Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 451
Lectionary: 451
At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness,
and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees,
stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God.
I said: "My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you,
O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads
and our guilt reaches up to heaven.
From the time of our fathers even to this day
great has been our guilt,
and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up,
we and our kings and our priests,
to the will of the kings of foreign lands,
to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace,
as is the case today.
"And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God,
who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place;
thus our God has brightened our eyes
and given us relief in our servitude.
For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us;
rather, he has turned the good will
of the kings of Persia toward us.
Thus he has given us new life
to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins,
and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem."
and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees,
stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God.
I said: "My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you,
O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads
and our guilt reaches up to heaven.
From the time of our fathers even to this day
great has been our guilt,
and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up,
we and our kings and our priests,
to the will of the kings of foreign lands,
to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace,
as is the case today.
"And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God,
who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place;
thus our God has brightened our eyes
and given us relief in our servitude.
For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us;
rather, he has turned the good will
of the kings of Persia toward us.
Thus he has given us new life
to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins,
and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem."
Responsorial
PsalmTOBIT 13:2, 3-4A,
4BEFGHN, 7-8
R.(1b) Blessed
be God, who lives for ever.
He scourges and then has mercy;
he casts down to the depths of the nether world,
and he brings up from the great abyss.
No one can escape his hand.
R.Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Praise him, you children of Israel, before the Gentiles,
for though he has scattered you among them,
he has shown you his greatness even there.
R.Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
So now consider what he has done for you,
and praise him with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
and exalt the King of ages.
R.Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
In the land of my exile I praise him
and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation.
R.Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones,
and may all of you praise his majesty.
Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise.
R.Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
He scourges and then has mercy;
he casts down to the depths of the nether world,
and he brings up from the great abyss.
No one can escape his hand.
R.Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Praise him, you children of Israel, before the Gentiles,
for though he has scattered you among them,
he has shown you his greatness even there.
R.Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
So now consider what he has done for you,
and praise him with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
and exalt the King of ages.
R.Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
In the land of my exile I praise him
and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation.
R.Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones,
and may all of you praise his majesty.
Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise.
R.Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
AlleluiaMK 1:15
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 9:1-6
Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them."
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them."
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
Meditation: "Jesus
gave them authority over all demons and diseases"
What
kind of power and authority does God want you to exercise in your personal life
and service? God's word has power to change and transform our lives. Jesus gave
his apostles both power and authority to speak and to act in his name - to cast
out evil spirits, to heal, and to speak the word of God. When Jesus spoke of
power and authority he did something unheard of. He wedded power and authority
with love and humility. The world and the flesh seek
power for selfish gain. Jesus teaches us to use it for the good of our
neighbor.
God
gives power and strength to those who rely on him alone
Why does Jesus tell the apostles to travel light with little or no provision? Poverty of spirit frees us from greed and preoccupation with possessions and makes ample room for God's provision. The Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves. He wills to work in and through each of us for his glory. Are you ready to handle the power and authority which God wishes you to exercise on his behalf? The Lord entrusts us with his gifts and talents. Are you eager to place yourself at his service, to do whatever he bids you, and to witness his truth and saving power to whomever he sends you?
Why does Jesus tell the apostles to travel light with little or no provision? Poverty of spirit frees us from greed and preoccupation with possessions and makes ample room for God's provision. The Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves. He wills to work in and through each of us for his glory. Are you ready to handle the power and authority which God wishes you to exercise on his behalf? The Lord entrusts us with his gifts and talents. Are you eager to place yourself at his service, to do whatever he bids you, and to witness his truth and saving power to whomever he sends you?
"Lord
Jesus, make me a channel of your grace and healing love that others may find
life and freedom in you. Free me from all other attachments that I may joyfully
pursue the things of your heavenly kingdom. May I witness to others the joy of
the Gospel both in word and deed."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus gave power and authority to his
apostles, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"The
grace bestowed upon the holy apostles is worthy of all admiration. But the
bountifulness of the Giver surpasses all praise and admiration. He gives them,
as I said, his own glory. They receive authority over the evil spirits. They
reduce to nothing the pride of the devil that was so highly exalted and
arrogant. They render ineffectual the demon's wickedness. By the might and
efficacy of the Holy Spirit, burning them as if they were on fire, they make
the devil come forth with groans and weeping from those whom he had
possessed... He glorified his disciples, therefore, by giving them authority
and power over the evil spirits and over sicknesses. Did he honor them without
reason and make them famous without any logical cause? How can this be true? It
was necessary, most necessary, that they should be able to work miracles,
having been publicly appointed ministers of sacred proclamations. By means of
their works, they then could convince men that they were the ministers of God
and mediators of all beneath the heaven. The apostles then could invite them
all to reconciliation and justification by faith and point out the way of
salvation and of life that is this justification." (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 47)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, LUKE 9:1-6
Weekday
(Ezra 9:5-9; Psalm: Tobit 13)
Weekday
(Ezra 9:5-9; Psalm: Tobit 13)
KEY VERSE: "Take nothing for the journey" (v. 3).
