A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 17, n. 49)
Week 31 in Ordinary Time: November 3-9, 2019
(The pastoral tool BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY & WEEKDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy from various perspectives. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: October 27 – November 2, 2019 please go to ARCHIVES Series 17 and click on “Week 30 Ordinary Time”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: November 3-9, 2019.)
*** *** ***
November 3, 2019: THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Comes to Seek the Lost”
BIBLE READINGS
Wis 11:22-12:2 // 2 Thes 1:11-2:2 // Lk 19:1-10
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 19:1-10): “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”
One of the most inspiring books I have ever read is Papa Mike, written by Mike McGarvin, the founder of Poverello House, which serves the poor and the homeless in Fresno. In this delightful book, the author narrates how he rescued a drunken man from a gutter, covered with leaves from sycamore trees. In the spirit of the Son of Man who came to seek and save what was lost, including an irrepressible tax collector perched on a sycamore tree, Papa Mike also readily saved an unconscious drunk smothered with sycamore leaves from perishing. Here is Mike McGarvin’s amusing account of the rescue.
One of the more disturbing events took place about half a block from Poverello. It was winter and raining hard. The streets in that part of town often had poor drainage, and our block was exceptionally bad. I don’t remember why, but I was walking along F Street that day. I passed by a huge puddle that had formed in a gutter. It was clogged with leaves from the sycamore trees in the neighborhood, and for some reason I glanced down at the puddle. When I did, I spotted some bubbles coming up in the water. On closer inspection, I saw they were coming from a small fleshy object sticking out of the water. With a shudder, I realized that the object was the very tip of someone’s nose.
I reached down in the puddle and pulled a man’s head out, grabbed the shoulders, and pulled him onto the sidewalk. The standing water had been so deep that he had been completely submerged except for his nose. He was covered with leaves, so that he was invisible to any passerby. He was still alive, but I couldn’t wake him up. I ran to the Poverello and called 911. He had apparently got drunk, passed out in the gutter and stayed there all night. As the rain began to pour down, he slept right through it. The water kept rising, and if I hadn’t seen him, he would have been completely under water in a few minutes. When the paramedics came, they took him to the hospital. He survived, but he had hypothermia.
Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 19:1-10) presents the lovable figure of a small, energetic tax collector. Despised and ostracized by others on account of his despicable trade, Zacchaeus is curious and eager to see the celebrity miracle-worker, Jesus. Short in stature, he is impeded by the jostling crowd from seeing the Divine Master. He overcomes the difficulty by climbing a sycamore tree. When Jesus reaches the spot where Zacchaeus is waiting, he looks up and speaks to him: “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house”. The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent remarks: “Zacchaeus’ conscious motive is probably simple curiosity, yet hidden within that is a secret desire to meet Jesus and enter upon a new kind of life … Zacchaeus’ motives, such as they are, are enough for Jesus, and the latter now takes control of the situation. God has patiently waited for Zacchaeus; Zacchaeus has taken a first step; the Lord now reaches out to him.”
Responding to the Divine Master’s self-invitation to be at his house, the irrepressible Zacchaeus hurries down and welcomes him joyfully. The astounding joy that invades his formerly miserable self is a sign of salvation. Indeed, we experience the joy of salvation when we respond to God who reaches out to us often in a surprising manner. Divine mercy is first offered to Zacchaeus perched precariously on a sycamore tree. The tax collector responds to Jesus’ initiative, not only by climbing down from the sycamore tree and offering him a banquet at his house, but more radically by renouncing half of his possessions and by making a promise of a four-fold restitution to anyone he has defrauded.
Not to be outdone in generosity, Jesus says to the impetuous, but lovable tax collector: “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost” Divine mercy is throughout the Bible. It is one of the themes of today’s First Reading. But the acceptance of that love and mercy, the recognition of what it really is, that is where the miracle lies. Indeed, the genuinely receptive and transformed Zacchaeus epitomizes the model response to the saving initiative of the Son of Man who has come to seek and save the lost.
B. First Reading (Wis 11:22-12:2): “You have mercy on all because you love all things that are.”
The account of Curt Klueg, a Lay Maryknoll Missioner in Kenya, illustrates the message of this Sunday’s liturgy: To the bountiful mercy of God who loves all his creatures, we are all called to respond with faith and love (cf. “Missioner Tales” in MARYKNOLL magazine, July/August 2007, p. 6).
Recently I went to the Catholic baptism of eight condemned prisoners in Mombasa, Kenya. I serve all condemned prisoners in a social service capacity regardless of their religion, but knowing that I’m a Catholic missioner, these men asked that I be present. The baptism took place in the courtyard outside the “death row” cell block where they live. When I arrived, the Giriama men from a large tribe on the coast were doing traditional songs and dances. Nearby, the Pentecostal prisoners were praying and singing. The Mass was celebrated in simple fashion, yet so genuine, so lacking in pretense. The priest spoke of the unconditional forgiveness of God, saying, “While we may be surrounded by prison walls, no walls separate us from God.”
The prisoners asked me to say a few words at the end. In my broken Swahili, I told them how moved I always am to see the faith of Christians and Muslims alike in the prison – how deep and honest their faith seems to me. Then I reminded them that they experience Christ in a way that most other people cannot – as men condemned to death as common criminals just as Jesus was. Upon leaving I heard a loud “Allah Akbar” as the Muslims in the block began their midday call to prayer. What a blessing to experience the profound depth of faith and spirituality of all these men awaiting execution.
The passage from the Book of Wisdom, the latest of the books of Old Testament, dating between 50 and 30 B.C., is a beautiful meditation on the all-powerful God who is full of love and mercy for his creation (Wis 11:22-12:2). Overwhelmed by the great might of God, the author of the Book of Wisdom declares that the Creator God, who is powerful enough to do anything, chooses to be merciful to everyone. He overlooks our sins and gives us time to repent. He gently corrects those who sin against him. How could such a powerful Lord God, for whom the whole universe is as a drop of morning dew, be so caring and magnanimous toward his sinful creature?
The liturgical scholar, Adrian Nocent comments: “The text emphasizes the lengthy and un-wearying patience of God, who does not abandon the fellow sinner but little by little corrects him and brings him back. The Lord does not act in a brutal manner; he respects his creature, even when it is faithless … God respects even the man who has been unfaithful to him; he does not punish brutally. In fact, God’s first reaction is not to punish at all, but to convert. He warns men and reminds them of their sinful state. He wants them to turn away from evil and believe in him.”
C. Second Reading (2 Thes 1:11-2:2): “May the name of Christ be glorified in you and you in him.”
The Second Reading (2 Thes 1:11-2:2) illustrates the ongoing pastoral care for the early Christian community. The divine mercy continues to be manifested in the loving concern of the apostle Paul for a greatly disturbed community in Thessalonica. The apostle Paul seeks to pacify the agitated hearts of those fearful of “the day of the Lord” and those troubled by false reports that the end time had come. Like Jesus the Divine Master – the Way, Truth and Life – Saint Paul diligently guides the community of believers on the path of truth and salvation
Aelred Rosser explicates: “Paul lovingly assures the Christians at Thessalonica that they have the constant support of his prayers – specifically so that every good impulse will redound to the glory of the Lord and to their own sanctification. It is the most pastoral of prayers. In the second paragraph Paul is eager to quiet their hearts with regard to rumors or mistaken notions about the return of Jesus in glory. The best position to take with regard to the end of the world is one of calm and hopeful vigilance, expressed in loving and humble service to one another.”
