Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 374
Lectionary: 374
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old
when he began to reign,
and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
His mother’s name was Nehushta,
daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
He did evil in the sight of the LORD,
just as his forebears had done.
and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
His mother’s name was Nehushta,
daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
He did evil in the sight of the LORD,
just as his forebears had done.
At that time the officials of
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
himself arrived at the city
while his servants were besieging it.
Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,
his ministers, officers, and functionaries,
surrendered to the king of Babylon, who,
in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.
And he carried off all the treasures
of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace,
and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel,
had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold.
He deported all Jerusalem:
all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number,
and all the craftsmen and smiths.
None were left among the people of the land except the poor.
He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon,
and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon
the king’s mother and wives,
his functionaries, and the chief men of the land.
The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylon
all seven thousand men of the army,
and a thousand craftsmen and smiths,
all of them trained soldiers.
In place of Jehoiachin,
the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king,
and changed his name to Zedekiah.
attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
himself arrived at the city
while his servants were besieging it.
Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,
his ministers, officers, and functionaries,
surrendered to the king of Babylon, who,
in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.
And he carried off all the treasures
of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace,
and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel,
had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold.
He deported all Jerusalem:
all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number,
and all the craftsmen and smiths.
None were left among the people of the land except the poor.
He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon,
and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon
the king’s mother and wives,
his functionaries, and the chief men of the land.
The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylon
all seven thousand men of the army,
and a thousand craftsmen and smiths,
all of them trained soldiers.
In place of Jehoiachin,
the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king,
and changed his name to Zedekiah.
Responsorial
Psalm79:1B-2, 3-5, 8, 9
R. (9) For the glory of your
name, O Lord, deliver us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
AlleluiaJN 14:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 7:21-29
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to these
words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
Meditation: "The
wise who built their house upon the rock"
If
you could foresee a threat to your life and the lose of your home and goods,
wouldn't you take the necessary precautions to avoid such a disaster? Jesus'
story of being swept away by flood waters and wind storms must have caught the
attention of his audience who knew that terrific storms did occasionally sweep
through their dry arid land without any warning signs. When Jesus described the
builders who were unprepared for such a life-threatening storm, he likely had
the following proverb in mind: When the storm has swept by, the wicked
are gone, but the righteous stand firm for ever (Proverbs 10:25).
The
only foundation that can keep us safe
What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms and trials of life that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool one another with our words, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2).
What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms and trials of life that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool one another with our words, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2).
There
is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be proved, and that is by
one's practice. Fine words can never replace good deeds. Our character is
revealed in the choices we make, especially when we must choose between what is
true and false, good and evil. Do you cheat on an exam or on your income taxes,
especially when it will cost you? Do you lie, or cover-up, when disclosing the
truth will cause you pain or embarrassment? A true person is honest and
reliable before God, neighbor, and oneself. Such a person's word can be taken
as trustworthy.
Christ
is the only rock that can save us
What can keep us from falsehood and spiritual disaster? If we make the Lord Jesus and his word the rock and foundation of our lives, then nothing can shake us nor keep us from God's presence and protection. Is the Lord Jesus and his word the one sure foundation of your life?
What can keep us from falsehood and spiritual disaster? If we make the Lord Jesus and his word the rock and foundation of our lives, then nothing can shake us nor keep us from God's presence and protection. Is the Lord Jesus and his word the one sure foundation of your life?
"Lord
Jesus, you are the only foundation that can hold us up when trials and disaster
threaten us. Give me the wisdom, foresight, and strength of character I need to
do what is right and good and to reject whatever is false and contrary to your
will. May I be a doer of your word and not a hearer only."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The house falls if Christ is not the
rock and foundation, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"'For
neither death nor life nor angels nor other things can separate us from the
love of Christ' (Romans 8:38-39). Neither can the flooding of rivers, as in the
lands of Egypt and Assyria [symbolize worldly wisdom opposed to God], do harm.
Only those are harmed who build on sand, who practice the wisdom of the world.
The winds that blow are like the false prophets. All these, coming together in
one place, 'beat upon' the house. If it is founded on rock, they do no harm.
'The way of a snake upon a rock' is not to be found (Proverbs 30:19). But in
the form of temptations and persecutions, which may mount into a flood, they
beat upon even the one who seems to be well-founded. The house falls if it does
not have Christ as its basis and foundation. But the truly wise person builds
one's house 'upon a rock.' This is the way the Lord builds his church - upon
the rock, with steadfastness and strength. This is why 'the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it' (Matthew 16:18). All the persecutions that fall upon
that house accomplish nothing. The house is founded upon the rock. (excerpt
from FRAGMENT 153)
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, MATTHEW 7:21-29
Weekday
(2 Kings 24:8-17; Psalm 79)
Weekday
(2 Kings 24:8-17; Psalm 79)
KEY VERSE: "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who builds his house on rock" (v. 24).