TO KNOW: Jesus summoned the twelve men he had chosen to be his disciples and empowered them with his authority, sending them forth to overcome the forces of evil by proclaiming the reign of God. Jesus advised his disciples to imitate him in his total dedication to God. On their journey, they were to trust in divine providence and depend on the hospitality and good will of the people they met. If the disciples were welcomed, they were to remain in that place to preach and heal. If Jesus' disciples were not received they were to shake the dust from their feet when they left the town. (A custom of Jews before entering the Holy Land after a journey to a Gentile land). Whoever did not receive Jesus' disciples were to be treated as a heathen. They condemned themselves for refusing to hear God's Word. They were warned that there might not be another opportunity for them to hear the good news of salvation in Jesus.
TO LOVE: Do I help support missionaries in foreign lands?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to rely on your power to proclaim the Gospel by my words and deeds.
Wednesday 25 September 2019
Ezra 9:5-9. Tobit 13:2, 4, 6-8. Luke 9:1-6.
Blessed be God who lives forever – Tobit 13:2, 4, 6-8
‘He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal’
Blessed be God who lives forever – Tobit 13:2, 4, 6-8
‘He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal’
We are co-workers with Jesus. Though not all are called to
preach, all are called to witness by our lives. The Twelve were to take nothing
for the journey and we, ourselves, are encouraged to trust that God will
provide. He can astonish us when we really trust in him.
Jesus does not ask if I am qualified, he asks if I am available.
Am I ready to respond to Jesus’ call to live in the freedom of God’s kingdom,
to experience his healing love?
Doing the work of Christ is simpler than it seems, for it is to
be faithful in the small things. It is to be hands to raise the fallen, feet to
seek the lost, ears to listen to the lonely, mouth to comfort the distressed
and presence to sit in silence. Lord, make me a channel of your peace.
Saints Louis Martin and Zélie Guerin
Saint of the Day for September 25
(August 22, 1823 – July 29, 1894; December 23, 1831 – August 28,
1877)
 |
| Blessed Louis and Marie Zelie Guerin Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. (CNS photo/Sanctuary of Lisieux) |
Saints Louis Martin and Zélie Guerin’s Story
Born into a military family in Bordeaux, Louis trained to become
a watchmaker. His desire to join a religious community went unfulfilled because
he didn’t know Latin. Moving to Normandy, he met the highly-skilled lace maker,
Zélie Guerin, who also had been disappointed in her attempts to enter religious
life. They married in 1858, and over the years were blessed with nine children,
though two sons and two daughters died in infancy.
Louis managed the lace-making business that Zélie continued at
home while raising their children. She died from breast cancer in 1877.
Louis then moved the family to Lisieux to be near his brother
and sister-in-law, who helped with the education of his five surviving girls.
His health began to fail after his 15-year-old daughter entered the Monastery
of Mount Carmel at Lisieux in 1888. Louis died in 1894, a few months after
being committed to a sanitarium.
The home that Louis and Zélie created nurtured the sanctity of
all their children, but especially their youngest, who is known to us as
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Louis and Zélie were beatified in 2008,
and canonized by Pope Francis on October 18, 2015. The Liturgical Feast of
Saints Louis Martin and Zélie Guerin is July 12.
Reflection
In life, Louis and Zélie knew great joy and excruciating sorrow.
They firmly believed that God was with them throughout every challenge that
married life, parenting, and their occupations presented.
Lectio Divina: Luke 9:1-6
Lectio Divina
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
guide us, as You guide creation
according to Your law of love.
May we love one another
and come to perfection
in the eternal life prepared for us.
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.
guide us, as You guide creation
according to Your law of love.
May we love one another
and come to perfection
in the eternal life prepared for us.