The following modern day experience gives an insight into Paul’s pastoral spirit and what he means concerning the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ(cf. Roberta Messner in Daily Guideposts 2015, p. 325).
Recently I visited my dear friend Susan’s charming cottage in Louisville, Kentucky. When I arrived, there was a Welcome Home! Sign in her front yard. As I drove up her long driveway, I spotted Susan peeking out of the kitchen window. She’d placed a basket of toiletries and potted pink miniature roses on the dresser in the guest room, and there was a set of new sheets on the bed in a delightful cabbage rose pattern, topped by an exquisite white coverlet.
After I got settled, it was time for dinner in front of the television. Susan had found me a wonderful TV tray featuring a cottage with pots of pink geraniums on each concrete step. For dinner, she’d prepared a delicious chicken salad made with grapes and pecans and served it on buttery croissants. Then there was dessert, a chocolate torte she had spent hours perfecting.
All weekend long I had never felt so cared for in my life, Susan knows I love shopping for antiques, and she’d mapped out a day chock-full of antique malls and estate sales. She even found a flea market in a nearby town, where I bought a gray graniteware pitcher for my sister and a double wedding ring quilt to add to my collection.
When I left, I couldn’t help but think of the soon-approaching Advent season. If Susan could so meticulously prepare for my visit, how much more could I ready my heart for the arrival of Jesus?
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Are there moments in our life when we undergo the Zacchaeus experience and have tried to climb the “sycamore tree”? Identify them and relive the intense feelings and the challenges of these experiences. In responding to the Son of Man who comes to seek and save what was lost, are we ready to imitate the wonderful, radical response of Zacchaeus? Personally and as a Church, in what ways do we participate in the saving mission of Jesus, the Son of Man who comes to seek and save what was lost?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
you allow us to experience moments of truth and healing light.
We thank you for the Zacchaeus experience within us.
With eagerness and a sense of hope,
we climb a spiritual “sycamore tree” to have a glimpse of Jesus
who comes to seek the lost.
In our precarious perch on our “sycamore tree”,
Jesus calls us to come down toward his welcoming heart.
We rejoice that the divine love
is bigger than our frailties and desolation.
Like the radically transformed Zacchaeus,
let us be marked by the joy of salvation.
We love you, Father.
We adore 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 week. Please memorize it.
“The Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost.” (Lk 19:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Contribute in any way you can to alleviate the sufferings of those in prison and those who despair on account of a marginalized and sinful situation. Strive to bring God’s tenderness to the various images of “Zacchaeus” in our society today.
*** *** ***
November 4, 2019: MONDAY – SAINT CHARLES BORROMEO, Priest
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us to Be Hospitable to All … He Personifies God’s Mercy for All”
BIBLE READINGS
Rom 11:29-36 // Lk 14:12-14
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 14:12-14): “Do not invite your friens, but those who are poor and crippled.”
I grew up in a Filipino culture of reciprocity. One day when I was a teenager, I baked a delicious “Devil’s Food” cake and shared it with the family next door. Sure enough, they reciprocated. When their daughter baked a fantastic orange chiffon cake, they shared it with us. Indeed, when someone does something good, we have a feeling of indebtedness. The Filipinos call that sense of obligation “utang na loob” (debt of gratitude). With my cultural background of “utang na loob”, it is easy for me to understand the reciprocal relationship in the Jewish world.
To seek or give recompense is an honorable way of behaving, especially if it is meant to strengthen friendships, deepen family bonds, increase our potential, etc. But Jesus goes beyond mere human reciprocity. In today’s Gospel (Lk 14:12-14), he advises his host Pharisee that when he holds a banquet he should not invite his friends, brothers, relatives or wealthy neighbors lest he will be invited back and be repaid. He urges him instead to invite the poor, the crippled and the blind – those unable to reciprocate. Jesus’ perplexing advice should not be taken literally. The “radical” advice is a hyperbole – a Semitic exaggeration to teach a new way of behaving. He invites us to welcome and be hospitable to the unfortunate – not just to those who can reciprocate our good graces. He wants us to be good in a totally disinterested fashion – to be generous without expecting a reward. We must show concern for the poor and needy. In sharing God’s blessings with them, we mirror his compassion. Jesus teaches us that the kingdom of God is for all. Hence, our hospitality must likewise be all-inclusive – embracing all – especially the poor and vulnerable who are neglected by those who act merely reciprocally and with selfish motives.
Our friend Rosel is a member of the Holy Family Institute, founded by Blessed James Alberione. I am deeply touched by her compassion for the poor. When she celebrates her birthday, or that of her daughter, she does it in a very “Christian” way. Instead of hosting a party at their home in San Jose (CA-USA) she will send her hard earned dollars to her hometown in Cebu, Philippines to feed the poor. Hundreds and hundreds of poor, hungry children are able to enjoy a delicious meal on account of her generosity. Rosel follows literally the words of Jesus: “When you hold a banquet, invite the poor …”
B. First Reading (Rom 11:29-36): “God delivered all to disobedience that he might have mercy upon all.”
The word of God continues to speak to us day after day. The reading (Rom 11:29-36) invites us to extend the horizon of our faith and to thank God for his grandiose “mercy to all”. God’s intention to extend the manifold privilege of Israel to all peoples finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Jesus surpasses ethnic boundaries and anticipates the worldwide mission to all peoples that will be set forth after his resurrection.
The worldwide saving mission to all peoples is exemplified by Saint Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Having encountered intimately the Risen Lord and powered by the apostolic energy of the Holy Spirit, the Easter gift, Paul follows obediently the dynamics of the divine plan of salvation, i.e. “to the Jews first and also to all nations”. He is deeply grieved that as a people, the Israelites do not welcome the Gospel centered on Jesus Christ as the Messiah. And yet the ever-positive Paul, as we can verify in today’s First Reading, never loses hope. Saint Paul is convinced that Israel’s fall is temporary, not definitive. His hope for Israel’s conversion is based on the wholly-gratuitous love of God and his unfailing mercy for all. Indeed, all groups have been disobedient to God at one time or another. This is what allows God to have mercy on all.
The hopeful stance of Saint Paul with regard to Israel, the people of the first covenant and his very own people, is deeply engaging and challenging. The following article gives us a glimpse into the ecumenical direction and inter-religious dialogue that the Church is carrying out in the modern world, following the divine universal saving plan. It is consonant with Saint Paul’s conviction concerning God’s mercy for all (cf. Marco Bellizi, “The Jews and the Frail Pope” in L’Osservatore Romano, May 18, 2011, p. 11-12).
