Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary:
478
Brothers and sisters:
Grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ"s gift.
Therefore, it says:
He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;
he gave gifts to men.
What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended
into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended
far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood
to the extent of the full stature of Christ,
so that we may no longer be infants,
tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching
arising from human trickery,
from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.
Rather, living the truth in love,
we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ,
from whom the whole Body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
with the proper functioning of each part,
brings about the Body's growth and builds itself up in love.
Grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ"s gift.
Therefore, it says:
He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;
he gave gifts to men.
What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended
into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended
far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood
to the extent of the full stature of Christ,
so that we may no longer be infants,
tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching
arising from human trickery,
from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.
Rather, living the truth in love,
we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ,
from whom the whole Body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
with the proper functioning of each part,
brings about the Body's growth and builds itself up in love.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the
house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem , built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree forIsrael ,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Gospel Lk 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply,
"Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them?
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived inJerusalem ?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!"
And he told them this parable:
"There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?'
He said to him in reply,
'Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.'"
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply,
"Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them?
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!"
And he told them this parable:
"There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?'
He said to him in reply,
'Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.'"
Meditation: "Unless you repent"
The real danger and calamity which Jesus points out is that an unexpected disaster or a sudden death does not give us time to repent of our sins and to prepare ourselves to meet the Judge of heaven and earth. The Book of Job reminds us that misfortune and calamity can befall both the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Jesus gives a clear warning – take responsibility for your actions and moral choices and put sin to death today before it can destroy your heart, mind, soul, and body as well. Unrepentant sin is like a cancer which corrupts us from within. If it is not eliminated through repentance – asking God for forgiveness and for his healing grace, it leads to a spiritual death which is far worse than physical destruction.
Jesus' parable of the barren fig trees illustrated his warning about the consequences of allowing sin and corruption to take root in our hearts and minds. Fig trees were a common and important source of food for the people of
Why does God judge his people? He judges to purify and cleanse us of all sin that we might grow in his holiness and righteousness. And he disciplines us for our own good, to inspire a godly fear and reverence for him and his word. God is patient, but for those who persistently and stubbornly rebel against him and refuse to repent, there is the consequence that they will lose their soul to hell. Are God's judgments unjust or unloving? When God's judgments are revealed in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). To pronounce God's judgment on sin is much less harsh than what will happen if those who sin are not warned to repent.
God, in his mercy, gives us time to get right with him, but that time is now. We must not assume that there is no hurry. A sudden and unexpected death leaves one no time to prepare to settle one's accounts when he or she must stand before the Lord on the day of judgment. Jesus warns us that we must be ready at all times. Tolerating sinful habits and excusing unrepentant sin will result in bad fruit and eventual destruction. The Lord in his mercy gives us both grace and time to turn away from sin, but that time is right now. If we delay, even for a day, we may discover that grace has passed us by and our time is up. Do you hunger for the Lord's righteousness and holiness?
"Lord Jesus, increase my hunger for you that I may grow in righteousness and holiness. May I not squander the grace of the present moment to say "yes" to you and to your will and plan for my life."
www.dailyscripture,net
The Fig That Was Almost Toast! |
Saturday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
|
Listen
to podcast version here. Luke 13:1-9 At that time some people who were present there told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them -- do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Introductory Prayer: Lord, who am I that you spend time listening to me in my prayer? Who am I that you speak with me? You have given humanity such dignity by assuming our nature and giving me personally so many gifts. Time and time again you have been patient with me and received me back into your embrace when I have strayed from you. Thank you for your kindness to me. I hope to receive it always in the future and especially at the hour of my death. Your kindness and patience are a manifestation of your love for me. I want to return that love, because the only fitting response to love is love. Petition: Lord, help me to be as patient with others as you are with me. 1. The Fig-less Fig: The owner of the fig tree in the parable, which many spiritual authors see as an image of God the Father, comes for three years in search of fruit. How often our Heavenly Father comes in search of fruit on the fig tree of our lives. And what does he find? He has given us the “soil” and so many elements that are conducive to being fruitful. He has made known his desire for us to bear fruit, and his Son has explained to us how the fruit is to be produced. There are no excuses. Let’s take notice of the lesson of the parable: When the Father comes to us looking for fruits, it is because it is the time for fruit. What will we say to the Father if he has given us ten, twenty, forty, sixty years to bear fruit but finds none? It’s not just about looking nice, as a fig does. It’s about bearing fruit – fruit that will last – according to the Father’s plan. 2. The Fig That Was Almost Toast: There is an American idiom referring to something that is destroyed and no longer what it was: “It’s toast!” The fig tree in the parable was in danger of becoming “toast.” “Cut it down” was the order given by the owner. “Why should it exhaust the soil?” What a terrible accusation! It was useless and only sapping nutrients from the soil for no purpose. When we apply this parable to our own lives, it is ghastly to think that our life, or the lives of others, might be just as useless. Cut it down. Take it away. It serves no purpose. The judgment is just. But it was a judgment that was soon to be lifted, both in the case of the fig tree and in the application to our own lives. Am I sufficiently grateful for God’s continual mercy towards me and others? 3. Leave It… Thanks to the gardener in the parable, the fig lives and is not cut down. The axe does not bite into the trunk of the fig, wrenching from it the beauty of its leaves and meandering branches. In our case, Jesus Christ the Good Gardener steps in and asks the owner, the Heavenly Father, to “leave it;” he, the Good Gardener, will take care of things. And how he does it! The Gardener himself is cut down in a bloody way and crucified. We who indeed should justly be cut down are saved, while the axe is put to the trunk of His body. All for love of us! Archbishop Luis Martinez has a beautiful image in his book, The Secrets of the Interior Life where he speaks of suffering as a manifestation of love: “It is said that the myrrh tree allows its perfume to escape only when it is bruised.” The perfume “flows drop by drop through the lacerations of the bark that enfold them.” Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus Christ, how patient the Father is with me! Thank you for coming to save me, for laying your life down for me, for suffering what I should endure because of my self-centeredness and sinfulness. But with you, there is hope. Resolution: I will exercise patience today with everyone I meet, thinking of the patience that God has had with me. |
SATURDAY,
OCTOBER 27
LUKE 13:1-9
(Ephesians 4:7-16; Psalm 122)
KEY VERSE: "But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did" (v 3).
