A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday and Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 11, n. 29)
ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME: June 16-22, 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 16-22, 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 16, 2013: ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(N.B. Today is Father’s Day.)
“JESUS SAVIOR: “His Is a Forgiving Love”
BIBLE READINGS
II Sm 12:7-10 // Gal 2:16, 19-21 // Lk 7:36-8:3
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
When I was old enough to understand, my mother told me this beautiful story of forgiveness. I was about two years old and the youngest in a brood of three when my father got sick of tuberculosis. Three-fourths of his lungs were gone and my mother had to take care of him full time. My mom felt she could not afford to have another baby, and when she conceived, she tried to abort the pregnancy by taking some pills. One night she had a terrible nightmare. She dreamed that two children were pursuing her with long handled sickles in their hands. My mom woke up trembling and sweating. The following morning she went to church and confessed to a priest. The priest, however, protracted the sacramental absolution. He advised her to do all what she could to make the baby live. My mother went directly to her friend, a nurse practitioner and asked for help. The nurse gave her vitamins and medications to promote the pregnancy. She also gently chided my mother for her lack of faith in Divine Providence. The baby in my mother’s womb survived and was brought forth. A strong, healthy and handsome boy, and very fair! Highly energetic, he would grow up and become a dentist. My mother, who was truly sorry for her lack of faith in God’s loving care and for her sinful action against life, received forgiveness for her sins. She was blessed with other children. Moreover, my father recovered from his illness and would live serenely and fruitfully for 82 years.
This Sunday’s liturgy teaches us that forgiveness entails true repentance. In the Old Testament reading, we hear how the prophet Nathan, the mouthpiece of God, denounces the terrible sins of David, who has spurned the Lord and done evil in his sight. Seduced by the beauty of the wife of Uriah the Hittite, King David calls for her and sleeps with her. When Bathsheba informs him that she is with child, he tries to hide his adulterous act by recalling his military officer, Uriah, from battle in order to attribute paternity to him. Uriah, faithful to his military duty, refuses to go home and sleep with his wife while his comrades are in the thick of battle. Thus the “cover up” scheme of King David fails. He then concocts a murderous plot to eliminate Uriah totally. David has him killed treacherously and then takes Bathsheba as his own. Indeed, King David – the chosen one of God, the hero of the people and the object of God’s grace – has sinned terribly. The intervention of a prophet is needed to make David conscious of his crime.
The threat of punishment brings David to his senses. Sufficiently chastised, David responds positively to the call to conversion by acknowledging his personal responsibility: “I have sinned against the Lord”. Indeed, recognizing our sin and taking responsibility for it is the first step to repentance. The key to forgiveness is taking responsibility for our evil deed and being sorry for it. We need to see our anomalous situation and resolve to turn away from our wicked ways in order to experience the gift of God’s forgiveness. Confronted by the light of truth, David finally comes to his senses and experiences sincere sorrow for the awful crime. To the repentant David, the prophet Nathan communicates the gift of forgiveness from a loving and merciful God: “The Lord on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die”.
The Gospel reading helps us to see the intimate relationship between forgiveness and the gift of love. The sinful woman who bathes Jesus’ feet with tears of repentance, dries them with her hair, kisses them with devotion, and anoints them with precious ointment, expresses her profound love for Jesus, the font of forgiveness. She is overwhelmed with love for the one who forgives – the one who understands – the merciful Love in person. The divine forgiveness is always present – we just have to welcome it, respond to it and own it – for Jesus is always present to us. The loving and tender actions of the woman prove that her many sins are forgiven. Indeed, loving deeds and works of charity are indicators that we have really opened ourselves up to the divine gift of forgiveness.
The person who had been truly receptive to the divine gift of forgiveness – the sinner who had been “forgiven” – could declare with St. Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:19b-20a). The indwelling of Jesus - God’s forgiving love made flesh - reshapes our life and penetrates our inner being. Faith in Jesus, the wellspring of salvation, and the experience of his forgiving love instill in us a new principle of living. By the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, mercy and forgiveness have been poured upon us and our life would never be the same again.
