FEBRUARY 23, 2013 : SATURDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT

Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Lectionary: 229

Reading 1 Dt 26:16-19

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“This day the LORD, your God,
commands you to observe these statutes and decrees.
Be careful, then,
to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.
Today you are making this agreement with the LORD:
he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways
and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees,
and to hearken to his voice.
And today the LORD is making this agreement with you:
you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you;
and provided you keep all his commandments,
he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory
above all other nations he has made,
and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God,
as he promised.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8

R. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
I will give you thanks with an upright heart,
when I have learned your just ordinances.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Gospel Mt 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers and sisters only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

www.usccb.org

Meditation: "Love your enemies"

Do you know the love that conquers every fear, sin, and selfish desire? God renews his love for us each and every day. His love has the power to free us from every form of evil – selfishness, greed, anger, hatred, jealously and envy. What’s the distinctive feature of Jesus' life and the life of those transformed by his redeeming love? It's grace – treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy. Jesus is God's grace incarnate. His love is unconditional and is wholly directed towards our good. God is good to all, the just and the unjust. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. That's why Jesus willingly went to the cross for our sake, to free us from the power of sin, ignorance, and prejudice. God's grace sets us free from everything that would keep us from him and his love. How can we possibly love as God loves and overcome evil with good? With God all things are possible. He gives grace in abundance through the gift of the Holy Spirit, who converts our hearts and minds and teaches us how to live according to God’s truth and love.
Was Jesus exaggerating when he said we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect? The original meaning of "perfect" in Aramaic is "completeness" or "wholeness" – not lacking in what is essential. God gives us every good gift in Jesus Christ so that we may not lack anything we need to carry out his will and to live as his sons and daughters. He knows our frailty and sinfulness better than we do. And he assures us of his grace and help to follow in his ways. In the cross of Jesus we see the way of perfect love. Do you want to grow in the knowledge, wisdom, and love of God? Ask the Holy Spirit to set your heart on fire with the love of God.
"Give us, Lord, a humble, quiet, peaceable, patient, tender and charitable mind, and in all our thoughts, words and deeds a taste of the Holy Spirit. Give us, Lord, a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent charity, and love of you. Take from us all lukewarmness in meditation, dullness in prayer.  Give us fervor and delight in thinking of you and your grace, your tender compassion towards me.  The things we pray for, good Lord, give us grace to labor for: through Jesus Christ our Lord. " (Prayer of Thomas More)
www.dailyscripture.net

Be Perfect?

Saturday of the First Week of Lent

Matthew 5:43-48 "You have heard that it was said, ´You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.´ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you became a man in order to show me, in your own flesh and blood, the way to holiness. In every word and deed of yours recorded in the Gospel, you teach and reveal to me the secret of a life worthy of eternity. I believe that you are with me now, and that you will use these moments of prayer to increase my faith, hope and love. Here I am, Lord, to know, love and serve you with all my heart. Amen. Petition: Lord, help me to seek holiness out of love for you and others. Amen. 1. “Be Perfect ”: Who is telling us to be perfect? Christ the Word, he through whom all things were made, through whom we came into being : our Lord, our Creator, who from all eternity longs to see each one of us be made perfect in love. This is not a suggestion; it is a command. He says it to his disciples with energy, even knowing that for them alone it is impossible. For God, though, nothing is impossible. We are reminded today that our saintliness is a possibility; it is God’s plan. Miracles happen when we believe. God is not through with any one of us yet. All God asks is that we be perfect – not a whole life in one fell swoop – but, rather, every present moment, one at a time. That is what I have – this present moment. This is what I have to perfect. 2. Why Does God Command Us to Become Perfect? God’s demand that we seek and strive after the perfection of holiness becomes more understandable when we contemplate the increasingly dire situation of our world. That world, so gravely in need of Christ’s salvation, is the starkest and most palpable reason why any one of us should pursue holiness. What is the value of Christian holiness in the world? One early Christian apologist put it in these terms: To sum up all in one word –– what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them” (From the Letter to Diognetus). 3. Seeking Holiness is a Labor of Love: In a world of shifting sands, we can offer solid ground; in a world of blind forces of spiritual and material violence, we can offer the persuasive power of Christian goodness. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta was heard to say that holiness is not the privilege of a few, but the obligation of all. When with simple and profound faith, we delve into that link between our striving for holiness and the salvation of souls, we can discover a new impetus and a new strength. The challenge of seeking holiness can become a labor of love, driven by a heart aflame with zeal for the salvation of all our brothers and sisters. Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, the world needs men and women of God; the world needs saints. I know this. I know you call me in a personal, urgent and insistent way to seek my holiness. For the sake of my brothers and sisters, for their salvation, Lord, make me holy. Amen.   Resolution: I will dedicate some time today to pray to Our Lady and entrust to her, with living faith and childlike simplicity, the entire project of my personal sanctification.