READING: Jesus cited two tragic events of his day in order to urge people to reform their lives while there was still time. The first case occurred when Pontius Pilate ordered the cold-blooded massacre of some Galileans who were offering sacrifice in theTemple at Passover . The other misfortune was
the accidental death of several construction workers when a water tower fell on
them. These victims were no more sinful than anyone else, yet they perished,
perhaps before they had time to reconcile themselves with God. Jesus then told
a parable of God's patience. God gives us every chance to bear good fruit in our
lives. But time eventually runs out. Hopefully, we will repent before it is too
late.
REFLECTING: Am I able to see the trials in my life as opportunities for growth?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to heed your warning to repent of any sin in my life.
LUKE 13:1-9
(Ephesians 4:7-16; Psalm 122)
KEY VERSE: "But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did" (v 3).
READING: Jesus cited two tragic events of his day in order to urge people to reform their lives while there was still time. The first case occurred when Pontius Pilate ordered the cold-blooded massacre of some Galileans who were offering sacrifice in the
REFLECTING: Am I able to see the trials in my life as opportunities for growth?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to heed your warning to repent of any sin in my life.
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, including the Liturgy, and includes reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary. See the complete document onVatican web site (www.vatican.va) Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
www.daily-word-of-life.comChapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, including the Liturgy, and includes reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary. See the complete document on
TO SHARE A BURDEN
Homily
Bible Readings : Eph 4:7-16; Lk
13:1-9
When others share our suffering, the
harsh blows of life are softened. The changes and the chances of life can be
better dealt with, when others join in and share the burdens. If such sharing
grows to global level, there will certainly be less misery on earth. The
followers of Christ are called to be examples of sharing the burdens of each
other, at least within the Church. St
Paul says (Eph 4:16) that the Church is like a body
made up of many people with various talents and roles. As different parts of
the body help each other for the welfare of the whole body, so we must help one
another. When the hands want to thread a needle, the eyes come to collaborate.
So too, believers have to support one another to carry out our respective
duties. Let your stomach become upset, and your whole body feels the pangs of
pain. So too, if one believer suffers, the reڑt
have to feel it in some way, as if the whole community is suffering, and come
forward to share the burden of the sufferer. To share a burden is to extend
spiritual generosity. No burden is too heavy when shared by another. Sharing a
burden tells the person that he or she is known, valued, and loved. Christ
demands a high level of caring and sharing from his disciples.
www.spreadjesus.orgLet us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
The gospel relates two separate incidents.
In the first, Jesus contradicts the popular idea that people who lose their lives through persecution or accidents are being punished for their sinfulness. Don’t we sometimes vaguely feel that we are being punished? Don’t we sometimes catch ourselves rash-judging a less able person as lazy or even a dole-bludger? But it is specially the saints who are asked to suffer as Jesus suffered.
In the second incident Jesus tells his disciples that God is patient. With love and care, an apparently barren tree might become fruitful. At the same time Jesus foresaw that if the people went on neglecting God’s kingdom and putting their trust in mere political intrigues they were going to commit national suicide. Which they did. Their capital city was destroyed. Are we heading in the same direction? Help us to see more clearly and to act more wisely, O Lord.
www.churchresurces.info
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Stay On Course
If times of great stress become
times when you let go of the things you truly value, you will find yourself
adrift and heading for the rocks, like a ship without its anchor. In times of
great stress, only your top priorities can have your time. Keeping the Lord’s
Day holy and putting God’s time first will help you stay on course.
— from How the Ten Commandments
Can Change Your Life
St. Frumentius
Feastday:
October 27
Patron of
Aksumite Empire
Died: 380
Called
“Abuna” or “the father” of Ethiopia ,
sent to that land by St. Athanasius. Frumentius was born in Tyre , Lebanon .
