A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 13, n. 7)
The Baptism of the Lord & Week 1 in Ordinary Time: Jan. 11-17, 2015*
(N.B. The pastoral tool BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year B from three perspectives. For reflections on the Sunday liturgy based on the Gospel reading, please scroll up to the “ARCHIVES” above and open Series 1. For reflections based on the Old Testament reading, open Series 4. For reflections based on the Second Reading, open Series 7. Please go to Series 10 - Series 13 for the back issues of the Weekday Lectio. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: January 4-10, 2015, please go to ARCHIVES Series 13 and click on Epiphany – Christmas Week”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: January 11-17, 2015.)
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January 11, 2015: THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Baptism is an Epiphany … A Messianic Investiture”
BIBLE READINGS
Year B: Is 55:1-11 // I Jn 5:1-9 // Mk 1:7-11
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
One of the most powerful accounts that I have read was the one written by Sr. Mary Rose McGeady, leader of the Covenant House, the nation’s largest system of emergency shelters for homeless kids. In chapter 5 of her book, “Please Forgive Me, God”, she narrates the story of the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, Colorado: “The two kids walked into the schoolyard, an arsenal of weapons hanging from their bodies and hidden inside their black trench coats. Their first two victims were a 17-year-old girl and 15-year-old freshman boy, both classmates, who were shot in the head and the back immediately outside the front entrance to the school. Once inside, the two killers strode quickly through the school, first to the cafeteria then upstairs to the library, pointing guns at their terrified classmates, casually deciding who should live and who should die. As each shot rang out, and each innocent life was snuffed out, we’re told the kids laughed triumphantly, and then moved on to the next victim … In one particularly nightmarish sequence, one of the killers confronted a girl trembling on the ground, and asked if she believed in God. Knowing full well the safe answer, the girl stood her ground. ‘There is a God’, she said quietly, ‘and you need to follow along God’s path’. ‘There is no God’, the boy gunman said, and shot her in the head.”
Sr. Rose McGeady remarks: “The girl proclaimed her belief in God, knowing that her answer would be the last words she ever spoke.” Indeed, the girl proclaimed her baptismal faith in the blood bath of martyrdom. She followed the destiny of the Lord Jesus who offered his life totally to God, manifesting his fidelity to the Father at his water bath at the Jordan and at his sacrificial death on the cross where “blood and water” flowed from his saving side.
Today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:7-11) depicts the Lord’s baptism at the River Jordan. The event is an epiphany, the manifestation of Jesus as the faithful Servant of Yahweh, the one who fulfills the divine messianic plan. The event, moreover, is a theophany in which God reveals his relationship with Jesus as his own Son. The baptismal scene of Jesus has exquisite paschal undertones. The ritual immersion in the waters of the Jordan prefigures the death and rising of Jesus. By his blood bath on the cross and glorification, Jesus brought to fulfillment his baptismal promise at the Jordan to serve totally the Father’s saving will.
The ritual baptism of a Christian is both a call to a covenant relationship with God the Father and a paschal event. Our covenant with God involves faithful witnessing through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a daily heroic witnessing even to the point of martyrdom. It is a configuration to Jesus - the Word of God made flesh - the same Jesus who shed his blood in love for the salvation of the world. Our baptismal consecration is confirmed by the choices we make in the ordinary humdrum moments as well as in the supreme sacrificial events of our life.
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The invitation to a life-giving covenant relationship with God is sounded off with enthusiasm in the First Reading (cf. Is 55:1-11), which is a part of Deutero-Isaiah’s conclusion to the Book of Comfort. The words are ecstatic and impelling: “Come to the water … Come, receive grain and eat … Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk … Heed me and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare …” The invitation to a rich banquet, a symbol of God’s providential care for his people, titillates one’s imagination about the abundance of the new messianic age. Here we are presented with the vision of the fullness of time when all will be filled with God’s love and mercy. According to Aelred Rosser: “With the baptism of Jesus and the inauguration of the reign of God, the time of peace and plenty foretold by Isaiah has come!” Indeed, Isaiah’s prophetic vision of abundance, peace and salvation is fulfilled in Jesus Savior.
The following personal experience gives insight into the beauty of intimacy that our baptismal covenant relation with God entails and the spiritual riches it bestows (cf. Erin MacPherson in Daily Guideposts 2015, p. 387).
The cardamom bread is homemade, fumbled together by hands far less experienced than the now-arthritic pair that had carefully crafted it for me so many times before. Hot from the oven, mine looks serviceable and smells like my childhood.
My china cups are mismatched – one blue, one pink, three green – from the antiques store down the road. The purple-and-white-flowered linen tablecloth was found at a garage sale. The napkins are plain white paper.
My tea party is far from the perfect ones of my childhood, but it is fueled by a loving nostalgia that I hope will overcome any inadequacies I have. Because while I’ll never be able to serve like my grandmother used to, I pray that my efforts will be enough to show her aging heart, her waning spirit, that I love her and that I remember, even if she can’t.
I hold her feeble hand; I butter her bread; I pour cream into her tea and stir gently. Then I wait. Not for appreciative words or remembrances of tea parties past, but for a glimmer of a smile, that glint in her eyes, which show a small spark of enduring spirit.
