A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy

 

 

BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 16, n. 48)

Week 30 in Ordinary Time: October 28 – November 3, 2018

 

 

(The pastoral tool BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY & WEEKDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy from various perspectives. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: October 21-27, 2018, please go to ARCHIVES Series 16 and click on “Week 29 Ordinary”.

 

Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: October 28 – November 3, 2018.)

 

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 October 28, 2018: THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

N.B. Today the Pauline Family celebrates the Solemnity of Jesus the Divine Master.

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Makes the Blind See”

 

 

BIBLE READINGS

Jer 31:7-9  // Heb 5:1-6 // Mk 10:46-52

 

 

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

 

A, Gospel Reading (Mk 10:46-52): “Master, I want to see.”

 

The need for true spiritual sight is the subject of this Sunday’s Gospel reading, which narrates the healing of the blind beggar Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46-51). The Gospel passage begins with an interesting geographical reference and a touch of local color: “As Jesus was leaving Jericho, with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging” (Mk 10:46). The main road to Jerusalem ran right through Jericho, which is 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem and 5 miles west of the Jordan River. The messianic journey of Jesus that began in Caesarea Philippi (Mk 8:27-30) is reaching its destination: Jerusalem. The departure of Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, from Jericho evokes the movement of a large group of pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem for the Passover. The crowd that is moving towards Jerusalem, the place of sacrifice, does not, however, comprehend the meaning of Jesus’ paschal destiny. The disciples and the crowd are figuratively “blind” with regards to the destiny of this remarkable man who had just avowed: “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45). Indeed, it is more convenient to see him as a wonderful miracle worker, a powerful political ruler and a generous breadbasket king. In comparison to the blind beggar Bartimaeus, they seem to be fortunate for they could see with their physical eyes. But there is a deeper reality than physical sight.

 

            Mark portrays Bartimaeus as sitting by the roadside begging. With undaunted hope, the blind beggar resolutely cries out his invocation, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me” (Mk 10:47). Ignoring the rebuke of the many unsympathetic people who are trying to silence him, he keeps calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me” (Mk 10:48). Bartimaeus’ use of the expression “Son of David” is the first public application of that messianic title to Jesus. The title “Son of David” designates Jesus as the heir of the promise made to David through Nathan (cf. II Sam 7:12-16). The biblical scholar Philip Van Linden remarks: “The title Bartimaeus gives Jesus, ‘Son of David,’ indicates that he, a blind beggar, actually sees who Jesus is more clearly than the disciples and crowd who have been with him all along!”

 

            Jesus responds with compassion to Bartimaeus. Hearing his vigorous plea and witnessing his pitiful plight by the road of Jericho, Jesus stops and orders, “Call him” (Mk 10:49). Mark narrates that the crowd becomes involved in the compassionate act of Jesus and becomes an instrument of the divine call. They tell the blind man to take courage, get up, and meet Jesus who calls for him. Bartimaeus responds with alacrity. According to Mark’s account: “He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus” (Mk 10:50). The “cloak” that he throws may have been used formerly to receive the people’s alms. Indeed, the many references to garments in Mark’s Gospel suggest that Bartimaeus is leaving behind the “old order” and embracing a new life.

 

            When the blind beggar comes up, Jesus’ question to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” echoes the earlier question he addressed to James and John. The sons of Zebedee were bent on appropriating for themselves a glorious place in the messianic kingdom (cf. Mk 10:35-40). Whereas the appeal of James and John was tainted with an ambitious streak, the petition of the blind man comes from a humble heart that puts its trust in Jesus. The question becomes an occasion for Bartimaeus to profess his faith in the power of Jesus to heal. The blind man addresses Jesus with sure hope and confident trust: “Master, I want to see” (Mk 10:51). Bartimaeus is the one and only person in Mark’s Gospel who calls Jesus “Master”. Jesus is veritably the Master who enkindles in him the light of faith. The words of Jesus are magnanimous: “Go your way; your faith has saved you” (Mk 10:52). Jesus does not need to touch Bartimaeus, whose prayer and actions reveal deep faith. Philip Van Linden remarks: “Jesus is his Master! It is just such profound trust in Jesus that Mark wants to elicit from the Christian recipients of his Gospel.”

 

            The Gospel reading of this Sunday ends with a joyful note of healing and a decisive movement of discipleship: “Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way” (Mk 10:52). The one who used to sit by the roadside or “the way” is healed by Jesus and makes a radical choice to follow him on the way of discipleship. According to Virgil Howard and David Peabody, “Bartimaeus is intended to serve as an example of a person with ‘sight’ and such a person follows Jesus into his passion.” His response to Jesus’ command, “Go your way” is to embrace the way of the Divine Master, a way that leads from Jericho to Jerusalem, and ultimately – the way of the Cross. His response challenges the community of Christian believers today.

           

Like Bartimeaus, Sam Vaughe experienced a faith journey to healing (cf. Sam Vaughe, “Healed” in Heaven Sent: More Than Coincidence, New York: Guideposts, 2015, p. 92-94). Sam had suffered an occlusion that left him blind in the right eye. The doctor told him that macular degeneration would cause his left eye to go blind as well. The possibility of getting blind blotted out his soul and what he hoped to be the “golden” years of his life in retirement had turned “black”. In the town’s annual ramp festival he attended, he met a blind woman who had accepted her blindness joyously, gratefully and with grace. Inspired by the blind “seeing woman”, he allowed himself to be healed of the darkness that blotted his soul. He started to sing at churches and nursing homes. He savored the sounds, the warmth of a touch, the sweetness of smell, and a world that is rich, full and beautiful as any he could see. One evening at church the congregation prayed over him. Two weeks later as he and his wife Shirley were driving down the highway, suddenly the road, the cars and the trees became crystal clear – on either side of them. Sam regained the vision of his blind right eye!

 

 

B. First Reading (Jer 31:7-9): “The blind and the lame I will bring back: I will console them.”

 

Our dear friend Marietta came to visit us in our convent in Cebu Island, in the Philippines. With her was her ten-year old nephew, Philip who was sick with brain tumor. The malignant disease took his sight away and stunted his growth. The incredibly handsome blind boy looked about six years old. His face was innocent and trusting, his sightless eyes fascinating, and his disposition very lovable. I took his little hands and led him up the stairs to our refectory on the second floor. When we reached the top, he asked me how many steps there were. Greatly amused by his keen sense of observation, I confessed with some embarrassment that I never paid attention to the number of steps on the stairs. He laughed good-naturedly and brightly told me the answer. He then played the organ for us. Since his legs were too short to reach the pair of bellows to pump air, one Sister did it for him as his nimble fingers ran across the keys, producing harmonious sounds. The blind boy also played the guitar like a virtuoso, with the body of the guitar resting on his lap since he was too small to hold the guitar properly. A priest, who came to our Liturgical Center that morning, spent some few precious moments with little Philip. With tears in his eyes, he told the blind boy to remember him when he would “see” Jesus – for Philip knew that he would soon be with Jesus in heaven. Notwithstanding his blindness and sickness, Philip felt loved and marvelous. Indeed, he had received from God the grace of consolation and a special gift of spiritual vision. When the blind boy bid us goodbye, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I had witnessed in Philip a spiritual vision, more perspicacious than I could ever imagine.

 

This Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Jer 31:7-9) fills us with the warmth of consolation. It depicts the triumphal march of “the remnant of Israel” through the desert, for Yahweh had bestowed salvation on his suffering and chastised people. The privileged group of returning exiles includes the blind and the lame in their midst, the mothers and those with child. The caravan of weak people is an eloquent sign of the magnificent and miraculous nature of God’s saving intervention in the lives of his chosen people.

