Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 445
Lectionary: 445
Beloved:
I am writing you,
although I hope to visit you soon.
But if I should be delayed,
you should know how to behave in the household of God,
which is the Church of the living God,
the pillar and foundation of truth.
Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion,
Who was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed to the Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory.
I am writing you,
although I hope to visit you soon.
But if I should be delayed,
you should know how to behave in the household of God,
which is the Church of the living God,
the pillar and foundation of truth.
Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion,
Who was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed to the Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory.
Responsorial PsalmPS 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (2) How great are the works of the Lord!
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. How great are the works of the Lord!
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. How great are the works of the Lord!
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. How great are the works of the Lord!
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. How great are the works of the Lord!
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. How great are the works of the Lord!
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. How great are the works of the Lord!
GospelLK 7:31-35
Jesus said to the
crowds:
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’
For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’
For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
Meditation: "How shall I compare
this generation?"
What do childrens'
games have to do with the kingdom of God? Games are the favorite pastime of
children who play until their energy is spent. The more interaction the merrier
the game. The children in Jesus' parable react with disappointment because they
cannot convince others to join in their musical play. They complain that when
they make merry music such as played at weddings, no one dances or sings along;
and when they play mournful tunes for sad occassions such as funerals, it
is the same dead response. This refrain echoes the words of Ecclesiastes 3:4, there is a time to weep and a time
to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance. Both joyful and sad
occassions – such as the birth of a child and the homecoming of a hero or the
loss of a loved one and the destruction of a community or nation – demand a response.
To show indifference, lack of interest or support , or disdain, is
unfitting and unkind.Jesus' message of the kingdom of God is a proclamation of good news that produces great joy and hope for those who will listen; but it is also a warning of disaster for those who refuse to accept God's gracious offer. Why did the message of John the Baptist and the message of Jesus meet with resistance and deaf ears? It was out of jealously and spiritual blindness that the scribes and Pharisees attributed John the Baptist's austerities to the devil and they attributed Jesus' table fellowship as evidence for messianic pretense. They succeeded in frustrating God's plan for their lives because they had closed their hearts to the message of John the Baptist and now they close their ears to Jesus.
What can make us spiritually dull and slow to hear God's voice? Like the generation of Jesus' time, our age is marked by indifference and contempt, especially in regards to the things of God's kingdom. Indifference dulls our ears to God's voice and to the good news of the gospel. Only the humble of heart who are hungry for God can find true joy and happiness. Do you listen to God's word with expectant faith and the willingness to trust and obey?
"Lord Jesus, open my ears to hear the good news of your kingdom and set my heart free to love and serve you joyfully. May nothing keep me from following you wholeheartedly."
www.dailyscripture.net
 Perpetually Dissatisfied |
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Wednesday of the
Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
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Father Robert Presutti
Luke 7:31-35
"Then to what shall I compare the
people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit
in the marketplace and call to one another, ´We played the flute for you, but
you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.´ For John the
Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ´He is
possessed by a demon.´ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
´Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and
sinners.´ But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
Introductory Prayer: Eternal God, prayer is your gift to me. I believe that you
give me complete and unlimited access to your power and mercy. I want to
value this gift of prayer above all things. As I begin this meditation, I
renew my faith, my hope and my love for you.
Petition: Lord, give me discernment and constancy in
my efforts to follow you.
1. Endless Excuses: Some very good and religious people in
Jesus’ day complained about John the Baptist, precursor of the Messiah,
because of his austere lifestyle. “He must be crazy,” they said. They also
complained about Jesus’ apparently excessive liberality with sinners and
nonbelievers. The habit of constantly sifting reality through our own
preconceptions can lead us to reject the things of God. This is the opposite
of faith. It is even the opposite of the healthy exercise of reason and has
become a limiting rationalism. Rather than seeking to place God neatly in our
own self-created and prearranged world, we need to let ourselves be shaped by
God’s criteria.
