Friday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 423
Lectionary: 423
Once in the time of the judges there was a famine in the land;
so a man from Bethlehem of Judah
departed with his wife and two sons
to reside on the plateau of Moab.
Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died,
and she was left with her two sons, who married Moabite women,
one named Orpah, the other Ruth.
When they had lived there about ten years,
both Mahlon and Chilion died also,
and the woman was left with neither her two sons nor her husband.
She then made ready to go back from the plateau of Moab
because word reached her there
that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her.
Naomi said, "See now!
Your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her god.
Go back after your sister-in-law!"
But Ruth said, "Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you!
For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge,
your people shall be my people, and your God my God."
Thus it was that Naomi returned
with the Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth,
who accompanied her back from the plateau of Moab.
They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
so a man from Bethlehem of Judah
departed with his wife and two sons
to reside on the plateau of Moab.
Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died,
and she was left with her two sons, who married Moabite women,
one named Orpah, the other Ruth.
When they had lived there about ten years,
both Mahlon and Chilion died also,
and the woman was left with neither her two sons nor her husband.
She then made ready to go back from the plateau of Moab
because word reached her there
that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her.
Naomi said, "See now!
Your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her god.
Go back after your sister-in-law!"
But Ruth said, "Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you!
For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge,
your people shall be my people, and your God my God."
Thus it was that Naomi returned
with the Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth,
who accompanied her back from the plateau of Moab.
They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 146:5-6AB, 6C-7, 8-9A,
9BC-10
R.(1b) Praise
the Lord, my soul!
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
The LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
The LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
AlleluiaPS 25:4B, 5A
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Teach me your paths, my God,
guide me in your truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Teach me your paths, my God,
guide me in your truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law, tested him by asking,
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He said to him,
"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law, tested him by asking,
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He said to him,
"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Rose of Lima, please
go here.
Meditation:
What is the greatest rule of life?
What
is the purpose of God's law and commandments? The Pharisees prided themselves
in the knowledge of the law of Moses and the ritual requirements of the law.
They made it a life-time practice to study the 613 precepts of the Torah - the
books of the Old Testament containing the Law of Moses - along with the
numerous rabbinic commentaries on the law. The religious authorities tested
Jesus to see if he correctly understood the law as they did. Jesus startled
them with his profound simplicity and mastery of the law of God and its
purpose.
God's
love rules all
Jesus summarized the whole of the law in two great commandments found in Deuteronomy 6:5 - "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" - and Leviticus 19:18 - "you shall love your neighbor as yourself". God's love directs all that he does - His love is holy, just, and pure because it seeks only what is good, beneficial, and life-giving - rather than what is destructive, evil, or deadly. That is why he commands us to love - to accept and to give only what is good, lovely, just, and pure and to reject whatever is contrary.
Jesus summarized the whole of the law in two great commandments found in Deuteronomy 6:5 - "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" - and Leviticus 19:18 - "you shall love your neighbor as yourself". God's love directs all that he does - His love is holy, just, and pure because it seeks only what is good, beneficial, and life-giving - rather than what is destructive, evil, or deadly. That is why he commands us to love - to accept and to give only what is good, lovely, just, and pure and to reject whatever is contrary.
God
puts us first in his thoughts
God is love and everything he does flows from his love for us (1 John 3:1, 4:7-8, 16). God puts us first in his thoughts and concerns - do we put him first in our thoughts? God loved us first (1 John 4:19) and our love for him is a response to his exceeding goodness and kindness towards us. The love of God comes first and the love of neighbor is firmly grounded in the love of God. The more we know of God's love, truth, and goodness, the more we love what he loves and reject whatever is hateful and contrary to his will. God commands us to love him first above all else - his love orients and directs our thoughts, intentions, and actions to what is wholly good and pleasing to him. He wants us to love him personally, wholeheartedly, and without any reservation or compromise.
