A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday and Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 11, n. 20)
THIRD WEEK OF EASTER: April 14-20, 2013 ***
(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 C from three perspectives. For reflections on the Sunday liturgy based on the Gospel reading, please scroll up to the “ARCHIVES” above and open Series 2. For reflections based on the Old Testament reading, open Series 5. For reflections based on the Second Reading, open Series 8. Please go to Series 10 and Series 11 for the back issues of the Weekday Lectio.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: April 14-20, 2013. The weekday reflections are based on the First Reading. For the weekday reflections based on the Gospel Reading, please open Series 10.)
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April 14, 2013: THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
“JESUS SAVIOR: “He Prepares an Easter Meal”
BIBLE READINGS
Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41 // Rv 5:11-14 // Jn 21:1-19
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
It was Easter Friday in Rome. Many of the Sisters in our religious community were out of town. There were very few of us for breakfast. When I saw what was served at table, I could not suppress my smile. Bread and fish! The Gospel proclaimed at Mass that morning was about the Risen Lord serving his disciples a breakfast of bread and fish beside the lake. It was a memorable breakfast of fish cooked on a charcoal fire and bread served by the greatest servant of love – Jesus, the glorified Servant of Yahweh. The Risen Master thoughtfully prepared them for his tired disciples who had spent the whole night fishing. As I broke the sweet smelling bread, round and flat, and piping hot from the oven, and as I ate it with some olive oil-soaked sardines flavored with zesty red peppers, I was greatly delighted. Aglow with joy, I could vividly imagine the presence of the Risen Master, the Lord of the Eucharistic banquet in our midst. It was an Easter breakfast I would never forget. It had brought me close to the original event. Likewise, the Easter apparition of Jesus at Lake Tiberias in Galilee with his kind invitation, “Come, have breakfast!” is something the disciples would keep in their hearts. Indeed, the Easter meal hosted by the Risen Lord on the lakeshore has been recorded for believers through the ages.
The breakfast at Tiberias, narrated in today’s Gospel account, is introduced by the episode of the miraculous catch of fish. The Gospel writer tells us that Simon Peter, accompanied by Thomas, Nathanael, Zebedee’s sons, and two other disciples, go fishing at Lake Tiberias. They toil the whole night, but catch nothing. When it is dawn, Jesus appears to them on the shore and directs their fishing. Following his command, the disciples catch an enormous amount of fish. Indeed, the superabundant catch is a sign of the Risen Lord’s presence and power. The sign moves the Beloved Disciple to cry out, “It is the Lord!” The Beloved Disciple, who saw the sign of the empty tomb on Easter morn (Jn 20:8), is the same disciple who proclaims his faith-recognition at dawn by the waters of Tiberias.
According to the Gospel writer, the net that is dragged by Peter and the other disciples to shore is “full of one hundred fifty-three large fish”. Although we do not know the precise symbolic meaning of this number, it probably refers to the future missionary work of the apostles and its universal character. St. Jerome’s interpretation is attractive, namely that ancient zoologists calculated the species of fish at precisely 153. The meaning, then, would refer to all kinds of men and women whom the disciples will bring into the Church through their apostolic preaching. In spite of the heavy load of fish, the net is not torn, indicating the integral character of the Christian community. The net that encompasses the great quantity of fish points to the great variety and multitude of believers that will be brought into the faith, forming the one, catholic and universal Church of Christ. In their apostolic task as “fishers” of men and women, the disciples of the Risen Lord need to rely on him for the efficacy of their mission. They can catch nothing without the assistance of the Lord. To act without Jesus is futile. Without his presence, casting the net into the sea of life is in vain.
The breakfast that Jesus prepares and serves to his disciples has a Eucharistic overtone. The Gospel writer narrates: “Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish”. The Easter meal at the lakeshore evokes the multiplication of the loaves and fish that Jesus did at Lake Tiberias at the beginning of his messianic ministry. In that incident Jesus fed the hungry crowd with bread and fish, distributing as much as needed, and with twelve baskets left over of the bread fragments. Indeed, in the Eucharist, the Risen Lord continues to be present to us in the bread of the Word that we share and in the sacramental form of bread and wine. The glorified Jesus nourishes us with the bread of his living Word and with his own body and blood. The Easter event of the Risen Lord feeding his flock continues to be actualized in the “here and now” of the Church through the Eucharist, the sacrament of Christ’s Passover.
