have received much spiritual enlightenment, but fail to respond fully to the gift (cf. Mother Teresa: Her Essential Wisdom, ed. Carol Kelly-Gangi, New York: Barnes and Noble, 2006, p. 117-118).
How is it that nowadays, all over the world, so many priests and nuns abandon their calling? Did they not commit themselves to follow him after long and mature reflection? How then can a nun pronounce perpetual vows, and some years later give up the religious life? Are married people not bound to remain faithful to each other until death? Then, why should the same rule not apply to priests and nuns?
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Many congregations have discarded this vow of obedience. They don’t have superiors anymore. Each member makes her own decisions. They have discarded obedience completely. Do you know what has happened because of that? In the United States alone fifty thousand nuns have left the religious life. The destruction of religious life comes mainly from the lack of obedience. Sheer negligence destroys religious life completely.
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Today’s Old Testament reading (Ex 2:1-15a) underlines God’s providential care for the future Exodus leader, who was rescued from the Nile River by Pharaoh’s daughter. She adopts him as her own son and calls him Moses because, according to her, “I drew him out of the water.” The boy’s name “Moses” (based on the Hebrew root “msh” meaning “to draw up”) is related to the word “Hebrew”, which means “the people from across the river”. Although brought up in the Egyptian royal society, his heart belongs to his people, the Hebrews. After Moses has grown up, he visits his people one day and sees how they are oppressed with hard labor. Feeling an affinity for his people, Moses takes vengeance against an Egyptian who kills a Hebrew. Unfortunately, his defense of the oppressed is misconstrued and would be wrongly used to reject his peace-making effort involving two Hebrews. The culprit resists him with the accusation: “Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” When the Pharaoh hears of the affair, he seeks to put Moses to death. Moses flees to the land of Midian, a desert area in the Sinai Peninsula where a kindred Semitic tribe welcomes him.
The sympathy and concern of Moses for his own people prefigures the ultimate love and saving intervention of Jesus Christ, who visits and dwells among us, his own people. The following story will help us appreciate what it means to have concern for one’s own people (cf. “Missionary Sister, 52, uses unusual background to help the Poorest of the Poor in Haiti” in Our Sunday Visitor, December 2, 2012, p. 6).
Sr. Irene Clare Duval knew she wanted to be a nun since she was 8 years old, but it wasn’t until she was 48 that she joined the Missionaries of the Poor Sisters. During the four decades in between she served in the U.S. military, went to college and worked for the New York City police department as a drug chemist.
Though she still isn’t sure why God told her to wait so long, she knows now that the things she learned while she was waiting help her serve the poor in Haiti better. “I could ask why for the rest of my life”, says Sr. Irene in something between a Haitian and Brooklyn accent. “But the way I see it, God’s timing is perfect and he had me go through what I have for a reason. Besides, I figure I’ll live until about 112, so I have lots more life to give to God”, the 52-year-old says with a broad smile.
Sr. Irene is known now as the dynamic Catholic sister who transformed the lives of hundreds of families in Viloux, a small, remote village in the mountains of southern Haiti. She began important social programs where none existed.
Sr. Irene was born in Haiti but moved with her family to New York when she was in sixth grade. In Haiti she had always attended Catholic school – where she first realized she wanted to be a nun – but in New York her parents could only afford to send her and her siblings to public school. “I used to get beat up every day at school because I looked and talked different from everyone in my class”, Sr. Irene says. “I quickly learned how to deal with bullies – a skill that still serves me well today.”
After graduating high school, she considered joining a convent, but she was shy and says “it just didn’t feel like the right time”. Instead she joined the U.S. army reserves and went to Prait University in Brooklyn to study chemical engineering. After graduating, she made a pact with God, promising to join an order and help the poor after she paid off her student loans – a task that took more than 15 years. In the meantime, she worked for the City of New York’s Department of Environmental Protection and then for the New York Police Department’s drug testing lab.
“My classmates and coworkers always used to ask why I’d want to give up my great job and become a nun. They asked how I’d have money to live,” Sr. Irene recalls. I just smiled and told them that I had the ultimate sugar daddy – Jesus.”