The last part of this Sunday’s Gospel reading is very significant. It tells us that Jesus continues to journey from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him are the Twelve and some women who have been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, and many others who provide for them out of their resources. Contact with Jesus, the font of forgiveness, has transformed them into zealous participants in Jesus’ ministry of preaching and proclaiming the Good News. Their good deeds and charitable acts on behalf of the Kingdom prove that God’s forgiving love is transforming them and that their sins have been forgiven. Mary Magdalene, a recipient of divine forgiveness, has been transformed into a disciple-apostle.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
What lessons can we derive from David’s intoxication by prosperity and his gradual decline into depravity? Are we touched by David’s acknowledgment of personal responsibility for his sins and God’s merciful response? What insights can we derive from the “sinful woman” who had greatly loved Jesus, the forgiving Love made flesh? Do we allow him to make us zealous apostles of his healing love? Do we put our total faith in Jesus Christ who has loved us and given himself up for us? Do we strive to be totally united and crucified with Christ to the point that we are able to say: “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20a)?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you offered the gift of conversion
to the adulterous and murderous King David.
You forgave the sinful woman
who washed your feet with tears of repentance
and anointed them with the balm of love and spirit of contrition.
Listen to my prayer:
forgive all my sins,
renew your love in my heart,
help me to live in perfect unity with my fellow Christians
that I may proclaim your saving power to all the world.
You are the forgiving Love of God in the flesh
and you live 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.
“Her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love.” (Lk 7:47)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Be an instrument of God’s forgiving love in the various sinful situations that challenge the Christian disciples of today, especially where there is hatred, violence, injustice, oppression, exploitation and abuse. Endeavor to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation more meaningfully and worthily.
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June 17, 2013: MONDAY – WEEKDAY (11)
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Apostle Paul Is a True Minister of God”
BIBLE READINGS
II Cor 6:1-10 // Mt 5:38-42
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s First Reading gives us a beautiful insight into Saint Paul’s experience as an apostle. He recognizes that the Corinthians and he are working together with God in fulfilling the saving plan. He also exhorts them not to receive the grace of God in vain, but instead to claim the “now” as a moment of salvation. Paul’s primary work is to spread the saving Gospel and he absolutely avoids anything that will jeopardize his ministry. Indeed, Paul proves himself a minister of God by his way of life. In his Gospel ministry, he shows patient endurance through every kind of trial. He manifests himself as God’s true servant through a life of purity, knowledge, patience and kindness - in the love of the Spirit and by the power of God. Indeed, God equips him with “weapons of righteousness” which he uses in all circumstances - through glory and dishonor, insult and praise. His life as an apostle is challenging and fascinating, mysterious and paradoxical: treated as a liar though he speaks the truth, unrecognized but acknowledged, given up for dead but he lives on, punished but not killed, saddened but always rejoicing, poor but enriching many, having nothing but possessing all things.
Like Saint Paul, we need to conduct ourselves as servants of the Gospel. The following story, entitles “A Quarter for Jesus” and circulated on the Internet, gives us an idea of what it means to be a true “minister of God” today.
Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, “You’d better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.” Then he thought, “Oh, forget it. It’s only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare. They will never miss it. Accept is as a gift from God and keep quiet.”
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed
the quarter to the driver and said, “Here, you gave me too much change.” The
driver, with a smile, replied, “Aren’t you the new preacher in town?”
Yes”, he replied. “Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going
somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you
too much change. I’ll see you at church on Sunday.”
When the preacher stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, “Oh, God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Like Saint Paul the Apostle, can we present ourselves to the people of today as true “ministers of God”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Almighty God,
help us to live the Gospel to the full
and become your true servants
through trials and adversities.
Let us proclaim the Gospel of Christ
in the love of the Holy Spirit.
Sustain us by your power.
Through death-dealing situations,
enable us to live.
We believe that our poverty is our wealth
for we know that even though we seem to have nothing,
yet in Jesus we possess all things.
We bless and glorify 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.
“In everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God.” (II Cor 6:4)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Today make a special effort to conduct yourself with kindness, patience and unfeigned love toward the people around you and thus help them recognize you as a “minister of God”.