2. Fickleness: Spiritual fickleness inevitable leads
us to reject God. The inability to follow through on a particular spiritual
path necessarily leaves us midcourse, far from the goal. It does not matter
whether we follow the austerity of the disciple John or the apparently
liberality of the disciples of Jesus. What matters is that we follow through
to completion whatever particular path God has given us. As long as we move,
God can guide our steps. If we don’t move, there is nothing to guide. Waiting
around for some mythical “perfect conditions” is in reality capriciousness
and unwillingness to commit.
3. Wisdom: Wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit by which we are able
to see and comprehend the divine and human realities from God’s perspective.
Wisdom leads to equilibrium and balance in our judgments and assessments. We prepare
for this gift by our effort to make good decisions and live by them. The
supernatural gifts build upon the human virtues.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I am indebted to you for your
teaching and for your example. Help me to learn from your life and your
example, and keep me from ever dismissing them as irrelevant. Help me to be
constant in my resolutions so that I will continue to grow closer to you and
serve you better.
Resolution: I will avoid making excuses today.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
LUKE
7:31-35
(1 Timothy 3:14-16; Psalm 111)
(1 Timothy 3:14-16; Psalm 111)
KEY VERSE: "But wisdom is vindicated by all her children" (v 35).
READING: Jesus praised John the Baptist who Herod imprisoned because of his faithful witness to the gospel (v 24-28). Those who benefited from John's ministry gave praise to God, but the religious leaders whostubbornly refused to accept John�s baptism were closed to God�s action in their lives. Jesus compared them to obstinate children who were never satisfied. They despised John because of his ascetic life-style and austere message of repentance. At the same time, they believed that Jesus was a glutton and a drunkard because he associated with outcasts and sinners. In the end, thosse who embraced Jesus as God's messenger of salvation would be justified by Divine Wisdom.
REFLECTING: Do I behave like a spoiled child when things go contrary to my plans?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, give me the wisdom to understand the truth that you reveal.
SUKKOT
The Festival of Sukkot begins on 15 Tishri (September/ October), the fifth day after Yom Kippur, and lasts for seven days. This festive holiday is quite a change from Yom Kippur, one of the most solemn holidays. The word "Sukkot" means "booths," and refers to the "tents" that the Jews lived in during their wilderness journey. Sukkot is also called "The Feast of Tabernacles." Jews commonly hang dried squash and corn in the sukkah (a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival). Many Americans remark on how much the sukkah reminds them of Thanksgiving. This is not entirely coincidental. Our American pilgrims, who originated the Thanksgiving holiday, were deeply religious people. When they were trying to find a way to commemorate their survival and express their thanks for the harvest, the pilgrims looked to the Bible and they based their celebration in part on Sukkot (Lev 23:33-44). Sukkot will occur on the following days of the Gregorian calendar: Jewish Year 5774: sunset September 18, 2013 - nightfall September 25, 2013
How great are the works of the
Lord!.
As St Paul says, the mystery of our religion is very deep. In fact, the heart of our religion is not simply practices but a person. Jesus Christ is the person whose mystery never stops leading us deeper into the life of God and deeper into what it means to be truly human.
St Paul proclaims that this mystery of Jesus Christ is one that is made visible, attested, seen, proclaimed, believed, taken up. If we contemplate these deep things, then we grow into members of God’s family and become witnesses of the church of the living God.
September 18
St. Joseph of Cupertino
(1603-1663)
St. Joseph of Cupertino
(1603-1663)
Joseph is most famous for levitating at prayer.
Already
as a child, Joseph showed a fondness for prayer. After a short career with the
Capuchins, he joined the Conventuals. Following a brief assignment caring for
the friary mule, Joseph began his studies for the priesthood. Though studies
were very difficult for him, Joseph gained a great deal of knowledge from
prayer. He was ordained in 1628.
