Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch
Lectionary:
469
 |
| St.Ignatius of Antioch |
Brothers and sisters:
If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit theKingdom of God
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 And 6
R. (see Jn 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord,
will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Gospel Lk 11:42-46
The Lord said:
"Woe to you Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk."
Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,
"Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too."
And he said, "Woe also to you scholars of the law!
You impose on people burdens hard to carry,
but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.
"Woe to you Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk."
Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,
"Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too."
And he said, "Woe also to you scholars of the law!
You impose on people burdens hard to carry,
but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.
Meditation: "You
load burdens hard to bear"
Why does Jesus single out the
teachers and lawyers for some rather strong words of rebuke? The word woe can also be translated as alas. It is as much an expression
of sorrowful pity as it is of anger. Why did Jesus lament and issue such a
stern rebuke? Jesus was angry with the religious leaders because they failed to
listen to God's word and they misled the people they were supposed to guide in
the ways of God. The scribes devoted their lives to the study of the Law of
Moses and regarded themselves as legal experts in it. They divided the ten
commandments and precepts into thousands of tiny rules and regulations. They
were so exacting in their interpretations and in trying to live them out, that
they had little time for anything else. By the time they finished compiling
their interpretations it took no less than fifty volumes to contain them! In
their misguided zeal, they required unnecessary and burdensome rules which
obscured the more important matters of religion, such as love of God and love
of neighbor. They were leading people to Pharisaism rather than to God.Jesus used the example of tithing to show how far they had missed the mark. God had commanded a tithe of the first fruits of one's labor as an expression of thanksgiving and honor for his providential care for his people (Deuteronomy 14:22; Leviticus 27:30). The scribes, however, went to extreme lengths to tithe on insignificant things (such as tiny plants) with great mathematical accuracy. They were very attentive to minute matters of little importance, but they neglected to care for the needy and the weak. Jesus admonished them because their hearts were not right. They were filled with pride and contempt for others. They put unnecessary burdens on others while neglecting to show charity, especially to the weak and the poor. They meticulously went through the correct motions of conventional religion while forgetting the realities.
Why does Jesus also compare them with "unmarked graves"? According to Numbers 19:16 contact with a grave made a person ritually unclean for seven days. Jesus turns the table on the Pharisees by declaring that those who come into contact with them and listen to their self-made instruction are likewise defiled by their false doctrine. They infect others with wrong ideas of God and of his intentions. Since the Pharisees are "unmarked", other people do not recognize the decay within and do not realize the danger of spiritual contamination. The Pharisees must have taken Jesus' accusation as a double insult: They are not only spiritually unclean themselves because they reject the word of God, but they also contaminate others with their dangerous "leaven" as well (see Luke 12:1).
What was the point of Jesus' lesson? The essence of God's commandments is love – love of the supreme good – God himself and love of our neighbor who is made in the image and likeness of God. God is love (1 John 4:8) and everything he does flows from his love for us. God's love is unconditional and is wholly directed towards the good of others. True love both embraces and lifts the burdens of others. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given us" (Romans 5:5). Do you help your neighbors carry their burdens? God gives each of us sufficient grace for each day to love as he loves and to lift the burdens of others that they, too, may experience the grace and love of Jesus Christ.
"Lord Jesus, inflame my heart with your love that I may always pursue what matters most – love of you, my God, and love of my fellow neighbor whom you have made in your own image and likeness. Free my heart from selfish evil desires that I may only have room for kindness, mercy, and goodness toward every person I know and meet."
www.dailyscripture.net
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Memorial of Saint Ignatius of
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Listen to podcast version here. "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it." One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too." And he said, "Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them.” |
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17
LUKE 11:42-46
(Galatians 5:18-25; Psalm 1)
Key Verse: "You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them" (v 46).