While on a voyage in the Red Sea with St.
Aedesius, possibly his brother, only Frumentius and Aedesius survived the
shipwreck. Taken to the Ethiopian royal court at Aksum , they soon attained high positions.
Aedesius was royal cup bearer, and Fruementius was a secretary. They introduced
Christianity to that land. When Abreha and Asbeha inherited the Ethiopian throne
from their father, Frumentius went to Alexandria ,
Egypt , to ask St. Athanasius
to send a missionary to Ethiopia .
He was consecrated a bishop and converted many more upon his return to Aksum . Frumentius and
Aedesius are considered the apostles of Ethiopia .
LECTIO: LUKE 13,1-9
Lectio:
Saturday, October 27,
2012
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty and
everlasting God,
our source of power
and inspiration,
give us strength and
joy
in serving you as
followers of Christ,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy
Spirit,
one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 13,1-9
It was just about this
time that some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood
Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, 'Do
you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than any others, that this
should have happened to them? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you
repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at
Siloam fell, killing them all? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than
all the other people living in Jerusalem ?
They were not, I tell
you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.'
He told this parable,
'A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on
it but found none. He said to his vinedresser, "For three years now I have
been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down:
why should it be taking up the ground?" "Sir," the man replied,
"leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it
may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down." '
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today
gives us information which is only found in Luke’s Gospel and there are no
parallel passages in the other Gospels. We are meditating on the long journey
from Galilee to Jerusalem
and which takes almost half of Luke’s Gospel, from chapter 9 to chapter 19 (Lk
9, 51 to 19, 28). In this part Luke places most of the information which he
obtains on the life and teaching of Jesus (Lk 1, 1-4).
• Luke 13, 1: The
event which requires an explanation. “At that time some people arrived and told
Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of the their
sacrifices”. When we read the newspaper or listen to the news on TV, we receive
much information, but we do not always understand all its meaning. We listen to
everything, but we really do not know what to do with so much information and
news. There are terrible news such as the tsunami, terrorism, the wars, hunger,
violence, crime, the attacks, etc. This is how the news of the horrible
massacre which Pilate, the Roman Governor, had ordered with some Samaritan
pilgrims reached Jesus. Such news upset us, throw us off. And one asks: “What
can I do?” To calm down their conscience, many defend themselves and say: “It
is their fault! They do not work! They are lazy people!” At the time of Jesus,
people defended themselves saying: “
• Luke 13, 2-3: Jesus’
response. Jesus has a different opinion. “Do you suppose that those Galileans
were worse sinners than any others that this should have happened to them? I
tell you No, but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those
eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell, killing them all? Do you suppose
that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem ? I tell you, No,
but unless you repent you will perish as they did. He seeks to invite to
conversion and to change.
• Luke 13, 4-5: Jesus
comments another fact. Or those eighteen on whom the tower
of Siloam fell, killing them all; do
you believe they were more guilty than all the other people in Jerusalem ?
It must have been a
disaster which was greatly commented in the city. A thunderstorm knocked down
the tower of Siloam killing eighteen persons who were
protecting themselves under it. The normal comment was “Punishment from God!”
Jesus repeats: “I tell you No, but unless you repent you will perish as they did".
They were not converted, they did not change, and forty years later Jerusalem was destroyed and many people died, being killed
in the Temple
like the Samaritans and many people died under the debri or ruble of the walls
of the city. Jesus tried to warn them, but the request for peace was not
accepted: “Jerusalem , Jerusalem !” (Lk 13, 34). Jesus teaches to
discover the calls of the events of life of every day.
• Luke 13, 6-9: A
parable in such a way as to make people think and discover God’s project. “A man
had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but
found none. He said to his vinedresser, for three years now I have been coming
to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Then he said to the
vinedresser: Cut it down; why should it be taking up the ground? Sir, the man
replied, leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it,
it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down”. Many times the
vine is used to indicate God’s affection for his people, or to indicate the
lack of correspondence of the people to God’s love (Is 5, 1-7; 27, 2-5; Jr 2,
21; 8, 13; Ex 19, 10-14; Ho 10, 1-8; Mi 7, 1; Jn 15, 1-6). In the parable, the
landlord of the vine is God, the Father. The vinedresser who intercedes in
behalf of the vine is Jesus. He insists with the Father to extend the space,
the time of conversion.
4) Personal questions
• God’s People, God’s
vineyard. I am part of this vineyard. I apply this parable to myself. What
conclusion do I draw?
• What do I do with
the news that I receive? Do I seek to have a critical opinion, or do I continue
to have the opinion of the majority and of mass media, of means of
communication?
5) Concluding prayer
Who is like Yahweh our
God?
His throne is set on
high,
but he stoops to look
down on heaven and earth.
He raises the poor
from the dust,
he lifts the needy
from the dunghill. (Ps 113,5-7)
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