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This Sunday’s Second Reading (I Jn 5:1-9) reinforces the reality of the messianic role of Jesus, whom the author John acknowledges energetically as fully human and fully divine in both life and death. The threefold witness of “the Spirit and the water and the blood” confirms Jesus’ authenticity as the Messiah and the Son of God. The scholar Aelred Rosser comments: “The point is that all three (water, blood and Spirit) testify that Jesus is truly the Messiah. In Jesus’ baptism we see two of these: the water of the Jordan River and the hovering Spirit accompanied by the voice revealing to the Baptist that this truly is the Son of God. Only later will we see the third witness – blood – in Jesus’ suffering and death. All three give testimony – not water only, John says, but water and blood! This Jesus, the Word who was with God in the beginning and who is God, is the same Jesus who shed his blood in love for the salvation of the world.”
The immersion of Jesus into the waters of the Jordan and into the redeeming “blood bath” on the cross is made possible through the presence of the Holy Spirit who anointed Jesus with power and love. Indeed, Jesus Christ is “baptized” in “the Spirit and the water and the blood”. Today’s baptized Christians are likewise immersed into Christ’s paschal destiny in “the Spirit and the water and the blood”. Through the threefold sacrament of initiation (baptism-confirmation-Eucharist) we are vivified, anointed and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. By faith the Christian disciples are filled with the power of the Spirit. Fortified with the grace of God, they are enabled to overcome hostile forces that prevent total surrender to God’s benevolent will. Indeed, faith in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior permeates the Christian disciples with courage and power, making possible “the victory that conquers the world” (I Jn 5:5).
The following story circulated through the Internet illustrates the victorious power of a faith-filled Christian and how he lives out fully the challenge of his baptismal consecration in “the Spirit and water and the blood”.
This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at USC. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester to prove that God couldn’t exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him because of his reputation.
At the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, “If there is anyone here who still believes in Jesus, stand up!” In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, “Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that he is God, and yet he can’t do it.” And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students would do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students thought that God couldn’t exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for twenty years, they had been too afraid to stand up.
Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor. He was required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid … But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said, or what the class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith … he hoped.
Finally, the day came. The professor said, “If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!” The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up in the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, “You fool!!! If God existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!” He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken. The professor’s jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood proceeded to walk to the front of the room and shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. Three hundred students stayed and listened as he told of God’s love for them and of his power through Jesus.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
How faithful are we to our baptismal covenant? Do we reflect our baptismal commitment in our daily life with renewed vigor and zeal for the spread of God’s kingdom of love, justice and peace?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving God,
we thank you for the saving event
of Christ’s baptism at the River Jordan.
We also thank you for the gift of our own baptism
which makes us sharers in your divine life.
Make us faithful to our baptismal promises.
Help us to live out our baptismal commitment in our daily life.
In Jesus Christ, your only begotten Son and faithful Servant,
make us limpid witnesses of the baptismal covenant.
Be with us as we spread your kingdom of love, joy and peace
through Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
We praise you, love you and serve you, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mk 1:11)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that the baptized may be faithful to their promise to be at the total service of the Father’s saving will. Be ready to attest your faith in the public square by imbibing the Church’s social teaching on the dignity of the human person and respect for life, on the call to family, community and participation, etc.
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January 12, 2015: MONDAY – WEEKDAY (1)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Calls Us to Follow Him … He Is the Father’s Spoken Word”
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 1:1-6 // Mk 1:14-20
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:14-20) contains the inaugural words of Jesus’ public ministry: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” The reign of God has begun in Jesus, the “Good News” in person. Jesus’ Gospel proclamation is exhilarating, but it is linked to his call for a radical response. Jesus demands total conversion and faith which entails adherence to his very person. The inaugural ministry of Jesus is followed by the call of the first disciples. The vocation of the fishermen Simon, Andrew, James and John provides a model for our response to Jesus and depicts the sacrifices of Christian discipleship. Together with the first disciples, we are invited to respond, “Yes, I leave all and follow you” in a progressive conversion and self-giving until the end.
The following is an example of a modern day response to Jesus’ call to radical discipleship (cf. “Spanish Youth Lead Religious Revolution” in ALIVE! October 2014, p. 6).
Olalla Oliveros was one of Spain’s top models, a regular in TV ads such as Special K, and was recently offered the lead role in a high-budget film. But, at the top of her career, the 36-year-old stunned Spanish society by tossing it all aside in order to become a nun, and in May this year she entered the convent.
She has spoken little in public about her religious vocation, but did let it be known that the change in her life began four years ago. During the visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal she had what she called “an earthquake” experience.
With her faith reawakened, she got the image of herself dressed as a nun. At the time she thought the experience was “weird”, but the image stayed with her. After much prayer and thought she decided to take the radical step. “The Lord is never wrong”, said Olalla. “He asked if I would follow him, and I could not refuse.”
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In 1990, I attended the Liturgy Week in Taranto (southern Italy). I was on a bus for an eight-hour ride back to Rome and I whiled the time away by reading a book. The young man sitting beside me was also reading a book. No word was spoken. After four hours, the bus made a stopover somewhere and we disembarked. We re-boarded the bus and I was about to continue reading. The young man extended his hand and with a kind word offered some mint candies. I spoke a word of gratitude in response. That was the beginning of a friendly dialogue and interesting conversation that lasted until we reached Rome. The spoken “word” made the difference. It made the second part of my journey significant and pleasant.
In the next four weeks, the Old Testament reading of the weekday liturgy is taken from the letter to the Hebrews. In today’s First Reading (Heb 1:1-6), the author asserts that God speaks! God has spoken in varied but partial ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son, through whom God created the universe. The Son reflects the Father’s glory and is the icon of divine Goodness. The “word” that God speaks is self-revelation. The ultimate revelation is when the “word” of God entered decisively our human history through the mystery of the Incarnation and through the Paschal event of the Son’s sacrifice for our sins and his subsequent glorification. Since God’s Son is infinitely superior, even to the angels, we ought to make an appropriate response to the new mode of God’s speaking in the Son. By listening and responding to the Son, we hear God’s word and respond to the Father’s stupendous manifestation of love.