Every time you met John Paul II you had the feeling that something important was happening; he had a solemnity about him that was instantly perceptible. However, the full value of the Polish Pope has not yet been recognized … These opinions were expressed by Rabbi Jack Bemporad, 78, a man who has spent his life promoting mutual understanding between religions. He was born in Italy but moved to the United States when he was six years old, after the approval of Mussolini’s racial laws. The Rabbi led Jewish communities in Texas, California and New Jersey. Since 1992 he has lived at the Center for Inter-Religious Understanding in Rome and teaches at the Pontifical University of St. Aquinas. Bemporad was and is an important spokesman for relations with the Church: he worked with Cardinal Willebrands and Cardinal Cassidy to achieve full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Holy See. He met John XXIII – the Vatican Council “was one of the crucial experiences of my life”, he says – as well as Benedict XVI. And of course, he had frequent meetings with Karol Wojtyla, of whom, on the eve of his Beatification, he spoke in this interview with L’Osservatore Romano.
Rabbi Bemporad, you met John Paul II several times, for example in Denver (1993) and in Vatican City (1994), when you discussed the views of Jews in the Catholic Catechism. You also led a large delegation of Rabbis and religious leaders to thank the Pope shortly before his death. What are your memories of these meetings?
Perhaps the first impression one had in meeting personally with John Paul II was his gravitas. A presence immediately made itself manifest which made you feel that something important was at stake. At the same time, his profound humanity and love shone through and you felt he was interested in you and in what you are doing and the topic at hand.
In Denver the meeting took place in the day, since it was scheduled after his many talks and conferences and his concern was that religions work together to offer an objective and universal ethic that could help deal with the pressing problems we face: war, poverty, inequality, and lack of education in so many parts of the world.
The meeting at the Vatican was much more theoretical and theological. It related to the work our Center had done in educating the inter-religious community on the new catechism and the topic was how best to conduct theological dialogue between Christians and Jews.
What one was left with after these and other meetings was the Pope’s complete dedication to making the world better for all human beings, his dedication to a dialogue wherein one must be true to one’s faith, without being false to the faith of others, and how serious and difficult this task was.
When John Paul II visited Jerusalem, you commented on the event in the media. Looking back, according to you, what really made that trip so memorable?
I think the image of the frail Pope, with no assistance from the aids, slowly walking to the wall to insert the beautiful prayer of forgiveness and reconciliation struck an unforgettable chord in the hearts of Jews, not just in Israel, but in Jews throughout the world. I also think his meeting with Polish Holocaust survivors, who recognized that this Pope as a young man was a witness to this horror, demonstrated solidarity with the suffering of the Jewish people.
In your opinion, which act of John Paul II has been most appreciated by the Jewish community?
I think his most important act was the visit to the Synagogue in Rome which included re-statement of the most important innovations of Nostra Aetate and subsequent documents. Pope John Paul II believed that the changes between Christians and Jews should be given significant expression. What better way to show these changes than to walk into the Rome Synagogue, embrace Rabbi Toaff before the world.
Did the personal attitude of John Paul II contribute to building Jewish opinion with regard to the Pope?
Yes, the Jewish people have the highest opinion and respect for John Paul II. He was the first Pope to enter a synagogue and he authorized Cardinal Cassidy to ask forgiveness for past acts of anti-Judaism, using the Hebrew word, teshuvah, which means not only the asking for forgiveness, but the resolve to start out in a new direction. In addition, he initiated and completed the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Holy See and wherever he went throughout the world, he met with Jewish communities to reach out in friendship and understanding. No prior Pope had done so much.
We are acquainted with the story of the Jewish orphan whom the young Karol Wojtyla refused to convert, respecting the will of the child’s parents who had died in a concentration camp. If you were in similar circumstances, would you have done the same?
Yes, except that Judaism is not a religion that actively seeks proselytes. This act shows the Pope’s sensitivity and understanding.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Does your behavior go beyond the bounds of human reciprocity? Do you imitate the generous stance of Jesus, who empties himself for others without counting the cost?
2. Do you believe that the common good embraces all? How do you mirror God’s all-inclusive love and Christian compassion in daily life? Do you believe that God’s merciful love is for all? How do you act on this conviction?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Master,
you teach us the way of hospitality and generosity.
You call us to be united with you,
and thus live in harmony and with humility.
Help us to open ourselves
to the needs of the poor and the unfortunate.
Teach us to care for the needs of others.
Fill our table with your blessings
that we may share them with our brothers and sisters
who do not have.
Lead us all to the heavenly feasting
where we will rejoice with you, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Almighty God,
your merciful love is for all.
Your compassion touches peoples of all nations, cultures and colors
and your care embraces the whole creation.
Let our prayers in various tongues rise up to you
from vast continents and emerald islands of the earth.
Help us to welcome each other
and may our Church be a “house of prayer for all peoples”.
In the spirit of Saint Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles,
let us trust in your universal plan of salvation
and believe that your gifts and call for Israel are irrevocable.
Give us the zeal and wisdom
to promote inter-religious understanding among all peoples.
May you be praised, honored and adored,
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.
“Invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind …” (Lk 14:13) //“The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” (Rom 11:29)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Eliminate “unnecessary” spending and look into the possibility of donating your resources to help feed the world’s poor and alleviate the sufferings of the needy. // Pray that today’s efforts toward inter-religious dialogue may be blessed by the Lord, especially between Christians and Jews. By your acts of justice, service and compassion especially to the marginalized, allow the universal love of God to permeate the earth and his heavenly kingdom to come upon us all.
*** %%% *** %%% *** %%% ***
November 5, 2019: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (31)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Invites Us to the Feast of the Kingdom … We Are Individual Parts of His Body”
BIBLE READINGS
Rom 12:5-16b // Lk 14:15-24
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 14:15-24): “Go out quickly into highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled.”
The biblical scholar Eugene Maly remarks: “One of the most pleasant of human activities is the family or community meal. In its ideal form, it is a time when those who love one another not only share the food they eat, but also share with one another their hopes and fears, their experiences, and future plans. The love that already binds them is made stronger. The Scripture attests to the fact that a meal is expressive of a wide range of human attitudes and emotions … All mankind seems to be aware of the fact that a shared meal creates or strengthens a community of life among the participants. That is why this most human of activities would also be used to symbolize a community of life between human and divine participants.”
All are invited to the feast of the Kingdom. The end-time feast is for all peoples, with God himself as the gracious host. He is the Lord of the banquet who satisfies our deepest longings. Today’s Gospel parable (Lk 14:15-24) underlines the need of a positive response to his invitation. The Church, which has a foretaste of the heavenly banquet, must go to the crossroads in order to invite everyone to the wedding feast. The banquet of salvation, offered to all peoples in the highways and byways, is abundant and gratuitous. But it demands a full response and commitment.
The following personal reflection of a Filipino Religious Brother (he prefers to remain anonymous) gives us an idea of the positive response as well as the negative one that can be given to the Lord’s invitation to the feast of the kingdom.
Preparation for a wedding banquet is too tedious. It puts the host into great anxiety. The host will always look forward to the success of the occasion. The celebration is disappointing if the invited guests will not come despite all the preparation and invitations. Moreover, the story of the gospel is impossible today. We seldom see a rich man inviting people of a lower class to his banquet. This is impossible. If this will happen, the occasion is frowned upon by the wealthy and influential.
In reading the Gospel, the story reminds me of the experience of our parish priest in the province. He was organizing the Basic Ecclesial Community. He was scouting possible community-leaders to facilitate the barrio people in forming little communities and, at the same time, to train Special Eucharistic Ministers to serve in the parish. The parish priest invited first the town people, “taga-poblacion”. Some attended, but slowly they decreased in number until no one remained. The priest was disappointed.
