Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary:
134
The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 54:3-4, 5, 6 And 8
R. (6b) The Lord upholds my life.
O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
For the haughty men have risen up against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they set not God before their eyes.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
For the haughty men have risen up against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they set not God before their eyes.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
Reading 2 Jas 3:16-4:3
Beloved:
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.
Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.
Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Gospel Mk 9:30-37
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey
through Galilee ,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
They came toCapernaum
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
They came to
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."
Scripture
Study
September 23, 2012 Twenty-Fifth Sunday of
Ordinary Time
This week we celebrate the Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary
Time. The Gospel again takes up the suffering theme of last week and adds to it
the idea that greatness in the church is really about service to God and His
children and about humility rather than greatness as measured by the world.
James' warning against jealousy and strife within the Church and the first
reading's dramatic presentation of the friction between the religious and the
wicked add to the Gospel reading's call to apply the standards of Jesus rather
than the standards of the world. Jesus is found less in the flashiness and
oratorical style of the renowned preacher than He is in the humble caring for
the little ones of God done in the quiet corners of the world by the imitators
of Mother Theresa. I am forced to ask myself: How do I see the Church and my
place in it? In my own eyes (and in my attitude) am I the up-and-coming
executive in a great (religious) corporation or am I the humble disciple who
simply follows the master on the way?
NOTES on First Reading
* The portion of the
text shown in brackets above is not included in the reading and is included
here only for completeness.
* 2:12-20 This passage
is often applied to the Passion of our Lord. Many in the early Church and later
understood these verses as a direct prophecy. See Matthew 27:41-44. The
philosophy of life that is reflected seems to form an eclectic assemblage of
ideas that does not match well with the doctrines of any single group that has
been suggested as the target of the author's speech. The "wicked"
that the author has in mind here are probably meant to be apostate Jews seen as
a type of the wicked in general rather than any specific group. The author
probably meant to dramatically present the friction between the faithful Jews
of Alexandria in the first century B.C. and those who adapted their behavior to
the pagan culture around them.
* 2:12 Law refers to the
law of Moses. The word, training, has the same meaning.
NOTES on Second
Reading
* 3:16 These
are the same as the expressions appearing in the list of vices in 2 Cor 12:20.
* 3:17 James
here contrasts Christian wisdom with earthly wisdom. Compare with Matt 5:3-10
and Gal 5:22-23.
* 3:18 Language
here is similar to Prov 3:9, 17, 18; 11:30 in the Septuagint (ancient Greek
translation) version and Matt 5:9.
* 4:1-12 James
is addressing the sources of strife within the Christian community. Such strife
is occasioned by excess love of the world which results in enmity with God
(4:4). Additionally the conflicts in the community are connected to failure to
pray or pray properly. The proper approach to prayer is given in 4:7-10. See
Matt 7:7-11; John 14:13; 15:7; 16:23.
NOTES on Gospel:
* 9:30-31 A second time Jesus teaches the disciples about His
coming suffering and death. Each time (Mark 8:31; 9:30-31; 10:32) the Gospel of
Mark says, "He taught them." This means systematic explanation not
just an off-hand remark.
* 9:32 The disciples are still deaf and don't hear God in Jesus
words. This may be a partial explanation of why they ran away when the mob came
for Jesus. They did not see the will or the hand of God in the circumstances.
* 9:33-50 In this section of his Gospel Mark presents the
radical demands of discipleship: Abandonment of ambition (9:33-37) Resistance
to envy and intolerance of others (9:38-41) Refusal to scandalize others
(9:42-48)
* 9:33 Jesus is interested in everything His disciples do and
everything they do needs to reflect who they are in Him.
* 9:34 The disciples are still not ready to forget themselves.
They have not yet accepted the real challenge of walking with Jesus and His
spirit completely.
* 9:35 Jesus teaches about leadership in the renewed people of
God modeled on Moses in Numbers 12:3.
* 9:36 Jesus uses a child not as a symbol of innocence but as a
symbol of powerlessness. A child had no rights or status in the first century
Roman legal system. A child was completely dependent on his parents for
everything. This is what made the plight of orphans so difficult.