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June 18, 2013: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (11)
”JESUS SAVIOR: He Becomes Poor for Our Sake”
BIBLE READINGS
II Cor 8:1-9 // Mt 5:43-48
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In today’s First Reading, Paul proposes to the Corinthians a collection to alleviate the suffering poor of the Mother Church in Jerusalem. The apostle feels obliged to instruct the skittish Corinthians on this delicate but important issue. The collection for the poor is for Paul of special importance for it signifies acceptance of the Gospel and of self-donation to God. The apostle therefore urges them to emulate what God’s grace has accomplished in the churches in Macedonia, that is, in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Beroea. Though living in poverty and undergoing severe trials, they abound in joy, simplicity and generosity. The Christians in Macedonia give as much as they can and even more than they can. For them it is a privilege to take part in helping God’s people. Acknowledging the spiritual riches of the Corinthians, Paul exhorts them to be likewise generous in this service of love for the Jerusalem faith community. The apostle then provides a spiritual foundation for his mission appeal: Christ’s kenosis. Rich as he is, the Lord Jesus makes himself poor for our sake in order to make us rich by his poverty.
The model of Christian giving that Saint Paul underlines in his second letter to the Corinthians is an inspiration for all. The following story illustrates that the spirit of self-giving lives on in the here and now (cf. Marion Smith, “Drawn to the Warmth” in Chicken Soup for the Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al. Cos Cob: CSS, 2008, p. 226-227).
Factoring in the wind chill, I knew the temperature was below zero. The bitter cold cut through my Californian sensibilities, as well as my enthusiasm as a tourist, so I ducked through the nearest door for warmth … and found myself in Washington, D.C.’s Union Station. I settled onto one of the public benches with a steaming cup of coffee – waiting for feeling to return to my fingers and toes – and relaxed to engage in some serious people-watching.
Several tables of diners spilled out into the great hall from the upscale American Restaurant, and heavenly aromas tempted me to consider an early dinner. I observed a man seated nearby and, from the longing in his eyes, realized that he, too, noticed the tantalizing food. His gaunt body, wind-chapped hands and tattered clothes nearly shouted, “Homeless, homeless!” I wondered how long it had been since he had eaten. Half expecting him to approach me for a handout, I almost welcomed such a plea. He never did. The longer I took in the scene, the crueler his plight seemed to be. My head and heart waged a silent war, the one telling me to mind my own business, the other urging a trip to the food court on his behalf.
While my internal debate raged one, a well-dressed young couple approached him. “Excuse me, sir”, the husband began. “My wife and I just finished eating, and our appetites weren’t as big as we thought. We hate to waste good food. Can you help us out and put this to use?” He extended a large Styrofoam container. “God bless you both. Merry Christmas”, came the grateful reply.
Pleased, yet dismayed by my own lack of action, I continued to watch. The man scrutinized his newfound bounty, rearranged the soup crackers, inspected the club sandwich and stirred the salad dressing – obviously prolonging this miracle meal. Then, with a slow deliberateness, he lifted the soup lid and, cupping his hands around the steaming warm bowl, inhaled. At last he unwrapped the plastic spoon, filled it to overflowing, lifted it toward his mouth and – with a suddenness that stunned me – stopped short.
I turned my head to follow his gaze. Entering the hall and shuffling in our direction was a new arrival. Hatless and gloveless, the elderly man was clad in lightweight pants, a threadbare jacket and open shoes. His hands were raw, and his face had a bluish tint. I wasn’t alone in gasping aloud at this sad sight, but my needy neighbor was the only one doing anything about it. Setting aside his meal, he leaped up and guided the elderly man to an adjacent seat. He took his icy hands and rubbed them briskly in his own. With a final tenderness, he draped his worn jacket over the older man’s shoulders. “Pop, my name’s Jack”, he said, “and one of God’s angels brought me this meal. I just finished eating and hate to waste good food. Can you help me out?” He placed the still-warm bowl of soup in the stranger’s hands without waiting for an answer. But he got one. “Sure, son, but only if you go halfway with me on that sandwich. It’s too much for a man my age.”
