A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday and Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 11, n. 27)
CORPUS CHRISTI AND NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME:
June 2-8, 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: June 2-8, 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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June 2, 2013: THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI)
“JESUS SAVIOR: “He Satisfies Their Hunger”
BIBLE READINGS
Gn 14:18-20 // I Cor 11:23-26 // Lk 9:11b-17
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Our religious community in Antipolo, in the Philippines, wanted to make the celebration of Corpus Christi during the Great Jubilee 2000 more meaningful. We invited our neighbors to join us for the Eucharistic adoration and procession in the afternoon of Corpus Christi. Many children from our low-income neighborhood attended the ceremony. Unfortunately, it rained and we were forced to improvise a short route for the Eucharistic procession within the convent. We served a simple but nourishing meal after the prayer service. The rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd as they partook of the abundant servings of “pancit”, a tasty noodle dish garnished with chicken and stir-fry vegetables. We also prepared delicious rice cakes and flavorful fruit juice for them. There was great delight etched on their faces as they shared our meal. A scriptural quotation from today’s Gospel reading may be used to describe aptly that heart-warming scene: “They all ate and were satisfied” (Lk 9:17a).
The Gospel proclamation of this Sunday’s Corpus Christi celebration (Lk 9:11b-17) presents Jesus as the gracious host of a miraculous, bountiful meal. Today’s beautiful story of the multiplication of the loaves and the feeding of the multitude is preceded by Luke’s description of the return of the apostles who give Jesus an account of all they have done. According to the evangelist’s account, Jesus then takes the apostles with him and withdraws to a town called Bethsaida where they could be by themselves. But the crowd gets to know about his plan and pursues him. Instead of resenting the infringement on his privacy and the obstruction of his plan to give a well-deserved rest to his apostles, Jesus warmly welcomes the crowd and preaches to them about the kingdom of God. He also cures those in need of healing.
At the end of the day, the Twelve approach Jesus and request him to dismiss the crowd so that the latter could go to surrounding villages and farms to find lodging and provisions. Jesus does not accede to his apostles’ legitimate suggestion, but rather, challenges them to do something for the hungry and needy throng. He says to them, “Give them some food yourselves” (Lk 9:13) for they have a vital role in relieving the needs of his most welcomed guests. The disciples acknowledge that they have some food: five loaves of bread and two fish, but they are absolutely inadequate to feed the massive crowd. Jesus orders the disciples to have the crowd seated for the outdoor banquet in groups of about fifty. What followed in Luke’s narration is the miraculous act of Jesus, the gracious Lord of the banquet: “Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, Jesus said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets” (Lk 9:16-17).
The multiplication of the loaves and the feeding of the crowd with abundant food indicate that the messianic times have come. This miraculous event wrought by the messianic Jesus in the green meadows for the hungry crowd that flocks to his care introduces us to the mystery of the Eucharist, which fulfills our spiritual hungers abundantly. Indeed, the outdoor feast that Jesus serves with the help of his disciples prefigures the abundant nourishment that the community of believers would receive from the Eucharist. The Christian believers are nourished by the bread of the Word and by the Eucharistic bread of Christ’s body, broken for the salvation of the world, and the Eucharistic wine of his sacred blood, poured out to seal our covenantal relationship with God as his own people. The Lord of the banquet, Jesus Christ, nourishes us with the bread of the living Word and with his own body and blood through the Eucharistic bread and wine.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Are we ready to incarnate in our lives the compassionate and generous spirit of Jesus who welcomed the crowd who sought him and hosted a messianic banquet for them? In our apostolic ministry, are we ready to offer our “five loaves and two fish”, that is, all that we have, for our pastoral ministry with Jesus? Does the enormity of the world’s hungers daunt us; if so, do we turn to Jesus that he may miraculously multiply the little that we have? Are we thankful to God that he nourishes us at the table of the bread of the Word and at the altar table of his Eucharistic sacrifice?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus, Lord of the banquet,
we come into your presence today
with our deepest hungers for things beyond food:
for forgiveness, reconciliation, and kindness,
for restoration in relationships,
for justice and freedom,
for joy in place of bitterness and cynicism,
for peace and unity,
for spiritual and physical healing.
Help us to eat at your table and be satisfied.
As we partake at your Eucharistic banquet,
let us be transformed into your own presence,
as bread broken for the life of the world.