Finally at age 48, Sr. Irene joined the Missionaries of the Poor Sisters. Just two years later she was sent to Haiti to begin the outreach work she had promised God she would do. And she kept her promise in a big way. She started a school feeding program that provides meals to 121 children, most of whom were going days without food before she arrived. She opened up the local government school to more children by hiring additional teachers and launched a dispensary, doling out medicine and care to families who had nowhere to turn when they got sick. (…)
“Everything I’ve done in my life has come into play in my mission. I’m not working as an engineer, but it’s like my studies – it all comes into play”, Sr. Irene says. “People are always coming to me with some need. I’m able to help because of the varied experiences I’ve had. I think that was God’s plan.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we respond fully to the grace of God in our lives? Are there times when we are unrepentant and unresponsive to the word of God and his miracles in our life?
2. Do we feel a deep affinity with God’s people and are we willing to defend the oppressed? Do we look upon Moses as a model to imitate?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Jesus,
our disobedient hearts merit your reproach.
Forgive our wicked ways.
Help us to be receptive to your grace
so that we may rejoice in your benediction.
Teach us to be responsible in making life choices
that we may no longer deserve your just reproach.
Give us the grace to be firm in faith.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
God our Father,
you surround Moses with care and protection.
You guided Pharaoh’s daughter
to draw him out of the water and save him.
The young man, Moses, visits his own people
and sees them subjected to oppression.
On account of the Hebrews,
Moses suffers persecution.
Grant us the grace to imitate Moses
in his care for the suffering and the oppressed.
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.
“Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.” (Mt 11:20) //“Moses visited his kinsmen and witnessed their forced labor.” (Ex 2:11)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Spend quiet moments with the Scriptures and/or the Blessed Sacrament. Examine your conscience and see what in your life deserves Jesus’ just reproach. // In words and in deeds, do what you can to alleviate the suffering of God’s chosen people today.
*** *** ***
July 15, 2015: WEDNESDAY – SAINT BONAVENTURE, Bishop, Doctor of the Church
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Comes for the Little Ones … He Is God’s Burning Bush”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 3:1-6, 9-12 // Mt 11:25-27
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Gospel reading (Mt 11:25-27) reinforces the truth that the meek and humble Messiah comes for the “little ones”. Jesus Christ, who exemplifies the anawim, or the lowly ones of God, invites us to assume his basic stance as the meek Servant-Son of Yahweh. He exhorts us to participate in his intimate and loving relationship with God the Father. Those who are childlike and trusting, like Jesus, become the recipients of divine revelation. They are able to relish deeper intimacy with God. Indeed, Christ’s saving message about the Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, could only be grasped by “the childlike” and not by “the wise and the learned”. In order to receive fully the refreshing peace and the restoration of soul that Jesus brings, we need to follow him who is the Servant-Son. We need to learn from him the humble ways of the anawim and the “little ones”. Jesus Christ teaches us how to be receptive to grace and submit to the benevolent plan of God. Through his compassionate ministry we are filled with divine wisdom and experience the joy of being God’s children.
The following story illustrates that the grace of God and his benevolent hand surround the “little ones” (cf. “An Extraordinary Daughter” by Mary Kay Kusner in St. Anthony Messenger, January 2008, p. 23-26).
I knew that something was wrong when I first laid eyes on my newborn daughter. Anna’s tiny forehead looked misshapen, and she was listless. As I held her and scanned her with my eyes, I noticed that her skin looked ashen. Minutes later, she was taken from me, rushed to the intensive care unit and put on a breathing machine. Within four days, the genetic tests were back: Anna had a chromosome abnormality … The doctors weren’t sure what this meant for Anna’s development but told us not to expect much. They predicted her I.Q. would be low – between 30 and 70. I was devastated. God had betrayed me. How could I ever believe again? Through all the sleepless nights and tears, I questioned: “Why? Why would God have kept nudging me to have a disabled child?” It made no sense. Just when I thought I had my life back under control, the rug was pulled out. I felt like a fool. All my life, I had been faithful, trusting. I thought Anna would be an answer to my prayer. Now none of that mattered. (…)
When Anna was about six weeks old, a strange incident occurred. She was lying on her back on our bed while I gently massaged her after her bath. Suddenly, I felt as if we were not alone. Anna looked past me, over my shoulder, to Someone who clearly adored her. My daughter smiled and I became almost bashful in the face of such love. I couldn’t see anything but felt the presence melt through me as I realized that Anna was seeing more than I did, that she was inviting me to see more too. After about a minute, the presence left and Anna looked right at me as if to say, “Why do you doubt, Mom?” I promised her to try to be more open after that.