 

Harold Buetow comments: “Jeremiah’s first 25 chapters represent a message of doom against his people for their dried-up hearts that refused to listen to God’s word. But God wanted Jeremiah also to build and to plant. Today’s passage is taken from the section that represents the ‘sunny side’, Jeremiah’s ‘Little Book of Comfort’. Jeremiah’s warning had gone unheeded, and the destruction he had foretold had come true. Addressing the people of Judah who were exiled to what is the north of modern Iraq, Jeremiah now optimistically looked to future days when his people would come back to the land (30:3). Today’s central theme is the exuberant joy of the return – of an odyssey from spiritual blindness to sight. Opening with a solemn call to joy, the hymn uses strong words like shout, proclaim, and praise. Jeremiah speaks of the remnant (v. 7). In this case the term remnant referred to the small number of those who escaped the calamity of defeat and exile and had been purified to constitute the new Israel, faithful to her God. The term has, however, referred ever since to all those small numbers who remain faithful through all calamities. The returning caravan will consist of the blind, the lame, mothers, those with child, and other physically vulnerable people. The return would be a new exodus, but in a much more glorious form. By saying that they departed in tears (v. 9), Jeremiah begins with allusions to the first Exodus. Unlike the incident in the first Exodus, however, in which water came from a rock, the desert will see brooks of water constantly flowing; unlike the rough going of the first Exodus, here God will lead them on a level road, providing an easier march … Jeremiah had the mission of leading his people along a journey to God, and Jesus had the same mission. Jesus, however, eclipsed Jeremiah in many ways.”

 

In the light of the prophet Jeremiah’s vision of the gathering of the exiles, the Gospel episode of this Sunday (Mk 10:46-52) concerning the healing of the blind Bartimaeus underlines the great truth that Jesus is our light and salvation, the font of consolation and healing – the restorer and re-newer of all things. Jesus is the great deliver and the leader of the ultimate Exodus. He gathers the great assembly of those who have faith in him and initiates the great paschal journey towards eternal light. He is the way to be followed - the way to salvation – for he is the truth that leads to life. Bartimaeus followed Jesus on the way – the way of the cross, the way of love and service to others, the way we must travel as his disciples. We too must follow Jesus on the way, just like the restored and healed Bartimaeus.

 

 

C. Second Reading (Heb 5:1-6): “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

 

In our paschal journey to eternal life, no one is excluded. Jesus, the Priest forever and for all, leads the way in this voyage of return to the Father (Heb 5:1-6). Sharing our human weakness, except sin, and chosen by divine will, he is our sterling and exquisite representative before God the Father. Prefigured by Melchizedek, the mysterious priest of Salem who offered Abraham bread and wine and blessed him after a victorious battle, Jesus Christ transcends and surpasses human priesthood. By sacrificing his own body and blood, Jesus atones for our sins and brings us back to God. All the finest qualities of priestly ministry are summed up in Jesus Christ: total identity, compassion and divine vocation-origin.

 

Aelred Rosser remarks: “The most compelling aspect of Jesus is his total identity with the people for whom he functions as a priest. He has shared their weakness; the ultimate offering of his body on the cross was a sin offering for himself as well as for the people. Now enthroned at God’s right hand, this priest is patient in dealing with others in their sins, for he knew full well the struggles they face.”

 

Here is a beautiful story of how a Vietnamese priest led an anguished and guilt-laden war veteran to experience the peaceful light of forgiveness and grace (cf. “Confession Heals a Vet” by Joan Broussard in St. Anthony Messenger, August 2009, p. 25-27). Father Vu helped Brad Broussard dispel the dark memory of the Vietnam War by advising him to put it in God’s hands. Through the sacrament of reconciliation, the compassionate priest led Brad in the latter’s return journey to God – into the light of life.

 

I recall an instance when Brad was awakened by a nightmare. He was terrified. He could not speak about it aloud, so he whispered the story to me, even though we were the only ones at home. He told me there was belief among the Viet Cong that a human body must remain intact after death for the deceased to rest in peace. If any part of the body were missing, the deceased would never be at peace. So, to express their hatred for the Viet Cong, some soldiers in Brad’s squad would decapitate their enemies with a shovel. Brad did not want to participate in this gruesome practice, but he was pressured to do so by members of his squad. Though it was dark in our room, I knew Brad was crying as he expressed remorse and guilt over having taken part in this barbaric act. He prayed for forgiveness from God and from the men he and his comrades had mutilated.

 

Brad was a sniper in the war, and a very accurate one, from what he told me. He killed quite a number of the enemy – from a distance. He would shoot and they would drop. He never got close to the bodies to confirm the kill, but he knew they were dead from the way they went down. I don’t think he felt a lot of remorse about killing the enemy. After all, it was a war. But I do believe he lived with a nagging fear that he might have shot some innocent civilians. It was difficult to distinguish a Viet Cong combatant from a civilian because the Viet Cong didn’t wear uniforms. Brad explained to me that a sniper’s targets aren’t always clear, but when his superior ordered him to shoot, he shot. Just the possibility that some of the people he killed could have been civilians was one of the things that burdened Brad; that weighed heavily on his conscience. (…)

 

About two and a half years after Brad had forced himself to stand near the Vietnamese priest for our son’s wedding, I again found myself turning to this very same priest for his help on a family matter. This time, however, was not a happy occasion. It was Saturday, October 23, 1999. As I dialed Father Vu’s numbers, I was hoping he wouldn’t remember the wedding and how Brad seemed to ignore him the whole time. “Good morning, Father. This is Joan Broussard”, I said. “Yes, Joan, how are you? What can I do for you today?” he answered in his usual cheerful voice. “Father, my husband, Brad, would like you to hear his Confession. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor yesterday and will undergo surgery next week. We’ve been told the tumor is most likely malignant and the surgery is very risky. Brad asked me to call you to see if he could come for Confession before going to surgery”, I said. “Why, of course. When would he like to come?” Father Vu replied. “Actually, he is ready right now. If you are free this morning, we would come right over”, I said, hoping he didn’t have any other commitments. “Yes, I am free all morning. You can come now. I’ll be waiting.”

 

We drove to St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Youngsville, which is less than a mile from our house. The church staff does not work on Saturdays, so it was quiet and peaceful when we arrived to find Father Vu waiting at the door. We exchanged greetinga and I quickly excused myself to wait outside to allow Brad and Father Vu their privacy. I walked every sidewalk in the church cemetery several times over. I circled the church grounds numerous times, all the while praying that Brad’s confession would be satisfying and nourishing to his mind and his soul. I also prayed for myself that I would not fail him. Nearly two hours after they went into the rectory, Brad and Father Vu came out. Brad was smiling from ear to ear. His Confession was complete and God’s forgiveness total. The look of exhilaration on his face was matched only by the spring in his step, knowing that he was forgiven for all the things he’d ever done that offended God and other people.

 

Brad’s joyful mood was contagious. We said good-bye to Father Vu and were both smiling as we walked, hand in hand, to the car. “Hey, sweetie, I think I made Father Vu’s eyes pop out”, Brad said, still smiling. “Why is that?” I asked. “Because of some of the stuff I confessed to him. I am finally able to start telling it. I am really glad I came today. I feel good inside. Father Vu is a really good man. I like him.” Brad held his head high as we walked. I sensed confidence in his step. I knew he was ready for surgery. (…)

 

Brad’s attitude toward Father Vu had come full circle. It had gone from distrust and avoidance to respect and true friendship. Brad had developed a sense of brotherly love for this gentle man from Saigon. Brad died on May 3, 2000. He lost his battle with cancer, but received the peace he had longed for all his adult life.