Nourished at the table of your living Word
and the altar table of your Eucharistic sacrifice,
grant us the grace to be personally involved
in alleviating the hunger pangs of the people of the world.
We love you and serve you,
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 all ate and were satisfied.” (Lk 9:17a)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
As a special homage to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharistic Mystery, spend some quiet time of prayer and meditation before the Blessed Sacrament. If the opportunity occurs, join a Eucharistic procession as a public manifestation of your faith in Jesus, present in the most holy Eucharist. Feed the hungry and share your resources with the needy.
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June 2, 2013: MONDAY – SAINT CHARLES LWANGA AND COMPANIONS, martyrs
“JESUS SAVIOR: Tobit Prefigures His Truth and Righteousness”
BIBLE READINGS
Tb 1:1,3; 3:1a-8 // Mk 12:1-12
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
This week’s reading is taken from the Book of Tobit, originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic. It is a religious story that tells of miraculous help to God’s faithful people and teaches Jewish piety and morality. The author depicts the faithfulness of Tobit, a Jewish exile in Nineveh. He is an honest man who tries to do what is right in the sight of God. He is marked with virtues, foremost of which is charity. Tobit is a model of the exiled Israel who expresses his faith by serving the needs of others. He feeds the hungry, he clothes the naked and he buries the dead, a charitable act that once put him to flight and in danger of death during the time of King Sennacherib. Returning to Nineveh during the time of King Esarhaddon, Tobit is not daunted. He continues to exercise his charitable works.
On a Pentecost festival Tobit sends out his son Tobiah to find a poor kinsman with whom he could share a fine dinner. The son finds, instead, a murdered man in the market place. Tobit springs to his feet, leaves his dinner untouched and retrieves the dead body so that he might bury him after sunset. The neighbors mock his folly. He has been hunted down once for burying the dead and now he is doing it all over again. Tobit is a sterling example of how to be imbued with charity as a principle of daily life, and not merely as an occasional diversion. He is likewise a figure of Jesus Christ, the faithful one, who walks on the path of truth and righteousness. Tobit’s selfless compassion also inspires us to commit ourselves to corporal works of mercy for the needy.
The reverence for the dead that the Jewish faithful Tobit showed can be verified in other cultures. Here is an example in the Japanese culture (cf. Arthur Gordon, Memoirs of a Geisha, New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1997, p. 102-104).
And then Auntie interrupted my thoughts. “Chiyo, I’m going to read you something from a man named Tanaka Ichiro”, she said in a voice that was strangely heavy and slow. I don’t think I breathed at all while she spread the paper out on the table.
Dear Chiyo:
Two seasons have passed since you left Yoroido, and soon the trees will give birth to new generation of blossoms. Flowers that grow where old ones withered serve to remind us that death will one day come to us all.
As one who was once an orphaned child himself, this humble person is sorry to inform you of the terrible burden you must bear. Six weeks after you left for your new life in Kyoto, the suffering of your honored mother came to its end, and only a few weeks afterward your honored father departed this world as well. This humble person is deeply sorry for your loss and hopes you will rest assured that the remains of both your honored parents are enshrined in the village cemetery. Services were conducted for them at the Hoko-ji Temple in Senzuru, and in addition the women in Yoroido have chanted sutras. This humble person feels confident that both your honored parents have found their places in paradise. (…)
Most sincerely yours,
Tanaka Ichiro
Long before Auntie had finished reading this letter, the tears had begun to flow out of me just like water from a pot that boils over. (…) When I was finally able to speak, I asked Auntie if she would set up the tablets someplace where I wouldn’t see them, and pray on my behalf – for it would give me too much pain to do it. But she refused, and told me I should be ashamed even to consider turning my back on my own ancestors. She helped me set the tablets up on a shelf near the base of the stairwell, where I could pray before them every morning. “Never forget them, “Chiyo-chan”, she said. “They’re all that’s left of your childhood.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Like Tobit and Jesus Christ, do we endeavor to walk on the paths of truth and righteousness and do we show our fidelity to God by our compassionate acts of charity to the needy?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Almighty God,
we thank you for your faithful and merciful love.
Let us be imbued by your own mercy and faithfulness.
Help us to share our table with the hungry,
to defend the oppressed,
to give tithes generously,
to assist the poor,
and to bury the dead and show them due respect.