Joseph’s
tendency to levitate during prayer was sometimes a cross; some people came to
see this much as they might have gone to a circus sideshow. Joseph’s gift led
him to be humble, patient and obedient, even though at times he was greatly
tempted and felt forsaken by God. He fasted and wore iron chains for much of
his life.
The
friars transferred Joseph several times for his own good and for the good of
the rest of the community. He was reported to and investigated by the
Inquisition; the examiners exonerated him.
Joseph
was canonized in 1767. In the investigation preceding the canonization, 70
incidents of levitation are recorded.
Comment:
While levitation is an extraordinary sign of holiness, Joseph is also remembered for the ordinary signs he showed. He prayed even in times of inner darkness, and he lived out the Sermon on the Mount. He used his "unique possession" (his free will) to praise God and to serve God’s creation.
While levitation is an extraordinary sign of holiness, Joseph is also remembered for the ordinary signs he showed. He prayed even in times of inner darkness, and he lived out the Sermon on the Mount. He used his "unique possession" (his free will) to praise God and to serve God’s creation.
Quote:
"Clearly, what God wants above all is our will which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own. When a man trains himself to acts of virtue, it is with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come that he does this. The will is what man has as his unique possession" (St. Joseph of Cupertino, from the reading for his feast in the Franciscan breviary).
"Clearly, what God wants above all is our will which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own. When a man trains himself to acts of virtue, it is with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come that he does this. The will is what man has as his unique possession" (St. Joseph of Cupertino, from the reading for his feast in the Franciscan breviary).
Patron Saint of:
Air travelers
Astronauts
Pilots
Air travelers
Astronauts
Pilots
LECTIO: LUKE
7,31-35
Lectio:
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - 16
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
our creator and guide,
may we serve you with all our hearts
and know your forgiveness in our lives.
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.
our creator and guide,
may we serve you with all our hearts
and know your forgiveness in our lives.
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 - Luke 7,31-35
Jesus said: ‘What comparison, then, can I find for the people of
this generation? What are they like? They are like children shouting to one
another while they sit in the market place: We played the pipes for you, and
you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t cry.
‘For John the Baptist has come, not eating bread, not drinking wine, and you say, “He is possessed.” The Son of man has come, eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.’
‘For John the Baptist has come, not eating bread, not drinking wine, and you say, “He is possessed.” The Son of man has come, eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.’
3) Reflection
• In
today’s Gospel we see the novelty of the Good News which opens its way and thus
persons who are attached to ancient forms of faith feel lost and do not
understand anything more of God’s action. In order to hide their lack of
openness and of understanding they defend and seek childish pretexts to justify
their attitude of lack of acceptance. Jesus reacts with a parable to denounce
the incoherence of his enemies: “You are similar to children who do not know
what they want”.
• Luke 7, 31: To whom, then, shall I compare you? Jesus is struck by the reaction of the people and say: “What comparison, then, can I find for the people of this generation? What are they like?” When something is evident and the persons, out of ignorance or because of bad will, do not perceive things and do not want to perceive them, it is good to find an evident comparison which will reveal their incoherence and the ill will. And Jesus is a Master in finding comparisons which speak for themselves.
• Luke 7, 32: Like children without judgment. The comparison which Jesus finds is this one. You are like “those children, shouting to one another while they sit in the market place: we played the pipes for you, and you would not dance; we sang dirges and you would not cry!” Spoiled children, all over the world, have the same reaction. They complain when others do not do and act as they say. The reason for Jesus’ complaint is the arbitrary way with which people in the past reacted before John the Baptist and how they react now before Jesus.
