Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops
Lectionary: 520/316
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God
for the promise of life in Christ Jesus,
to Timothy, my dear child:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to God,
whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did,
as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.
I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears,
so that I may be filled with joy,
as I recall your sincere faith
that first lived in your grandmother Lois
and in your mother Eunice
and that I am confident lives also in you.
For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
for the promise of life in Christ Jesus,
to Timothy, my dear child:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to God,
whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did,
as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.
I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears,
so that I may be filled with joy,
as I recall your sincere faith
that first lived in your grandmother Lois
and in your mother Eunice
and that I am confident lives also in you.
For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
OrTI 1:1-5
Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ
for the sake of the faith of God’s chosen ones
and the recognition of religious truth,
in the hope of eternal life
that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,
who indeed at the proper time revealed his word
in the proclamation with which I was entrusted
by the command of God our savior,
to Titus, my true child in our common faith:
grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.
For this reason I left you in Crete
so that you might set right what remains to be done
and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you.
for the sake of the faith of God’s chosen ones
and the recognition of religious truth,
in the hope of eternal life
that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,
who indeed at the proper time revealed his word
in the proclamation with which I was entrusted
by the command of God our savior,
to Titus, my true child in our common faith:
grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.
For this reason I left you in Crete
so that you might set right what remains to be done
and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you.
Responsorial PsalmPS 96:1-2A, 2B-3, 7-8A, 10
R. (3) Proclaim
God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
GospelMK 3:20-21
Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
www.usccb.org
Meditation:"He
is beside himself"
Is the Lord Jesus honored in your
home? Why would Jesus' relatives be so upset with him when he began his public
ministry? On one occasion Jesus remarked that a
man's enemies will be the members of his own household (Matthew 10:36). The Gospel of Mark
records the reaction of Jesus' relatives when he went home: they came to seize him. They,
no doubt, thought that Jesus must have gone mad or become a religious fanatic.
How could a good home-body from Nazareth leave his carpentry trade and go off
to become an itinerant preacher? Jesus had thrown away the security and safety
of a quiet and respectable life close to his family and relatives. He probably
expected some opposition or reaction from the highest religious authorities in
Jerusalem. The hardest opposition, however, may come from someone close to us,
even your own kin. Jesus met opposition with grace and with determination to
fulfill his Father's will. Are you ready to obey and follow the Lord even if
others oppose your doing so?"Lord Jesus, help me to put you first in all my thoughts and concerns. And may I always find joy in doing your will, even in times of difficulty or opposition."
www.dailyscripture.net
 Through the Eyes of Faith |
Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus,
bishops
|
Father Walter Schu, LC
Mark 3:20-21
Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” Introductory Prayer: Another week has passed in your company, in your service. What a joy, what an honor, what a glory to be the subject of a king like you! Lord, I know that you make all things new and that through this moment of prayer you can give me new vision of faith to see you more clearly. Petition: Lord, help me to strive to be a source of happiness for others. 1. Home life for Jesus Christ:We know that Jesus made his home in Capernaum. (“And leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum” Mt. 4:13.) Today’s short Gospel passage indicates that Our Lord did not find rest at home. From all over, the great crowds to whom he has been preaching have followed him to his doorstep. When we return home from a hard day’s work, we likely seek a well-deserved rest, but perhaps a spouse and children wait for us there. They need to be shown our love, which involves our time, service, compassion, and support. Members of our extended family, neighbors, friends and people in need also look to us for help and kindness. Those we love and those in need ought to pull us outside of ourselves, so that like Christ, we reach out and lovingly serve them throughout the entire day. When I come home, do I strive to be a source of happiness and support for the members of my family, or does my self-centeredness close me off to the needs of the others? 2. A Man for Others: “Jesus was a man for others. Such a crowd gathered around Jesus and his disciples that they had no time even to eat. Nothing mattered more to Jesus than feeding the souls of his neighbor with the nourishment of his love and his truth, so much so that he neglected to feed himself. This self-sacrificing attitude permeated every moment of his earthly existence, culminating in the complete oblation of his life on the cross at Calvary” (John Bartunek, LC, The Better Part, p. 375). To what extent is my desire to serve those around me, even to the point of sacrifice, the thermometer of my love for them? Have I ever been accused by anyone of “madness” because of my dedication to others? 3. Out of His Mind? Some of Jesus’ relatives, whose outlook was all too human, believed that Christ’s commitment to others was excessive. “The only explanation, they thought, was that he was out of his mind. On reading these words of the Gospel, we cannot help being moved, realizing what Jesus did for love of us: people even thought him to be mad. Many saints, following Christ’s example, have been taken for madmen — but they were mad with love, mad with love for Jesus Christ” (The Navarre Bible: St. Mark, p. 87). Do I long to love Christ in my heart and in my life, even to the point of madness? Is my one great ideal in life to be a saint — not for my own sake, but in order to be able to transmit Christ’s love to those around me, to help bring about his Kingdom in souls? Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of faith. It is a gift more precious than life itself. Help me to see others with the eyes of faith, to pour myself out in loving and serving them, just like you did. Help me to love you with madness as I serve each of my brothers and sisters. Resolution: At the end of the day, I will pay special attention to fulfilling the needs and desires of my family members. |
SATURDAY, JANUARY 26
MARK 3:20-21
(2 Timothy 1:1-8 (or Titus 1:1-5); Psalm 37)
KEY VERSE: "Then he went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat" (v 20).