You care for us and guide us in your ways.
Help us radiate your saving love to all.
We adore and serve you.
We give you glory and praise,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“I, Tobit, have walked all the days of my life on the paths of truth and righteousness.” (Tb 1:3)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
When you attend a funeral service, be deeply aware that you are carrying out a corporal work of mercy.
***
June 4, 2013: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (9)
”JESUS SAVIOR: Like Tobit He Is Not a Stranger to Suffering”
BIBLE READINGS
Tb 2:9-14 // Mk 12:13-17
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s passage from the Book of Tobit portrays him as a very unfortunate victim of an accident. On the very night he performs a corporal work of mercy for the dead, misfortune comes to him. Droppings from birds nesting above settle on his uncovered eyes while he is resting in the courtyard and would cause him later on to be totally blind. It seems incomprehensible how God could allow a charitable man like him, who feeds the hungry and buries the dead, to suffer senselessly. Tobit’s reward for righteousness seems to be suffering rather than blessing. His affliction is exacerbated by his scrupulosity. He wrongfully accuses his wife Anna of stealing the young goat that was given to her by her customers as a bonus. His wife’s retort cuts deep into the heart of the matter: “Your true character is finally showing itself!” In the heat of anger, Anna calls into question her husband’s charitable deeds and virtuous acts. Tobit is deeply chastised and heart-broken and would pray to God for death.
Tobit’s affliction will turn eventually into an occasion for blessing. In the life of Tobit, of Jesus Christ and his disciples, good could spring forth from suffering. This can be gleaned from the following testimony (cf. Julie Evans, “Out of the Dark” in Saturday Evening Post, Sep/Oct 2012, p. 24-26).
Virginia Jacko was going blind. She knew it, but not everyone else did. Since the mid-1990s, her vision had been steadily deteriorating. Though capable of seeing people and objects in front of her, she might not recognize a person standing at her side. Finally, in 1998, then in her 50s, Virginia was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, an irreversible disease affecting about 1 in 4,000 people in the United States. The disease attacks the cells controlling the night vision, eventually leading to blindness. (…)
She needed to learn to live as a blind person if she was going to succeed in a sighted person’s world. (…) One of her three children, Julie, urged her to check out the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Virginia and Bob owned a condominium in Miami, so she would have a place to stay. Once there, Virginia immersed herself in the world of the blind, honing skills she once took for granted, such as baking oatmeal cookies and sewing buttons on clothes. She soaked up everything she could learn about computer programs for the blind, including programs that convert text to speech. After a three-month program, Virginia felt a renewed sense of confidence. “I learned that a blind person can do anything a sighted person does. They just have to learn to do things differently”, she says.
At the end of her medical leave, Virginia was at a crossroads. She could return to her job at Purdue and continue to advise the president and provost on financial affairs. Or she could continue her efforts to regain mobility by enrolling in a one-month, 24/7 intensive training program with a guide dog. She chose the latter.
By then, not only was Virginia completely blind but for the first time in her life, she was stepping into the future without a clear career path. Yet she was at peace with her decision. “I had changed. Walking out the doors of Miami Lighthouse as a graduate of the program, I realized that my passion was helping the blind”, she says.
Virginia’s husband Bob spent three months with her in Miami while she completed the program but, as a tenured professor, he had to return to Purdue for the new school year. Virginia would stay in Miami with her new guide dog Tracker, immersing herself in work at the Miami Lighthouse. She began as a volunteer, but such was her financial experience – and drive – that she soon became treasurer and a member of the board. (…
In early 2005, the president and CEO of Miami Lighthouse left unexpectedly for personal reasons. The chairman asked Virginia to serve as president and CEO on an interim basis until a permanent replacement could be found. Following a nationwide search, the board selected Virginia, making her the first blind president and CEO in Miami Lighthouse’s 81-year-history. Virginia wasted no time in growing the organization. (…)
Virginia’s disability has never slowed her down. “Virginia is such a determined person. Having a deep faith, supportive family, and positive, can-do attitude are at the core of her success”, says Doug Eadie, co-author of Virginia’s autobiography, The Blind Visionary.