Our boys adored their new sister from the start. They loved to make her laugh. David taught her how to burp and Jon wrestled with her on the floor. Matthew insisted that I never cut her curly hair. They didn’t notice her differences. When others stared at Anna, the boys got annoyed. “How do they know she’s different?” they asked me. Even though her eyes bulge and her forehead is flat, they don’t see it themselves. But I did. I was painfully aware of how different Anna looked. Sometimes I was embarrassed to take her out in public. Once, while riding in the van with the boys, I said out loud, “I wonder why God made Anna like she is.” After a few moments of silence, Matthew, who was almost 11, said, “Well, Mom, if God didn’t make her like she is, then she wouldn’t be Anna.” It took my breath away. “You’re right,” I said. “Thank you, Matthew.” It was a lesson of faith that made me begin to think twice. I loved Anna, but not as freely as a mom should. My boys were teaching me how unconditional love can be. (…)
One day at church, the fuller meaning of Anna finally hit home. Lorraine, a longtime friend, spotted us and waved from her pew. Anna, who was almost three, waved back, and I saw Lorraine laugh. When church ended, we were walking down the aisle toward the door. Lorraine was making her way toward us. “Hi, Anna, I saw you waved at me,” she said to Anna. Anna smiled and said, “Hi. Hi,” over and over. Then Lorraine looked at me and said with such directness, “Thank you for having Anna for all the rest of us.” Her comment brought tears to my eyes. I realized that Anna is a gift to others. She is her own person with her own worth, her own way of contributing to the world … Anna had taught me to be more open, to allow life to become what it can be, not to force it to be what I think it should be.
***
Today’s Old Testament reading (Ex 3:1-6, 9-12) is about Moses’ experience of the “burning bush”. While tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, the fugitive Egyptian-bred Moses, who has found a refuge among a Semitic tribe in the land of Midian and has married Zipporah, encounters a strange phenomenon: a “burning bush” that is never consumed. In this awesome “theophany” on Mount Sinai or Mount Horeb, God reveals himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God likewise manifests to him his firm resolve to deliver the Israelites from their oppressors. Moreover, the divine plan is revealed to make Moses the instrument of deliverance. Moses is deeply overwhelmed, but the loving God says to him: “I shall be with you.” The Lord God assures Moses of his presence and the grace he needs to carry out a mission that is beyond his natural powers.
Jesus Christ is God’s “burning bush” in that in his Son the divine nature as compassionate love is fully revealed to us. In Jesus and in the events of our daily life God continues to reveal himself to us. We too like Moses continue to experience the “burning bush” phenomenon, but we need to be sensitive to the revelation of divine grace. The following account gives an insight into this (cf. Elizabeth Sherill, “Beauty” in Daily Guideposts 2010, p. 238).
The bedroom windows here face east. Through them come the sound of the surf, the salt air of the sea and, of course, around 5:00 AM, the light of the rising sun. Usually I groan and reach for my eye mask.
Today, though, a Carolina wren sang so urgently somewhere nearby that I threw off the covers, dressed and headed down the road to my favorite vantage point at the water’s edge.
On the dunes the rugosa roses were in bloom. I caught their fragrance before I saw them – white, pink, maroon. The tide was ebbing, leaving behind a carpet of glistening stones. I sat on a flat-topped rock and watched the incoming waves rise, curl, spill over. For an instant, as each wave crested, the early sun shining through it turned it translucent emerald green.
Beauty – the sheer, extravagant beauty of God’s creation is what the ocean is calling me to see today. Tomorrow we have to leave this house by the shore, and I’ve wondered how I can bear to say good-bye to the salt air and blue water. The ocean is speaking to me about just that. Open your eyes! it says. See the beauty of a raindrop as well as the beauty of a wave, a chipmunk as well as a whale, the potted plant in your kitchen as well as a wild dune rose. You’ve learned to look keenly here by the sea; look as keenly back home.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we trust in Jesus as the true revelation of the Father? Are we the “little ones” who are willing to savor the rich and life-giving revelation of Jesus?
