A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 13, n. 37)
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time and Weekday 19: August 9-15, 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: August 2-8, 2015, please go to ARCHIVES Series 13 and click on “Week 18”.
(Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: August 9-15, 2015.)
*** *** ***
August 9, 2015: NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Bread of the Strong”
BIBLICAL READINGS
I Kgs 19:4-8 // Eph 4:30-5:2 // Jn 6:41-51
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Sr. Mary Rachel, who was a missionary in Canada, suffered a series of strokes when she returned to the Philippines. The third stroke was bilateral. It left her paralyzed from the neck down and she could not talk. We had to feed her through a naso-gastric tube and assist her in everything. After some period of anger and denial, Sr. Mary Rachel’s features started to relax. While doing my nursing care for her one day, I noticed that she was unusually quiet and pensive. I gazed directly on her weary eyes and spoke slowly: “Sister, do you want to receive Communion? If you do, please turn your head to one side.” She responded with such vigor that I was afraid her head would snap. We requested a priest to come and celebrate Mass in her room. The paralyzed Sister received Communion for the first time after suffering the third stroke. Every day she would watch a televised Mass, after which, she would receive Communion. She continued to be nourished with the Eucharist until she passed away four years later, in 2003.
Today’s Gospel (Jn 6:41-51) continues the profoundly moving Eucharistic catechesis taken from the evangelist John. Today’s passage is situated in a drama of unbelief and refusal. In a dispute over Jesus’ origin, the Jews murmur their incredulity and suspicion. Indeed, their unbelief evokes the obduracy shown by the Israelites in the desert and God’s magnanimous response to their hardheadedness. Israel’s murmuring provokes the gift of water and of manna. The murmuring of Jesus’ audience provokes an equally magnanimous response: the promise of the Bread of Life, actualized in Jesus.
The benefactor, Jesus Christ, who is both the giver and the gift, nourishes us through his teaching. As the Word-made-flesh and as the Wisdom of God, he lays out for us a rich banquet of spiritual nourishment. He offers himself to us as the bread of the Word, the saving revelation of God’s infinite love for us, and fulfills what is written in the prophets: “They shall all be taught by God” (v. 45). As the bread of the Word coming from heaven, the proper response is “to believe” in him. Neal Flanagan explains: “What this means is that this is faith nourishment. Jesus is bread from heaven, feeding all believers, in the same sense that Old Testament wisdom nourished all who accepted it (cf. Prov 9:1-5). We might call this type of feeding sapiential.”
In the last part of today’s Gospel reading (v. 48-51), the topic shifts from Jesus as revealer of the Father, who has come down from heaven, to Jesus as the giver and gift of the Eucharist. The liturgical assembly is being led to contemplate, not just the “sapiential” nourishment offered by Jesus, but the “sacramental” nourishment that he gives of his own flesh and blood. Jesus’ magnanimous gift includes the “Eucharistic” nourishment provided by his Spirit-filled and glorified body. The biblical scholar, Neal Flanagan, asserts: “Jesus is first of all the giver of the bread, a new Moses. He is also the bread of wisdom and revelation who nourishes all who come to him in faith. He is finally, the Eucharistic source of eternal life for all who eat and drink the flesh and blood of the heavenly and glorified Son of Man.”
The Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, who nourishes us with his Word and the Eucharistic bread, satisfies our most intense hunger for the fullness of life. We need to feed on him continually who is offered to us in multiple ways as spiritual nourishment. Geoffrey Preston comments: “But however we eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, whether sacramentally in the Eucharist, or at the table of his Word, or by care for his suffering members, it is always that it cannot be done once and for all. We have to go on doing it. The Eucharist is the bread and the wine which feeds desire and longing, longing for the coming of God.” In a marvelous and paradoxical way, the heavenly Bread that satisfies our spiritual hunger for meaning in life and our eternal destiny provokes a longing for the coming of God’s kingdom. The Bread of Life impels us to share the fullness of life we have received, through Word and sacrament, with the people and the world around us.
***
Here is a news report I read in the Fresno Bee (July 24, 2006) about the rescue of a young boy from India, trapped for two days in a 60-foot deep irrigation shaft. The story broke into international prominence after the private Zee News channel lowered a camera into the pit and captured haunting images of a child crying helplessly in the dark.
Prince fell into the freshly dug hole Friday evening when he was playing in Aldeharhi, a village in the northern state of Haryana. The shaft, covered only with an empty jute sack, was just wide enough to fit the boy and too narrow for an adult. When villagers and local police could not pull him out, they sought the help of the army. Over two days, soldiers from an engineering regiment scooped out drums of mud from an abandoned well 10 feet away from the hole, taking care not to use heavy machinery so soil would not cave in on the boy. Oxygen was pumped into the pit and rescuers talked to the boy to keep his morale up. Rescuers and TV viewers alike could watch the boy looking around timidly, munching on chocolate and biscuits and drinking milk from a can that had been lowered in by rope. With their bare hands, soldiers then created a pipe-reinforced connecting passageway to the irrigation shaft. One soldier reached Prince and, along with four others, took him back through the pipe and up the abandoned well. Making a gripping story even better, Prince was rescued on his birthday. Prince turned 5 on Sunday.
The dramatic rescue of the young boy evokes the intensity and power of the story of the rescue of the prophet Elijah in the reading (I Kgs 19:4-8). The story of Elijah’s rescue from imminent death results from divine intervention and underlines God’s miraculous providence for those who love him. Elijah has fought with vehemence the intolerable apostasy in the land. In a public contest with the priests of Baal, Elijah has demonstrated the power of God and the nothingness of the Canaanite and Phoenician gods promoted by Queen Jezebel, wife of King Ahab. The enraged Jezebel not only threatens, but promises to kill Elijah who flees to the Negeb desert. Exhausted after a day’s march, Elijah sits down in the shade of a bush wanting to die. God sends an angel to feed the despairing and weakened prophet with sconce bread and water. Twice the angel touches Elijah and coaxes him to eat. Strengthened by that food, Elijah walks forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb.