READING: Jesus returned to his home in Capernaum (probably Peter's house, Mk 1:29). The crowds who gathered outside the house became so demanding that Jesus and his disciples did not even have time to eat. When news of this reached Jesus' family members, they had trouble comprehending his austere life-style. At times, Jesus' own disciples had difficulty understanding him. To Jesus' family, it seemed as though he had thrown away security, safety and ambition to be an itinerant preacher with rag-tag followers, including fishermen, a tax-collector, and even a fanatical nationalist. These were not the kind of people with whom they would want to associate. His family feared that Jesus had lost his mind, and they decided to take charge of the matter since it seemed that he could not handle his own affairs. What appalled Jesus' family and friends was the risks he was taking, which no sensible person would ever take since it might cost him his reputation, and possibly his life.
REFLECTING: How do I respond when others misunderstand my commitment to the Lord?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, strengthen me to endure any criticism as I follow you.
Memorial of Timothy and Titus, bishops
Timothy was converted to Christianity by Paul around the year 47. Timothy�s Gentile father and Jewish mother Eunice had given him physical birth, but it was Paul who offered him eternal life in Jesus Christ. Timothy was a co-worker and close friend of Paul. He was Paul�s companion on his second and the third missionary journeys (Acts 16:3, 19:22), and was often sent by him on special missions (Acts 19:22; 1 Cor 4:17; 1 Thes 3:2). Timothy was the head of the Church in Ephesus, and the recipient of two canonical letters from Paul. Timothy was stoned to death in 97 for opposing the worship of Dionysius.
Timothy was converted to Christianity by Paul around the year 47. Timothy�s Gentile father and Jewish mother Eunice had given him physical birth, but it was Paul who offered him eternal life in Jesus Christ. Timothy was a co-worker and close friend of Paul. He was Paul�s companion on his second and the third missionary journeys (Acts 16:3, 19:22), and was often sent by him on special missions (Acts 19:22; 1 Cor 4:17; 1 Thes 3:2). Timothy was the head of the Church in Ephesus, and the recipient of two canonical letters from Paul. Timothy was stoned to death in 97 for opposing the worship of Dionysius.
Titus, a pagan by birth, became one of Paul's most illustrious
disciples. He accompanied the apostle on several of his missionary journeys and
was entrusted with important missions. Finally he came with Paul to the island
of Crete, where he was appointed bishop. He performed this duty in accordance
with the admonition given him, "In all things show yourself an example of
good works" (Tit 2:7). Tradition tells us that he died a natural death at
the age of 94. Paul left a worthy monument to Titus, his faithful disciple, in
the beautiful pastoral letter which forms part of the New Testament.
www.daily-word-of-life.comSaturday 26th January, 2013
Australia Day.
The Lord speaks of peace to his people
‘Go, eat the feast, drink the sweet wine, and send a portion to those who have nothing prepared.’
When they returned from exile to their homeland, the people of Israel had plenty to celebrate. But they were reminded of their obligations of generosity and hospitality. Many of those who were in the party that stepped ashore at Botany Bay had little to celebrate - nor did those who already called this land ‘home’. Those new arrivals went on to build a great nation.
As we commemorate the early white settlers, may we remember not just to celebrate but also to make generosity and hospitality a central part in our lives. May we take Paul’s words to our hearts: ‘Have a profound respect for each other; have hope; do not give up; make hospitality your special care’.
www.churchresources.info
January 26
Sts. Timothy and Titus
Timothy (d. 97?): What we know from the New Testament of Timothy’s life makes it
sound like that of a modern harried bishop. He had the honor of being a fellow
apostle with Paul, both sharing the privilege of preaching the gospel and suffering
for it.