2. Did we ever experience a “burning bush” divine manifestation in our life? What is our response to it?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
you reveal your great love for Jesus, the anawim
and the other “little ones”
who are meek and humble.
In your Servant-Son,
teach us the way of “littleness”
and complete surrender to your saving will.
Help us to be humble instruments of your saving plan.
We praise and bless you, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Almighty God,
you revealed yourself to Moses in the “burning bush” on Mount Sinai
as the faithful and benevolent God of the patriarchs.
And you reveal yourself radically to us
through your Son Jesus Christ,
the ultimate “burning bush” experience of our life.
Moreover, you continue to manifest your beauty and grace
in every aspect of our life.
Help us to be sensitive
to the light of truth and your saving grace.
Give us the eyes to see the wonders of creation
and the marvels of your love.
We bless and thank you.
We adore and 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.
“You have revealed them to the childlike.” (Mt 11:25) //“God called out to him from the bush.” (Ex 3:4)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray meditatively the thanksgiving prayer of Jesus to the Father and make it your own. Alleviate the suffering of a person who is deeply afflicted and ease the burden of the poor and destitute in the local and world community. // Today be sensitive to the divine manifestation in your life and welcome this “burning bush” experience with joy.
*** *** ***
July 16, 2015: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (15); OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Comes for the Weary and Heavily Burdened … He Is the Ultimate Moses”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 3:13-20 // Mt 11:28-30
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In today’s Gospel (Mt 11:28-30) we hear that Jesus is meek and humble of heart. He fulfills the Father’s saving plan by “humbly” and “meekly” undergoing the paschal mystery of his passion and death and glorious resurrection. By his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, as the meek and humble Messiah, Jesus inaugurates God’s kingdom of justice and peace. He offers to all – especially to the poor and the lowly - the radical salvation he merited on the cross. Jesus, who comes for the “little ones” to reveal the truth about the compassionate Father, also comes to refresh the labor-weary and heavily burdened. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” is his compassionate cry. To turn to him is true consolation. Jesus assures us that his “yoke” is easy and his “burden” light. The “yoke” of love that he puts upon our obedient heart becomes “easy”. He gives us the grace and strength to bear it. The “burden” that faithful Christian discipleship entails becomes “light”. He fills us with the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit to follow him through the way of the cross to eternal glory.
When my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer when I was a teenager, my mother responded fully to Jesus’ invitation, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”. She turned to Jesus in trusting prayer. Her favorite praying stance was kneeling - arms outstretched in the form of a cross. Her eyes were closed to focus more intently on Christ crucified. In Jesus, meek and humble of heart, she found solace and strength to cope with life’s trials. My father eventually recovered and lived thirty more years.
In the Prayer Notes series published by the Abbey Press (St. Meinrad, Indiana), Joel Schorn has an article entitled “Comforting Prayers for Times of Pain and Suffering”. He writes: “For Christians, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus testify to the fact that God knows your pain and suffering and promises you relief from your fears.” From the Book of Common Prayer (1979), he cites the following comforting prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ, by your patience in suffering you hallowed earthly pain and gave us the example of obedience to your Father’s will. Be near me in my time of weakness and pain. Sustain me by your grace that my strength and courage may not fail. Heal me according to your will. And help me always to believe that what happens to me here is of little account if you hold me in eternal life, my Lord and my God. Amen.
