Saturday
of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 442
Reading 1
My beloved ones, avoid idolatry.
I am speaking as to sensible people;
judge for yourselves what I am saying.
The cup of blessing that we bless,
is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ?
The bread that we break,
is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?
Because the loaf of bread is one,
we, though many, are one Body,
for we all partake of the one loaf.
Look at Israel according to the flesh;
are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?
So what am I saying?
That meat sacrificed to idols is anything?
Or that an idol is anything?
No, I mean that what they sacrifice,
they sacrifice to demons, not to God,
and I do not want you to become participants with demons.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons.
You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.
Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger?
Are we stronger than him?
Responsorial Psalm
R. (17) To you,
Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. To you, Lord,
I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. To you, Lord,
I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
Alleluia
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.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
when the flood came, the river burst against that house
but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
is like a person who built a house on the ground
without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091220.cfm
Meditation: A
Life Built on a Solid Foundation
Why
does Jesus set figs and grapes over against thorns and brambles? The fig tree
was the favorite of all trees for the people of Palestine. It symbolized
fertility, peace, and prosperity. Grapes, likewise, produced wine, the symbol
of joy. Thorns and brambles were only good for burning as fuel for the fire.
There's a proverbial saying that you know a tree by its fruit. Likewise a person
will produce good or bad fruit depending on what is sown in the heart. Charles
Read said: "Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a
character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny." Character, like fruit,
doesn't grow overnight. It takes a lifetime.
A healthy and sound mind produces good fruit
Jesus connects soundness with good fruit. Something is sound when it is free
from defect, decay, or disease and is healthy. Good fruit is the result of
sound living - living according to moral truth and upright character. The
prophet Isaiah warned against the dangers of falsehood: Woe to those
who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for
darkness (Isaiah 5:20). The fruits of falsehood produce an easy
religion which takes the iron out of religion, the cross out of Christianity,
and any teaching which eliminates the hard sayings of Jesus, and which push the
judgments of God into the background and makes us think lightly of sin.
How do we avoid falsehood and bad fruit in our lives? By being true - true to
God, his word, and the grace and help he gives us so we can turn away from evil
and wrongdoing. And that takes character! Those who are true to God know that
their strength lies not in themselves but in God who supplies everything we
need to live as his disciples. The Lord strengthens us with the fruits and
gifts of the Holy Spirit - with faith, hope and love, justice, prudence,
fortitude and temperance. And we grow in godly character through exercising the
gifts and strength which God supplies. Do you want to bear good fruit in your
daily life? Allow the Holy Spirit to train you in godliness and the wisdom to
distinguish good fruit from bad fruit (1 Timothy 4:7-8, Hebrews 5:14).
What kind of foundation are you building your life?
Jesus told another story about the importance of building on the right
foundation to reinforce his lesson about sound living. When Jesus told the
story of the builders 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). 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 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!
Our character is revealed in the choices we make
Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool other people with our
speech and gestures, 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 are tested. 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 injury or embarrassment? A
true person is honest and reliable before God, themselves, and their neighbor.
Their word can be counted on. What foundation is your life built upon?
Lord
Jesus, you are the sure foundation and source of life and strength for us. Give
me wisdom and strength to live according to your truth and to reject every
false way. May I be a doer of your word and not a hearer only.
Daily
Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Scripture is the field where we build
our house, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"In
a certain place in the Gospel, the Lord says that the wise hearer of his word
ought to be like a man who, wishing to build, digs rather deeply until he comes
to bedrock. There without anxiety he establishes what he builds against the
onrush of a flood, so that when it comes, rather it may be pushed back by the
solidity of the building than that house collapse by the impact. Let us
consider the Scripture of God as being a field where we want to build something.
Let us not be lazy or content with the surface. Let us dig more deeply until we
come to rock: 'Now the rock was Christ' (1 Corinthians 10:4)." (excerpt
from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 23.1)
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=sep12
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, LUKE 6:43-49
Weekday
(1 Corinthians 10:14-22; Psalm 116)
KEY VERSE: "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command?" (v. 46).
TO KNOW: Jesus taught his followers that the quality of their inner lives would be judged by the words they spoke and the deeds they performed. Their hearts were like storehouses of either good or bad fruit. Jesus' disciples would be recognized by the good fruit that they produced in their lives. Jesus also compared the Christian life to building a house. The wise builder laid a firm foundation that could withstand the trials of life. Those who heard Jesus but did not act on his words were building on shaky ground. It was hypocritical to call Jesus "Lord" and refuse to obey him. Jesus concluded his "Sermon on the Plain" by telling his followers to put into practice everything he had taught them.
TO LOVE: Do I regularly inspect my spiritual house through an examination of conscience?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus help me to hear and obey you so others can see good fruit in my life.
http://www.togetherwithgodsword.com/commentaries-on-the-daily-gospel-of-the-mass.html
Saturday 12 September 2020
Most Holy Name of Mary
1 Corinthians 10:14-22. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice
of praise – Psalm 115(116):12-13, 17-18. Luke 6:43-49.
The struggle for integrity
Integrity and inner consistency are always things we can sense
in others and notice from afar. It is unfortunate that we are so accustomed to
meeting mixed intentions in others, that we find it refreshing to come across
someone with real, deep integrity.