The Basic Ecclesial Community is the trust and mission of the Diocese in response to the promulgation of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines. The Council would like to emphasize the importance of the community-based church wherein lay people can participate with their time, treasure and talents. Because of the priest’s disappointment, he, in turn, called the people from the barrio to attend seminars. The poor from the countryside gladly responded to the call. They started a series of seminars and special education about the basic tenets of faith, the Bible and the Doctrines. The presence of the “taga-barrio” and the “hijos/hijas de entresuelo” (sons and daughters of the nobility by mistresses in the countryside) annoyed the people in the “centro”.
The “taga-barrio” started to occupy a space in the parish. They became regular visitors of the parish priest and that made the town people indifferent to them. One morning, during the Novena Mass in preparation for the town fiesta, carts and muddy vehicles started to arrive. They were decorated with artificial flowers, twigs and leaves, giving a festive atmosphere that made the people wonder. This event astonished the people. Envy haunted the townsfolk when some of those from the barrio went in the procession with the priest at the beginning of the Mass. They were commissioned as Lay Leaders and Special Eucharistic Ministers to help the priest in distributing communion.
Even now, there are few Special Eucharistic Ministers from the “centro”. Indeed, the wealthy and influential are occupied more by their affairs and they have missed the call to associate with the poor and the little ones. This is still an issue in the parish among the nobles.
B. First Reading (Rom 12:5-16ab): “We are individually parts of one another.”
In today’s First Reading (Rom 12:5-16b), Saint Paul underlines that we are one body in union with Christ. As parts of one body, all these parts have different functions. The gifts we have received from his Spirit are to be used for service and the building up of the community. Jesus is the guiding norm on how to use the gifts we have received. The gifts or “charisms” are not for personal gain or individual benefit, but for the good of all. The apostle Paul mentions seven “charisms” that need to be maximized for the common good: preaching, serving, teaching, exhorting, almsgiving, governing and care giving. Saint Paul then makes several statements that are meant to actualize a “love that is sincere” (“agape). He explains or suggests particular ways of practicing love in general: sharing belongings with the needy, opening homes to strangers, blessing the persecutors, concern for everyone, etc.
Using the imagery of carpenter’s tools, the following story likewise illustrates in a charming way that, as individual parts, we are called to live in concord and to complete each other for the common good.
A carpenter’s tools were having a conference. Brother Hammer was presiding, but others informed him that he’d have to leave because he was too noisy. “All right”, he said. “I’ll go, but Brother Plane must withdraw too. There’s no depth to his work. It’s always on the surface.” Brother Plane responded, “Well, Brother Ruler will also have to go. He’s constantly measuring people as if he were the only one who is right.” Brother Ruler complained about Brother Sandpaper, saying, “He’s rougher that he ought to be. He’s always rubbing people the wrong way.
In the midst of the discussion the Carpenter of Nazareth walked in. He went to his workbench to make an ambo from which to proclaim the Word and preach the Gospel. He used the hammer, the plane, the ruler, and the sandpaper. After the ambo was finished, the carpenter’s tools cried out with greater wisdom: “We see now that all of us are instruments together with God. We are all instruments to proclaim his saving Word!”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. What is our response to the Lord’s invitation, “Come to the feast”? How do we react to the negative response of those who have been invited to the heavenly feast? Do I strive to put on the same attitude that Jesus Christ had, especially with regards to self-emptying and service of the divine saving will?
2. What does it mean for us personally that we, though many, are one Body in Christ and individually parts of one another?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O loving God,
you are the Lord of the banquet.
We thank you
for the “feast of rich food and choice wines”
you have prepared for us on your holy mountain.
In our daily celebration of the Eucharist,
we have a foretaste of the eternal joy
and the bounty of that heavenly feast.
Grant us the grace to respond positively
to the eternal “banquet of salvation”.
We serve you and glorify you, now and forever.
Amen.
***
O loving Father, we though many,
are one Body in Christ and individually parts of one another.
Through the Spirit of your Son Jesus Christ,
we have received various gifts or “charisms”
for the building up of the Church.
Help us to use these gifts with a sincere love
and let us be fervent in spirit in serving the Lord Jesus.
We give you thanks 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.
“Come, everything now is ready.” (Lk 14:17) //“We, though many, are one Body in Christ and individually parts of one another.” (Rom 12:5)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that the invitation to the wedding feast of God’s kingdom may find a welcoming response in the hearts of our people. Endeavor to bring the bounty of God’s wedding feast to the poor and hungry of today’s distressed and suffering world. // Be mindful of the various charisms at work in the faith community and be thankful to God for these gifts. Intensify your efforts to utilize and maximize the gifts you have received personally from the Holy Spirit for the common good.
*** *** ***
November 6, 2019:
WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (31)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Invites Us to Embrace the Cost of Discipleship … In His Love is the Fulfillment of the Law”
BIBLE READINGS
Rom 13:8-10 // Lk 14:25-33
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 14:25-33): “Everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
In 2004 I watched the video, “Maximilian, Saint of Auschwitz” that had been stashed on a shelf in our community room. Produced as a joint venture by Saint Luke Productions and the Ignatius Press, the film depicts the radical discipleship of Maximilian Kolbe, who was arrested by the Gestapo in 1941 for his tireless work against the Nazi forces. The founder of the Militia of Mary Immaculate was sent to the infamous death camp of Auschwitz where he served in slave labor. He was frequently beaten and subjected to humiliations. On August 14, 1941, he was granted the crown of martyrdom when he offered his own life in place of another prisoner. Various scenes in the film powerfully delineate his spirit of renunciation and total dedication to the Lord. Two poignant episodes illustrate the saint’s uncompromising discipleship: when he was offering his ration of bread to a younger famished prisoner and when he was lying in the death bunker, naked and deprived of everything, waiting for the completion of his paschal sacrifice. Indeed, St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe exemplifies a disciple’s heroic response to the challenge posed by Christ: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple … Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple … Anyone who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple”.
Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 14:25-33) situates Jesus’ challenge in the context of his paschal journey to Jerusalem with great crowds accompanying him. Jesus addresses the crowds to enlighten them about the cost of discipleship. He confronts them with the real demands of being with him on his journey. They must renounce everything (be it family, or their own lives, or possessions) in order to be his disciples. Discipleship, which is a deliberate and total commitment to his person, entails renunciation, or a spirit of detachment. Jesus reinforces his message by narrating two parables concerning the need for reflection before taking decisive action. No one builds without planning carefully, and no king would wage a war without thoughtfully weighing the costs. Discipleship is an all-consuming vocation that must be accepted with mature deliberation. A Christian disciple cannot act on impulse, but only on a carefully considered program of involvement.
According to Robert Karris: “Those who want to follow Jesus on the way must weigh the costs … Jesus’ followers must not recoil before any sacrifice required of them to see their following of him through to the end, even if this means the sacrifice of all their possessions … Disciples must beware of letting their allegiance to Jesus deteriorate and become inactive.” A ruined builder and a conquered king are unpleasant images of a failed and compromised discipleship.