TO KNOW: Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by telling his disciples that it was not enough to perform works of healing and miracles if they lived contrary to his teachings. The true disciple was one who followed his example of devotion to God's will. Jesus used the illustration of the construction practice of his time in which houses were built on a solid rock foundation. Houses built on the sand in a dry gully were in danger of being destroyed by the floods that followed the winter rains. Christians who obeyed Christ's teachings were building on a stable foundation. Those who ignored his words were building upon superficial footing. They were at risk of being swept away by the difficulties that beset them in their daily lives.
TO LOVE: Do I obey Jesus in his Word and in his Church?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to strengthen the weak places in my spiritual house.
Thursday 25 June 2020
2 Kings 24:8-17. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us
– Psalm 78(79):1-5, 8-9. Matthew 7:21-29.
‘Only those who do what the Father wants them to do will enter
the kingdom of God’
Let us look at the word covenant – a binding commitment to an
agreement by both parties. God has made his commitment clear in these readings
and calls on us for a response.
Because of kings who ‘did evil in the sight of God’, Jerusalem
was destroyed and people were exiled to Babylon. The psalmist calls on God’s
compassion to renew the covenant and restore the relationship so broken.
Let us put ourselves into the space that God’s love creates for
us, without fear or doubt. In this silent space we will discover what God wants
from us. Not hypocrisy – just saying ‘Lord, Lord’ – but faith which is as solid
as a house built on a rock, resisting all attacks. Lord, please grant us the
grace of perseverance throughout our lives to remain faithful to our
covenant with you.
Blessed Jutta of Thuringia
Saint of the Day for June 25
(d. c. 1260)
 |
| Grave Monument for Jutta, wife of count Louis II of Thuringia | Saint George parish Church, Thuringia | photographed by Wolfgang Sauber |
Blessed Jutta of Thuringia’s Story
Today’s patroness of Prussia began her life amidst luxury and
power but died the death of a simple servant of the poor.
In truth, virtue and piety were always of prime importance to
Jutta and her husband, both of noble rank. The two were set to make a
pilgrimage together to the holy places in Jerusalem, but her husband died on
the way. The newly widowed Jutta, after taking care to provide for her
children, resolved to live in a manner she felt was utterly pleasing to God.
She disposed of the costly clothes, jewels, and furniture befitting one of her
rank, and became a Secular Franciscan, taking on the simple garment of a
religious.
From that point her life was utterly devoted to others: caring
for the sick, particularly lepers; tending to the poor, whom she visited in
their hovels; helping the crippled and blind with whom she shared her own home.
Many of the townspeople of Thuringia laughed at how the once-distinguished lady
now spent all her time. But Jutta saw the face of God in the poor and felt
honored to render whatever services she could.
About the year 1260, not long before her death, Jutta lived near
the non-Christians in eastern Germany. There she built a small hermitage and
prayed unceasingly for their conversion. She has been venerated for centuries
as the special patron of Prussia.
Reflection
Jesus once said that a camel can pass through a needle’s eye
more easily than a rich person can enter God’s realm. That’s pretty scary news
for us. We may not have great fortunes, but we who live in the West enjoy a
share of the world’s goods that people in the rest of the world cannot imagine.
Much to the amusement of her neighbors, Jutta disposed of her wealth after her
husband’s death and devoted her life to caring for those who had no means.
Should we follow her example, people will probably laugh at us, too. But God
will smile.
Blessed Jutta of Thuringia is the Patron Saint of:
Prussia
Lectio Divina: Matthew 7:21-29
Lectio Divina
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
guide and protector of your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for your name,
and keep us always in your love.
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 and protector of your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for your name,
and keep us always in your love.
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 7:21-29
Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the
will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did
we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we
not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I
never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’ “Everyone who listens to these
words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on
rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the
house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone
who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool
who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew
and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” When Jesus
finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught
them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel presents the last part of the Sermon on the
Mount: (a) it is not sufficient to talk and sing, it is necessary to live and
to practice (Mt 7:21-23). (b) the community constructed on the foundation of
the new law of the discourse on the mount will remain standing at the moment of
the storm (Mt 7:24-27). (c) the words of Jesus are a severe judgment on the
contemporary religious leaders, the scribes (Mt 7:28-29).
• The end of the Sermon on the Mount presents some opposition
and a few contradictions which exist even in our time: (a) people who
continually speak of God, but who do not do God’s will. They use the name of
Jesus, but do not practice a relationship with the Lord in their life (Mt
7:21). (b) There are people who live in the illusion of working for the Lord,
but on the day of encounter with Him, they will discover, tragically, that they
have never known Him (Mt 7:22-23). The two last scenarios of the Sermon on the
Mount, the house built on the rock (Mt 7:24-25) and the house built on sand (Mt
7:26-27), illustrate these contradictions. By means of these, Matthew
denounces, and at the same time tries to correct, the separation between faith
and life, between speaking and doing, between teaching and practicing.