READING : With every clash between Jesus and the religious leaders, he moved a step closer to Calvary . Jesus spoke stern words to the Pharisees and the
scholars of theLaw (scribes) for
oppressing the people with their impossible legal requirements, and doing
nothing to lighten their burden. While the Law required people to pay a 10% tax on
produce, the Pharisees taxed even the tiniest garden herbs while ignoring the
greater demands of the Law, which
was justice and charity. The Pharisees loved to be
respected by the people in the synagogue and marketplace. Although they gave the appearance of being holy
men, they were spiritually as dead as the "unclean" bones in the
graveyard. Jesus accused the scribes of using the law as a rod to punish the
people instead of interpreting it for them as a gift from God. They had taken
away the means for true understanding of God and salvation, and by misusing the
law have been themselves misled.
REFLECTING: In what areas of my life am I hypocritical in observing God's law?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to obey your laws of justice and love.
LUKE 11:42-46
(Galatians 5:18-25; Psalm 1)
Key Verse: "You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them" (v 46).
REFLECTING: In what areas of my life am I hypocritical in observing God's law?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to obey your laws of justice and love.
Memorial
of Ignatius of Antioch , bishop and martyr
Also called Theophorus, Ignatius was born in Syria, around the year 50. He was a convert from paganism to Christianity. If we include St. Peter, Ignatius was the third Bishop of Antioch and the immediate successor of Evodius. All the qualities of an ideal pastor were possessed by the Bishop of Antioch in a preeminent degree. Accordingly, when the storm of the persecution of Domitian broke in its full fury upon the Christians of Syria, it found their faithful leader unremitting in his vigilance and tireless in his efforts to inspire hope and to strengthen his flock against the terrors of the persecution. The triple honor of apostle, bishop, and martyr was well merited by this energetic soldier of the faith. An enthusiastic devotion to duty, a passionate love of sacrifice, and an utter fearlessness in the defense of Christian truth, were his chief characteristics, which proves that in every sense Ignatius was a true pastor of souls, the good shepherd that lay down his life for his sheep. During the persecution of the Emperor Trajan, he was ordered taken to
I am
writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God
if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show me no untimely
kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am
God's wheat and bread.
Optional
Memorial St. Mary MacKillop
Pope Benedict XVI gave Australia its first saint on October 17,2010 canonizing a 19th century nun who was briefly excommunicated. Born in 1842, Mary MacKillop grew up in poverty as the first of eight children of Scottish immigrants. She became a teacher, inviting the poor and the Aborigines of the area to attend free classes in a six-room stable. She was the co-founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, with the goal of serving the poor, the sick and the disadvantaged, particularly through education. As a young nun, MacKillop and 47 other nuns from her order were briefly dismissed from the Roman Catholic Church in a clash with high clergy in 1871. One of the catalysts for the move was that her order had exposed a pedophile priest. Five months later, the bishop revoked his ruling from his deathbed, restoring MacKillop to her order and paving the way for her decades of work educating the poor acrossAustralia and New Zealand
Pope Benedict XVI gave Australia its first saint on October 17,2010 canonizing a 19th century nun who was briefly excommunicated. Born in 1842, Mary MacKillop grew up in poverty as the first of eight children of Scottish immigrants. She became a teacher, inviting the poor and the Aborigines of the area to attend free classes in a six-room stable. She was the co-founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, with the goal of serving the poor, the sick and the disadvantaged, particularly through education. As a young nun, MacKillop and 47 other nuns from her order were briefly dismissed from the Roman Catholic Church in a clash with high clergy in 1871. One of the catalysts for the move was that her order had exposed a pedophile priest. Five months later, the bishop revoked his ruling from his deathbed, restoring MacKillop to her order and paving the way for her decades of work educating the poor across
Those
who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
‘Alas for
you …’Jesus spoke with authority. People were amazed at the authority with which he spoke; and his actions corresponded with his words. He could be trusted.
Jesus, there are times when I know I don’t trust you, when I feel as though I have been let down by you. Partly the problem is, Lord, that I expect you to work in different ways than you do. I am sorry for those false expectations. Help me to realise that the Father’s kingdom is within me and in my daily life. Help me to be more open to God in prayer and in the daily routine of my life—the very place where you are.
