A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 14, n. 7)
Baptism of the Lord and First Week in Ordinary Time: Jan. 10-16, 2016
(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 of Year C from various perspectives. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: January 3-9, 2016, please go to ARCHIVES Series 14 and click on “Epiphany – Christmas Season”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: January 10-16, 2016.)
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January 10, 2016: THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
“JESUS SAVIOR: At His Baptism, Heaven Was Opened”
BIBLICAL READINGS
Is 42:1-4, 6-7 // Acts 10:34-38 // Lk 3:15-16, 21-22
Year C: Is 40:1-5, 9-11 // Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7 // Lk 3:15-16
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 3:15-16, 21-22): “When Jesus had been baptized and was praying heaven was opened.”
One Advent season, I volunteered to set the table for the community dinner every Sunday. I put forth the mood of expectancy for the coming of our Savior through the art of paper napkin folding. Each Advent Sunday, the Sisters entering the refectory would notice the increasing light pattern at the table: one paper napkin candle, two paper napkin candles, etc. On the fourth Sunday, after I had set the table, one enterprising Sister added a wonderful element to the décor. She placed a beautiful long-stemmed rose in the center of the candle-filled table. The sturdy-looking rose completed the evocative Advent setting and reminded us of the one who is to come, Jesus - the Rose of Judah. According to a popular Church hymn, he “came, a flower bright amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the night”. The rose that Sister placed on our dinner table slowly opened its petals, to our delight. Indeed, there is beauty in a blooming rose and there is grace in the earth that buds forth its Savior Jesus – the Rose of Judah.
On the feast of the Lord’s Baptism, we contemplate another miraculous moment of beauty and grace: the heaven opening its sky at the baptism of Jesus. On this Sunday, which closes the Advent-Christmas season, we continue to contemplate the mystery of the Word Incarnate - manifest anew in his baptism at the Jordan. The image of the newly baptized Jesus in prayer evokes the haunting Advent invocation: “Oh, that you would tear the heavens open and come down” (Is 64:1). The “heaven that opens” indicates that a divine revelation is made in answer to Jesus’ prayer. It also evokes the first pages of the Bible about the first morning of creation when the breath of God flew to and fro above the primordial waters as a power of life and fruitfulness. At the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, descending upon him in bodily form like a dove, heralds a new creation.
The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at his baptism is a messianic event. The Spirit of the Father anoints Jesus and empowers him for his public ministry as the Messiah. The Spirit rests upon him for the fulfillment of God’s saving will. At the messianic anointing, the Father’s voice likewise avows: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Lk 3:22). God proclaims Jesus as the expected messianic king. His kingship, though, will not be exercised in pomp and power, but in humble self-sacrifice. Empowered by the Holy Spirit at his baptism, Jesus is now ready to embark on his public ministry and his messianic mission: to open the door to the loving forgiveness of God.
B. Old Testament Reading (Is 40:1-5, 9-11): “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all people shall see it.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Is 40:1-5, 9-11) is also the First Reading for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year B. It is a beautiful message of hope and consolation. The prophet speaks of “Jerusalem, herald of glad tidings” (Is 40:9) Jerusalem here does not refer to a place, which at that time was actually in shambles, but to the chosen people in Exile. Having been purified in the crucible of suffering as a captive nation in Babylon, the “Jerusalem, herald of glad tidings” refers to the people of Israel, who were being invigorated and enjoined to prepare the way of the Lord and tread it with converted and renewed hearts.
The baptized Christians are the new “Jerusalem, herald of glad tidings”. By their life witnessing they enable “the glory of the Lord to be revealed” and to enable today’s people to experience the love and mercy of God. The following personal testimony gives insight into the Christians’ call to radiate the compassion of our glorious God (cf. Karen Barber in Daily Guideposts 2015, p. 79).
When I received a letter from my dear friend Roberta, who lives hundreds of miles away in West Virginia, I noticed that she had written something in neat letters along the V-shaped seal on the back of the envelope. It was a quote from the author Phyllis Theroux: “To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.”
Inside the letter, Roberta wrote, “I have a bad headache and can’t sleep, but I am thinking about you and your prayer ministry. Thank you so much for praying for me through so many seasons of my life.”
Have I really done so much for her? I wondered. I rarely know what’s going on in her day-to-day world, and we haven’t seen each other in several years. But we weren’t so far out of touch after all. Every morning I was in contact with God about Roberta because I pray for her at the same spot near some rose bushes on my morning prayer walk. I took out my journal, inspired to change Theroux’ quote ever so slightly: “To say a prayer for someone is a good way to be there for her without moving anything but your heart.”
C. Second Reading (Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7): “Jesus Christ saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
Today’s Second Reading (Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7) is composed of two insightful passages that were used in the liturgy of Christmas. The first passage (Ti 2:11-14)), which proclaims that “the grace of God has appeared, saving all”, was read at the Christmas Midnight Mass. The second passage (Ti 3:4-7), which extols the “epiphany” of the kindness and generous of God through his Son Jesus Christ who saved us through “the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”, was read at the Christmas Dawn Mass. Read again at the feast of the Lord’s Baptism which concludes the Christmas-Epiphany season, these powerful affirmations direct our attention beyond the “water immersion” of Jesus at the River Jordan to his Spirit-laden and life-giving blood-bath on the cross. Indeed, the Lord’s incarnation is intimately linked with his passion and redemptive mission on the cross.
Our celebration of the Christmas-Epiphany mystery has left us with images of hope and renewal. As we conclude this grace-filled season with the episode of the Lord’s Baptism we continue to be grateful to God the Father for his wonderful Christmas gift – his beloved Servant-Son Jesus. We are likewise grateful that through the sacrament of Baptism we too were immersed into the blood-bath of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. In living our own baptismal consecration in imitation of Jesus, we become a continual “Christmas gift” for others and to one another.
Mr. Tony Blair, three times elected Prime Minister of Britain and who received a standing ovation on his last day in Parliament in a country famous for its reserve, was admitted into the Catholic Church in 2008. He was interviewed for the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano and the following excerpts illustrate the challenges of a person who has made a leap of faith and who endeavors to live his baptismal consecration in the world today (cf. L’Osservatore Romano, September 16, 2009, p. 11-12).
Let us start with your recent entry into the Catholic Church. Two years ago, following your visit to the Pope in June the world started to buzz with news of your possible conversion to Catholicism. Can you tell us what led to your decision?
My spiritual journey began when I started to go to Mass with my wife. And then when we had children they were baptized in the Catholic Church. So really for 25 years or more I was going to Mass. And over time it just seemed to me emotionally, intellectually and rationally that it was the right spiritual home for me. It happened over a period of time. And then when I left office, when I was no longer in the position of Prime Minister, it was something I wanted to do.
Do you come from a religious family?
Actually, not really. My mother used to go to Church occasionally, as she was a protestant from Ireland. My father on the other hand was a militant atheist. But in Durham I went to the Chorister School attached to the Cathedral, so religion was very much part of my schooling. However it was really at university that I started to think seriously about my Christian faith, to think about it more profoundly. And it was then that I realized it was not only an important aspect but central to my life.