* 9:37 Jesus identifies with the powerless and He becomes their
strength.
Meditation: "Who was the greatest"
Whose glory
do you seek? There can be no share in God's glory without the cross. When Jesus
prophesied his own betrayal and crucifixion, it did not make any sense to his
disciples because it did not fit their understanding of what the Messiah came
to do. And they were afraid to ask further questions! Like a person who might
receive a bad verdict from the doctor and then refuse to ask further questions,
they, too, didn't want to know any more. How often do we reject what we do not
wish to see? We have heard the good news of God's word and we know the
consequences of accepting it or rejecting it. But do we give it our full
allegiance and mold our lives according to it? Ask the Lord to fill you with
his Holy Spirit and to inspire within you a reverence for his word and a
readiness to obey it.How ashamed the disciples must have been when Jesus overheard them arguing about who among them was the greatest! But aren’t we like the disciples? We compare ourselves with others and desire their praise. The appetite for glory and greatness seems to be inbred in us. Who doesn't cherish the ambition to be "somebody" whom others admire rather than a "nobody"? Even the psalms speak about the glory God has destined for us. You have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5). Jesus made a dramatic gesture by embracing a child to show his disciples who really is the greatest in the
Jesus, himself, is our model. He came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). Paul the Apostle states that Jesus emptied himself and took the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7). Jesus lowered himself (he whose place is at the right hand of God the Father) and took on our lowly nature that he might raise us up and clothe us in his divine nature. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). If we want to be filled with God's life and power, then we need to empty ourselves of everything which stands in the way – pride, self-seeking glory, vanity, etc. God wants empty vessels so he can fill them with his own glory, power, and love (2 Corinthians 4:7). Are you ready to humble yourself and to serve as Jesus did?
"Lord Jesus, by your cross you have redeemed the world and revealed your glory and triumph over sin and death. May I never fail to see your glory and victory in the cross. Help me to conform my life to your will and to follow in your way of holiness."
www.dailyscripture.net
The Lord upholds my life.
You have prayed for something to indulge your own desires.
Praying in this way is counter-productive, and the answer is usually ‘No’. When praying, let us ask for the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, for these are to be used for building the kingdom of peace and good will our world so desperately needs.
Jesus constantly reminds us we are to be servants in the world. Being in charge can be a poisoned chalice, leading someone to believe they are of greater importance, forgetting that others are also loved children of God.
Lord, we pray for fortitude, to carry on when things are dark; for joy, especially in this Year of Grace, to appreciate your abundant gifts; for patience with those who irritate us; for kindness with those who need us to listen. Teach us to be generous, to give and not to count the cost.
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Childlike
Trust
|
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
|
| Listen
to podcast version here. Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Introductory Prayer:Lord, you are the author of life and the giver of all that is good. You are the Prince of Peace and my mainstay. You are my healer and the cure itself. I need you, and I need to give you. I love you and commit myself to you entirely, knowing you could never let me down or deceive me. Thank you for giving me your very self. Petition: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace of loving trust in you, like that of a little child. 1. Who Is the Greatest? Just like the disciples, so many times we find ourselves looking to be the greatest. Society encourages us to do whatever it takes to be successful, to be “on top.” Frequently in our struggle to succeed we lose sight of Christ and end up relegating him to second place. If I strive for it, Christ can be of greatest importance in my life. He can be number one despite my weak tendencies. 2. The Secret to Success: Our Lord gives the secret to success in today’s Gospel passage: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” This is often in contradiction with the ways of the world. The Gospel teaches us that we must humble ourselves like Jesus did in order to achieve true greatness. Jesus came to serve, not to be served, and the climax of this service was his death for us on 3. Childlike Trust: Success in the spiritual life begins with our childlike trust in God. Jesus places a child before the disciples and invites them to consider that child’s relationship of trust and simplicity before his parents. In the same way, we too must become like children before God, our heavenly Father. Do I turn to Our Lord when I’m troubled and when I wish to share something good with someone? Conversation with Christ:Lord Jesus, from now on I intend to entrust my anxieties and worries to you more readily. Help me to put all my cares in your most capable hands and trust in you as a little child. I know that you love me very much. Strengthen my confidence in you. Resolution: I will entrust my day into God’s hands and live as a child alongside his father. |
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
COMMONSENSE BE-ATTITUDES
The Beatitudes are the Gospel's commentary on "attitude"
Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves; they will always have entertainment.