The last part of today’s Gospel reading is about the special pastoral ministry that Peter receives from the Lord (Jn 21:15-19). The “charcoal fire with fish on it” mentioned in Jn 21:9 prepares us for this scene. Jesus uses the “charcoal fire” in his servant role as chef and as the giver of bread and fish. This “charcoal fire” now serves as a witness for Peter’s profession of love, recalling the previous “charcoal fire” at the hour of Jesus’ passion (Jn 18:18), next to which Peter denied the Lord. Peter’s threefold denial is now rectified by his threefold profession of love. Like Jesus Shepherd, Peter is to lay down his life for the sheep.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Are we ready to recognize the presence of the Easter event in our lives and acknowledge the author of this marvel, proclaiming with faith: “It is the Lord!” (Jn 21:7)? What is our response to Jesus’ claim to our love and service: “Do you love me? … Feed my sheep … Follow me …”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
We praise and bless you, O Risen Master, for allowing us to witness the Easter miracle of the superabundant catch of fish. This marvelous sign of your love warms our hearts and invites us to put our trust in you. In our missionary activity as fishers of men and women, let us not be discouraged by this seemingly endless and fruitless toil. Help us to believe that you are there with us, beside the sea, ready to greet us at the dawn of day with your life-giving and all-powerful Word. May we be serene and peaceful, for it is you who direct the apostolic work of casting the nets into the sea of life. We say to you …
“Lord, you know everything; you know that we love you!”
We praise and bless you, O Risen Master, for having graciously prepared and hosted the Easter meal at the lakeshore of Tiberias. You are truly the gracious Host and Lord of the Eucharistic banquet. You reveal yourself to us continually in the Eucharist as the Risen Lord, the font of all life and blessings. In your immense goodness, you nourish us daily with the bread of the living Word and the sacramental bread and wine of your own body and blood. We say …
“Lord, you know everything; you know that we love you!”
We praise and bless you, O Risen Master, for allowing us to share in your pastoral ministry as Servant-Shepherd of Yahweh’s flock. Together with Simon Peter, the fisherman-turned-shepherd, we wish to atone for our cowardice and betrayal. Let the “charcoal fire” that witnessed our past sins be the “charcoal fire” that testifies to the commitment of love and service that we avow today. Give us the grace to really love you by following you all the way – toward the paschal destiny of laying down our lives for your sheep. Jesus Master-Shepherd, together with Simon Peter, we say to you …
“Lord, you know everything; you know that we love you!”
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.
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!” (Jn 21:17)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray in a special way for the Church’s missionary activity of being fishers of men and women. Do what you can to promote priestly vocations.
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April 15, 2013: MONDAY – EASTER WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Fills His Disciples with Wisdom and Spirit”
BIBLE READINGS
Acts 6:8-15 // Jn 6:22-29
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
I was preparing for the public defense of my doctoral thesis at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of Saint Anselm University in Rome. I did what I could but I was a nervous wreck. On the eve of the thesis defense, I heard the words of Jesus at Mass assuring me: “Do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say: for it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” As promised, God gave me the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The thesis defense went well. I got a perfect score for it!
Today’s First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles narrates the power of the Spirit at work in Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit and anointed as deacon by the apostles to serve the Greek-speaking Jewish Christians. Richly blessed by God, Stephen performs great miracles and wonders among the people. He comes in conflict with Greek-speaking Jews who do not believe in Christ. But they are no match for Stephen. The Spirit has given Stephen a wisdom that they could not refute. They retaliate by stirring up the people against him and, with false accusations, haul him before the Sanhedrin. Replicating in his life the passion of the Christ, Stephen will be condemned to death and die by stoning.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do I believe that in my day to day Christian witnessing, the wisdom of the Spirit is given to me and that God gives me the power to overcome adversities?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(cf. Opening Prayer, Mass of Monday, Third Week of Easter)
God our Father,
your light of truth
guides us to the way of Christ.
May all who follow him
reject what is contrary to the Gospel.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“They could not withstand the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke.” (Acts 6:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your kind words and good deeds, enable the people around you to experience the beauty of Easter witnessing and the wisdom of the Spirit.