Cherie Booth is a Catholic. What importance has religion in your marriage?
Religion was something that brought us together. We did not meet as a result of religion, but it was very interesting to discover that my wife was very active in the Catholic student and other youth organizations. It was quite unusual for 23-24-year-olds as we were then to find we shared this interest in religion.
During your last visit to Benedict XVI as Prime Minister you gave him three photographs of John Henry Newman. Was the reason for choosing this gift the fact that Cardinal Newman played an important role in your journey towards conversion? Or did other figures contribute to it?
No, Cardinal Newman was not the reason even though, obviously, I knew his history and had read his writings. The photographs were simply an appropriate gift. With regard to other figures, I was very lucky to have participated, with my family in 2003, in a Mass that Pope John Paul II celebrated in his private chapel. I still have a very vivid memory of it. The event made a huge impression on me. Of course, it is highly likely that I would have come to this decision anyway but it was undoubtedly an important milestone that further strengthened my decision. One of the things that most attracted me to the Catholic Church was her universal nature. If you are a Catholic, you can go anywhere in the world and take part in Mass in all countries. I have been to Mass in Kengali, in Beijing, in Singapore. I remember when we went to Mass in Tokyo. I went incognito, in a very low key, but at the end of the celebration a woman invited the many visitors to stand up and introduce themselves. So I stood up and said “I’m Tony from London”. Which was quite a surprise! Well, the sense that wherever you are in the world you are in communion with others is truly formidable. It is something that fascinates me. The universal Church is herself the model of a global institution.
More in general, do you think that in modern democracies politicians have the right to talk on behalf of their faith – for example, explaining that they are against abortion because abortion violates the fifth commandment – or is it their duty to be silent about personal beliefs?
No, I’ve always said that people have the right to speak. And that’s why I was very insistent on these issues, handles on a frequent basis in the U.K. Because people do feel very strongly about them. People have different views on these issues but if a person holds a view that is absolutely central to his being of course he should have the right to speak about it.
To return to you, since your conversion has anything changed in your personal life (for example, as a father), in your political activities in Britain and lastly in your new role on the international scene?
As a father, it was just a continuation. My three elder children, now really grown up, are practicing Catholics (they still go to Mass fortunately!). They were baptized into the Catholic Church and have all been educated at Catholic schools (Leo, the youngest, is also being educated at a Catholic school). Faith has always been very much part of our family life. In this regard, therefore, my conversion did not change anything.
With regard to British politics, I have tried to stay out of them since I left Downing Street. Lastly, as for my international commitment, obviously faith makes me particularly sensitive and attentive to certain specific issues.
Think of the Middle East. For a believer to be there is fascinating, exciting, motivating. To visit the places of the Holy Land was wonderful: to go to places such as Jericho, the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized and of course Jerusalem, where my office is. Being a person of faith gives all this special significance.
In Africa, my Foundation for inter-religious dialogue is very active. For example, we have a program that unites different religions in the fight against malaria which kills one million people in Africa every year, mainly children.
We are also concerned with climate change. I believe that respect for the environment for the future generations is our responsibility as Christians. All these subjects are very much dominated by my faith. The Tony Blair Foundation aims to promote respect and understanding about the world’s major religions – Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Judaism – and to show how faith is a powerful force for good in the modern world. I recall that I launched the Foundation in Westminster Cathedral to a Catholic audience.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Alternative Opening Prayer, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord)
Loving Father,
we are truly grateful for the Christmas-Epiphany mystery.
Your grace has appeared in Jesus Christ,
born for our salvation.
He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
In the Lord’s baptism at River Jordan
is prefigured the saving event of his blood-bath on the cross.
By your kindness, we are immersed in this blood-bath of grace.
Sustain us in this New Year with images of hope and renewal.
Teach us how to prolong the joy and peace of Christmas through the year.
Give us the grace to be faithful to our baptismal consecration.
In Jesus your Servant-Son,
help us to be a continual “epiphany”
of your kindness and love for the world
and in the world.
We love you and we 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.
“Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him.” (Lk 3:22)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Today, the feast of the Lord’s baptism, thank the Lord for the gift of your own baptism and renew your own baptismal promises. In honor of the Lord’s baptism in which heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended, open up your hearts to a needy person and be an instrument of God’s revelation and messianic salvation.
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January 11, 2016: MONDAY – WEEKDAY (1)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Calls Us to Follow Him … He Has Compassion for the Lowly”
BIBLE READINGS
I Sm 1:1-8 // Mk 1:14-20
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 1:14-20): “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
Today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:14-20) contains the inaugural words of Jesus’ public ministry: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” The reign of God has begun in Jesus, the “Good News” in person. Jesus’ Gospel proclamation is exhilarating, but it is linked to his call for a radical response. Jesus demands total conversion and faith which entails adherence to his very person. The inaugural ministry of Jesus is followed by the call of the first disciples. The vocation of the fishermen Simon, Andrew, James and John provides a model for our response to Jesus and depicts the sacrifices of Christian discipleship. Together with the first disciples, we are invited to respond, “Yes, I leave all and follow you” in a progressive conversion and self-giving until the end.
The following is an example of a modern day response to Jesus’ call to radical discipleship (cf. “Spanish Youth Lead Religious Revolution” in ALIVE! October 2014, p. 6).
Olalla Oliveros was one of Spain’s top models, a regular in TV ads such as Special K, and was recently offered the lead role in a high-budget film. But, at the top of her career, the 36-year-old stunned Spanish society by tossing it all aside in order to become a nun, and in May this year she entered the convent.
She has spoken little in public about her religious vocation, but did let it be known that the change in her life began four years ago. During the visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal she had what she called “an earthquake” experience.
With her faith reawakened, she got the image of herself dressed as a nun. At the time she thought the experience was “weird”, but the image stayed with her. After much prayer and thought she decided to take the radical step. “The Lord is never wrong”, said Olalla. “He asked if I would follow him, and I could not refuse.”
B. First Reading (I Sm 1:1-8): “Hannah’s rival turned it into a constant reproach to her that the Lord had left her barren.”
Today’s Old Testament reading ( I Sm 1:1-8) provides a fitting backdrop for the public ministry of Jesus, who incarnates God’s compassion for the needy and the lowly. Hannah is barren and despised by all except by her loving husband, Elkanah. The other wife, Peninnah, would torment and humiliate her, because the Lord has left her childless. While she bears her rival’s reproach, not even Elkanah’s patient attempt to comfort Hannah can stop her from weeping and unable to eat. Peninnah’s taunts and Hannah’s anguish continue year after year as Elkanah and his family make their pilgrimage to the sanctuary at Shiloh. But soon there will be a transformation from barrenness to fruitfulness, from despair and tears to hope and joy. The longing for Hannah for a son will be blessed by the Lord, just as Israel’s spiritual need for the word of God will be satisfied.