   

 

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO 

 

Do we recognize and identify the blindness within us that needs to be healed? Do we turn to Jesus and say, “Master, I want to see”? In our experience of blindness and hopelessness, do we have the courage and the faith to cry out with Bartimaeus: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me”? When Jesus sees us by the wayside and calls us to himself, what is our response? Do we throw aside the cloak of our old habits, get up, and run to meet him? Do we follow him on the way?

 

 

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

 

 Lord Jesus, we are blind.

We close our eyes to our paschal destiny

and the radical demands of discipleship.

We turn to you for inner healing

and for the light of faith.

You are good and compassionate,

the healer of our infirmities.

You are the Divine Master,

the kindly Light to lead us to Jerusalem,

to the saving way of the Cross.

We put our trust in you

for you are the font of light and healing.

You live and reign,

forever and ever.

Amen. 

 

 

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

 

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.

 

“He received his sight and followed him on the way.” (Mk 10:52)

 

 

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO   

 

Pray in thanksgiving for the many good people who endeavor to relieve the painful and difficult situations of the vision-impaired. Offer some help to various institutions for the blind.  

 

 

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October 29, 2018: MONDAY – WEEKDAY (30)

“JESUS SAVIOR: His Compassion Surpasses the Sabbath Law … He Invites Us to Walk in Love”

 

 

BIBLE READINGS

Eph 4:32-5:8 // Lk 13:10-17

 

 

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

 

A. Gospel Reading (Lk 12:13-21): “This daughter of Abraham, ought she not to have been set free on the Sabbath day?”

 

My cousin, a pharmacist, belongs to a medical mission team that goes to Vietnam to assist the sick. She suggested to their Franciscan director that since almost 75% of the team is of Filipino origin, it might be a good idea to do a medical mission also in the Philippines. The suggestion was well taken, but on account of the excessive red tape imposed by the Philippine government, they were not able to carry out their mission to the Filipinos.

 

In today’s Gospel reading (Lk 13:10-17), the ministry of compassion of Jesus is also threatened by a legalistic bind. A woman is crippled by a malady that makes her incapable of standing erect. Jesus releases her from her bondage while teaching at the synagogue on a Sabbath. The ruler of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus has broken the Sabbath rule but not daring to rebuke him directly, addresses the crowd: “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the Sabbath day.” The woman has suffered for 18 years, and the ruler wants Jesus to wait one more day to cure her. But the compassionate ministry of Jesus cannot be bound nor postponed. The eruption of the kingdom of God cannot be suppressed by a faulty, legalistic interpretation of the Sabbath law. Jesus exposes the hypocrisy by arguing from the lesser to the greater: If you loosen animals on the Sabbath to refresh them, why not loosen a suffering “daughter of Abraham” from a crippling bondage. The kingdom of God is superior to the Sabbath law. The meaning of the Sabbath is fulfilled by works of compassion to those who yearn for the comfort and peace of God and a “rest” from their anguish.

 

 

B. First Reading (Eph 4:32-5:8): “Walk in love, just as Christ!”

 

In the reading (Eph 4:32-5:8), Saint Paul invites us to walk in love, just as Christ. As God’s beloved children, we must try to be like him. The perfect model of a child of God is Jesus Christ. He loves us and has given his life for us as a sweet smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God. We follow Christ on the way of love, learning to lay down our life for others. Indeed, as God’s people we need to renounce all that is not compatible with our vocation to holiness. We should not be led by false teachings because the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience. Rather, our life must be characterized by “thanksgiving”. Moreover, since we have become God’s people, we are in the light and are obliged to live like those who belong to the light. It is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness and truth.

 

The following account gives insight into what it means to walk in the way of love (cf. Linda Neukrug in Daily Guideposts 2014, p. 18).

 

While in line at the coffee shop one morning, I watched as the shabbily dressed, skinny woman at the front line carefully counted out change for a cup of hot tea.

 

“Have a buttered roll with that”, the teenage counter girl told her. The woman hesitated, and the girl said, “My treat. It’s my birthday today. God bless you.” The older woman gratefully took the roll and, eyeing it hungrily, left the store.

 

When it was my turn, I said, “That was very nice of you to treat her on your birthday. Happy birthday!”

 

She blushed, and the young man at the next register laughed. “Oh, it’s always her birthday when that homeless lady comes in.” My jaw dropped. “You mean …” “I just feel bad that she doesn’t have enough to eat”, the girl mumbled.

 

I took my coffee and waved away the change. “That’s for you”, I told her. “God bless you.” “But it’s too much ---“

 

“That’s okay”, I said. “It’s my birthday.”

 

 

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

 

Are we truly persons of compassion or do we allow ourselves to be crippled by faulty, legalistic interpretations? Are we totally “free” to carry out works of compassion to those who yearn for the comfort and peace of God? Do we walk in love, just as Christ? How?

 

 

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

 

Loving Father,

we thank you for Jesus Master, the Lord of the Sabbath.

He teaches compassion

and the wisdom to surpass faulty, legalistic interpretation.

Help us to be “free” to carry out works of compassion

for those who are seeking “rest” from their anguish

and are yearning for your comfort and peace.

Give us the grace to walk in love, just as Christ.

We love you, dear Father, and serve you, now and forever.

Amen.  

 

 

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

 

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.

 

“Ought she not to have been set free on the Sabbath day from this bondage?” (Lk 13:16) // “Live in love, as Christ loved us.” (Eph 5:2)

 

 

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

 

By your kind words and charitable deeds, alleviate the suffering of the afflicted and enable them to experience “rest” from their anguish. Be thankful to God for he truly loves us.

 

 

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October 30, 2018: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (30)

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Blesses Small Beginnings … He Loves the Church”

 

 

BIBLE READINGS

Eph 5:21-33 // Lk 13:18-21

 

 

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

 

A. Gospel Reading (Lk 13:18-21): “When it was fully grown, it became a large bush.”

 

The first parable in today’s Gospel reading (Lk 13:18-21) is about the mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world. Planted in the ground, it grows and becomes a large bush. Birds come and make their nests in its shady branches. In this parable, Jesus contrasts the insignificant beginning of the extremely small seed and the enormous size of the full-grown bush. The image of a tiny mustard seed growing into the grandiose bush underlines the universal expanse of God’s kingdom that would encompass all nations, as well as Israel. The second parable is about the yeast’s leavening force that makes the dough rise. Even a minimal amount of yeast has a natural tendency to expand, producing a great change in the dough to make it fit to be baked into a loaf of bread. Likewise, there is something inherently dynamic in the kingdom of God. Its power of good is transforming.

 

Jesus invites us to extol the power of small beginnings. We are called to sow the seed of the kingdom in today’s world as well as to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit who animates the growing kingdom. Let us do our part in sowing the seed and in manifesting to the world the dynamic and transforming power of the heavenly kingdom. We are to be seeds of the kingdom and to exhibit the transforming power of good in today’s world. The experience of Mike McGarvin, the founder of the Poverello House in Fresno, gives insight into the mustard seed beginning and the dynamic power of his compassionate ministry to the poor and needy (cf. Mike McGarvin, PAPA MIKE, 2003, p. 73-74).

 

My job was with a local newspaper, the Fresno Bee … There was a void in my life, because I had been so used to serving the Pov, and now I wasn’t doing anything. It was this restlessness, and the unbearable heat in our trailer, that compelled me to start checking out Chinatown. Fresno’s Chinatown is a tiny area southwest of downtown proper. It was near to where the Fresno Bee building was located, and it piqued my interest. In many ways, it reminded me of the Tenderloin district in San Francisco. There were small struggling businesses, a lot of cheap bars, single room occupancy hotels, prostitutes, and homeless people everywhere. It had a few mysterious and charming street names, such as “Fagan’s Alley” or “China Alley”, but it was dreary and gritty rather than romantic.