It wasn’t easy making my way to the food court with tears blurring my vision, but I soon returned with large containers of coffee and a big assortment of pastries. “Excuse me, gentlemen, but …” I left Union Station that day feeling warmer than I had ever thought possible.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
In our self-donation and care for the poor, do we imitate Jesus Christ, who became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty we might become rich? Do we thank God for many generous souls who follow the spirit of Christian giving and allow ourselves to be inspired by them?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
God our Father,
we thank you for the spirit of self-giving
that Jesus Christ has shown in his kenosis:
he became poor for our sake.
Help us to imitate his total self-donation.
Let our poverty overflow in a wealth of generosity.
Make us generous in caring for the needs of the poor.
You are a loving and provident God.
We love 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.
“He became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (II Cor 8:9)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Emulate Jesus Christ and the generous Macedonians in their spirit of self-giving. Make an effort to alleviate the suffering of today’s poor.
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June 19, 2013: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (11)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is a Cheerful Giver and Jubilant in Serving”
BIBLE READINGS
II Cor 9:6-11 // Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In today’s First Reading, Saint Paul underlines the blessings of generosity using the image of a sower. The one who sows many seeds will have a large crop. God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply all the seed we need and help produce a rich harvest. Indeed, God will bring forth a bounty from our generous and kind hearts. He will always make us rich enough to be generous at all times. Therefore, we should not fear that generosity will impoverish us. God is infinite in his gifts. There is no need to covet or hoard. Our role as Christian disciples is to reflect the richness of God and his concern of the poor. We must have unlimited trust in divine providence. Our sharing must be motivated by a desire to proclaim God’s name. Our generous giving must inspire people to thank God for the many gifts he showers upon us.
The apostle Paul likewise asserts that God loves a cheerful giver. Like Jesus Savior, we too must be a cheerful giver and jubilant in serving. The following story gives a glimpse into this (cf. Carol Knapp in DAILY GUIDEPOSTS 2010, p. 281).
I received a surprising faith boost through my job selling baked goods at the farmers’ market. I had a tent and tables to set up, heavy racks of bread to load and unload, long hours standing in the weather-of-the-day and waves of people eager to hear me explain my wares.
Mothers came with children to buy their favorite cookies. Men stopped by on their lunch breaks to pick up pepperoni rolls. Summer customers wanted sweet breads for the cabin or buns for the outdoor grill. Autumn shoppers purchased scones to go with morning coffee and savory loaves to have with the soup. One woman preparing a Greek dinner for friends bought the spinach feta; a man on a bicycle liked his granola with raisins; a curmudgeonly man counted on his sourdough.
Somewhere in the middle of my job, the joy hit me; the unexpected joy of serving people, matching the right breads to their needs and watching them walk away satisfied.
I formed a new picture of the Son of Man, exuberant in sharing God’s message, excited to serve others: Jesus providing wine for the wedding guests in Cana, touching the hand of Peter’s mother-in-law so that the fever left her, giving sight to a man born blind, restoring life to a twelve-year-old, welcoming children into his arms.
How Jesus must have celebrated with the recipients of these wonderful works! What joy he must have felt every morning, anticipating the great things he would do, the words of life he must teach!
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Are we generous in self-giving? Are we cheerful givers?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
God of love,
help us to be generous sowers and bountiful reapers.
Please give us the grace we need
to be of service to your kingdom.
Let your provident hand
make a bounty of our generosity.
Help us to imitate Jesus
who is cheerful in giving and jubilant in serving.
Let our good works 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.
“God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Cor 9:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
In accomplishing your daily tasks and ministry, do it with a joyful heart and in a spirit of self-giving.