“I am so blessed”, Virginia says today. Her blindness, she feels, was a gift that allowed her to find a new mission and purpose in life. “We transform people’s lives at Miami Lighthouse every day. I lost my vision and I found my passion.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
When we are totally grief-stricken, what is our attitude and course of action? Do we rely on ourselves or do we allow God to achieve his compassionate plan in our life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
My God,
at times and many times, we are lost.
Our grief overwhelms us.
Please do not let us lose hope.
Give us light and show us the way.
Let our hurts be turned to good
and our pain into healing.
Let the heart of the just trust in the Lord
and grant salvation to your servants,
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 was deprived of my eyesight.” (Tb 2:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Help the blind to perceive God’s beauty in the beloved creation and his goodness in every human person.
***
June 5, 2013: WEDNESDAY – SAINT BONIFACE, bishop, martyr
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us Not To Despair”
BIBLE READINGS
Tb 3:1-11a, 16-17a // Mk 12:18-27
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s passage from the Book of Tobit is a powerful assurance that God is in control and he hears our prayer. The author presents us with parallel lives that are interconnected in the divine plan. Both Tobit and Sarah, driven by despair, wish to die and be released from suffering. With regards to Tobit, it seems ironic that the more he tries to live a good and holy life, the more he suffers. He becomes blind through a bird droppings accident. Moreover, his commitment to integrity leads to a quarrel with his wife, who understandably reacts with a verbal attack. To Tobit’s contention that she stole the goat that was given to her as a bonus, Anna counters by impeaching his moral integrity: “Now I see what you are really like.” Tobit is deeply humiliated. Choking back tears he prays that he would rather die than live in misery and face such cruel insults.
In the distant city of Ecbatana in Media, Sarah, the daughter of Tobit’s relative Raguel, is likewise overwhelmed with tribulations. She is afflicted by a demon, who desires her. Wanting her for himself, the demon keeps killing off her intended bridegrooms. Asmodeus, which means “demon of wrath”, kills each of her seven husbands before the marriage could be consummated. An abusive servant taunts her with the accusation that it is she who kills them. She is so depressed that she intends to hang herself. Sarah reconsiders, however, for the love of her father and instead raises her arms to God in prayer.
Tobit and Sarah, both victims of senseless and cruel situations, turn to God in prayer. Faith impels them to cast themselves upon God’s mercy and seek his saving will. Tobit’s plea for oblivion is accompanied by the words: “Now treat me as you please.” Sarah’s prayer for death is likewise accompanied with openness to divine grace: “But if it is not your will to take my life, at least show mercy to me.” God hears their prayers and sends his angel Raphael to help them. The name Raphael, which means “God heals”, aptly describes the angel’s role to be the instrument of healing for these two faithful ones who have opted to put their trust in God. Tobit will be able to see and Sarah will be liberated from demonic oppression. She will be espoused to Tobit’s son, Tobiah.
The story of Tobit and Sarah illustrates that God vindicates our faith and that suicide is a false solution to human misfortune. The experience of Tobit and Sarah has great relevance for the “suicide crisis” in today’s world. The following article published in an Irish Catholic newspaper gives insight into the modern society’s “self-destruction” phenomenon (cf. “Flaws in Effort to Tackle Suicide Crisis” in ALIVE! May 2013, p.7).
Paul Kelly of Console notes some of the trends in society that contribute to the terrible crisis of youth suicide. He points out the need for “sensitive criticism of the act”, and warns against “unintentionally legitimizing” it. The national media RTE in particular, have already done immense harm in this regard, pushing for the acceptance of voluntary mercy killing and assisted suicide. This is part of their wider, socially destructive, amoral agenda – the idea that each person is simply an individual and should have maximum “autonomy” or freedom.
Mr. Kelly stresses the need to teach children and young people how to cope with big disappointments in life. But how is this to be done?
We are talking here about suffering, how to cope with it and above all, how to make sense of it. For Christians it is the issue of the Cross. Again, inability to cope with failure may be an even bigger issue for adults – they often have less hope for the future, indeed, less future.
Kelly is right to link this problem with the desire for happiness. He speaks of “young people who cannot cope with the fact that they will not get what they want.” But the issue of happiness goes much deeper than getting what we want or being liked by others. This is the deepest yearning in every heart, yet our society seems to be utterly incapable of dealing with it in a serious way. It’s like we’re afraid of something.