www.regnumchristi.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23
LENTEN WEEKDAY
MATTHEW 5:43-48
(Deuteronomy 26:16-19; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you" (v 44).
READING: Israel believed that their enemies were also the enemies of God (Ps 139:21), but God did not command Israel to hate their enemies. Neither was Israel allowed to mistreat a "neighbor," that is, anyone who dwelled in the land. a resident alien (Lv 19:17-18, 34). But Jesus took the law further. He said that it was no virtue to love only those who loved them; nonbelievers could do as much. Jesus asked his disciples to imitate the perfect love of God who gave gifts of sun and rain to the just and unjust alike. Loving our enemies doesn't mean that we don't have any enemies; however, the Christian must never seek retaliation for any insult no matter how hostile. Injured parties may have to force themselves to love their enemies, but the Lord will show them the way. Those who plan evil against their enemies do not have love; consequently they do not know God. Jesus' followers must strive to love even those who persecute them (Mt 5:11). On the cross, Jesus gave us the supreme example of enemy love when he asked God to forgive those who were putting him to death (Lk 23:34).
REFLECTING: Do we as individuals or as a nation measure up to Jesus' command to forgive and pray for our enemies?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to forgive those who have injured me and to pray for their welfare.

Optional Memorial of Polycarp, bishop and martyr

Polycarp was a bishop of Smyrna (now İzmir in Turkey) in the second century (ca. 69 ̶  ca. 155). He is recognized as a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. It is recorded that he had been a disciple of John, the author of the Fourth Gospel. Polycarp was a companion of Papias another "hearer of John" and a correspondent of Ignatius of Antioch. Ignatius addressed a letter to him, and mentions him in the letters to the Ephesians and to the Magnesians. Polycarp's famous pupil was Irenaeus. Polycarp fought the heresy of Gnosticism*. The Asia Minor churches recognized Polycarp's leadership and chose him as a representative to Pope Anicetus on the question of the date of the Easter celebration. Only one of the many letters written by Polycarp has survived, the one he wrote to the Church of Philippi in Macedonia. At 86 years of age, Polycarp was to be burned alive in a stadium in Smyrna. The flames did not harm him and he was finally killed by a dagger, and his body burned. The "Acts" of Polycarp's martyrdom are the earliest preserved reliable account of a Christian martyr's death. When arrested, the police captain asked, "What harm is it to say, 'Caesar is Lord,' and to offer sacrifice and to be saved?" Polycarp answered: "Eighty-six years have I served him and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me? You threaten me with the fire that burns for a time, and is quickly quenched, for you do not know the fire which awaits the wicked in the judgment to come and in everlasting punishment."

*Gnosticism is the thought and practice, especially of various sects of pre-Christian and early Christian centuries, distinguished by the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis (Greek: knowledge).

Purim 2013 begins on Saturday, February 23, at sunset, and ends the evening of Sunday, February 24.

Purim is one of the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar. The feast is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar, which usually comes in March. The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre of the Jewish people living in Persia. The story of Purim is told in the Book of Esther who was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, who made her his queen, although he did not know that she was a Jew. Esther's cousin Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. Esther fasted for three days, then went to the king and told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.

The primary commandment related to Purim is to hear the reading of the Book of Esther, known as the Megillah, which means scroll. Although five books of Jewish scripture are referred to as megillot (Esther, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations). On Purim, Jews are also commanded to send out gifts of food or drink and to give charity. Purim is not subject to the Sabbath-like restrictions that apply to many other holiday, but some sources indicate that ordinary business should not be conducted out of respect for the holiday.

www.daily-word-of-life.com
Happy are those who follow the law of the Lord!

‘Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’
We are just beginning, once again, the journey to Calvary and the empty tomb. The psalmist tells us the Lord’s commandments are wisdom for the simple and in the gospel Jesus warns us to love our enemies. Once, Jesus condensed the commandments into two simple ones, love God and love our neighbour. When it comes to our enemies during this Lenten time, how about those foes within us?

Maybe these are the things we need to address during Lent, to love them enough so they can be changed—from envy to joy in the good fortune of another, avarice to generosity, deceit to honesty.

Can I really make this time be one of seeking forgiveness for the ways I have failed and so deepen my relationship with the one I call my guide, my shepherd and my friend?
www.churchresources.info
February 23
St. Polycarp
(d. 156)

Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey), disciple of St. John the Apostle and friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch was a revered Christian leader during the first half of the second century.

St. Ignatius, on his way to Rome to be martyred, visited Polycarp at Smyrna, and later at Troas wrote him a personal letter. The Asia Minor Churches recognized Polycarp’s leadership by choosing him as a representative to discuss with Pope Anicetus the date of the Easter celebration in Rome—a major controversy in the early Church.
Only one of the many letters written by Polycarp has been preserved, the one he wrote to the Church of Philippi in Macedonia.
At 86, Polycarp was led into the crowded Smyrna stadium to be burned alive. The flames did not harm him and he was finally killed by a dagger. The centurion ordered the saint’s body burned. The “Acts” of Polycarp’s martyrdom are the earliest preserved, fully reliable account of a Christian martyr’s death. He died in 156.