 

It was 1973, just a few months after we had moved back to Fresno. I went to a day-old bread store, loaded up on loaves, got some peanut butter and jelly, and went to work. I took it all back to our trailer, and Mary and I made up a bunch of sandwiches. I got some disposable cups, a jug of ice water, and drove the short distance to Chinatown. I was working nights, so I had days free, and I started going to Chinatown daily, taking the sandwiches and the water, walking and giving them out. People were suspicious at first, but as time went on, they started warming up to me. It helped that I was big, had a black belt in judo, and wasn’t intimidated.

 

The homeless people I encountered had no place to go. There was a rescue mission in town, but at that time it didn’t have a day program. Most of these folks were typical skid row types – older alcoholics and drug addicts, worn-out prostitutes, and poor, disabled men. They hung out on the streets in the summer heat and the winter cold because there was nowhere to turn. They weren’t wanted by anyone. The businesses didn’t want them around, because they scared customers away and littered the area. The police didn’t want them around, because they were nothing but trouble. I had stumbled onto a whole community of outcasts. That old Poverello spirit was starting to take hold of me again. I loved going out and seeing the smiles on the faces when I handed out sandwiches. I enjoyed the jokes and stories I’d hear. I liked getting to know people by name, and many of them seemed to crave not only the food, but also the attention.

 

My routine in Chinatown started out just a few days a week, but like the Pov up in San Francisco, it slowly became a bigger part of my life. It wasn’t long before I was going seven days each week. It was getting a little pricey on my new salary, so I started hitting up my church, Mount Carmel, to donate some money to buy bread and the peanut butter. That got some people interested. I figured out pretty quickly that I might be able to get more than money out of the church. I was meeting some good-hearted people and some of them wanted to join me. After about a year, I was ready for help, although I wasn’t sure how these church folks would react to some of the hardened street characters. There weren’t many who hit the streets with me, but quite a few helped by preparing the food.

 

 

B. First Reading (Eph 5:21-33): “This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church.”

 

The reading (Eph 5:21-33) underlines that the personal relationship between wife and husband is based on Christ’s self-sacrificing love for others. Marriage between a man and a woman draws its strength and meaning from the covenant love of Christ and his Body, the Church. The mutual submission and sacrificial aspect that animates the love relationship of spouses testify to the presence and fullness of the Spirit in their lives. Their marriage covenant is thus modeled on the “great mystery” of union between Christ, the Head, and his Body, the Church. The New Covenant ratified in Christ’s blood enhances the love relationship and nuptial bond of a man and a woman with beauty, fidelity and grace.

 

Moreover, the marriage of man and woman, when nurtured at the Eucharist and nourished by “the bread of the covenant”, can serve as a reflection, however imperfect, of the union between Christ, the Bridegroom, and his Bride, the Church. Such a marriage can be a model of self-giving love in today’s world and a sacrament of God’s covenant love and intimate relationship with his people on earth.

 

The following article in the Irish newspaper, Alive! (July/August 2009 issue, p. 6) extols the decision of a young Catholic couple to trust in God and accept the divine will. The moral commitment of Austin and Nuala Conway gives us an insight into Christian marriage as sacrament-covenant and inspired by God’s fidelity.

 

The parents of Ireland’s first ever set of sextuplets decided to put their trust in God rather than follow doctors’ immoral advice during their pregnancy. “These babies are a wonderful gift from God. Whatever God laid out for our lives we were taking it”, said 26-year-old Nuala Conway of Dunamore Co Tyrone. Doctors warned the married couple about the risks of a multiple pregnancy, and “more or less” advised them to have several of their unborn babies aborted. But the young Catholic couple rejected such a heartless solution and opted to trust in God and accept his will. “Doctors gave us a couple of days to think about it, but we knew without discussion what we both wanted”, said Nuala. “Whatever God laid out for our lives, we were taking it.”

 

The four girls and two boys, weighing between 1 lb 7 oz and 2 lb 7 oz, were delivered by Caesarian section 14 weeks early at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital, with the aid of 30 medical staff. In an interview with the Sunday Express, Mrs. Conway said, “I prayed as much as I could for a child. I would have been happy with one, but God blessed us with six, which is amazing.” It wasn’t until just three months before the birth that a scan showed she was carrying six babies. “I’m in love with every single one of them. I fell in love when they were in the womb. When one moved they would all move and I could definitely feel 24 limbs kicking”, she said.

 

 

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

 

1. Do we believe in the power of small beginnings and in the transforming power of the kingdom of God? Do we trust greatly in God who can do all things in us?

 

2. In the Eucharist do we renew our covenant with the Eucharistic Master, avow our faith in him and make an act of unconditional fidelity in him? How do we live out our covenant bond with our wife/husband?

 

 

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

 

Loving Father,

we are fascinated how a mustard seed,

can grow into a large bush to shelter the birds of the sky.

We are awed

by the leavening power of a small amount of yeast.

We thank and praise you

for the miracle of the mustard-seed beginning of your kingdom,

which continues to extend its life-giving fruitfulness

to all peoples of the earth.

We thank you for the dynamic power

of the heavenly kingdom.

Help us to appreciate small beginnings

and to believe in the dynamic power of the Gospel.

You are our hope and our joy, now and forever.

Amen.

 

            ***

Lord Jesus,

may we love and serve you alone.

We pray for married couples

that they may mirror limpidly the love relationship

between Christ and his body the Church.

Let us promote the integrity of family life

and holiness of Christian marriage in today’s world.

We adore you as our Eucharistic Master,

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.

 

“What is the kingdom of God like?” (Lk 13:18) //“Christ loved the Church.” (Eph 5:25)

 

  

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

 

Pray that people who sow the seed of the heavenly kingdom in today’s world may be blessed by the Lord. By your compassionate acts of love and service, and by trusting in the dynamic power of the Gospel, do your part in making the kingdom of God come. // By your personal dedication and service to one another as husband and wife and/or as family members, promote the integrity and holiness of marriage and family life.

 

 

*** *** ***

 

October 31, 2018: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (30)

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Calls Us to Enter through the Narrow Gate … We Are in Intimate Relationship with Him”

 

 

BIBLE READINGS

Eph 6:1-9 // Lk 13:22-30

 

 

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

 

A. Gospel Reading (Lk 13:22-30): “And people will come from the east and the west and will recline at the table in the Kingdom of God.”

 

In the Poverello News (February 2004), I read this beautiful story, which illustrates the reality of a personal, total response to God’s offer of salvation presented in today’s Gospel reading.

 

On May 10, 1748, a ship was being violently buffeted by a brutal storm. The captain of the vessel, thinking that death was imminent, prayed in desperation. The captain, John Newton, was not the praying kind. Nicknamed “The Great Blasphemer”, he was a debauched, profane seaman who plied the most despicable trade imaginable: he was a slave trafficker. After his fervent prayer, the storm ceased and the sea calmed. Newton’s deliverance from death had a profound effect on him. He contemplated his life and saw, perhaps for the first time, the full extent of his misery, corruption, and moral ruin. That day was a turning point in his life, a day that ultimately led him to reject his loathsome profession, enter Christian ministry, and later become a key influence in the life of William Wilberforce, a man who had a major role in abolishing slavery in England. However, Newton is not known for his biography. He is best remembered for a hymn he composed. That hymn is today sung all over the world, heard mournfully played by bagpipes at funerals, and is still powerful enough to bring tears to many who hear it. The hymn is “Amazing Grace”. Perhaps it has so much force because it is Newton’s heart-felt confession:

 

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

 

John Newton’s conversion beautifully depicts the realization of Jesus’ words: “And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold some are last who will be first, and some who are first who will be last” (cf. Lk 13: 29-30). His wholehearted response to God’s “amazing grace”, which saved a “wretch” like him, enabled him to participate in the feast of God’s kingdom.