The German theologian Karl Rahner writes that Jesus is the Father’s word of love spoken to us. In his Christmas meditation, Rahner became poetic and ecstatic: “When we say, It is Christmas, we mean that God has spoken into the world his last, his deepest, his most beautiful word in the Incarnate Word, a word that can no longer be revoked because it is God’s definitive deed, because it is God himself in the world. And this word means: I LOVE YOU! (…) This is the Word that God has spoken in the birth of his Son.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we treasure the significance and importance of God speaking to us through his Son? How do we respond to God, who speaks to us his definitive word of love in Jesus Christ? Are eager to follow Christ who proclaims the Gospel and calls us to speak his word and compassion to the people around us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
God the Father,
you speak to us through the prophets
and, in these the final days,
through your divine Word Jesus Christ.
Through the Word made flesh
you manifested to us your stupendous love.
Give us the grace to listen to Jesus.
He is the living Gospel we must proclaim.
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.
“Repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Mk 1:15) // “In these last days, he spoke to us through the Son.” (Heb 1:2)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Resolve to spend quality time on the meditation of the Gospel and the study of the Sacred Scriptures. Be courageous to share God’s word, especially with the people around you and be thankful for the gift of Christian vocation.
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January 13, 2015: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (1); SAINT HILARY, bishop, doctor of the Church
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches with Authority … He Is Made Perfect Through Suffering”
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 2:5-12 // Mk 1:21-28
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Gospel (Mk 1:21-28) continues to depict the early phase of the public ministry of Jesus - God’s “Good News” in person. The passage portrays him in the synagogue at Capernaum on a Sabbath, speaking the saving word of God and teaching with authority. The evangelist Mark describes the impact of Jesus’ teaching-prophetic ministry on the worshipping assembly: “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes”. Indeed, Jesus speaks with authority as he truthfully and faithfully reveals God’s message to the people. Moreover, he reinforces the power of God’s saving word by performing a healing sign – by curing a man possessed by an unclean spirit. The Benedictine liturgist, Adrian Nocent, comments: “Both word and action highlight the authority – that is the point St. Mark wants to make. Jesus is manifesting himself as Messiah, and his teaching differs from that of others not only by its content but by the fact that it is linked to an effective power from on high. His teaching thus manifests his person and the fact that he has been sent from God.”
Bong Tiotuico, a member of the Association of Pauline Cooperators: Friends of the Divine Master, sends us, from the Philippines, his insightful reflection on today’s Gospel.
The crowd is amazed at the ability of Jesus to command an unclean spirit to depart from one person’s body. Jesus performs the ritual of exorcism a few times in the gospel of Mark. The Church has received this power and office from him. Exorcisms may not be commonplace in the 21st century, but as we ponder through our everyday lives, we carry with us certain mindsets and behaviors we call our “personal demons”. While they may not fall under the category of psychological illness, we need to “exorcise” them too because they bring long term harm to our health, to our relationships with others, to our careers/vocations and even draw us farther away from God’s kingdom. These are big words we often hear at Sunday homilies, but never had a chance to reflect on, like: covetousness, envy, vice, selfishness, despair, anger, hatred, impulsiveness, depression, cynicism, loneliness, blind ambition, instant gratification, indifference, conflict, violence, bigotry and others. They represent a cabal of “demons and unclean spirits” that we live with, while surviving in a very competitive and materialistic world.
We must pray to our Lord through the intercession of our Blessed Mother to help us cast out these “evil spirits” from our lives. We can start by being attentive to the reading of the word of God during the Mass and supplement it by private study. This will make the gospels more instructive in our lives. It will not be easy, as these “unclean” spirits will be convulsing and screaming as we attempt to get rid of them. Also with the help of people around us: our loved ones, close friends who care, co-workers, members of our congregation, and if necessary, professional help – we can certainly succeed. Then we create room for the Holy Spirit to occupy our lives and produce within us, as St. Paul tells us in Gal. 5:22, his gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control: big words we also hear during Sundays, but sadly more and more alien to us these days. Amen.
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In today’s First Reading (Heb 2:5-12), the author of the letter to the Hebrews expresses the ideal relationship between God and his people in terms of a filial, intimate relationship. Jesus, who consecrates and redeems, and those he consecrates and redeems all have one origin. Thus, they are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. Christ’s incarnation and his redemptive suffering brought about the reconciliation and the intimate union between God and his prodigal children. The paschal mystery of the Servant-Son of God led to his glorification and the perfection of our filial relationship with God the Father. Indeed, because of Jesus’ deep solidarity with us, we are able to attain a profound, fruitful, and life-giving relationship with our Creator God and Father.
The sacrificial dimension of Christ’s redeeming work continues to be verified in the lives of his disciples today. The faith-motivated stance shown by Eric LeGrand, paralyzed from the neck down in a football accident, incarnates in the here and now the words: “He made the one who leads them to their salvation perfect through suffering” (cf. Adam Hunter, “To Walk Again” in GUIDEPOSTS, January 2013, p. 72-75).
The collision had fractured Eric’s C3 and C4 vertebrae, paralyzing him from the neck down. Doctors estimated that Eric had less than a five-percent chance of regaining any motor function – much less be able to walk again. (…)
“I believe that everything happens for a reason”, Eric said. “That God is working a miracle through me. Because of all those times I was praying when I was on my deathbed. And the answers God gave me.”