***
Today’s Old Testament reading (Ex 3:13-20) continues to depict Moses’ experience of theophany at Mount Sinai. God reveals his name to Moses as “I AM WHO AM”. God’s name means “He causes to be what comes into existence”. Moreover, “I AM” sounds like the Hebrew name “YAHWEH”. It is a name that is not properly a name and thus affirms God’s transcendent otherness. Nonetheless, by revealing himself to Moses as “Yahweh”, God manifests a desire to enter into an intimate and personal relationship with his creature. It implies that God is always there for us and is deeply involved and actively present in our life. Indeed, Yahweh is deeply committed to act on behalf of his people. Hence, after revealing his name, God elaborates the mission of his newly chosen instrument. He chooses Moses to be his prophet and liberator. Moses is the one who will speak on God’s behalf to the people of Israel and the one who will lead the Israelites out of the misery in Egypt into the Promised Land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”. The invitation that God extends to the Israelites through Moses is a promise of rest – of deliverance from oppression and fruitless toil. To Moses’ doubt about his reception among the people and his fear of the Pharaoh’s violent resistance, the Lord God gives an assurance of divine protection and a promise of divine marvels.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate Moses – the “I AM” has sent him to us. Like Moses and Jesus Christ, the “I AM” has also sent us to do our part in the divine saving plan. The following story gives us a glimpse into our mission as human agents of the liberating and healing God (cf. Marion Bond West, “December 15 Reflection” in GUIDEPOSTS 2010, p. 392).
I didn’t want my son Jeremy to lose one inch of hard-gained ground. A recovering addict who struggles with bipolar disorder, he’s come so far in the last year. But when he received a much-needed hip replacement, he couldn’t attend his daily AA meetings.
Then one dreary December day, the mail brought a small, heavy package from Texas. Someone named Betty wrote, “Marion, I’ve been praying for Jeremy daily. I’m sending him a few of the smooth stones I’ve been painting and giving away.”
At the hospital Jeremy lit up like a Christmas tree when I put the stones on his bed. Betty had neatly printed a slogan on each stone, familiar messages from AA and Celebrate Recovery, like “One day at a time” and “Let go and let God”.
After Jeremy wrote to Betty to thank her, she sent him another heavy box. The accompanying note said, “Jeremy, this time I’m sending blank stones with paints and brushes. You paint them, okay?”
When Jeremy returned to his meetings, he brought stones with encouraging phrases he’d painted on them and handed them out to his buddies. “You should have seen how excited the guys were to get the stones, Mom. I’m going to paint some more.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we give heed to Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”? Are we ready to take up the yoke of the Father’s saving will and learn from him, who is “meek and humble of heart”? Do we relish and look forward to the gentle promise: “you will find rest for yourselves”?
2. What is our response to the divine revelation “I AM WHO AM”? What is our response to his commission “I am sending you …”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord, meek and humble of heart,
we turn to you with trusting hearts.
We bring to you the world’s afflictions.
Restore our weary souls.
Raise us up from the grave of sin and despair.
My Lord and my God,
you love us beyond death.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Lord God,
you reveal to us the meaning of your name
as a creative and saving presence.
How wonderful are you and great is your name!
We love and praise you.
Like Moses and your beloved Son Jesus,
you are sending us to the world of today
as human agents of your liberating power and healing love.
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.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28) //“I AM sent me to you.” (Ex 3:14)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
That we may appreciate more deeply the promise of comfort of Jesus, the meek and humble of heart, make an effort to spend some moments of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. // Be sensitive to the people around you who are in distress and are in need. See how you can bring the saving presence of God into their life so that you may be able to say: “I AM has sent me to you.”
*** *** ***
July 17, 2015: FRIDAY – WEEKDAY (15)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Lord of the Sabbath … He Is Our Passover”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 11:10-12:14 // Mt 12:1-8
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The Gospel (Mt 12:1-8) tells us that seeing Jesus’ disciples plucking heads of grain on a Sabbath and eating them, the Pharisees raise the issue of lack of Sabbath observance. According to them, the disciples are harvesting on a holy day and transgressing the law of Sabbath rest. Jesus’ defence of the disciples manifests his compassionate stance. For him, human need takes precedence over the law. People are more important than rigid legal observance. In a case of proportionate necessity, positive law may be rightly dispensed with. The Pharisees have wrongly hedged the Sabbath law with unnecessary prohibitions. Those who have God’s law in their hearts know how to act with compassion, even on the Sabbath. Jesus is the supreme interpreter of the Law and he does so in humanitarian terms. As Lord of the Sabbath, he calls for steadfast love rather than ritualism or false sacrifice.
