Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary:
479
Brothers and sisters:
Be kind to one another, compassionate,
forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.
Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us
as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.
Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you,
as is fitting among holy ones,
no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place,
but instead, thanksgiving.
Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person,
that is, an idolater,
has any inheritance in theKingdom of Christ
Let no one deceive you with empty arguments,
for because of these things
the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
So do not be associated with them.
For you were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light.
Be kind to one another, compassionate,
forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.
Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us
as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.
Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you,
as is fitting among holy ones,
no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place,
but instead, thanksgiving.
Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person,
that is, an idolater,
has any inheritance in the
Let no one deceive you with empty arguments,
for because of these things
the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
So do not be associated with them.
For you were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 And 6
R. (see Eph. 5:1) Behave like God as his very
dear children.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Behave like God as his very dear children.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Behave like God as his very dear children.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Behave like God as his very dear children.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Behave like God as his very dear children.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Behave like God as his very dear children.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Behave like God as his very dear children.
Gospel Lk 13:10-17
Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
"Woman, you are set free of your infirmity."
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
"There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day."
The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?"
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
"Woman, you are set free of your infirmity."
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
"There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day."
The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?"
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.
Meditation: "Freedom
from bondage for eighteen years"
Is there anything that keeps you bound up
or oppressed? Infirmity, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, can befall
us for a variety of reasons and God can use it for some purpose that we do not
understand. When Jesus encountered an elderly woman who was spent of her
strength and unable to stand upright, he gave her words of faith and freedom
and he restored her to health. She must have suffered much, both physically and
spiritually for eighteen years, since Jesus remarked that Satan had bound her.
How can Satan do this? The scriptures indicate that Satan can act in the world
with malice and can cause injuries of a spiritual nature, and indirectly even
of a physical nature. Satan's power, however, is not infinite. He cannot
prevent the building up of God's kingdom or reign in our lives. Jesus
demonstrates the power and authority of God's kingdom in releasing people who
are oppressed by physical and emotional sickness, by personal weakness and sin,
and by the harrassment of the evil one in their lives. It took only one word
from Jesus to release this woman instantly of her infirmity. Do you believe in
the power of Jesus to release you from affliction and oppression?The Jewish leaders were indignant that Jesus would perform such a miraculous work on the Sabbath, the holy day of rest. They were so caught up in their ritual observance of the Sabbath that they lost sight of God's mercy and goodness. Jesus healed on the Sabbath because God does not rest from showing his mercy and love, ever. God's word has power to change us, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Is there anything that keeps you bound up or that weighs you down? Let the Lord speak his word to you and give you freedom.
"Lord Jesus, you grant freedom to those who seek you. Give me freedom to walk in your way of love and to praise and worship you always. Show me how I can bring your mercy and healing love to those in need around me."
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 Jesus Blows me Out of my Comfort Zone – Again! |
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Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
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Father James Swanson, LC Listen to podcast version here. Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, "Woman, you are set free of your infirmity." He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, "There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day." The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?" When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him. Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you with a faith that never seeks to test you. I trust in you, hoping to learn to accept and follow your will, even when it does not make sense to the way that I see things. May my love for you and those around me be similar to the love you have shown to me. Petition: Lord, protect me from spiritual old age. 1. Jesus Is Showing his Messiah Credentials Again: Jesus’ opponents were desperate. They didn’t want to believe that he was the Messiah, and they especially didn’t want anyone else to think he was the Messiah. But there was the pesky problem of his miracles. They knew that when God sent someone to speak for him, he usually performed signs through the person so that people would believe in him. The sign was proof that the person (Jesus in this case) was sent by God. Jesus was doing plenty of miracles, which most people were taking as the sign that he was sent by God. What could Jesus’ opponents do? They could only try to discredit the miracles any way possible. 2. You Can Do a 3. Lord, Please Let me Keep my Mediocrity: And so, there is really nothing to the objection. The head of the synagogue does not want to believe because what Jesus says and does seems threatening to him. If Jesus is the Messiah, he foresees having to change his life, and he does not want to do that. He may not even realize that this is his real objection, but it is. We can be this way, too. We don’t want to accept something Jesus teaches us through his Church because it would mean that we have to change our lives, and we don’t want to. We are comfortable the way we are. If we had to do what Jesus asks, it would take us out of our comfort zone. Sometimes it is mere fear of something different. Jesus always is offering us something different, but we don’t want it. We want to stay in our rut. We have surrounded ourselves with limited horizons and are afraid to stretch them. Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, help me to accept you fully. If I am rejecting you or your teaching without realizing it, show me. Help me to overcome my attempt to construct my own little universe in which I am God. If I have grown old spiritually, renew my youth and help me break through my restricted, shrunken horizons that exclude you. Resolution: Where in my life have I settled into spiritual routine and old age? Do I habitually skip some prayer I should be saying, telling myself it isn’t that important? I will make an extra effort to pray it today. Is there some other aspect of my spiritual or moral life that I have removed to make life “more comfortable” for me? Time to start doing it again! |
MONDAY, OCTOBER 29
LUKE 13:10-17
(Ephesians 4:32 ̶ 5:8; Psalm 1)
KEY VERSE: "Woman, you are set free of your infirmity" (v 12).
