Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
Lectionary: 472
Lectionary: 472
Brothers and
sisters:
It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of all of us, as it is written,
I have made you father of many nations.
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead
and calls into being what does not exist.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.
It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of all of us, as it is written,
I have made you father of many nations.
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead
and calls into being what does not exist.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.
Responsorial PsalmPS 105:6-7, 8-9, 42-43
R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
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.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations –
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
For he remembered his holy word
to his servant Abraham.
And he led forth his people with joy;
with shouts of joy, his chosen ones.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
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.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations –
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
For he remembered his holy word
to his servant Abraham.
And he led forth his people with joy;
with shouts of joy, his chosen ones.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
AlleluiaJN 15:26B, 27A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 12:8-12
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.
“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”
“I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.
“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”
Meditation: "The Holy Spirit will
teach you what to say"
What is the unforgivable sin which Jesus warns us to avoid?
Jesus knows that his disciples will be tested and he assures them that the Holy
Spirit will give them what they need in their time of adversity and temptation.
He warns them, however, that it's possible to reject the grace of God - his
favor, blessing, and help - and to fall into apostasy - giving up our faith and
loyalty to Jesus Christ out of fear (being a coward), pride, or disbelief
(refusing to believe and trust in the Lord Jesus). The scriptural expression to deny
someone means to disown them - to have nothing to do
with them anymore.
Do not reject the gift and help of the Holy Spirit
Jesus also speaks against blaspheming the Holy Spirit. What is blasphemy and why is it reprehensible? Blasphemy consists in uttering against God, inwardly or outwardly, words of hatred, reproach, or defiance. It's contrary to the honor and respect we owe to God (who is our Father, Creator, and Savior) and to his holy name. Jesus speaks of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin. Jesus spoke about this sin immediately after the scribes and Pharisees had attributed his miracles to the work of the devil instead of to God.
Jesus also speaks against blaspheming the Holy Spirit. What is blasphemy and why is it reprehensible? Blasphemy consists in uttering against God, inwardly or outwardly, words of hatred, reproach, or defiance. It's contrary to the honor and respect we owe to God (who is our Father, Creator, and Savior) and to his holy name. Jesus speaks of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin. Jesus spoke about this sin immediately after the scribes and Pharisees had attributed his miracles to the work of the devil instead of to God.
Do you trust in God's help and deliverance?
A sin can only be unforgivable if repentance is impossible. If someone repeatedly closes his or her heart to God and shuts their ear to his voice, they come to a point where they can no longer recognize God even when God makes his word and presence known to them. Such a person ends up perceiving evil as good and good as evil (Isaiah 5:20). To fear such a sin, however, signals that one is not dead to God and is conscious of the need for God's merciful help and strength. There are no limits to the mercy of God, but we can reject his mercy by refusing to ask God's pardon for our wrongdoing and by refusing to accept the help he gives us to turn away from sin and from whatever would keep us from doing his will. God gives sufficient grace (his favor and mercy towards us) and he gives sufficient help (his wisdom and strength) to all who humbly call upon him. Giving up on God and refusing to turn away from sin and disbelief results from our own sinful pride, stubborn will, and the loss of hope in God's promises.God never turns a deaf ear to those who seek his help and listen to his voice (his word of hope, pardon, and deliverance).
A sin can only be unforgivable if repentance is impossible. If someone repeatedly closes his or her heart to God and shuts their ear to his voice, they come to a point where they can no longer recognize God even when God makes his word and presence known to them. Such a person ends up perceiving evil as good and good as evil (Isaiah 5:20). To fear such a sin, however, signals that one is not dead to God and is conscious of the need for God's merciful help and strength. There are no limits to the mercy of God, but we can reject his mercy by refusing to ask God's pardon for our wrongdoing and by refusing to accept the help he gives us to turn away from sin and from whatever would keep us from doing his will. God gives sufficient grace (his favor and mercy towards us) and he gives sufficient help (his wisdom and strength) to all who humbly call upon him. Giving up on God and refusing to turn away from sin and disbelief results from our own sinful pride, stubborn will, and the loss of hope in God's promises.God never turns a deaf ear to those who seek his help and listen to his voice (his word of hope, pardon, and deliverance).
