Tuesday of
the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 318
Lectionary: 318
Brothers and sisters:
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come,
and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect
those who come to worship by the same sacrifices
that they offer continually each year.
Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered,
since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer
have had any consciousness of sins?
But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins,
for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when he came into the world, he said:
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, As is written of me in the scroll,
Behold, I come to do your will, O God.
First he says, Sacrifices and offerings,
burnt offerings and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, Behold, I come to do your will.
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come,
and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect
those who come to worship by the same sacrifices
that they offer continually each year.
Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered,
since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer
have had any consciousness of sins?
But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins,
for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when he came into the world, he said:
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, As is written of me in the scroll,
Behold, I come to do your will, O God.
First he says, Sacrifices and offerings,
burnt offerings and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, Behold, I come to do your will.
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Responsorial
Psalm ps 40:2 and 4ab, 7-8a, 10, 11
R. (8a and 9a) Here am I
Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Gospel Mk
3:31-35
The mother of Jesus and his
brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”
www.usccb.org
Meditation: "Whoever
does the will of God is my brother and sister"
Who do you love and cherish the most? God did not intend for us to be alone,
but to be with others. He gives us many opportunities for developing
relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Why did Jesus,
on this occasion, seem to ignore his own relatives when they pressed to see
him? His love and respect for his mother and his relatives was unquestionable.
Jesus never lost an opportunity to teach his disciples a spiritual lesson and
truth about the kingdom of God. On this occasion when many gathered to hear
Jesus he pointed to another higher reality of relationships, namely our
relationship with God and with those who belong to God. What is the essence of being a Christian? It is certainly more than doctrine, precepts, and commandments. It is first and foremost a relationship – a relationship of trust, affection, commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, thoughtfulness, compassion, mercy, helpfulness, encouragement, support, strength, protection, and so many other qualities that bind people together in mutual love and unity. God offers us the greatest of relationships – union of heart, mind, and spirit with himself, the very author and source of love (1 John 4:8,16). God's love never fails, never forgets, never compromises, never lies, never lets us down nor disappoints us. His love is consistent, unwavering, unconditional, and unstopable. Nothing can deter him from ever leaving us, ignoring us, or treating us unkindly. He will love us no matter what. It is his nature to love. That is why he created us – to be united with him and to share in his love and unity of persons (1 John 3:1). God is a trinity of persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and a community of love. That is why Jesus challenged his followers and even his own earthly relatives to recognize that God is the true source of all relationships. God wants all of our relationships to be rooted in his love.
Jesus is God's love incarnate – God's love made visible in human flesh (1 John 4:9-10). That is why Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep and the shepherd who seeks out the sheep who have strayed and lost their way. God is like the father who yearns for his prodigal son to return home and then throws a great party for his son when he has a change of heart and comes back (Luke 15:11-32). Jesus offered up his life on the cross for our sake, so that we could be forgiven and restored to unity and friendship with God. It is through Jesus that we become the adopted children of God – his own sons and daughters. That is why Jesus told his disciples that they would have many new friends and family relationships in his kingdom. Whoever does the will of God is a friend of God and a member of his family – his sons and daughters who have been ransomed by the precious blood of Christ.
An early Christian martyr once said that "a Christian's only relatives are the saints" – namely those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and adopted as sons and daughters of God. Those who have been baptized into Jesus Christ and who live as his disciples enter into a new family, a family of "saints" here on earth and in heaven. Jesus changes the order of relationships and shows that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood. Our adoption as sons and daughters of God transforms all of our relationships and requires a new order of loyalty to God first and to his kingdom of righteousness and peace. Do you want to grow in love and friendship? Allow God's Holy Spirit to transform your heart, mind, and will to enable you to love freely and generously as he loves.
"Heavenly Father, you are the source of all true friendship and love. In all my relationships, may your love be my constant guide for choosing what is good and for rejecting what is contrary to your will."
www.dailyscripture.net
 Stronger Than Blood |
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Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
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Mark
3:31-35
His mother and his
brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. A
crowd seated around him told him, "Your mother and your brothers and
your sisters are outside asking for you." But he said to them in reply,
"Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking around at those
seated in the circle he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For
whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
Introductory Prayer: Today I want to
encounter you as a friend and brother, Lord. I believe that you want to
encounter me and transform me. Thank you for working in my heart, calling me
to a deeper identification with you. I trust that you will lead me along
paths of growth and fruitfulness.
Petition: Lord, help me to put my will in conformity
with yours.
1. Maybe He Needs a Break: Jesus was very busy.
Perhaps he was tired. Perhaps his mother arrived to give him a bit of food or
a word of encouragement. But we find in today’s Gospel a Christ who is
strong. He has strengthened himself through intimate contact with the Father.