Kelly briefly says that young people need to be told that suicide is “innately wrong” and never the “correct solution” to their problems. Despite first impressions, however, this appears to be simply a pragmatic rather than a moral statement.
And here we come to the most serious and undermining flaw in attempts to tackle the crisis – the refusal or inability to consider the religious and moral dimensions. But, whether we like it or not, these are fundamental in dealing with the issue of suicide. We need to face it.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do the tribulations and trials of daily life overwhelm us? Do we ever despair and lose hope? In our painful experiences do we trust in God and have recourse to his saving help?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
God of mercy,
when trials and misfortunes overwhelm us,
be with us and help us to cling to you.
Strengthen us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Please join the sacrifice of our being
to that of Jesus, our infinite Savior,
that we may be touched by your healing hand
and experience your saving power.
Blessed are you, O Lord, merciful God.
And blessed is your holy and honorable name.
Blessed are you in all your works 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 prayer of these two suppliants was heard in the glorious presence of Almighty God.” (Tb 3:16)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your word and example, by your testimony of trust in divine mercy, enable the despairing to turn to God in prayer and supplication. If it is possible, join a support group assisting the family members and friends of suicide victims.
***
June 6, 2013: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (9); SAINT NORBERT, bishop
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Shows Us the Meaning of Marriage Covenant”
BIBLE READINGS
Tb 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a // Mk 12:28-34
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s passage from the Book of Tobit narrates the wedding of Tobit and Sarah and the prayer of deliverance that the newlywed couple offers on the night of their honeymoon. This prayer is preceded by a ritual of incense burning. Together with the incense, and in accordance with the suggestion of the angel Raphael, Tobiah burns the liver and the heart of the fish that they have caught during their journey to Media. The intolerable stench drives the demon away to Egypt. That the demon flees to distant Egypt implies total defeat for the jealous demon that has tormented the bride Sarah. The angel Raphael, God’s minister of healing, immobilizes Asmodeus, the agent of death. Sarah’s total deliverance occurs through prayer and ritual. Tobiah’s wedding prayer is not just to invoke divine protection, but also to invoke God’s blessings upon him and his bride. The newlyweds have entered into a nuptial and covenant love relationship with one another. Tobiah’s prayer considers marriage as a gift of God. He also makes reference to Adam and Eve who were created for each other as mutual help and support and from whom the human race descended. Tobiah asks God that he and Sarah may be like them and may live together to a happy old age and be blessed with children. Sarah joins Tobiah in the “Amen” and the marriage is consummated. God looks kindly on their wedding prayer and blesses them.
The marriage of Tobiah and Sarah is an image of the relationship between God and his chosen people Israel and also prefigures the love relationship between Christ Spouse and his Bride the Church. Indeed, in his life-giving sacrifice on the cross, Jesus Christ shows us the meaning of nuptial love and covenant. The beauty and the joy of a marriage blessed by God can be gleaned from the following stories (cf. Wilda Worth, “The Honeymoon Cottage” in COUNTRY, February/March 2012, p. 50 // Cathy Myers, “Plumber’s Helper” in COUNTRY, April/May 2010, p. 66).
During the housing shortage of World War II, two brothers in Muenster, Texas, converted their backyard chicken coop into a rental home. Newlyweds rented the little house, which became known as the Honeymoon Cottage, until they could find and afford larger homes.
In January 1954, I moved into the Honeymoon Cottage with Gene after my college graduation and our wedding. The cottage was the only furnished lodging available, and the monthly rent was just $30 including utilities. (…)
I had a lot of time on my hands during our first months in the cottage, so I turned my attention to creating a home. I learned to keep house, cook and garden. Using the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, I experimented with recipes and became a better-than-expected cook. Even when Gene complained that his clothed were getting too tight, I tempted him with fresh-baked bread, pies and cakes, and I secretly enjoyed watching him struggle with passing up dessert.
I planted a garden behind the house in spring. After stretching and straightening the wire fence into an upright position to keep out neighborhood dogs and kids, I dug, prepared the ground and planted tomatoes, bell peppers, beans, corn, cucumbers, potatoes, squash and pumpkins. On hot afternoons, I spread a blanket beside the garden to sunbathe, read and admire my growing garden.
As a first home, the Honeymoon Cottage was truly unique and original. And though it’s no longer a rental, the cottage still stands as an unlikely tribute to the hopes, dreams and determination of small-town America.
