Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 72
Lectionary: 72
The word of the LORD came to
me, saying:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
But do you gird your loins;
stand up and tell them
all that I command you.
Be not crushed on their account,
as though I would leave you crushed before them;
for it is I this day
who have made you a fortified city,
a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
against the whole land:
against Judah’s kings and princes,
against its priests and people.
They will fight against you but not prevail over you,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
But do you gird your loins;
stand up and tell them
all that I command you.
Be not crushed on their account,
as though I would leave you crushed before them;
for it is I this day
who have made you a fortified city,
a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
against the whole land:
against Judah’s kings and princes,
against its priests and people.
They will fight against you but not prevail over you,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
Responsorial
Psalm Ps 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6,
15-17
R.
(cf. 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Reading 2 1 Cor 12:31—13:13 or 13:4-13
Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
or
Brothers and sisters:
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
or
Brothers and sisters:
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
Gospel Lk 4:21-30
Jesus began speaking in the
synagogue, saying:
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say,
‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say,
‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.
www.usccb.org
Scripture Study
February 3, 2013 Fourth
Sunday of Ordinary Time
This
Sunday we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings this week
call us to reflect on our own call to be prophets. As members of the body of
Christ we are to continue the mission of Jesus in the world today. The Gospel
places Jesus squarely in the long line of prophets sent to Israel by God's
mercy. In Him we too are to bring God's message to the world. Like Jeremiah we
have been called from before our birth to this task. Like Jesus we will
sometimes be praised and welcomed and sometimes rejected and threatened. It is
the presence and strength of the Holy Spirit who abides in us with His gifts
that allows us to be faithful to this mission, a mission that can be
accomplished only in love. How aware am I of this mission to which God calls me
and how well have I been living it out each day?
NOTES on First Reading:
* 1:4 The call of Jeremiah attempts
to portray him as the successor of Moses in bringing the word of God to Israel.
There is also a striking similarity in the language used to describe his call
with that used in Isaiah 6:1-13 and Ezekiel2:1-3:15. The calls of all three
prophets have three points of strong similarity: The prophet was predestined
for his role. Yahweh's plan for the prophet originated from the first moment of
his existence. The relationship between God and the prophet are intimate. There
will always be persecution inherently involved in following the mission.
* 1:5 The verb (yasar) used for
"formed" refers primarily to the modeling of pottery. Due to the
imagery of God as a potter in Gen 2:7-8 that verb took on the technical meaning
of "to create". After Jeremiah it became an accepted idea that God
himself forms the child in its mother's womb. The meaning hidden in this idea
is that God knows each human person intimately from the very beginning and is
the unique source and master of our being. Jeremiah was called by God to the
office of prophet before he was born. See Isaiah 49:1, 5; Luke 1:15; Gal 1:15,
16. The various clauses mean I loved you and chose you, and I set you apart to
be a prophet. The nations are the pagan neighbors of Judah as well as the great
powers of the time such as Assyria, Babylonia, and Egypt who were intimately
associated with Judah's history.
* 1:17 Girding the loins was an
expression that had two related ideas associated with it. On the one hand it
meant immediate preparation for war or serious work as in Job38:3 and 40:7. A
modern equivalent of this sense would be, "Roll up your sleeves". A
second idea conveyed by the saying was that of promptness in accomplishing an
order as in 1 Kgs 8:46.
* 1:18 The fortified city became
an image of steadfast strength expressed by a firm man of God. Same image is
expressed in Ezekiel 3:8-9.
NOTES on Second Reading:
* 12:31 The higher gifts means
either the first three of verse 28 or the ones deemed by the Corinthians to be
greater gifts depending on the form of the Greek verb. However, whichever of
the choices you make, Paul will now show us the truly better way and the
greatest of the gifts.
* 13:1-3 These verses follow a
fixed pattern. In each case the conditional statement contains an allusion to a
charism mentioned in chapter 12: tongues(v1 =12:28) prophecy (v 2 = 12:10,28)
knowledge (v 2 = 12:28) faith (v 2 = 12:9) helping (v 3= 12:28 There is a
progression from the lowest gift, tongues, by way of the intellectual gifts and
miracle working faith to acts of supreme devotion benefiting others. These are
greater because they are expressions of love in action.
* 13:2 The Christian can only
authentically exist as a Christian by love. Without love his Christianity is an
illusion.
* 13:3 Burning was considered at
the time to be the most horrible of deaths but even that was negligible
compared to love.