Blessed are those who can distinguish between a mountain and a molehill; they will save themselves a lot of trouble.
Blessed are those who can rest and sleep without looking for excuses; they will become wise.
Blessed are those who are intelligent enough not to take themselves too seriously; they will be appreciated.
Blessed are you if you can look seriously at small things and peacefully at serious things; you will go far in life.
Blessed are you if you can admire a smile and forget a scowl; your path will be sunlit.
Blessed are you if you can always interpret the attitudes of others with good will, even when appearances are to the contrary; you may seem naive, but that is the price of charity.
Blessed are those who think before acting and who laugh before thinking; they will avoid foolish mistakes.
Blessed are you if you know how to be silent and smile, even when you are interrupted, contradicted or walked on; the gospel is beginning to take root in your heart.
Blessed are you especially if you know how to recognize the Lord in all those you meet; you have found the true light, true wisdom.
- Fr Joseph Folliet
From A Canopy of Stars: Some Reflections for the Journey by Fr Christopher Gleeson SJ [David Lovell Publishing 2003]
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MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Heaven on Earth
Lord, while I live on this earth, I live in you—and you are
heaven: You are glory and peace and joy. You are love. At this moment and at
every moment when I live in you, I already experience heaven.
— from Catholic and Confident
www.americancatholic.org
September 23
St. Padre Pio da Pietrelcina
(1887-1968)
St. Padre Pio da Pietrelcina
(1887-1968)
In one of the largest such ceremonies
in history, Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16,
2002. It was the 45th canonization ceremony in Pope John Paul's pontificate.
More than 300,000 people braved blistering heat as they filled St. Peter's
Square and nearby streets. They heard the Holy Father praise the new saint for
his prayer and charity. "This is the most concrete synthesis of Padre
Pio's teaching," said the pope. He also stressed Padre Pio's witness to
the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such
suffering can lead to "a privileged path of sanctity."
Many
people have turned to the Italian Capuchin Franciscan to intercede with God on
their behalf; among them was the future Pope John Paul II. In 1962, when he was
still an archbishop in Born Francesco Forgione, Padre Pio grew up in a family of farmers in southern
At the age of 15, Francesco joined the Capuchins and took the name of Pio. He was ordained in 1910 and was drafted during World War I. After he was discovered to have tuberculosis, he was discharged. In 1917 he was assigned to the friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, 75 miles from the city of
On September 20, 1918, as he was making his thanksgiving after Mass, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet and side.
Life became more complicated after that. Medical doctors, Church authorities and curiosity seekers came to see Padre Pio. In 1924 and again in 1931, the authenticity of the stigmata was questioned; Padre Pio was not permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or to hear confessions. He did not complain of these decisions, which were soon reversed. However, he wrote no letters after 1924. His only other writing, a pamphlet on the agony of Jesus, was done before 1924.
Padre Pio rarely left the friary after he received the stigmata, but busloads of people soon began coming to see him. Each morning after a 5 a.m. Mass in a crowded church, he heard confessions until noon. He took a mid-morning break to bless the sick and all who came to see him. Every afternoon he also heard confessions. In time his confessional ministry would take 10 hours a day; penitents had to take a number so that the situation could be handled. Many of them have said that Padre Pio knew details of their lives that they had never mentioned.
Padre Pio saw Jesus in all the sick and suffering. At his urging, a fine hospital was built on nearby
 |
| A strong believer in Christian meditation, Padre Pio stated :"Through the study of book one seeks God; by meditation one finds him". |
A number of people have reported cures they believe were received through the intercession of Padre Pio. Those who assisted at his Masses came away edified; several curiosity seekers were deeply moved. Like St. Francis, Padre Pio sometimes had his habit torn or cut by souvenir hunters.
