Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 466
Lectionary: 466
Brothers and
sisters:
Scripture confined all things under the power of sin,
that through faith in Jesus Christ
the promise might be given to those who believe.
Before faith came, we were held in custody under law,
confined for the faith that was to be revealed.
Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ,
that we might be justified by faith.
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.
For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants,
heirs according to the promise.
Scripture confined all things under the power of sin,
that through faith in Jesus Christ
the promise might be given to those who believe.
Before faith came, we were held in custody under law,
confined for the faith that was to be revealed.
Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ,
that we might be justified by faith.
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.
For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants,
heirs according to the promise.
Responsorial Psalm PS 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel LK 11:27-28
While Jesus was
speaking,
a woman from the crowd called out and said to him,
“Blessed is the womb that carried you
and the breasts at which you nursed.”
He replied, “Rather, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and observe it.”
a woman from the crowd called out and said to him,
“Blessed is the womb that carried you
and the breasts at which you nursed.”
He replied, “Rather, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and observe it.”
Meditation: "Hear the word of God and keep
it"
Who do you seek to favor and bless? When an admirer wished
to compliment Jesus by praising his mother, Jesus did not deny the truth of the
blessing she pronounced. Her beatitude (which means
"blessedness" or "happiness") recalls Mary's canticle: All
generations will call me blessed (Luke 1:48). Jesus adds to her words
by pointing to the source of all true blessedness or happiness - union with God
in heart, mind, and will.
Mary humbly submitted herself to the miraculous plan of God
for the incarnation of his only begotten Son - the Word of God made flesh in
her womb, by declaring: I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done
to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). Mary heard the word spoken
to her by the angel and she believed it.
On another occasion Jesus remarked that whoever does the
will of God is a friend of God and a member of his family - his sons and
daughters who have been ransomed by the precious blood of Christ. (Luke 8:21).
They are truly blessed because they know their God personally and they find joy
in hearing and obeying his word.
Our goal in life, the very reason we were created in the
first place, is for union with God. We were made for God and our hearts are
restless until they rest in him. Lucian of Antioch (240-312), an early
Christian theologian and martyr, once said that "a Christian's only
relatives are the saints." Those who follow Jesus Christ and who seek the
will of God enter into a new family, a family of "saints" here on
earth and in heaven. Jesus changes the order of relationships and shows that
true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood. Our adoption as sons and
daughters of God transforms all our relationships and requires a new order of
loyalty to God and his kingdom. Do you hunger for God and for his word?
"Lord Jesus, my heart is restless until it rests in
you. Help me to live in your presence and in the knowledge of your great love
for me. May I seek to please you in all that I do, say, and think."
 Mary Is My Master Educator in Virtue |
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October 11, 2014.
Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
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Luke 11:27-28
While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the
crowd called out and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that carried you
and the breasts at which you nursed." He replied, "Rather, blessed
are those who hear the word of God and observe it."
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the master of the
universe, and yet you wish to listen to me and guide me. You know all things
past, present and future, and yet you respect my freedom to choose you. Holy
Trinity, you are completely happy and fulfilled on your own, and yet you have
generously brought us into existence. You are our fulfillment. Thank you for
the gift of yourself. I offer the littleness of myself in return, knowing you
are pleased with what I have to give.
Petition: Lord, help me to imitate Mary.
1. Mary’s Masterpiece: The woman in this passage has a great
insight. She senses the greatness of Jesus. Probably she intuits that he is
the Messiah. It is doubtful if she has guessed that he is also God-made-man.
But from Jesus’ greatness, she is able to infer the greatness of Mary. It is
obvious to her that whoever produced this masterpiece of humanity must have
been a masterpiece of humanity herself. And she is right. The humanity of
Jesus is Mary’s masterpiece. All of what she is, she imparted to him. While
we cannot credit Mary with the perfections of Jesus’ divinity, we would be
doing her a grave injustice to think that Jesus’ human virtues and
perfections were not positively impacted by her example.
2. The Immaculate Conception: God desired Jesus to come into this
world like every one of us, as an infant, and so Jesus needed a mother. God
wanted him to have the finest mother, a perfect mother, and so he gave Mary
many gifts, starting with her Immaculate Conception, preserving her from
original sin. Who could imagine Jesus – pure and innocent – wrapped in flesh
polluted by sin for the first nine months of his existence? Would such an
innocent child ever have been able to stop crying while being tended to by a
sinner? The Father wanted the best for his Son and gave him the best, even
though he had to provide the miracle of the Immaculate Conception in order to
do it.
