Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 459
Lectionary: 459
The LORD addressed
Job out of the storm and said:
Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning
and shown the dawn its place
For taking hold of the ends of the earth,
till the wicked are shaken from its surface?
The earth is changed as is clay by the seal,
and dyed as though it were a garment;
But from the wicked the light is withheld,
and the arm of pride is shattered.
Have you entered into the sources of the sea,
or walked about in the depths of the abyss?
Have the gates of death been shown to you,
or have you seen the gates of darkness?
Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all:
Which is the way to the dwelling place of light,
and where is the abode of darkness,
That you may take them to their boundaries
and set them on their homeward paths?
You know, because you were born before them,
and the number of your years is great!
Then Job answered the LORD and said:
Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again;
though twice, I will do so no more.
Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning
and shown the dawn its place
For taking hold of the ends of the earth,
till the wicked are shaken from its surface?
The earth is changed as is clay by the seal,
and dyed as though it were a garment;
But from the wicked the light is withheld,
and the arm of pride is shattered.
Have you entered into the sources of the sea,
or walked about in the depths of the abyss?
Have the gates of death been shown to you,
or have you seen the gates of darkness?
Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all:
Which is the way to the dwelling place of light,
and where is the abode of darkness,
That you may take them to their boundaries
and set them on their homeward paths?
You know, because you were born before them,
and the number of your years is great!
Then Job answered the LORD and said:
Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again;
though twice, I will do so no more.
Responsorial Psalm PS 139:1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14AB
R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Gospel LK 10:13-16
Jesus said to them,
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
Meditation: "He who hears you hears me"
If Jesus were to visit your community today, what would he say?
Would he issue a warning like the one he gave to Chorazin and Bethsaida? And
how would you respond? Wherever Jesus went he did mighty works to show the
people how much God had for them. Chorazin and Bethsaida had been blessed with
the visitation of God. They heard the good news and experienced the wonderful
works which Jesus did for them. Why was Jesus upset with these communities? The
word woe is also translated as alas. It is as much
as an expression of sorrowful pity as it is of anger.
Jesus calls us to walk in the way of truth and freedom - justice and
holiness
Why does Jesus lament and issue a stern warning? The people who heard the gospel here very likely responded with indifference. Jesus upbraids them for doing nothing! Repentance demands change - a change of heart and way of life. God's word is life-giving and it saves us from destruction - the destruction of soul as well as body. Jesus' anger is directed toward sin and everything which hinders us from doing the will of God and receiving his blessing. In love he calls us to walk in his way of truth and freedom, grace and mercy, justice and holiness. Do you receive his word with faith and submission or with doubt and indifference?
Why does Jesus lament and issue a stern warning? The people who heard the gospel here very likely responded with indifference. Jesus upbraids them for doing nothing! Repentance demands change - a change of heart and way of life. God's word is life-giving and it saves us from destruction - the destruction of soul as well as body. Jesus' anger is directed toward sin and everything which hinders us from doing the will of God and receiving his blessing. In love he calls us to walk in his way of truth and freedom, grace and mercy, justice and holiness. Do you receive his word with faith and submission or with doubt and indifference?
"Lord Jesus, give me the child-like simplicity and purity
of faith to gaze upon your face with joy and confidence in your all-merciful
love. Remove every doubt, fear, and proud thought which would hinder me from
receiving your word with trust and humble submission."
 Payback Time |
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October 3, 2014. Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary
Time
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Luke 10: 13-16
Jesus said to them, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you,
Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre
and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for
you. And as for you, Capernaum, ´Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go
down to the netherworld.´" Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever
rejects you rejects me . And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent
me."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are with me as I begin this
prayer. I trust in your kindness and love. You know my weaknesses because you
saw them all during the agony you underwent for me on Good Friday. Let me
stay as close to you in this prayer as your Mother did to you at the foot of
the cross. Accept this as the expression of my love for you.
Petition: Lord, help me to never take your gifts for granted. Help
me to appreciate them and use them to the best of my ability, for your glory.
1. The Privileged Few: Today we see another side of Jesus
in the Gospel. Often we see him as the miracle worker, curing the sick,
raising the dead. But now we see the flipside of these miracles: Christ
demands a response from the people who have witnessed them. It´s not enough
that people stare in wonderment at Our Lord´s mighty deeds. Those deeds,
among other things, prove his divine origin and the truthfulness of his
message. Part of that message demands repentance and conversion. Closer to
our own day we can think of the tens of millions of people who personally saw
Pope Saint John Paul II in his many public appearances. How many of those
people actually changed their lives after the encounter? How have I responded
to God´s grace and favor in my life? Have I taken God´s graces for granted?
