Memorial of Saint John of the Cross,
Priest and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 185
Lectionary: 185
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
R. (see John 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of
life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The Lord will come; go out to meet him!
He is the prince of peace.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord will come; go out to meet him!
He is the prince of peace.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 11:16-19
Jesus said to the crowds:
"To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.'
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
'He is possessed by a demon.'
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
But wisdom is vindicated by her works."
"To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.'
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
'He is possessed by a demon.'
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
But wisdom is vindicated by her works."
Meditation: The Lord will lead you in the way you
should go
Do you seek God's way of peace and wisdom for your
life? The prophets remind us that God’s kingdom is available to those who are teachable
and receptive to the word of God. Through their obedience to God's word and
commandments, they receive not only wisdom and peace for themselves, but they,
in turn become a blessing to their children and their offspring as well. Jesus
warns the generation of his day to heed God's word before it is too late. He
compares proud teachers and vain scholars with stubborn playmates who refuse to
follow wise counsel and instruction.
Jesus parable about a group of disappointed musicians
and their stubborn friends who refuse to sing or dance at the appropriate
occasion challenge us to examine whether we are selective to only hear and do
what we want to hear. The young music players in Jesus' parable react with
great dismay because they cannot get anyone to follow their instruction. They
complain that if they play their music at weddings, no one will join in their
festive song and dance; and if they play mournful tunes and songs at funerals,
no one will join in at all. This parable echoes the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3:4
- "there is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time
to dance." Are you in tune with the message of God's kingdom? And do you
heed God's word of wisdom and truth as if your life depended on it?
Spiritual indifference and deaf ears can block God's
word for us
Jesus' message of the kingdom of God is a proclamation of good news that produces great joy and hope for those who listen and obey - but it is also a warning of bad consequences and disaster for those who refuse to accept God's gracious invitation. 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 pretending to be the Messiah. 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, God's anointed Son sent to redeem us from bondage to sin and death.
Jesus' message of the kingdom of God is a proclamation of good news that produces great joy and hope for those who listen and obey - but it is also a warning of bad consequences and disaster for those who refuse to accept God's gracious invitation. 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 pretending to be the Messiah. 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, God's anointed Son sent to redeem us from bondage to sin and death.
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 heaven.
Indifference dulls our ears to God's voice and to the good news of the Gospel.
Only the humble of heart can find joy and favor in God's sight. Is you life in
tune with Jesus' message of hope and salvation? And do you know the joy and blessing
of believing and obeying God's word?
"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."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The river of forgiveness washes us clean,
by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"This water is good, then. I mean here the grace
of the Spirit. Who will give this Fountain to my heart? Let it spring up in me,
let that which gives eternal life flow on me. Let that Fountain overflow on us
and not flow away. For Wisdom says, 'Drink water out of your own vessels and
from the fountains of your own wells, and let [not] your waters flow abroad in
your streets' (Proverbs 5:15-16). How shall I keep this water so that it does
not seep out or glide away? How shall I preserve my vessel, lest any crack of
sin penetrating it should let the water of eternal life exude? Teach us, Lord
Jesus, teach us as you taught your apostles, saying, 'Lay not up for yourselves
treasures on the earth, where rust and moth destroy and where thieves break
through and steal (Matthew 6:19)...
"If you seek Jesus, forsake the broken cisterns, for Christ did not make it his custom to sit by a pool but by a well. There that Samaritan woman (John 4:6) found him, she who believed, she who wished to draw water. Although you ought to have come in early morning, nevertheless if you come later, even at the sixth hour, you will find Jesus wearied with his journey. He is weary, but it is because of you, because he has long looked for you, your unbelief has long wearied him. Yet he is not offended if you only come now. He asks to drink who is about to give. But he drinks not the water of a stream flowing by, but your salvation. He drinks your good dispositions. He drinks the cup, that is, the passion that atoned for your sins, that you, drinking of his sacred blood, might quench the thirst of this world." (excerpt from ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 1.16.182–84)
"If you seek Jesus, forsake the broken cisterns, for Christ did not make it his custom to sit by a pool but by a well. There that Samaritan woman (John 4:6) found him, she who believed, she who wished to draw water. Although you ought to have come in early morning, nevertheless if you come later, even at the sixth hour, you will find Jesus wearied with his journey. He is weary, but it is because of you, because he has long looked for you, your unbelief has long wearied him. Yet he is not offended if you only come now. He asks to drink who is about to give. But he drinks not the water of a stream flowing by, but your salvation. He drinks your good dispositions. He drinks the cup, that is, the passion that atoned for your sins, that you, drinking of his sacred blood, might quench the thirst of this world." (excerpt from ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 1.16.182–84)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER
14, MATTHEW 11:16-19
(Isaiah 48:17-19; Psalm 1)
(Isaiah 48:17-19; Psalm 1)
KEY VERSE: "But wisdom is vindicated by her works" (v. 19).