***
When my husband set out to repair a leak under our kitchen sink and asked me to help, it promised to be an interesting experience. (…) “Did you find the leak?” I finally asked. “’Bout got it finished now”, he said. “Dispose of the water while I finish removing the broken drain line. Then we’ll put it all back together.” Great! I was getting tired of holding the light, and it was almost time to cook supper. “Will do”, I said, pleased to be useful. I propped the light up against the cabinet and reached for the bucket. It was almost full, and I had to balance carefully to keep from spilling it
My husband continued to work, pulling in air through his teeth to whistle a tune. Imagine his surprise when he got a face full of water. Yes, I had poured the water down the broken sink. “Oops, sorry.” I held my breath.
My husband laughed and shook his head as I handed him a towel. He wasn’t angry or upset, or even surprised. He’s learned over the years to expect the unexpected. And now he had a good story to share with family and friends for years to come.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we see marriage as a gift of God and a vital element in salvation history? What do we do to promote the sanctity and integrity of marriage and family life in the world today?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(cf. Opening Prayer, Mass of the Anniversary of Marriage)
God our Father,
you created man and woman
to love each other
in the bond of marriage.
Bless and strengthen husband and wife.
May their marriage become an increasingly more perfect sign
of the union between Christ and his Church.
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.
“Allow us to live together to a happy old age.” (Tb 8:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By word and example, by catechesis and social action, promote the sanctity and integrity of Christian marriage in today’s society.
***
June 7, 2013: FRIDAY – THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS
“JESUS SAVIOR: With Tender Heart, He Tends the Sheep”
BIBLE READINGS
Ez 34:11-16 // Rom 5:5b-11 // Lk 1:39-56
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
The prophet-priest Ezekiel lives in Babylon during the period before and after the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. His message is addressed both to his disheartened co-exiles in Babylon and to the distraught people left in Jerusalem. Ezekiel emphasizes the need for inner renewal of the heart and spirit, and the responsibility of each individual for his own sins. Moreover, he also proclaims hope for the renewal of the life of the nation. God himself would shepherd Israel and heal the wounds and misery inflicted on his people by bad rulers and foreign invaders. Under the staff of God, the benevolent Shepherd, a happy future is possible for the distressed and grieving people! Ezekiel’s prophecy of God himself tending his sheep is radically fulfilled in Jesus Christ. With tender heart, the Son of God seeks out the lost, brings back the stray, binds up the injured and heals the sick.
The pastoral ministry of Christ and his compassionate “sacred heart” are exemplified today by Pope Francis (cf. “LA Prisoners Write to the Pope” in ALIVE! May 2013, p. 6).
In washing the feet of young prisoners on Holy Thursday Pope Francis showed his love for young people. In a tiny chapel in the detention center in Rome, Francis celebrated the Mass with 40 young offenders. Among those whose feet he washed were two young women, one a Catholic, the other a Serbian Muslim. He wants to reach out with love to everybody.
In a simple homily the Pope asked the young people to help each other. “This is what Jesus teaches us”, he said. “This is what I do. And I do it with my heart. I do this with my heart because it is my duty. As a priest and bishop I must be at your service.” But he added, “it is a duty that comes from my heart and a duty I love. I love doing it because this is what the Lord has taught me. But you too must help us and help each other always.”
When the young men in a detention facility in Los Angeles heard what the Pope was doing, many of them expressed a desire to share in it from afar. Some of these youth will spend the rest of their lives in prison. Others, after release, will be back there in a short time. But they have been touched by the Pope’s love. And have written to him to say so, to assure him of their prayers and to ask that he pray for them.
A number of these prayers were read out at the Holy Thursday Mass in the LA juvenile prison. Here are some passages from them.
· Dear Pope Francis, thank you for washing the feet of youth like us in Italy. We also are young and make mistakes. Society has given up on us; thank you that you have not given up on us. (…)
· Dear Pope Francis, I have grown up in a jungle of gangs and drugs and violence. I have seen people killed. I have been hurt. It is hard to be young and surrounded by darkness. Pray for me that one day I will be free and be able to help other youth like you do.
· Dear Pope Francis, I do not know if Rome is near Los Angeles because all my youth I have only known my neighborhood. I hope one day I will be given a second chance and receive a blessing from you and maybe even have my feet washed on Holy Thursday.