Comment:

Polycarp was recognized as a Christian leader by all Asia Minor Christians—a strong fortress of faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ. His own strength emerged from his trust in God, even when events contradicted this trust. Living among pagans and under a government opposed to the new religion, he led and fed his flock. Like the Good Shepherd, he laid down his life for his sheep and kept them from more persecution in Smyrna. He summarized his trust in God just before he died: “Father... I bless Thee, for having made me worthy of the day and the hour... .” (Martyrdom, Chapter 14).

Quote:

“Stand fast, therefore, in this conduct and follow the example of the Lord, ‘firm and unchangeable in faith, lovers of the brotherhood, loving each other, united in truth,’ helping each other with the mildness of the Lord, despising no man” (Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians).

Patron Saint of:

Earaches

www.americancatholic.org

Lectio: Matthew 5,43-48

Lectio: 

Saturday, February 23, 2013  

Lent Time

1) Opening prayer

Lord God, from you comes the initiative of love.
You seek us out and you tell us:
“I am your God; you are my people.”
You love us in Jesus Christ, your Son.
God, may our response of love
go far beyond the demands of any law.
May we seek you and commune with you
in the deepest of our being
and may we express our gratitude to you
by going to our neighbour
with a love that is spontaneous like yours.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 5, 43-48

'You have heard how it was said, You will love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the bad as well as the good, and sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike.
For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional?
Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.'

3) Reflection

• In today’s Gospel we see how Jesus has interpreted the commandment: “You shall not kill” in such a way that its observance may lead to the practice of love. Besides saying “You shall not kill” (Mt 5, 21), Jesus quoted four other commandments of the ancient law: you shall not commit adultery (Mt 5, 27), You shall not bear false witness (Mt 5, 33), eye for eye, and tooth for tooth (Mt 5, 38) and, in today’s Gospel: “You shall love your neighbour and will hate your enemy” (Mt 5, 43), five times, Jesus criticizes and completes the ancient way of observing these commandments and indicates the new way to attain the objective of the law, which is the practice of love (Mt 5, 22-26; 5, 28-32; 5, 34-37; 5, 39-42; 5, 44-48).
• Love your enemies. In today’s Gospel Jesus quotes the ancient law which says: “You will love your neighbour and hate your enemy”. This text is not found like this in the Old Testament. It is rather a question of the mentality of the time, according to which there was no problem in the fact that a person hated his enemy. Jesus was not in agreement and says: “But I tell you : For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must, therefore, set no bounds to your love, just as your heavenly Father sets none to his”. And Jesus gives us the proof. At the hour of his death he observed that which he preached.
• Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing. A soldier takes the wrist of Jesus and places it on the arm of the cross, places a nail and begins to hammer it in. Several times. The blood was flowing down. The body of Jesus contorted with pain. The soldier, a mercenary, ignorant, far from knowing what he was doing, and of what was happening around him, continued to hammer as if it were a piece of the wall of his house and had to put up a picture. At that moment Jesus prays for the soldier who tortures him and addresses his prayer to the Father: “Father, forgive them! They know not what they are doing!” He loved the soldier who killed him. Even wanting it with all their strength, the lack of humanity did not succeed to kill in Jesus, humanity and love! He will be imprisoned, they will spit on him, will laugh and make fun of him, they will make of him a false king crowning him with a crown of thorns, will torture him, will oblige him to go through the streets like a criminal, hearing the insults of the religious authority, on Calvary they will leave him completely naked in the sight of all. But the poison of the lack of humanity did not succeed to attain the source of love and of humanity which sprang from within Jesus. The water of the love which sprang from within was stronger than the poison of hatred which was coming from without. Looking at that soldier, Jesus felt sorrow and prayed for him and for all: “Father, forgive them! They know not what they are doing!” Jesus, in solidarity, almost excuses those who were ill treating and torturing him. He was like a brother who goes with his murder brothers before the Judge and, he the victim of his own brothers, says to the judge: “They are my brothers, you know they are ignorant. Forgive them! They will become better!” He loved the enemy!
• Be perfect as perfect is your Father who is in Heaven. Jesus does not simply want to frighten, because this would be useless. He wants to change the system of human living together. The Novelty which he wants to construct comes from the new experience which he has from God, the Father, full of tenderness who accepts all! The words of threat against the rich cannot be an occasion of revenge on the part of the poor. Jesus orders that we have the contrary attitude: “Love your enemies!” True love cannot depend on what one receives from others. Love should want the good of others independently of what they does for me. Because this is the way God’s love is for us.

4) Personal questions

• To love the enemies. Am I capable to love my enemies?
• Contemplate Jesus, in silence who at the hour of his death, he loved the enemy who killed him.

5) Concluding Prayer

How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the Law of Yahweh!
Blessed are those who observe his instructions,
who seek him with all their hearts (Ps 119,1-2)

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