Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus,
Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 468
Lectionary: 468
Brothers and sisters:
I am not ashamed of the Gospel.
It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:
for Jew first, and then Greek.
For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;
as it is written, "The one who is righteous by faith will live."
The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven
against every impiety and wickedness
of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
For what can be known about God is evident to them,
because God made it evident to them.
Ever since the creation of the world,
his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity
have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.
As a result, they have no excuse;
for although they knew God
they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks.
Instead, they became vain in their reasoning,
and their senseless minds were darkened.
While claiming to be wise, they became fools
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God
for the likeness of an image of mortal man
or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.
Therefore, God handed them over to impurity
through the lusts of their hearts
for the mutual degradation of their bodies.
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie
and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen.
I am not ashamed of the Gospel.
It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:
for Jew first, and then Greek.
For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;
as it is written, "The one who is righteous by faith will live."
The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven
against every impiety and wickedness
of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
For what can be known about God is evident to them,
because God made it evident to them.
Ever since the creation of the world,
his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity
have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.
As a result, they have no excuse;
for although they knew God
they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks.
Instead, they became vain in their reasoning,
and their senseless minds were darkened.
While claiming to be wise, they became fools
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God
for the likeness of an image of mortal man
or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.
Therefore, God handed them over to impurity
through the lusts of their hearts
for the mutual degradation of their bodies.
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie
and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 19:2-3, 4-5
R.(2a) The
heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
AlleluiaHEB 4:12
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 11:37-41
After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
For the readings of the Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, please go here.
Meditation:
What makes the heart clean and holy?
Is
the Lord Jesus welcomed at your table and are you ready to feast at his table?
A Pharisee, after hearing Jesus preach, invited him to dinner, no doubt,
because he wanted to hear more from this extraordinary man who spoke the word
of God as no one else had done before. It was not unusual for a rabbi to give a
teaching over dinner. Jesus, however, did something which offended his host. He
did not perform the ceremonial washing of hands before beginning the meal. Did
Jesus forget or was he deliberately performing a sign to reveal something to
his host? Jesus turned the table on his host by chiding him for uncleanness of
heart.
What
makes the heart clean and holy?
Which is more important to God - clean hands or a clean mind and heart? Jesus chided the Pharisees for harboring evil thoughts that make us unclean spiritually - such as greed, pride, bitterness, envy, arrogance, and the like. Why does he urge them, and us, to give alms? When we give freely and generously to those in need we express love, compassion, kindness, and mercy. And if the heart is full of love and compassion, then there is no room for envy, greed, bitterness, and the like. Do you allow God's love to transform your heart, mind, and actions toward your neighbor?
Which is more important to God - clean hands or a clean mind and heart? Jesus chided the Pharisees for harboring evil thoughts that make us unclean spiritually - such as greed, pride, bitterness, envy, arrogance, and the like. Why does he urge them, and us, to give alms? When we give freely and generously to those in need we express love, compassion, kindness, and mercy. And if the heart is full of love and compassion, then there is no room for envy, greed, bitterness, and the like. Do you allow God's love to transform your heart, mind, and actions toward your neighbor?
"Lord
Jesus, fill me with your love and increase my thirst for holiness. Cleanse my
heart of every evil thought and desire and help me to act kindly and justly and
to speak charitably with my neighbor."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Acts of mercy are examples of
almsgiving, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"What
our Lord says, 'Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you,' applies to
all useful acts of mercy. It does not apply just to the one who gives food to
the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, hospitality to the
wayfarer or refuge to the fugitive. It also applies to one who visits the sick
and the prisoner, redeems the captive, bears the burdens of the weak, leads the
blind, comforts the sorrowful, heals the sick, shows the erring the right way,
gives advice to the perplexed, and does whatever is needful for the needy. Not
only does this person give alms, but the person who forgives the trespasser
also gives alms as well. He is also a giver of alms who, by blows or other
discipline, corrects and restrains those under his command. At the same time he
forgives from the heart the sin by which he has been wronged or offended or
prays that it be forgiven the offender. Such a person gives alms not only
because he forgives and prays but also because he rebukes and administers
corrective punishment, since in this he shows mercy... There are many kinds of
alms. When we do them, we are helped in receiving forgiveness of our own
sins." (excerpt from ENCHIRIDION 19.72)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, LUKE 11:37-41
(Romans 1:16-25; Psalm 19)
(Romans 1:16-25; Psalm 19)
KEY VERSE: "Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil" (v. 39).