The following story gives a glimpse into the depths of misery of the barren wife Hannah, and her need for help and salvation (cf. Henry Denker, Payment in Full in Reader’s Digest Condensed Books, vol. 3, 1991, p. 176-182).
Rebecca Rosen was a small woman, never quite appearing old enough to justify her thirty years. Except for her four unsuccessful attempts to bear a child, she considered herself fortunate. She lived in a free land. She was married to a fine, intelligent young man with whom she shared roots, since they both came from the same town in Poland. It was ironic that they had not met there, where the Jewish population was so small. (…)
It was the eve of Rosh Hashanah. David and Rebecca made ready to welcome in the Jewish New Year. He was dressed in his blue suit, good white shirt, and blue tie. “Becca”, David called, thinking she was dallying in the bedroom for one last look in the mirror to be sure she would pass inspection by all the other women, though he knew none of them could equal her beauty. Her face was heart-shaped with the hint of dimple on her chin, and when the long golden hair hung free and caught the sun, it turned lustrous and shining. (…)
“Becca”, he called a second time. “We’ll be late for the services.” Her silence drew him back to the bathroom. As he approached he heard her gasping. He rushed in to find her sitting in a corner, trembling. He took her in his arms and saw the tears on her cheeks. “Rebecca? Sweetheart? What is it? What’s wrong?” “My velvet dress … It’s too big. When I made it for the holiday, I thought I would be five months pregnant. So I made allowances, let room. Now it hangs on me like an empty sack. An empty sack …” she repeated, weeping.
“Becca, Becca, you can’t keep tormenting yourself. It is not your fault. There’s no cause for shame.” “It isn’t shame”, she protested. “It’s the other women. Some will have their children with them. Those who don’t will brag about the children they left at home – how pretty they are, or how bright. Only I will have no child to brag about.” ‘They understand”, David consoled her. “I don’t want them to understand. And I don’t want to be the subject of their pity. In the butcher shop yesterday I heard Olinsky say to two women, ‘That’s Mrs. Rosen. The pretty one.’ One woman asked, ‘Isn’t she the childless one?’ The other woman said, “That’s the one. Too bad. She’s cursed. Cursed.’”
“Becca, my darling”, said David, very concerned now. “Wipe your eyes. We’ll be late for services.” “I am not going”, she declared simply. She said it with such finality that he stepped back from her and stared. This was a different Rebecca than he had ever known. He knew, too, that she would not change her mind. She heard him close the door gently. She sat alone, rocking slowly. So much to give, she thought. God may have performed a miracle for Sarah, but he had made a mockery of me. (…)
David returned from synagogue two hours later to find Rebecca sitting in their dark bedroom, turned to the wall, as if to hide. When he took her in his arms, she thrust him away. For three days her condition not only persisted but worsened. David felt forced to seek out Dr. Pomerantz … The next evening Dr. Pomerantz arrived at the Rosen’s modest apartment with the air of a man who had made a grave decision. He commanded Rebecca to accompany him on what he termed a mission of mercy. She had no choice but to comply. (…)
“I say expose her to children like we expose a patient when we inoculate him”, the old doctor explained. “Let her build up the ability to cope with the situation. And who knows, David? There may be some child who appeals to her in some special way. It may be a blessing to her, and some unfortunate Jewish child who needs a mother. And also a father.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are eager to follow Christ who proclaims the Gospel and calls us to speak his word and compassion to the people around us?
2. Do we ever experience torment, misery and anguish inflicted upon us by others? How do we cope with them? Do we turn to God trustingly and seek his help and comfort? Do we welcome Jesus and the Good News and the challenge he brings?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
God the Father,
through the Word made flesh
you manifested to us your stupendous love.
Give us the grace to listen to Jesus,
to repent and believe in his words.
He is the living Gospel we must proclaim.
We give you glory and praise, now and forever.
Amen.
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O loving God,
we pray for the anguished “Hannahs” of our time.
Lift them up from their misery
through the life-giving ministry of your Son Jesus.
We give you glory and praise, now and forever.
Amen
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Mk 1:15) //“Why do you weep … Why do you grieve?” (I Sm 1:8)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Resolve to spend quality time on the meditation of the Gospel and the study of the Sacred Scriptures. Be thankful for the gift of Christian vocation. // By your kind words and deeds, comfort and encourage those who feel dejected and forlorn.
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January 12, 2016: TUESDAY – WEEKDAY (1)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches with Authority … He Bestows Grace on the Lowly”
BIBLE READINGS
I Jn 4:7-10 // Mk 6:34-44
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 1:21-28): “He taught them as one having authority.”
Today’s Gospel (Mk 1:21-28) continues to depict the early phase of the public ministry of Jesus - God’s “Good News” in person. The passage portrays him in the synagogue at Capernaum on a Sabbath, speaking the saving word of God and teaching with authority. The evangelist Mark describes the impact of Jesus’ teaching-prophetic ministry on the worshipping assembly: “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes”. Indeed, Jesus speaks with authority as he truthfully and faithfully reveals God’s message to the people. Moreover, he reinforces the power of God’s saving word by performing a healing sign – by curing a man possessed by an unclean spirit. The Benedictine liturgist, Adrian Nocent, comments: “Both word and action highlight the authority – that is the point St. Mark wants to make. Jesus is manifesting himself as Messiah, and his teaching differs from that of others not only by its content but by the fact that it is linked to an effective power from on high. His teaching thus manifests his person and the fact that he has been sent from God.”
Bong Tiotuico, a member of the Association of Pauline Cooperators: Friends of the Divine Master, sends us, from the Philippines, his insightful reflection on today’s Gospel.
The crowd is amazed at the ability of Jesus to command an unclean spirit to depart from one person’s body. Jesus performs the ritual of exorcism a few times in the gospel of Mark. The Church has received this power and office from him. Exorcisms may not be commonplace in the 21st century, but as we ponder through our everyday lives, we carry with us certain mindsets and behaviors we call our “personal demons”. While they may not fall under the category of psychological illness, we need to “exorcise” them too because they bring long term harm to our health, to our relationships with others, to our careers/vocations and even draw us farther away from God’s kingdom. These are big words we often hear at Sunday homilies, but never had a chance to reflect on, like: covetousness, envy, vice, selfishness, despair, anger, hatred, impulsiveness, depression, cynicism, loneliness, blind ambition, instant gratification, indifference, conflict, violence, bigotry and others. They represent a cabal of “demons and unclean spirits” that we live with, while surviving in a very competitive and materialistic world.
We must pray to our Lord through the intercession of our Blessed Mother to help us cast out these “evil spirits” from our lives. We can start by being attentive to the reading of the word of God during the Mass and supplement it by private study. This will make the gospels more instructive in our lives. It will not be easy, as these “unclean” spirits will be convulsing and screaming as we attempt to get rid of them. Also with the help of people around us: our loved ones, close friends who care, co-workers, members of our congregation, and if necessary, professional help – we can certainly succeed. Then we create room for the Holy Spirit to occupy our lives and produce within us, as St. Paul tells us in Gal. 5:22, his gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control: big words we also hear during Sundays, but sadly more and more alien to us these days. Amen.