3. Jesus’ Educator: Being truly human, Jesus had to learn
just like any one of us. Because of his divinity, his human capacities were
untainted by sin, but it was Mary who taught him how to use them, who honed
them in the everyday life of the family until they were perfect – just as any
mother would. Mary was the perfect one to bring out all the perfections in
Jesus’ human nature. Being immaculately conceived, Mary’s mind was not
wounded by sin and so was always able to discover ways of parenting and
teaching that were perfectly suited to Jesus’ human nature. To educate
doesn’t mean to just give knowledge. In its fullest sense, it means to train
in virtue. Mary’s continuous example of virtue – hearing the word of God and
observing it – was certainly compelling for Jesus in his educational
upbringing.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, it’s hard for me to
understand that, as human, you needed education just like anyone else. Help
me to see that you were truly and fully human like me. Moreover, since you
have already given me Mary to be my Mother, ask her to educate me too, to
form me in all the virtues the way she formed them in you.
Resolution: Do I really think of Mary as my
educator in the full sense, in the sense of teaching me virtue? What is the
virtue I need the most? I will ask Mary to educate me in it in a special way
today.
By Father James Swanson, LC
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, LUKE 11:27-28
(Galatians 3:22-29; Psalm 105)
(Galatians 3:22-29; Psalm 105)
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KEY VERSE: "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it" (v 28).
READING: Although Jesus performed many miracles, some still refused to believe in him. Others accused him of working miracles by the power of Satan (Lk 11:15). Still others demanded that he show them "a sign from heaven" (v 16) as proof of God's power at work in him. A woman in the crowd recognized that Jesus was the sign that they sought. She praised Jesus' mother for being fortunate to have born such a son. However, Jesus knew that his mother was blessed, not because of her physical maternity, but because she heard God's word and obeyed it. Mary is the model disciple because she spent her whole life in obedience to God's word. She said "yes" to the incarnation, and she submitted herself to God's will even when it directed her to the foot of the cross.
REFLECTING: Have I found blessings by obeying God's word?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to hear and obey your word.
Optional Memorial of St. Pope John XXIII
Pope Saint John XXIII was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli the fourth of fourteen children born to a family of sharecroppers that lived in a village in Lombardy. He was ordained a priest on 10 August 1904 and served in a number of posts. Roncalli was elected pope on 28 October 1958 at age 77 after 11 ballots. His selection was unexpected, and Roncalli himself had come to Rome with a return train ticket to Venice. He was the first pope to take the pontifical name of "John" upon election in more than 500 years. Pope John XXIII surprised those who expected him to be a caretaker pope by calling the historic Second Vatican Council (1962–65), the first session opening on 11 October 1962. He did not live to see it to completion. John died of stomach cancer on 3 June 1963, four and a half years after his election and two months after the completion of his final and famed encyclical, Pacem in Terris (Peace opn Earth). Pope John XXIII was buried in the Vatican grottoes beneath Saint Peter's Basilica on 6 June 1963 and his cause for canonization was opened on 18 November 1965 by his successor, Pope Paul VI, who declared him a Servant of God. He was beatified on 3 September 2000 by Pope John Paul II. Following his beatification, his body was moved from its original place to the altar of Saint Jerome where it could be seen by the faithful. On 5 July 2013, Pope Francis - bypassing the traditionally required second miracle - declared John XXIII a saint based on his merits of opening the Second Vatican Council. He was canonised alongside John Paul II on 27 April 2014. His feast day is not celebrated on the date of his death as is usual, but it is on 11 October, the day of the first session of the Second Vatican Council.
Saturday 11 October 2014
Pope St John XXIII.
Galatians 3:22-29. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever—Ps
104(105):2-7. Luke 11:27-28.
In and through Jesus, says
Paul, we are all one.
There is no favoured race
or sex or class. In God’s eyes, where we went to school, the job we have or
don’t have, the colour of our skin, the age or sex or shape we are—all do not
matter. The Lord remembers us, the psalmist sings, and remembers
us forever.
However, we may be all
equal before God, but we are not the same in our own attitude. This is the
point of Jesus’ message in today’s gospel. No matter how privileged we may seem
to be—we can even be the Lord’s mother!—more blessed are those who are faithful
to God’s word. It is up to us to show God we are worthy of his acceptance.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Inner Freedom
It takes great inner freedom to be a follower of Jesus. His life
is an option, a choice, a call, a vocation, and we are totally free to say yes,
no or maybe. You do not have to do this to make God love you. That is already
taken care of.