This Sunday’s liturgy evidently wants us to see in the feeding and rescue of Elijah a figure of the Eucharist, “the living bread that came down from heaven” to strengthen the Christian disciples in their journey of faith to God. The Eucharist, in its twofold dimension as bread of the Word (divine revelation and teaching) and Sacrament (real presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the form of food and drink), is the source of life and strength of every disciple and of the entire Church. The Eucharist is our food and strength for the journey. We therefore need to trust in the love, care and providence of God. We need to trust in God’s commitment to provide for our needs. The Eucharist is “the bread of the strong” – the sustaining spiritual food that enables us to cross the wilderness of trials and difficulties towards “eternal life” with God. In the Eucharist is the pledge of eternal life.
***
In the Second Reading (Eph 4:30-5:2), we hear the moral implication of being nourished at the table of the bread of eternal life – of being fed with the “bread of the strong”. We are not to sadden the Holy Spirit who put his seal upon us for the sake of our redemption on the last day. We are to get rid of all bitterness, all anger and passion, harsh words and malice of every kind. In place of these, we must be kind to one another, compassionate, and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven us in Christ.
Aelred Rosser remarks: “The undeniable love we have been shown by Christ makes it undeniable that we must show love to our neighbor. Even more gratifying is the realization that such love goes far beyond duty. Once we deeply believe in the overwhelming, unconditional love that God has for us, our love for each other becomes a spontaneous response. The greatest lovers are those who realize how much they have been loved. Paul reminds the Ephesians and us of our oneness and begs us not to grieve the Holy Spirit with bitterness, anger, malice … Criticizing others is a dangerous thing; not so much because we might be mistaken, but because we may be revealing the truth about ourselves.”
The following article in Taste of Home (cf. February-March 2009 issue, p. 67) about a 12-year-old’s fund raising effort to help poor African children is very inspiring. It gives us a glimpse of what Christian believers can do to live in the love of Christ and to be “bread of the strong” for others.
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
What are our experiences of God’s intervention in our life? Do we trust that God is our Savior and will continue to rescue us in our moments of sadness and distress? Do we believe that the Eucharist is the food that strengthens – the “angels’ food” to nourish us in our spiritual journey in the here and now? Do we recognize that the greatest food for the journey is the person of Jesus Christ himself, of which the Eucharist is a limpid and intense sacrament?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are the living bread that came down from heaven.
You feed us with your abundant teaching.
You are the bread of wisdom and revelation
to nourish all who come to you in faith.
Fill our empty hearts with your life-giving Word.
Strengthened at the table of your divine wisdom,
may we share the bread of your Word with the hungry.
We praise and bless you, O Eucharistic Master,
for you are the source of eternal life.
You feed us with your flesh and blood
at the Eucharistic banquet.
Nourished by your sacred body and blood
and united with your paschal sacrifice,
let us be transformed into “bread blessed, broken and shared”
for the life of the world.
We love and adore you, now and forever.
Amen
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (Jn 6:51)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for those who are experiencing distress and trials, and for those suffering spiritual and physical hunger. Be an instrument of God’s care and love for them. Lead them to the Eucharist that they may experience the strength that Jesus, the Bread of Life, offers to the afflicted.
*** *** ***
August 10, 2015: MONDAY – SAINT LAWRENCE, DEACON, MARTYR
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Grain of Wheat
that Dies and Bears Fruit … He Is a Cheerful Giver”
BIBLE READINGS
II Cor 9:6-10 // Jn 12:24-26
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Jesus is the “grain of wheat” that falls to the ground and dies to produce abundant fruit. God reveals and accomplishes his saving plan through him. Jesus’ “hour” of glorification entails a death and birthing process similar to that of a germinating seed. Eternal life is offered to the world by his passion and death. Buried like a seed and lifted up on the cross, Jesus draws all to himself and produces a rich spiritual harvest.
The destiny of the Master is also the destiny of the disciples. Today’s Gospel (Jn 12:24-26) is an invitation to walk with him the path to glory by imitating the sacrificial love of Christ. Readiness to suffer for the Gospel is part of the challenge of Christian discipleship. Saint Lawrence replicates the paschal destiny of the “grain of wheat”.
***
Today’s First Reading (II Cor 9:6-10) as we celebrate the feast of Saint Lawrence is an excellent description of his life. He is a cheerful giver. He sows the spirit of love bountifully and reaps its fruits bountifully. He gives to the poor and his righteousness endures. Saint Lawrence manifests his good-natured and cheerful self-giving even in martyrdom
***
The following notes circulated on the Internet will help us understand that, like Jesus, Saint Lawrence is a “grain of wheat” that falls on the ground and dies to bear abundant fruit and that he is a “cheerful giver”.
Lawrence of Rome (Latin: Laurentius, lit. "laurelled"; c. 225–258) was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome, serving under Pope St. Sixtus II, who were martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258. After the death of Sixtus, the prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence turn over the riches of the Church. Ambrose is the earliest source for the tale that Lawrence asked for three days to gather together the wealth. Lawrence worked swiftly to distribute as much Church property to the poor as possible, so as to prevent its being seized by the prefect. On the third day, at the head of a small delegation, he presented himself to the prefect, and when ordered to give up the treasures of the Church, he presented the poor, the crippled, the blind and the suffering, and said, “Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, those widows and consecrated virgins, which are the Church’s crown.”
The prefect was so angry that he had a great gridiron prepared, with coals beneath it, and had Lawrence’s body placed on it (hence St. Lawrence’s association with a gridiron). After the martyr had suffered the pain for a long time, he made his famous cheerful remark: “It is well done. Turn me over!”
Lawrence is one of the most widely venerated saints of the Roman Catholic Church. Devotion to him was widespread by the fourth century. St Lawrence is especially honored in the city of Rome, where he is one of the city's patrons. There are several churches in Rome dedicated to him, including San Lorenzo in Panisperna, traditionally identified as the place of his execution. He is invoked by librarians, archivists, cooks, and tanners as their patron. His celebration on August 10 has the rank of feast throughout the entire Catholic world. On this day, the reliquary containing his burnt head is displayed in the Vatican for veneration.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Like Jesus, the “grain of wheat”, are we willing “to die” in order to live anew and bear abundant fruits? Are we willing to use our gifts and resources for the service of others? As Christian disciples, are we willing to share in the “hour” of Jesus’ passion and glorification and make it a personal experience of healing and redemption?