In his first months at the hospital, a ventilator and a feeding tube kept him alive. Doctors said he’d never breathe again on his own. The noise of the machines kept Eric up, and he lay there at night wondering if he’d survive. “Those months, I just prayed Psalm 23 with my aunt all the time”, Eric said. He found comfort in the messages he got from teammates, friends, fans, even perfect strangers. “I became determined to get off the ventilator”, he said. Finally, Eric convinced his doctors to let him try to breathe without it. “They told me I wouldn’t last more than a few minutes”, Eric said. “First time I came off I lasted an hour and a half. I knew right then there’s a plan for this whole thing.
The miracles Eric experienced next were like that – not parting-of-the-Red-Sea-huge, but no less significant. At first, doctors found no muscle response in Eric’s body. But in rehab, a needle-prick test caused Eric’s muscles to contract, showing the paralysis was not total. He once couldn’t sit without toppling over, but he slowly built upper body strength and can now sit up for as long as 15 minutes. He can shrug his shoulders, twitch his biceps and triceps, and even move one of his fingers the tiniest bit. In May, an electromyogram test showed, for the first time, that some nerves in his spine were sending signals below the level of his injury. “I can see the progress”, Eric told me. “So how can I not believe miracles can happen?”
Delivering that message is what Eric believes God wants him to do. He wasn’t sure he could. But a visit to a middle school in Jersey City changed his mind. “You know how middle school kids are; all laughing and jumping around”, Eric said. “But you could hear a pin drop when I spoke. I could tell I was making an impact.”
Afterward, a boy walked up to Eric. “I’m blind”, the boy said. “What advice do you have for somebody with a disability like me?” A tough question. Recovery from paralysis is rare, but recovering sight, even rarer. How could Eric tell him to just “believe”? Eric answered from the heart. “You still need to strive”, he said. “You still have a voice, you can still hear, you can still feel. You may not be able to see the world, but you can still affect it in many different ways.” That’s what Eric has done. (…)
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we surrender ourselves to the power and authority of Jesus as he teaches us with his life-giving word and releases us from the shackles of our “personal demons”?
2. What does it mean for you that Christ was made perfect through suffering?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O loving Jesus, Divine Master,
you are the holy and mighty One of God!
We recognize your great power and you teach with authority.
The power of your word
drives away the “personal demons” within us.
Cleansed from sin and evil,
we turn to you in humility
to receive the gifts of your Holy Spirit.
Teach and reign in our life, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
by his obedience Christ learned suffering
and was perfected in suffering.
The humiliation of his earthly life,
his suffering and death,
were means to glory.
Help us to accept trials and sufferings
that are woven into the fibers of our daily life.
Teach us to believe
that they are paths to eternal life
through Christ our Savior.
He lives and reigns, 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.
“A new teaching with authority!” (Mk 1:27) // “For it was fitting that he … should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.” (Heb 2:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your gracious words and acts of charity, be united with Jesus in his ministry of deliverance from evil. // Unite the difficulty and suffering you are experiencing today with that of Jesus for the salvation of souls.
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January 14, 2015: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (1)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Healer … He Is Like Us”
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 2:14-18 // Mk 1:29-39
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:29-39), the paschal victory of Jesus Healer is prefigured in the healing he carries out on behalf of Simon’s sick mother-in-law and many others with various diseases and those possessed by demons. The healing ministry of Jesus is a sign that the kingdom of wholeness has come. By his mission of healing, he shows that sickness, suffering and death do not have the ultimate word. The evangelist Mark narrates: “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed”. The “dawn” of Jesus is poised in earnest towards greater intimacy with the loving Father and the proclamation of the Gospel. The saving ministry of the healing Lord is sustained by his life of prayer and personal dialogue with the Father. Hence, the restoring touch of Jesus reaches out more extensively and the Good News extends, propelled by a life of recollection and prayer.
Also from the Philippines, the psychiatrist Dr. Eleanor Ronquillo, also a member of the Association of Pauline Cooperators: Friends of the Divine Master, sends her inspiring reflection on today’s Gospel.
These days, many people are getting sick from grave illnesses like strokes, heart attacks, cancer, AIDS, rare pneumonias. People seek many types of cures, search for doctors far and near, the latest medicines, the most advanced medical technology, herbal medicine, etc. They seek the CURE, not the HEALING. Amidst the sick person’s suffering is a big plea to God to take away this illness and this suffering. In the Gospel, as Jesus HEALS many, one is led to believe in such a “miraculous” CURE. And it is not surprising for some to turn away from God for not providing such a cure. “Why me God … why do you let me be sick like this? … I’m not a bad person … There are so many out there criminals/murderers, why don’t they get this illness? … I can’t take this anymore … You must have forgotten me Lord … I do not wish to live like this.”
It is beyond physical CURE of an illness that is the essence of the Lord’s HEALING. The Gospel says, “People brought to Jesus all the sick … Jesus healed many who had various diseases.” I recall the story of a man who was disabled and paralyzed. He continually sought cures to be able to walk again. He struggled with his condition and felt his life was full of difficulties and hopelessness because of his disability. He prayed that God might take away his illness. One time (I think it was his visit to Lourdes in the Grotto in France) after a deep prayer, he felt an aura of peace within. He began to cry, to accept what he had, to see life as God willed it to be, to find hope and meaning in his “suffering”, to embrace the Lord and find peace. Finally, when he left, he had been healed.