• Matthew 7:21: It is not sufficient to speak, it is necessary
to practice. What is important is not to speak of God in a beautiful way or to
know how to explain the bible well to others, but rather to do the will of the
Father, and in this way, be a revelation of His face and of His presence in the
world. Jesus made the same recommendation to the woman who praised Mary, His
Mother. Jesus answered: “Blessed rather are those who listen to the Word of God
and put it into practice” (Lk 11:28).
• Matthew 7:22-23: The gifts should be at the service of the
Kingdom and the community. There were people with extraordinary gifts, for
example the gift of prophecy, of exorcism, of healing, but they used these
gifts for themselves, outside the context of the community. In the Day of
Judgment, they will hear a hard sentence from Jesus: “Away from Me all evil
doers”. Evil is the opposite of justice. It is to do with Jesus what the
doctors did with the law: to teach and not to practice (Mt 23:3). Paul will say
the same thing with other words and arguments: “Though I have the power of
prophecy, to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge, and though I have all the
faith necessary to move mountains, if I am without love, I am nothing. Though I
should give away to the poor all that I possess, and even give up my body to be
burned, if I am without love, it will do me no good whatever”. (1Cor 13:2-3).
• Matthew 7:24-27: The parable of the house built on the rock.
The final conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount is to open oneself and to
practice. Many people entrust their security to extraordinary gifts or to
observance. But their true security does not come from prestige or from
observance. It comes from God! It comes from the love of God who has loved us
first (1 Jn 4:19). His love for us, manifested in Jesus, exceeds everything (Rm
8:38-39). God becomes our source of security when we seek to do His will. There
He will be the rock which supports us in the moments of difficulty and storm.
• Matthew 7:28-29: To teach with authority. The Evangelist
closes the Sermon on the Mount saying that the crowds admired the teaching of
Jesus, “because He taught with authority, and not like the scribes”. The result
from the teaching of Jesus is a critical understanding of the people in regard
to the religious authority of the time. His simple and clear words resulted
from His experience of God, from His life dedicated to the Father’s plan.
People admired and approved the teaching of Jesus.
• Community: the house built on the rock. In the Book of Psalms,
we frequently find the expression: “God is my rock and my fortress…
My God, my rock, my refuge, my stronghold, my saving strength…” (Ps
18:3). He is the defense and the strength of the one who seeks justice (Ps
18:21,24). The people who trust in this God, become in turn,
a rock for others. Thus, the Prophet Isaiah invites people in the
exile saying: “Listen to me you who pursue saving justice, you who seek Yahweh!
Consider the rock from which you were hewn, the quarry from which you
were dug. Consider Abraham your father and Sarah who gave you birth” (Is
51:1-2). The prophet asks people not to forget the past. The people should
remember that Abraham and Sarah, because of their faith in God,
became rock, the beginning of the People of God. Looking toward this
rock, the people should acquire courage to struggle and to escape from slavery.
Matthew also exhorts the community similarly to have rock as foundation (Mt
7:24-25) and thus, they themselves can be rock to strengthen their brothers and
sisters in their faith. This is the sense of the name which Jesus gave to
Peter: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church” (Mt
16: 18). This was the vocation of the first community, called to unite
itself with God, the living rock, so as to become also a living rock, because
they listen and put into practice the Word. (Ps 2:4-10; 2:5; Ep 2:19-22).
4) Personal questions
• How does our community seek to balance prayer and action,
prayer and practice, to speak and to do, to teach and to practice? What could
improve in our community, so that it will be a rock, a secure and welcoming
house for all?
• To be rock for another is also to be in truth. Do I, and my community, know and understand Church teaching and the bible well enough and in truth such that I and we can be rock for others who need help in their Faith?
• There is another kind of rock. The rock in the parable of the sower. The seed (the Word) could not grow on rock. Do I read, learn and grow from the Word and from the saints that have given example before us, and from Church teaching? Am I like the rocky ground in the parable where the seed dries up or am I like a strong rock who gives stability to my brothers and sisters?
• To be rock for another is also to be in truth. Do I, and my community, know and understand Church teaching and the bible well enough and in truth such that I and we can be rock for others who need help in their Faith?
• There is another kind of rock. The rock in the parable of the sower. The seed (the Word) could not grow on rock. Do I read, learn and grow from the Word and from the saints that have given example before us, and from Church teaching? Am I like the rocky ground in the parable where the seed dries up or am I like a strong rock who gives stability to my brothers and sisters?
5) Concluding Prayer
Help us, God our Savior,
for the glory of Your name;
Yahweh, wipe away our sins,
rescue us for the sake of Your name. (Ps 79:9)
for the glory of Your name;
Yahweh, wipe away our sins,
rescue us for the sake of Your name. (Ps 79:9)
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