2. Are we cheerful givers?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O God,
Saint Lawrence shared in your Son’s paschal destiny
as a “grain of wheat
that falls to the ground and dies
to produce much fruit”.
He showed forth the fire of his love for you,
both by his faithful service and glorious martyrdom.
Help us to be like him
in loving you and doing your work.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
***
Father,
we thank you for Saint Lawrence
and his witness of cheerful giving.
Your gifts are infinite.
Teach us to open our hearts to your bounty.
Give us the grace to sow generously
the seeds of goodness wherever we go.
Make us cheerful even when self-giving hurts
and comfort us with the thought
of the abundant harvest of righteousness.
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.
“But if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (Jn 12:24) //“God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Cor 9:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for all deacons in the Church that they may imitate Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr, in his life of holiness and service to the poor. Let every moment of your life, especially the daily trials, be a participation in the paschal mystery of Christ. // When things are rough and challenging, especially with regards to caring for others, try to smile and be a cheerful giver.
***
August 11, 2015: TUESDAY – SAINT CLARE, Virgin
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Wants Us to Be Childlike and To Care for the Little Ones … He Urges Us to Be Steadfast”
BIBLE READINGS
Dt 31:1-8 // Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Gospel (Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14) tells us that the disciples’ response to the Divine Master’s patient endeavor to help them understand his messianic mission and paschal destiny is disappointing. They fail to understand. They even put a question that is tinged with a power struggle: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Their narrow vision degenerates into an authority issue. Jesus therefore teaches them the meaning of true greatness. He calls a child and puts him in front of them saying, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
A child represents complete dependence. The heavenly kingdom is for those who are completely dependent on God and, in the spirit of a child, trust fully in him. An authentic Christian follower relies totally on God. The greatest in the heavenly kingdom are those who imitate Jesus in his complete trust and dependence on the Father’s will. Jesus also warns us not to despise the “little ones”, that is, the humble and lowly, all those who put their faith in God with childlike trust. He teaches us that it is not the will of the heavenly Father that any of the “little ones” be lost. By his pastoral ministry, Jesus invites us to promote the well-being and salvation of the poor and vulnerable.
The following inspiring story gives us insight into how to care for the “little ones” in our midst (cf. Rick Hamlin’s reflections in Daily Guideposts 2010, p. 260).
My father gets around with a walker these days, and he doesn’t get around much. But he was there when the whole clan – twenty and counting – gathered for a week at the beach, staying at a rental on the sand. We sailed, we surfed, we rode bikes on the boardwalk, swam out to the buoy and kayaked in the bay. Dad seemed to enjoy having everybody together, but even from under the umbrella on the porch, he got frustrated at not being able to do half of what he once could.
Late one afternoon, I suggested a walk. “I’m not sure how I can do it with this walker on the sand”, he said. “Let’s try”, I said. “You can hold my hand if you need to.” He made his way down the beach, leaning on the walker or me. We stopped to watch some sailors bring their boats to shore and take down their sails. “Hey, Mr. Hamlin!” one of the guys called. “How are you doing?” “Just fine”, he said, his hands on the walker.
We trudged back next to the water, choosing the hard sand. A pelican dipped past us and plunged into the bay, picking up dinner. A kayak cut across the smooth water, a fish leaping in its wake. The shadows of the palms lengthened across the sand in front of us. “The shadows lengthen”, he observed.
They do, I thought. The years go by, and you don’t know where they went. Age brings us struggles. But at the end of the day there are still beauties to be found in a setting sun and a slow walk on the beach, father and son.
***
Today’s Old Testament reading (Dt 31:1-8) is about the appointment of Joshua as Moses’ successor and how Moses encourages him in his mission as leader of Israel. Deuteronomy 3:23-29 presents a very interesting scenario. Moses pleads with God to cross the Jordan River and see the fertile land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the mountains of Lebanon. But God does not allow him to enter the Promised Land: “That’s enough! Don’t mention this again … Give Joshua his instructions. Strengthen his determination because he will lead the people across to occupy the land that you see.” Moses resigns himself to the will of God. At the threshold of Canaan, the one hundred-year-old Moses makes it clear to the Israelites that he will not be able to enter the Promised Land, and that it is Joshua who will lead Israel on the last stage of their journey into the Promised Land. Moses exhorts the Israelites: “Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread for it is the Lord God who marches with you; he will never fail you or forsake you.” Moses summons Joshua and exhorts the new leader appointed by God: “Be brave and steadfast, for you must bring this people into the land which the Lord swore to their fathers he would give them … It is the Lord who marches before you; he will be with you and will never fail or forsake you.” Moses tells Israel in general, and Joshua in particular, that they will succeed if they trust in the presence of God, the true liberator and warrior of Israel.
The following story is very inspiring. It depicts a “leader” whose trust in God is complete and whose faith has been passed on to his descendants (cf. Harold Hostetler, August 2 Reflection in Daily Guideposts 2010, p. 243).
Like many parents, I care about the faith of my children and grandchildren. I pray for them and hope they will always love God. But it’s easy to wonder how future generations will respond when it’s time to make their own decisions about following Christ.
That made me pull our family’s genealogy, an almost-1,200-page tome printed in 1928 titled Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler, which includes the history of my Swiss Amish ancestor as well as lists of the hundreds of family lines descended from him. My dad Ira is among those whose names appear in the book.
What struck me most about Jacob was his faith. His family had fled Switzerland and come to America in the early eighteenth century because of religious persecution. Like the rest of the Amish, he took the commands of God literally – he wouldn’t kill other human beings, even in war. During the French and Indian War he refused even to defend himself when Indians attacked his Pennsylvania home; he was wounded and lost his wife, a son and a daughter. As he and his two remaining sons were captured and about to be taken to separate villages, his parting advice was “Do not forget the Lord’s Prayer”.