 

Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 13:22-30) continues to underline the rich significance of the Lord’s journey to Jerusalem. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to undergo the death that leads to glory. Within the context of this paschal journey, someone asks: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Rather than answer him directly, Jesus prods him with a challenge: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough”. The narrow gate is open to all, but only for those who seek it. Indeed, the gift of salvation is not an indiscriminate prerogative. It must be willingly and fully embraced. We need to make a choice for the kingdom.

 

The biblical scholar, Samuel Oyin Abogunrin explains that the term “strive” (in Greek, agonizesthe) is the word from which the English “agony” is derived. According to him: “The struggle to enter must be so singularly motivated and focused as to be described as agony that involves the whole person: body, soul, and spirit. Christian life is a daily struggle to rise to a higher spiritual plane. It is wrong to sit back and relax after we have made a personal commitment to Christ. We cannot remain stagnant in our loyalty to God’s kingdom; unless we move forward we shall move backward.”

 

 

B. First Reading (Eph 6:1-9): “Willingly serving the Lord and not human beings.”

 

Today’s First Reading (Eph 6:1-9) contains a household code to regulate the relations between children and parents and between slaves and master. Just like the relation between wives and husbands, the spiritual principle to animate these relationships is Christ’s self-sacrificing love for others. There must be a reverence for fellow members in Christian families and households. By his victorious exaltation, the Risen Lord fills the universe. The glorified Christ brings his power and presence to bear in all human institutions. It is the Christian duty of children to obey their parents and thus enjoy God’s promise of abundant life. The parents are not to provoke their children to anger, but rather raise them with Christian discipline and instruction. The “slaves of Christ” are to carry out their duties responsibly and willingly, remembering that the Lord will reward everyone for the good work he does. The masters have responsible obligations to their subjects and realize that they also belong to the same Master in heaven, who judges everyone by the same standard. Indeed, in the context of the new life in Christ, the domestic relations take on a new meaning of love, reverence and respect.

 

In a funny vein, the following story gives insight into a beautiful relationship in a Christian household (cf. Fran-Alice Aberle, “Not by Bread Alone” in Guideposts, August 2014, p. 21).

 

Mom had a huge family, especially to my 11-year-old eyes. So when she decided to hold a family reunion at our house there was a lot to be done. My 12-year-old brother, 9-year-old sister and I had to pitch in. “There are four loaves of bread in the oven.” Mom said as she and Dad got ready to go into town for last minute supplies. “Do not start playing and forget to check on them. Take them out when they’re nice golden brown. If you burn the bread, you’re all in big trouble. It has to be perfect.”

 

We all promised. We knew how important the family bread recipe was. Richard, Lucia and I settled on the couch to wait. And wait. Finally we decided to wait outside. Surely a little playing to pass the time wouldn’t hurt.

 

Well, we lost track of how much time had passed until I smelled something burning. “The bread!” I screamed. “We forgot about Mom’s bread!”

 

We rushed inside and held our breath as Richard opened the oven door. There was the bread black and smoking. Richard slammed the door shut. We couldn’t bear to look at it.

 

“What are we going to do?” I cried. I was literally wringing my hands. “Mom says all things are possible with God”, Lucia piped up. “Let’s pray.” We all put a hand on the warm oven door and bowed our heads. “God, please heal Mom’s bread to a light golden brown like she told us”, I said. “If you don’t we’ll be in big trouble!” added Richard. “In Jesus’ name, amen”, Lucia said.

 

Tentatively, Richard opened the oven door again. Four golden brown loaves! We couldn’t believe it. They were perfect.

 

“Where’d you get the recipe for this bread?” one of my Mom’s sisters asked the next day. “It’s delicious!” “It’s the same recipe we’ve all used for years”, Mom said with a laugh. “No, this definitely tastes different”, her brother said. “It’s the best bread I’ve ever had!”

 

Everyone agreed. Finally we kids brought Mom into the kitchen and explained just why the bread tasted so good. It had a special ingredient – answered prayers!

 

 

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

 

1. Am I willing to enter through the narrow gate that leads to the feast of God’s kingdom? Do I respond to the “amazing grace” that comes from his forgiving love? Do I believe that God wants all to be saved? What do I do personally and concretely to contribute to the mystery of universal salvation? Do I participate in the feast of God’s kingdom with joy and gratitude?

 

2. Do I allow the principle of Christ’s sacrificial love to animate my human and social relations? Do I promote harmonious relationship in the domestic setting?

 

 

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO 

 

Loving Father,

your Son Jesus Christ invites us

to enter through the narrow gate to salvation.

Help us to share in his paschal sacrifice

and the feast of the kingdom.

Let us experience your “amazing grace”

and make us respond to it wholeheartedly.

Enable us to satisfy the world’s hunger

for the bread of life and the cup of salvation.

Let us promote harmony and unity

in the family and in the society

to help us prepare for the coming of your kingdom.

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.

 

            “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” (Lk 13:24) // “You have a Master in heaven and with him there is no partiality.” (Eph 6:9)

 

 

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

 

Pray in thanksgiving for God’s “amazing grace” in your life> Do something nice and kind for a person who is despondent.

 

*** *** ***

 

November 1, 2018: THURSDAY – ALL SAINTS

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the King of All the Saints”

 

 

BIBLE READINGS

Rv 7:2-4, 9-14 // 1 Jn 3:1-3 // Mt 5:1-12a

 

 

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

 

Today is the Feast of All Saints. The saints are people who have given intense and incisive witness that salvation comes from God and from the Paschal Lamb, Jesus Christ. The Beatitudes have animated and shaped their lives. Single-heartedly, these exemplary followers of Christ have pursued the goal of holiness to which all are called by God. Through this joyful feast, we celebrate the holiness of God manifested in the lives of the saints. We also thank the Lord for the triumph of righteousness. Today we proclaim our communion with the saints and invoke their intercession for us.

 

The saints are myriads – from every nation, race, people, and tongue (Rv 7:2-4, 9, 14). But all have trod the path of the Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12a). As children of God, we too are called to be holy. Like the saints, we strongly hope “to see God as he is” in our glorious destiny in heaven (I Jn 3:1-3).

 

The biblical scholar Eugene Maly comments: “On this Solemnity of All Saints, Matthew, I John, and Revelation remind us that this is our day. We are to be joyous as we celebrate the solemn festival here below. Our lifetime is a pilgrimage to the heavenly city above. Yet it is only in the total commitment of our personality to Christ that we can make our robes white in his lifeblood and can have the total fulfillment of our hopes. It is in him that we live – and hope to die. We are pilgrims on our way home. The path is found in the beatitudes, and the end is found in heaven. Happy Feast Day!”

 

The following story, “What Goes Around Comes Around” illustrates the moral fiber and the spirit of sainthood. It gives us a glimpse of “heaven”. It also shows how wonderful our world could be if we live out fully the Gospel spirit of mercy and of the entire Beatitudes.

 

One day a man saw an old lady stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with a smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so! Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.” Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hand hurt.

 

As he was tightening up the lug nut, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that would have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she would give that person the assistance needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.” He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

 

A few miles down the road, the lady saw a small café. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything … I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.” Under the napkin were four more $100 bills. Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day …

 

That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard … She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything is going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”

 

Here is another example that holiness and sainthood continue to grace our life today. Ted Wojtkowski, as a young man, was privileged to witness one of the greatest acts of saintly heroism of the twentieth century. His encounter with Father Maximilian Kolbe changed his life and enabled him to be a man of hope (cf. Jay Copp, “Inspired by a Martyr” in Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart, ed. Jeff Cavins, et. al., West Chester: Ascension Press, 2004, p. 26-29).