TO KNOW: When Jesus was invited to dine at the home of a Pharisee, he was criticized by his host for failing to wash his hands before eating. This was not a matter of cleanliness but of the Pharisaic practice which prescribed that hands must be washed before a meal in a certain way to avoid ritual impurity. Jesus' reply was a full-scale condemnation of their legalistic religious attitude. The Pharisees were scrupulous about the smallest details of ritual cleanliness, whereas Jesus was more concerned with moral purity than with outward observance of rituals. He made the comparison of tableware that had been washed clean on the outside but remained filthy inside. These religious leaders were contaminating the people with their emphasis on externals while ignoring the essence of the Law of Moses, which was charity and justice.
TO LOVE: Do I serve the Lord out of devotion or obligation?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, cleanse me from all my unknown offenses.
Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, virgin and doctor of the
Church
Teresa of Avila was the daughter of a Spanish noble. Crippled by disease in her youth, she was cured after prayer to Saint Joseph. Her mother died when Teresa was 12, and she prayed to Our Lady to mother her. Teresa's father opposed her entry into religious life, so she left home without telling anyone, and entered a Carmelite house at age 17. Seeing her conviction to her call, her father and family consented. Soon after taking her vows as a Carmelite, Teresa became gravely ill, and never fully recovered her health. She began receiving visions, and was examined by Dominicans and Jesuits, including Saint Francis Borgia, who pronounced the visions to be holy and true. She considered her original house too lax in its rule, so she founded a reformed convent of Saint John of Avila. Teresa is a mystical writer and was proclaimed Doctor of the Church on 27 September, 1970 by Pope Paul VI.
Tuesday 15 October 2019
St Teresa of Avila
Romans 1:16-25. Psalm 18(19):2-5. Luke 11:37-41.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God – Psalm 18(19):2-5
‘Give for alms those things that are within’
We all wear masks at different times in order to be accepted, to
cover up hurt, to hide our problems – to appear different from who we are. The
Pharisees were particularly good at doing this. Jesus denounced them
continually for attempting to make the outside look good while the inside was
sullied.
Today is a good time to examine our own motives for doing
things. What are the reasons behind our serving others? Do we believe we are
chalking up points with God by our ‘doing’? Let us pray the verses from Psalm
139: ‘Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my concerns. See if my way is
crooked, then lead me in the ancient paths.’ God does listen to what is in the
depths of our hearts.
Lord of my heart, nourish me today. Give me a new spirit of
understanding and joy in your presence.
Saint Teresa of Avila
Saint of the Day for October 15
(March 28, 1515 – October 4, 1582)
 |
| The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa of Avila | Gian Lorenzo Bernini | photo by Tybo | flickr |
Saint Teresa of Avila’s Story
Teresa lived in an age of exploration as well as political, social,
and religious upheaval. It was the 16th century, a time of turmoil and reform.
She was born before the Protestant Reformation and died almost 20 years after
the closing of the Council of Trent.
The gift of God to Teresa in and through which she became holy
and left her mark on the Church and the world is threefold: She was a woman;
she was a contemplative; she was an active reformer.
As a woman, Teresa stood on her own two feet, even in the man’s
world of her time. She was “her own woman,” entering the Carmelites despite
strong opposition from her father. She is a person wrapped not so much in
silence as in mystery. Beautiful, talented, outgoing, adaptable, affectionate,
courageous, enthusiastic, she was totally human. Like Jesus, she was a mystery
of paradoxes: wise, yet practical; intelligent, yet much in tune with her
experience; a mystic, yet an energetic reformer; a holy woman, a womanly woman.
Teresa was a woman “for God,” a woman of prayer, discipline, and
compassion. Her heart belonged to God. Her ongoing conversion was an arduous
lifelong struggle, involving ongoing purification and suffering. She was
misunderstood, misjudged, and opposed in her efforts at reform. Yet she
struggled on, courageous and faithful; she struggled with her own mediocrity,
her illness, her opposition. And in the midst of all this she clung to God in
life and in prayer. Her writings on prayer and contemplation are drawn from her
experience: powerful, practical, and graceful. She was a woman of prayer; a
woman for God.
Teresa was a woman “for others.” Though a contemplative, she
spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites,
to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule. She founded
over a half-dozen new monasteries. She traveled, wrote, fought—always to renew,
to reform. In her self, in her prayer, in her life, in her efforts to reform,
in all the people she touched, she was a woman for others, a woman who inspired
and gave life.