One of Padre Pio’s sufferings was that unscrupulous people several times circulated prophecies that they claimed originated from him. He never made prophecies about world events and never gave an opinion on matters that he felt belonged to Church authorities to decide. He died on September 23, 1968, and was beatified in 1999.
Comment:
At Padre Pio's canonization Mass in 2002, Pope John Paul II referred to that day's Gospel (Matthew 11:25-30) and said: “The Gospel image of 'yoke' evokes the many trials that the humble Capuchin of San Giovanni Rotondo endured. Today we contemplate in him how sweet is the 'yoke' of Christ and indeed how light the burden are whenever someone carries these with faithful love. The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.”
At Padre Pio's canonization Mass in 2002, Pope John Paul II referred to that day's Gospel (Matthew 11:25-30) and said: “The Gospel image of 'yoke' evokes the many trials that the humble Capuchin of San Giovanni Rotondo endured. Today we contemplate in him how sweet is the 'yoke' of Christ and indeed how light the burden are whenever someone carries these with faithful love. The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.”
Quote:
"The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain" (saying of Padre Pio).
"The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain" (saying of Padre Pio).
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LECTIO: 25TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (B)
Lectio: Sunday, September 23, 2012
The greatest in the
Kingdom
Mark 9:30-41
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures
with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In
the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the
presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the
cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life
and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in
Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor
and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples
from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to
others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and
peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father
and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the
reading:
The text of the Gospel for the liturgy of this Sunday presents
us with the second foretelling of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus.
As in the first foretelling (Mk 8:31-33), the disciples are scared and overcome
by fear. They do not understand anything about the cross, because they are not
capable of understanding nor of accepting a Messiah who becomes the servant of
his brethren. They still dream of a glorious messiah (Mt 16:21-22). There is a
great discrepancy among the disciples. While Jesus proclaims his Passion and
Death, they discuss who will be the greatest among them (Mk 9:34). Jesus wishes
to serve, they only think of ruling! Ambition makes them want to take a place
next to Jesus. What is it that stands out in my life: competitiveness and the
desire to rule or the desire to serve and encourage others?
Jesus’ reaction to the demands of the disciples helps us
understand a little concerning the fraternal pedagogy used by him to form his
disciples. It shows us how he helped them to overcome “the leaven of the
Pharisees and of Herod” (Mk 8:15). Such leaven has deep roots. It springs up
again and again! But Jesus does not give up! He constantly fights against and
criticises the wrong kind of “leaven”. Today too we have a leaven of the
dominant ideology: the spread of the neo-liberal system, of commerce, of
consumerism, of novels, of games, all deeply influencing our way of thinking
and acting. Today too we have the leaven of the dominant ideology. Like the
disciples of Jesus, we too are not always capable of keeping up a critical
attitude towards the invasion of this leaven. Jesus’ attitude of formator
continues to help us.
b) A division of the
text to help us in our reading:
Mark 9:30-32: the proclamation of the Passion
Mark 9:33-37: a discussion on who is the greatest
Mark 9:38-40: the use of the name of Jesus
Mark 9:41: the reward for a cup of water
c) The text:
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee .
And he would not have any one know it; 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying
to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they
will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise." 32 But they did not
understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him.
33 And they came to Capernaum
38 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons
in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us." 39 But Jesus said,
"Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be
able soon after to speak evil of me. 40 For he that is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to
you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of
Christ, will by no means lose his reward.
3. A moment of
prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) Which words pleased you most or drew your attention?
b) What attitude did the disciples take in each of the passages:
vv 30-32; vv 33-37; vv 38-40? Is it the same attitude in the three passages?
c) What is Jesus’ teaching in each episode?
d) What does the phrase “Anyone who is not against us is for us”
mean for us today?
5. A key to the
reading
for those who wish to go deeper into the text.
a) Comment
Mark 9:30-32: The proclamation of the Cross.
Jesus was going across Galilee ,
but he did not want the people to know this, because he was concerned with the
formation of his disciples. He talks to them about “The Son of Man” who must be
handed over. Jesus draws his teaching from the prophecies. In the formation of
his disciples he uses the Bible. The disciples listen, but they do not
understand. Yet they do not ask for explanations. Perhaps they are afraid to
show their ignorance!