Our hope and confidence come from God
What is the basis of our hope and confidence in God? It is the free gift of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave his life for our sake and who now intercedes for us at the right hand of the throne of God's mercy (Hebrews 4:14-15). John the Evangelist tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
What is the basis of our hope and confidence in God? It is the free gift of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave his life for our sake and who now intercedes for us at the right hand of the throne of God's mercy (Hebrews 4:14-15). John the Evangelist tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Jesus' death on the cross won for us new life and freedom to
live as men and women of faith, hope, and love. That is why Jesus offers us the
gift and power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13) who enables us tolive each
day as God's beloved children - his sons and daughters. The love and mercy of
Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit are
freely given to all who acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Is your
hope securely placed in the Lord Jesus and his victory on the cross?
"Lord Jesus, you are my hope and my salvation. May I never
waver in my hope and trust in your merciful help and strength. Let the fire of
your Holy Spirit burn in my heart and fill me with a consuming love for
you."
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17,
LUKE 12:8-12
(Romans 4:13, 16-18; Psalm 105)
(Romans 4:13, 16-18; Psalm 105)
KEY VERSE: "For the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say" (v 12).
TO KNOW: Jesus encouraged his disciples to be fearless in their proclamation of the gospel. The disciples need not worry about how they should defend themselves when brought before the authorities. The Holy Spirit would enlighten and strengthen them as they bore witness to their faith. Jesus did not promise to save them from suffering or even death, but he did guarantee that he would testify to their fidelity before God. Jesus warned his followers of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. These are sins that despair of salvation, presume on God's mercy, envy another's spiritual good, resist known truths of faith, and are obstinate in sin and impenitent at death. Although each sin put an obstacle in the way of God's mercy, God's grace could overcome even these sins. But if the unrepentant refused God's power to save them, they also denied the possibility of mercy and forgiveness by Jesus.
TO LOVE: Do I thank God for the grace of faith?
TO SERVE: Holy Spirit, strengthen me when I am too weak to defend myself.
Memorial of Ignatius of
Antioch, bishop and martyr
Ignatius was a convert from paganism to Christianity. He succeeded Peter as bishop of Antioch, Syria. During persecution by the Emperor Trajan was ordered taken to Rome. On the way, a journey which took months, he wrote a series of encouraging letters to the churches under his care. Ignatius of Antioch was the first writer to use the term the "catholic" Church. He died a martyr c.107 at Rome, killed by wild animals. His relics are at Saint Peter's, Rome.
I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God's wheat and bread.
Saturday 17 October 2015
SAT 17TH.
St Ignatius of Antioch.
Romans
4:13, 16-18. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever—Ps 104(105):6-9, 42-43.
Luke 12:9-12.
'The Lord
remembers his covenant forever.'
Faith is
unfashionable in our modern society. These days it seems there is a rational,
logical explanation for just about everything. We like to think we have
complete control over our destinies. Today’s readings remind us of the value of
hope, faith and trust in God’s plan for us.
Abraham’s
story is just one of many stories in our tradition where one person’s faith
leads to the most unlikely of outcomes. Do we believe in a God who calls into
existence things that do not exist? A God who gives life to the dead? Do we
trust that the Holy Spirit will always teach us what we need to know?
Dare we
imagine a future beyond our own dreams? What might God’s dream be for me?
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Surrender Anxiety
|
Simply say: "Jesus, I trust in you; Jesus, I trust in
you." Or, if you are struggling with trusting the Lord at that moment, ask
Mary to help you trust her Son. She will always bring you to Him.
October
17
St. Ignatius of Antioch
(d. 107?)
St. Ignatius of Antioch
(d. 107?)
Born in Syria, Ignatius converted to Christianity and eventually
became bishop of Antioch. In the year 107, Emperor Trajan visited Antioch and
forced the Christians there to choose between death and apostasy. Ignatius
would not deny Christ and thus was condemned to be put to death in Rome.
Ignatius
is well known for the seven letters he wrote on the long journey from Antioch
to Rome. Five of these letters are to churches in Asia Minor; they urge the
Christians there to remain faithful to God and to obey their superiors. He
warns them against heretical doctrines, providing them with the solid truths of
the Christian faith.