TO KNOW: Jesus was exasperated with those who opposed his work and the work of John the Baptist. Jesus compared these faithless ones to spoiled children who could not be satisfied. He recited a little verse, which appeared in Aesop's fables (6th century before Christ): "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn." Those who opposed John did so because of his austere, ascetic life-style; yet, at the same time, they rejected Jesus because of his association with sinners and outcasts. John was thought to be "demon-possessed" and Jesus was said to be a "glutton and a drunkard" (v. 19). Divine wisdom would vindicate the works of Jesus the Messiah and his herald John.
TO LOVE: Do I make rash judgments about those with whom I disagree?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, give me the wisdom to understand the other person's point of view.
Memorial of Saint John of the
Cross, priest and doctor of the Church
John of the Cross was born at Fontiveros, Old Castile, Spain. He was a Carmelite friar and was ordained a priest at age 25. John was a reformer of the Carmelite Order of his time and along with Saint Teresa of Avila, eventually led to the establishment of the rigid Discalced (barefoot) reform of the Carmelites. His reforms did not set well with some of his brothers, and he was imprisoned, only escaping after nine months. Eventually, John's reforms revitalized the Order. John of the Cross was a great contemplative and spiritual writer. Both his poetry and his studies on the growth of the soul are considered the summit of Spanish literature, including The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, The Spiritual Canticle, and The Living Flame of Love. He was canonized as a saint in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI on 24 August 1926. He is also known as Doctor of Mystical Theology.
Friday 14
December 2018
St John of
the Cross.
Isaiah 48:17-19. Psalm 1:1-4, 6. Matthew 11:16-19.
Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life – Psalm 1:1-4, 6.
Isaiah 48:17-19. Psalm 1:1-4, 6. Matthew 11:16-19.
Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life – Psalm 1:1-4, 6.
‘Wisdom is
vindicated by her deeds.’
Within
days of Jesus’ feeding the multitude by the Sea of Galilee, many people
questioned his authority and rejected his teaching. The people in today’s
gospel reading have something in common with them. They seek to evade the
message of Jesus and his forerunner by discrediting the messenger. However, as
Jesus reminds them, ‘wisdom is vindicated by her deeds’. The teaching his
listeners rejected was vindicated by the good works that he did in the Father’s
name. Our claim to be Jesus’ disciples will be credible only if, following his
example and walking in his steps (cf. 1 Peter 2:21), we manifest in our deeds
what we claim as our core beliefs.
Saint John of the Cross
Saint of the Day for December 14
(June 24, 1541 – December 14, 1591)
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| Saint John of the Cross | Diego de Sanabria | photo by igH09d8z-bGi8g at Google Cultural Institute |
Saint John of the Cross’ Story
John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up
to his name: “of the Cross.” The folly of the cross came to full realization in
time. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross,
and follow me” (Mark 8:34b) is the story of John’s life. The Paschal
Mystery—through death to life—strongly marks John as reformer, mystic-poet, and
theologian-priest.
Ordained a Carmelite priest in 1567 at age 25, John met Teresa
of Avila and like her, vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites.
As partner with Teresa and in his own right, John engaged in the work of reform,
and came to experience the price of reform: increasing opposition,
misunderstanding, persecution, imprisonment. He came to know the cross
acutely—to experience the dying of Jesus—as he sat month after month in his
dark, damp, narrow cell with only his God.