We must seek the Lord in our suffering, that he may heal us. For a lot of people in crisis, that is the time when opportunity knocks. The opportunity to seek and be closer to the Lord knocks on our doors in the face of crisis. And healing will come, as Jesus heals us, if we seek him and let him heal us. This healing is a process that only the suffering person can undergo. No doctor can effect a healing for the patient, a treatment perhaps, yes; but the healing, no. The person himself has to undergo the internal process of accepting his condition and surrendering to the Lord one’s suffering … and find peace and solace in his loving arms.
“And he also drove away demons.” The words tell us that the devil was at work in people. The devil works in people’s hearts and minds. The “illness” is not exactly a phenomenon of possession. It can be masked as a wonderful extramarital affair though immoral, a wealth ill gotten, a successful oppression, an ongoing sexual abuse of a child. The list is long. The many facets of evil are within and among us. But do we recognize them? Do we recognize that we spite our neighbor, endlessly criticize people, persist in being unforgiving and harboring anger, scheme and carry out revenge, plan the next move to take what is not ours? The driving out of demons is our turning away from evil and seeking Jesus to rule our hearts. That is also our process of healing.
***
In today’s First Reading (Heb 2:14-18), the author of the letter to the Hebrews underlines the true humanity of Jesus – his total and profound solidarity with human beings. To liberate us all from the power of death, the Son of God chose to share our human nature fully. Jesus is our brother because of our common origin in the Father, his sharing in our “flesh and blood” and, above all, in his embracing our own death and mortality. Because of his death and resurrection, the nature of death has changed – it has become a door to eternal life. Jesus is destined by God to be the High Priest. In order to be the High Priest who offers himself for the sins of his fellow human beings, he had to become like us in every way – even to experience the human situation of sin and of the hard challenge of temptations. Jesus Christ, however, is victorious over sin and death. He overcame all temptations that assailed his fidelity to the messianic mission. We who are tempted become victorious in him. He is the Eternal High Priest who is both in intimate union with God and in full solidarity with his brothers and sisters.
The following story entitled “Snowy Christmas Eve”, circulated on the Internet, gives insight into why Jesus Christ “had to become like us in every way”.
There was once a man who didn’t believe in God and he didn’t hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays like Christmas. His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments.
One snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve service in the farm community in which they lived. She asked him to come, but he refused. “That story is nonsense!” he said. “Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That’s ridiculous!” So she and the children left and he stayed home. A little while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then another thump. He looked out but couldn’t see more than a few feet.
When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near the house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and could not go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed. The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It is warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and did not seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them.
The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them and they moved further away. He went into the house and came back out with some bread, broke it up, and made a breadcrumbs trail leading to the barn. They still didn’t catch on. Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe.
“Why don’t they follow me?” he exclaimed. “Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?” He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn’t follow a human. “If only I were a goose, then I could save them”, he said out loud. Then he had an idea. He went into the barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn – and one by one, the other geese followed it to safety.
He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind. “If only I were a goose, then I could save them!” Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier: “Why would God want to be like us? That’s ridiculous!” Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do you turn to Jesus, the wounded Healer, for healing? // What does it mean for us personally that the divine Son Jesus had to become like us in every way?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
God our Father,
great is your love for us!
You sent your beloved Son to save us
and to heal us of all our infirmities.
He was tested through what he suffered
and, in solidarity with us,
he remained faithful.
We thank you for Jesus,
our merciful High Priest and ultimate Healer.
He embraced our human lot
and became victorious over sin and death
and the challenge of temptations.
We praise and bless you, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“He cured many who were sick with various diseases and he drove out many demons.” (Mk 1:34a) // “He had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way.” (Heb 2:17)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Be an instrument of God’s healing love by alleviating the problems and sufferings of the people around you. // When burdened with the daily duties of serving and caring, trust in Jesus who, in his great love, has embraced our sufferings, pain, struggles, etc.
***
January 15, 2015: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (1)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Full of Compassion … He Teaches Us to Embrace the Today of Salvation”
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 3:7-14 // Mk 1:40-45
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:40-45), the evangelist Mark depicts one of the most beautiful pictures of Christian compassion. Breaking down the barriers of hygiene and ritual purity, Jesus does the unimaginable. Responding with compassion to the leper’s faith invocation, “If you wish, you can make me clean”, Jesus stretches out his hand and touches him saying, “I do will it. Be made clean.” He touches the “untouchable” with his healing hand. He comforts the outcast with an authoritative cleansing word that brings wholeness. Indeed, in the Gospel accounts, the cleansing of lepers is a messianic sign that the Kingdom of God has come.
One of the exigencies of Christian life is to bring the healing ministry of Jesus to the many “lepers” of today, especially the millions of victims of Hansen’s disease all over the world who, more than all others, fit the description “the poorest of the poor”. Mother Teresa of Calcutta dedicated her ministry of charity in a special way to these lepers, impelled by the slogan that was a rewording of the ancient taboo. “Touch a leper with your compassion.” Mother Teresa, moreover, spoke of the “leprosy of the Western world”, which is, the leprosy of loneliness. In her ministry to the lonely, the unwanted, the marginalized, the rejected, the AIDS victim, etc. she had given witness that with the love of Christ, there is healing for the leprosy of our modern times. Indeed, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, together with St. Francis of Assisi, Blessed Damien of Molokai, and many other Christian disciples, had shown that it is possible to respond to the Christian missionary imperative: “Cure the sick … cleanse the lepers!” and that it is necessary to replicate the healing gesture of Christ: “Touch a leper with your compassion.”