 

The year was 1939. In September, German tanks rumbled into Poland. The first village attacked by the Nazis was the home of Wojtkoswki, then a 20-year-old student. A patriot, Wojtkowski went underground. He and his buddies manned a shortwave radio to gather war news from London and then secretly printed leaflets to let villagers know what was occurring. Before long, Wojtkowski hopped on his father’s bicycle and headed toward Hungary. His destination was France, where he hoped to join the Polish army. The Nazis caught him at the border, jailed him, and sent him to Auschwitz on May 1, 1939.

 

Auschwitz was not a killing ground for Jews yet; the Nazis were using it for criminals and for foes of their regime, including priests and activists. Wojtkowski, living with eight-hundred men in a two-story barracks, was put to work building more barracks. The Nazis treated the prisoners brutally. Priests were especially singled-out for punishment – guards kicked them in the face and stomach and clubbed them over the head. When a prisoner escaped, all the others were ordered to stand in the sun for days, hands on their heads. After a second escape, ten prisoners were machine-gunned. The third escape occurred on or about July 28, 1941. One hundred members of Wojtkowski’s barracks were forced to stand in rows of ten. Ten of them would die. Wojtkowski stood in the eighth row. The camp commander ordered each row, one after the other, to step forward. He began a random selection. One, two, three were pulled from a group. Wojtkowski hoped that ten would be singled out before his row was reached.

 

A fourth, fifth, and sixth were picked. The sixth broke down. “My wife, my children …” he sobbed. “Who will take care of them?” A prisoner from the sixth row turned to the commander, “I will take the place of this man with the wife and children”, he said. Most remarkable of all was the volunteer’s demeanor. “His expression was so serene, so peaceful, not a shadow of fear”, Wojtkowski recalls. The commander, however, was not impressed. “You must be some kind of (expletive) priest”, he snarled. But he accepted him as one of the ten. The volunteer and nine others were locked in a bunker. The Nazis would not waste bullets on them. They would be starved to death. The man was indeed a priest, but not just any priest. He was Franciscan Father Maximilian Kolbe. Poles considered Kolbe a saint. His personal assistant Jerome Wierziba, once said of him: “He had something good in his face that emanated God. Just looking at him gave you peace of mind.”

 

Kolbe published religious magazines and newspapers read by more than one million Poles. He was widely admired, running the largest Catholic religious house in the world. Intensely devoted to the Blessed Mother, Kolbe supervised six-hundred-fifty friars at his City of the Immaculata, an evangelization center near Warsaw. The Nazis naturally regarded Kolbe with suspicion after they invaded Poland. When he resisted pressure to apply for German citizenship for which he was eligible, he was arrested on February 17, 1941.

 

When the guards were out of earshot, the prisoners shared information with one another about the fate of the ten in the bunker. Kolbe was leading the doomed in prayers and hymns, and a piece of bread had been smuggled in to be used in a Mass. After three weeks, Kolbe was the last to die. The Nazis, impatient to use the bunker to punish others, had a doctor inject poison into Kolbe to finish him off.

 

The more Wojtkowski thought about Kolbe’s self-sacrifice, the more astounded he was. Francis Gajowniczek, whom Kolbe had saved, was a peasant farmer. Kolbe, forty-seven, was one of the most accomplished men in Poland, a priest with many plans. Already he had begun a missionary center in Japan and was determined to open an evangelization center in each continent. And Kolbe, who possessed great drive and ambition, had given up all his dreams in a moment. He truly was a man of God, Wojtkowski realized. Kolbe saved not only Gajowniczek, but also Wojtkowski. Years of deprivation awaited Wojtkowski. There would be backbreaking labor and physical abuse. But Wojtkowski never lost his will to survive. “Father Kolbe inspired me”, he says. “After his sacrifice, I never thought I would die at Auschwitz. Someday I would be liberated and tell what happened.”

 

  

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

 

How does the vision of the great multitude of the redeemed and the beauty of the heavenly liturgy presented in the Book of Revelation affect you? Do you imagine your favorite saints to be participants in this heavenly worship? Do you wish to be united with the saints in their divine worship? What is the personal implication of the Gospel Beatitudes for you? Do you allow yourself to be inspired by the saints in the way they live the spirit of the Beatitudes?  Are you deeply aware of our Christian identity as children of God? Do you look forward with hope to our glorious destiny of eternal life with God, with all the saints in heaven?  

 

 

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

 

Loving Father,

we thank you for the supreme gift of your Son Jesus Christ

whose glory is reflected in the lives of the saints.

The myriads of saints

“from every nation, race, people and tongue”

have trod the path of the Beatitudes.

Each saint has participated fully and uniquely

in the saving passion of your Son on the cross.

Let our lives be inspired

by their total configuration to Christ Redeemer.

In communion with the saints,

may we pursue our Christian vocation to holiness

and attain their glorious destiny with you in heaven.

Together with the multitude of the redeemed

and with all the saints in heaven,

we exclaim:

“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,

honor, power and might be to our God, forever and ever.”

            Amen.  

 

 

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

 

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.

 

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” (Mt 5:12a)

 

 

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

 

            Pray that we may respond fully to our Christian call to holiness. By incarnating the spirit of the Beatitudes, allow our fragmented world of today to have a glimpse of God’s infinite beauty and truth. Let those in need experience “a touch of the saints in heaven”.

 

 

*** *** ***

 

November 2, 2018: FRIDAY – THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED (ALL SOULS’ DAY)

 “JESUS SAVIOR: In Him They Shall Be Greatly Blessed”

 

 

BIBLE READINGS

Wis 3:2-9 // Rom 5:5-11 // Jn 6:3-40

 

 

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

 

In the 9th century Amalareus of Metz (ca. 780-850 A.D.) suggested a day of commemoration for all the dead, similar to the consecration of a day in memory of all the saints. But it was only after many years that his wish would be fulfilled. The commemoration of all the faithful departed was first celebrated on November 2, 998 through the initiative of St. Odilo (ca. 962-1049), the fifth abbot of Cluny, and approved by Pope Sylvester II (ca. 940-1003). The Pope’s successors continued to favor the celebration of this feast in numerous Cluny monasteries, which in turn contributed to the diffusion of this feast throughout the Latin churches.

 

There is an intimate connection between the feast of All Saints (November 1) and the feast of All Souls (November 2). Both celebrate the paschal mystery of Christ, which is the basic foundation for the Christian vision of death and life after death. Our contemplation of the saving event of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, in which the saints intimately participated on earth and continue to share gloriously and eternally in heaven, leads us naturally and spontaneously to the prayer for all the departed. We pray that our beloved dead, by the mercy of God, may also share fully and intimately in Christ’s paschal victory and in his gift of eternal life in heaven.

 

On the feast of All Souls, no particular biblical readings are prescribed, in contrast to other feast days. But there is a wide range of lectionary texts proposed from the Masses for the Dead. One favorite text is Wisdom 3:1-9, which offers consoling words about the eternal destiny of our faithful departed: “They are in the hand of God … they are in peace … their hope is full of immortality … chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed.” Combined with appropriate New Testament readings (e.g. Rom 6:3-9 and Jn 6:37-40, etc.) that avow the divine saving plan and the final destruction of death through Christ’s death and resurrection, this Wisdom text is very appropriate for the liturgy of All Souls Day. The insightful readings from the Masses for the Dead help Christian believers come to grips with the mystery of death that leads to eternal life

 

Our commemoration of the faithful departed should take into consideration the human experience of loss, hurt, and grieving, as well as our faith in Christ’s paschal mystery. With our faith and hope in the victorious death of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord, we are heartened that death does not have the ultimate word and is not a total destruction. Death is merely a “transitus” or passing over – the enigmatic door that leads to eternal life.