October 11
St. John XXIII
(1881-1963)
St. John XXIII
(1881-1963)
Although few people had as great an impact on the 20th century as
Pope John XXIII, he avoided the limelight as much as possible. Indeed, one
writer has noted that his “ordinariness” seems one of his most remarkable
qualities.
The
firstborn son of a farming family in Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo in northern
Italy, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was always proud of his down-to-earth roots. In
Bergamo’s diocesan seminary, he joined the Secular Franciscan Order.
After his
ordination in 1904, Angelo returned to Rome for canon law studies. He soon
worked as his bishop’s secretary, Church history teacher in the seminary, and
as publisher of the diocesan paper.
His
service as a stretcher-bearer for the Italian army during World War I gave him
a firsthand knowledge of war. In 1921 he was made national director of the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith. He also found time to teach
patristics at a seminary in the Eternal City.
In 1925
he became a papal diplomat, serving first in Bulgaria, then in Turkey, and
finally in France (1944-53). During World War II, he became well acquainted
with Orthodox Church leaders. With the help of Germany’s ambassador to
Turkey, Archbishop Roncalli helped save an estimated 24,000 Jewish people.
Named a
cardinal and appointed patriarch of Venice in 1953, he was finally a residential
bishop. A month short of entering his 78th year, he was elected pope, taking
the name John after his father and the two patrons of Rome’s cathedral,
St. John Lateran. He took his work very seriously but not himself. His wit soon
became proverbial, and he began meeting with political and religious leaders
from around the world. In 1962 he was deeply involved in efforts to resolve the
Cuban missile crisis.
His most
famous encyclicals were Mother and Teacher (1961) and Peace
on Earth(1963). Pope John XXIII enlarged the membership in the College of
Cardinals and made it more international. At his address at the opening of the
Second Vatican Council, he criticized the “prophets of doom” who “in these
modern times see nothing but prevarication and ruin.” Pope John XXIII set a
tone for the Council when he said, “The Church has always opposed... errors.
Nowadays, however, the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of
mercy rather than that of severity.”
On his
deathbed he said: “It is not that the gospel has changed; it is that we have
begun to understand it better. Those who have lived as long as I have…were
enabled to compare different cultures and traditions, and know that the moment
has come to discern the signs of the times, to seize the opportunity and to
look far ahead.”
"Good
Pope John" died on June 3, 1963. St. John Paul II beatified
him in 2000, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014.
Stories:
John XXIII (a short biography), by Kerry Walters
John XXIII (a short biography), by Kerry Walters
Comment:
Throughout his life, Angelo Roncalli cooperated with God’s grace, believing that the job at hand was worthy of his best efforts. His sense of God’s providence made him the ideal person to promote a new dialogue with Protestant and Orthodox Christians, as well as with Jews and Muslims. In the sometimes noisy crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, many people became silent on seeing the simple tomb of Pope John XXIII, grateful for the gift of his life and holiness. After the beatification, his tomb was moved into the basilica itself.
Throughout his life, Angelo Roncalli cooperated with God’s grace, believing that the job at hand was worthy of his best efforts. His sense of God’s providence made him the ideal person to promote a new dialogue with Protestant and Orthodox Christians, as well as with Jews and Muslims. In the sometimes noisy crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, many people became silent on seeing the simple tomb of Pope John XXIII, grateful for the gift of his life and holiness. After the beatification, his tomb was moved into the basilica itself.
Quote:
In 1903, young Angelo wrote in his spiritual journal: “From the saints I must take the substance, not the accidents of their virtues. I am not St. Aloysius, nor must I seek holiness in his particular way, but according to the requirements of my own nature, my own character and the different conditions of my life. I must not be the dry, bloodless reproduction of a model, however perfect. God desires us to follow the examples of the saints by absorbing the vital sap of their virtues and turning it into our own life-blood, adapting it to our own individual capacities and particular circumstances. If St. Aloysius had been as I am, he would have become holy in a different way” (Journal of a Soul).
In 1903, young Angelo wrote in his spiritual journal: “From the saints I must take the substance, not the accidents of their virtues. I am not St. Aloysius, nor must I seek holiness in his particular way, but according to the requirements of my own nature, my own character and the different conditions of my life. I must not be the dry, bloodless reproduction of a model, however perfect. God desires us to follow the examples of the saints by absorbing the vital sap of their virtues and turning it into our own life-blood, adapting it to our own individual capacities and particular circumstances. If St. Aloysius had been as I am, he would have become holy in a different way” (Journal of a Soul).