***
In today’s reading (Heb 3:7-14), the author of the letter to the Hebrews issues a warning against infidelity using Israel’s Exodus experience. Shortly after the Israelites left Egypt, where they were enslaved, and when they arrived near the Promised Land, God invited them to take possession of it. The scouts witnessed that the land was very rich and fertile (cf. Numbers 14). When they came to Eschol Valley, they cut off a branch which had one bunch of grapes on it so heavy that it took two men to carry it on a pole between them. They also brought back some pomegranates and figs. But the cities were well-fortified and the people powerful. Intimidated and fearful at the prospect of engaging the Canaanites in battle, some of the scouts spread false reports that the land was not productive and that the inhabitants were giants. The people wailed and, greatly discouraged, refused to take possession of the Promised Land as God has commanded. As a consequence of their disobedience and lack of faith, they wandered in the wilderness for forty years.
Christians are cautioned against unfaithfulness. Like the Israelites of old they are on an Exodus. They are journeying to the heavenly sanctuary where Jesus has gone before. They must persevere in Christ lest they, like the Israelites who rebelled against God, fail to reach their goal. They must not have an evil and unfaithful heart so as to forsake the living God, who reveals himself in Jesus Christ. Instead, they must help and encourage each other “today”, with its gracious offer of salvation. They must not grow hardened by the deceit of sin for they are “partners of Christ”. They, too, are called to share with Jesus the joy of the heavenly sanctuary.
The following story gives us an idea how to support each other on our journey to conversion and how to respond to the grace that the “today” offers (cf. Christine Trollinger, “Healing Grace” in Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart, ed. Jeff Cavins, Matthew Pinto & Patti Armstrong, West Chester: Ascension Press, 2004, p.64-68).
Mother and I had never been close. She was very temperamental and domineering. Her quick temper had inflicted great emotional wounds on our family as we were growing up. My father, on the other hand, was a gentle soul. I adored him and was always Daddy’s little girl. As an adult I tried to leave the past in the past, but my mother’s behavior while my beloved father was dying brought fresh strain to our relationship. Mother was neither patient nor kind during Dad’s suffering. The disruption in her life angered her, and probably scared her. Yet, I could not accept her bad temperament during this time.
After my father’s death in 1985, however, I knew I had a responsibility to both God and Dad to forgive. It helped to remember how patient my father had always been. He loved my mother, faults and all. I recalled many times as a child that whenever Mom had been especially cruel, my father would come into my room, out of my mother’s earshot. He would hug me and say, “Please don’t hate her; she needs more love and forgiveness than most people do. She is God’s treasure just as you are.”
After Dad’s death, I wanted to honor my Dad. I knew his hopes and prayers were that I could love and forgive my mom. This was beyond my human frailties so I prayed to God for the grace to do so. As the years passed my feelings of distrust and resentment ebbed. I managed to lay the past to rest as Christ would have me do. Mother and I built a decent, if not perfect, relationship as mother and daughter. The past was just that – the past. The future I would leave to God.
Then during the first week of September 1992, I awoke from a dream sensing a very firm command: “Go home and see your mother.” I had ceased to question God’s inspiration when I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit. As soon as daylight broke, I packed my suitcase. My husband suggested we call to make sure she was all right. Everything was fine and Mother sounded very happy that I would be visiting her over Labor Day.
I arrived by mid-afternoon and Mom and I had an enjoyable time going out to dinner and visiting friends. Mother cut the evening short explaining there was a program on television she wanted to watch. When we got home I got ready for bed and sat in the living room reading my nightly scripture as Mom watched TV. The television volume gradually increased. Every few moments Mom asked, “Does that bother you?” “No, it’s fine”, I repeatedly told her. Finally she had turned the volume all the way up. “Does that bother you?” She asked in a loud but shaky voice. I put down the Bible and looked at her. “Well, it is loud. Are you trying to tell me something? Are you having hearing problems?” I asked. Mother looked at me with searching eyes. Still, I did not understand. Returning the sound back to normal, she explained, “No, what I mean is, does this program bother you?” For the first time, I looked over to see what she was watching. It was a program on child abuse. “I was not talking about the sound”, she said. “I meant, what do you think of parents who abuse their children?”
I was caught off guard. I stared into her eyes. For the first time I recognized pain and remorse. Huge tears trickled down her cheeks. My response was instinctive. “Mom, I love you”, I cried, truly meaning it. “And if you are asking for my forgiveness, you have had it for years. Don’t cry”, I said, coming over to kiss her cheek. “It is all in the past. It doesn’t matter anymore.” I then hugged her and wiped her tears away. No more words were needed. It truly was now in the past. For my proud mother to humble herself to ask forgiveness was a grace I never imagined.
The next Saturday, we began with a visit to church to pray the Rosary. Tears of joy, and also of sorrow for all the wasted years, streamed down my face. But I praised God for this new beginning. The rest of the day we filled with shopping and sharing as a mother and daughter who fully loved and respected one another. We went to an estate sale and found ourselves giggling and laughing like young schoolgirls. Mom bought me a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart, which had seen better days. The face was chipped and it had no nose. But it was a precious treasure, representing our newfound love for one another. I basked in the grace of healing. (…)
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. A touch can be a beautiful gesture of encouragement, reconciliation and love. A touch can heal the suffering spirit of a person. When was the last time you showed your love and concern with a gentle, healing touch?
2. Do we strive to be faithful to the living God and, as Christians, to encourage each other daily while the gift of “today” still holds?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O loving God,
great and compassionate are you!
Fill us with tender feelings for your injured children,
for a society that needs healing,
and for “the holy mystery of creation”
besieged by threats of cosmic destruction.