2. The Not-so-Blessed: God in his mysterious design seems
to favor some souls with gifts not given to others. Here, Jesus acknowledges
that Tyre and Sidon – pagan towns – would have responded better to his
miracles than did Chorazin and Capernaum. That begs the question: Why didn´t
Jesus perform more miracles in those Gentile towns? Alas, ours is not the
place to question the wisdom of God. Suffice it to say that Christ gives some
of us more than he gives others, and he expects to see a return on his
investment. It´s not enough that we keep our faith untarnished and sitting on
a shelf, hidden from the world. No. The gift of faith should prompt us to
strive for holiness, for continual conversion of heart, and for zeal to build
the Church. Does faith impact my life like that?
3. Domino Effect: Christ´s authority includes his ability
to delegate it. To the Church, he gives the power to bind and to loose.
"Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are
retained" (John 20:23). Moreover, Number 891 of the
Catechism observes that "The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of
bishops, enjoys […] infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme
pastor and teacher of all the faithful -- who confirms his brethren in the
faith -- he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or
morals." When we follow the Holy Father´s teaching, we honor the One who
gave him authority. And Our Lord´s authority extends in other areas: to
parents over their dependent children, to government officials who oversee
the common good, etc. Do I respect the legitimate authority of those around
me? Do I understand that obedience to legitimate authority is a form of
obedience to God himself?
Conversation with Christ: Jesus, help me see that your obedience
to Pilate on Good Friday was part of your obedience to your loving Father in
heaven. Let me understand that obedience to legitimate authority is a means
of growth in humility and holiness.
Resolution: I will carry out one request that a legitimate authority
(a boss, a parent, etc.) has been asking of me… and do it with joy.
By Father Edward McIlmail, LC
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FRIDAY. OCTOBER 3, LUKE 10:13-16
(Job 38:1, 12-21, 40:3-5; Psalm 139)
(Job 38:1, 12-21, 40:3-5; Psalm 139)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me" (v 16).
READING: Jesus centered much of his ministry in the cities around the Sea of Galilee. Like the ancient prophets, Jesus expressed profound displeasure with those who rejected God's truth. He gave the obstinate cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida a warning, saying that the Gentiles living in Tyre and Sidon never saw such mighty deeds. If they had, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes as did the Ninevites in Jonah's day (Jon 3:1-10). Capernaum, Jesus’ “headquarters” in Galilee, fared no better. There would be harsh consequences for closing ears and hearts to the message Jesus preached. The mission of his disciples was Jesus’ mission: to bring forth God’s reign on earth. Because the gospel was the word of God, it was not to be treated lightly. Whoever heard the words of his disciples also heard Jesus. Whoever rejected them rejected Jesus and the one who sent him.
REFLECTING: Am I Christ's messenger of good news to unbelieving people?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to hear your voice spoken by the servants of your Church.
Yom Kippur (Begins At Sunset)
Yom Kippur is the most important holiday of the Jewish year. Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of the month of Tishri (September / October). The holiday was instituted in Leviticus 23:26-32. The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," a day set aside to atone for the sins against God. To atone for sins against another person, the person must first seek reconciliation with another, righting the wrongs committed against them, if possible, before Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. It is a complete fast, beginning before sunset on the eve of Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue, in prayer. In Orthodox synagogues, services begin early in the morning (8 or 9 AM) and continue until about 3 PM. People then go home for the afternoon and return around 5 or 6 PM for the afternoon and evening services, continuing until nightfall, which ends with the blowing of a long blast on the shofar.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
The Greatest Shepherd
How holy and beloved, how pleasing and lowly, how peaceful,
delightful, lovable and desirable above all things it is to have a Brother like
this, who laid down His life for His sheep
October
3
St. Theodora Guérin
(1798-1856)
St. Theodora Guérin
(1798-1856)
Trust in God’s Providence enabled Mother Theodore to leave her
homeland, sail halfway around the world, and found a new religious
congregation.
Born in
Etables, France, Anne-Thérèse Guerin’s life was shattered by her father’s
murder when she was 15. For several years she cared for her mother and younger
sister. She entered the Sisters of Providence in 1823, taking the name Sister
St. Theodore. An illness during novitiate left her with lifelong fragile
health; that did not keep her from becoming an accomplished teacher.