B. First Reading (Rom 13:8-10): “Love is the fulfillment of the law.”
In today’s First Reading (Rom 13:8-10), Saint Paul asserts that love is the fulfillment of the law. To love one’s neighbor is to obey God’s command and goes beyond mere legal observance. The obligation to mutual love entails personal involvement. The biblical scholar Mary Ehle explains: “Through Jesus, Christians have a new standard for love. He taught and embodied the saving love that he uniquely offered through his life, death and resurrection. Thus for Christians, love entails not only following the commandments, but following a person … In its new context, the saying Love your neighbor as you love yourself calls Christians to extend their charity; beyond members of their religion and ethnic communities, as Jesus’ charity extended beyond religion and political boundaries. Christians must show to the world the love of the teacher.”
The following beautiful story, “The Carpenter”, circulated through the Internet, gives a glimpse into what loving one another entails.
Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.
Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference and finally, it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.
One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I’m looking for a few days’ work”, he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?
“Yes”, said the older brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, it’s my younger brother! Last week there was meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence, an 8-foot fence – so I won’t need to see his place or his face anymore.”
The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”
The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day – measuring, sawing and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.
The farmer’s eye opened wide; his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge! A bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward him, his hand outstretched. “You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.”
The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder. “No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you”, said the older brother. “I’d love to stay on”, the carpenter said, “but I have many more bridges to build.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Am I ready to renounce anyone and/or anything that stands in the way of a total commitment to Jesus: even closest relations, precious possessions, and my very life? Do I wisely and realistically consider the cost of Christian discipleship?
2. How do we carry out our duties toward one another and our Christian call to mutual love? Do we truly believe that love is the fulfillment of God’s command?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
your Son Jesus invites us
to consider the cost of discipleship.
Help us to love your Son unconditionally.
Give us the strength to be totally self-giving,
even to the point of sacrificing our own life
for the love of Jesus.
We give you praise, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Almighty God,
you are loving, kind and merciful.
You love us with an infinite love.
In Jesus, we mirror that gracious love in today’s world.
Help us to fulfill your command of mutual love
by following the example of your Son Jesus Christ
who has loved us to the end.
He suffered and died for us
and was glorified for all eternity.
He lives and reigns, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Everyone who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14:32) //“The one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Rom 13:8)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray to God for the grace and strength of total dedication. Exercise daily self-renunciation to prepare yourself for the greater challenges that lie ahead. // Pray for Christian disciples that they may be ministers of forgiving love and reconciliation. Be deeply aware that true love does no wrong to the neighbor.
*** *** ***
November 7, 2019: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (31)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Rejoices at Finding the Lost … We Belong to Him”
BIBLE READINGS
Rom 14:7-12 // Lk 15:1-10
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 15:1-10): “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.”
This happened many years ago. My dad was sick with cancer and emotionally sensitive. My brother, Diko Pito, who was undergoing the development throes of teenage life, was also sensitive. My sick father and Diko Pito had an argument. The disagreement escalated to the point that my brother packed some belongings. He ran away from home weeping. My mom was not around when this happened. When she realized that my brother ran away, she immediately went to look for him. All of us were distressed. We could only hope and pray that he may be found. Finally, my mom came back with my “lost” brother. My mom found Diko Pito in the home of his best friend Augusto. My brother was intending to take the evening train to our province in Bicol to take refuge in the home of my Dad’s sister. We greatly rejoiced that Diko Pito was found … that he came back home, safe and sound.
In today’s Gospel reading (Lk 15:1-10), Jesus underlines the heavenly rejoicing when the “lost” is “found”. A sheep has gone astray. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine secure in the fold and searches diligently for the lost sheep. Because of the value of every single sheep, his is not merely a token search. When he finds the sheep, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy. Upon his arrival, he calls together his friends and neighbors to celebrate. In the same way, there is great rejoicing in heaven over a repentant sinner. Jesus reiterates his message by narrating a domestic parable. A woman loses one of her ten precious coins. A drachma coin is worth a day’s wage for a laborer, and is extremely valuable to the woman. She lights a lamp and sweeps the windowless room, searching diligently until she finds it. She rejoices when the lost coin is found. In just the same way there is great rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.
Today’s parables contain a distilled essence of the Gospel: about a loving God who treasures us infinitely. Because of our extreme value, he patiently seeks us out when we are lost. He wants to bring us back close to his heart. God cares for sinners and rejoices at their conversion. In contrast, the Old Testament reluctant prophet Jonah was upset when the people of Nineveh heeded the warning of doom that God commissioned him to preach. He sulked when the people of Nineveh turned their hearts to God in repentance and averted self-destruction. Instead of rejoicing that the sinners were saved - that the “lost” were “found” – the punitive Jonah was angry at God for his mercy. But God is not Jonah and does not act like Jonah. Our loving and forgiving God rejoices when a sinner repents. When the “lost” is “found”, it is an experience of resurrection … it is new life!
B. First Reading (Rom 14:7-12): “Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”
The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent comments on the reading (Rom 14:7-12): “The main point that Paul is making here is that whether in life or in death we belong to the Lord, since Christ has become Lord of both the living and the dead. If we accept the Gospel, embrace the faith and receive baptism, we are accepting the lordship of Christ: we live to the Lord. But then, all of us alike are under the same lordship, and if we are all servants of one and the same Lord, why do we condemn one another? (…) Such condemnation of one another is unthinkable: we must all appear before God’s judgment seat and render an account of ourselves. In the community of the Church, then, each person must forgive the others and stop passing judgment on them.” Indeed, we belong to a forgiving God who is kind and compassionate. To forget that we are the Lord’s makes us unable to forgive.
The following intense and impressive personal story illustrates the power of forgiveness (cf. Roberta Messner, “The Kindness Factor” in Guideposts, March 2011, p. 66-70). The narrator avows that forgiveness is how she shows her love for God in return for the unending love he gives her.
A V.A. hospital is a big place. I should know; I work in one. But that morning it wasn’t big enough. Not with my newly ex-husband and fellow nurse, Mark, roaming the halls. I’d managed to avoid him for a few weeks since our divorce had become final, but now, there he was, dressed in his scrubs, escorting a patient to the radiology room. He saw me and smiled. At least I thought it was a smile. “Just thirty-six more days until retirement!” he announced blithely. My blood ran cold. I’d almost forgotten. When we’d married 25 years ago, we’d planned to retire and travel around the world right about now. I guessed that was still Mark’s plan, but thanks to him, it couldn’t be mine anymore. No way could I afford retirement.
I tried to be civil. “So, still planning to do some traveling?” I asked. “Moving to Alaska”, he said. “Maybe do a little consulting, but for the most part, I’ll just fly and live the good life.” “Fly?” “Didn’t I tell you? I bought that vintage airplane I always wanted.”
No. He didn’t tell me. Now my blood was boiling. Even the knowledge he’d be thousands of miles away didn’t soothe me. He was going to live it up while I spent the next five years or more digging out from the financial mess he’d left me in. I stormed off before I made a scene.
The words from the Bible that Mark and I had pledged to each other on our wedding day came to mind: “Whither thou goest I will go; where thou lodgest, I will lodge.” How meaningless these words had been to Mark! Maybe he could go on like nothing happened, but I couldn’t.