An ex-seminarian committed suicide by hanging himself in the shower room using a bandanna. The parish priest denied him a Christian burial. He belongs to an old tradition that interprets rigidly the canon law concerning “those to whom ecclesiastical funeral rites are to be granted or to be denied”. A priest from the seminary, together with a group of seminarians, went to visit the grieving family and celebrated the Funeral Mass before the coffin of the deceased. He did so in the compassionate spirit of Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath.
***
Today’s Old Testament reading (Ex 11:10-12:14) depicts the rite of Jewish Passover. What is ritually commemorated is the Lord’s Passover, that is, the saving event when his angel of destruction “passes over” the Israelite households whose doorposts and lintels have been marked by the blood of the sacrificial lamb. When the Lord goes through Egypt to kill the first-born of the Egyptians in the last and final plague, he prevents the angel of death from entering the Israelite households. God commands the Israelites to celebrate this experience of salvation through a religious festival to remind them of what the Lord has done for them. God enjoins them to celebrate it for all time to come.
The following story gives us an insight into what a “memorial of salvation” means (cf. Cookie Curci, “The Secret of Grandma’s Sugar Crock” in Chicken Soup for the Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al., Cos Cob: CSS, 2008, p. 190-193).
During World War II, a government-issued flag, imprinted with five blue stars, hung in the front window of my grandparents’ old farmhouse. It meant five of their sons were off fighting in the war. (…)
As darkness fell on the ranch, we’d all gather together on the cool, quiet veranda of the front porch, Grandpa would settle comfortably into his rocker, under the dim glow of a flickering moth-covered light bulb, and there he’d read the latest war news in his newspaper, trying to track the whereabouts if his five young sons.
Grandma always sat nearby on the porch swing, swaying back and forth and saying her perpetual rosary. The quiet squeak of Grandma’s swing and the low mumbling of her prayers could be heard long into the night. The stillness of the quiet ranch painfully reflected the absence of the five robust young men. This was the hardest part of the day for Grandma; the silence of the empty house was a painful reminder that her sons were far, far away, fighting for her country.
On Sunday morning, Grandma was back out on the porch again, repeating her rosary before going into the kitchen to start cooking. Then she and Grandpa sat at the kitchen table, counting out ration slips for the week ahead and what little cash there was to pay the bills. Once they were finished, Grandma always took a portion of her money and put it in the sugar crock, placing it high on the kitchen shelf. I often asked her what the money in the jar was for. She would simply say, “A very special favor.”
Well, the war finally ended, and all five of Grandma’s sons came home, remarkably safe and sound. After a while, Grandma and Grandpa retired, and the family farm became part of a modern expressway.
I never did find out what the money in the sugar crock was for until a week or so before last Christmas. Completely on impulse, perhaps feeling the wonder of the Christmas season and the need to connect with its spiritual significance, I stopped at a little church I just happened to be driving past. I’d never been inside before, and as I entered the church through the side door, I was stunned to come face-to-face with the most glorious stained-glass window I’d ever seen.
I stopped to examine the intricate beauty of the window more closely. The magnificent stained glass depicted the Holy Mother and child. Like an exquisite jewel, it reflected the glory of the very first Christmas. As I studied every detail of its fine workmanship, I found, to my utter amazement, a small plague at the base of the window that read, “For a favor received – donated in 1945 by Maria Carmela Curci-Dinapoli.” I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was reading Grandma’s very words! Every day that Grandma had said her prayers for her soldier-sons, she’d also put whatever money she could scrape together into her sacred sugar crock to pay for the window.
Her quiet donation of this window had been her way of saying thank you to God for sparing the lives of her beloved five sons. The original church in which the window was placed had long ago been torn down. Through the generations, the family had lost track of its existence. Finding this window at Christmastime, more than half a century later, not only brought back a flood of previous memories, but also made me a believer in small but beautiful miracles.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. What is our attitude in regard to the law? Do we try to live by the letter of the law or by its spirit? Do we follow the compassionate stance of the Lord of the Sabbath? Do we allow the spirit of love to permeate our legal and religious observance?
2. Do we appreciate the importance of rituals and memorial celebrations? What do we do to keep alive the saving events we have experienced in our life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O merciful Jesus,
you are Lord of the Sabbath.
Your compassionate ways and fidelity
inspire us to live by the divine law.
Deliver us from false piety
and teach us to walk by your ways.