• Luke 7, 33-34: Their opinion on John and on Jesus. “For John the Baptist has come, not eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say: he is possessed. The Son of man has come eating and drinking, and you say: look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners”. Jesus was a disciple of John the Baptist; he believed in him and was baptized by him. On the occasion of this Baptism in the Jordan, he had the revelation of the Father regarding his mission as Messiah-Servant (Mk 1, 10). At the same time, Jesus stressed the difference between him and John. John was more severe, more ascetical, did not eat nor drink. He remained in the desert and threatened the people with the punishment of the Last Judgment (Lk 3, 7-9). Because of this, people said that he was possessed. Jesus was more welcoming; he ate and drank like everybody else. He went through the towns and entered the houses of the people; he accepted the tax collectors and the prostitutes. This is why they said that he was a glutton and a drunkard. Even considering his words regarding “the men of this generation” (Lk 7, 31), in a general way, probably, Jesus had in mind the opinion of the religious authority who did not believe in Jesus (Mk 11,29-33).
• Luke 7, 35: The obvious conclusion to which Jesus arrives. And Jesus ends drawing this conclusion: “Yet, wisdom is justified by all her children”. The lack of seriousness and of coherence is clearly seen in the opinion given on Jesus and on John. The bad will is so evident that it needs no proof. That recalls the response of Job to his friends who believe that they are wise: “Will no one teach you to be quiet! - the only wisdom that becomes you!” (Job 13, 5).
• Luke 7, 31: To whom, then, shall I compare you? Jesus is struck by the reaction of the people and say: “What comparison, then, can I find for the people of this generation? What are they like?” When something is evident and the persons, out of ignorance or because of bad will, do not perceive things and do not want to perceive them, it is good to find an evident comparison which will reveal their incoherence and the ill will. And Jesus is a Master in finding comparisons which speak for themselves.
• Luke 7, 32: Like children without judgment. The comparison which Jesus finds is this one. You are like “those children, shouting to one another while they sit in the market place: we played the pipes for you, and you would not dance; we sang dirges and you would not cry!” Spoiled children, all over the world, have the same reaction. They complain when others do not do and act as they say. The reason for Jesus’ complaint is the arbitrary way with which people in the past reacted before John the Baptist and how they react now before Jesus.
• Luke 7, 33-34: Their opinion on John and on Jesus. “For John the Baptist has come, not eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say: he is possessed. The Son of man has come eating and drinking, and you say: look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners”. Jesus was a disciple of John the Baptist; he believed in him and was baptized by him. On the occasion of this Baptism in the Jordan, he had the revelation of the Father regarding his mission as Messiah-Servant (Mk 1, 10). At the same time, Jesus stressed the difference between him and John. John was more severe, more ascetical, did not eat nor drink. He remained in the desert and threatened the people with the punishment of the Last Judgment (Lk 3, 7-9). Because of this, people said that he was possessed. Jesus was more welcoming; he ate and drank like everybody else. He went through the towns and entered the houses of the people; he accepted the tax collectors and the prostitutes. This is why they said that he was a glutton and a drunkard. Even considering his words regarding “the men of this generation” (Lk 7, 31), in a general way, probably, Jesus had in mind the opinion of the religious authority who did not believe in Jesus (Mk 11,29-33).
• Luke 7, 35: The obvious conclusion to which Jesus arrives. And Jesus ends drawing this conclusion: “Yet, wisdom is justified by all her children”. The lack of seriousness and of coherence is clearly seen in the opinion given on Jesus and on John. The bad will is so evident that it needs no proof. That recalls the response of Job to his friends who believe that they are wise: “Will no one teach you to be quiet! - the only wisdom that becomes you!” (Job 13, 5).
4) Personal questions
• When
I express my opinion on others, am I like the Pharisees and the Scribes who
gave their opinion on Jesus and John? They expressed only their preconceptions
and said nothing on the persons whom they judged.
• Do you know any groups in the Church who would merit the parable of Jesus?
• Do you know any groups in the Church who would merit the parable of Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
How blessed the nation whose God is Yahweh,
the people he has chosen as his heritage.
From heaven Yahweh looks down,
he sees all the children of Adam. (Ps 33,12-13)
the people he has chosen as his heritage.
From heaven Yahweh looks down,
he sees all the children of Adam. (Ps 33,12-13)
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