Timothy had a
Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice. Being the product of a “mixed”
marriage, he was considered illegitimate by the Jews. It was his grandmother,
Lois, who first became Christian. Timothy was a convert of Paul around the year
47 and later joined him in his apostolic work. He was with Paul at the founding
of the Church in Corinth. During the 15 years he worked with Paul, he became
one of his most faithful and trusted friends. He was sent on difficult missions
by Paul—often in the face of great disturbance in local churches which Paul had
founded.
Timothy was with
Paul in Rome during the latter’s house arrest. At some period Timothy himself
was in prison (Hebrews 13:23). Paul installed him as his representative at the Church
of Ephesus.
Timothy was
comparatively young for the work he was doing. (“Let no one have contempt for
your youth,” Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:12a.) Several references seem to
indicate that he was timid. And one of Paul’s most frequently quoted lines was
addressed to him: “Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the
sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23).
Titus (d. 94?):
Titus has the
distinction of being a close friend and disciple of Paul as well as a fellow missionary.
He was Greek, apparently from Antioch. Even though Titus was a Gentile, Paul
would not let him be forced to undergo circumcision at Jerusalem. Titus is seen
as a peacemaker, administrator, great friend. Paul’s second letter to Corinth
affords an insight into the depth of his friendship with Titus, and the great
fellowship they had in preaching the gospel: “When I went to Troas...I had no
relief in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus. So I took leave of
them and went on to Macedonia.... For even when we came into Macedonia, our
flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—external conflicts,
internal fears. But God, who encourages the downcast, encouraged us by the
arrival of Titus...” (2 Corinthians 2:12a, 13; 7:5-6).
When Paul was
having trouble with the community at Corinth, Titus was the bearer of Paul’s
severe letter and was successful in smoothing things out. Paul writes he was
strengthened not only by the arrival of Titus but also “by the encouragement
with which he was encouraged in regard to you, as he told us of your yearning,
your lament, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.... And his heart
goes out to you all the more, as he remembers the obedience of all of you, when
you received him with fear and trembling” (2 Corinthians 7:7a, 15).
The Letter to
Titus addresses him as the administrator of the Christian community on the
island of Crete, charged with organizing it, correcting abuses and appointing
presbyter-bishops.
Comment:
In Titus we get another glimpse of life in the early Church: great zeal in the apostolate, great communion in Christ, great friendship. Yet always there is the problem of human nature and the unglamorous details of daily life: the need for charity and patience in “quarrels with others, fears within myself,” as Paul says. Through it all, the love of Christ sustained them. At the end of the Letter to Titus, Paul says that when the temporary substitute comes, “hurry to me.”
In Titus we get another glimpse of life in the early Church: great zeal in the apostolate, great communion in Christ, great friendship. Yet always there is the problem of human nature and the unglamorous details of daily life: the need for charity and patience in “quarrels with others, fears within myself,” as Paul says. Through it all, the love of Christ sustained them. At the end of the Letter to Titus, Paul says that when the temporary substitute comes, “hurry to me.”
Quote:
“But when the kindness and generous love of God our Savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. This saying is trustworthy” (Titus 3:4-8).
“But when the kindness and generous love of God our Savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. This saying is trustworthy” (Titus 3:4-8).
Patron
Saint of:
Stomach disorders
www.americancatholic.orgStomach disorders
St. Paula
Patron of widows
347 - 404
Born in Rome of a noble family on May 5, 347. Paula married Toxotius, and the couple had five children - Toxotius, Blesilla, Paulina, Eustochium, and Rufina. They were regarded as an ideal married couple, and on his deathin 379, she renounced the world, lived in the greatest austerity, and devoted herself to helping the poor. She met St. Jerome in 382 through St. Epiphanius and Paulinus of Antioch and was closely associated with Jerome in his work while he was in Rome. The death of her daughter Blesilla in 384 left her heartbroken, and in 385 she left Rome with Eustochium, traveled to the Holy Land with Jerome, and a year later settled in Bethlehem under his spiritual direction. She and Eustochium built a hospice, a monastery, and a convent, which Paula governed. She became Jerome's closest confidante and assistant, taking care of him and helping him in his biblical work, build numerous churches, which were to cause her financial difficulties in her old age, and died at Bethlehem on January 26. She is the patroness of widows. Her feast day is January 26.
www.catholic.org
LECTIO: LUKE 10,1-9
Lectio:
Saturday,
January 26, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
you are a generous Father,
who give us what is good for us
simply because you love us.