Mark 9:33-34: A competitive mentality.
When they return home, Jesus asks: What were you arguing about
on the road? They do not reply. It is the silence of those who feel guilty,
because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. The “leaven” of
competitiveness and prestige, which characterised the society of the Roman Empire , had infiltrated among the small community
still in its beginnings! Here we see the contrast! While Jesus is thinking of
being the Messiah-Servant, they were thinking about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus tries to descend while they try to ascend!
Mark 9:35-37: To serve and not to rule.
Jesus’ reply is a resume of the witness he had given from the
very beginning: If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all
and servant of all! And the last gains nothing. He is a useless servant (cf. Lk
17:10). The use of power is not to ascend or rule, but to descend and serve.
This is the point that Jesus stresses most and on which he bases his witness
(cf. Mk 10:45; Mt 20:28; Jn 13:1-16).
Jesus takes a little child. Someone who only thinks of ascending
and ruling has no time for the little ones, for children. But Jesus turns
everything upside down! He says: Anyone who welcomes one of these little
children in my name welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but
the one who sent me! He identifies himself with the children. Anyone who
welcomes the little ones in the name of Jesus welcomes God himself!
Mark 9:38-40: A restricted mentality.
Someone who did not belong to the community was using the name
of Jesus to cast out devils. John, the disciple, sees him and stops him:
Because he was not one of us we tried to stop him. John stops a good action in
the name of the community. He thought he owned Jesus and wanted to stop others
from using Jesus’ name to do good. This was the restricted and old mentality of
the “Elect, the separate People!” Jesus replies: You must not stop him! Anyone
who is not against us is for us! (Mk 9:40). What is important for Jesus is not
whether the person is or is not part of the community, but whether the person
does or does not do the good deeds that the community should be doing.
Mark 9:41: A cup of water deserves a reward.
Here we have an inserted phrase used by Jesus: If anyone gives
you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you
solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward. Let us consider two
thoughts: 1) If anyone gives you a cup of water: Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem
b) Further
explanations in order to better understand the text
• Jesus, the “Son of Man”
This is Jesus’ favourite name. It appears quite frequently in
the Gospel of Mark (Mk 2:10-28; 8:31-38; 9:9-12.31; 10:33-45; 13:26;
14:21.41.62). This title comes from the Old Testament. In the book of Ezekiel,
he presents the human condition of the prophet (Ez 3:1.10.17; 4:1 etc.). In the
book of Daniel, the same title appears in an apocalyptic vision (Dn 7:1-28),
where Daniel describes the empires of the Babylonians, the Medians, the
Persians and the Greeks. In the prophet’s vision, these four empires appear as
“monstrous animals” (cf. Dn 7:3-8). They are beastly empires, brutal, inhuman,
that persecute and kill (Dn 7:21-25). In the prophet’s vision, after two
inhuman reigns the Kingdom
of God
In Daniel’s prophecy, the figure of the Son of Man represents,
not an individual, but as he says, the “people of the Saints of the Most High”
(Dn 7:27; cf Dn 7:18). It is the people of God that will not allow itself to be
cheated or manipulated by the dominant ideology of the beastly empires. The
mission of the Son of Man, that is, of the people of God, consists in realising
the Kingdom of God
When Jesus presents himself to his disciples as the Son of Man,
he assumes as his the mission that is the mission of the whole People of God.
It is as though he were saying to them and to us: “Come with me! This mission
is not only mine, but of all of us! Together, let us accomplish the mission
that God has entrusted to us: to build the human and humanising Kingdom of his
dream! Let us do what he did and lived throughout his life, above all, in the
last three years of his life. Pope Leo the Great used to say: “Jesus was so
human, so human, as only God can be!” The more human it is, the more divine it
becomes. The more we are “son of man” so much more will we be “son of God”.
Everything that makes people less human draws people away from God, even in
religious life, even in Carmelite life! This is what Jesus condemned and he
placed the good of the human person above the law and the Sabbath (Mk 2:27).