We can’t help but respect those people, and rightly so, because
to maintain the inner honesty that Christ is asking of us is not a simple
undertaking. Our lives are a collage of events, moments, encounters,
conversations, being asked to render up something to or to take in something
from another.
To maintain consistency not only in our actions but in our
thoughts and inner movements is a constant struggle. Often the words have
already left our mouth when we realise they have come from the evil part of our
hearts.
http://www.pray.com.au/gospel_reflection/saturday-12-september-2020/
Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Saint of the Day for September 12
The Virgin and Child (The Madonna of the Rose) | Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio
The Story of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of
Jesus; both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other
matters.
The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513
and in 1671 was extended to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples. In 1683,
John Sobieski, king of Poland, brought an army to the outskirts of Vienna to
stop the advance of Muslim armies loyal to Mohammed IV of Constantinople. After
Sobieski entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he and his soldiers
thoroughly defeated the Muslims. Pope Innocent XI extended this feast to the
entire Church.
Reflection
Mary always points us to God, reminding us of God’s infinite
goodness. She helps us to open our hearts to God’s ways, wherever those may
lead us. Honored under the title “Queen of Peace,” Mary encourages us to
cooperate with Jesus in building a peace based on justice, a peace that
respects the fundamental human rights of all peoples.
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/mosaint-holy-name-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/
Lectio Divina: Luke 6,43-49
Lectio Divina
Saturday, September 12, 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 6:43-49
Jesus said to His disciples, ‘There is no sound tree that
produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. Every
tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns nor
gather grapes from brambles.
Good people draw what is good from the store of goodness in their hearts; bad
people draw what is bad from the store of badness. For the words of the mouth
flow out of what fills the heart. ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and not do
what I say?
‘Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them—I will show
you what such a person is like. Such a person is like the man who, when he
built a house, dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the
river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so
well built. But someone who listens and does nothing is like the man who built
a house on soil, with no foundations; as soon as the river bore down on it, it
collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!’
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we have the last part of the Discourse on
the Plain, that is, the version which Luke presents in the Sermon on the Mount
of the Gospel of Matthew. And Luke puts together what follows:
• Luke 6:43-45: The parable of the tree that bears good fruit. “There is no
sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces
sound fruit. Every tree can be known by its own fruit: people do not pick figs
from thorns, or gather grapes from brambles”. The letter of James the Apostle
serves as a commentary to this parable of Jesus: “Does any water supply give a
flow of fresh water and salt water out of the same pipe? Can a fig tree yield
olives, my brothers, or a vine yield figs? No more can sea water yield fresh
water” (James 3:11-12). A person who is well formed in the tradition of living
together in community develops within self a good nature which leads him/her to
do good. “The good of the treasure of his/her heart is brought out”, but the
person who does not pay attention to his/her formation will have difficulty in
producing good deeds. Rather, “from his/her evil treasure evil will come out
evil, because the mouth speaks of the fullness of the heart”. Concerning the
“good treasure of the heart” it is worthwhile to remember what the Book of
Ecclesiasticus says on the heart, the source of good counsel: “Stick to the advice
your own heart gives you, no one can be truer to you than that; since a
person’s soul often gives a clearer warning than seven watchmen perched on a
watchtower. And besides all this beg the Most High to guide your steps into the
truth” (Sir 37: 13-15).
• Luke 6:46: It is not sufficient to say, Lord, Lord. What is important is not
to say beautiful things about God, 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.
• Luke 6:47-49: To construct the house on rock. To listen and to put into
practice, this is the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. Many people sought
security and religious power in the extraordinary heads (gifts) or in the
observance. But true security does not come from power; it does not come from
any of those things. It comes from God! And God becomes the source of security,
when we seek to do His will. And in this way He will be the rock which will
support us, in the difficult hours and in the storms.
God is the rock of our life. In the Book of Psalms, we frequently find the
expression: “God is my rock, my fortress... My God, my Rock, my refuge, my
shield, the force which saves me...” (Ps 18:3). He is the defense and the force
of those who believe in Him and who seek justice (Ps 18:21-24). The people who
trust in this God become, in turn, a rock for others. Thus the prophet Isaiah
invites the people who were in exile: “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” (Isa 51:1-2). The prophet asks the people not to forget the past and
to remember Abraham and Sarah who, because of their faith in God, became a
rock, the beginning of the People of God. Looking toward this rock, the people
should draw courage to fight and get out of the exile. And thus Matthew exhorts
the communities to have as an incentive or encouragement this same rock (Mt
7:24-25) and in this way be themselves rocks to strengthen their brothers in
the faith. This is also the significance which Jesus gives to Peter: “You are
Peter and on this Rock I will build my Church” (Mt 16:18). This is the vocation
of the first communities called to unite themselves to Jesus, the living Rock,
so as to become themselves living rocks, listening and putting into practice
the Word (Ps 2: 4-10; 2: 5; Eph 2:19-22).
4) Personal questions
• What is the quality of my heart?
• Is my house built on rock?
5) Concluding Prayer
Lord, You created my inmost self,
knit me together in my mother’s womb.
For so many marvels I thank You; a wonder am I,
and all Your works are wonders. (Ps 139:13-14)
https://ocarm.org/en/content/lectio/lectio-divina-luke-643-49
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét