Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary:
465
Brothers and sisters:
Realize that it is those who have faith
who are children of Abraham.
Scripture, which saw in advance that God
would justify the Gentiles by faith,
foretold the good news to Abraham, saying,
Through you shall all the nations be blessed.
Consequently, those who have faith are blessed
along with Abraham who had faith.
For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse;
for it is written, Cursed be everyone
who does not persevere in doing all the things
written in the book of the law.
And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear,
for the one who is righteous by faith will live.
But the law does not depend on faith;
rather, the one who does these things will live by them.
Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us,
for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree,
that the blessing of Abraham might be extended
to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,
so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Realize that it is those who have faith
who are children of Abraham.
Scripture, which saw in advance that God
would justify the Gentiles by faith,
foretold the good news to Abraham, saying,
Through you shall all the nations be blessed.
Consequently, those who have faith are blessed
along with Abraham who had faith.
For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse;
for it is written, Cursed be everyone
who does not persevere in doing all the things
written in the book of the law.
And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear,
for the one who is righteous by faith will live.
But the law does not depend on faith;
rather, the one who does these things will live by them.
Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us,
for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree,
that the blessing of Abraham might be extended
to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,
so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 111:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (5) The Lord will remember his
covenant for ever.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
Gospel Lk 11:15-26
When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:
"By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then theKingdom
of God
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
"When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
'I shall return to my home from which I came.'
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first."
"By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
"When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
'I shall return to my home from which I came.'
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first."
Meditation: "If
it is by the finger of God"
When danger lurks, what kind of
protection do you seek? Jesus
came to free us from the greatest danger of all – the corrupting force of evil
which destroys us from within and makes us slaves to sin and Satan (John 8:34).
Evil is not an impersonal force that just happens. It has a name and a face and
it seeks to master every heart and soul on the face of the earth (1 Peter
5:8-9). Scripture identifies the Evil One by many names, 'Satan', 'Be-el'zebul
– the prince of demons', the 'Devil', the 'Deceiver', the 'Father of Lies', and
'Lucifier', the fallen angel who broke rank with God and established his own
army and kingdom in opposition to God. Jesus declared that he came to overthrow
the power of Satan and his kingdom (John 12:31). Jesus' numerous exorcisms
brought freedom to many who were troubled and oppressed by the work of evil
spirits. Jesus himself encountered personal opposition and battle with Satan
when he was put to the test in the wilderness just before his public ministry
(Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1). He overcame the Evil One through his obedience to the
will of his Father.Some of the Jewish leaders reacted vehemently to Jesus' healings and exorcisms and they opposed him with malicious slander. How could Jesus get the power and authority to release individuals from Satan's influence and control? They assumed that he had to be in league with Satan. They attributed his power to Satan rather than to God. Jesus answers their charge with two arguments. There were many exorcists in
In his second argument Jesus asserts that no kingdom divided against itself can survive for long. We have witnessed enough civil wars in our own time to prove the destructive force at work here for the annihilation of whole peoples and their land. If Satan lends his power against his own forces then he is finished. Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th century church father explains the force of Jesus' argument:
Kingdoms are
established by the fidelity of subjects and the obedience of those under the
royal scepter. Houses are established when those who belong to them in no way
whatsoever thwart one another but, on the contrary, agree in will and deed. I
suppose it would establish the kingdom too of Beelzebub, had he determined to
abstain from everything contrary to himself. How then does Satan cast out
Satan? It follows then that devils do not depart from people on their own
accord but retire unwillingly. “Satan,” he says, “does not fight with himself.”
He does not rebuke his own servants. He does not permit himself to injure his
own armorbearers. On the contrary, he helps his kingdom. “It remains for you to
understand that I crush Satan by divine power.” [Commentary on Luke, Homily 80]
How
can a strong person be defeated except by someone who is stronger? Jesus
asserted his power and authority to cast out demons as a clear demonstration of
the reign of God. Jesus' reference to the 'finger of God' points back to Moses' confrontation with Pharoah and his
magicians who represented Satan and the kingdom of darkness (see Exodus 8:19).
Jesus claims to be carrying on the tradition of Moses whose miracles freed the
Israelites from bondage by the finger of God. God's power is clearly at work in the exorcisms which Jesus
performed and they give evidence that God's kingdom has come.
What is the point of Jesus' grim
story about a vacant house being occupied by an evil force? It is not enough to
banish evil thoughts and habits from our lives. We must also fill the void with
God who is the source of all that is good, wholesome, true, and life-giving for
us. Augustine of Hippo said that our lives have a God-shaped void which only
God can fill satisfactorily. If we attempt to leave it vacant or to fill it
with something else, we will end up being in a worse state in the end. What do
you fill the void in your life with? The Lord Jesus wants to fill our hearts
and minds with the power of his life-giving word and healing love. Jesus makes
it very clear that there are no neutral parties in this world. We are either
for Jesus or against him, for the "Lord Jesus, be the ruler of my heart and the master of my home. May there be nothing in my life that is not under your lordship."
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
LUKE 11:15-26
(Galatians 3:7-14; Psalm 111)
KEY VERSE: "If it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (v 20).