***
April 16, 2013: TUESDAY – EASTER WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Disciples Are Configured to Him”
BIBLE READINGS
Acts 7:51-8:1a // Jn 6:30-35
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles depicts the death of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Like Jesus, the deacon Stephen has performed great miracles and wonders among the people. And for this he is arrested and falsely accused. His martyrdom replicates the passion and death of Jesus Christ. Like Jesus, the deacon Stephen is led out of the city to be killed. Dying in a posture of prayerful submission, Stephen commends himself to the Lord in imitation of Jesus. Stephen’s “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” echoes Jesus’ prayer of submission at the cross: “Father, into your hearts I commend my spirit!” The forgiving attitude that makes Stephen cry out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” evokes the compassionate stance of Jesus on the cross: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” Like Jesus’ prayer of forgiveness that leads to the “second chance” offered to the Jerusalem Jews, Stephen’s prayer may be linked to the grace of conversion that the young Saul would later experience after persecuting the fledging Church. The presence of Saul at the martyrdom of Stephen and his subsequent conversion into the great “apostle to the Gentiles” reminds us that the blood of martyrs is the seed of faith.
Many disciples of Jesus Christ become totally configured to him through martyrdom. The following account of the martyrdom of Mathias and Joachim is edifying (cf. Full Sail with the Wind of Grace: Peter Kibe and 187 Martyrs, ed. “Martyres” Editorial Committee, Tokyo: Don Bosco Sha, 2008, p. 94).
Before being martyred, Jintaro had written a letter to Mathias Shobara Ichizaemon to express gratitude and to encourage him. Mathias read the letter over and over again in prison. His body was all broken from harsh torture, but when he remembered how their hearts had burned when they discussed their love for God together, he felt something warm welling up inside and he forgot his weariness and pain.
Mathias was baptized by the Jesuit Fr. Antonio Ishida when he was working as a warden in a prison. Fr. Antonio was his prisoner. From then on, the prison became the Church in which he served.
Joachim Kuroemon had been a Minister of Mercy for a long time. Because of his role, the torture inflicted on him was very cruel. The soles of his feet were worn through the long years of work. They hurt and the skin was cracked and hard as a rock. He had walked here and there with Jintaro, helping the poor and visiting the sick. “The only things I can be proud of in my life are my bent, aching legs” he would say, rubbing them as he laughed like a small child.
Mathias was martyred 17 February, at 34 years of age, and Joachim was 65 when he was martyred on March 8. They were each tied to a cross and pierced to death with a lance. Even after the martyrdom of Mathias and Joachim, their fellow prisoners were feeling the peace that they had left. It was the peace of the Lord, left behind by those who live their love of God and humanity to the end.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we imitate the prayerful submission of the martyrs to their paschal destiny with Jesus Christ? Do we endeavor to the totally configured to Jesus in every aspect of our life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
we thank you for the total configuration unto Christ
of Stephen and other Christian disciples
through martyrdom.
Help us to imitate them.
Give us the grace to embrace your saving will
and our paschal destiny.
Teach us to be loving and forgiving.
We adore and praise you,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Unite your daily trials and sufferings with Jesus, in his Eucharistic sacrifice. Pray for the grace to be able to say “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” at the hour of death.
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April 17, 2013: WEDNESDAY – EASTER WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Disciples Went About Preaching the Word”
BIBLE READINGS
Acts 8:1b-8 // Jn 6:3-35
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
On the day of Stephen’s martyrdom, the Church of Jerusalem begins to suffer cruel persecution. It is a persecution that, like a violent wind, scatters the seed of the Word. The believers, except the apostles, are scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria. They go everywhere preaching the Risen Christ. Philip, one of the seven Greek-speaking Jews set apart for a special diakonia or service in the Church, preaches the Gospel to the people of Samaria. This is the first time in the Acts of the Apostles that the Gospel is preached to people who are non-Jews. The Jews regard the Samaritans as impure mongrels and “heretics”. Philip draws crowds by his message, which he authenticates by performing miracles, especially exorcisms and healings. A great joy fills Samaria, a joy that springs forth from an encounter with the Risen Christ. The young man Saul, an important protagonist in Stephen’s murder, also propels the work of evangelization. By cruelly persecuting the Church, he unwittingly helps to spread the Christian faith.
The following story gives us an idea how adversity and trail can lead to a greater good (cf. Mezhgan Hussainy, a Make up Artist, in Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al. Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc. 2007, p. 146-150).
When the two men arrived at the door of our house in Afghanistan, even though I was only eight years old, I knew something had gone wrong. The anguish on my mother’s face told the story. That was the day my family – my parents, three brothers, and six other relatives – were to begin our escape from our country that we called home. It was early 1980s and the Soviet invasion had just begun. (…)
For the next ten days, my entire family walked in the darkness through the nearly impassable mountains covered in fog so thick that if you took one wrong step, you would fall into the deep canyons. We hid in little villages during the daylight hours, hardly moving or speaking. At first I thought it was some sort of fun game, especially since it was special to be spending this time with my cousins, but after the second day when the hard-boiled eggs were long gone, with no food or water, the horror really began.
