Monday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 425
Lectionary: 425
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| Saint Paul |
Paul, Silvanus, and
Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.
For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.
In every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, Jesus,
who delivers us from the coming wrath.
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.
For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.
In every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, Jesus,
who delivers us from the coming wrath.
Responsorial PsalmPS 149:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6A AND 9B
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia!
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia!
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
GospelMT 23:13-22
Jesus said to the
crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”
Meditation: "You
shut the kingdom of heaven"
When God knocks on your door are you ready to answer and receive
him (Revelations 3:20)? God offers each of us an open door to his kingdom, but
we can shut ourselves out if we reject his offer. What is the door to the
kingdom of heaven? When Jacob fled from his brother Essau, who wanted to kill him
for stealing his birthright (Genesis 27:41), Jacob sought refuge in the
wilderness. There God pursued him and gave him a vision that both changed his
life and the life of his people. As Jacob slept on a star-lit hillside God
showed him a great ladder or stairway that extended from earth to heaven. This
stairway was filled with a multitude of angels ascending and descending before
the throne of God. God opened heaven to Jacob, not only to give him a place of
refuge and peace, but to offer him the blessing of dwelling in intimate
friendship with the living God. God spoke to Jacob and renewed the promises
which he had made to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, and now to
Jacob and his posterity. God promised not only to bless and protect Jacob, but
to make him and his descendants a blessing to all the nations as well. When
Jacob awoke he exclaimed: "How awesome is this place! This is
none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:17). God opened a door for
Jacob that brought him and his people into a new relationship with the living
God.Jesus proclaimed to his disciples that he would fulfill the dream of Jacob in his very own person: "You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (John 1:51). Jesus proclaimed that he is the door (John 10:8-9) and the way (John 14:6) that makes it possible for us to access heaven and God's very throne. But Jesus woefully warned the religious leaders and successors of Jacob that they were shutting the door of God's kingdom not only on themselves but on others as well. The word woe expresses sorrowful pity and concern as well as grief and extreme sadness.
Why did Jesus lament and issue such a stern rebuke? Jesus was angry with the religious leaders because they failed to listen to God's word and they misled the people they were supposed to teach and lead in the ways of God. Jesus gave a series of examples to show how misguided they were. In their zeal to win converts, they required unnecessary and burdensome rules which obscured the more important matters of religion, such as love of God and love of neighbor. They were leading people to Pharisaism rather than to God. Jesus also chastised them for their evasion of binding oaths and solemn promises. Oaths made to God were considered binding, but the Pharisees found clever ways to evade the obligation of their oaths when convenience got in the way. They forgot that God hears every word we utter and he sees the intention of the heart even before we speak or act. The scribes and Pharisees preferred their idea of religion to God's idea. They failed as religious leaders to teach others the way of God's kingdom because they failed to listen and to understand the intention of God's word. Through their own pride and prejudice they blindly shut the door of their own hearts and minds to God's understanding of his kingdom.
How can we shut the door of God's kingdom in our lives? By closing our ears to Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelations 17:14; 19:16), who speaks words of life and love, truth and freedom, hope and pardon. The Lord Jesus wants to dwell with us and to bring us into his kingdom. He opens the way for each of us to "ascend to heaven" and to bring "heaven to earth" in the daily circumstances of our lives. God's kingdom is present in all who seek him and who do his will. Do you pray as Jesus taught, "May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)?
"Lord Jesus, your word is life for me. May I never shut the door to your heavenly kingdom through my stubborn pride or disbelief. Help me to listen to your voice and to conform my life more fully to your word."
www.dailyscripture.net
 Am I My Brother’s Keeper? |
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Monday of the
Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time
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Matthew 23:13-22
Jesus said to the crowds and to his
disciples: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock
the Kingdom of Heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor
do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. "Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and
when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ´If one swears by the Temple, it
means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the Temple, one is
obligated.´ Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the Temple that made
the gold sacred? And you say, ´If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.´ You blind
ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who
swears by the Temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears
by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come to you again in prayer. Even
though I cannot see you, I know through faith that you are present in my
life. I hope in your promise to be with me. I love you, and I know you love
me. Accept this prayer as a token of my love.
Petition: Lord, help me to be a person of great
integrity – the same inside and out.
1. No Hypocrites Need Apply: The scribes and Pharisees lacked the
authenticity and rectitude of conscience needed to please God. We need to let
our behavior, our word and our conscience be in harmony and open before God.
Conscience is that secret sanctuary where we are alone with God and we hear
the voice of the Holy Spirit speak to us in the depths of our heart. To
violate that conscience, that is, to go against what we know to be true, is
to deny ourselves what is most important to our salvation. A good conscience
is the greatest good thing we can possess in this life. It gives us peace,
serenity and an assurance of our perseverance in good.
2. Misleading Others Has a Price: Christ is very harsh on those who lead
others astray, especially those who have a responsibility to teach and guide
others in the way of salvation. It is a great sin to give scandal and to lead
others away from the path of truth. There are many examples of this: There
are those entrusted to teach in the name of the Church but substitute their
personal opinions, and those who give a testimony of disordered lifestyles,
especially to the young and impressionable. The salvation of all of us is
linked together; we need to build each other up and help each other on the
way to Christ. Others have a right to our good example and to our speaking
truth.