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 11,27-28
Lectio:
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Ordinary Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Father,
your love for us
surpasses all our hopes and desires.
Forgive our failings,
keep us in your peace
and lead us in the way of salvation.
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.
your love for us
surpasses all our hopes and desires.
Forgive our failings,
keep us in your peace
and lead us in the way of salvation.
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 11,27-28
It happened that as Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd
raised her voice and said, 'Blessed the womb that bore you and the breasts that
fed you!'
But he replied, 'More blessed still are those who hear the word
of God and keep it!'
3)
REFLECTION
• Today's Gospel is very brief, but it has a very important
significance in the Gospel of Luke in general. It gives us the key to
understand what Luke teaches regarding Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in the so
called Gospel of the Infancy (Lk 1 and 2).
• Luke 11, 27: The exclamation of the woman. "At that time
as Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said:
"Blessed the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you!" The
creative imagination of some apocryphal books suggests that the woman was a
neighbour of Our Lady, there in Nazareth. She had a son called Dimas, who with
other boys of Galilee at that time, went to war with the Romans, was made a
prisoner and killed at the side of Jesus. He was the good thief (Lk 23, 39-43).
His mother, having heard about the good that Jesus did to people, remembered
her neighbour, Mary, and said: "Mary must be very happy to have such a
son!"
• Luke 11, 28: The response of Jesus. Jesus responds, giving the
greatest praise to his mother: "More blessed still are those who hear the
word of God and keep it". Luke speaks little about Mary: here (Lk 11, 28)
and in the Gospel of the infancy (Lk 1 and 2). For him, Luke, Mary is the
Daughter of Sion, image of the new People of God. He represents Mary as the
model for the life of the communities. In Vatican Council II, the document
prepared on Mary was inserted in the last chapter of the document Lumen Gentium
on the Church. Mary is the model for the Church. And especially in the way in
which Mary relates with the Word of God, Luke considers her as an example for
the life of the communities: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and keep it". Mary teaches us how to accept the Word of God, how to
incarnate it, live it, deepen it, make it be born and grow, allow it to shape
us, even when we do not understand it, or when it makes us suffer. This is the
vision which is subjacent in the Gospel of the Infancy (Lk 1 and 2). The key to
understand these two chapters is given to us by today's Gospel: "Blessed
are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" Let us see in these
chapters how Mary enters into relationship with the Word of God.
a) Luke 1, 26-38:
The Annunciation: "Let it happen to me as you have
said!"
To know how to open oneself, to accept the Word of God so that it becomes incarnate.
To know how to open oneself, to accept the Word of God so that it becomes incarnate.
b) Luke 1, 39-45:
The Visitation: "Blessed is she who has believed!"
To know how to recognize the Word of God in a visit and in many other facts of life.
To know how to recognize the Word of God in a visit and in many other facts of life.
c) Luke 1, 46-56:
The Magnificat: "The Lord has done great things for
me!"
To recognize the Word in the story of the people and sing a song of resistance and hope.
To recognize the Word in the story of the people and sing a song of resistance and hope.
d) Luke 2, 1-20:
The Birth of Our Lord: "She pondered all these things in
her heart!"
There was no place for them. The marginalized accept the Word.
There was no place for them. The marginalized accept the Word.
e) Luke 2, 21-32:
The Presentation: "My eyes have seen the salvation!"
The many years of life purify the eyes.
The many years of life purify the eyes.
f) Luke 2, 33-38:
Simeon and Anna: "A sword will pierce your soul too!"
To accept and incarnate the Word in life, to be a sign of contradiction.
To accept and incarnate the Word in life, to be a sign of contradiction.
g) Luke 2, 39-52:
At twelve years old in the Temple: "Did you not know that I
must be in my Father's house?"
They did not understand what he meant!
They did not understand what he meant!
h)Luke 11, 27-28:
The praise to the mother: "Blessed the womb that bore
you!"
Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Do you succeed in discovering the Word of God in your life?
• How do you live devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Sing to him, make music for him,
recount all his wonders!
Glory in his holy name,
let the hearts that seek Yahweh rejoice! (Ps 105,2-3)
recount all his wonders!
Glory in his holy name,
let the hearts that seek Yahweh rejoice! (Ps 105,2-3)
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