Monday of the Twenty-third Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary:
437
Reading 1
Brothers
and sisters:
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father’s wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
Your
boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Responsorial
Psalm
R. Lead
me in your justice, Lord.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
You hate all evildoers.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But let all who take refuge in you
be glad and exult forever.
Protect them, that you may be the joy
of those who love your name.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
On a
certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090720.cfm
Meditation: Is It
Lawful to Save Life or to Destroy It?
What is God's intention for
the commandment, keep holy the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8;
Deuteronomy 5:12)? The scribes and Pharisees wanted to catch Jesus in the act
of breaking the Sabbath ritual so they might accuse him of breaking God's law.
In a few penetrating words Luke records that Jesus knew their thoughts.
They were filled with fury and contempt for Jesus because they had put their
own thoughts of right and wrong above God. They were ensnared in their own
legalism because they did not understand or see the purpose of God. Jesus shows
them their fallacy by pointing to God's intention for the Sabbath: to
do good and to save life rather than to do evil or to destroy
life.
Christ's healing power raises hands and hearts towards heaven
What is the significance of Jesus' healing the man with the withered hand?
Ambrose (337-397 AD), the 4th century bishop of Milan who was instrumental in
bringing Augustine of Hippo to the Christian faith, comments on this miracle:
"Then you heard the
words of the Lord, saying, 'Stretch forth your hand.' That is the common and
universal remedy. You who think that you have a healthy hand beware lest it is
withered by greed or by sacrilege. Hold it out often. Hold it out to the poor
person who begs you. Hold it out to help your neighbor, to give protection to a
widow, to snatch from harm one whom you see subjected to unjust insult. Hold it
out to God for your sins. The hand is stretched forth; then it is healed. Jeroboam's
hand withered when he sacrificed to idols; then it stretched out when he
entreated God (1 Kings 13:4-6)."
Receive God's gift of sabbath rest and restoration
Why do Christians celebrate Sunday as the Lord's Day? Most
importantly we celebrate it to commemorate God's work of redemption in Jesus
Christ and the new work of creation accomplished through Christ's death and
resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:17). God's action is a model for us. If God
"rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, we, too, ought to
"rest" and let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed"
as well (see Exodus 31:17; 23:12). Taking "our sabbath rest" is a way
of expressing honor to God for all that he has done for us. Such
"rest" however does not exempt us from our love for our neighbor. If
we truly love the Lord above all else, then the love of God will overflow to
love of neighbor as well. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said: "The
charity of truth seeks holy leisure; the necessity of charity accepts just
work."
How can we make Sunday a day holy to the Lord? First, by refraining from
unnecessary work and from activities that hinder the worship we owe to God. We
can also perform works of mercy, such as humble service of the sick, the
infirm, and the neglected. And we ought to seek appropriate relaxation of mind
and body as well. The joy of the Lord's Day is a great gift to refresh and
strengthen us in our love of God and of neighbor (Nehemiah 8:10). Do you know
the joy of the Lord and do you find rest and refreshment in celebrating the
Lord's Day?
Lord Jesus, in your victory
over sin and death on the cross and in your resurrection you give us the
assurance of sharing in the eternal rest of heaven. Transform my heart with
your love that I may freely serve my neighbor for his good and find joy and
refreshment in the celebration of Sunday as the Lord's Day.
Daily Quote from the Early
Church Fathers: Jesus heals
to teach the Pharisees mercy, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"The miracle sometimes
converts to faith those who had disbelieved the word, but the Pharisees watched
him to see if he would heal on the sabbath. The nature of an envious person is
such that he makes the praises of others food for his own disease and is
wickedly maddened by their reputation. Once more he spoke to this; 'he reveals
deep and mysterious things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light
dwells with him' (Daniel 2:22). And why did he do this? Perhaps it might be to
move the cruel and unpitying Pharisee to compassion. The man's malady [his
withered hand] perhaps might shame them and persuade them to dispel the flames
of their envy.