B. First Reading (I Sm 1:9-20): “The Lord God remembered Hannah, and she gave birth to Samuel.”
The story of the birth of Samuel (I Sm 1:9-20) underlines the power of the compassionate God, who sent his only Son to be our Savior. In her bitterness Hannah prays to the Lord, weeping copiously. She makes a vow that if she is given a son, she will consecrate him to the Lord as a “nazirite”: neither wine nor liquor shall he drink and no razor shall touch his head. Hannah’s offer shows considerable renunciation, for that means the child would be with her only three years. Hannah’s prayer, reinforced by the invocation of the priest Eli, is heard. Hannah becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son whom she names “Samuel”, which means “he over whom the name of God is pronounced”. After she has weaned the boy, Samuel, Hannah brings him to the temple, saying to the priest Eli: “Do you remember me? I am the woman you saw standing here, praying to the Lord. I asked him for this child and he gave me what I asked for. So I am dedicating him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he will belong to the Lord.”
The favor received by Hannah illustrates the goodness of God and the power of trusting prayer. The same elements can be verified in the following modern-day story (cf. Alex Domokos, “The Making of a Miracle” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Stories of Faith, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al. Cos Cob: CSS, 2008, p. 322-324).
I was a strong supporter of the Hungarian freedom fighters, and in 1956, when they were subdued by the Soviets after a spontaneous uprising, we were suddenly forced to flee. First we headed for my parent’s home to get our daughter, but our attempts to reach her failed …Despite our terrible despair over leaving our daughter behind, we had to leave. With the help of some very good people, we made our escape from Hungary to Austria and eventually to Canada and to freedom. We settled in Winnipeg and started a new life. Our beautiful little daughter was only three years old when we came to Canada and we began the process of applying for her to come join us in Winnipeg. Little did we know how many years it would take. (…)
One day my wife said to me, “I’m going to pray for the intervention of St. Jude. He is the patron saint of hopeless causes.” “Fine with me”, I replied. But I had lost faith in such supernatural intervention long ago. At that time, I was working in the basement of a downtown building in the evening as a sculptor. Day after day, after finishing my regular job, I went to work for a church supplies company for a few extra dollars. The bonus was, I was allowed to use the facilities for some of my own work – and sculpture is an art from that really requires a work space. In the church basement I was surrounded by dusty plaster figures of various saints. My job was to finish them and prepare them for painting. Hollow lifeless figures, I thought to myself. Ridiculous to expect any help from them.
But what did I have to lose? Why not take a chance? One evening I made a sudden decision. I dropped my work pail and went to the heap of wood where I often chose pieces for my own carvings. There I found a nice block of basswood that seemed to offer itself up for the task I was planning. I began to envision the features of St. Jude. I had to see him first in my imagination. In a sudden flash, I saw a bearded face full of dignity and hope. That’s it! I thought. I put my chisel to the wood and started carving like I’d never carved before. The hours slipped away. Usually I arrived home at eight every evening, but on this occasion it was well past ten when I finally entered our little attic apartment.
I realized immediately that my wife was very agitated. “Where have you been?” she cried. “I was anxious to reach you, but there is no phone in that basement!” “Why, what happened!” I asked. “Look!” she said excitedly. “A new response from the Canadian government. They put some pressure on the Hungarian government, and they have finally relented. They’re letting her go! Our daughter is coming to us in six weeks!”
I was speechless. Suddenly feeling weak, I reached for a chair to sit down. I gently placed my new carving on the kitchen table. “What is that?” my wife asked. “Don’t you see? It’s a statue of St. Jude”, I replied. I told her then the reason why I was late, about my sudden impulse to carve and about my vision of St Jude’s face. We looked at each other. There were no words to express our emotions. Joy, disbelief, shock – all of these and more were wrapped into one.
Six weeks later, my wife and I stood at the Winnipeg Airport waiting for the plane that would bring our daughter! At home to us, to Canada and to freedom … And suddenly I saw her! Our little girl – now almost ten years old … I ran to her and in one miraculous moment embraced her. My heart was overjoyed!
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we surrender ourselves to the power and authority of Jesus as he teaches us with his life-giving word and releases us from the shackles of our “personal demons”?
2. Like Hannah, do we open ourselves to the goodness of God and his marvelous works for us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O loving Jesus, Divine Master,
you are the holy and mighty One of God!
We recognize your great power and you teach with authority.
The power of your word
drives away the “personal demons” within us.
Cleansed from sin and evil,
we turn to you in humility
to receive the gifts of your Holy Spirit.
Teach and reign in our life, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Father of love and goodness,
give us the humility and the spirit of self-surrender of Hannah
and, together with her,
let us sing our canticle of praise to your glory.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“A new teaching with authority!” (Mk 1:27) //“The Lord remembered her.” (I Sm 1:19)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your gracious words and acts of charity, be united with Jesus in his ministry of deliverance from evil. // Be an instrument of grace and peace for those who are hopeless and desperate.
*** *** ***
January 13, 2016: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (1)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Healer … He Hears
and Proclaims the Word
BIBLE READINGS
I Sm 3:1-10, 19-20 // Mk 1:21-28
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 1:29-39): “Jesus cured many who were sick with various diseases.”
In today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:29-39), the paschal victory of Jesus Healer is prefigured in the healing he carries out on behalf of Simon’s sick mother-in-law and many others with various diseases and those possessed by demons. The healing ministry of Jesus is a sign that the kingdom of wholeness has come. By his mission of healing, he shows that sickness, suffering and death do not have the ultimate word. The evangelist Mark narrates: “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed”. The “dawn” of Jesus is poised in earnest towards greater intimacy with the loving Father and the proclamation of the Gospel. The saving ministry of the healing Lord is sustained by his life of prayer and personal dialogue with the Father. Hence, the restoring touch of Jesus reaches out more extensively and the Good News extends, propelled by a life of recollection and prayer.
From the Philippines, the psychiatrist Dr. Eleanor Ronquillo, a member of the Association of Pauline Cooperators: Friends of the Divine Master, sends her inspiring reflection on today’s Gospel.
These days, many people are getting sick from grave illnesses like strokes, heart attacks, cancer, AIDS, rare pneumonias. People seek many types of cures, search for doctors far and near, the latest medicines, the most advanced medical technology, herbal medicine, etc. They seek the CURE, not the HEALING. Amidst the sick person’s suffering is a big plea to God to take away this illness and this suffering. In the Gospel, as Jesus HEALS many, one is led to believe in such a “miraculous” CURE. And it is not surprising for some to turn away from God for not providing such a cure. “Why me God … why do you let me be sick like this? … I’m not a bad person … There are so many out there criminals/murderers, why don’t they get this illness? … I can’t take this anymore … You must have forgotten me Lord … I do not wish to live like this.”