God is love and everything he does flows from his love for us (1 John 3:1, 4:7-8, 16). God puts us first in his thoughts and concerns - do we put him first in our thoughts? God loved us first (1 John 4:19) and our love for him is a response to his exceeding goodness and kindness towards us. The love of God comes first and the love of neighbor is firmly grounded in the love of God. The more we know of God's love, truth, and goodness, the more we love what he loves and reject whatever is hateful and contrary to his will. God commands us to love him first above all else - his love orients and directs our thoughts, intentions, and actions to what is wholly good and pleasing to him. He wants us to love him personally, wholeheartedly, and without any reservation or compromise.
The
nature of love - giving to others for their sake
What is the nature of love? Love is the gift of giving oneself for the good of others - it is wholly other oriented and directed to the welfare and benefit of others. Love which is rooted in pleasing myself is self-centered and possessive - it is a selfish love that takes from others rather than gives to others. It is a stunted and disordered love which leads to many hurtful and sinful desires - such as jealousy, greed, envy, and lust. The root of all sin is disordered love and pride which is fundamentally putting myself above God and my neighbor - it is loving and serving self rather than God and neighbor. True love, which is wholly directed and oriented to what is good rather than evil, is rooted in God's truth and righteousness (moral goodness).
What is the nature of love? Love is the gift of giving oneself for the good of others - it is wholly other oriented and directed to the welfare and benefit of others. Love which is rooted in pleasing myself is self-centered and possessive - it is a selfish love that takes from others rather than gives to others. It is a stunted and disordered love which leads to many hurtful and sinful desires - such as jealousy, greed, envy, and lust. The root of all sin is disordered love and pride which is fundamentally putting myself above God and my neighbor - it is loving and serving self rather than God and neighbor. True love, which is wholly directed and oriented to what is good rather than evil, is rooted in God's truth and righteousness (moral goodness).
How
God loves us
God loves us wholly, completely, and perfectly for our sake - there is no limit, no holding back, no compromising on his part. His love is not subject to changing moods or circumstances. When God gives, he gives generously, abundantly, freely, and without setting conditions to the gift of his love. His love does not waver, but is firm, consistent, and constant. He loves us in our weakness - in our fallen and sinful condition. That is why the Father sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to redeem us from slavery to sin and its disordered cravings, desires, passions, and addictions. God the Father always seeks us out to draw us to his throne of mercy and help. God the Father corrects and disciplines us in love to free us from the error of our wrong ways of thinking and choosing what is harmful and evil rather than choosing what is good and wholesome for us. Do you freely accept God's love and do you willingly choose to obey his commandments?
God loves us wholly, completely, and perfectly for our sake - there is no limit, no holding back, no compromising on his part. His love is not subject to changing moods or circumstances. When God gives, he gives generously, abundantly, freely, and without setting conditions to the gift of his love. His love does not waver, but is firm, consistent, and constant. He loves us in our weakness - in our fallen and sinful condition. That is why the Father sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to redeem us from slavery to sin and its disordered cravings, desires, passions, and addictions. God the Father always seeks us out to draw us to his throne of mercy and help. God the Father corrects and disciplines us in love to free us from the error of our wrong ways of thinking and choosing what is harmful and evil rather than choosing what is good and wholesome for us. Do you freely accept God's love and do you willingly choose to obey his commandments?
We
do not earn God's love - it is freely given
How can we possibly love God above all else and obey his commandments willingly and joyfully, and how can we love our neighbor and willing lay down our life for their sake? Paul the Apostle tells us that "hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). We do not earn God's love - it is freely given to those who open their heart to God and who freely accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord Jesus to flood your heart with his love through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
How can we possibly love God above all else and obey his commandments willingly and joyfully, and how can we love our neighbor and willing lay down our life for their sake? Paul the Apostle tells us that "hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). We do not earn God's love - it is freely given to those who open their heart to God and who freely accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord Jesus to flood your heart with his love through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Love
grows with faith and hope
What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us? Faith in God and hope in his promises strengthens us in the love of God. They are essential for a good relationship with God, for being united with him. The more we know of God the more we love him and the more we love him the greater we believe and hope in his promises. The Lord Jesus, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as he loves. Paul the Apostle writes, "For freedom Christ has set us free... only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh [sinful inclinations], but through love be servants of one another" (Galatians 5:1,13). Do you allow anything to keep you from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous heart?