The sixth
letter was to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who was later martyred for the faith.
The final letter begs the Christians in Rome not to try to stop his martyrdom.
"The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my
blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the
beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ."
Ignatius
bravely met the lions in the Circus Maximus.
Comment:
Ignatius's great concern was for the unity and order of the Church. Even greater was his willingness to suffer martyrdom rather than deny his Lord Jesus Christ. Not to his own suffering did Ignatius draw attention, but to the love of God which strengthened him. He knew the price of commitment and would not deny Christ, even to save his own life.
Ignatius's great concern was for the unity and order of the Church. Even greater was his willingness to suffer martyrdom rather than deny his Lord Jesus Christ. Not to his own suffering did Ignatius draw attention, but to the love of God which strengthened him. He knew the price of commitment and would not deny Christ, even to save his own life.
Quote:
"I greet you from Smyrna together with the Churches of God present here with me. They comfort me in every way, both in body and in soul. My chains, which I carry about on me for Jesus Christ, begging that I may happily make my way to God, exhort you: persevere in your concord and in your community prayers" (Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Church at Tralles).
"I greet you from Smyrna together with the Churches of God present here with me. They comfort me in every way, both in body and in soul. My chains, which I carry about on me for Jesus Christ, begging that I may happily make my way to God, exhort you: persevere in your concord and in your community prayers" (Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Church at Tralles).
LECTIO: LUKE
12,8-12
Lectio:
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
Lord,
our help and guide,
make your love the foundation of our lives.
May our love for you express itself
in our eagerness to do good for others.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 12,8-12
Jesus said to his disciples: 'I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of human beings, the Son of man will declare himself for him in the presence of God's angels. But anyone who disowns me in the presence of human beings will be disowned in the presence of God's angels.
Jesus said to his disciples: 'I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of human beings, the Son of man will declare himself for him in the presence of God's angels. But anyone who disowns me in the presence of human beings will be disowned in the presence of God's angels.
'Everyone who says a word against the Son of man will be
forgiven, but no one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will be forgiven.
'When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not
worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time
comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.'
3) Reflection
• Context. While Jesus is on the way toward Jerusalem, Luke in chapter 11, that precedes our passage, presents him as having the intention to reveal the abyss of the merciful acting of God and at the same time the profound misery hidden in the heart of man and particularly, in those who have the task of being witnesses of the Word and of the work of the Holy Spirit in the world. Jesus presents such realities with a series of reflections which provoke effects in the reader: to feel attracted by the force of his Word to the point of feeling judged interiorly and detached from all desires of greatness which shake and agitate man (9, 46). Besides, the reader identifies himself with various attitudes that the teaching of Jesus arouses: above all, he recognizes himself as follower of Christ in the disciple and sent to precede him in the role of messenger of the kingdom; and also in the one who hesitates somewhat in following him; in the Pharisee or Doctor of the Law, slave of their interpretations and life style. In summary, the course of the reader in chapter 11 is characterized by this encounter with the teaching of Jesus who reveals to him the intimacy of God, the mercy of God’s Heart, but also the truth of his being a man. In chapter 12, instead, Jesus opposes the perverted judgment of man to the goodness of God who always gives with superabundance. Man’s life enters into play here. It is necessary to be attentive to the perversion of the human judgment or better to the hypocrisy that distorts values in order to privilege only one’s own interests and advantages, more than being interested in life, that life which is accepted gratuitously. The Word of God launches the reader an appeal on how to face the question regarding life: man will be judged on his behaviour at the time of threats. It is necessary to be concerned not so much of the men who can “kill the body” but rather to have at heart the fear of God who judges and corrects. But Jesus does not promise the disciples that they will be free from threats, persecutions, but he assures them that they will have God’s help at the moments of difficulty.