It is beyond physical CURE of an illness that is the essence of the Lord’s HEALING. The Gospel says, “People brought to Jesus all the sick … Jesus healed many who had various diseases.” I recall the story of a man who was disabled and paralyzed. He continually sought cures to be able to walk again. He struggled with his condition and felt his life was full of difficulties and hopelessness because of his disability. He prayed that God might take away his illness. One time (I think it was his visit to Lourdes in the Grotto in France) after a deep prayer, he felt an aura of peace within. He began to cry, to accept what he had, to see life as God willed it to be, to find hope and meaning in his “suffering”, to embrace the Lord and find peace. Finally, when he left, he had been healed.
We must seek the Lord in our suffering, that he may heal us. For a lot of people in crisis, that is the time when opportunity knocks. The opportunity to seek and be closer to the Lord knocks on our doors in the face of crisis. And healing will come, as Jesus heals us, if we seek him and let him heal us. This healing is a process that only the suffering person can undergo. No doctor can effect a healing for the patient, a treatment perhaps, yes; but the healing, no. The person himself has to undergo the internal process of accepting his condition and surrendering to the Lord one’s suffering … and find peace and solace in his loving arms.
“And he also drove away demons.” The words tell us that the devil was at work in people. The devil works in people’s hearts and minds. The “illness” is not exactly a phenomenon of possession. It can be masked as a wonderful extramarital affair though immoral, a wealth ill gotten, a successful oppression, an ongoing sexual abuse of a child. The list is long. The many facets of evil are within and among us. But do we recognize them? Do we recognize that we spite our neighbor, endlessly criticize people, persist in being unforgiving and harboring anger, scheme and carry out revenge, plan the next move to take what is not ours? The driving out of demons is our turning away from evil and seeking Jesus to rule our hearts. That is also our process of healing.
B. First Reading (I Sm 3:1-10, 19-20): “Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening.”
The call of Samuel that is narrated in the reading (I Sm 3:1-10, 19-20) marks a new “dawn” in the history of Israel. The images of Samuel are all sweetness and light. Through his birth, the anguished existence of Hannah as a barren woman is ended, and through his consecration as a servant of the Lord in the temple, he becomes a source of new life. Today’s episode underlines that while young Samuel is serving the Lord under the guidance of the priest Eli, the revelation of the Lord is uncommon and visions are infrequent. The picture of Eli, now very old and practically blind, describes Israel’s state in relation to the Lord. Israel is in need of the light of the word. The lamp of God, symbol of the divine word, is almost extinguished through the sacrilegious and immoral acts of the officiating priests, the sons of Eli.
The boy attendant, Samuel, sleeps in the temple of the Lord in Shiloh where the ark of God is located. This is to enable him to tend the lamp that burns in the sanctuary. God addresses his word directly to Samuel. There is humor in Samuel’s naïve running to Eli three times before the old priest realizes that it is the Lord calling. Upon Eli’s prompting, at the fourth call Samuel makes an eventful response: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” The Lord speaks to the young boy about the destruction of the priestly house of Eli. When Samuel opens the door of the temple in the morning light, he enacts the bursting forth of the word of God to the people of Israel after a long silence. The Lord is with Samuel who grows up to be God’s prophet. God brings to realization the word that Samuel speaks and reinforces his stature as a man of God.
The call and response of Samuel to God for a special task in salvation history is replicated through the ages. The following episode in the life o Dolores Hart, a movie actress who became a Benedictine nun, illustrates the fascinating character of God’s call and our response to it (cf. Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B. and Richard DeNeut, The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2013, p. 176-178)
Later Dolores met with Reverend Mother Benedict. She spoke of her walk and finding herself at the crest of the hill and standing still, not knowing why she was there. The founder of the monastery told her that, years before in 1947, when she and Mother Mary Aline came to Bethlehem with the mission to found a Benedictine order, they stood at the same place, holding medals they had carried from France. They buried those medals beneath the ground Dolores had stood upon and photographed.
“What is it that you want?” Reverend Mother asked me. I told her that was what I was trying to find out. I said, “I want my career, I want to get married. I want to have a home. I want most of all to do the will of God.” I think I hoped that she would not accept me but just say again that I should go back to Hollywood.
“I can’t tell you what the will of God is”, she said. “You must decide what you want to do, and in your deepest desire you will find the will of God. What is it that you want?” Again I said, “I want my career. I want to marry. I want to please God and to serve Him with all my heart.”
“You will find the will of God when you find what it is in your own heart that you know you must do”, she repeated. “Don’t look for God in some abstraction. The answer comes from within yourself. Dolores, what is it that you want?”
In his Rule, Saint Benedict cautions against granting newcomers to monastic life an easy entry. A pilgrim must knock on the door three times to be recognized.
When I got back to my room I began packing. I felt the decision had been made for me. God had not spoken. Reverend Mother had not invited me in. I was going home to pick up my life, and I was very relieved to have the whole thing off my back.
That evening I went to supper in the refectory. Mother Placid was serving. She smiled and said, “Well’ Dolores, you won’t be able to chew gum when you come in.” I hadn’t realized I was chewing gum. We both laughed. “But I am not entering”, I told her. “Oh,” she said surprised. “Reverend Mother said you were. She said it was clear you had a monastic calling because you were fighting so hard. I’ll let her know she was mistaken.” She turned to leave, and I suddenly stopped her. “No, don’t.”
That was it. My answer didn’t come in a lightning bolt. I simply knew at that moment what Reverend Mother was trying to tell me when she insisted that I say what I wanted to do. If I was honest about my answer, I would give God a point of departure He could work with. This is the exact opposite of the way many people think spiritual life proceeds. (…)
When Don met Dolores at LAX, he was in good spirits. Nothing in Dolores’ letters from the monastery indicated he would not have a fiancée when she returned. When he saw her, however, his mood changed. “She looked like a refugee, pale and drawn, no makeup, and her hair wasn’t even fixed. We stopped at a steak house near the airport. It was packed, and we were seated smack in the middle of the room.”
Dolores hadn’t planned on telling Don her decision that evening, and she tried to keep up a conversation that, before long, gave way to silence. Don remembered, “I began thinking, ‘Where are we heading?’ I finally asked point-blank if she was entering the monastery.”
Don’s perception was so strong that I knew I couldn’t put it off. I told him I was.
“I just fell apart”, Don said, “right in the middle of the packed room.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do you turn to Jesus, the wounded Healer, for healing?
2. Do we listen to God as he speaks to us, and are we ready to do the divine will?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
God our Father,
great is your love for us!
You sent your beloved Son to save us
and to heal us of all our infirmities.
He was tested through what he suffered
and, in solidarity with us,
he remained faithful.
We thank you for Jesus, our ultimate Healer.
Let him bless us with complete healing of mind, soul and body.
We praise and bless you, now and forever.
Amen.
***
God our Father,
grant us a listening heart
and the readiness to do your will.