Jacob and his sons survived the war and went on to spread the Hostetler (there are various spellings) lineage westward until, today, you can find us throughout the United States. Most of us are no longer Amish, but in our Jacob Hochstetler Family Association’s newsletter I’ve read of many Hostetlers down through the years who have gone into the ministry or otherwise heeded God’s call. What a legacy!
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we heed Jesus’ teaching that unless we become like children, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven? Do we care for God’s “little ones”?
2. Are we brave and steadfast in love and service of God and in our discipleship of Christ? Do we believe that God is present to us and walks before us as our true leader and liberator?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Jesus,
you revealed to us
that only those who become like children
will enter the heavenly kingdom.
Help us to be childlike in our dependence on God
and teach us to be fully trusting in him.
You exhort us not to neglect the “little ones”
but rather to care for them.
Let our ways be compassionate
on behalf of the poor and vulnerable in our midst.
We praise and bless you, now and forever.
Amen.
***
O almighty God,
you will never fail or forsake us.
All your ways are true.
As we journey to our final homeland
you are present to us.
Jesus Christ is the “perfect Moses”
who leads all to the eternal kingdom
of love, justice and peace.
Help us to trust in you
and to be brave and steadfast in following Jesus
to the ultimate Promised Land.
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.
“It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.” (Mt 18:14) //“Be brave and steadfast … He will never fail you or forsake you.” (Dt 31:6)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Show God’s care and compassion for the “little ones” in our midst by your kind words and deeds. With childlike trust, ask God for the grace to be instruments of his pastoral care for the “little ones” in our society today. // When the ministry of leadership is overwhelming and when the challenges of discipleship are difficult to bear, allow yourself to be strengthened by the exhortation: “Be brave and steadfast … The Lord God marches before you … He will never fail or forsake you.”
*** *** ***
August 12, 2015: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (19); SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL, Religious
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us the Duty of Fraternal Correction … He Fulfills the Task of Moses”
BIBLE READINGS
Dt 34:1-12 // Mt 18:15-20
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 4, remark on today’s Gospel reading (Mt 18:15-20): “The community for which Matthew collected and presented the Lord’s teachings was already a motley group. There were brothers and sisters who did not behave in an evangelical manner toward the little ones. There were leaders concerned more with honors than service. There were even disciples who lived in sin, publicly and scandalously. What to do about them? What should be the means by which they could be helped to become aware of their disorderly ways and be converted? Certainly there was no question to prematurely separate the weeds from the good grain (Mt 13:24-30). But in some cases, it became necessary to expel from the community brothers and sisters whose conduct could not be tolerated. These questions are still with us. The Gospel of Matthew shows us how to address them. The concrete modalities of the procedure outlined in Matthew cannot be followed to the letter, but we must remember their spirit and perspective. The sins of brothers and sisters cannot leave their kin and other members of the community indifferent. Charity and the spiritual welfare of others demand that we exert ourselves to bring back onto the right path whoever has wandered off. The parable of the lost sheep (Mt 18:10-14) immediately precedes Jesus’ words on charitable correction. The art of reprimand is certainly among the most difficult and delicate; yet this is no reason for us to evade our duty.”
The famous English ballerina, Margot Fonteyn, narrates an incident in which she experienced a sisterly correction from her best friend, Pamela May (cf. MARGOT FONTEYN: Her Own Best Selling Autobiography, London: Wyndham Publications Ltd., 1976, p. 98-99).
Pamela May was away from the ballet for quite a while having a baby. June Brae, the other member of our ‘triptych’, had met David Breeden at Cambridge at the same time that I met Tito and Pamela met Painton. June and David married early in the war and their daughter was born soon after Pamela’s son. I seemed to be the odd girl out.
Alone in No. 1 dressing room, without my closest friends, I developed a star complex, and for a time I was really impossible, imagining that I was different from, and superior to, those around me. Then Pamela came to see us. It was soon after she had been widowed. Completely broken up by her loss, and living as she did facing up to stark reality, she was in no mood to put up with my fanciful airs She told me outright that I had become a bore.
Thinking it over, I decided that I far preferred the company of my friends to the isolated pinnacle implied by the title Prima Ballerina Assoluta, which I had been trying to reach, so I climbed down. As a matter of fact, it had been partly the fault of what I call false friends – those who, with the best will, and believing themselves your warmest admirers, unwittingly destroy you with such talk as: “People didn’t realize how great you are”; “You are the greatest ballerina alive; people should fall back in awe when you leave the stage door”; “You should be treated like a queen.” All of which is, of course, rubbish.
***
Today’s Old Testament reading (Dt 34:1-12) is the final chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy and concludes the Pentateuch, that is, the first five books of the Hebrew-Christian Scriptures. The 120-year-old Moses, still strong and with good eyesight, climbs Mount Nebo. God lets him feast his eyes on the Promised Land that he will not be able to enter. After having a panoramic vision of the whole land, the Lord’s servant Moses dies in Moab and is buried there. The people mourn his death, for no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses. Though Moses is remembered as a great leader, others will have to take his place if Israel is to remain loyal to the covenant. Joshua succeeds Moses as the leader who will lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. He is filled with the spirit of wisdom for Moses has laid his hands upon him. The people of Israel obey Joshua and keep the commands that the Lord has given them through Moses.
The role of Moses is to be carried out by future leaders for succeeding generations. In the fullness of time, Jesus Christ brings Moses’ task to completion. The prophetic and shepherding ministry of Jesus, the perfect Moses, lives on in the Church. Saint Maximilian Kolbe exemplifies this (cf. Notes from Wikipedia on the Internet).
Kolbe was canonized on 10 October 1982 by Pope John Paul II and declared a martyr of charity. He is the patron saint of drug addicts, political prisoners, families, journalists, prisoners and pro-life movements. Pope John Paul II declared him “the patron saint of our difficult century”. Due to Kolbe’s efforts to promote consecration and entrustment to Mary, he is known as the “apostle of consecration to Mary”.