3. No Swearing Here! Jesus warns against idle words,
exaggerations and swearing in the name of God or by his altar. He wants us to
be sincere in all we say and do, so that the integrity of our lives may be
apparent to all who see us. If we live with a clear conscience and act before
God in all things, we can then simply give our word and have it mean all we
have inside us. What a wonderful thing it is to deal with people who are
simple and transparent, who can be taken at face value, because to be devious
or calculating never occurs to them, or to be in any way false or insincere.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, give me the grace of real sincerity of
heart in dealing with you and with others. Teach me to give my word and mean
it with all my heart.
Resolution: I will review my examination of conscience
to make sure I am going deep enough to know what God wants of me.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 26
MATTHEW 23:13-22
(1 Thessalonians 1:2-5, 8b-10; Psalm 149)
KEY VERSE: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites" (v 13).
READING: Jesus leveled seven indictments against the religious leaders for their hypocritical behavior. The first accusation was of their scandalous behavior which was an obstacle for those trying to enter God's kingdom. The second charge was brought against those who required Gentile converts to Judaism to submit to all the demands of the Mosaic law (the early Church struggled with the same issue). The third reproach was against the false reasoning of those who took oaths swearing by the gold of the Temple or the gifts on the altar. They did not realize that the greater importance was the sanctity of the one who dwelled in the Temple and the one whomthey worshiped at the altar.
REFLECTING: What kind of example of Christian leadership do I give?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to be consistent in all I say and do.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
August 25
St. Joseph Calasanz
(1556-1648)
From
Aragon, where he was born in 1556, to Rome, where he died 92 years later,
fortune alternately smiled and frowned on the work of Joseph Calasanz. A priest
with university training in canon law and theology, respected for his wisdom
and administrative expertise, he put aside his career because he was deeply
concerned with the need for education of poor children.
When he
was unable to get other institutes to undertake this apostolate at Rome, he and
several companions personally provided a free school for deprived children. So
overwhelming was the response that there was a constant need for larger
facilities to house their effort. Soon Pope Clement VIII gave support to the
school, and this aid continued under Pope Paul V. Other schools were opened;
other men were attracted to the work and in 1621 the community (for so the
teachers lived) was recognized as a religious community, the Clerks Regular of
Religious Schools (Piarists or Scolopi). Not long after, Joseph was appointed
superior for life.
A
combination of various prejudices and political ambition and maneuvering caused
the institute much turmoil. Some did not favor educating the poor, for
education would leave the poor dissatisfied with their lowly tasks for society!
Others were shocked that some of the Piarists were sent for instruction to
Galileo (a friend of Joseph) as superior, thus dividing the members into
opposite camps. Repeatedly investigated by papal commissions, Joseph was
demoted; when the struggle within the institute persisted, the Piarists were
suppressed. Only after Joseph’s death were they formally recognized as a
religious community.
Comment:
No one knew better than Joseph the need for the work he was doing; no one knew better than he how baseless were the charges brought against him. Yet if he were to work within the Church, he realized that he must submit to its authority, that he must accept a setback if he was unable to convince authorized investigators. While the prejudice, the scheming, and the ignorance of men often keep the truth from emerging for a long period of time, Joseph was convinced, even under suppression, that his institute would again be recognized and authorized. With this trust he joined exceptional patience and a genuine spirit of forgiveness.
No one knew better than Joseph the need for the work he was doing; no one knew better than he how baseless were the charges brought against him. Yet if he were to work within the Church, he realized that he must submit to its authority, that he must accept a setback if he was unable to convince authorized investigators. While the prejudice, the scheming, and the ignorance of men often keep the truth from emerging for a long period of time, Joseph was convinced, even under suppression, that his institute would again be recognized and authorized. With this trust he joined exceptional patience and a genuine spirit of forgiveness.
Quote:
Even in the days after his own demotion, Joseph protected his persecutors against his enraged partisans; and when the community was suppressed, he stated with Job, to whom he was often compared: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; /blessed be the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21b).
www.americancatholic,orgEven in the days after his own demotion, Joseph protected his persecutors against his enraged partisans; and when the community was suppressed, he stated with Job, to whom he was often compared: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; /blessed be the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21b).
LECTIO: MATTHEW
23,13-22
Lectio:
Monday, August 26, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
help us to seek the values
that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.
In our desire for what you promise
make us one in mind and heart.
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.
help us to seek the values
that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.
In our desire for what you promise
make us one in mind and heart.
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 - Matthew 23,13-22
Jesus Said: 'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You shut up the kingdom of Heaven in people's faces, neither going
in yourselves nor allowing others to go who want to.
'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel
over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and anyone who becomes one you
make twice as fit for hell as you are.