Like Samuel, help us to say to you:
“Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Help us to follow Jesus who listens to your word.
He proclaims the Gospel throughout Galilee
and manifests its saving power.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“He cured many who were sick with various diseases and he drove out many demons.” (Mk 1:34a) //“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (I Sm 3:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Be an instrument of God’s healing love by alleviating the problems and sufferings of the people around you. // Give yourself time and leisure for some quiet contemplative prayer. Search deep within you and see the various ways God speaks to you. Make a positive effort to do his will.
*** *** ***
January 14, 2016: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (1)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Touches the Leper …He Helps
Those in Distress”
BIBLE READINGS
I Sm 4:1-11 // Mk 1:40-45
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 1:40-45): “The leprosy left him and he was made clean.”
In today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:40-45), the evangelist Mark depicts one of the most beautiful pictures of Christian compassion. Breaking down the barriers of hygiene and ritual purity, Jesus does the unimaginable. Responding with compassion to the leper’s faith invocation, “If you wish, you can make me clean”, Jesus stretches out his hand and touches him saying, “I do will it. Be made clean.” He touches the “untouchable” with his healing hand. He comforts the outcast with an authoritative cleansing word that brings wholeness. Indeed, in the Gospel accounts, the cleansing of lepers is a messianic sign that the Kingdom of God has come.
One of the exigencies of Christian life is to bring the healing ministry of Jesus to the many “lepers” of today, especially the millions of victims of Hansen’s disease all over the world who, more than all others, fit the description “the poorest of the poor”. Mother Teresa of Calcutta dedicated her ministry of charity in a special way to these lepers, impelled by the slogan that was a rewording of the ancient taboo. “Touch a leper with your compassion.” Mother Teresa, moreover, spoke of the “leprosy of the Western world”, which is, the leprosy of loneliness. In her ministry to the lonely, the unwanted, the marginalized, the rejected, the AIDS victim, etc. she had given witness that with the love of Christ, there is healing for the leprosy of our modern times. Indeed, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, together with St. Francis of Assisi, Blessed Damien of Molokai, and many other Christian disciples, had shown that it is possible to respond to the Christian missionary imperative: “Cure the sick … cleanse the lepers!” and that it is necessary to replicate the healing gesture of Christ: “Touch a leper with your compassion.”
B. First Reading (I Sm 4:1-11): “Israel was defeated and the ark of God was captured.”
The Old Testament reading (I Sm 4:1-11) is about the defeat of the Israelites by their most dangerous enemy, the Philistines, who are militarily and culturally superior. Greatly disadvantaged in an earlier battle by the Philistines, the Israelites attempt to use the presence of the Lord to bring about victory. Ever since their journeying in the desert of Sinai, the Israelites are accompanied by the Ark of the Covenant, the tangible symbol of the Lord’s presence among them. The Ark is a gold-plate wooden box that contains the tables of the Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Ark’s presence in the Israelite camp dismays the Philistines and it instigates them to fight for dear life with extraordinary bravery. The Ark is captured, and among the 30,000 Israelites slain are Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli. It is clear that because of the crimes of Eli’s sons, Israel is no longer worthy of the presence of God in the Ark. The horrible news of the capture of the Ark causes the death of the ninety-year-old Eli, and the news of the death of her father-in-law, Eli, and husband, Phinehas, induces the latter’s widow to labor and give birth to a son. The dying woman names her son, Ichabod, meaning “God’s glory has left Israel”.
The grief and the fear of the defeated Israelites are akin to the anguish that the persecuted Christians of today are experiencing. The present-day tragedy in Syrian gives us a glimpse into the suffering of the victims of violence and war, then and now (cf. “Media Silence about Anti-Christian Atrocity in Syria” in Alive! December 2013, p. 5).
Six members of one family were killed in late October when they were thrown down a well by rebel forces in the Syrian town of Sadad. Those killed ranged in age from 16 to 90, and included 18-year-old university student Ranim. They were among more than 45 Christian civilians murdered in what is being seen as the worst act of anti-Christian persecution since the war in Syria began. Thirty bodies were found in two mass graves. Speaking of the family drowned in the well, Patriarch Gregorios of Damascus asked, “How can somebody do such inhumane and bestial things to an elderly couple and their family? I do not understand why the world does not raise its voice against such acts of brutality.”
Muslim rebels who captured the largely Orthodox town held 1,500 families hostage, using them as a human shield for a week, until they were driven out by government forces. Church leaders have also reported widespread looting and destruction of shops and homes, as well as of a hospital, clinic, post office and schools, during the attack. And young people have told how they were insulted and taunted about their Christian faith by the rebels.
At least 2,500 families had fled to neighboring towns, and the scale of the atrocity has only come to light since they returned home. Gregorios, the Catholic Melkite Patriarch, described the massacre as “a sign of the rise of fundamentalism and extremism”. Until now the faithful had seen Sadad, where Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, is spoken, as a safe haven. But “what happened there is very significant in that it is frightening the Christians into leaving the country”, said the Patriarch.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. A touch can be a beautiful gesture of encouragement, reconciliation and love. A touch can heal the suffering spirit of a person. When was the last time you showed your love and concern with a gentle, healing touch?
2. What do you do when totally anguished and helpless? Do you turn to God and allow him to strengthen you? Do you perceive and reverence the various modes of the presence of God within and around us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O loving God,
great and compassionate are you!
Fill us with tender feelings for your injured children,
for a society that needs healing,
and for “the holy mystery of creation”
besieged by threats of cosmic destruction.
Let everything we do and say in love and healing for today’s lepers
become a sign of Christ’s paschal victory over sin and death
and of the beauty of the resurrected world.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
O gracious Father,
help us to perceive and treasure
the various modes of your presence in our lives.
We entrust ourselves to you
and let us walk by faith with Jesus,
especially in tragic moments.
We give you glory and praise, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper …” (Mk 1:41) //“It was a disastrous defeat.” (I Sm 4:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
By your kind words and charitable deeds, encourage those whose faith is getting weak and those who are losing hope on account of various trials. // Pray for the persecuted Christians in today’s world. By your prayers, concrete works of charity and concerted humanitarian action, enable them to experience the “gift” of survival, freedom and peace.
*** *** ***
January 15, 2016: FRIDAY – WEEKDAY (1)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Source of Total Healing … He Guides Us by His Wisdom”
BIBLE READINGS
I Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a // Mk 2:1-12
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 2:1-12): “The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth.”
The following story gives insight into the message of today’s Gospel (Mk 2:1-12) about a person’s need for total healing (cf. Hal Manwaring, "Fourteen Steps" in A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 1996, p. 264-267).