READING : When
Jesus exorcised a man who was mute, he was accused of working miracles by the
power of Beelzebul, meaning 'Lord of the lofty dwelling' (Baal, the pagan god of Syria
REFLECTING: Do I do my best to guard my household from evil?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, heal all the weak and sinful areas of my life.
LUKE 11:15-26
(Galatians 3:7-14; Psalm 111)
KEY VERSE: "If it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (v 20).
REFLECTING: Do I do my best to guard my household from evil?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, heal all the weak and sinful areas of my life.
I Believe In God
A cellar wall in Cologne, Germany
contained a beautiful testimony to faith in God, which workers found while
clearing away debris from a bombed out-house. It reads as follows: “I believe
in the sun, even when it is not shining; I believe in love, even when I do not
feel it; I believe in God, even when he is silent.” St Paul
The
Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
‘Those who
are not with me are against me.’We live in an age of sound-bites, talk-back radio, news headlines on smart phones, opinions spread by Facebook and Twitter and more. It seems almost counter-cultural to prefer to read reasoned opinion pieces in quality newspapers, listen to news radio or watch balanced current affairs programs. Preferring books to television seems quaint. Yet how else can personal opinion, choice and value formation take place?
If I am to decide on a moral position on major issues, I need to stand apart from the crowd, become informed and be ready to defend my stance. In matters of faith, I need to be educated, to reflect and pray and to live according to an informed conscience.
Jesus, am I ready and willing to live as your follower and companion? Help me to do this.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
AN AUTHENTIC LIFE
Fear is perhaps the greatest enemy of candour. How many men
fear to follow their consciences because they would rather conform to the
opinion of other men than to the truth they know in their souls? How can I be
sincere if am constantly changing my mind to conform with the shadow of what I
think others expect of me? Others have no right to demand that I be anything
other than what I ought to be in the sight of God.
- Thomas Merton
"No Man is an Island "
[The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, 1955]
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
The
Teacher
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Jesus does not need books or doctors to teach
souls. He, the Doctor of doctors, teaches without the noise of words. I have
never heard him speak and yet I know he is in me. At every moment, he guides
me and inspires me.
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux |
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October 12
St. Seraphin of Montegranaro
(1540-1604)
St. Seraphin of Montegranaro
(1540-1604)
Born into a poor Italian family, young
Seraphin lived the life of a shepherd and spent much of his time in prayer.
Mistreated for a time by his older brother after the two of them had been
orphaned, Seraphin became a Capuchin Franciscan at age 16 and impressed
everyone with his humility and generosity.
Serving
as a lay brother, Seraphin imitated St. Francis in fasting, clothing and
courtesy to all. He even mirrored Francis' missionary zeal, but Seraphin's
superiors did not judge him to be a candidate for the missions.Faithful to the core, Seraphin spent three hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament daily. The poor who begged at the friary door came to hold a special love for him. Despite his uneventful life, he reached impressive spiritual heights and has had miracles attributed to him.
Seraphin died on October 12, 1604, and was canonized in 1767.
Comment:
For many people these days, work has no significance beyond providing the money they need to live. How many share the belief expressed in the Book of Genesis that we are to cooperate with God in caring for the earth? The kind of work Seraphin did may not strike us as earth-shattering. The work was ordinary; the spirit in which he did it was not.
For many people these days, work has no significance beyond providing the money they need to live. How many share the belief expressed in the Book of Genesis that we are to cooperate with God in caring for the earth? The kind of work Seraphin did may not strike us as earth-shattering. The work was ordinary; the spirit in which he did it was not.
Quote:
In Brothers of Men, Rene Voillaume of the Little Brothers of Jesus speaks about ordinary work and holiness: "Now this holiness [of Jesus] became a reality in the most ordinary circumstances of life, those of work, of the family and the social life of a village, and this is an emphatic affirmation of the fact that the most obscure and humdrum human activities are entirely compatible with the perfection of the Son of God." Christians are convinced, he says, "that the evangelical holiness proper to a child of God is possible in the ordinary circumstances of a man who is poor and obliged to work for his living."
In Brothers of Men, Rene Voillaume of the Little Brothers of Jesus speaks about ordinary work and holiness: "Now this holiness [of Jesus] became a reality in the most ordinary circumstances of life, those of work, of the family and the social life of a village, and this is an emphatic affirmation of the fact that the most obscure and humdrum human activities are entirely compatible with the perfection of the Son of God." Christians are convinced, he says, "that the evangelical holiness proper to a child of God is possible in the ordinary circumstances of a man who is poor and obliged to work for his living."
St. Wilfrid
Feastday: October 12
633 - 710
Born in Northumberland in
634, St. Wilfrid was educated at Lindesfarne and then spent some time in Lyons and Rome England , he was
elected abbot of Ripon in 658 and introduced the Roman rules and practices in
opposition to the celtic ways of northern England Rome Rome English
Church into line with that of Rome Europe .
His feast day is October 12th.
LECTIO: LUKE 11,15-26
Lectio:
Friday, October 12,
2012
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
your love for us
surpasses all our
hopes and desires.
keep us in your peace
and lead us in the way
of salvation.