· Dear Pope Francis, drugs have been part of my life for so long. We all struggle to be sober. But you inspire me and I promise to be sober and help others with the cruel addiction of crystal meth.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we open ourselves to the saving love of the Good Shepherd and allow ourselves to find home in the most sacred heart of Jesus?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Opening Prayer, Mass of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus)
Father,
we have wounded the heart of Jesus your Son,
but he brings us forgiveness and grace.
Help us to prove our grateful love
and make amends for our sins.
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.
“I myself will look after and tend my sheep.” (Ez 34:11)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
With material, moral and spiritual help and with the compassionate sacred heart of the Good Shepherd, assist the poor, the marginalized and the victims of today’s economic depression.
June 8, 2013: SATURDAY – THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
“JESUS SAVIOR: The Angels Are at His Bidding”
BIBLE READINGS
Tb 12:1, 5-15, 20 // Lk 2:41-51
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s passage from the Book of Tobit delineates the role of the angel Raphael in carrying out God’s providential design in the life of Tobit, Tobiah and their kin. True to their noble character, Tobit and Tobiah try to offer a generous compensation to Azarias for having made possible the incredibly successful outcome of Tobiah’s journey to Media. Azarias does not accept the offer, but responds with a divine revelation. He reveals himself as the angel Raphael, “one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him”. He is the one sent by God to guide and protect them, to instruct and test them, and to mediate their prayers. He is the one who brought the prayers of Tobit and Sarah into the divine presence. It is he who lifted up Tobit’s generous deeds to God. It is he who tested and confirmed their faith. The angel Raphael, whose name means “God heals”, has been sent by God to heal Tobit and to liberate Sarah from demonic affliction. As a ministering angel, Raphael exhorts Tobit and Tobiah to praise God and to give witness concerning God’s goodness to them. He also declares the benefits of caring for the poor. He reiterates the need to do good and to avoid evil. His mission accomplished, the angel Raphael ascends to the one who sent him and vanishes from their sight.
Tobit, Tobiah and Sarah have experienced the awesome action of the angel Raphael in their lives. With regards to Jesus Christ, the angels are at his bidding and minister to his needs. Likewise for us, the angels continue to be agents of God’s saving will. The following story gives us further insight (cf. James Pruitt, “The Voice of an Angel” in Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al. Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 1997, p. 377-374).
Among the U.S. Marines who fought against the Japanese in World War II was 21-year-old Corporal William Devers, who considered himself an agnostic. No amount of arguing, Bible-quoting or coercion by his fellow Marines or chaplain could sway him. During the company’s first major encounter with the Japanese, a number of the unit were killed and the chaplain was wounded. In great pain, the chaplain called to Devers, “My … left pocket … take it … please … Last night I had a dream. In the dream an angel appeared and told me that I had to make you take the Bible. Take it, son … please.” Devers shoved the Bible into his shirt pocket to satisfy the wounded man.
Twenty minutes later, Corporal Devers’ squad stumbled right into a Japanese patrol, and before he knew what had happened he was on the ground, his mind fading into the darkness, certain he was dying. When he came to, he felt a ripple of pain shoot through his chest, but there was no blood.
The bullet had torn into the Bible he carried in his pocket, ending its journey at the book of Psalms, which read: “A thousand shall fall at thy side; and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we believe in the existence of angels and in God’s compassionate love in sending them into our lives? Are we sensitive to the promptings of our guardian angel?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Chaplet to the Guardian Angels, n. 5, composed by Blessed James Alberione)
All you angels of the Lord,
you are called to pay noble homage,
give praise
and incessantly bless the august Trinity,
to make reparation for our negligence.
You are true lovers of God and of souls,
and you continue to sing
“Glory to God in the highest
and peace on earth to men of good will”.
We beseech you on behalf of humanity
that all may know the one true God,
his Son whom he sent,
and the Church, the pillar of truth.
Pray that the name of God may be held sacred,
the kingdom of Jesus Christ may come,
and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Extend your protection
over civil authorities, working people and those who suffer.
Obtain blessings and salvation
for all those who seek truth, justice and peace.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord.” (Tb 12:15)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Be sensitive to the presence of the angels in our life and allow yourself to be “touched by an angel”. By your kindness and loving service to the poor and the needy, let them experience being “touched by an angel”.
***
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