Since your Spirit is our life, as Paul says, let us be directed by the Spirit.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Expressing Ourselves
Human beings do not live in
their minds alone. We need to externalize bodily—with words, signs, and
gestures—what is in our minds and hearts. We need to see, hear, and feel
forgiveness—not just think about it.
— from Catholic Update Guide to
the Sacraments of Healing
October 17
St. Ignatius ofAntioch
(d. 107?)
St. Ignatius of
(d. 107?)
Born in Syria ,
Ignatius converted to Christianity and eventually became bishop of Antioch Antioch Rome
Ignatius
is well known for the seven letters he wrote on the long journey from The sixth letter was to Polycarp, bishop of
Ignatius bravely met the lions in the Circus Maximus.
Comment:
Ignatius's great concern was for the unity and order of the Church. Even greater was his willingness to suffer martyrdom rather than deny his Lord Jesus Christ. Not to his own suffering did Ignatius draw attention, but to the love of God which strengthened him. He knew the price of commitment and would not deny Christ, even to save his own life.
Ignatius's great concern was for the unity and order of the Church. Even greater was his willingness to suffer martyrdom rather than deny his Lord Jesus Christ. Not to his own suffering did Ignatius draw attention, but to the love of God which strengthened him. He knew the price of commitment and would not deny Christ, even to save his own life.
Quote:
"I greet you fromSmyrna
"I greet you from
St.
Francois Gagelin
Feastday: October 17
1799 - 1833
During the French Revolution,
priests that remained faithful to the pope found a refuge in the home of the
Gagelin family of Montperreux ,
France Quang Tri , Vietnam Vietnam
He was beatified in 1900, and
canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
October 17
Blessed Contardo Ferrini
(1859-1902)
Blessed Contardo Ferrini
(1859-1902)
Contardo Ferrini was the son of a
teacher who went on to become a learned man himself, one acquainted with some
dozen languages. Today he is known as the patron of universities.
Born in
Contardo was learned about the faith he lived and loved. "Our life," he said, "must reach out toward the Infinite, and from that source we must draw whatever we can expect of merit and dignity." As a scholar he studied the ancient biblical languages and read the Scriptures in them. His speeches and papers show his understanding of the relationship of faith and science. He attended daily Mass and became a lay Franciscan, faithfully observing the Third Order rule of life. He also served through membership in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
His death in 1902 at the age of 43 occasioned letters from his fellow professors that praised him as a saint; the people of Suna, where he lived, insisted that he be declared a saint. Pope Pius XII beatified Contardo in 1947.
Comment:
Thanks to people like Contardo, our Church long ago laid to rest the idea that science and faith are incompatible. We thank God for the many ways science has made our lives better. All that remains to us is to help ensure that the rest of the world, especially impoverished nations, gets to enjoy the fruits of scientific advance.
Thanks to people like Contardo, our Church long ago laid to rest the idea that science and faith are incompatible. We thank God for the many ways science has made our lives better. All that remains to us is to help ensure that the rest of the world, especially impoverished nations, gets to enjoy the fruits of scientific advance.
Patron
Saint of:
Universities
Universities
LECTIO: LUKE 11,42-46
Lectio:
Wednesday, October 17,
2012
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
our help and guide,
make your love the
foundation of our lives.
May our love for you
express itself
in our eagerness to do
good for others.
You live and reign
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading
Jesus said: But alas
for you Pharisees, because you pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of
garden herbs and neglect justice and the love of God! These you should have
practised, without neglecting the others.
Alas for you
Pharisees, because you like to take the seats of honour in the synagogues and
to be greeted respectfully in the market squares!
Alas for you, because
you are like the unmarked tombs that people walk on without knowing it!'
A lawyer then spoke
up. 'Master,' he said, 'when you speak like this you insult us too.'
But he said, 'Alas for
you lawyers as well, because you load on people burdens that are unendurable,
burdens that you yourselves do not touch with your fingertips.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel
the conflictive relation between Jesus and the religious authority of the time
continues. Today in the church we have the same conflict. In a determinate
diocese the Bishop convoked the poor to participate actively. They accepted the
request and numerous began to participate. A great conflict arose. The rich
said that they had been excluded and some priests began to say: “the Bishop is
doing politics and forgets the Gospel”.