You, likewise, are the font of healing.
Free us from our infirmities
and restore us to good health.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
O loving God,
how wonderful are your works!
Israel’s experience of Passover in Egypt
is a saving event that prefigures Christ’s Passover
from death to life.
Help us be thankful and grateful.
Help us to celebrate fittingly your might deeds
and be faithful to you always.
We adore and bless 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.
“For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.” (Mt 12:1-8) //“This day shall be a memorial feast for you.” (Ex 12:14
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Reflect on the meaning of law in the Church. Try to perceive its significance and abide by the spirit of the law, and not by the letter. // Resolve to participate in the Mass with greater consciousness and appreciation of it as a memorial of Christ’s Passover.
*** *** ***
July 18, 2015: SATURDAY – WEEKDAY (15); SAINT CAMILLUS DE LELLIS, Priest (USA); BVM ON SATURDAY
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Will Not Break a Bruised Reed … We Celebrate His Passover in the Easter Vigil”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 12:37-42 // Mt 12:14-21
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In today’s Gospel (Mt 12:14-21), we continue to witness the “meek and gentle” ways of Jesus. He is the chosen and beloved Servant of the Lord, filled with his Spirit. He is destined to proclaim salvation to the nations and bring healing to the bruised and the weak. Jesus is the harbinger of God’s mercy to Jews and Gentiles. Fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Servant of the Lord, the non-violent Jesus does not “contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets”. He avoids useless confrontations with the Pharisees by withdrawing quietly. He avoids self-aggrandizing publicity by ordering those cured not to make public what he has done. His care for the weak, the discouraged and the marginalized is captured in the beautiful words of Isaiah: “A bruised reed he will not break; a smoldering wick he will not quench.” Far from rejecting sinners and morally weak people, Jesus encourages them to greater efforts and leads them to repentance. He is not a conquering political Messiah, but a Servant Lord who heals and treats mankind with great compassion. His loving heart is open to all. His “meek and gentle” heart can sense the longing for conversion that lies deep in every person.
The ministry of Poverello House, founded by Mike McGarvin (“Papa Mike”) in Fresno, gives us a glimpse of how to incarnate the mission of the Servant of the Lord in today’s world. From the incident he relates below, we are challenged not to give up on the “bruised reed” (cf. Poverello News, December 2011, p.1-2).
People in line for food in our dining room queue up on the southern wall as they come through the door. Here, they wait to move up to the serving window. This places them in close proximity to tables where people are already eating. Often, to pass the time while they wait, those in line exchange pleasantries with friends who are already served. Occasionally, an argument will break out between someone in line and someone seated, but that is, thankfully, a very rare occurrence.
One day recently, a “Code Red” call crackled across our walkie-talkies. Code Red is never good news; it means that there is a fight taking place, or that someone is having some kind of medical emergency, and all the available staff need to rush to the scene to assist. Over the years, Code Reds have been invoked for seizures, fainting, one-on-one fights, melees involving many people, car accidents, stabbings, and shootings. A Code Red is guaranteed to make one’s adrenaline start pumping.
This time, the Code Red was for a man seated near the line on the south wall. He had tried to swallow something too large, and it became lodged in his throat. He started choking severely, his face turning purple, and the people around him began panicking.
The men on security duty knew they needed help, so they immediately put the call out on the radios. Just as they did, a homeless man in the food line observed what was happening. He quietly walked over to the distressed man, and proceeded to do a textbook Heimlich maneuver on him. After a few abdominal thrusts on the choking victim’s diaphragm, the food rocketed out of the victim’s mouth, and he could breathe once more.
As nonchalantly as he left the line, the rescuer walked back over and resumed his place. He was a hero, but he nevertheless didn’t seem to want much attention, nor did he want to miss his meal.
This action surprised many of us, but it shouldn’t have. Sometimes, we make the mistake of thinking far too negatively about our homeless guests, based on the action of a few. In reality, there is a sense of community and helpfulness among many of the homeless.
Around here, the old saying, “There is no honor among the thieves”, sometimes get paraphrased as, “There is no kindness among homeless addicts”. Addictive behavior is often quite predictable, but, because we are dealing with individual human souls, our predictions are never the last word. Even people in the throes of this extremely self-centered affliction are capable of rising above their circumstances and aiding someone else.