Let everything we do and say in love and healing for today’s lepers
become a sign of Christ’s paschal victory over sin and death
and of the beauty of the resurrected world.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
O compassionate Father,
may our hearts be receptive to your voice.
Do not allow us to be hardened by the deceit of sin.
Give us the grace to be faithful to the grace of “today”.
Together with Christ,
let us reach the heavenly rest.
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.
“Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper …” (Mk 1:41) // “Encourage yourselves daily while it is still ‘today’.” (Heb 3:13)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your kind words and charitable deeds, encourage those whose faith is getting weak and those who are losing hope on account of various trials. // Offer a corporal work of mercy for any of today’s lepers: the homeless, the AIDS victims, the destitute, etc. and especially, the victims of Hansen’s disease.
***
January 16, 2015: FRIDAY – WEEKDAY (1)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Source of Total Healing … He Leads Us into God’s Rest”
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 4:1-5, 11 // Mk 2:1-12
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The following story gives insight into the message of today’s Gospel (Mk 2:1-12) about a person’s need for total healing (cf. Hal Manwaring, "Fourteen Steps" in A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 1996, p. 264-267).
I became afflicted with a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side … In spite of my disease I still drove to and from work each day, with the aid of special equipment installed in my car … As I became older, I became more disillusioned and frustrated. I’m sure that my wife and friends had some unhappy times when I chose to expound to them my philosophy of life. I believed that in this whole world I alone had been chosen to suffer …
On a dark night in August 1971, gusty winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads. Suddenly the steering wheel jerked in my hands and the car swerved violently to the right. In the same instant I heard the dreaded bang of a blowout … It was impossible for me to change that tire! Utterly impossible! … Then I remembered that a short distance up a little side road was a house. I started the engine and thumped slowly along … Lighted windows welcomed me to the house and I pulled into the driveway and honked the horn … The door opened and a little girl stood there, peering at me. I rolled down the window and called out that I had a flat and needed someone to change it for me because I had a crutch and couldn’t do it myself. She went into the house and a moment later came out bundled in a raincoat and hat, followed by a man who called a cheerful greeting. I sat there comfortable and dry, and felt a bit sorry for the man and the little girl working so hard in the storm. Well, I would pay them for it … It seemed to me that they were awfully slow and I was beginning to become impatient … Then they were standing at my car window. He was an old man, stooped and frail-looking under his slicker. The little girl was about eight or 10 I judged, with a merry face and a wide smile as she looked up at me. He said, “This is a bad night for car trouble, but you’re all set now.” “Thanks,” I said, “thanks. How much do I owe you?” He shook his head. “Nothing, Cynthia told me you were a cripple – on crutches. Glad to be of help. I know you’d do the same for me. There’s no charge, friend.” I held out a five-dollar bill. “No! I like to pay my way.” He made no effort to take it and the little girl stepped closer to the window and said quietly, “Grandpa can’t see it.”
In the next few frozen seconds the shame and horror of that moment penetrated, and I was sick with an intensity I had never felt before. A blind man and a child! … They changed a tire for me – changed it in the rain and wind, with me sitting in snug comfort in the car with my crutch. My handicap. I don’t remember how long I sat there after they said good night and left me, but it was long enough for me to search deep within myself and find some disturbing traits. I realized that I was filled to overflowing with self-pity, selfishness, indifference to the needs of others and thoughtlessness. I sat there and said a prayer. In humility I prayed for strength, for a greater understanding, for keener awareness of my shortcomings and for faith to continue asking in daily prayer for spiritual help to overcome them.
Here we have the personal account of a crippled man who discovers that his need for inner healing is greater than that of physical healing. Indeed, there is more to it than physical malady. There is more to it than a physical cure. Jesus Christ, who embodies the Reign of God, shows us that the Kingdom of wholeness involves more than just physical healing. The messianic ministry of Jesus, the Healer, includes the liberation of human beings from the bondage of sin. The Kingdom of wholeness includes the forgiveness of sins.
***
In today’s First Reading (Heb 4:1-5, 11), the author of the letter to the Hebrews continues to speak of the fidelity required of Christians. At the time of the Exodus, the good news was: “The Lord your God has given the land to you; go up, take possession.” The feckless Israelites, however, did not believe the good news. They were too intimidated to engage the powerful Canaanites in battle. As a result they were not able to enter the Promised Land and remained wandering in the desert. The Good News for Christians is Christ’s paschal victory. If we put our faith in this Good News, we will be able to experience God’s rest. The goal of entering God’s rest implies a persevering journey toward the heavenly homeland. Those who are faithful will enter God’s sanctuary and will be given a share in the rest upon which God entered after the work of creation had been completed.
The following story depicts the faith stance of the Olympic sprinter Eric Liddell and his effort to honor the Lord’s Day and enter God’s rest (cf. Craig Groeschel, “The Lord’s Day” in GUIDEPOSTS, December 2012, p. 40-41).
On a ship headed to Paris for the 1924 Olympic games, Eric learns the heat for the race, the 100 meters – a race he’s favored to win – falls on a Sunday. “Does it matter?” his teammate asks. “Yes”, Eric replies. He refuses to run on the Sabbath. Finally, a teammate offered to switch races and let Eric run the 400 meters. No one believes a sprinter has a chance to win the 400. The starting gun fires. Eric leads from the outset … He pumps his legs, never tiring till he reaches the finish line – first. Just before he crosses, he recalls what he told his sister earlier. “God made me fast.” (…)
Eric Liddell ran for God, but his most important act wasn’t winning a race. It was the race he didn’t run. He honored a commandment – to keep the Sabbath as a day of rest.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we realize that a situation of sin is an illness that weakens, paralyzes and imprisons us in pain? Do we realize that being reconciled with God entails true healing?