'Alas for you, blind guides! You say, "If anyone swears by the Temple, it has no force; but anyone who swears by the gold of the Temple is bound." Fools and blind! For which is of greater value, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? Again, "If anyone swears by the altar it has no force; but anyone who swears by the offering on the altar, is bound." You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred? Therefore, someone who swears by the altar is swearing by that and by everything on it. And someone who swears by the Temple is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And someone who swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.
'Alas for you, blind guides! You say, "If anyone swears by the Temple, it has no force; but anyone who swears by the gold of the Temple is bound." Fools and blind! For which is of greater value, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? Again, "If anyone swears by the altar it has no force; but anyone who swears by the offering on the altar, is bound." You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred? Therefore, someone who swears by the altar is swearing by that and by everything on it. And someone who swears by the Temple is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And someone who swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.
3) Reflection
• During the next three days, we will meditate on the discourse
pronounced by Jesus in which he criticizes the doctors of the Law and the Pharisees,
calling them hypocrites. In today’s Gospel (Mt 23, 13-22), Jesus pronounces
against them four times the expression “Alas for you...” (Mt 23, 23-26), and in
the Gospel of day after tomorrow, he uses this same expression two other times
(Mt 23, 27-32). These are expressions against the religious heads of the times
and these are very hard words. In meditating them, I should not only think of
the doctors and the Pharisees of the time of Jesus, but also, and above all in
the hypocrisy found in me, in us, in our family, in the community, in our
Church, in today’s society. Let us look into the mirror of the text to discover
the errors in ourselves.
• Matthew 23, 13: The first “Alas for you...” against
those who close the door of the Kingdom because in this way you will not enter
and, you do not even let those who want to enter. How do they close
the Kingdom? They do it by presenting God as a severe judge, leaving very
little space for the mercy of God; by imposing, in the name of God, laws and
norms which have nothing to do with the commandments of God, by presenting a
false image of the Kingdom and by killing the desire to serve God and the
Kingdom. A community which organizes itself around this false god “does not
enter into the Kingdom”, and it is not even an expression of the Kingdom, and
prevents its members from entering into the Kingdom.
• Matthew 23, 14: The second ‘Alas for you...’ is
against those who use religion to enrich themselves. You devour the property of
widows, though you make a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the
sentence you receive because of this”. Jesus allows the disciples to
live the Gospel, because he says that the labourer has the right to his salary
(Lk 10,7; cf. 1 Co 9, 13-14), but to use prayer and religion as a means to
enrich themselves, that is hypocrisy and does not reveal the Good News of God.
It transforms religion into a market. Jesus drives out the merchants from the
Temple (Mk 11, 15-19) quoting the prophet Jeremiah:“My house will be called
a House of Prayer for all people; but you have turned it into a bandits’ den!” (Mk
11, 17; cf. Is 56, 7; Jr 7, 11). When Simon the magician wanted to buy the gift
of the Holy Spirit, Peter curses him (Ac 8, 18-24). Simon received the “most
severe condemnation” of which Jesus speaks about in the Gospel today.
• Matthew 23, 15: The third expression of ‘Alas for
you...’ is against those who do proselytism you travel over sea and
land to make a single proselyte, and anyone who becomes one you make twice as
fit for hell as you are.” There are persons who become missionaries and
proclaim the Gospel not to radiate the Good News, but to attract persons for
their group and their church. John once prohibited a person to use the name of
Jesus because he was not part of his group. Jesus answered: “Do not
prohibit him, because anyone who is not against us is for us (Mk 9, 39). The
document of the Plenary Assembly of the Bishops of Latin America, which was
held in March 2008 in Aparecida, Brazil, bears the title:“Disciples and
Missionaries of Jesus Christ, so that our people may have life in Him”. That
is, the purpose of the mission is not to do in such a way that
people become Catholic, but rather that people may have life, and life in
abundance.
• Matthew 23, 16-22: The fourth ‘Alas for you...’ is
against those who swear. “You say, if anyone swears by the Temple, it has no
force, but anyone who swears by the gold of the Temple is bound”. Jesus
makes a long disquisition to show the incoherence of so many oaths that people
made or that the official religion ordered to take: to swear for the gold of
the Temple or for the offering which was on the altar. The teaching of Jesus
given in the Sermon on the Mountain is the best commentary of today’s Gospel: “But
I tell you do not swear at all, either by heaven since that is God’s throne, or
by earth, since that is his footstool, or for Jerusalem since that is the city
of the great King. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn
a single hair white or black. All you need say is Yes if you mean yes, No, if
you mean No; anything more than this comes from the Evil One” (Mt 5,
34-37).
4) Personal questions
• ‘Alas for you...’, is said four times; four reasons to receive
a severe criticism from Jesus. Which of these four criticisms refers to me?
• Does our Church today deserve these ‘Alas for you...’ from Jesus?
• Does our Church today deserve these ‘Alas for you...’ from Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
Sing a new song to Yahweh!
Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!
Sing to Yahweh, bless his name!
Proclaim his salvation day after day. (Ps 96,1-2)
www.ocarm.orgSing to Yahweh, all the earth!
Sing to Yahweh, bless his name!
Proclaim his salvation day after day. (Ps 96,1-2)
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