He has filled his heart with a love for souls. He finds nourishment in doing
the Father’s will. Surely his mother was encouraged by what she found. Do I
let the will of God be my strength? Does prayer transform me to the point
where charity and evangelization become my natural way of being?
2. Closeness for the Right Reason: As Jesus taught and healed, people were naturally attracted to
him. Yet simply being physically close to him did not count. One had to open
one’s heart to receive his message of conversion. He was looking to transform
people, to make them capable of living as sons and daughters of God. If I am
willing to learn Jesus’ standards and act as he does, then I can be close to
him. He will allow me into his intimacy if I make God’s will mine.
3. Accompanying Christ: There is a mysterious
reality here. I can actually bring consolation to Christ’s heart. I can
accompany him on his divine mission. I must be willing to renounce my will
and do only the will of the Father. Can Christ point to me and say, “He is my
brother; she is my sister; she is my mother”? I must look at my life and see
what is not in conformity to his will. I must make a firm resolution to show
my faith and love in the very thing that is most difficult for me.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, you give me
this short life in order to become part of your family. I want to make the
Father’s will my own as you did. Help me to put God’s will above everything
else, so that it becomes what I most deeply desire. Then I will truly be
yours.
Resolution: Today I will make an act of charity towards
someone with whom I find it difficult to get along.
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TUESDAY,
JANUARY 29
MARK 3:31-35
MARK 3:31-35
(Hebrews 10:1-10; Psalm 40)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother" (v 35).
READING: In Semitic languages "brothers" or "sisters" can mean children of the same parent, but can also imply extended members of a family such as cousins, etc. When Jesus was informed that his mother and his "brothers and sisters" were "outside" the house asking for him, Jesus told his followers that it took more than blood relationship to bind them together. True kinship resided in a common experience, especially when people had gone through difficult times together. The disciples were a very mixed group but they were bound together because they had accepted Jesus Christ as their Master and Lord. They had a common goal: that of seeking to win men and women for Jesus Christ. Those "inside" God's household were the one's who were obedient to God's will. Jesus' mother Mary exemplified this in all she did and said. If Mark intended to say that Mary had other children, he would have said, "the sons and daughters of your mother are here," which would explain that these were Jesus' natural brothers and sisters. The doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity was defined by the Lateran Council in 649 CE.
REFLECTING: Are others able to recognize me as a member of Jesus' family?
PRAYING: Mary my mother, teach me to be God's child so that I can be a brother or sister to your Son.
NOTE: In the early Christian
community, there was an influential group called the "Brothers of the
Lord" who were counted among Jesus' relatives. One of them was James who
became the leader of the Church in Jerusalem.
www.daily-word-of-life.comHere am I, Lord; I come to do your will
‘Here are my mother and my brothers.’
Much as we love and identify with our biological family, we need to be reminded (in the Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko’s words) that we are connected through our navels with all the tribes of humankind. As Christians we need to be further reminded that we have a special and intimate relationship with Christ and with one another through our baptism - a relationship appropriately described in familial terms.
It is never more clearly expressed than when, as brothers and sisters, we seek in harmony and mutual love to do the will of God; for then ‘the Spirit itself testifies together with our spirit that we are indeed God’s children’ (Romans 8:16). Our mantra today might well be Dante’s line: ‘In his will is our peace.’
www.churchresources.info
January 28
Servant of God Brother Juniper
(d. 1258)
Would to God, my brothers, I
had a whole forest of such Junipers," said Francis of this holy friar.
We don’t know much about Juniper before he joined the
friars in 1210. Francis sent him to establish "places" for the friars
in Gualdo Tadino and Viterbo. When St. Clare was dying, Juniper consoled her.
He was devoted to the passion of Jesus and was known for his simplicity.
Several stories about Juniper in the Little Flowers
of St. Francis illustrate his exasperating generosity. Once Juniper was
taking care of a sick man who had a craving to eat pig’s feet. This helpful
friar went to a nearby field, captured a pig and cut off one foot, and then
served this meal to the sick man. The owner of the pig was furious and
immediately went to Juniper’s superior. When Juniper saw his mistake, he
apologized profusely. He also ended up talking this angry man into donating the
rest of the pig to the friars!
Another time Juniper had been commanded to quit giving
part of his clothing to the half-naked people he met on the road. Desiring to
obey his superior, Juniper once told a man in need that he couldn’t give the
man his tunic, but he wouldn’t prevent the man from taking it either. In time,
the friars learned not to leave anything lying around, for Juniper would
probably give it away.