Those of us who labor trying to help the homeless are also human. That means that, in spite of our good intentions, we sometimes lapse into negative attitudes, stereotyped thinking, and low expectations. Occasionally, God sends a small miracle our way, like the homeless hero described above, to remind us that people are every bit as capable of saintly behavior as they are of selfishness.
***
Today’s Old Testament reading (Ex 12:37-42) depicts the night vigil for the Lord as he leads the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. The Israelites have lived in Egypt for 430 years. On the day the 430 years ended, all the tribes of the Lord’s people leave Egypt. The Lord keeps vigil over the Israelites on the night when he leads them out of slavery in Egypt. Just as the Lord has kept vigil over the Israelites on the night of deliverance, so must the Israelites celebrate their deliverance by keeping a ritual night vigil for all generations. The Jewish vigil celebration of their deliverance from Egypt prefigures the Christian Easter Vigil, the Mother of all Holy Vigils. St. Augustine reminds us: “We must keep vigil on that night because the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. That life where there is no longer the sleep of death began for us in his flesh. Being thus risen, death will no more have dominion … If we have kept vigil with the risen one, he will see that we shall reign with him forever.”
The importance of keeping vigil over those undergoing the completion of their “transitus” or passage to eternity can be gleaned from the following story (cf. Sandy Beauchamp, “Helen’s Story” in Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al. Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 1997, p. 265-266).
Helen Packer was 17 years old when I met her. A devout Christian and much-loved child, she was entering the hospital for the last time. Her diagnosis was lymphoma and all attempts at remission failed. Helen shared with me, her nurse, that she could handle everything but the thought of dying alone.
She just wanted a loved one near her to hold her hand and pray with her. Helen’s mother would stay at her bedside from early morning to late evening, return home for rest and resume the vigil come morning. Her father traveled in his job but relieved his wife as often as he could.
All of the nurses on the unit realized that Helen was precariously near death, as did she and her family. She began having seizures and lapses of consciousness.
As I was leaving the hospital at 11:00 one night, I noticed Helen’s mother heading toward the parking garage as well. Our conversation was interrupted by the loudspeaker. “Outside call, Helen Packer. Please call the operator!”
Mrs. Packer reacted immediately with alarm. “Everyone knows how ill she is!” she blurted. “I’m going back to her room to see who is calling.” With that she left me and returned to Helen. The operator reported that the calling party had hung up but left a message: “Tell Helen her ride will be late but is coming.”
Baffled, Mrs. Packer stayed at Helen’s bedside in anticipation of a mysterious visitor. Helen died at 1:13 A.M. with her mother at her side, holding her hand and praying.
When queried the next day, the operator couldn’t remember even the gender of the caller. No other Helen Packer was found, employee or patient or visitor. For those of us who cared for, nurtured and prayed for Helen, there was only one answer.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. How does the following description of Jesus impinge on us: A bruised reed he will not break; a smoldering wick he will not quench”? Do we imitate the gentle ways of Jesus and his compassionate stance?
2. Do we see the importance of keeping vigil over a dying person? How do we participate in the Church Easter Vigil celebration?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord,
you are the beloved Servant of Yahweh.
The Lord God delights in you.
He anoints you with his Spirit.
Help us to be channels of your peace to the heart-broken
and bearers of grace to the hopeless.
Give us the courage to be peaceful in a violent world
and the faithful love to care for the needs of the weak.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
you always keep vigil over us
as you lead us from death-dealing situations
to the light of eternal life.
Grant us the grace to celebrate worthily
the Easter Vigil of our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection
and help us keep watch and support
those who are departing to eternal life.
We trust in you
for you are the God of the living, 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.
“A bruised reed he will not break; a smoldering wick he will not quench.” (Mt 12:20) //“This was night of vigil for the Lord.” (Ex 12:42
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Manifest the compassionate stance of Jesus to the people around you. Pray for the grace to overcome negative attitudes and prejudices so as to avoid breaking a “bruised reed” and quenching a “smoldering wick”. // Pray for the grace of a happy death for the dying and assist in any way possible those who are terminally ill.
***
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