It was freezing cold at night and sweltering hot during the day. Everyone had blisters on the bottoms of their feet. I had developed sores all over my body – the most painful were the ones in my mouth. My little brother, who was only five, suffered from such severe dehydration that we had to stop my mother from slitting her wrists because she wanted him to have something – anything – to drink. (…)
By some miracle, we made it over the border into Pakistan. We paid the smugglers – and others too who later helped us reach America – with money my mom had put in bags and sewn underneath her dress along with my father’s college diploma. My dad had gone to school years before in the United States. He had a degree in computer programming and spoke fluent English, so that helped our transition. Although the rest of us didn’t speak one word of English, we adjusted well in our new country, eventually settling in Los Angeles. (…)
After high school, I went to school to become a dental hygienist because I love beautiful smiles. One of my friends from dental school happened to be working part-time for a makeup line and thought it would be fun if we did makeup together. I told her I had no experience with it, but the next thing I knew, I was working for the cosmetic company Lancome. (…)
I’ll always be grateful to my parents for the courage they had to give their children a life of freedom in this country. The remarkable irony of my life story is that if my family had stayed in Afghanistan after the Russian invasion and the Taliban taking control, not only would I never have been able to wear makeup, but I would have been living my life under a burka, with my entire face covered. Women in my country can be killed if they walk out of their front door with their faces showing.
And here I am, making up the faces that are seen on television by more people that any other faces in the world. Perhaps my mother had an intuition about what my destiny would be – Mezhgan, the name I was given at birth, means eyelashes.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we allow moments of adversity and trials to become a saving grace and occasion for the spread of the Gospel?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(cf. Opening Prayer, Mass of Wednesday – Third Week of Easter)
Merciful Lord,
hear the prayers of your people.
May we who have received your gift of faith
share for ever in the new life of Christ.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.” (Acts 8:4)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
When faced with adversity, trust in the Lord and allow it to be an occasion for sharing your faith in Jesus and his saving word.
***
April 18, 2013: THURSDAY – EASTER WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: The Eunuch Is Baptized in His Name”
BIBLE READINGS
Acts 8:26-40 // Jn 6:44-51
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s episode from the Acts of the Apostles continues to depict the spread of the Word beyond the Jewish world. The conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch from a distant land foreshadows the full-scale evangelization to the nations. His journey to Christian faith, accompanied by Philip, is God’s initiative. Indeed, it is God, not merely human enterprise, that guides the spread of the Easter faith. The God-fearing Ethiopian is considered an outcast. Not only he is a pagan, but he has been castrated. The Law excludes eunuchs from membership in the community of the Lord. The Book of Deuteronomy asserts: “No man who has been castrated or whose penis has been cut off may be included among the Lord’s people” (Dt 23:1) But Isaiah prophesies that this would change: “A man who has been castrated should never think that because he cannot have children, he can never be part of God’s people” (Is 56:3). The joyful integration of the eunuch into God’s “new people” happens at his baptism in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus walks with his two disciples on the road to Emmaus and opens to them the meaning of the Scriptures. In the same way Philip journeys with the eunuch as a spiritual guide. He enables him to understand the Christ-centered meaning of the Scripture passage he has been reading. Responding in faith, the eunuch manifests his desire for baptism: “Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?” Both Philip and the eunuch go into the water. Philip baptizes him and when they come out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatches Philip away. The newly baptized continues on his way rejoicing. The desert of his inner heart is now fecundated with the “living water” and abloom with joy.
The baptismal experience of the eunuch with its life-transforming effect is likewise experienced by Kateri Tekakwitha, herself no stranger to alienation and suffering (cf. “Our First Native American Saint” in ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER, October 2012, p. 30).
When Kateri Tekakwitha is proclaimed St. Kateri Tekakwitha on October 21, she will be the first member of a North American tribe to be declared a saint. “The Lily of the Mohawks”, Kateri was born in 1656 in a village along the Mohawk River called Ossernenon, now known as Auriesville, New York. Her father was a Mohawk chief, her mother a Christian Algonquin raised among the French.
When Kateri was 4, a smallpox epidemic claimed her parents and baby brother. She survived, but her face was disfigured and her vision impaired. She was raised by her anti-Christian uncle, who began to plan her marriage. But after meeting with Catholic priests, Kateri decided to be baptized.