 

St. Augustine recognizes the human need to mourn for the dead and the Christian faith that mitigates our sorrow. He remarks: “It is inevitable that we should be sad when those we love depart from us by dying. Although we know they are not leaving us forever, that they have but gone a little ahead of us, that we who remain will follow them, nevertheless our nature shrinks from death, and when it takes a loved one we are filled with sorrow simply because of our love for that person. That is why the Apostle did not tell us that we should not be saddened, but that we should not be saddened in the same way as those who have no hope (…) Faithful hearts should be allowed, then, to mourn for their loved ones, but with a grief that can be healed; let them shed over our mortal condition tears that can be wiped away, tears that can be quickly checked by the joy of that faith which assures us that when believers die they go but a little distance from us that they may pass to a better state.”

 

Moreover, St. Augustine counsels us what to do on behalf of our beloved dead: “There is no doubt that the dead are helped by the prayers of holy Church, by the saving sacrifice, and by the alms dispensed for their souls; these things are done that they may be more mercifully dealt with by the Lord than their sins deserve (…) Due attention should be paid to the burial and construction of tombs for the dead, according to our means, for these are counted as good works in the scriptures. But people whose love for their dead is spiritual as well as physical should pay much greater, more careful and more earnest attention to those things – sacrifices, prayers, and almsgiving – which can assist those who though their bodies may be dead are still alive in spirit.”

 

On the feast of All Souls we are greatly reminded of our duty to offer suffrage for the poor souls in purgatory. The following excerpt from the life of Padre Pio could inspire us to pray more intensely for the souls in purgatory (cf. “Padre Pio and Purgatory” in the booklet Padre Pio: A Catholic Priest Who Worked Miracles and Bore the Wounds of Jesus Christ in His Body by Bro. Michael Dismond, OSB, New York: Most Holy Family Monastery, p. 55-56).

 

One night Padre Pio was sitting alone in a room absorbed in prayer when an old man entered and sat next to him. “I looked at him but never thought of how he managed to get in the friary at that hour. I asked him: ‘Who are you? What do you want? The man answered: ‘Padre Pio, I am Pietro di Mauro, nicknamed Precoco. I died in this friary (in a fire) on September 18, 1908, in room number 4. I am still in Purgatory, and I need a Mass to free my soul from it. God has given me permission to come to you and ask for your prayers.’ After I had listened to his story, I said: ‘You can rest assured that I will celebrate Mass tomorrow for your liberation.’” Padre Pio then said that the Mass he celebrated the next day freed the man’s soul from Purgatory. One of the other priests at the friary later on checked the village records and found that such an individual had indeed died under the circumstances described by Padre Pio.

 

One day, some of the friars saw Padre Pio abruptly leave the table and begin to speak, as if he were speaking to someone. But no one was around Padre Pio to whom he could have been speaking. The friars thought Padre Pio was going crazy, and they asked him who he was speaking to. “Oh don’t worry, I was talking to some souls who were on their way from Purgatory to Heaven. They stopped here to thank me because I remembered them in my Mass this morning.”

 

Padre Pio said: “More souls of the dead from Purgatory than of the living climb this mountain to attend my Masses and seek my prayers.”

 

One time someone asked Padre Pio how Purgatory could be avoided. He replied, “By accepting everything from God’s hand. Offering everything up to Him with love and thanksgiving will enable us to pass from our deathbed to paradise.”

 

 

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

 

What is the meaning and importance of the Church’s feast of All Souls? What is the personal significance of this feast for us? How do we affirm the importance of Christ’s paschal elements in our celebration of the feast of All Souls? How does the human aspect of grieving enter into our celebration? How do we offer suffrage for our beloved dead and the poor souls in purgatory? In our memorial of the deceased, do we offer “sacrifices, prayers and almsgiving” on their behalf? Do we endeavor to visit the cemetery in November as part of our love and suffrage for our beloved dead?

 

 

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

(Cf. Blessed Alberione’s Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory)

 

Lord, my Creator and Redeemer,

I believe that in your justice,

you established purgatory for those souls who pass into eternity

before having totally paid their debts of sin or punishment.

I also believe that in your mercy you accept suffrages,

particularly the holy sacrifice of the Mass,

for their relief and liberation.

Stir up my faith

and infuse in my heart sentiments of pity

toward these dear suffering brothers and sisters.

Lord, Jesus Christ, King of glory,

through the intercession of Mary and all the saints

free the souls of the faithful departed

from the punishments of purgatory.

And through the intercession of St. Michael,

standard-bearer of the heavenly army,

guide them to the holy light

promised to Abraham and to his descendants.

I offer you, Lord, sacrifices and prayers of praise.

Accept them for these souls and admit them to eternal joy.

 

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace. Amen.

 

 

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

 

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.

 

“The souls of the just are in the hand of God … Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed.” (Wis 3:1, 5)

 

 

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

 

By your “sacrifices, prayers and almsgiving”, assist the poor souls in purgatory in their journey to heaven. In your daily endeavor to surrender to the saving will of God and to live a life of justice and charity, continue to manifest the communion of the Church in today’s world with the saints in heaven and with the poor souls in purgatory.

 

 

*** *** ***

 

November 3, 2018: SATURDAY – WEEKDAY (30); SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES, Religious; BVM ON SATURDAY

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Ultimate Chance … He Is Head of the Body”

 

 

BIBLE READINGS

Philn1:18b-26 // Lk 14:1, 7-11

 

 

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

A. Gospel Reading (Lk 14:1, 7-11): “Everyone who exalts himself will be bumbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

 

In 2003 Mike McGarvin wrote a very interesting book, “Papa Mike”, about his conversion and his service to the poor, the marginalized and the homeless. After reading the book, I concluded that Mike McGarvin is a living example of one who had humbly recognized his human frailty and weakness and turned to God for salvation. He is a realization of the words of Jesus: “The one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 14:11b). The following anecdote that Mike wrote in his book made me chuckle for it fittingly illustrates the other aspect of Jesus’ lesson on humility: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled” (Lk 12:14a).

 

At St. Boniface and Poverello, I got a real slice of life. The Tenderloin was the bottom of the social barrel, and all sorts of desperate cases drifted in and out …There was a regular at Poverello who was exceptional. He looked like a typical street person: dirty, a ratty beard, deteriorating, mismatched clothes. One day someone told me that he had once been a chess champion, ranked eighth in the United States. He had been involved in a love relationship that didn’t work out, and it had taken him over the edge. He started drinking too much, and eventually landed on the streets in San Francisco.

 

One evening, a volunteer, who was a lawyer, looked out over the coffeehouse and said, “I’ll bet these people aren’t smart enough to play chess.” I was offended by his remark, but immediately thought of a way to cool this guy’s arrogance. I pointed to the chess champion, and said, “I’ve seen that guy play a little chess; why don’t you try him out?” The lawyer played three games with him, and the old wino beat him resoundingly every time. The attorney fancied himself an excellent chess player, so he was devastated. He came back up to the counter, and kept saying over and over, “I can’t believe that old drunk beat me three times.”