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 9:1-6
Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over
all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of
God and to heal the sick. He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a
second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as
for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from
your feet in testimony against them." Then they set out and went from
village to village proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere.
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel describes the mission which the twelve received
from Jesus. Later, Luke speaks about the mission of the seventy-two disciples
(Lk 10:1-12). The two Gospels complete one another and reveal the mission of
the Church.
• Luke 9:1-2: The sending out of the twelve on mission. “Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal”. In calling the Twelve, Jesus intensifies the announcement of the Good News. The objective of the mission is simple and clear: they received the power and authority to cast out devils, to cure the sick and to announce the Kingdom of God. Just as people were admired, astonished seeing Jesus’ authority over the unclean spirits, and seeing His way of announcing the Good News (Lk 4:32.36), the same thing should happen with the preaching of the twelve apostles.
• Luke 9:3-5. The instructions for the mission. Jesus sends them out with the following recommendations: “Take nothing for the journey, neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money and do not have a spare tunic”. Do not go from one house to another, but “Whatever house you enter stay there; and when you leave let your departure be from there”. “As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave their town shake the dust from your feet as evidence against them”. As you will see these recommendations, which seem strange to us, have a very important significance.
• Luke 9:6. The execution of the mission. They go. It is the beginning of a new stage. Now, not only Jesus, but the whole group goes to announce the Good News to the people. If the preaching of Jesus caused conflict, now, with the preaching of the whole group, there will be a greater conflict.
• The four fundamental points of the mission. At the time of Jesus, there were diverse movements of renewal: the Essenes, the Pharisees, and the Zealots. They also were seeking a new way to live in community and they had their own missionaries (cf. Mt 23:15). But when they went on mission, they were advised: to carry a staff, and a haversack to put in it their food. They did not trust the food which was literally not “pure”. Contrary to the other missionaries, the disciples of Jesus received diverse recommendations which help us to understand the fundamental points of the mission, to announce the Good News:
a) They should take nothing (Lk 9:3; 10:4). That means that Jesus obliges them to trust in the hospitality; because one who goes with nothing, goes because He trusts in the people and thinks that He will be welcomed, received. With this attitude they criticize the laws of exclusion taught by the official religion and they show, by means of a new practice, that they had other criteria in the community.
b) They should remain in the first house where they enter, until they leave the place (Lk 9:4; 10:7). That is, they should live together in a stable way and not go from one house to another. They should work with all and live from what they receive in exchange “because the laborer deserves his wages” (Lk 10:7). In other words, they should participate in the life and work of the people, and the people will receive them in their community and will share with them house and food. That means that they have to trust in sharing. This explains the severity of the criticism against those who reject the message: shake off the dust from the feet, as a protest against them (Lk 10:10-12), because they are not rejecting anything new but rather their past.
c) They should cure the sick and drive out the devils (Lk 9:1; 10:9; Mt 10:8). That is, they should carry out the function of “defenders” (goêl) and accept in the clan, in the community, the excluded. With this attitude they criticize the situation of disintegration of community life of the clan and they indicate concrete openings. The expulsion of the devils is a sign of the coming of the Kingdom of God (Lk 11:20).
d) They should eat what the people give them (Lk 10:8). They could not live separated having their own food, but they should accept the communion with others, eat with others. That means that in the contact with the people, they should not be afraid of losing the purity as it had been taught to them. With this attitude they criticize the laws of purity which were in force and indicate, by means of the new practice, that they possess another access to purity, that is, intimacy with God.
These were the four fundamental points of community living which should characterize the attitude of the missionaries who announce the Good News in the name of Jesus: hospitality, sharing, communion and acceptance of the excluded (defender, goêl). If there is a response to these four requirements, then it is possible to cry out all over to the four corners of the world: “The Kingdom has arrived!” (cf. Lk 10:1-12; 9:1-6; Mk 6:7-13; Mt 10:6-16). And the Kingdom of God which Jesus has revealed to us is not a doctrine, nor a catechism, nor a law. The Kingdom of God comes and becomes present when persons, motivated by their faith in Jesus, decide to live together in community to give witness and to reveal, in this way, to all, that God is Father and Mother and that we, the human beings, are brothers and sisters. Jesus wanted the local community to be a new expression of the Covenant of the Kingdom, of the love of God the Father, who makes us all brothers and sisters.