REFLECTING: Who can I assist to stand upright?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to use your Sabbath to help lift the burdens other people carry.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
Behave like God as his very dear children.
‘Woman, you are rid of your infirmity.’
As today’s gospel illustrates, Jesus was well aware that excessive piety can lead one to sacrifice the spirit of the Law to its literal observance. The same is true in our own day whenever we fail to accept his teaching that ‘the Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath’ (Mark 2:27).
All of us can be so attentive to minor details that we lose sight of the whole picture. Properly understood, there is much wisdom in the Dalai Lama’s dictum: ‘Learn and obey the rules very well, so you will know how to break them properly.’ Conscious of our own spiritual infirmities, we constantly need the healing touch of the one who said, ‘I have come that they may have life’.
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THOUGHT FOR TODAY
THE PRESENT
Today is a gift, that is why we call it the present. Right now,
somebody is very proud of you;
somebody is thinking of you;
somebody is caring about you;
somebody misses you;
somebody hopes you are not in trouble;
somebody is thankful for the support you have provided;
somebosy wants you to be happy.
- School Assembly, 23 May 2002
From A Canopy of Stars: Some Reflections for the Journey by Fr Christopher Gleeson SJ [David Lovell Publishing 2003]
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MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Equally Important
As far as Christians are concerned, all human beings are equally important, because all human beings are infinitely important. We are all brothers and sisters because God is our Father. And Christ came to save us all.
— from Yours is the Church
October 29
St. Narcissus of
(d. 215)
Life in second- and third-century Jerusalem
Details
of his life are sketchy, but there are many reports of his miracles. The
miracle for which he is most remembered was turning water into oil for use in
the church lamps on Holy Saturday when the deacons had forgotten to provide
any.We do know that Narcissus became bishop of
Several successors were appointed during his years in isolation. Finally, Narcissus reappeared in
www.americancatholic.org
Blessed Thomas of Florence
Blessed Thomas of
(Beato Tommaso da Firenze)
Feast Day – October 29
Thomas was the son of a butcher of Florence Florence
In his extremity he appealed to his patron,
only to learn the worthlessness of such friendship. Thomas was not even
received at the home of his patron. Calling again, he was told in plain words
that so disreputable a person as he should never again venture to approach.
Crushed at the turn of events, Thomas paced
the streets until he met a pious priest who had succeeded in bringing more than
one such young man to his senses. Thomas at first rebuffed the priest, but when
the priest continued to show him much sympathy, Thomas opened up his heart and
told his story. The priest consoled him, and invited him to his home, saying
that he would do everything in his power for him. Actually he had Tomas
declared innocent of the crime imputed to him.
Thomas now resolved to make amends for his
disorderly life under the direction of his rescuer. He broke off his former
associations and joined a pious society of which the priest was director.
Instead of wandering about the streets and taverns, he was now seen busy at his
work and visiting churches; instead of indulging in games and riotous
pleasures, he now devoted himself to prayer and works of penance. The more
Blessed Thomas of Florence was filled with the grace of God, the more he longed
to leave the world and to give himself to a life of penance.
www.roman-catholic-saints.com
LECTIO: LUKE 13,10-17
Lectio:
Monday, October 29,
2012
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty and
ever-living God,
strengthen our faith,
hope and love.
May we do with loving
hearts
what you ask of us
and come to share the
life you promise.