• Context. While Jesus is on the way toward Jerusalem, Luke in chapter 11, that precedes our passage, presents him as having the intention to reveal the abyss of the merciful acting of God and at the same time the profound misery hidden in the heart of man and particularly, in those who have the task of being witnesses of the Word and of the work of the Holy Spirit in the world. Jesus presents such realities with a series of reflections which provoke effects in the reader: to feel attracted by the force of his Word to the point of feeling judged interiorly and detached from all desires of greatness which shake and agitate man (9, 46). Besides, the reader identifies himself with various attitudes that the teaching of Jesus arouses: above all, he recognizes himself as follower of Christ in the disciple and sent to precede him in the role of messenger of the kingdom; and also in the one who hesitates somewhat in following him; in the Pharisee or Doctor of the Law, slave of their interpretations and life style. In summary, the course of the reader in chapter 11 is characterized by this encounter with the teaching of Jesus who reveals to him the intimacy of God, the mercy of God’s Heart, but also the truth of his being a man. In chapter 12, instead, Jesus opposes the perverted judgment of man to the goodness of God who always gives with superabundance. Man’s life enters into play here. It is necessary to be attentive to the perversion of the human judgment or better to the hypocrisy that distorts values in order to privilege only one’s own interests and advantages, more than being interested in life, that life which is accepted gratuitously. The Word of God launches the reader an appeal on how to face the question regarding life: man will be judged on his behaviour at the time of threats. It is necessary to be concerned not so much of the men who can “kill the body” but rather to have at heart the fear of God who judges and corrects. But Jesus does not promise the disciples that they will be free from threats, persecutions, but he assures them that they will have God’s help at the moments of difficulty.
• To know how to recognize Jesus. The courageous commitment to
recognize the friendship with Jesus publicly implies as consequence personal
communion with Him at the moment of his return to judge the world. At the same
time, the betrayal “who will deny me”, the one who is afraid to confess and
recognize Jesus publicly, condemns himself. The reader is invited to reflect on
the crucial importance of Jesus in the history of salvation: it is necessary to
decide either with Jesus or against Him and of his Word of Grace; from this
decision, to recognize or to reject Jesus, depends our salvation. Luke makes it
evident that the communion that Jesus gives at the present time to his
disciples will be confirmed and will becomes perfect at the moment of his
coming in glory (“he will come in his glory and of the Father and of the
angels”: 9, 26). The call to the Christian community is very evident: even if
it has been exposed to the hostility of the world, it is indispensable not to
cease to give a courageous witness of Jesus, of communion with him, to value
and not to be ashamed to show oneself a Christian.
• Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Here Luke understands
blasphemy as offensive speaking or speaking against. This verb was applied to
Jesus when in 5, 21 he had forgiven sins. The question presented in this
passage may give rise in the reader to some difficulty: is blasphemy against
the Son of man less grave or serious than the one against the Holy Spirit? The
language of Jesus may seem rather strong for the reader of the Gospel of Luke:
through the Gospel he has seen Jesus who showed the behaviour of God who goes
to look for sinners, who is demanding but who knows how to wait for the moment
of return to him or that the sinner attains maturity. In Mark and Matthew
blasphemy against the Spirit is the lack of recognizing the power of God in the
exorcisms of Jesus. But in Luke it may mean the deliberate and known rejection
of the prophetic Spirit that is working in the actions and teaching of Jesus,
that is to say, a rejection of the encounter with the merciful acting of
salvation with the Father. The lack of recognition of the divine origin of the
mission of Jesus, the direct offenses to the person of Jesus, may be forgiven,
but anyone who denies the acting of the Holy Spirit in the mission of Jesus
will not be forgiven. It is not a question of an opposition between the person
of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, or of some contrast, symbol of two diverse
periods of history, that of Jesus and that of the community after the Passover,
but definitively, the evangelist wants to show that to reject the person of
Christ is equal to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
4) Personal questions
• Are you aware that to be a Christian requires the need to face difficulties, deceit, dangers, and even to risk one’s own life to give witness of one’s own friendship with Jesus?
• Are you aware that to be a Christian requires the need to face difficulties, deceit, dangers, and even to risk one’s own life to give witness of one’s own friendship with Jesus?
• Do you become embarrassed of being a Christian? Are you more
concerned about the judgments of men, their approval, are these more important
for you or that of losing your friendship with Christ?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh our Lord,
Yahweh our Lord,
how majestic is your name throughout the world!
Whoever keeps singing of your majesty higher than the heavens,
even through the mouths of children, or of babes in arms. (Ps
8,1-2)
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