At the
invitation of the bishop of Vincennes, she and five sisters were sent in 1840
to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, to teach and to care for the sick poor.
She was to establish a motherhouse and novitiate. Only later did she learn that
her French superiors had already decided the sisters in the United States
should form a new religious congregation under her leadership.
She and
her community persevered despite fires, crop failures, prejudice against
Catholic women religious, misunderstandings and separation from their original
religious congregation. She once told her sisters, “Have confidence in the
Providence that so far has never failed us. The way is not yet clear. Grope
along slowly. Do not press matters; be patient, be trustful.” Another time, she
asked, “With Jesus, what shall we have to fear?”
She is
buried in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods,
Indiana, and was beatified in 1998. Eight years later she
was canonized.
Comment:
God’s work gets done by people ready to take risks and to work hard—always remembering what St. Paul told the Corinthians, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). Every holy person has a strong sense of God’s Providence.
God’s work gets done by people ready to take risks and to work hard—always remembering what St. Paul told the Corinthians, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). Every holy person has a strong sense of God’s Providence.
Quote:
During his homily at the beatification Mass, Pope John Paul II said that Mother Theodore “continues to teach Christians to abandon themselves to the providence of our heavenly Father and to be totally committed to doing what pleases him. The life of Blessed Theodora Guérin is a testimony that everything is possible with God and for God.”
During his homily at the beatification Mass, Pope John Paul II said that Mother Theodore “continues to teach Christians to abandon themselves to the providence of our heavenly Father and to be totally committed to doing what pleases him. The life of Blessed Theodora Guérin is a testimony that everything is possible with God and for God.”
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 10,13-16
Lectio:
Friday, October 3, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
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.
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
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 10,13-16
Jesus said: 'Alas for you, Corazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For
if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have
repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. And still, it will be more
bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the Judgement than for you. And as for you,
Capernaum, did you want to be raised high as heaven? You shall be flung down to
hell.
'Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.'
'Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.'
3) Reflection
● The Gospel today continues speaking about the sending out of
the seventy-two disciples (Lk 10,1-12). At the end, after sending them out,
Jesus speaks about shaking off the dust from the shoes, if the missionaries are
not welcomed or accepted (Lk 10,10-12). Today's Gospel stressed and extends the
threats upon those who refuse to receive the Good News.
● Luke 10, 13-14: Alas for you, Corazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! The place which Jesus travelled or covered in the three years of his missionary life was small. It measured only a few square kilometres along the Sea of Galilee around the cities of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Corazin. Precisely in this very small space Jesus works the majority of his miracles and presents his discourses. He has come to save the whole of humanity, and he hardly went out of the limited space of his land. But, tragically, Jesus had to see that the people of those cities do not want to accept the message of the Kingdom and are not converted. The cities fixed themselves in the rigidity of their beliefs, traditions and customs and they do not accept the invitation of Jesus to change life. Alas for you, Corazin; Alas for you Bethsaida! For if the miracle done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes". Jesus compares the two cities with Tyre and Sidon which in the past were unyielding enemies of Israel, ill-treating the people of God. For this reason they were cursed by the Prophets: (Is 23, 1; Jr 25, 22; 47, 4; Ez 26, 3; 27, 2; 28, 2; Jl 4, 4; Am 1, 10). And now Jesus says that these same cities, symbols of all the evil done to the people in the past, would have already converted if so many miracles would have been worked in them as in Corazin and in Bethsaida.
● Luke 10, 15: And you Capernaum. "Did you want to be raised high as Heaven? You shall be flung down to hell. Jesus recalls the condemnation which Isaiah, the Prophet launched against Babylonia. Proud and arrogant, Babylonia thought: "I shall scale the heavens; higher than the stars of God I shall set my throne. I shall sit on the Mount of the Assembly far away to the north. I shall climb high above the clouds, I shall rival the Most High" (Is 14, 13-14). That is what it thought! But it completely deceived itself! The contrary happened. The Prophet says: "Now you have been flung down to Sheol, into the depths of the abyss!" (Is 14, 15). Jesus compares Capernaum with that terrible Babylonia which destroyed the monarchy and the temple and took the people as slaves, from which it never succeeded to recover. Like Babylonia, Capernaum thought it was something important, but it fell into the most profound hell. The Gospel of Matthew compares Capernaum with the city of Sodom, the symbol of the worse perversion, which was destroyed by God's anger (Gen 18, 16 to 19, 29). Sodom would have converted if it had seen the miracles which Jesus worked in Capernaum (Mt 11, 23-24). Today, the same paradox continues to exist. Many of us, Catholics since we were children, have such consolidated convictions that nobody is capable to convert us. And in some places, Christianity, instead of being a source of change and of conversion, has become the refuge of the most reactionary forces of politics of the country.