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June 20, 2013: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (11)
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Apostle Paul Preaches the Gospel without Charge”
BIBLE READINGS
II Cor 11:1-11 // Mt 6:7-15
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In today’s First Reading, we see the apostle Paul constrained to do some boasting. His detractors think he is not on par with the “super apostles”. He contends that he may not have the rhetorical skills that their so-called “apostles” have, but certainly he is not lacking in knowledge. Saint Paul is absolutely not inferior to anyone in the knowledge of the true Gospel. Moreover, he has used every means at his command to preach Jesus and his Gospel to the Corinthians. Indeed, he has done more than the other “apostles” to further the work of Christ. Another foolish accusation hurled at the apostle Paul is that he does not seek recompense for his preaching simply because he is too insignificant to merit any payment. Paul refutes them by asserting that other churches do esteem him and support him in his apostolic ministry. With condescension, he uses his critics’ own foolish expression and says that he is “paid by other churches”. The Christian believers in Macedonia, in fact, have brought Paul everything he needs, while he proclaims the Gospel in Corinth without charge. He resolves to continue to be financially independent and to proclaim the Gospel gratuitously so as not to burden the Corinthians. This is to prevent his critics from maligning his ministry and to avoid being accused of preaching the Gospel for money. At the end, the ever-conciliatory Paul reaffirms his love for the people he is trying to evangelize: “God knows I love you!”
The following charming story, entitled “How Much Is a Miracle?” and circulated on the Internet, gives a glimpse into what it means “to preach the Gospel without charge”.
Tess was a precocious eight-year-old when she heard her mom and dad talking about her little brother Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving into an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn’t have the money for the doctor bills and their house. Only a very costly surgery could save Andrew now and it was looking like there was no one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, “Only a miracle can save him now.”
Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all of the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the biggest red Indian Chief sign above the door.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!
“And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages”, he said without waiting for a reply to his question. “Well, I want to talk to you about my brother”, Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. “He’s really, really sick … and I want to buy a miracle.” “I beg your pardon”, asked the pharmacist. “His name is Andrew, and he has something bad growing inside his head, and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?” We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you”, the pharmacist said, softening a little. “Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.”
The pharmacist’s brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and
asked the little girl, “What kind of miracle does your brother need?”
I don’t know”, Tess replied with eyes welling up. “I just know he’s really
sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But, my Daddy can’t pay for it,
so I want to use my money.” “How much do you have?” asked the man from
Chicago. “One dollar and eleven cents”, Tess answered barely audibly. “And
it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.
“Well, what a coincidence”, smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents – the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.” He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
The well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge. And it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.
“That surgery”, her mother whispered, “was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?” Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost … one dollar and eleven cents … plus the faith of a little child.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
How do we respond to criticisms and trials we encounter in our apostolic ministry? Do we proclaim the Gospel gratuitously or do we allow money, or the lack of it, to inhibit the work of evangelization?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
God our Father,
we trust in your protection and providence.
Be with us when criticisms overwhelm us
so that we may not lose our peace and our joy.
Defend us from our adversaries.
Give us our daily bread
and provide for our basic needs.
Help us to proclaim the Gospel without charge
for you have given us gratuitously the gift of salvation
that you have won at the price of your blood.
We bless and adore you.
We love and glorify you,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“I preached the Gospel of God to you without charge.” (II Cor 11:7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
When you do something nice and beautiful for someone, let that person feel that it is done freely, gratuitously and joyfully on his behalf.
***
June 21, 2013: FRIDAY – SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, religious
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Apostle Paul Boasts of His Weakness”
BIBLE READINGS
II Cor 11:18, 21-30 // Mt 6:19-23
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
In today’s First Reading, Saint Paul continues “to boast” in the Lord. Challenged by his detractors, he is impelled to respond to them in their own terms. He exposes to them his ethical and religious credentials: “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So I am …” The most substantial part of his “boasting”, however, is based on his profound understanding of himself as a “minister of Christ”. He is a minister of Christ even more than the others for he has done more in the service of the Gospel. If others gain recognition on account of their sufferings for the Gospel, their trials would seem insignificant in comparison to Paul’s. The apostle then enumerates the adversities he suffered: imprisonments, floggings, shipwrecks, attacks from fellow Jews and from Gentiles, dangers in the wilderness, dangers from false friends, etc. Above all, he cannot refrain from adding his anxiety over the churches he founded. The daily trials of caring for the churches are without end and the conscientious Paul cannot find rest from these. He suffers intensely when others sin and the problems of everyone deeply concern him. Indeed, the great “boast” of Saint Paul is his own “weakness” which manifests the power of God at work in him. The great apostle does not exalt his own work in any way, but God’s protection.