"This question is most wise indeed and a most suitable statement to meet
their folly. If it is lawful to do good on the sabbath and nothing prevents the
sick being pitied by God, cease picking up opportunities for fault-finding
against Christ and bringing down on your own head the sentence which the Father
has decreed against those who dishonor the Son. You have heard the Father where
he says of the Son by the voice of David, 'I will crush his foes before him and
strike down those who hate him' (Psalm 89:23). But if it is not lawful to do
good on the sabbath and the law forbids the saving of life, you have made
yourself an accuser of the law." (quote from COMMENTARY ON LUKE,
HOMILY 23).
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=sep7
MONDAY,
SEPTEMBER 7, LUKE 6:6-11
Weekday
(1 Corinthians 5:1 ̶ 8; Psalm 5)
KEY VERSE: "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" (v. 9).
TO KNOW: Jesus often disputed the religious leaders’ rigid interpretation of the Sabbath law. Just as harvesting was prohibited on the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-5), so was healing ̶ unless a person's life was in danger. When a man with a withered hand came to the synagogue on the Sabbath, the scribes and the Pharisees maliciously watched to see what Jesus would do. Since the man's life was not threatened, he could have waited until the next day to be healed. If Jesus healed him, Jesus could be charged with a violation of the Sabbath law. Jesus knew that he was being observed as to what he would do, but he openly challenged his opponents by calling the man to stand in front of the assembly and stretch out his hand. Only Luke tells us that it was the man's “right hand” that was withered (See Mt 12:10-13 and Mk 3:1-6). This probably meant that he was unable to do physical labor; therefore, he was deprived of a livelihood. Jesus declared that the refusal to do good deeds was evil in itself, and he healed the man. The Pharisees were enraged by this so-called violation of the Sabbath, but they saw no problem in plotting Jesus' death on the holy day.
TO LOVE: Do I pray for people in my faith community in need of healing?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, give me a compassionate heart to help those in need.
LABOR DAY (USA) First Monday in September
Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement dedicated to the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as a "workingman's holiday." The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
NOTE: On May 15, 1891, Pope Leo XIII issued his encyclical Rerum Novarum ("Condition of Labor"), the Church's position on modern day labor. Although the Encyclical follows the lines of the traditional teaching concerning the rights and duties of those possessing property and the relations of employer and employee, it applies the old doctrines specifically to modern conditions. As the years go by, an increasing number of persons look upon this statement of Leo XIII as the most fruitful and effective principle of industrial justice that has ever been enunciated.
http://www.togetherwithgodsword.com/commentaries-on-the-daily-gospel-of-the-mass.html
Monday 7 September 2020
1
Corinthians 5:1-8. Lead me in your justice, Lord – Psalm 5:5-7, 12. Luke
6:6-11.
Lord,
teach me to be humble
In
today’s Gospel, we read about the Pharisees with their insistence on following
the letter of the law and finding fault with others. While we might like to
think of the Pharisees as being like other people we know,
it’s very easy to become like the Pharisees ourselves. ‘She goes on and on
about saving the planet, but I saw her using single-use plastic!’ ;That
talk-show celebrity: he’s supposed to be Catholic, but did you hear his views
on gay marriage?’ ‘She’s on a Keto diet, but she still puts honey on things.
Honey is not keto!’
It’s
satisfying to feel like I am smarter than others. Self-righteousness and cancel
culture can be intoxicating. Lord, teach me to be humble and to give others
grace in their imperfections.
http://www.pray.com.au/gospel_reflection/monday-7-september-2020/
Blessed
Frédéric Ozanam
Saint
of the Day for September 7
(April
23, 1813 – September 8, 1853)
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam. Frontispiece from Complete Works of Frederic Ozanam, Lecoffre editions, Paris , 1862 ( second edition ).
Blessed
Frédéric Ozanam’s Story
A man
convinced of the inestimable worth of each human being, Frédéric served the
poor of Paris well, and drew others into serving the poor of the world. Through
the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, which he founded, his work continues to the
present day.
Frédéric
was the fifth of Jean and Marie Ozanam’s 14 children, one of only three to
reach adulthood. As a teenager he began having doubts about his religion.