He was born Raymond Kolbe on 8 January 1894 in Zdunska Wola in the kingdom of Poland, which was part of the Russian Empire, the second son of Julius Kolbe and Maria Dabrowska. His father was an ethnic German and his mother was Polish. He had four brothers: Francis, Joseph, Walenty (who lived a year) and Andrew (who lived four years).
Kolbe’s family moved to Pabianice, where his parents initially worked as basket weavers. Later, his mother worked as a midwife (often donating her services) and operated a shop in part of their rented house where she sold groceries and household goods. Julius Kolbe worked at the Krushe and Ender Mill and also worked on a parcel of rented land where he grew vegetables. In 1914, Julius joined Josef Pilsudki’s Polish Legions and was captured by the Russians and hanged for fighting for independence of a partitioned Poland.
Kolbe’s life was strongly influenced by a childhood vision of the Virgin Mary that he later described: “That night I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me, a child of Faith. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked me if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both.
In 1907 Kolbe and his elder brother Francis decided to join the Conventual Franciscans. They illegally crossed the border between Russia and Austria-Hungary and enrolled at the Conventual Franciscan minor seminary in Lwow. In 1910 Kolbe was allowed to enter the novitiate where he was given the religious name Maximilian. He professed his first vows in 1911 and final vows in 1914 in Rome, adopting the additional name of Maria to show his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Kolbe would later sing hymns to the Virgin Mary in the concentration camp.
Kolbe was sent to Krakow in 1912, and later in the same year, to the house of studies in Rome where he studied philosophy, theology, mathematics and physics. He earned a doctorate in philosophy in 1915 at the Pontifical Gregorian University and a doctorate in theology in 1919 at the Pontifical University of St. Bonaventure.
During his time as a student, he witnessed vehement demonstrations against Popes St. Pius X and Benedict XV in Rome during an anniversary celebrating the Freemasons. According to Kolbe, “They placed the black standard of the Giordano Brunisti under the windows of the Vatican. On this standard the archangel, St. Michael, was depicted lying under the feet of the triumphant Lucifer. At the same time countless pamphlets were distributed to the people in which the Holy Father (i.e. the Pope) was attacked shamefully.
This event inspired Kolbe to organize the Militia Immaculata or Army of Mary to work for the conversion of sinners and enemies of the Catholic Church, specifically the Freemasons, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. So serious was Kolbe about this goal that he added to the Miraculous Medal prayer: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. And for all those who do not have recourse to thee, especially the Masons and all those recommended to thee.
The Immaculata friars utilized the most modern printing and administrative techniques in publishing catechetical and devotional tracts, a daily newspaper with a circulation of 230,000 and a monthly magazine with a circulation of over one million. Kolbe also used radio to spread his Catholic faith and to speak against the atrocities of the Nazi regime. He is the only canonized saint to have held an amateur radio license, with the call sign SP3RN.
In 1918 Kolbe was ordained a priest. In 1919 he returned to the newly independent Poland where he was very active in promoting the veneration of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, founding and supervising the monastery of Niepokalanov near Warsaw, a seminary, a radio station, and several other organizations and publications. Kolbe founded the monthly periodical Rycerz Niepokalanej in 1922 and in 1927 founded a Conventual Franciscan monastery at Niepokalanov, which became a major publishing center. Kolbe left Poland for Japan in 1930, spending six years there. The monastery at Niepokalanov began in his absence to publish a daily newspaper, Maly Dziennik, which became Poland’s top-seller. (…)
Between 1930 and 1936 Kolbe undertook a series of missions to Japan where he founded a monastery at the outskirts of Nagasaki, a Japanese paper and a seminary. The monastery he founded remains prominent in the Roman Catholic Church in Japan. Kolbe decided to build the monastery on a mountainside that, according to Shinto beliefs, was not the side best suited to be in harmony with nature. When the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Kolbe’s monastery was saved because the other side of the mountain took the main force of the blast.
With the invasion of his nation by Nazi Germany, Kolbe provided shelter to refugees from Greater Poland including 2,000 Jews whom he hid from Nazi persecution in his friary in Niepokalanov. On 17 February 1941, he was arrested by the German Gestapo and imprisoned in the Pawiak prison. On 28 May he was transferred to Auschwitz as prisoner #16670.
At the end of July 1941 three prisoners disappeared from the camp, prompting SS Hauptsturmfuhrer Karl Fritzsch, the deputy camp commander, to pick 10 men to be starved to death in an underground bunker in order to deter escape attempts. When one of the selected men Franciszek Gajowniczek cried out: “My wife! My children!”, Kolbe volunteered to take his place.
In prison Kolbe celebrated Mass each day and sang hymns with the prisoners. He led the other condemned men in song and prayer and encouraged them by telling them they would soon be with Mary in heaven. Each time the guards checked on him, he was standing or kneeling in the middle of the cell and looking calmly at those who entered. After two weeks of dehydration and starvation, only Kolbe remained alive. The guards wanted the bunker emptied and they gave Kolbe a lethal injection of carbolic acid. Some who were present at the injection say that he raised his left arm and calmly waited for the injection. His remains were cremated on 15 August, the feast day of the Assumption of Mary.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. What is my attitude to the erring members of the Christian community? Do we dedicate ourselves to the ministry of Christian correction? Do we believe that only God’s grace can change hearts and effect conversion? Do we allow ourselves to be instruments of grace for others?
2. Are we receptive and obedient to Church leaders commissioned by God to help us in our spiritual journey? How do we respond to the prophetic and guiding ministry of Jesus Christ, the perfect Moses?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Commission Francophone Cistercienne, Tropaires des dimanches, 109, Fiche de chant U LH 68)
When one human being wins over another,
heaven rises on earth.
When two or three agree to implore the Father,
heaven surrounds them and unfolds at their bidding.
Earth and heaven are reconciled.
Jesus is in our midst.
Love and truth meet;
glory will dwell on our earth.
Truth will sprout from the earth
and justice will lean down from heaven.
God himself offers happiness
and our earth will give its fruit.
Earth and heaven are reconciled.
Jesus is in our midst.
***
Lord God,
we thank you for the leadership of Moses
on behalf of the journeying people of God.
We thank you for his successor Joshua and all future leaders
in the history of Israel.
Above all, we thank you for Jesus Christ, the perfect Moses,
who guides the Church, the new people of God,
to our true destiny.
Grant us a docile heart to follow Jesus
through the cross to Easter glory.
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.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault …” (Mt 18:15) //“Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses.” (Dt 34:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for the erring members of the community and for the grace needed by the Church to carry out its task of Christian correction. In a most humble and charitable way, exercise the duty of fraternal correction and forgiveness on behalf of erring members of your family and community. // In a spirit of thanksgiving for people who make present in today’s world the prophetic-pastoral mission of Moses and “the ultimate Moses” Jesus Christ, promote the apostolate of the Catholic media.
*** *** ***
August 13, 2015: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (19); SAINTS PONTIAN, Pope, AND HIPPOLYTUS, Priest, Martyrs
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us to Forgive Seventy Times … In Him We Journey to Freedom and Victory”
BIBLE READINGS
Jos 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17 // Mt 18:21-19:1
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
(Gospel Reflection by Mario S. Estrella: Member of the Religious Congregation Opifices Christi, Philippines)
When I was working as one of the training officers of the different training programs of the Department of Education, I had made a decision that was detrimental to the mandate of the Department to provide continuous service to teachers and principals. My immediate superior called it to my attention when he discovered my irresponsibility and incompetence. I thought I would be reprimanded and incriminated for negligence and my conduct, which was unbecoming to a government employee. The superior asked me if I was guilty of the offense and I replied affirmatively. He surprised me when he asked, “If I keep you in your present capacity, can I trust you in the future?” I replied, “I am sorry, sir. I have learned my lesson and you surely can trust me again.” He must have detected the sincerity of my repentance. “I am not going to press charges anymore and you can continue in your present responsibility,” he said. He told me then that he had once succumbed to the same situation, but he was given mercy and was asked to learn from it. His position now in the Department can attest how far he has gone because of the opportunity accorded to him.
Truly, according to Steve Goodlier, those who forgive best are those who are forgiven. The story is centered on the fruit of forgiveness. Forgiveness multiplies when freely given to the offender. Whether we like it or not, something good may come from the experience and could possibly change the person for the better.
There is another way of looking at why Jesus asked us to forgive seventy-seven times (cf. today’s Gospel reading, Mt 18:21-19:1). The number of times we exonerate is most likely equivalent to those who will have a change of heart for the better. The number of recipients who have been rehabilitated as a result of forgiveness is already a great contribution to the continuing proclamation of the Kingdom of God. If the recipients will do the same to their offenders, forgiveness multiplies until it reaches the core number that will make the world a better place to live in.
***
Today’s reading (Jos 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17) depicts the crossing of Jordan River to the Promised Land. This saving event concludes the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and manifests marvelously that indeed “there is a living God in their midst”. It is the loving initiative of God through and through. It is he who enables the chosen people to cross the Jordan, to evict the enemy nations and to take possession of the Promised Land.
Today’s episode of the crossing of the Jordan dramatizes and re-evokes the great deed of the Exodus. As the Lord dried up the Red Sea so he works marvelously in drying up the waters of the Jordan. This miraculous event occurs in harvest time when all the banks of the river overflow with water from the melting snows of the northern mountains. Carried by the priests, the “ark of the covenant”, sign of God’s presence, precedes the people into the Jordan. The priests who carry the “ark of the covenant” remain in the middle of the Jordan until all the people have walked on its dry shod river bed. The saving event at the Jordan River confirms Joshua’s authority as leader and successor to Moses. Above all, it shows that the living God, the Lord of heaven and earth, is responsible for bringing Israel into the Promised Land.
The following article about the V-E Day 1945 (Victory over Europe Day) gives insight into the marvelous experience of victory and salvation of Joshua and the Israelites (cf. Lawrence Batley, “A Letter to My Parents” in Reminisce, June/July 2015, p. 21).
After flying from England to France, I was wounded in the Battle of Metz on November 14, 1944. I recuperated and was placed with the 3rd Division of the 8th Air Force as a mechanic, at their headquarters at Elveden Hall in Norfolk, England. On V-E Day, I wrote the following letter to my parents back home in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was an attempt to describe the greatest celebration I’ve ever experienced.
May 9, 1945
Dear Mom & Dad,
We’re celebrating V-E Day today, and everyone’s up to the square for the dance tonight. Boy, there were sure a lot of fireworks. I guess the Air Corps uses them for signals but used them for fireworks last night and today. They had a big baseball game in the front of the tent. All I had to do was roll up to the side, sit on my bed, and watch the game. It was between the enlisted men and the officers. The enlisted men won 6 to 2.
We had hot dogs, cheese sandwiches and egg sandwiches, and tomato and grapefruit juice. Then we had ice cream. Got a big dance tonight. There are loads of balloons and three great big silk parachutes; one red, one blue, and one white, and they were really used at one time or another.
The beer is going fast. They must have had at least 10 small kegs here.
I didn’t do much today. It’s a day off. I stood at a parade this morning, then went to church, then ate dinner. Later took a shower. We had a nice service for V-E Day.
Well, guess I’m going to close. I’ve been eating so much tonight, I can hardly breathe.
Your Loving Son, Larry.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we ever forgive? Do we set limits and conditions on Christian forgiveness? Do we imitate God in his willingness to forgive? Do we respond positively and fully to God’s healing and forgiving love? In our daily life, do we act like the merciless and unforgiving steward? If so, what do we do about it?
2. Do we believe that God has power to work marvels in our daily lives and especially in difficult and crisis situations? Do we trust that he is for us and that his plans for us are wonderful?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord,
thank you for your forgiving love!
We have a duty to forgive
for you have been truly merciful.
Heal us totally of our resentments
that we may be able to forgive seventy times seven.
Let our hearts be open to your saving grace
that we may be instruments of your peace and benediction
to a wounded world in need of healing and reconciliation.
Let us never be separated from you.
We adore you and glorify you,
now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
how marvelous are your saving works for Israel!
We trust in you for we too are your chosen people.
Let us feel the wonders of your love.