• Luke 11, 42: Alas
for you who do not think of justice and love. “Alas for you, Pharisees, because
your pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and neglect
justice and the love of God. These you should have practiced without neglecting
the others”. This criticism of Jesus against the religious heads of the time
can be repeated against many religious heads of the following centuries, even
up until now. Many times, in the name of God, we insist on details and we
forget justice and love. For example, Jansenism rendered arid the living out of
faith, insisting on observance and penance and leading people away from the
path of love. Saint Theresa of Lisieux, the Carmelite Sister grew in a
Jansenistic environment which marked France
The final observation
of Jesus said: “You should practice this, without neglecting the others”. This
observation recalls another observation of Jesus which serves as a comment: “Do
not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come
not to abolish but to complete them. In truth I tell you, till heaven and earth
disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, is to disappear from the Law
until all its purpose is achieved. Therefore, anyone who infringes even one of
the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be
considered the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but the person who keeps them
and teaches them will be considered great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I tell
you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees you
will never get into the Kingdom
of Heaven
• Luke 11, 43: Alas
for you, because you like to take the seats of honour. “Alas for you,
Pharisees, because you like to take the seats of honour in the Synagogues and
to be greeted respectfully in the market squares”. Jesus calls the attention of
the disciples on the hypocritical behaviour of some Pharisees. They like to go
around the squares with long tunics, and receive the greetings of the people,
to occupy the first seats in the synagogues and the seats of honour in the
banquets (cf. Mt 6, 5; 23, 5-7). Mark says that they lied to enter into the
houses of the widows to recite long prayers in exchange for some money. Such
persons will be judged very severely (Mk 12, 38-40). This also happens today in
the Church.
• Luke 11, 44: Alas for
you, unmarked tombs. “Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, because you are like
whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of the
bones of the dead and every kind of corruption” (Mt 23,27-28). The image of
“whitewashed tombs” speaks of itself and does not need any comments. Through
this image, Jesus condemns a fictitious appearance of persons who are correct,
but interiorly there is the complete negation of what they ant to appear to be
on the outside. Luke speaks about unmarked tombs: Alas for you, because you are
like those unmarked tombs that people walked on without knowing it. “. Anyone
who walks on or touches a tomb becomes impure, even if the tomb is hidden under
the ground. This image is very strong: on the outside the Pharisee seems to be
just and good, but this aspect is deceitful because inside there is a hidden
tomb, that without people being aware spreads a poison that kills, communicates
a mentality that leads people away from God , suggests an erroneous understanding
of the Good News of the Kingdom. It is an ideology which makes of God a dead
idol.
• Luke 11, 45-46:
Criticism of the Doctors of the Law and response of Jesus: A lawyer then spoke
up and said: “Master, when you speak like this you insult us too!" In his
response Jesus does not turn back, rather he shows clearly that the same
criticism is also for the Scribes: “Alas for you lawyers as well , because you
load on people burdens that are unbearable, burdens that you yourselves do not
touch with your fingertips!” In the Sermon on the Mountain, Jesus expresses the
same criticism which serves as a comment: “The Scribes and the Pharisees occupy
the chair of Moses. You must therefore, do and observe what they tell you, but
do not be guided by what they do , since they do not practice what they preach.
They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but will they
lift a finger to move them?” (Mt 23, 2-4).
4) Personal questions
• Hypocrisy maintains
an appearance which deceives. Up to what point does my hypocrisy reach? How far
does the hypocrisy of our Church go?
• Jesus criticized the
Scribes who insisted in the disciplinary observance of the minute points of the
law, as for example the to pay the tithe of mint and rue and all forts of
garden herbs and forget the objective of the Law which is the practice of
justice and the love. Can this criticism also apply to me?
5) Concluding prayer
How blessed is anyone
who rejects the advice of the wicked
and does not take a
stand in the path that sinners tread,
nor a seat in company
with cynics,
but who delights in
the law of Yahweh
and murmurs his law
day and night. (Ps 1,1-2)
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