Reading and prayer did not seem to help, but long walking discussions with
Father Noirot of the Lyons College clarified matters a great deal.
Frédéric
wanted to study literature, although his father, a doctor, wanted him to become
a lawyer. Frédéric yielded to his father’s wishes and in 1831, arrived in Paris
to study law at the University of the Sorbonne. When certain professors there
mocked Catholic teachings in their lectures, Frédéric defended the Church.
A
discussion club which Frédéric organized sparked the turning point in his life.
In this club, Catholics, atheists, and agnostics debated the issues of the day.
Once, after Frédéric spoke about Christianity’s role in civilization, a club
member said: “Let us be frank, Mr. Ozanam; let us also be very particular. What
do you do besides talk to prove the faith you claim is in you?”
Frédéric
was stung by the question. He soon decided that his words needed a grounding in
action. He and a friend began visiting Paris tenements and offering assistance
as best they could. Soon a group dedicated to helping individuals in need under
the patronage of Saint
Vincent de Paul formed around Frédéric.
Feeling
that the Catholic faith needed an excellent speaker to explain its teachings,
Frédéric convinced the Archbishop of Paris to appoint Dominican Father
Jean-Baptiste Lacordaire, the greatest preacher then in France, to preach a
Lenten series in Notre Dame Cathedral. It was well-attended and became an
annual tradition in Paris.
After
Frédéric earned his law degree at the Sorbonne, he taught law at the University
of Lyons. He also earned a doctorate in literature. Soon after marrying Amelie
Soulacroix on June 23, 1841, he returned to the Sorbonne to teach literature. A
well-respected lecturer, Frédéric worked to bring out the best in each student.
Meanwhile, the Saint Vincent de Paul Society was growing throughout Europe.
Paris alone counted 25 conferences.
In
1846, Frédéric, Amelie, and their daughter Marie went to Italy; there he hoped
to restore his poor health. They returned the next year. The revolution of 1848
left many Parisians in need of the services of the Saint Vincent de Paul
conferences. The unemployed numbered 275,000. The government asked Frédéric and
his coworkers to supervise the government aid to the poor. Vincentians
throughout Europe came to the aid of Paris.
Frédéric
then started a newspaper, The New Era, dedicated to securing
justice for the poor and the working classes. Fellow Catholics were often
unhappy with what Frédéric wrote. Referring to the poor man as “the nation’s
priest,” Frédéric said that the hunger and sweat of the poor formed a sacrifice
that could redeem the people’s humanity.
In
1852, poor health again forced Frédéric to return to Italy with his wife and
daughter. He died on September 8, 1853. In his sermon at Frédéric’s funeral,
Fr. Lacordaire described his friend as “one of those privileged creatures who
came direct from the hand of God in whom God joins tenderness to genius in
order to enkindle the world.”
Frédéric
was beatified in 1997. Since Frédéric wrote an excellent book entitled Franciscan
Poets of the Thirteenth Century, and since his sense of the dignity of
each poor person was so close to the thinking of Saint Francis, it seemed
appropriate to include him among Franciscan “greats.” His Liturgical Feast
Day is September 9.
Reflection
Frédéric
Ozanam always respected the poor while offering whatever service he could. Each
man, woman, and child was too precious to live in poverty. Serving the poor
taught Frédéric something about God that he could not have learned elsewhere.
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/blessed-fr-d-ric-ozanam/
Lectio
Divina: Luke 6:6-11
Lectio
Divina
Monday, September 7, 2020
Ordinary
Time
1)
Opening prayer
God
our Father,
You redeem us
and make us Your children in Christ.
Look upon us,
give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance You promised.
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 6:6-11
On a
certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man
there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him
closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a
reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions and said to the man with
the withered hand, "Come up and stand before us." And he rose and
stood there. Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good
on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy
it?" Looking around at them all, he then said to him, "Stretch out
your hand." He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
3)
Reflection
•
Context: This passage presents Jesus who cures a man with a withered hand.