Lead us to freedom and victory
as we cross the deep waters and challenges
of the “Jordan” in our daily lives.
You are the “living God in our midst”
and 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.
“I say to you forgive, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Mt 18:22) // “There is a living God in your midst.” (Jos 3: 10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Seek to extend God’s forgiving love to those who have wronged you. In a spirit of contrition, beg forgiveness from the people you have wronged that you may truly experience God’s forgiving and healing love. // Be deeply aware of the presence of the “living God in your midst” and the wonders he continually works in your life.
*** *** ***
August 14, 2015: FRIDAY – SAINT MAXIMILIAN KOLBE
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches That What God Has Joined Together, No Human Being Must Separate … God Has Accomplished Marvels through Him”
BIBLE READINGS
Jos 24:1-13 // Mt 19:3-12
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A young couple we know recently divorced. The ex-husband came to visit us at our convent. His eyes were glazed with anguish. We tried to offer consoling words, but the depth of his suffering was beyond understanding. Indeed, divorce inflicts terrible pain on its victims. In his book, Life on the Edge, Dr. James Dobson writes: “A Russian woman who was my guest on the radio talked about her years in a Nazi extermination camp. She had seen mass murder and every form of deprivation. After the war, she came to America and married, only to have her husband be unfaithful and abandon her a few years later. Unbelievably, she said that experience of rejection and loss was actually more painful than her years in a German death camp. That says it all.”
In today’s Gospel reading (Mt 19:3-12), Jesus rejects divorce and underlines the permanence of marriage. When a man and woman become one in marriage, they enter into a covenant relationship that is never to be broken. In the divine plan, marriage is indissoluble and no human agent could end such a union. The sacredness and integrity of marriage could be understood in the context of God’s faithful relationship with his covenant people, whom he has espoused to himself forever. Though the Mosaic Law allows divorce, it is only a concession to human weakness and not really the divine will. The radical nature of Jesus’ teaching on marriage leads his disciples to question whether it is advisable to marry at all. They naively contend that the single state is preferable to an indissoluble difficult marriage. The Divine Master responds by helping them to see celibacy as a gift of God and not an aversive option to a binding marriage. Indeed, it is possible for a Christian disciple to renounce marriage in view of the kingdom. The grace of God enables that person to embrace chastity and celibacy for the sake of the heavenly kingdom.
The Catholic Church today is confronted with an increasing number of divorced and remarried persons. Every member of the family suffers when a marriage shatters. Divorce is painful for all those involved. It is thus necessary to state here the Catholic position and the pastoral work concerning divorced and remarried persons.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1650: Today there are numerous Catholics in many countries who have recourse to civil divorce and contract new civil unions. In fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ – “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” – the Church maintains that a new union cannot be recognized as valid, if the first marriage was.
If the divorced are remarried civilly, they find themselves in a situation that objectively contravenes God’s law. Consequently, they cannot receive Eucharistic communion as long as this situation persists. For the same reason, they cannot exercise certain ecclesiastical responsibilities.
Reconciliation through the sacrament of Penance can be granted only to those who have repented from having violated the sign of the covenant and of fidelity to Christ, and who are committed to living in complete continence.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1651: Toward Christians who live in this situation, and who often keep the faith and desire to bring up their children in a Christian manner, priests and the whole community must manifest an attentive solicitude, so that they do not consider themselves separated from the Church, in whose life they can and must participate as baptized persons.
They should be encouraged to listen to the Word of God, to attend the Sacrifice of the Mass, to persevere in prayer, to contribute to the works of charity and to community efforts for justice, to bring up the children in the Christian faith, to cultivate the spirit and practice of penance and thus implore, day by day, God’s grace.
***
Today’s Old Testament reading (Jos 24:1-13) depicts Joshua, toward the end of his life, gathering the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He recounts the marvels God has done for the chosen people, starting with the call of Abraham “beyond the River” (that is, on the other side of Euphrates River) until the entrance into the Promised Land. Joshua’s magnificent summary is a great overture presenting the Lord as the one who accompanies Israel in its life and history. It is God who took Abraham, their ancestor, from the land across the Euphrates and led them through the whole land of Canaan. It is God who brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. It is the Lord who brought the people to the Promised Land overpowering the pagan nations and taking possession of their cities and eating of vineyards and olive groves they did not plant. Indeed, their success cannot be attributed to the military might or human prowess of the Israelites: “not to their sword or their bow”. Rather, it is the Lord who is responsible for all that has taken place.
Joshua uses the historical summary of God’s marvelous deeds to prepare the chosen people for a covenant renewal at Shechem. Today’s new people of God ought to keep alive in their memory the divine benevolent deeds in order to remain faithful to him. One way of doing this is by reading the Bible. The following personal experience gives insight into this and is an inspiration (cf. Alma Barkman, May 2 Reflections in Daily Guideposts 2010, p, 141).
At one point in my life, wanting to do great things for God, I decided to read through the whole Bible, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. Realizing I had bitten off more than I could chew, I quit. A few months later I tried again, but this time I dived in with such determination that any blessings I might have derived from my reading were consumed in my haste to keep up with the schedule. And so I went back to my old habit of reading the Bible in bits and pieces.
And then I heard the minister say, “If someone is in medical school, training to be a doctor, he or she reads the whole book of anatomy, not just bits and parts. If an apprentice is taking a course in mechanics, that person reads the whole manual, not just paragraphs here and there. The Bible is our manual for life, so we ought to read it from cover to cover, again and again.”
His words challenged me, so I decided to try it again. This time I read through the Bible systematically, but at my own speed, day by day, month by month, year by year, a little a time. I’ve been able to note the context of the passages and jot down a daily verse on my desk calendar. Best of all, reading through the Bible over and over again has given me ample opportunity to learn more about the Author.
“God, I may never do great things for You, but through Your Word, You certainly do great things for me.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we try to see the meaning of marriage and celibacy in the context of the kingdom of God? Do we strive to be faithful to our covenant fidelity with God and reflect his faithful love in whatever we do? Do we help those struggling with the pain of divorce and do we assist the divorced and remarried persons to continue to live their vocation as baptized persons?