He died in 1258 and is buried at Ara Coeli Church in
Rome.
Comment:
What can we make of Juniper? He certainly seems to be the first of many Franciscan "characters." No doubt some of the stories about him have improved considerably in the retelling. Although the stories about Juniper may seem a little quaint, his virtues were not. He was humble because he knew the truth about God, himself and others. He was patient because he was willing to suffer ("patience" comes from patior meaning "to suffer") in his following of Jesus.
What can we make of Juniper? He certainly seems to be the first of many Franciscan "characters." No doubt some of the stories about him have improved considerably in the retelling. Although the stories about Juniper may seem a little quaint, his virtues were not. He was humble because he knew the truth about God, himself and others. He was patient because he was willing to suffer ("patience" comes from patior meaning "to suffer") in his following of Jesus.
Quote:
It is said that St. Francis once described the perfect friar by citing "the patience of Brother Juniper, who attained the state of perfect patience because he kept the truth of his low estate constantly in mind, whose supreme desire was to follow Christ on the way of the cross" (Mirror of Perfection, #85).
www.americancatholic.orgIt is said that St. Francis once described the perfect friar by citing "the patience of Brother Juniper, who attained the state of perfect patience because he kept the truth of his low estate constantly in mind, whose supreme desire was to follow Christ on the way of the cross" (Mirror of Perfection, #85).
Sts. Sarbelius & Barbea
Feastday: January 29
Died: 101Two martyrs, brother and sister, who were put to death at Edessa during the persecutions of Emperor Trajan. Sarbelius, also called Sharbel, was a high priest at Edessa, in Mesopotamia. They were arrested for converting to the faith, and were tortured with red-hot irons prior to execution.
www.catholic.org
Bl. Archangela Girlani, Virgin (mf)
Liturgy:
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Eleanor Girlani, from Trino in Monferrato, Italy, was given the name
Archangela when, with her sisters Maria and Frances, she took the Carmelite
habit in the monastery of Parma in 1477. Later, she was to become prioress of
the monastery and then prioress of the new foundation at Mantua from 1492 until
her death in 1495. It is written in an old manuscript that Blessed Archangela
lived her religious life so intensely that, just as the monastery was entitled
"Saint Mary in Paradise", she and the other nuns, even though still
here on earth, lived as if already absorbed into heaven. She was distinguished
by a special devotion to the Holy Trinity. Her liturgical cult was approved by Pius
IX in 1864.www.ocarm.org
Lectio: Mark 3,31-35
Lectio:
Tuesday,
January 29, 2013
Ordinary
Time
1) Opening
prayer
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of your Son
may bring mankind to unity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of your Son
may bring mankind to unity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel
Reading - Mark 3,31-35
Now his mother and his brothers arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him.
A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, 'Look, your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.'
He replied, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' And looking at those sitting in a circle round him, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.'
Now his mother and his brothers arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him.
A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, 'Look, your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.'
He replied, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' And looking at those sitting in a circle round him, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.'
3)
Reflection
• The family of Jesus. The relatives reached the house where Jesus was. Probably they have come from Nazareth. From there up to Capernaum there is a distance of forty kilometres. His mother also comes together with them. They do not enter, but they send a messenger: “Look, your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you! Jesus’ reaction is clear: Who are my mother and my brothers? And he himself responds turning to look toward the crowd who is there around: Here are my mother and my brothers! Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother! To understand well the sense of this response it is convenient to look at the situation of the family in the time of Jesus.
• In the Old Israel, the clan, that is, the large family (the community), was the basis for social living together. It was the protection of the families and of the persons, the guarantee of the possession of the land, the principle vehicle of the tradition, the defence of identity. It was the concrete way on the part of the people of that time to incarnate the love of God and the love toward neighbour. To defend the clan was the same as to defend the Covenant.
• In the Galilee at the time of Jesus, because of the system established during the long periods of government of Herod the Great (37 BC to 4 BC) and of his son Herod Antipas (4 BC to 39 AD), the clan, (the community) was becoming weaker. The taxes to be paid, both to the Government and to the Temple, the debts which were increasing, the individualistic mentality of the Hellenistic ideology, the frequent threats of violent repression on the part of the Romans and the obligation to accept the soldiers and give them hospitality, the ever growing problem of survival , all this impelled the families to close themselves in self and to think only of their own needs. This closing up was strengthened by the religion of the time. For example: the one who gave his inheritance to the Temple, could leave his parents without any help. This weakened the fourth commandment which was the backbone of the clan (Mk 7, 8-13). Besides this, the observance of the Norms of purity was a factor of marginalization for many persons: women, children, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, possessed persons, tax collectors or Publicans, the sick, mutilated persons and paraplegic persons.