What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us? Faith in God and hope in his promises strengthens us in the love of God. They are essential for a good relationship with God, for being united with him. The more we know of God the more we love him and the more we love him the greater we believe and hope in his promises. The Lord Jesus, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as he loves. Paul the Apostle writes, "For freedom Christ has set us free... only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh [sinful inclinations], but through love be servants of one another" (Galatians 5:1,13). Do you allow anything to keep you from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous heart?
"Lord
Jesus, your love surpasses all. Flood my heart with your love and increase my
faith and hope in your promises. Help me to give myself in generous service to
others as you have so generously given yourself to me."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Loving God with heart, mind, and soul,
by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"Worthy
is he, confirmed in all his gifts, who exults in the wisdom of God, having a
heart full of the love of God, and a soul completely enlightened by the lamp of
knowledge and a mind filled with the word of God. It follows then that all such
gifts truly come from God. He would understand that all the law and the
prophets are in some way a part of the wisdom and knowledge of God. He would
understand that all the law and the prophets depend upon and adhere to the
principle of the love of the Lord God and of neighbor and that the perfection
of piety consists in love." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON
MATTHEW 13)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, MATTHEW 22:34-40
Weekday
(Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 107)
Weekday
(Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 107)
KEY VERSE: "The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments" (v. 40).
TO KNOW: The Pharisees believed in the divine authority of the written Hebrew Scriptures ("the law and the prophets," v. 40) as well as the oral interpretations of the law. These included 613 precepts that were divided into categories of greater or lesser importance. The Sadducees, on the other hand, accepted only the first five books of the law (the Pentateuch) and rejected oral tradition, including the belief in angels and bodily resurrection. Both groups were opposed to Jesus. A scribe, an expert in the law, challenged Jesus by asking which law was greater than the others. Jesus summed up the entire law with two commands upon which the whole law was based: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Dt 6:5) and "You must love your neighbor as yourself” (Lv 19:18). Jesus thereby put the love of God on a par with love of neighbor. Only by loving oneself, will we be able to start loving God and other people as the Lord commanded. Jesus perfectly fulfilled this law of love in his words and deeds.
TO LOVE: Do I have a healthy self-love?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, fill me with love for you so that it will overflow to others.
Optional Memorial of Saint Rose of Lima, virgin
Rose was born in Peru to Spanish immigrants to the New World. Her real name was Isabel, but she was such a beautiful baby, she was called Rose. As she grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day, her mother put a wreath of flowers on her head to show off her loveliness to friends. But Rose had no desire to be admired, for her heart had been given to Jesus. Rose worked hard to support her poor parents and she humbly obeyed them, except when they tried to get her to marry as she was devoted to her vow of chastity. Rose was a mystic, visionary, and received an invisible stigmata. She had many temptations and there were times when she suffered loneliness and sadness, for God seemed far away. Yet she offered all these troubles to God. Many miracles followed her death. She was a lay member of the Dominican Order, and was canonized in 1671 by Clement X, the first person born in the Americas to be so honored by the Catholic Church. Rose of Lima is the patroness of Latin America and the Philippines and is represented wearing a crown of roses.
Friday 23 August 2019
Day of Penance
Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14-16, 22. Psalm 145(146):5-10. Matthew 22:34-40.
Praise the Lord, my soul! – Psalm 145(146):5-10.
‘The whole Law depends on these two commandments.’
The ‘commandments’ people can live by in our society may be very
different from the ones Jesus speaks of in today’s gospel: they can capture us
as slaves of a materialistic, consumer-driven, empty and stressed world. Yet
Jesus’ commandments are simple and free; they speak of love, peace and
equality.
Imagine if we all lived by these two straightforward
commandments? Wouldn’t the world be a beautiful place? One where every person
was valued, respected and treated with dignity? Let’s try to make it happen,
starting with how we each live our personal, professional, and relational lives
as followers of Jesus.