Since I was a teenager, I’d suffered health problems that could cause debilitating pain and other complications. Stress made it worse, and living with Mark didn’t help. At first, he’d made me laugh with his crazy brand of humor. He’d stood by me through all the doctors’ appointments and treatments. I put almost every cent I earned into paying off our house and making it beautiful. It was even featured in a few home magazines. I pictured us growing old there, together. But instead, we grew apart. Things changed. Mark’s good qualities gave way to the bad ones. He had a miserable temper, and could fly into rages over the littlest things. Bad feelings built up between us. For eight years I’d worked an extra job to get us by while he’d gone back to school for an advanced degree. Then when I mentioned that my boss urged me to consider going on disability during one of my more severe health flare-ups, Mark flew off the handle. “Wait one minute!” he yelled. “I didn’t sign up for this. You’re not going to quit your job and expect me to pick up the slack.” That was the last straw. After all I’d put up with, when I needed him the most, he turned his back. I’d never forgive him for that.
Mark stayed in our house while we worked out the details of the divorce. I moved to a ramshackle log cabin. I thought I could fix it up to start anew. I tried to put a good spin on things to my friends, laughing about how I called my new home The Leaning Log because everywhere I stood in it, the uneven floor made me lean. “I’m sorry, Roberta”, they’d say. “He just treated you awful.” “No”, I’d say, “we just needed to go our separate ways.”
What I couldn’t bear to bring up was how little I got in the divorce settlement, how the lawyers’ fees and the low sale price we’d taken on our house didn’t leave nearly enough to fix up the cabin. I wondered how Mark could afford his retirement. It wasn’t fair!
At a checkup, my doctor said, “Your blood pressure’s up, Roberta. Anything bothering you?” I started to say I was fine when all at once it came out, all the anger I’d been storing up. I told him how Mark had left me with almost nothing in the divorce, how I still had to see him at work, how it seemed he was rubbing my face with his quips about retirement, doing all the stuff we’d dreamed about.
Dr. Brownfield shook his head. “Stress can aggravate your condition. You know that… Take care of yourself. Eat right. Get rest. You’ve got to find a way to let this go.”
Let it go? How? I knew the doctor was right. But I wasn’t done being angry. For a solid week afterward, I couldn’t sleep. I felt myself getting more and more sick. By the weekend, I didn’t know if I’d have the energy to go in to work the following Monday. I collapsed on my bed. I did the only thing I knew to do. I prayed. Not for the first time, of course, not by a long shot. But with a desperation I’d never experienced. “Lord, I know I need to let go of this”, I cried out. “But how? Even when he’s gone, every day at work will just remind me I have no one and he’s out having the time of his life.” I knew what God’s answer was. Forgive Mark. Focus on the future, not the past. But I simply didn’t know how to forgive Mark. I tried. I couldn’t.
The next day at work, I could barely function. “You okay?” asked Sandy, one of the other nurses. She’d recently lost her husband. If she was asking me if I was okay, I must have looked in really bad shape. “I’m fine”, I insisted.
Sandy sat down with one of our long-term patients, Mr. Lansing. He’d once told me how seeing her was the best part of his day. I’d meant to tell Sandy that but had let it slip my mind. At my desk I spied a box of pansy-patterned cards a student I’d once mentored had given me. An inspiration struck. I pulled one out and wrote, “Dear Sandy, you make the biggest difference in your patients’ lives. I see it every day. Especially this afternoon with Mr. Lansing. He told me that he watches the clock for 8:00 A.M. when your shift begins. Thank you for caring so much about our veteran patients.”
I gave Sandy the card. “You don’t know how much this means”, she said, grasping my hands tight. Seeing her smile meant a lot to me. Being thankful for a person and letting her know felt so much better than being resentful.
I decided to write “Caught in the Act of Caring” notes whenever I saw someone doing a good job or when someone brightened my day. Every time I wrote a note, it seemed my eyes were opened to new people I could give a kind word to. People I’d overlooked because I was so focused on my misery. Giving kindness was like an antidote to the poison of my resentment toward Mark. I felt energized when I came home. Enough to work on my garden at the Leaning Log, which was looking nicer every day. I potted some red geraniums and gave them out to co-workers. The day Mark left the hospital for good, I barely took note. He’s moving on with his life. I’m moving on with mine.
“Has your diet changed?” Dr. Brownfield asked at my next appointment. My blood pressure had dropped 20 points. “No, just my attitude”, I said.
One night, home at the Leaning Log, sorting through some boxes, I came across an old anniversary card from Mark. Slowly, I opened it up. It was sweet, funny – the Mark I’d fallen in love with. At least those moments I’d always be thankful for.
Thankful for Mark? A few weeks ago, I probably would have ripped up the card. But I wasn’t in the same place anymore. All my caring notes had moved me to a different place. A place of forgiveness and letting go. I didn’t want resentment to rule my life anymore. “Lord”, I said, “wherever Mark is right now, I forgive him. Forgiveness is how I show my love for you in return for the unending love you give me.” It was strange, but the last bit of weight that seemed to sit on my shoulders lifted away.
I’ve heard from friends that Mark’s doing well in Alaska. He’s enjoying life. And it doesn’t make me unhappy. Anger and resentment did. Mark can’t hurt me anymore. As soon as I stopped counting my grievances, I could see my blessings. I could let go of the pain and embrace the future. My log cabin is paid in full and renovations are progressing well. My health is stable. I love my job more than ever, and my life too, free of the past.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. What does it mean to be lost and found? Are you willing to experience the joy of a loving God who rejoices when one sinner repents?
2. Do we truly believe that whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s? Do we belong totally to the compassionate Lord who forgives all our sins? Do we endeavor to communicate his forgiving love to those who have wronged us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
you are gracious and forgiving.
Your Son Jesus is the Good Shepherd
who seeks the lost sheep.
His diligence is akin to a woman
who carefully sweeps her house
to find a lost precious coin.
There is great rejoicing in heaven
over one sinner who repents.
This is awesome!
We are grateful that you care for us
and love us, O Father.
We praise and thank you, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Almighty God and Father,
you are gracious and kind.
Teach us to gaze upon your Son
whose great love enabled him to die for us.
He came to life and is glorified as Lord of both the dead and living.
We belong to him whether we live or die.
As recipients of his saving love,
we too are instruments of his forgiveness.
Let peace reign in us and give us the courage to be always forgiving.
We adore you and praise you;
we love you and serve you, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“There will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Lk 15:10) //“So then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Rom 14:8)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for the conversion of those who have gone astray, and by your kind words and deeds, be an instrument to bring them back home to God. Do what you can to help those who are searching for “lost” family members or friends. // Since we totally belong to a forgiving Lord, make an effort to forgive from the heart one who has wronged you.