Give us grateful hearts, Lord,
that we may learn from you
to give and share without calculation
but simply with love and joy,
as Jesus did among us, your Son,
who lives with you and with us for ever.
Lord our God,
you are a generous Father,
who give us what is good for us
simply because you love us.
Give us grateful hearts, Lord,
that we may learn from you
to give and share without calculation
but simply with love and joy,
as Jesus did among us, your Son,
who lives with you and with us for ever.
2) Gospel Reading -
Luke 10, 1-9
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself would be visiting. And he said to them, 'The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to do his harvesting. Start off now, but look, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Take no purse with you, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, let your first words be, "Peace to this house!" And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, "The kingdom of God is very near to you."
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself would be visiting. And he said to them, 'The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to do his harvesting. Start off now, but look, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Take no purse with you, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, let your first words be, "Peace to this house!" And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, "The kingdom of God is very near to you."
3) Reflection
• During the time of Jesus there were several movements which, like Jesus, sought a new way of living. For example, John the Baptist, the Pharisees and others. Many of them formed a community and had disciples. (Jn 1, 35; Lk 11, 1; Acts 19, 3) and they had their own missionaries (Mt 23, 25). But there was a great difference! The Pharisees, for example, when they went on mission, they went already prepared. They thought that they could not eat what the people would offer them, because the food was not always ritually “pure”. For this reason, they took with them purses and money in order to be able to take care of their own food. Thus, instead of working toward overcoming the divisions, this observances of the Law of purity weakened even more the living out of community values.
• The proposal of Jesus is different. He tries to rescue the community values which had been suffocated, and tries to renew and to reorganize the communities in such a way that they could, once again, be an expression of the Covenant, a sign of the Kingdom of God. And this is what is said to us in today’s Gospel which describes the sending out of the 72 disciples:
• Luke 10, 1: The Mission. Jesus sends the disciples to places where he himself has to go. The disciple is the spokesperson of Jesus. He is not the owner of the Good News. Jesus sends the disciples in pairs, two by two. That is useful for mutual help, because the mission is not individual, but rather communitarian. Two persons represent the community better than only one.
• Luke 10, 2-3: Co-responsibility. The first task is that of praying so that God may send workers. Every disciple - ,man and woman – has to feel responsible for the mission. And thus has to pray to the Father to send workers to continue the mission. Jesus sends his disciples as sheep among wolves. The mission is a difficult and dangerous task. Because the system in which they lived was and continues to be contrary to the reorganization of the people in a community of life. The Mission to which Jesus sends the 72 disciples tries to recover four community values:
- Luke 10, 4-6: Hospitality. Contrary to the other missionaries, the disciples of Jesus – men and women – cannot take anything with them, neither purse, nor sandals. They can and should only take peace. That means that they have to trust in the hospitality of the people. Because the disciple who goes without anything, taking only peace, shows that he/she trusts the people. The disciple thinks that he/she will be received, and the people feel respected and confirmed. Through this practice the disciple criticizes the laws of exclusion and recovers the ancient value of hospitality. Greet no one on the road, probably means, that no time should be lost in things which do not belong to the mission.
- Luke 10, 7: Sharing. The disciples should not go from house to house, but should remain in the same house. That is, they should live together with the people in a stable way, participate in their life and in the work of the people of the place and live from what they receive in exchange, because the labourer deserves his wages. This means that they have to trust in sharing. Thus, through this new practice, they recover an ancient tradition of the people, they criticize the culture of accumulation which distinguished the politics of the Roman Empire and announced a new model of living together.
- Luke 10, 8: Communion around the same table. The disciples should eat what the people offer them. They cannot live separated, eating their own food. That means that they should accept the communion and cannot be separated, eating their own food. This means that they have to accept to sit around the table with the others. In this contact with the others, they should not fear to loose the legal purity. Acting in this way, they criticize the laws of purity which were in force and they announce a new access to purity, to the intimacy with God..
- Luke 10, 9a: The Acceptance of the excluded. The disciples should cure those who are sick, cure the lepers and cast out the devils (Mt 10, 8). This means that in the community they should accept those who are excluded. This practice of solidarity criticizes society which excludes and indicates concrete solutions.
• Luke 10, 9b: The coming of the Kingdom. If all these requirements are respected, the disciples can and should cry out in the four directions: The Kingdom is here! Because the Kingdom is a new way of living and of living together with others, according to the Good News which Jesus has come to reveal to us: God is Father and because of this we are all brothers and sisters. In the first place, to educate for the Kingdom is to teach a new way of living and of living together with others, a new way of acting and of thinking.