Following her Baptism by a Jesuit missionary in 1676 at age 20, Kateri’s family and village ostracized and ridiculed her. She fled the next year to Canada, taking refuge at St. Francis Xavier Mission in the Mohawk Nation at Caughnawaga on the St. Lawrence River, about 10 miles from Montreal, and made her First Communion on Christmas in 1677.
Kateri astounded the Jesuits with her deep spirituality and her devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. She took a private vow of virginity and devoted herself to teaching prayers to the children and helping the sick and elderly at Caughnawaga.
She died in 1680 at age 24. According to eyewitnesses, the scars on her face suddenly disappeared after her death. Soon after, Catholics started to claim that favors and miracles had been obtained through her intercession. Native Americans have made appeals to the Catholic Church for her recognition since at least the late 1800s.
Documentation for Kateri’s sainthood cause was sent to the Vatican in 1932. She was declared venerable in 1942 and in 1980 was beatified by Pope John Paul II.
Records for the final miracle needed for her canonization were sent to the Vatican in July 2009. It involved the full recovery of a young boy in Seattle whose face had been disfigured by flesh-eating bacteria and who almost died from the disease. His family, who is part Native American, had prayed for Kateri’s intercession. On December 19, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI signed the decree recognizing the miracle, clearing the way for Kateri’s canonization.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Like Philip do we make an effort to enlighten the uninitiated with regards to the meaning of the Scriptures? Do we seek to spread the Easter faith to those who are seeking for the light of truth?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(cf. Opening Prayer of the Mass, Thursday in the Third Week of Easter)
Father,
in this holy season
we come to know the full depth of your love.
You have freed us from the darkness of error and sin.
Help us to cling to your truths with fidelity.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“He continued on his way rejoicing.” (Acts 8:39)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Resolve to study the Scriptures more devoutly and faithfully. Seek to share the life-transforming power of the Word with the people close to you.
***
April 19, 2013: FRIDAY – EASTER WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: Saul of Tarsus Is His Chosen Instrument to the Gentiles”
BIBLE READINGS
Acts 9:1-20 // Jn 6:52-59
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s account from the Acts of the Apostles is about the conversion of Saint Paul and his call to be “the instrument chosen to bring the Lord’s name to the Gentiles”. On the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus has a profound, dynamic spiritual experience. It is God’s initiative, grace and compassion that brought about Paul’s encounter with the Risen Lord. It is an experience of light – of revelation – of who Christ really is. Jesus of Nazareth reveals himself as the One being persecuted by Saul in his Body the Church. It is a knocked-down experience that leaves Paul vulnerable, defenseless and open to grace. He could not help but welcome the loving initiative of God. Saint Paul is a model for us of total receptivity and openness to grace. Paul’s spiritual journey is a spiritual experience that produces a transformation and impels him to assume a mission of evangelization. The converted Paul thus becomes an apostle of Christ to the nations. Immediately after his conversion, Paul begins to proclaim in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.
The conversion and mission of Saint Paul in spreading the Gospel to the nations deeply impressed Blessed James Alberione, the founder of the Pauline Family to which the PDDM religious congregation belongs. He explains the role of Saint Paul with regards to the Pauline Family, composed of five religious congregations and five secular and aggregated institutes (cf. Luigi Rolfo, SSP, James Alberione: Apostle for Our Times, New York: Alba House, 1987, p. 233).
Saint Paul the Apostle is our Father, Teacher, and Protector. He has done everything … The life of the Pauline Family comes from the Eucharist, but it is St. Paul who communicates it … He has made this Family with an intervention so physical and spiritual that not even now, reflecting back upon it, can it be understood very well, much less explained.
Everything is his. From him, who applied the Gospel to the nations and called the nations to Christ, have we received the most complete interpretation of the Divine Master … from him, whose presence in the theology, the moral teaching, the organization of the Church and in the adaptability of the apostolate to the times is very lively and substantial, and will remain so until the end of time. He moved everything, illuminated everything, nourished everything; he was the guide, the provider, the defense, the supporter, wherever the Pauline Family was established.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Each of us has a spiritual experience. How do we imitate Paul in being receptive and responsive to this experience? Do we imitate him in our work of conversion and “Christification”? How do we carry out the mission of evangelization?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(cf. Opening Prayer, Mass of Feast of Conversion of Saint Paul)
God our Father,
you taught the gospel to all the world
through the preaching of Paul your apostle.
May we who celebrate his conversion to the faith
follow him in bearing witness to your truth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“This man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles.” (Acts 9:1-15)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Spread the Gospel to the people around you by promoting the reading of the Gospel and the Pauline epistles.