I became afflicted with a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side … In spite of my disease I still drove to and from work each day, with the aid of special equipment installed in my car … As I became older, I became more disillusioned and frustrated. I’m sure that my wife and friends had some unhappy times when I chose to expound to them my philosophy of life. I believed that in this whole world I alone had been chosen to suffer …
On a dark night in August 1971, gusty winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads. Suddenly the steering wheel jerked in my hands and the car swerved violently to the right. In the same instant I heard the dreaded bang of a blowout … It was impossible for me to change that tire! Utterly impossible! … Then I remembered that a short distance up a little side road was a house. I started the engine and thumped slowly along … Lighted windows welcomed me to the house and I pulled into the driveway and honked the horn … The door opened and a little girl stood there, peering at me. I rolled down the window and called out that I had a flat and needed someone to change it for me because I had a crutch and couldn’t do it myself. She went into the house and a moment later came out bundled in a raincoat and hat, followed by a man who called a cheerful greeting. I sat there comfortable and dry, and felt a bit sorry for the man and the little girl working so hard in the storm. Well, I would pay them for it … It seemed to me that they were awfully slow and I was beginning to become impatient … Then they were standing at my car window. He was an old man, stooped and frail-looking under his slicker. The little girl was about eight or 10 I judged, with a merry face and a wide smile as she looked up at me. He said, “This is a bad night for car trouble, but you’re all set now.” “Thanks,” I said, “thanks. How much do I owe you?” He shook his head. “Nothing, Cynthia told me you were a cripple – on crutches. Glad to be of help. I know you’d do the same for me. There’s no charge, friend.” I held out a five-dollar bill. “No! I like to pay my way.” He made no effort to take it and the little girl stepped closer to the window and said quietly, “Grandpa can’t see it.”
In the next few frozen seconds the shame and horror of that moment penetrated, and I was sick with an intensity I had never felt before. A blind man and a child! … They changed a tire for me – changed it in the rain and wind, with me sitting in snug comfort in the car with my crutch. My handicap. I don’t remember how long I sat there after they said good night and left me, but it was long enough for me to search deep within myself and find some disturbing traits. I realized that I was filled to overflowing with self-pity, selfishness, indifference to the needs of others and thoughtlessness. I sat there and said a prayer. In humility I prayed for strength, for a greater understanding, for keener awareness of my shortcomings and for faith to continue asking in daily prayer for spiritual help to overcome them.
Here we have the personal account of a crippled man who discovers that his need for inner healing is greater than that of physical healing. Indeed, there is more to it than physical malady. There is more to it than a physical cure. Jesus Christ, who embodies the Reign of God, shows us that the Kingdom of wholeness involves more than just physical healing. The messianic ministry of Jesus, the Healer, includes the liberation of human beings from the bondage of sin. The Kingdom of wholeness includes the forgiveness of sins.
B. First Reading (I Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a): “You will complain against the sin you have chosen, but on tht day the Lord will not answer you.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (I Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a) speaks of “power” – the power of governance and the guidance of the people of Israel. Here we have a transition from the “period of the judges”, when charismatic heroes sent by the Lord have led the people, to the “period of the monarchy” when the nation is led by kings. Samuel, the last of the judges, stands between two periods in the history of Israel. The prophet Samuel has been a remarkable deliverer-judge whose intercession before God caused the menacing Philistines to rout. By his guidance, the Philistine threat is removed for a generation. But now that he is old, the elders of Israel are concerned that his two sons are corrupt, dishonest and self-seeking and will not assure justice for the nation. The elders therefore ask Samuel for a king. Samuel is angry on behalf of the Lord whom he recognizes as the true and only king of Israel. God bids him to listen to the people and to warn them about the implications of having a king. The people’s request for a king is not only a desire to emulate the other nations, but also to have an effective leadership to meet the challenge of other nations. They reiterate their request and after listening to them, Samuel goes to the Lord and tells him everything. The Lord commands Samuel to grant the people’s request and to appoint a king to rule them.
Monarchy brings advantages as well as burdensome and negative effects as the following experience of Israel with King Herod shows (cf. “A Window of History: A Man of Violence” in Alive! April 2013, p. 13).
King Herod was afraid that no one would grieve when he died, so he gathered a large group of prominent men to his palace in Jericho, where he resided, and gave orders that they were to be killed at the time of his death. This would ensure that the country mourned his departure. Fortunately for the men, the king’s son Archelaus did not carry out the order.
Herod the Great, as he is called, was born in Idumea, the most southern region of the Holy Land, earlier known as Edom, about 74 B.C. He was the second son of Antipater, an official who rose to power under the later Jewish kings belonging to the Hasmonean dynasty. Antipater was involved in Rome’s civil war, siding first with Pompey, then with Julius Caesar. Coming out on top, Caesar made him chief minister of Judea, and thus he became founder of the Herodean dynasty.
Antipater made his second son, Herod, Governor of Galilee at the age of 25. Some years later, in 43 B.C., Antipater’s harshness in raising taxes was resented and he was poisoned. Although an Edomite, Herod considered himself a Jew, but the religious authorities didn’t recognize him as such. And already the debauchery of his court and his brutality in putting down a revolt were being condemned by the Sanhedrin.
After a coup d’état in the region, Herod fled to Rome for backing. There the Senate chose him as “King of the Jews”, about 40 B.C. He returned to take possession of his kingdom, banished his wife Doris and married Mariamne, a Hasmonean princess, in an attempt to bolster his claim to the throne and gain Jewish favor. In the coming decades, Mariamne would be succeeded by another eight wives.
After three years of fighting, and with the help of the Romans, Herod finally captured Jerusalem, becoming sole ruler of Judea and taking the title of King. He began a huge building program, including a complete rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (known as the Second Temple or Herod’s Temple), referred to by Jesus in the gospels (cf. Mk 13:1). This Temple was completed in a year and a half, and about 1,000 rabbis were employed for the task as masons and carpenters, in keeping with Jewish law. It would be completely destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Herod also developed the water supply system for the city, constructed the port city of Caesarea Maritima and built the famous fortress of Masada.
Considered a madman, and suffering from paranoia, he would later execute various members of his family, including his wife Mariamne. In 36 B.C., he made his 17-year-old brother-in-law Aristobulus, the high priest and, fearing revolt, had him drowned at a party the following year. Two years later he put Mariamne on trial, accusing her of adultery. Herod’s sister, Salome, and Mariamne’s own mother Alexandria, gave evidence against her and she was executed. Alexandra then declared herself Queen and stated that Herod was mentally unfit to govern. A big mistake. She too was executed. In 28 B.C. Herod executed his brother-in-law, husband of Salome, for conspiracy. The following year he escaped unharmed when an attempt was made on his life.
In 12 B.C. he provided funding for the financially strapped Olympic Games, ensuring their future. In the few years remaining before his death, Herod had, at different times, three of his sons tried for high treason and then executed. Despite all the violence, however, his long reign was a time of relative peace and prosperity for the ordinary people.
He ruled for a total of 37 years, dying about the year 4 B.C., aged 70. In his will, which had had to be changed many times, he divided his kingdom among three of his surviving sons. Archelaus became ruler over the tetrarchy of Judea, his half brother Antipas got Galilee in the north, and Philip from marriage no. 5 got Peraea (Transjordan). St. Matthew (chapter 2) informs us that Jesus was born towards the end of Herod’s reign. Tricked by the magi, Herod sent his soldiers to the small town of Bethlehem to slaughter the baby boys aged 2 or under. It is estimated that, given the size of the town, about 20 children would have been killed.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we realize that a situation of sin is an illness that weakens, paralyzes and imprisons us in pain? Do we realize that being reconciled with God entails true healing?