Her writings, especially the Way of Perfection and The
Interior Castle, have helped generations of believers.
In 1970, the Church gave her the title she had long held in the
popular mind: Doctor of the Church. She and St. Catherine of Siena were the
first women so honored.
Reflection
Ours is a time of turmoil, a time of reform, and a time of
liberation. Modern women have in Teresa a challenging example. Promoters of
renewal, promoters of prayer, all have in Teresa a woman to reckon with, one
whom they can admire and imitate.
Saint Teresa of Avila is the Patron Saint of:
headaches
Lectio Divina: Luke 11:37-41
Lectio Divina
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
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.
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 11: 37-41
Jesus had just finished speaking when a Pharisee invited Him to
dine at his house. He went in and sat down at table. The Pharisee saw this and
was surprised that He had not first washed before the meal. But the Lord said
to him, 'You Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside
yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not He who
made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have
and, look, everything will be clean for you.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel there is the continuation of the tense
relationship between Jesus and the religious authority of his time. But in
spite of the tension there was a certain familiarity between Jesus and the
Pharisees. Invited to eat at their house, Jesus accepts the invitation. He does
not lose his freedom before them, and neither do the Pharisees before him.
• Luke 11: 37-38: The admiration of the Pharisees before
the liberty of Jesus. “At that time after Jesus had finished speaking, a
Pharisee invited Him to dine at his house. He went in and sat down at table.
The Pharisee saw this and was surprised that He had not first washed before the
meal”. Jesus accepts the invitation to eat at the house of the Pharisee, but He
does not change his way of acting, sitting at table without washing his hands.
Neither does the Pharisee change his attitude before Jesus, because he
expresses his surprise at the fact that Jesus did not wash his hands. At that
time, to wash the hands before eating was a religious obligation, imposed upon
people in the name of purity, ordered by the law of God. The Pharisee was
surprised by the fact that Jesus does not observe this religious norm. But in
spite of their total difference, the Pharisee and Jesus have something in
common: for them life is serious. The way of doing of the Pharisee was in the
following: every day, they dedicated eight hours to study and to the meditation
of the law of God, another eight hours to work in order to be able to survive
with the family and the other eight hours to rest. This serious witness of
their life gives them a great popular leadership. Perhaps because of this, in
spite of the fact of being very diverse, both Jesus and the Pharisees
understood and criticized one another without losing the possibility to
dialogue.
• Luke 11: 39-41: The response of Jesus. “You Pharisees you
clean the outside of the cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled
with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not He who made the outside make the
inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and, look, everything will be
clean for you”. The Pharisees observed the law literally. They only looked at
the letter of the law and because of this they were incapable to perceive the
spirit of the law, the objective that the observance of the law wanted to
attain in the life of the persons. For example, in the law it was written:
“Love the neighbor as yourself” (Lv 19:18). And they commented: “We should love
the neighbor, yes, but only the neighbor, not the others!” And from there arose
the discussion around the question: “Who is my neighbor?” (Lk 10: 29) The
Apostle Paul writes in his second Letter to the Corinthians: “The letter kills,
the spirit gives life” (2 Co 3: 6). In the Sermon on the Mountain, Jesus
criticizes those who observe the letter of the law put transgress the spirit
(Mt 5: 20). In order to be faithful to what God asks us it is not
sufficient to observe the letter of the law. It would be the same thing as to
clean the cup on the outside and to leave the inside all dirty: robbery and
injustice so on. It is not sufficient not to kill, not to rob, not to commit
adultery, not to swear. Only to observe the law of God fully, beyond the
letter, goes to the roots and pulls out from within the person the desires of
“robbery and injustice” which can lead to murder, robbery, adultery. It is in
the practice of love that the fullness of the law is attained (cf. Mt
5: 21-48).
4) Personal questions
• Does our Church today merit the accusation which Jesus
addressed against the Scribes and the Pharisees? Do I deserve it?
• To respect the seriousness of life of others who think in a different way from us, can facilitate today dialogue which is so necessary and difficult. How do I practice dialogue in the family, in work and in the community?
• To respect the seriousness of life of others who think in a different way from us, can facilitate today dialogue which is so necessary and difficult. How do I practice dialogue in the family, in work and in the community?
5) Concluding prayer
Let your faithful love come to me, Yahweh,
true to your promise, save me!
Give me an answer to the taunts against me,
since I rely on your word. (Ps 119: 41-42)
true to your promise, save me!
Give me an answer to the taunts against me,
since I rely on your word. (Ps 119: 41-42)
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