• And thus, the concern with the problems of one’s own family prevented the persons to meet in community. Now, in order that the Kingdom of God could manifest itself in community living of the people, the persons had to overcome the narrow limits of the small family and open themselves again to the large family, to the Community. Jesus gave the example. When his own family tries to take possession of him, he reacted and extended the family: “Who are my mother and my brothers?”. And he himself gave the answer, turning his look toward the crowd: Here are my mother and my brothers! Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother, sister and mother! (Mk 3, 33-35). He crated a community.
• Jesus asked the same thing from all those who wanted to follow him. Families could not close themselves up in self . The excluded and the marginalized had to be accepted in the life with others, and in this way feel accepted by God (Lk 14, 12-14) This was the path to attain the objective of the Law which said “There must, then, be no poor among you” (Dt 15, 4). Like the great Prophets of the past, Jesus tries to consolidate community life in the villages of Galilee. He takes back the profound sense of the clan, of the family, of the community, as an expression of the incarnation of the love toward God and toward neighbour.
• The family of Jesus. The relatives reached the house where Jesus was. Probably they have come from Nazareth. From there up to Capernaum there is a distance of forty kilometres. His mother also comes together with them. They do not enter, but they send a messenger: “Look, your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you! Jesus’ reaction is clear: Who are my mother and my brothers? And he himself responds turning to look toward the crowd who is there around: Here are my mother and my brothers! Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother! To understand well the sense of this response it is convenient to look at the situation of the family in the time of Jesus.
• In the Old Israel, the clan, that is, the large family (the community), was the basis for social living together. It was the protection of the families and of the persons, the guarantee of the possession of the land, the principle vehicle of the tradition, the defence of identity. It was the concrete way on the part of the people of that time to incarnate the love of God and the love toward neighbour. To defend the clan was the same as to defend the Covenant.
• In the Galilee at the time of Jesus, because of the system established during the long periods of government of Herod the Great (37 BC to 4 BC) and of his son Herod Antipas (4 BC to 39 AD), the clan, (the community) was becoming weaker. The taxes to be paid, both to the Government and to the Temple, the debts which were increasing, the individualistic mentality of the Hellenistic ideology, the frequent threats of violent repression on the part of the Romans and the obligation to accept the soldiers and give them hospitality, the ever growing problem of survival , all this impelled the families to close themselves in self and to think only of their own needs. This closing up was strengthened by the religion of the time. For example: the one who gave his inheritance to the Temple, could leave his parents without any help. This weakened the fourth commandment which was the backbone of the clan (Mk 7, 8-13). Besides this, the observance of the Norms of purity was a factor of marginalization for many persons: women, children, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, possessed persons, tax collectors or Publicans, the sick, mutilated persons and paraplegic persons.
• And thus, the concern with the problems of one’s own family prevented the persons to meet in community. Now, in order that the Kingdom of God could manifest itself in community living of the people, the persons had to overcome the narrow limits of the small family and open themselves again to the large family, to the Community. Jesus gave the example. When his own family tries to take possession of him, he reacted and extended the family: “Who are my mother and my brothers?”. And he himself gave the answer, turning his look toward the crowd: Here are my mother and my brothers! Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother, sister and mother! (Mk 3, 33-35). He crated a community.
• Jesus asked the same thing from all those who wanted to follow him. Families could not close themselves up in self . The excluded and the marginalized had to be accepted in the life with others, and in this way feel accepted by God (Lk 14, 12-14) This was the path to attain the objective of the Law which said “There must, then, be no poor among you” (Dt 15, 4). Like the great Prophets of the past, Jesus tries to consolidate community life in the villages of Galilee. He takes back the profound sense of the clan, of the family, of the community, as an expression of the incarnation of the love toward God and toward neighbour.
4) Personal
questions
• To live faith in the community. What place and what influence does the community have in my way of living faith ?
• Today, in the large city, overcrowding promotes individualism which is contrary to life in community. What am I doing to counteract this evil?
• To live faith in the community. What place and what influence does the community have in my way of living faith ?
• Today, in the large city, overcrowding promotes individualism which is contrary to life in community. What am I doing to counteract this evil?
5)
Concluding prayer
I waited, I waited for Yahweh,
then he stooped to me
and heard my cry for help.
He put a fresh song in my mouth,
praise of our God. (Ps 40,1.3)
I waited, I waited for Yahweh,
then he stooped to me
and heard my cry for help.
He put a fresh song in my mouth,
praise of our God. (Ps 40,1.3)
www.ocarm.org
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