***
April 20, 2013: SATURDAY – EASTER WEEKDAY (3)
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Church Is Being Built Up”
BIBLE READINGS
Acts 9:31-42 // Jn 6:60-69
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The Acts of the Apostles paints a beautiful picture of the early Church in its springtime of growth. The Church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria has a time of peace. Through the Holy Spirit it is being built up and strengthened. It grows in number and lives in reverence for the Lord. Through the wonderful works of the apostles, many come to believe in Jesus. Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents the apostle Peter as continuing the works of Christ Jesus. Peter heals the paralytic Aeneas and raises to life Tabitha in the name of Jesus. The healing of Aeneas, confined to his bed for eight years, evokes the miraculous cure of the paralytic (Lk 5:17-26) in Galilee. He was healed at Jesus’ command: “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home!” Likewise, the raising up to life of Tabitha makes us think of Jairus’ deceased daughter who was raised to life by Jesus (Lk 8:49-56). Having witnessed the healing of Aeneas, the people in Lydda and Sharon turn to the Lord Jesus. Likewise, having heard of the miracle accomplished by Peter in raising Tabitha to life, many come to believe in Jesus, the Risen Lord.
Miracles continue to be experienced in the here and now. The intercession of saints helps to bring these about and these holy “signs” become an occasion for conversion and the growth of the Church (cf. “Linked Across the Centuries” in ALIVE! March 2013, p. 3)
In early 2011 Marilyn Pinkerton’s baby grandson, Nicholas, was diagnosed with nail-patella syndrome. This is a genetic disorder that prevents proper development of the finger nails and kneecaps and sometimes other parts of the body. Among other problems, Nicholas had no kneecaps, and doctors wondered if he would ever be able to walk.
Pinkerton lived near a convent of Carmelite nuns in San Marino, a short distance from Los Angeles. According to the National Catholic Register, the 57-year-old woman spoke to the nuns who suggested that she pray for her grandson to Blessed Margaret of Castello. Although she was not a Catholic, Pinkerton began to attend daily Mass with the nuns, pleading with God through the intercession of Margaret for the baby’s health.
Nicholas was having ongoing therapy for other symptoms of the disorder. But, said Marilyn, “while I kept praying and praying, he got better and better.” The most impressive improvement occurred a year after she began her devotion to Bl. Margaret. “Last March”, said the Register, “the doctors were again examining Nicholas and for the first time, they discovered he had kneecaps. He is now able to walk and run like other typically developing children of his age.”
Said Pinkerton, “Nicholas is our miracle baby. He has defied the odds of everything they thought he’d be able to do.” Margaret of Castello, she said, “had so many handicaps, but through it all she had great faith. I pray I can have that great faith, too.”
Last Easter, she, her husband and her daughter (the baby’s mother) all had the immense joy of being received into the Catholic Church. “It has given me so much strength”, said the grateful grandmother.
Blessed Margaret was born in 1287 to a noble family near Florence, Italy. From birth she suffered from various severe physical ailments. A dwarf, she had a curved spine that left her hunched over, was lame to the point that she could barely walk, and blind. Her family kept her hidden for many years. Aged 6, she was walled up in a room beside a chapel in the castle. But the family’s chaplain fostered her faith in God.
When she was 20 her parents took her a distance to a Franciscan shrine, seeking a miracle. It didn’t happen, so they simply abandoned her to the streets. The down and outs took care of her but after a time her joy and holiness were becoming evident to the townspeople.
Margaret became a member of the Dominican Third Order, developed a deep prayer life and devoted the remainder of her 33-year life to penance and acts of kindness. For the last three years of her life she was frequently ill, probably due to her disabilities.
When she died on 13 April 1320 the townspeople thronged to her funeral and insisted she be buried inside the church. The priest agreed only when a crippled girl was miraculously cured. Margaret was beatified in 1609. In recent years a new popular devotion to her has developed, thanks to the US pro-life movement and the Dominican friars.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we feel an integral part of the dynamic and ongoing process of the building up of the Church? What do we do personally to make people turn to the Lord Jesus and come to believe in him?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(cf. Opening Prayer, Mass of Saturday – Third Week of Easter)
God our Father,
by the waters of baptism
you give new life to the faithful.
May we not succumb to the influence of evil
but remain true to your gift of life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“The Church was being built up … and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.” (Acts 9:31)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your kind words and charitable deeds, let the people around you experience the healing power of Easter and feel the desire to turn to Jesus the Risen Lord.
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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