Yet, the paradox! In this dying of imprisonment John came to
life, uttering poetry. In the darkness of the dungeon, John’s spirit came into
the Light. There are many mystics, many poets; John is unique as mystic-poet,
expressing in his prison-cross the ecstasy of mystical union with God in
the Spiritual Canticle.
But as agony leads to ecstasy, so John had his Ascent to
Mt. Carmel, as he named it in his prose masterpiece. As
man-Christian-Carmelite, he experienced in himself this purifying ascent; as
spiritual director, he sensed it in others; as psychologist-theologian, he
described and analyzed it in his prose writings. His prose works are
outstanding in underscoring the cost of discipleship, the path of union with
God: rigorous discipline, abandonment, purification. Uniquely and strongly John
underlines the gospel paradox: The cross leads to resurrection, agony to
ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial to self to union
with God. If you want to save your life, you must lose it. John is truly “of
the Cross.” He died at 49—a life short, but full.
Reflection
In his life and writings, John of the Cross has a crucial word
for us today. We tend to be rich, soft, comfortable. We shrink even from words
like self-denial, mortification, purification, asceticism, discipline.
We run from the cross. John’s message—like the gospel—is loud and clear:
Don’t—if you really want to live!
Saint John of the Cross is the Patron Saint of:
Mystics
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
11:16-19
Lectio Divina:
Friday, December 14, 2018
2nd Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord
our God,
too often we are deaf to Your voice
and to the presence of Your Son
among us, His people.
Inspire us by Your prophets and Your Spirit
that now is the right moment to change
and to commit ourselves
to the kind of life and to the justice
demanded by the kingdom.
Help us to make people see
that Your Son is alive among us
and that He is our Lord for ever.
too often we are deaf to Your voice
and to the presence of Your Son
among us, His people.
Inspire us by Your prophets and Your Spirit
that now is the right moment to change
and to commit ourselves
to the kind of life and to the justice
demanded by the kingdom.
Help us to make people see
that Your Son is alive among us
and that He is our Lord for ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11:16-19
“What
comparison can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each
other as they sit in the market place:
We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn't dance;
we sang dirges, and you wouldn't be mourners.
“For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He is possessed.’
The Son of man came, eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn't dance;
we sang dirges, and you wouldn't be mourners.
“For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He is possessed.’
The Son of man came, eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
3) Reflection
•
The leaders and the wise are not always pleased when someone criticizes or
challenges them. This happened in the time of Jesus, and happens today as well.
John the Baptist criticized people and was not accepted. They said: “He is
possessed by the devil!” Jesus also criticized and was not accepted. They said:
“He has lost his head!”, and “Crazy!” (Mk 3:21). “He is possessed by the
devil!” (Mk 3:22), “He is a Samaritan!” (Jn 8:48), “He is not from God!” (Jn
9:16). The same thing happens today. There are some people who hold on to what
has always been taught and they do not accept another way of living the faith.
They invent reasons for not accepting something new, saying “It is against
God’s Law!” . They invent some pretext in order to not accept the
message Jesus announced. In fact, it is relatively easy to find arguments to
refute those who think in a different way from us in these matters.
• Jesus reacts to the people’s resistance to the Gospel. They consider themselves wise, but they are like children who wish to be amused, and they rebel when people do not move according to the music that they play. They only accept those who hold the same ideas that they hold. Because of their rigidity, they are condemned.
• Jesus reacts to the people’s resistance to the Gospel. They consider themselves wise, but they are like children who wish to be amused, and they rebel when people do not move according to the music that they play. They only accept those who hold the same ideas that they hold. Because of their rigidity, they are condemned.
4) Personal questions
•
In what ways am I rigid in my faith?
• Do I have a critical conscience concerning social and ecclesiastical thought which, at times, prevents needed change?
• Do I have a critical conscience concerning social and ecclesiastical thought which, at times, prevents needed change?
5) Concluding Prayer
Blessed
is the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
but delights in the law of the Lord
and meditates on His law day and night. (Ps 1)
the counsel of the wicked
nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
but delights in the law of the Lord
and meditates on His law day and night. (Ps 1)
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