*** *** ***
November 8, 2019: FRIDAY – WEEKDAY (31)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us to Be Enterprising … Saint Paul Is His Minister to the Gentiles”
BIBLE READINGS
Rom 15:14-21// Lk 16:1-8
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 16:1-8): “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”
This experience was narrated by a teenager writing in a Filipino national magazine. A Chinese family moved into their neighborhood. For the local Filipino families there, the new neighbors were simply “aliens”. They did not have much sympathy for them. The Chinese immigrants are generally very good businessmen and often acquire more material resources than the local folks. The business acumen of the Chinese and their financial success sometimes generate a feeling of resentment among the natives. One day, the poor neighbors heard much bustling and activity from the Chinese home. They heard pigs being butchered and saw domestic helpers moving about laden with groceries. Enormous vessels of food were cooked outdoors. The aroma of delightful dishes stimulated not only the neighbors’ appetite, but also their curiosity. In the evening, the domestic helpers of the Chinese newcomers scurried through the neighborhood, lugging a most welcome gift for each poor family: a big wicker basket filled with delectable dishes to satisfy their hungry stomachs: “adobo” – a spicy pork dish, “pancit” – made of egg noodles and stir fry vegetables, and “leche flan” – a special creamy custard. There were also some nicely cooked white rice and delicious, ripe fruits to complete the treat. Instead of hosting a party for their relatives and friends, the well-to-do Chinese family celebrated the daughter’s birthday by preparing food baskets for their poor neighbors. The enterprising character of their charity slowly demolished the resistance of the local folks who eventually became their friends.
In today’s Gospel reading (Lk 16:1-8) Jesus narrates the parable of the crafty steward. According to the biblical scholar, Eugene Maly: “In the parable the manager, about to be dismissed, calls in the master’s debtors and reduces their bills (probably by renouncing part or all of his own commission) in order to gain their good will for the future. The lesson intended by Jesus is simply that we should be as enterprising about our future in the Kingdom as was the manager about his future. No judgment, good or bad, is made on the possession of goods.”
Indeed, in the parable of the wily manager is Jesus’ invitation to his disciples to be enterprising in the pursuit of the kingdom of God. At the conclusion of the parable, Jesus said to his disciples: “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light”. In it is a powerful appeal to Christian followers, not only to be creative in the ways of kingdom stewardship, but also to be radically decisive when confronted with a crisis situation concerning God’s reign. Robert Karris remarks: “The steward was decisive when faced with a crisis, so too should Jesus’ listeners who are wavering in their decision to follow him and his kingdom message.”
B. First Reading (Rom 15:14-21): “A minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable.”
In today’s First Reading (Rom 15:14-21), Saint Paul confesses his abiding conviction that the Romans are full of goodness and understanding of Christian faith. This enables them to give advice, correction and admonition to one another. In his letter Paul has been quite bold about certain doctrinal issues. His boldness and courage result from the fact that God has graced him to be “a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles”. He sees himself as a “leitourgos” (cultic minister) and his preaching the Gospel is a “leitourgia” (an offering to God). The Apostle to the Gentiles is like a priest of the Messiah in preparing the Gentiles as a worthy offering to God. The Apostle does not offer to God slaughtered animals but the sacrifice of a contrite heart – a repentant people. Saint Paul humbly acknowledges that he is simply an instrument of God in the conversion of the Gentiles. By the power of the Spirit of God, by word and deed, he continues to prepare the contrite and converted Gentiles as a perfect offering to God. Saint Paul aims to proclaim the Good News in places where Christ has not yet been proclaimed so as to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy: “Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.”
The following testimony illustrates that the Pauline apostolic spirit lives on in today’s world and continues to bear abundant fruit (cf. Msgr. Owen Campion, “Church Never Gives Up” in Our Sunday Visitor, October 6, 2013, p. 30).
The German invaders occupied Poland beginning in 1939. The occupation was hell on earth. Directing it was the German governor, Hans Frank. His rule was unspeakably cruel. (…) Starving the Polish people by diverting everything edible to Germany was just one of Frank’s outrages. His rule resulted, historians say, in the murder of millions of Poles.
When the war ended, the Allies captured Frank and charged him with crimes against humanity. He was one of Hitler’s subordinates tried at Nuremberg in the war crime trials. As the trial was being organized, the allied officer in command appointed two German-speaking American Army chaplains to the contingent overseeing the prisoners. One was Franciscan Father Sixtus O’Connor from New York.
Many of the prisoners refused to see the chaplains. Frank, however, did meet with Father O’Connor. In time the priest had an effect on Frank. Frank began to pray. Then he began attending Father O’Connor’s Mass. Eventually he admitted his terrifying deeds in Poland, and he repented.
The trial ended with death sentences being delivered for most of the prisoners, including Frank. When Frank went to the scaffold, Father O’Connor walked beside him. Of all the condemned men, only Frank asked God’s forgiveness. He died praying, “My Jesus, mercy!” and with Father Connor’s blessing.
Not long ago, a TV documentary featured the trials, and it included scenes from that period. It covered the executions. Someone I know saw the production and noticed that a priest stood on the scaffold beside a prisoner who made the sign of the cross as the priest blessed him. The prisoner was Frank. The priest was Father O’Connor.
This is what priests do. Their job is to be with the sinner and bring the sinner back to God. One of the most beautiful interruptions in the otherwise frightful story of the Lord’s crucifixion is the all-forgiving word of Jesus to the thief dying beside Christ. “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk 23:43). In the language of today’s Church, the Lord canonized the thief. The Church never gives up on anyone. When my time comes, I devoutly pray that a Father O’Connor will be standing by my side.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do I belong to “the children of light”? If so, do I respond positively to Jesus’ challenge to be creative and enterprising in promoting God’s kingdom?
2. Do we thank the Lord for what he has accomplished through the instrumentality of Saint Paul as “a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles? Do we imitate his apostolic zeal to proclaim the Gospel to the nations and make of them a living sacrifice to God?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
grant us the grace to be enterprising
in the pursuit of your kingdom.
Help us to use creatively
the spiritual and material goods you have given us
by sharing them with the poor and needy.
We praise and thanks you, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we thank you for making Saint Paul
“a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles”.
Grant us the grace to imitate the apostle Paul
in his missionary zeal
Help us to proclaim the Gospel to the nations
and offer you the pleasing sacrifice of a repentant people.
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 week. Please memorize it.
“The children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.” (Lk 16:8) //“The grace has been given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.” (Rom 15:15-16)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
With the aid of material and spiritual possessions given you by the Lord, minister to the needs of the poor. Find a creative and enterprising way of relieving the plight of the poor. // By your words of encouragement and by witnessing God’s goodness, help the people around you to understand the meaning of the Gospel and thus be brought closer to God.
*** *** ***
November 9, 2019: SATURDAY – THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Healing Stream from the Temple”
BIBLE READINGS
Ez 47:1-2, 8-9 // 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17 // Jn 2:13-22
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
Today we celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is the “cathedral” of the diocese of Rome. It is the official seat of the bishop of Rome, who happens to be the Pope. The original basilica was built in the fourth century when Emperor Constantine gave Pope Sylvester I the property, originally owned by the Laterani family, upon which it was constructed. The Lateran Basilica was built shortly after Emperor Constantine had legalized Christianity, which was a persecuted religion. From then on, many Christian places were built and the Church put down roots and spread throughout the world. The Lateran Basilica was dedicated on November 9, 324. The anniversary of its dedication expresses the communion of each Christian community with the universal Church, founded by the apostles Peter and Paul, with the Pope as the head of the college of bishops, which presides over the charity of all the churches throughout the world.
This Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12) is one of the most picturesque and consoling passages in the Bible. It depicts Ezekiel’s vision of the healing and life-giving stream flowing out from the renewed temple in Jerusalem. The prophet saw water flowing with increasing quantity, depth and efficacy. All who were touched by it were regenerated, becoming abundantly fruitful. Ezekiel’s vision of regeneration through the life-giving water flowing out from the temple symbolizes the healing and salvation that would result from the new covenant promised by Yahweh in the messianic future.
The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 7, comment: “When the sanctuary of the Lord was profaned by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar who besieged the city in 597 B.C., he was deeply distressed. Carried off into exile in Babylon, it was on the banks of Kibar canal that he received his mission as a prophet … In 587 B.C. Ezekiel learned that the second taking of Jerusalem ended with the total destruction of the venerated Temple. With this catastrophe, all seemed lost. But God announced to his priest and prophet that there would soon be a miraculous restoration of his people. He will bring them back to their country and will live again in their midst, in a reconstructed Temple … Ezekiel was taken in a vision to the top of a mountain from which he contemplated Jerusalem being rebuilt (Ez 40:1-2). A mysterious surveyor appears to the prophet. He shows him around the Temple, giving measurements in detail, and dictating to him precise rituals that are to be followed (Ez 40:5-46:24). At the end of the guided tour, the prophet is led back to the entrance of the Temple, and there he has an extraordinary vision: waters flowing out from beneath the threshold of the Temple toward the east. This stream that keeps increasing in volume makes salt waters fresh, allows animals to live and multiply, and makes the earth so fertile that wonderful fruit trees grow on its banks. Each month they bear different fruit, and their leaves have healing properties. The stream becomes a mighty river and flows down into the Dead Sea – well-named, since its extremely salty waters allow no animal or vegetable life – and it sweetens its waters too (…) His eyes were finally opened to a radiant future brought about by the purification of suffering.”
Ezekiel’s vision of “living water” gushing forth from the temple of Jerusalem would be radically fulfilled by Jesus Christ in the messianic age. In today’s Gospel passage (Jn 2:13-22) we hear that the “temple” - to be destroyed and raised on the third day - is Jesus himself. Indeed, through the paschal mystery of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, his disciples came to experience that he is the true Temple. Jesus Christ, whose side was pierced by a lance and from which poured forth blood and water, is the font of salvation. The “healing stream” of the world’s salvation flows from the ultimate Temple - Jesus Christ glorified, who renews us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Through the aftermath of the Easter event in which the Risen Lord poured forth upon the community of Christian believers his gift of the renewing Spirit, the Church also became God’s temple. According to St. Paul (cf. I Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17), we are the temple of God, the dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Jesus Christ is the foundation stone of this new temple, the community of faith.
The biblical scholar Eugene Maly concludes: “The Risen Jesus is the focus of the gathering of all peoples … The glorified Body of Christ is the focal point of all worship of the Father. It is through him, with him, and in him that all honor and glory are given to the Father. He is the new temple and all who accept him as Lord form a new temple since they are in him. The material church building, then, takes on a new significance in the Christian dispensation. It is the place where the Eucharistic Body is most often made present and offered to the Father. It is the gathering of the new temple that is the Church, the temple of God. It is a sign, therefore, of a deeper spiritual reality, of another temple not made by hands. It is for this reason that we celebrate the dedication of the material church building.”
The Church, the spiritual temple comprised by Christian believers, is a source of “healing waters” today. I have experienced this and here is my personal account.
On September 18, 2008, my younger brother Gisbert, who was residing in Toronto, Canada, underwent an “open and close” surgery. The medical team discovered that the cancer in the stomach had spread to the liver and they could not do anything more. It was devastating! Mercifully, however, in the midst of this “purification of suffering” there were waters of consolation. The charity and prayers of the family and friends, both in Canada and abroad, became a source of “spiritual healing”. The PDDM sisters and his own “Born Again” group enfolded him with the comfort of their prayers.
On October 15 I went to Canada to visit him. I was very much touched by the sensitive kindness of the parish community of St. Anthony of Padua where I went for Mass. When a parishioner learned about my brother’s sickness, she spontaneously offered prayers for him at the Prayer of the Faithful. Ezekiel’s vision of a healing stream that enables fruit-laden trees with medicinal leaves to grow is accomplished anew in today’s new “temple” - the community of Christian believers. When we sustain each other in faith and when we comfort each other in the midst of affliction with the consolation we have received from the Risen Lord, “spiritual healing” takes place.
My brother succumbed to cancer and died on May 20, 2009. But our pain and suffering, united with Jesus, the font of salvation, were mitigated and became redemptive. When, through death, my brother finally completed his paschal journey, we believed that he is now experiencing the “fullness” of life and the “glorification” of his “body” in the bosom of God.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. How does Ezekiel’s vision of regeneration, healing and salvation impact you? How does the image of healing waters, fruitful trees and renewed creation affect you personally? Are you grateful for the promise of plenitude and fruitfulness given by the Lord God to Ezekiel with the coming of the new covenant?
2. Why is Jesus Christ the new and ultimate Temple from whom the waters of salvation flow out to the peoples of the earth and to the entire creation? Are you grateful for the gift of the holy Temple Jesus Christ and for having outpoured upon us the gift of the Holy Spirit, his Easter gift?
3. Are we deeply aware that we are the new temple of God? Do we endeavor to live fully the dignity of our being “temple of God” – the “dwelling of God in the Spirit”? What do we do to make the celebration of the feast of the Lateran Basilica more meaningful?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
We bless you, loving Father,
for the vision of hope you gave to Ezekiel.
By the rivers of Babylon where your people were exiled,
he sat and wept
for the devastation wrought by foreign invaders on Jerusalem.
There he grieved for the destruction of its temple.
You consoled your priest-prophet Ezekiel
with the promise of a new covenant.
You gave him a glimpse of the life-giving Temple in the messianic age,
with healing waters flowing from it.
Oh, merciful God,
we thank you for having accomplished your promise
in your Son Jesus Christ.
In him you ratified the new covenant.
Jesus is the ultimate Temple
from which flowed out blood and water
for the world’s healing and salvation.
We give you praise for the Church,
your spiritual temple in the here and now.
By the Easter event of Christ’s death and rising,
we have been transformed into your holy temple,
the place where you dwell in the Spirit.
Help us to bring the healing waters of your grace
to our anguished world.
Enable us to share the medicinal leaves of the cross,
the tree of life,
with those who are spiritually, morally and physically sick.
May all those who participate in your Son’s sufferings
for the world’s salvation
bear abundant fruits of love, joy and peace.
Loving God, we thank you for gathering us
to celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica,
the Pope’s cathedral church.
We thank you for the life-giving Holy Spirit
you have poured upon the universal Church.
We are called to be channels of “healing waters” in the world today.
Gracious Father,
may you be praised in the true Temple, Jesus Christ,
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
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.
“They shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.” (Ez 47:12b)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your kind words and charitable deeds on behalf of the poor, the sick and suffering, enable the “healing waters” from the true Temple, Jesus Christ, to bring them peace, consolation and salvation. Endeavor to make the church building in your parish community a more conducive place for Christian worship. To help us live our dignity us “temples of the Holy Spirit”, make an effort to spend some time in quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
***
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