• During the time of Jesus there were several movements which, like Jesus, sought a new way of living. For example, John the Baptist, the Pharisees and others. Many of them formed a community and had disciples. (Jn 1, 35; Lk 11, 1; Acts 19, 3) and they had their own missionaries (Mt 23, 25). But there was a great difference! The Pharisees, for example, when they went on mission, they went already prepared. They thought that they could not eat what the people would offer them, because the food was not always ritually “pure”. For this reason, they took with them purses and money in order to be able to take care of their own food. Thus, instead of working toward overcoming the divisions, this observances of the Law of purity weakened even more the living out of community values.
• The proposal of Jesus is different. He tries to rescue the community values which had been suffocated, and tries to renew and to reorganize the communities in such a way that they could, once again, be an expression of the Covenant, a sign of the Kingdom of God. And this is what is said to us in today’s Gospel which describes the sending out of the 72 disciples:
• Luke 10, 1: The Mission. Jesus sends the disciples to places where he himself has to go. The disciple is the spokesperson of Jesus. He is not the owner of the Good News. Jesus sends the disciples in pairs, two by two. That is useful for mutual help, because the mission is not individual, but rather communitarian. Two persons represent the community better than only one.
• Luke 10, 2-3: Co-responsibility. The first task is that of praying so that God may send workers. Every disciple - ,man and woman – has to feel responsible for the mission. And thus has to pray to the Father to send workers to continue the mission. Jesus sends his disciples as sheep among wolves. The mission is a difficult and dangerous task. Because the system in which they lived was and continues to be contrary to the reorganization of the people in a community of life. The Mission to which Jesus sends the 72 disciples tries to recover four community values:
- Luke 10, 4-6: Hospitality. Contrary to the other missionaries, the disciples of Jesus – men and women – cannot take anything with them, neither purse, nor sandals. They can and should only take peace. That means that they have to trust in the hospitality of the people. Because the disciple who goes without anything, taking only peace, shows that he/she trusts the people. The disciple thinks that he/she will be received, and the people feel respected and confirmed. Through this practice the disciple criticizes the laws of exclusion and recovers the ancient value of hospitality. Greet no one on the road, probably means, that no time should be lost in things which do not belong to the mission.
- Luke 10, 7: Sharing. The disciples should not go from house to house, but should remain in the same house. That is, they should live together with the people in a stable way, participate in their life and in the work of the people of the place and live from what they receive in exchange, because the labourer deserves his wages. This means that they have to trust in sharing. Thus, through this new practice, they recover an ancient tradition of the people, they criticize the culture of accumulation which distinguished the politics of the Roman Empire and announced a new model of living together.
- Luke 10, 8: Communion around the same table. The disciples should eat what the people offer them. They cannot live separated, eating their own food. That means that they should accept the communion and cannot be separated, eating their own food. This means that they have to accept to sit around the table with the others. In this contact with the others, they should not fear to loose the legal purity. Acting in this way, they criticize the laws of purity which were in force and they announce a new access to purity, to the intimacy with God..
- Luke 10, 9a: The Acceptance of the excluded. The disciples should cure those who are sick, cure the lepers and cast out the devils (Mt 10, 8). This means that in the community they should accept those who are excluded. This practice of solidarity criticizes society which excludes and indicates concrete solutions.
• Luke 10, 9b: The coming of the Kingdom. If all these requirements are respected, the disciples can and should cry out in the four directions: The Kingdom is here! Because the Kingdom is a new way of living and of living together with others, according to the Good News which Jesus has come to reveal to us: God is Father and because of this we are all brothers and sisters. In the first place, to educate for the Kingdom is to teach a new way of living and of living together with others, a new way of acting and of thinking.
4) Personal
questions
• Why are all these different attitudes recommended by Jesus signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God?
• How can we practice today what Jesus asks: “do not take with you any purse”, do not move from house to house”, “do not greet anyone on the road”, announce the Kingdom?
• Why are all these different attitudes recommended by Jesus signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God?
• How can we practice today what Jesus asks: “do not take with you any purse”, do not move from house to house”, “do not greet anyone on the road”, announce the Kingdom?
5) Concluding Prayer
The Law of Yahweh is perfect,
refreshment to the soul;
the decree of Yahweh is trustworthy,
wisdom for the simple. (Ps 19,7)
www.ocarm.orgThe Law of Yahweh is perfect,
refreshment to the soul;
the decree of Yahweh is trustworthy,
wisdom for the simple. (Ps 19,7)
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