2. Do we truly strive to enter into God’s rest? How do we honor the Lord’s Day?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Lord,
our sinful hearts are broken and we are in pain.
But we believe, O Christ, that you are the “healing Physician”.
Heal our hearts and make us turn back to you.
Take away the “paralysis” that results from our sins.
Strengthen our will
and fill us with the strength of new life.
May your healing hand and word of forgiveness
be the source of joy for God’s injured children.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we accept the Good News of Christ’s resurrection
and the power derived from it
to continue our spiritual journey to heaven.
Bless us and strengthen us
as we strive to enter into your perfect and eternal “rest”.
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.
“He said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven’.” (Mk 2:5b) // “Therefore, let us strive to enter into that rest.” (Heb 4:11)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for the grace of inner healing. Extend God’s gift of healing forgiveness to a person who has offended you. // Honor the day of the Lord with quality time of prayer, Church worship, and acts of charity.
***
January 17, 2015: SATURDAY – SAINT ANTHONY, ABBOT
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Healing Physician … His Word Pierces More than a Two-Edged Sword”
BIBLE READINGS
Heb 4:12-16 // Mk 2:13-17
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s Gospel (Mk 2:13-17) tells us that healing love springs forth from Christ. Jesus is the physician par excellence and he does not have to justify his presence among the sick. His presence amidst tax collectors and sinners is a mandate and a mission of mercy. He is sent by the Father to assuage suffering of every kind. The vocation to experience God’s mercy and compassion is offered to the entire Church and the challenge to incarnate the divine mercy in today’s world is directed to each of us.
The Fresno-based POVERELLO HOUSE is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization whose mission is to enrich the lives and spirits of all who pass their way, to feed the hungry, offer focused rehabilitation programs, temporary shelter, medical, dental and other basic services to the poor, the homeless, the disadvantaged, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex or disability through Providential and community support. Its founder is Mike McGarvin, a man who had experienced God’s mercy and transforming compassion through a saintly Franciscan priest, Fr. Simon Scanlon. They met at the “Poverello Coffee House” which Fr. Simon opened in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, notorious for its poverty, prostitution and violence. Mike narrates: “Gradually my life of self-indulgent destruction was being replaced by a life of service … I began seeing people through Father Simon’s eyes. He, in turn, saw people through Christ’s eyes, and he deeply believed that Jesus walked among the poor and the outcast. It was a revelation to me. The more I got to know the people who came to Poverello, the more compassion I felt for them.” Indeed, through the mercy and compassion of Fr. Simon, the “wayward” Mike finally experienced the healing and transforming love of Christ.
***
Jesus Christ is the incarnate wisdom. He is the divine word personified – the word of God made flesh - to enlighten our core decisions in life. Today’s First Reading (Heb 4:12-16) gives wonderful insight into the word of God and underlines its efficacy and capacity of discernment. God’s living and effective word penetrates to the innermost part of a person and forces him/her to come to grips with what really matters. It scours our entire being, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and reveals the deep truth about God’s love and our gracious destiny. Likewise, the life-giving word of God – the font of salvation Jesus - is as incisive as a two-edged sword in its power of judgment.
The 12th century Christian writer Baudouin de Ford remarks: “Yes, this Word is living, living in the heart of the Father, in the mouths of those who proclaim it, in the hearts of those who believe and love … When God’s words are heard, they pierce the believers’ hearts as the sharp arrows of the warrior (cf. Ps 120:4). They penetrate and remain in the heart’s innermost depths. This Word is sharper than a two-edged sword, more cutting than any force or power, more subtle than all the finesse of human genius, more pointed than every learned thrust of human discourse.”
The following interesting story entitled “Throwing Darts”, and circulated on the Internet, gives an insight into the power of Christ as the living Word.
A young lady named Sally relates an experience she had in a Seminary Class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.
One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s picture. Sally's girlfriend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased at the overall effect she had achieved. The class lined up and began throwing darts, with much laughter and hilarity. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target.
Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus..... A complete hush fell over the class as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced. Dr. Smith said only these words: "In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me" (Mt 25:40).
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are we willing to welcome fully into our hearts Jesus and the gift of divine mercy that he brings into our fragile, often times broken and self-destructive lives? Are we ready to incarnate God’s compassionate heart in today’s distressed world so needful of healing and mercy?
2. Do I truly welcome the word of God that is living and effective, able to discern and reveal reflections and thoughts of the heart? Do I allow myself to be challenged and appraised by the word that penetrates, judges, and heals?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are the most beautiful expression of God’s mercy.
You come to us with your healing touch.
You are the divine physician
who assists us in all our distress.
Heal us in our mind, body and soul
that fully restored we may give you praise, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we thank you for your living and efficacious word.
It helps us to come to grips with ourselves
and inspires us to make core decisions in view of eternal life.
We thank you for the challenge of Jesus Christ,
the wisdom from on high personified and the divine word made flesh.
Help us to respond with wisdom to Christ’s call
to embrace radically the Kingdom value.
Make us totally receptive
to the power of your living word at work in our hearts,
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 did not come to call the righteous but sinners…” (Mk 2:17) // “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Heb 4:12)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
In your compassionate stance for the poor and needy, and especially for the “outcasts”, let the loving mercy of God be revealed in today’s world. // Pray that the living word of God may continue to be proclaimed and incarnated in today’s world, especially by the disciples’ commitment to the truth.
***
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