 

Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 14: 1, 7-11) tells us that on a Sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of a leading Pharisee. Jesus noticed how the guests were choosing the places of honor at table. In this meal setting populated with “social climbers”, the Divine Master narrated to the guests a parable that ends with a powerful dictum: “For everyone who exalts himself with be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 14:11). The biblical scholar, Eugene Maly explains the faith context of this parable: “Jesus is not concerned with ordinary social etiquette. He has more in mind than that … This is a Kingdom talk. This is the way it is in the Kingdom of God. A presupposition of the saying is that God issues the invitation to the Kingdom banquet. And he issues it to the lowly, the humble, those who recognize their total dependence on God’s salvation. These are the ones who will be exalted. But those who say, ‘Look at me, Lord! See my strength, my wealth, my influence’, are the ones who will be humbled. This humility, this total openness to the strength of God, leads to greatness.”

 

Indeed, the kingdom parable of Jesus underlines the meaning of humility, which is basically a total dependence on God who wills our salvation. The Divine Master took the way of humility in his pilgrimage to Jerusalem to bring to fulfillment his life-giving paschal destiny on the cross. Jesus crystallized the meaning of humility in his very person. He is the Servant-Son totally consecrated to the saving will of God. With deep humility as faithful servant and in filial obedience, Jesus humbly pursued the Father’s saving plan and fully committed his entire being to God. The lowly one of Yahweh trusted in the marvelous action of God – he who humbles and exalts. St. Paul and an early Christian hymn acclaim: “Jesus humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him” (Phil 2:8-9).

 

 

B. First Reading (Phil 1:18b-26): “For to me life is Christ and death is gain.”

 

Saint Paul the Apostle is a privileged example of the laborer of the “last hour” who benefited from the abundant riches of God’s grace. A persecutor of Christian faith, he was converted and experienced the undeserved free bounty of God. Saint Paul is a model of a true response to divine love radically revealed in Jesus Christ. In the reading (Phil 1:18b-26), the Apostle is writing to the Philippians from a prison in Ephesus circa 56 A.D. Awaiting a possible death sentence, he reflects that for him both life and death take their meaning from Christ. Saint Paul asserts that with his whole being, he would bring honor to Christ, whether he live or die. Death for him is gain for he would relish the heavenly reward. To continue to live in this world, however, would mean a more fruitful labor for the Gospel. This would benefit more greatly the community of faith and encourage them to live a life worthy of the Gospel. Having been evangelized and brought under the power of the Gospel, they are to reflect in their life and their belonging to Christ.

 

The following personal testimony of Fr. Jose Maniyangat, circulated on the Internet, powerfully illustrates the necessity of responding faithfully and obediently to our Christian vocation through life and death.

 

I was born on July 16, 1949 in Kerala, India to my parents, Joseph and Theresa Maniyangat. I am the eldest of seven children: Jose, Mary, Theresa, Lissama, Zachariah, Valsa and Tom. At the age of fourteen, I entered St. Mary’s Minor Seminary in Thirivalla to begin my studies for the priesthood. Four years later, I went to St. Joseph’s Pontifical Major Seminary in Alwaye, Kerala to continue my priestly formation. After completing the seven years of philosophy and theology, I was ordained a priest on January 1, 1975 to serve as a missionary in the Diocese of Thirivalla.

 

On Sunday April 14, 1985, the feast of Divine Mercy, I was going to celebrate Mass at a mission church in the north part of Kerala, and I had a fatal accident. I was riding a motorcycle when I was hit head-on by a jeep driven by a man who was intoxicated after a Hindu festival. I was rushed to a hospital about 35 miles away. On the way, my soul came out from my body and I experienced death. Immediately, I met my Guardian Angel. I saw my body and the people were mourning for me. At this time my angel told me: “I am going to take you to Heaven; the Lord wants to meet you.” He also said that, on the way, he wanted to show me hell and purgatory.

 

Hell: First, the angel escorted me to hell. It was an awful sight! I saw Satan and the devils, an unquenchable fire of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, worms crawling, people screaming and fighting, others being tortured by demons. The angel told me that all these sufferings were due to un-repented mortal sins. Then, I understood that there are seven degrees of suffering or levels according to the number and kinds of mortal sins committed in their earthly lives. The souls looked very ugly, cruel and horrific. It was a fearful experience. I saw people whom I knew, but I am not allowed to reveal their identities. The sins that convicted them were mainly abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, hatefulness, un-forgiveness and sacrilege.

 

The angel told me that if they had repented, they would have avoided hell and gone instead to purgatory. I also understood that some people who repent from these sins might be purified on earth through their sufferings. This way they can avoid purgatory and go straight to heaven. I was surprised when I saw in hell even priests and Bishops, some of whom I never expected to see. Many of them were there because they had misled the people with false teaching and bad example.

 

Purgatory: After the visit to hell, my Guardian Angel escorted me to purgatory. Here too, there are seven degrees of suffering and unquenchable fire. But it is far less intense than hell and there was neither quarreling nor fighting. The main suffering of these souls is their separation from God. Some of those who are in purgatory committed numerous mortal sins, but they were reconciled with God before their death. Even though these souls were suffering, they enjoy peace and the knowledge that one day they will see God face to face.

 

I had a chance to communicate with the souls in purgatory. They asked me to pray for them and to tell the people to pray for them as well, so that they can go to heaven quickly. When we pray for these souls, we will receive their gratitude through their prayers, and once they enter heaven, their prayers become even more meritorious. It is difficult for me to describe how beautiful my Guardian Angel is. He is radiant and bright. He is my constant companion and helps me in all my ministries, especially my healing ministry. I experience his presence everywhere I go and I am grateful for his protection in my daily life.

 

Heaven: Next, my angel escorted me to heaven passing through a big dazzling white tunnel. I never experienced this much peace and joy in my life. Then immediately heaven opened up and I heard the most delightful music, which I never heard before. The angels were singing and praising God. I saw all the saints, especially the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, and many dedicated holy Bishops and priests who were shining like stars.

 

And when I appeared before the Lord, Jesus told me: “I want you to go back to the world. In your second life, you will be an instrument of peace and healing to my people. You will walk in a foreign land and you will speak in a foreign tongue. Everything is possible for you with my grace.” After these words, the Blessed Mother told me: “Do whatever he tells you. I will help you in your ministries.”

 

Words cannot express the beauty of heaven. There we find so much peace and happiness, which exceed a million times our imagination. Our Lord is far more beautiful than any image can convey. His face is radiant and luminous and more beautiful that a thousand rising suns. The pictures we see in the world are only a shadow of his magnificence. The Blessed Mother was next to Jesus. She was so beautiful and radiant. None of the images we see in this world can compare with her real beauty.

 

Heaven is our real home; we are all created to reach heaven and enjoy God forever.

 

 

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

 

1. What does Jesus’ teaching on humility mean to us, personally and concretely? Are we willing to replicate in our life the humble stance of Jesus, the Servant of Yahweh and the Son of God?

 

2. Do we give honor and glory to God in all our being, whether by life or by death?

 

 

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

 

Loving Father,

your only begotten Son Jesus is the humble Servant

in whom you are most pleased.

We praise and thank you for the mystery of his kenosis and self-emptying.

Help us to realize more and more that the feast of your kingdom is for all.

Fill us with zeal and apostolic strength

to spread your gracious saving invitation to all peoples,

especially the poor and lowly.

We ask this through Christ our Lord

who lives and reigns forever and ever.

Amen.

 

***

Lord Jesus,

you are the center of our life.

Whether we die or live, we belong to you.

Let us proclaim your goodness in everything we do

and by a holy life.

With Saint Paul we declare:

“For to me life is Christ and death is gain.”

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.

 

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 14:11) //“For to me life is Christ and death is gain.” (Phil 1:21)

 

  

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

 

In a spirit of humility, renew your total dependence on God and his saving will. When you suffer some “humiliation” be gracious and make it an occasion to exercise the virtue of “humility”. // Today be deeply conscious that whatever you do is being offered to the Lord and for an apostolic intention.

 

***

 

 

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

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