In a way, Paul’s apostolic sufferings for the sake of the Gospel are replicated in the life of Pope Pius XII. The following excerpt gives insight into this (cf. ALIVE! May 2012, p. 13).
New York Jew Gary Krupp grew up hating Pius XII for what he was told was the Pope’s anti-Semitism and unwillingness to help Jews during the Holocaust. Then he discovered that the indoctrination which he, like many of his generation, had received was a lie. Krupp became a passionate defender of Pius, determined to dig up all the information that would show the true greatness of the war time Pope.
In six years of research Krupp and his “Pave the Way Foundation” have uncovered over 76,000 pages of original material, plus eyewitness accounts and testimonies from various international scholars. His research has forced Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem to significantly modify its section on Pius. Krupp believes that as the evidence emerges, the bid to blacken Pius’ name and destroy his reputation is coming to an end. “We’re definitely winning, absolutely no question”, he said. “Every time we do more research, we find a diamond. It’s incredible, but there’s nothing on the other side because there’s no documented foundation for any of their accusations.”
Some of the documents brought to light by “Pave the Way” show that more than 20 years before he became a Pope, Pius favored the creation of a Jewish state. Krupp also unearthed a letter written by the then Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli shortly before he was elected Pope on 2nd March 1939. The letter was an attempt to obtain visas to Brazil for 200,000 Jews still in Germany after Kristalnacht. “He wasn’t able to obtain the visas, but he tried”, said Krupp. “The point is, he didn’t do it from the safety of Washington DC or London. He did it while surrounded by hostile forces and infiltrated by spies. And yet he still managed to save more Jews than all the other world leaders combined.”
Through his nephew, Carlo Pacelli, Pius helped prevent the arrest of Roman Jews in 1943. Some 12,000 found refuge in convents, monasteries, and Catholic homes.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
What sufferings do we experience or are we willing to undergo for the sake of the Gospel and the faith community?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Prayer “To Obtain Patience” by Blessed James Alberione)
Glorious Saint Paul,
from a persecutor of Christianity,
you became a very ardent and zealous apostle,
and suffered imprisonment, scourging, stoning, shipwreck
and endured persecutions of every kind,
in order to make the Savior Jesus Christ known
to the farthest bounds of the world.
In the end you shed your blood to the last drop.
Obtain for us the grace to accept
the infirmities, afflictions and misfortunes of the present life
as favors of divine mercy,
so that the vicissitudes of this our exile
may not make us grow cold in the service of God,
but may make us ever more faithful and more fervent.
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 will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (II Cor 11:40)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
When sufferings and trials come your way as you carry out your task as “servant of the Gospel”, think of Saint Paul and the sufferings he endured.
***
June 22, 2013: SATURDAY – SAINT PAULINUS OF NOLA, bishop; SAINTS JOHN FISHER, bishop, AND THOMAS MORE, martyrs; BVM ON SATURDAY
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Our Strength in Weakness”
BIBLE READINGS
II Cor 12:1-10 // Mt 6:24-34
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today’s First Reading tells us that the New Testament prophet Paul is afflicted with a “thorn in the flesh”. Like his beloved Lord Jesus Christ, the great apostle Paul has been rejected, challenged, contested and criticized by the people he is meant to serve. Some vicious critics in the Corinthian community doubt his credentials and rate him as not on par with the “super apostles” who have received visions and revelations. Compelled to deal with his critics on their own terms, the indignant Paul confesses that he too is a recipient of a special vision. This unique “revelation” has transported him to paradise. His ecstatic, mystical experience definitely surpasses those of the so-called “super apostles”. Paul speaks of this “revelation” in the third person to emphasize that it is an undeserved gift received from God. Indeed, until driven to this extreme by his Corinthian critics who looked down on him, he has refrained from speaking about this and kept it a secret. However, in order that he may not become conceited on account of this extraordinary revelation, the mystic Saint Paul has been gifted too with a “thorn in the flesh”, most likely, an embarrassing, chronic physical malady. The purpose of this affliction is clearly to help Paul assume a humble stance and allow the grace of God to work more freely and efficaciously in him.