2. Do we make an effort to keep in our heart the saving marvels God has done for his people Israel and for the “new People of Israel” through his Son Jesus Christ? Do we spend time to read and meditate on God’s saving actions in the Bible?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you teach the sacredness and integrity of marriage.
Bless all married couples
with the grace of faithful love.
Fill with courage and patience
all divorced persons struggling with loneliness and rejection.
Assist all divorced and remarried persons
to remain united with the Church
and faithful in their Christian duties of charity.
Grant your gift of chastity and celibacy
to those called for a special service of your kingdom.
We love you
and we surrender to your saving will.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Gracious Father,
how great is your plan for Israel!
We thank you for you have chosen us in your Son Jesus Christ
to be part of the universal plan of salvation.
Let us be mindful of the marvels you have done
for the Israelites and for the new people of God.
Grant us the grace to be true to the gift of the covenant
and let us be obedient to your word.
You are our utmost good.
We give you glory and praise,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“What God has joined together, no human being must separate.” (Mt 19:6) //“I brought you into the land … You took possession of the land.” (Jos 24:8)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your prayers, words and actions, promote the sacredness and integrity of Christian marriage in the society today. // Allow the “memories” of God’s saving events to dwell in you and transform your life by committing yourself to read and study the Bible.
*** *** ***
August 15, 2015: SATURDAY – THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Mother Mary Is Raised to Heaven Body and Soul”
BIBLE READINGS
Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab // I Cor 15:20-27 // Lk 1:39-56
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s feast of the Assumption celebrates the fruit of Christ’s paschal sacrifice - eternal life and joy in God’s kingdom - bestowed upon his mother Mary in fullness. The Blessed Mother Mary points to our own glorious destiny with God. The French liturgical scholar, Louis Bouyer, remarks: “Mary should be looked on as the living pledge of Christ’s promises to the Church: that where he is, we also shall be; then the glory given him by the Father, he will give to us, as he received it.”
The First Reading (Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab) depicts a “great sign in the sky” – a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. The image of a woman in childbirth is used to describe creative acts that involve time and sacrifice in order to be brought to full maturity. The heavenly vision of the woman in labor in the Book of Revelation evokes the painful and challenging process of the birth of Christ in the hearts of the faithful, as well as Mary’s vital role in the birthing of the Church.
From the Second Reading (I Cor 15:20-27a) we can deduce that the power of Christ’s own resurrection makes the mystery of Mary’s assumption possible. Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the “firstfruits” of those who have fallen asleep. In Jewish cultic terms, the offering of “firstfruits” symbolizes the dedication of the whole harvest to God. As “firstfruits”, the Risen Lord Jesus pledges the resurrection of us all, of which Mary is the exemplar of a promise fulfilled. Indeed, God triumphs over death. Death is ultimately vanquished through the power of Christ’s resurrection. It is no longer a dismal end. In Christ, the “firstfruits”, death becomes a passage or passing over to eternal life. Though Christ’s victorious Passover is complete, ours is not yet. As Church, we need to open ourselves to the effects of Christ’s saving works and offer the “fruits” of redemption to the fragmented humanity of the “here and now”.
Mary’s assumption is a powerful sign that in our intimate union and full response to Christ, the Paschal Mystery is brought to fruition. Likewise, Mary, in her Magnificat (cf. Lk 1:39-56), invites us to praise the Lord for the great things he has done for her and to proclaim with her the final victory of God, of which she is a full recipient. With Mary assumed into heaven, we glorify the Lord!
The following story inspires us to have recourse to Mary, assumed into heaven, as the patroness of a happy death (cf. Susan Mountin, “Homecoming” in America, February 15, 2010, p. 19).
On the day my mother died, she entered into a state that hospice caregivers know well – the body’s oxygen supply diminishes. She was unable to communicate with us from about noon that day until about 3. Then, to our amazement, she calls for my dad and reached out to hold his hands. She became quite anxious and thrashed about (another expected pattern in the death process).
But what happened next will be etched in my heart and soul forever. About an hour before her death she reached out her arms and began distinctly saying, “push me, pull me, push me, pull me”. Mom was not speaking to any of us in the room. I had no doubt that she was being greeted by angels and her deceased sisters and brother, whom she missed so much (she was the oldest of eight children born in close succession, and they were very close).
Those were her last words, “push me, pull me”. Then she became quiet. I felt her soul slipping from her body. We gathered my siblings and dad around the bed and began to pray: Our Father; Hail Mary. We all touched her. I put my arm around dad’s shoulder as he sat on his walker next to the bed, and had one hand on mom’s foot. I instinctively began praying the Memorare, a prayer that had been renewed as a deep part of my own spiritual journey when I struggled with some issues years earlier. Then from the deepest recesses of my memory I prayed aloud the novena prayer to the Mother of Perpetual Help. Mom took five or six deep breaths and died. If there is such a thing as a peaceful death, we were blessed with one for mom … I remember and relive day after day the journey to my mother’s death because it brought all of us closer to our own destiny and to God.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
How did Mary participate in Christ’s paschal sacrifice as well as in the victorious event of “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep”? How do you participate in these saving events, personally and as a community? How does the meaning of the Blessed Mother’s assumption into heaven affect you personally?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
in Mary’s assumption into heaven,
body and soul,
we see our own beauty and glorious destiny in Christ.
But the Blessed Virgin is also a model
of intimate participation in Christ’s paschal mystery.
Her Son Jesus Christ rose from the dead
and became the “firstfruits” of those who have fallen asleep.
She is the exemplary recipient of the “fruits” of redemption.
Teach us to be receptive to grace.
Grant that we may truly experience the power of the resurrection
and relish the “firstfruits” of salvation.
United with Mary assumed into heaven,
we glorify you and exult in your goodness,
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 has lifted up the lowly.” (Lk 1:52)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that Mary, assumed into heaven, may intercede for us as we endeavor to spread the “firstfruits” of Christ’s redemption to the fragmented humanity of our modern society. By our preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, let us allow the people of today to have a glimpse of our glorious destiny in heaven.
***
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