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
One Sabbath day Jesus
was teaching in one of the synagogues, and there before him was a woman who for
eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit that crippled her; she was bent
double and quite unable to stand upright.
When Jesus saw her he
called her over and said, 'Woman, you are freed from your disability,' and he
laid his hands on her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God.
But the president of
the synagogue was indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, and he
addressed all those present saying, 'There are six days when work is to be
done. Come and be healed on one of those days and not on the Sabbath.'
But the Lord answered
him and said, 'Hypocrites! Is there one of you who does not untie his ox or his
donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and take it out for watering? And this
woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years --
was it not right to untie this bond on the Sabbath day?'
When he said this, all
his adversaries were covered with confusion, and all the people were overjoyed
at all the wonders he worked.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today
describes the cure of a woman who was crippled. It is a question of one of the
many episodes which Luke narrates, without too much order, in describing the
long journey of Jesus toward Jerusalem
• Luke 13, 10-11: The
situation which brings about the action of Jesus. Jesus is in the synagogue on
a day of rest. He keeps the Law respecting Saturday and participating in the
celebration together with his people. Luke tells us that Jesus was teaching. In
the Synagogue there was a crippled woman. Luke says that she had a spirit which
crippled her and prevented her from straightening up. This was a way in which
the people of that time explained sicknesses. It was already eighteen years
that she was in that situation. The woman does not speak, does not have a name,
she does not ask to be cured, she takes no initiative. One is struck by her
passivity.
• Luke 13, 12-13:
Jesus cures the woman. Seeing the woman, Jesus calls her and says to her:
Woman, you are freed from your disability!” The action of freeing is done by
the word, addressed directly to the woman, and through the imposition of the
hands. Immediately, she stands up and begins to praise the Lord. There is
relation between standing up and praising the Lord. Jesus does things in such a
way that the woman stands up, in such a way that she can praise God in the
midst of the people meeting in the assembly. Peter’s mother-in-law, once she
was cured, she stands up and serves (Mk 1, 31). To praise God is to serve the
brothers!
• Luke 13, 14: The
reaction of the president of the Synagogue. The President of the Synagogue
became indignant seeing Jesus’ action, because he had cured on Saturday: “There
are six days when work is to be done. Come and be healed in one of those days
and not on the Sabbath”. In the criticism of the President of the Synagogue,
people remember the word of the Law of God which said: “Remember the Sabbath
day and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work, but
the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God. You shall do no work that
day”, (Ex 20, 8-10). In this reaction is the reason why the woman could not
participate at that time. The dominion of conscience through the manipulation
of the law of God was quite strong. And this was the way of keeping the people
submitted and bent down, crippled.
• Luke 13, 15-16: The
response of Jesus to the President of the Synagogue. The President condemned
persons because he wanted them to observe the Law of God. What for the
President of the Synagogue is observance of the Law, for Jesus is hypocrisy:
"Hypocrites, is there one of you who does not untie his ox or his donkey
from the manger on the Sabbath and take it down for watering? And this woman, a
daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years – was it not
right to untie this bond on the Sabbath day?” With this example drawn from
every day life, Jesus indicates the incoherence of this type of observance of
the Law of God. If it is permitted to untie an ox or a donkey on Saturday to
give it water, much more will it be permitted to untie a daughter of Abraham to
free her from the power of evil. The true sense of the observance of the Law
which pleases God is this: to liberate persons from the power of evil and to
make them stand up, in order that they can render glory to God and praise him.
Jesus imitates God who sustains those who are unsteady or weak and lifts those
who fall (Ps 145, 14; 146, 8).
• Luke 13, 17: The
reaction of the people before the action of Jesus. The teaching of Jesus
confuses his enemies, but the crowds are filled with joy because of the
wonderful things that Jesus is doing: “All the people were overjoyed at all the
wonders he worked”. In Palestine
4) Personal questions
• The situation of
women has changed very much since that time, or not? Which is the situation of
women in society and in the Church? Is there any relation between religion and
oppression of women?
• Did the crowds exult
before the action of Jesus? What liberation is taking place today and is
leading the crowd to exult and to give thanks to God?
5) Concluding prayer
How blessed is anyone
who rejects the advice of the wicked
and does not take a
stand in the path that sinners tread,
nor a seat in company
with cynics,
but who delights in
the law of Yahweh
and murmurs his law
day and night. (Ps 1,1-2)
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