• Jesus, the Formator
“To follow” was a term that was part of the system of education
at that time. It was used to indicate the relationship between disciple and
master. The relationship between disciple and master is different from that of
teacher and student. Students follow the lessons of the teacher on some
particular subject. Disciples “follow” the master and live with him all the
time.
It is during this period of “living together” for three years
that the disciples will receive their formation. A formation in the “following
of Jesus” was not just the passing on of some decorative truths, but the communication
of a new experience of God and of the life that shone from Jesus for the
disciples. The very community that grew around Jesus was the expression of this
new experience. This formation led people to see things differently, to
different attitudes. It created in them a new awareness concerning the mission
and respect for self. It made them take the side of the excluded. It produced a
“conversion”, the consequence of having accepted the Good News (Mk 1:15).
Jesus is the axle, the centre, the model, the point of reference
of the community. He shows the road to follow, he is “the way, the truth and
the life” (Jn 14:6). His attitude is proof and an exposition of the Kingdom: he
makes the love of the Father transparent and incarnates and reveals it (Mk 6:31;
Mt 10:30; Lk 15:11-32). Jesus is a “meaningful person” for them, who will leave
on them a permanent mark. Many small gestures mirror this witness of life that
Jesus gave by his presence in the life of the disciples. It was his way of
giving human form to the experience he had of the Father. In this way of being
and sharing, of relating to people, of leading the people and of listening to
those who came to him, Jesus is seen:
* as the person of peace, who inspires and reconciles: “Peace be
with you!” (Jn. 20:19; Mt 10:26-33; Mt 18:22; Jn 20:23; Mt 16:19; Mt 18:18);
* as a free person and one who liberates, who awakens freedom
and liberation: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mk
2:27; 2:18-23);
* as a person of prayer, whom we see praying at all important
moments of his life and who inspires others to prayer: “Lord, teach us to
pray!” (Lk 11:1-4; Lk 4:1-13; 6:12-13; Jn 11:41-42; Mt 11:25; Jn 17:1-26; Lk
23:46; Mk 15:34);
* as a loving person who arouses reactions full of love (Lk 7:37-38;
8:2-3; Jn 21:15-17; Mk 14:3-9; Jn 13:1);
*as a welcoming person who is always present in the lives of the
disciples and who welcomes them when they come back from the mission (Lk 10:7);
* as a realistic and observing person who arouses the attention of
the disciples in matters of life by teaching them in Parables (Lk 8:4-8);
* as a caring person always paying attention to the disciples
(Jn 21:9), who looks after their rest and who wishes to stay with them so that
the may rest (Mk 6:31);
* as someone preoccupied with the situation even to forgetting
that his tiredness and his rest when he sees people who are looking for him (Mt
9:36-38);
* as a friend who shares everything, even the secrets of his
Father (Jn 15:15);
* as an understanding person who accepts the disciples just as
they are, even when they flee from him, in spite of their denial and their
betrayal of him, without ever breaking with them (Mk 14:27-28; Jn 6:67);
* as a committed person who defends his friends when they are
criticised by their adversaries (Mk 2:18-19; 7:5-13);
* as a wise person who knows the fragility of human beings,
knows what happens in the heart of a person, and thus insists on vigilance and
teaches them to pray (Lk 11:1-13; Mt 6:5-15).
In a word, Jesus shows himself to be a human person, very human,
so human as only God can know to be human! Son of Man.
6. Psalm 30 (29)
Thanksgiving after some mortal danger
I will extol thee, O Lord,
for thou hast drawn me up,
and hast not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to thee for help,
and thou hast healed me.
O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
As for me, I said in my prosperity,
"I shall never be moved."
By thy favour, O Lord,
thou hadst established me as a strong mountain;
thou didst hide thy face, I was dismayed.
To thee, O Lord,
I cried; and to the Lord I made supplication:
"What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise thee?
Will it tell of thy faithfulness?
Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be thou my helper!"
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;
thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
that my soul may praise thee and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever.
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to
understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions
and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us.
May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word.
You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever
and ever. Amen.
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