Lord, we ask you to help us embrace these two commandments, so
that we are reminded of the responsibility we have as Christians and fellow
human beings to love and care for one another. Give us the disposition of
other-centredness that we may help to build a better world.
Saint Rose of Lima
Saint of the Day for August 23
(April 20, 1586 – August 24, 1617)
 |
| Saint Rose of Lima with Child Jesus | anonymous |
Saint Rose of Lima’s Story
The first canonized saint of the New World has one
characteristic of all saints—the suffering of opposition—and another characteristic
which is more for admiration than for imitation—excessive practice of
mortification.
She was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima, Peru, at a
time when South America was in its first century of evangelization. She seems
to have taken Catherine of Siena as a model, in spite of the objections and
ridicule of parents and friends.
The saints have so great a love of God that what seems bizarre
to us, and is indeed sometimes imprudent, is simply a logical carrying out of a
conviction that anything that might endanger a loving relationship with God
must be rooted out. So, because her beauty was so often admired, Rose used to
rub her face with pepper to produce disfiguring blotches. Later, she wore a
thick circlet of silver on her head, studded on the inside, like a crown of
thorns.
When her parents fell into financial trouble, she worked in the
garden all day and sewed at night. Ten years of struggle against her parents
began when they tried to make Rose marry. They refused to let her enter a
convent, and out of obedience she continued her life of penance and solitude at
home as a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. So deep was her
desire to live the life of Christ that she spent most of her time at home in
solitude.
During the last few years of her life, Rose set up a room in the
house where she cared for homeless children, the elderly, and the sick. This
was a beginning of social services in Peru. Though secluded in life and
activity, she was brought to the attention of Inquisition interrogators, who
could only say that she was influenced by grace.
What might have been a merely eccentric life was transfigured
from the inside. If we remember some unusual penances, we should also remember
the greatest thing about Rose: a love of God so ardent that it withstood
ridicule from without, violent temptation, and lengthy periods of sickness.
When she died at 31, the city turned out for her funeral. Prominent men took
turns carrying her coffin.
Reflection
It is easy to dismiss excessive penances of the saints as the
expression of a certain culture or temperament. But a woman wearing a crown of
thorns may at least prod our consciences. We enjoy the most comfort-oriented
life in human history. We eat too much, drink too much, use a million gadgets,
fill our eyes and ears with everything imaginable. Commerce thrives on creating
useless needs on which to spend our money. It seems that when we have become
most like slaves, there is the greatest talk of “freedom.” Are we willing to
discipline ourselves in such an atmosphere?
Saint Rose of Lima is the Patron Saint of:
Americas
Florists
Latin America
Peru
Philippines
South America
Florists
Latin America
Peru
Philippines
South America
Lectio: Matthew 22:34-40
Lectio Divina
Friday, August 23, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
may we love You in all things and above all things
and reach the joy You have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
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.
may we love You in all things and above all things
and reach the joy You have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
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 - Matthew 22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by
asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He
said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with
all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first
commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
3) Reflection
• The text is enlightened. Jesus is in Jerusalem and precisely
in the Temple where a process between Him and His adversaries is taking place,
the chief priests and the scribes (20:18; 21:15), between the chief priests and
the elders of the people (21:23) and between the chief priests and the
Pharisees (21:45). The point of controversy of the debate is: the identity of
Jesus or of the Son of David, the origin of His identity, and, therefore, the
question regarding the nature of the Kingdom of God. The evangelist presents
this plot of debates with a sequence of controversies that present a growing
rhythm: the tribute to be paid to Caesar (22:15-22), the resurrection of the
dead (22:23-33), the greatest commandment (22:34-40), the Messiah, son and Lord
of David (22:41-46). The protagonists of the first three discussions are
representatives of the official Judaism who try to place Jesus in difficulty on
some crucial questions. These disputes are addressed to Jesus in so far as He
is “Master” (Rabbi). This title tells the reader of the understanding that the
interlocutors have of Jesus, but Jesus takes this occasion to lead them to ask
themselves a more crucial question: the last time they took position concerning
His identity (22:41-46).