• Luke 9:1-2: The sending out of the twelve on mission. “Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal”. In calling the Twelve, Jesus intensifies the announcement of the Good News. The objective of the mission is simple and clear: they received the power and authority to cast out devils, to cure the sick and to announce the Kingdom of God. Just as people were admired, astonished seeing Jesus’ authority over the unclean spirits, and seeing His way of announcing the Good News (Lk 4:32.36), the same thing should happen with the preaching of the twelve apostles.
• Luke 9:3-5. The instructions for the mission. Jesus sends them out with the following recommendations: “Take nothing for the journey, neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money and do not have a spare tunic”. Do not go from one house to another, but “Whatever house you enter stay there; and when you leave let your departure be from there”. “As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave their town shake the dust from your feet as evidence against them”. As you will see these recommendations, which seem strange to us, have a very important significance.
• Luke 9:6. The execution of the mission. They go. It is the beginning of a new stage. Now, not only Jesus, but the whole group goes to announce the Good News to the people. If the preaching of Jesus caused conflict, now, with the preaching of the whole group, there will be a greater conflict.
• The four fundamental points of the mission. At the time of Jesus, there were diverse movements of renewal: the Essenes, the Pharisees, and the Zealots. They also were seeking a new way to live in community and they had their own missionaries (cf. Mt 23:15). But when they went on mission, they were advised: to carry a staff, and a haversack to put in it their food. They did not trust the food which was literally not “pure”. Contrary to the other missionaries, the disciples of Jesus received diverse recommendations which help us to understand the fundamental points of the mission, to announce the Good News:
a) They should take nothing (Lk 9:3; 10:4). That means that Jesus obliges them to trust in the hospitality; because one who goes with nothing, goes because He trusts in the people and thinks that He will be welcomed, received. With this attitude they criticize the laws of exclusion taught by the official religion and they show, by means of a new practice, that they had other criteria in the community.
b) They should remain in the first house where they enter, until they leave the place (Lk 9:4; 10:7). That is, they should live together in a stable way and not go from one house to another. They should work with all and live from what they receive in exchange “because the laborer deserves his wages” (Lk 10:7). In other words, they should participate in the life and work of the people, and the people will receive them in their community and will share with them house and food. That means that they have to trust in sharing. This explains the severity of the criticism against those who reject the message: shake off the dust from the feet, as a protest against them (Lk 10:10-12), because they are not rejecting anything new but rather their past.
c) They should cure the sick and drive out the devils (Lk 9:1; 10:9; Mt 10:8). That is, they should carry out the function of “defenders” (goêl) and accept in the clan, in the community, the excluded. With this attitude they criticize the situation of disintegration of community life of the clan and they indicate concrete openings. The expulsion of the devils is a sign of the coming of the Kingdom of God (Lk 11:20).
d) They should eat what the people give them (Lk 10:8). They could not live separated having their own food, but they should accept the communion with others, eat with others. That means that in the contact with the people, they should not be afraid of losing the purity as it had been taught to them. With this attitude they criticize the laws of purity which were in force and indicate, by means of the new practice, that they possess another access to purity, that is, intimacy with God.
These were the four fundamental points of community living which should characterize the attitude of the missionaries who announce the Good News in the name of Jesus: hospitality, sharing, communion and acceptance of the excluded (defender, goêl). If there is a response to these four requirements, then it is possible to cry out all over to the four corners of the world: “The Kingdom has arrived!” (cf. Lk 10:1-12; 9:1-6; Mk 6:7-13; Mt 10:6-16). And the Kingdom of God which Jesus has revealed to us is not a doctrine, nor a catechism, nor a law. The Kingdom of God comes and becomes present when persons, motivated by their faith in Jesus, decide to live together in community to give witness and to reveal, in this way, to all, that God is Father and Mother and that we, the human beings, are brothers and sisters. Jesus wanted the local community to be a new expression of the Covenant of the Kingdom, of the love of God the Father, who makes us all brothers and sisters.
4) Personal questions
• Has participation in the community helped you to accept and to
trust persons, especially the simpler and poorer?
• Which is the point of the mission of the Apostles which for us today has greater importance? Why?
• Which is the point of the mission of the Apostles which for us today has greater importance? Why?
5) Concluding Prayer
Lord, set me free from taunts and contempt
since I observe Your instructions.
Though princes sit plotting against me,
Your servant keeps pondering Your will. (Ps 119:22-23)
since I observe Your instructions.
Though princes sit plotting against me,
Your servant keeps pondering Your will. (Ps 119:22-23)
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