The experience of Saint Paul testifies to the presence of divine grace in all our afflictions. Though his “thorn in the flesh” continues to afflict him, the certainty of God’s favor and assistance is enough for Paul. The Christians of today are called to the same trust, surrender and faith that in weakness, there is strength, if only we are united with Christ. The following story of the cancer victim Kevin Barry, a former chief of legislation for the U.S. Coast Guard and a director of the National Institute of Military Justice, is a modern day testimony of how a physical affliction – a “thorn in the flesh” can be a “gift” to manifest the love and power of God (cf. “Pain and the Power of Prayer” in SAINT ANTHONY MESSENGER, February 2009, p. 35-37).
It is said that cancer changes everything. That goes also for prayer. I was diagnosed with colon cancer on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, 1997. When the diagnosis first came in, prayer suddenly took on a much more prominent role in my wife’s life, as well as my own. Each time the cancer returned, and with each new crisis, prayer again rose up to be a more constant companion. But it is not just the proximity or amount of time we came to spend in prayer. What is more important is that, since cancer, our prayer habits have changed. Our prayers have become more present, more intense, more frequent, more together. (…)
My cancer has also resulted, at various times in the past years, in me experiencing pain. At such times I tend to pray with more intensity than is my norm when I am not in any pain and life is proceeding smoothly. That intensity can vary from a little more prayer than normal to an almost constant plea for strength to endure when the pain is particularly severe … Obviously, the pain is part of the whole deal. It is a result of cancer. Thus, it has to be part of what Roslyn and I have come to accept as “the gift of cancer”. (…)
To a certain degree, my experience of pain changed in 2007, after I had to stop chemotherapy in February because it wasn’t working well – its toxicity became too great. My white blood cell and platelet counts were being suppressed and were taking longer and longer to bounce back. Soon thereafter, I began to experience cancer pain that was chronic and quite severe, and I learned just how much a part of my life pain and pain medications could become. I spent more time praying, not just for the grace to endure the pain, but especially for the grace to accept better both my cancer and its pain as part of the gift (some would call it a cross), which was fashioned just for me by my loving God. I was extraordinarily blessed when the next round of chemotherapy miraculously terminated the pain just two days after the first treatment. I believe this sudden relief from all pain was a reminder of God’s mercy. (…)
The serious pain I have experienced has led me to consider pain and suffering on another level. Paul the Apostle has two extraordinary sentences in his letters. One is: I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me (Gal 2:20). The other is: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ (Colossians 1:24). What could possibly be lacking in the sufferings of Christ? His passion and death were part of his perfect sacrifice. The only thing I know that is lacking is for his suffering to be made present today – in this place and in this time. But if Christ lives in me, then my suffering becomes Christ’s suffering. Suddenly, it is much easier to endure pain knowing that, by doing so with the right intention; I bring the mystery of Christ’s own suffering into my life, for my benefit and for the benefit of all who are “one with me” in my struggle. It is like a variation on the Mass, through which Christ’s sacrifice is made present today in our world. In my suffering here and now, if I can truly live Paul’s words, Christ lives and suffers in me. And I live and suffer in him. What an awesome mystery. What a profound faith to share.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
What are your own experiences of grace? Can you truly avow that there is “strength in weakness”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
be present to us in our afflictions
through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the power of the Holy Spirit.
We trust in your saving help
and we allow ourselves to be grasped by your guiding hand.
Gracious God,
in our human weakness and brokenness,
allow us to believe that there is “strength in weakness”.
You are our provident Father,
and together with your beloved Son Jesus Christ our Savior
and the Holy Spirit, the breath of life and love,
we adore you and give you praise,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (II Cor 12:9)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for weakest and most vulnerable members of the society and, by your works of charity on their behalf, allow them to experience that there is “strength in weakness”.
***
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