Different from the context of chapters 3 and 4 in which Jesus is alone, now
here He is surrounded by His disciples and the women who go around with Him.
Therefore, here we have Jesus always moving. In the first stages of this
journey the reader finds different ways of listening to the Word of Jesus on
the part of those who follow Him and which, definitively, could be summarized
in two experiences, which recall, in turn, two types of approaches: that of
Peter (5:1-11) and that of the centurion (7:1-10). The first one encounters
Jesus who invites Him after the miraculous catch to become a fisher of men;
then he falls on his knees before Jesus: “Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man”
(5:8). The second one does not have any direct communication with Jesus: he has
heard people speak very well about Jesus and he sends his envoys to ask for the
cure of one of his servants who is dying; he is asking for something not for
himself, but for a person who was a favorite of his. The figure of Peter
expresses the attitude of the one who, discovering himself a sinner, places all
his acts under the influence of the Word of Jesus. The centurion, showing
solicitude for the servant, learns to listen to God. Well, between these
itineraries or attitudes which characterize the itinerant journey of Jesus, is
placed the cure of the man who presents the withered hand. This event of the
miracle takes place in a context of debate or controversy: the ears of corn
picked on the Sabbath and on the act of curing on a Saturday, precisely the
withered hand. Between the two discussions there is the crucial role played by
the Word of Jesus: “The Son of man is master of the Sabbath” (6:5). Continuing
with this passage we ask ourselves what is the meaning of this withered hand?
It is a symbol of the salvation of man who is taken back to the original
moment, that of creation. The right hand, then, expresses human acting. Jesus
then, gives back to this day of the week, Saturday, the deepest significance:
it is the day of joy, of the restoration and not of limitation. What Jesus
shows is the Messianic Saturday and not the legalistic one: the cures that He
does are signs of the Messianic times, of restoration, of the liberation of
man.
• The dynamic of the miracle. Luke places before Jesus a man who has a withered
–------ hand, dry, paralyzed. Nobody is interested in asking for his cure, much
less the one concerned. And just the same, the sickness was not only an
individual problem but its effects had repercussion on the whole community. But
in our account we do not have so much the problem of the sickness as that of
the aspect that it was done on Saturday. Jesus is criticized because He cured
on Saturday. The difference with the Pharisees is that they on
Saturday do not act on the basis of the commandment of love,which is the
essence of the Law. Jesus, after having ordered the man to get in the middle of
the assembly, formulates a decisive question: “Is it permitted on the Sabbath
to do good or to do evil?” The space for the answer is restricted: to cure or
not to cure, or rather, to cure or to destroy (v.9). Let us imagine the
difficulty of the Pharisees: it is forbidden that evil be done on Saturday or
lead man to damnation, and even less to cure, because help was permitted only
in case of extreme need. The Pharisees feel provoked and this causes
aggressiveness in them. But it is evident that Jesus’ intention in curing
on Saturday is for the good of man and in the first place, for the one who is
sick. This motivation of love invites us to reflect on our behavior and to
found it on that of Jesus who saves. Jesus is not only attentive to cure the
sick person but is interested also in the cure of His enemies: to cure them
from their distorted attitude in their observance of the Law; to observe
Saturday without freeing their neighbor from their misery and sickness is not
in accordance with the will of God. According to the Evangelist, the purpose of
the Sabbath is to do good, to save, like Jesus has done during His earthly
life.
4)
Personal questions
• Do
you feel involved in the words of Jesus: how do you commit yourself in your
service to life? Do you know how to create the necessary conditions so that others
may live better?
• Do you know how to place at the center of your attention and of your
commitment every person and all their requirements?
• Reflect on times you had a choice (big or small) to help another person, to
do good, versus fulfill a requirement or rule. Did you choose rightly? Did you
choose as Jesus would have?
5)
Concluding Prayer
Joy
for all who take refuge in You,
endless songs of gladness!
You shelter them, they rejoice in You,
those who love Your name. (Ps 5:11)
https://ocarm.org/en/content/lectio/lectio-divina-luke-66-11
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