We ask this through
our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading
Jesus was driving out
a devil, but some of the people said, 'It is through Beelzebul, the prince of
devils, that he drives devils out.' Others asked him, as a test, for a sign
from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, 'Any
kingdom which is divided against itself is heading for ruin, and house
collapses against house.
So, too, with Satan:
if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? - since you claim
that it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out. Now if it is through
Beelzebul that I drive devils out, through whom do your own sons drive them
out? They shall be your judges, then. But if it is through the finger of God
that I drive devils out, then the kingdom
of God
'Anyone who is not
with me is against me; and anyone who does not gather in with me throws away.
'When an unclean
spirit goes out of someone it wanders through waterless country looking for a
place to rest, and not finding one it says, "I will go back to the home I
came from." But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied, it then goes off
and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and set
up house there, and so that person ends up worse off than before.'
3) Reflection
• Today's Gospel
speaks about a long discussion around the expulsion of a mute demon which Jesus
had before the people.
• Luke 11, 14-16:
Three diverse reactions in the face of that expulsion. Jesus was casting out
devils. Before this very visible fact, before everyone, there were three
different reactions. People were surprised, astonished and applauded. Others
said: "it is in the name of Beelzebul that he casts out devils". The
Gospel of Mark tells us that it was a question of the Scribes who had gone to Jerusalem
• Luke 11, 17-19:
Jesus shows the incoherence of the enemies. Jesus uses two arguments to confirm
the accusation of casting out the devil in the name of Beelzebul. In the first
place, if the devil casts out the devil himself, he divides himself and will
not survive. In the second place, Jesus gives them back their argument: If I
cast out the demons in name of Beelzebul, your disciples cast them out in whose
name? With these words, they were also casting out demons in the name of
Beelzebul. .
• Luke 11, 20-23:
Jesus is the strongest man who has come, a sign of the arrival of the Kingdom.
Here Jesus leads us to the central point of his argument: "When a strong
man, fully armed guards his own home, his goods are undisturbed; but when
someone stronger than himself attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes
away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil". According to
the opinion of the people of that time, Satan dominated the world through the
demons (daimônia). He was a strong and well armed man who guarded his house.
The great novelty was the fact that Jesus succeeded to cast out the demons.
This was a sign that he was and is the strongest man who has come. With the
coming of Jesus the kingdom of Beelzebul was declining: "But if it is through
the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the kingdom of God
• Luke 11, 24-26: The
second fall is worse than the first one. At the time of Luke in the years 80's,
a time of persecution, many Christians returned back and abandoned the
community. They went back to live as before. To warn them and all of us, Luke
keeps these words of Jesus on the second fall which is worse than the first
one.
• The expulsion of the
demons. The first impact caused by the action of Jesus among the people is the
expulsion of the demons: "He gives orders even to unclean spirits and they
obey him!" (Mk 1, 27). One of the principal causes of the discussion of
Jesus with the Scribes was the expulsion of the devils. They slandered against
him saying: "He is possessed by Beelzebul!" "It is in the name
of Beelzebul, head of demons that he casts out devils!" The first power
that the Apostles received when they were sent out on mission was the power to
drive out demons: "He gave them authority over unclean spirits" (Mk 6
,7). The first sign which accompanies the announcement of the Resurrection is
the expulsion of demons: "The signs that will be associated with
believers, in my name they will cast out devils!" (Mk 16, 17). The
expulsion of devils was what struck people more (Mc 1,27). This reached the
centre of the Good News of the Kingdom. By means of the expulsion Jesus
restored or recovered persons to themselves. He restored them their judgment,
their conscience (Mk 5, 15). And, especially, the Gospel of Mark, from
beginning until the end, with almost words which are the same, constantly
repeats the same image: "And Jesus cast out devils!" (Mk 1, 26.34.39;
3, 11-12. 22.30; 5, 1-20; 6, 7.13; 7, 25-29; 9, 25-27.38; 16, 17). It seems to
be a refrain which is always repeated. Today, instead of always using the same
words, we will use different words to transmit the same image and we will say:
"The power of evil, Satan, who causes so much fear to people, Jesus
overcame him, dominated him, seized him, conquered him, cast him out,
eliminated him, exterminated him, destroyed him and killed him!" With this
the Gospel wants to tell us that: "It is forbidden to the Christian to
fear Satan!" By his Resurrection and by his liberating action, Jesus
drives away from us the fear of Satan, he gives freedom to the heart, firmness
in our actions and causes hope to emerge in the horizon! We should walk along
the path of Jesus savouring the victory over the power of evil!
• To drive out the
power of evil. Which is today the power of evil which standardizes people and
robs from them the critical conscience?
• Can you say that you
are completely free? In the case of a negative response, some part of you is
under the power of other forces. What do you do in order to cast out this power
which dominates you?
5) Concluding prayer
Full of splendour and
majesty his work,
his saving justice
stands firm for ever.
He gives us a memorial
of his great deeds;
Yahweh is mercy and
tenderness. (Ps 111,3-4)
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