2. Do we allow Jesus to have full authority over us, or do we seek other lords to have sway over us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Lord,
our sinful hearts are broken and we are in pain.
But we believe, O Christ, that you are the “healing Physician”.
Heal our hearts and make us turn back to you.
Take away the “paralysis” that results from our sins.
Strengthen our will
and fill us with the strength of new life.
May your healing hand and word of forgiveness
be the source of joy for God’s injured children.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we thank you for Jesus,
the true King and the center of our life.
He has authority to heal
and to forgive sins,
and for this we give you glory and praise.
In Jesus we are the recipients
of your love and compassion.
You are our almighty God, 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.
“He said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven’.” (Mk 2:5b) //“Appoint a king to rule them.” (I Sm 8:22a)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for the grace of inner healing. Extend God’s gift of healing forgiveness to a person who has offended you. // Pray for rulers of the earth that they may guide the people on the path of peace, justice and prosperity. Be pro-active with regards to social issues to help the governing body choose what is for the common good.
*** *** ***
January 16, 2016: SATURDAY – WEEKDAY (1); BVM ON SATURDAY
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the Healing Physician …
He Chose Us”
BIBLE READINGS
I Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1a // Mk 2:13-17
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mk 2:13-17): “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Today’s Gospel (Mk 2:13-17) tells us that healing love springs forth from Christ. Jesus is the physician par excellence and he does not have to justify his presence among the sick. His presence amidst tax collectors and sinners is a mandate and a mission of mercy. He is sent by the Father to assuage suffering of every kind. The vocation to experience God’s mercy and compassion is offered to the entire Church and the challenge to incarnate the divine mercy in today’s world is directed to each of us.
The Fresno-based Poverello House is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization whose mission is to enrich the lives and spirits of all who pass their way, to feed the hungry, offer focused rehabilitation programs, temporary shelter, medical, dental and other basic services to the poor, the homeless, the disadvantaged, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex or disability through Providential and community support. Its founder is Mike McGarvin, a man who had experienced God’s mercy and transforming compassion through a saintly Franciscan priest, Fr. Simon Scanlon. They met at the “Poverello Coffee House” which Fr. Simon opened in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, notorious for its poverty, prostitution and violence. Mike narrates: “Gradually my life of self-indulgent destruction was being replaced by a life of service … I began seeing people through Father Simon’s eyes. He, in turn, saw people through Christ’s eyes, and he deeply believed that Jesus walked among the poor and the outcast. It was a revelation to me. The more I got to know the people who came to Poverello, the more compassion I felt for them.” Indeed, through the mercy and compassion of Fr. Simon, the “wayward” Mike finally experienced the healing and transforming love of Christ.
B. First Reading (I Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1): “This is the man of whom the Lord spoke, Saul who will rule his people.”
The Old Testament reading (I Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1a) speaks of the vocation of Saul to govern God’s people and his anointing as ruler of the people. Saul is described as the son of Kish, a wealthy and influential man from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul is handsome and in the prime of life. He is a foot taller than anyone else and more handsome as well. He presents a very impressive figure at the onset. Saul, heeding his father’s request, searches for the missing donkeys and his obedient quest leads him to the prophet-seer Samuel. God tells Samuel about Saul: “This is the man I told you about. He will rule my people.” At dawn Samuel takes a jar of olive oil, pours it on Saul’s head, kisses him and says, “The Lord anoints you are ruler of his people Israel.
Saul, as God’s anointed, needs to respond positively to the mandate received. The following article about a recently crowned beauty queen gives an example of a proper response to a special title or mandate received (cf. Anne Nolan, “New Miss World Is Princess of Charm” in Alive! December 2013, p.6).
When Megan Young, a Filipina American, took part in a TV reality show the viewers were so taken with her kindness and gentleness that they dubbed her “The Princess of Charm”. At the end of September, in Bali, Indonesia, 23-year-old Megan was crowned Miss World. Born in Virginia in the US, she was aged six when her family moved back to the Philippines, which she represented in the beauty contest. An actress and model, Megan has been studying digital film-making at the De La Salle College in Manila.
Charming she definitely is, but not at the price of her convictions. She is, in fact, a Catholic young lady who actually thinks and speaks like a Catholic. After her win in Bali she was interviewed on ANC, a Filipino TV news network. She was asked what she thought of the new law in the Philippines which in fact undermines respect for life. She replied, “I’m pro-life, and if it means killing one that’s already there, then I’m against that, of course, I’m against abortion.”
That led the interviewer to question her about contraception. “I don’t engage in stuff like that”, she replied, explaining that sex is for marriage, that’s what I believe. It should be with your partner for life.” That led on to divorce. “I’m actually against divorce”, said Megan, “because I’ve seen that in my family. So I think if you marry someone, that should be the person you should be with forever, through sickness and health, through good or through bad.”
It seemed that the interviewer was finding it hard to cope with these answers. Finally she asked, “A woman as gorgeous as yourself, how do you say no to sex?” At this Megan laughed and said, “You just say no; that’s it.” She added: “If they try to push you, then you step away because you know that that person doesn’t value you, doesn’t value the relationship as much.” On the other hand, “If the guy is willing to sacrifice that, then that means a lot.”
She told how she chose to compete in the Miss World pageant rather than Miss Universe because of its principal focus. “After you win”, she said, “your main focus, your duties, will all be helping out with charities.”
A princess of charm indeed.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Are we willing to welcome fully into our hearts Jesus and the gift of divine mercy that he brings into our fragile, often times broken and self-destructive lives? Are we ready to incarnate God’s compassionate heart in today’s distressed world so needful of healing and mercy?
2. What does it mean to be chosen by God for a special task? How does Samuel inspire you as an obedient prophet of God?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
you are the most beautiful expression of God’s mercy.
You come to us with your healing touch.
You are the divine physician
who assists us in all our distress.
Heal us in our mind, body and soul
that fully restored we may give you praise, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Loving Father,
we thank you for Samuel’s obedient response to your word.
Above all, we thank you for Jesus
whom you sent to bring healing and salvation
to sinners and the sick.
Help us to respond fully to the gift of our vocation.
Let your will be done upon us
and may we be instruments
of your mercy and compassion.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“I did not come to call the righteous but sinners…” (Mk 2:17) //“The Lord has anointed you commander of his heritage.” (I Sm 10:1a)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
In your compassionate stance for the poor and needy, and especially for the “outcasts”, let the loving mercy of God be revealed in today’s world. // Be grateful to God for your Christian-baptismal vocation and for the specific charismatic vocation you have received for the good of the people around you. Maximize the spiritual gifts you have received for the common good.
***
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