● Luke 10, 16: "Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me. And those who reject me reject the one who has sent me". This phrase places the accent on the identification of the disciples with Jesus, in so far as he is despised by the authority. In Matthew the same phrase of Jesus, placed in another context, underlines the identification of the disciples with Jesus accepted by the people (Mt 10, 40). In both cases, the disciples identify themselves with Jesus in the total gift and in this gift is realized their encounter with God, and God allows himself to be found by those who seek him.
● Luke 10, 13-14: Alas for you, Corazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! The place which Jesus travelled or covered in the three years of his missionary life was small. It measured only a few square kilometres along the Sea of Galilee around the cities of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Corazin. Precisely in this very small space Jesus works the majority of his miracles and presents his discourses. He has come to save the whole of humanity, and he hardly went out of the limited space of his land. But, tragically, Jesus had to see that the people of those cities do not want to accept the message of the Kingdom and are not converted. The cities fixed themselves in the rigidity of their beliefs, traditions and customs and they do not accept the invitation of Jesus to change life. Alas for you, Corazin; Alas for you Bethsaida! For if the miracle done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes". Jesus compares the two cities with Tyre and Sidon which in the past were unyielding enemies of Israel, ill-treating the people of God. For this reason they were cursed by the Prophets: (Is 23, 1; Jr 25, 22; 47, 4; Ez 26, 3; 27, 2; 28, 2; Jl 4, 4; Am 1, 10). And now Jesus says that these same cities, symbols of all the evil done to the people in the past, would have already converted if so many miracles would have been worked in them as in Corazin and in Bethsaida.
● Luke 10, 15: And you Capernaum. "Did you want to be raised high as Heaven? You shall be flung down to hell. Jesus recalls the condemnation which Isaiah, the Prophet launched against Babylonia. Proud and arrogant, Babylonia thought: "I shall scale the heavens; higher than the stars of God I shall set my throne. I shall sit on the Mount of the Assembly far away to the north. I shall climb high above the clouds, I shall rival the Most High" (Is 14, 13-14). That is what it thought! But it completely deceived itself! The contrary happened. The Prophet says: "Now you have been flung down to Sheol, into the depths of the abyss!" (Is 14, 15). Jesus compares Capernaum with that terrible Babylonia which destroyed the monarchy and the temple and took the people as slaves, from which it never succeeded to recover. Like Babylonia, Capernaum thought it was something important, but it fell into the most profound hell. The Gospel of Matthew compares Capernaum with the city of Sodom, the symbol of the worse perversion, which was destroyed by God's anger (Gen 18, 16 to 19, 29). Sodom would have converted if it had seen the miracles which Jesus worked in Capernaum (Mt 11, 23-24). Today, the same paradox continues to exist. Many of us, Catholics since we were children, have such consolidated convictions that nobody is capable to convert us. And in some places, Christianity, instead of being a source of change and of conversion, has become the refuge of the most reactionary forces of politics of the country.
● Luke 10, 16: "Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me. And those who reject me reject the one who has sent me". This phrase places the accent on the identification of the disciples with Jesus, in so far as he is despised by the authority. In Matthew the same phrase of Jesus, placed in another context, underlines the identification of the disciples with Jesus accepted by the people (Mt 10, 40). In both cases, the disciples identify themselves with Jesus in the total gift and in this gift is realized their encounter with God, and God allows himself to be found by those who seek him.
4) Personal questions
● Does my city and my country deserve the warning of Jesus
against Capernaum, Corazin and Bethsaida?
● How do I identify myself with Jesus?
● How do I identify myself with Jesus?
5) Concluding prayer
Protect me, O God, in you is my refuge.
To Yahweh I say,
'You are my Lord, my happiness is in none.'
My birthright, my cup is Yahweh;
you, you alone, hold my lot secure. (Ps 16,1-2,5)
To Yahweh I say,
'You are my Lord, my happiness is in none.'
My birthright, my cup is Yahweh;
you, you alone, hold my lot secure. (Ps 16,1-2,5)
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