• The greatest commandment. On the trail of the Sadducees who have preceded, the Pharisees ask Jesus a burning question: which is the greatest commandment? The Rabbis first make evident the multiplicity of the prescriptions (248 commandments), then the question is asked of Jesus regarding which is the most important. Just the same, the Rabbis themselves had created a true survey to reduce them as far as possible: David lists eleven (Ps 15:2-5), Isaiah six (Isa 33:15), Micah three (Mic 6:8), Amos two (Am 5:4) and Habakkuk only one (Hab 2:4). But the intention of the Pharisees regarding their question goes beyond every type of survey; it is a question of the essence itself of the prescriptions. Jesus, in answering, binds together love of God and love of neighbor, so much so as to unite them in only one, but without refusing to give priority to the first one, which subordinates, in a close way, the second one. Thus, all the prescriptions of the Law, all 613, are placed in relationship with this unique commandment: the whole Law finds its significance and foundation in the one of love. Jesus carries out a process of simplification of all the precepts of the law: anyone who puts into practice the only commandment of love does not only observe the law, but also the prophets (v. 40). Just the same, the novelty of the response is not so much the material content as in its realization: in Jesus, the love of God and love of neighbor have their own context, their last solidity. That is to say, that God’s love and love of neighbor, shown and realized in some way in his person, guides man to place himself before God and before others through love. The only commandment in two, God’s love and love for neighbor, become the supporting column, not only of the scriptures, but also of the life of the Christian.
• The greatest commandment. On the trail of the Sadducees who have preceded, the Pharisees ask Jesus a burning question: which is the greatest commandment? The Rabbis first make evident the multiplicity of the prescriptions (248 commandments), then the question is asked of Jesus regarding which is the most important. Just the same, the Rabbis themselves had created a true survey to reduce them as far as possible: David lists eleven (Ps 15:2-5), Isaiah six (Isa 33:15), Micah three (Mic 6:8), Amos two (Am 5:4) and Habakkuk only one (Hab 2:4). But the intention of the Pharisees regarding their question goes beyond every type of survey; it is a question of the essence itself of the prescriptions. Jesus, in answering, binds together love of God and love of neighbor, so much so as to unite them in only one, but without refusing to give priority to the first one, which subordinates, in a close way, the second one. Thus, all the prescriptions of the Law, all 613, are placed in relationship with this unique commandment: the whole Law finds its significance and foundation in the one of love. Jesus carries out a process of simplification of all the precepts of the law: anyone who puts into practice the only commandment of love does not only observe the law, but also the prophets (v. 40). Just the same, the novelty of the response is not so much the material content as in its realization: in Jesus, the love of God and love of neighbor have their own context, their last solidity. That is to say, that God’s love and love of neighbor, shown and realized in some way in his person, guides man to place himself before God and before others through love. The only commandment in two, God’s love and love for neighbor, become the supporting column, not only of the scriptures, but also of the life of the Christian.
4) Personal questions
• Is love for God and for neighbor only a vague sentiment, an
emotion, a passing motion or a reality that affirms your whole person: heart,
will, intelligence and human relationships?
• You were created out of love. Are you aware that your fulfillment takes place in God’s love, to love Him with the whole heart, with the whole soul, with the whole mind? Such a love demands a confirmation of charity toward the brothers and sisters and their situation of life. Do you practice this in daily life?
• You were created out of love. Are you aware that your fulfillment takes place in God’s love, to love Him with the whole heart, with the whole soul, with the whole mind? Such a love demands a confirmation of charity toward the brothers and sisters and their situation of life. Do you practice this in daily life?
5) Concluding Prayer
Let them thank Yahweh for His faithful love,
for His wonders for the children of Adam!
He has fed the hungry to their hearts' content,
filled the starving with good things. (Ps 107:8-9)
for His wonders for the children of Adam!
He has fed the hungry to their hearts' content,
filled the starving with good things. (Ps 107:8-9)
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