* 13:4-7 Here Paul personifies
love rather than simply describing it. In these 4 verses Paul uses 15 verbs,
all of which involve another person. The specific items were chosen to
highlight the very virtues that the Corinthians did not exhibit in their
communities. They, at least the strong ones were not "patient and kind
"(8:1-13). They tended to "insist on their own way" (7:1-40).
They as a community "rejoiced at wrong" or at least tolerated it
without objection (5:1-8).
* 13:8-13 Paul contrasts the
"now" in which the Corinthians overvalue the spiritual gifts with the
"then" when they will appreciate the essential virtues of faith. Paul
considers the Corinthians to be childish and immature. He urges them to let go
of the childish ideas they have and move on to truly let Jesus live in them.
NOTES on Gospel:
* 4:21 Today is not to be taken as a reference to the
historical then of Jesus' time. It introduces an important Lukan theme and
refers to the present today of the time of fulfillment. See Luke
2:11;22:61;23:43. Jesus inaugurates the time of fulfillment of Old Testament
prophecy. Luke presents the ministry of Jesus as fulfilling Old Testament hopes
and expectations (Luke 7:22); for Luke, even Jesus' suffering, death, and
resurrection are done in fulfillment of the scriptures (Luke 24:25-27,44-46;
Acts 3:18).
* 4:22 This verse has a notorious reputation among Bible
scholars for causing difficulty. Parallels to the language used here occur in
Acts 14:3;20:24,32 and suggest that rather than, "gracious or winsome
words" a better translation would be "words of salvation". The
expression, "came from His mouth", may echo back to Deut 8:3 where
the reference is to the word of God. The townspeople are amazed that one whom
they have known all along could be the bearer of such "Good News".
* 4:23 Jesus is accusing them of a lack of faith in Him as
the fulfillment of God's promises and of wanting Him to do marvelous deeds for
their benefit and curiosity.
* 4:24 Here Luke injects the "rejected prophet"
theme. This highlights God boundless compassion as He constantly sends prophets
to a stubborn and rebellious people. The pattern is: Rebellion and killing of
the prophets, punishment, mercy through sending of new prophets sin and
rejection of prophets The first part of this pattern is found in Luke 1 to 23
and the second part is very strong in Luke 24 and all of Acts. Because of this
pattern the ending of this incident is not and cannot be the end of God's
action in Israel.
* 4:25-27 Luke uses the mention of non-Jewish, needy people
who received God's mercy through the Old Testament prophets, Elijah and Elisha
(1 Kings 17:9; 18:1; 2 Kings 5:14) as further support for universalizing the
promises of Isa 61:1-2 in verses 18-19.
* 4:28 The reaction is a continuation of verse 22 and 23a.
They recognize that God's promises are not only for them and they don't have
the special claim on God that "God's poor" have. They are not
necessarily the ones favored by God.
* 4:29 Luke has moved this incident which Mark relates near
the end of the Galilean ministry (Mark 6:1-6a) to the beginning of Jesus'
ministry . In doing so, Luke turns the initial admiration (Luke 4:22) and
subsequent rejection of Jesus (Luke 4:28-29) into a foreshadowing of the whole
future ministry of Jesus. Moreover, the rejection of Jesus in his own home town
hints at the greater rejection of him by Israel (Acts 13:46).
* 4:30 Jesus continues on His way which must follow God's
plan and will not be stopped by opposition. The escape foreshadows the Easter
victory just as the rejection by His home town foreshadows the rejection by
Israel.
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Meditation:"Today this
scripture has been fulfilled"
How would you react if Jesus spoke this message in your worshipping
community? It was customary for Jesus to go weekly to the synagogue to worship
and on occasion to read the scriptures and comment on them to the people. His
hometown folks listened with rapt attention on this occasion because they had
heard about the miracles he had performed in other towns. What sign would he do
in his hometown? Jesus startled them with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or
servant of God can receive honor among his own people. He then angered them when
he complimented the gentiles who seemed to have shown more faith in God than
the "chosen ones" of Israel. They regarded gentiles as "fuel for
the fires of hell". Jesus' praise for "outsiders" caused
them offence because they were blind-sighted to God's mercy and plan of
redemption for all nations. The word "gospel" literally means "good news". Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and afliction (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus came to set people free from the worst tyranny possible – the tyranny of slavery to sin and the fear of death, and the destruction of both body and soul. God's power alone can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from the fear of death and hopelessness. The gospel of salvation is "good news" for us today. Do you know the joy and freedom of the gospel?
"Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and desires. Your Spirit brings us grace, truth, life, and freedom. Fill me with the joy of the gospel and inflame my heart with love and zeal for you and for your will".
www.dailyscripture.net
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Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Luke 4:21-30
He said to them,
"Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And
all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from
his mouth. They also asked, "Isn´t this the son of Joseph?" He said
to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb, ´Physician, cure
yourself,´ and say, ´Do here in your native place the things that we heard
were done in Capernaum.´" And he said, "Amen, I say to you, no
prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there
were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for
three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in
Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but
only Naaman the Syrian." When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and
led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl
him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I do believe in
you, and I long to open my heart completely to receive your Word in total
faith and trust. I seek you ardently in this prayer so as to know you better.
I want to know you so as to love you more completely as my Savior and Lord.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace of active and total
faith in you.
1. Mixed Opinions and Emotions: There is a striking
contrast between the question, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” and its
preceding line: “And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious
words that came from his mouth.” It seems contradictory that at the same time
as they are praising him, they are doubting him. But the Apostles also
experienced mixed feelings, even during their last encounter with Jesus
Christ before he ascended to heaven: “And when they saw him they worshiped
him; but some doubted” (Matthew 28:17). Don’t we also sometimes find this
same inner shakiness of our faith in Christ, even while we may be professing
it with our lips? Christ knows the weakness of the human heart, but he will
not force himself upon us nor work miracles without our sincere profession of
faith in him. Nevertheless, he is willing to help us if we can only
humbly recognize our weakness and implore his help. We have proof from the
Gospel that he will not spurn the prayer “Lord I believe. Help my unbelief!”
(Mark 9:24)
2. He Only Seeks Our Happiness: When we look at the panorama that Christ offers us from the history of Israel, he describes God’s true motive for encountering man, for seeking him out. Is it to bring him into submission and lay upon him an unsupportable burden of ‘holiness’? God, rather, is the healer and has no other purpose than to make these privileged souls happy. He yearns to lift a burden from their souls. He is there to heal and to elevate their whole experience of life. Ultimately, all that Christ needs to make them happy is that they have faith: an active and all-embracing faith, a faith that is not diluted by rationalistic demands that condition their acceptance of God’s plan. Do I experience Christ only as trying to tighten the noose of responsibilities around my neck, or do I see that through what appears to me as difficult, he seeks only to bring out something more beautiful in me?
3. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega: Faith is not just for
the future, not just to recognize Christ as the Omega—the end point of my
journey where I find an explanation for death. Nor is faith just for when my
personal plans have gone awry and I need an explanation for my moral and
spiritual failures. Christ is not simply the caboose, trailing my life to
clean up the disorders that pull my train off the track. Our Lord is also the
Alpha—the beginning point. He is the engine that drives the whole
process and the place from which every new initiative for advancement must
begin. I must acknowledge that he is not just one means among others to
live a good life. He is the source and summit of true life itself, goodness
incarnate, and no effort of mine can have value or merit unless it is done in
total dependence on him. Let my faith reveal this truth to me, so that my
heart may be open more and more to making Christ my reason for living, my
foundation for giving myself day after day.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I want to open
myself to what you propose to me in prayer and to eliminate all pride and
human calculation at work in my heart and mind. I trust in you, Lord, for you
seek only to make me happy, never to hurt me. When my own reason becomes
darkened and my natural enthusiasm wanes before the mystery of your design,
help me confide in and walk by your holy power and wisdom.
Resolution: Today I will offer an act of faith and trust
in some desire of Christ for me, one that I originally met with fear or
indifference.
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3
LUKE 4:21-30
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19; Psalm 71; 1 Corinthians 12:31 ̶ 13:13)
KEY VERSE: "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place" (v.24).
READING: At first, Jesus won acceptance at Nazareth. The people marveled at the gracious words spoken by Joseph�s son now become a man. They were willing to accept Jesus for what he could do for them, for their personal advantage. Yet they wondered, since he performed miracles elsewhere, why had he not worked any in his own hometown? But when Jesus identified himself as a prophet, he was no longer accepted with favor. Prophets did not have a reputation for bringing miracles and good things to the people of Israel. Most often, the prophets brought a message that confronted them with their own failure to be God�s people. They called the people to accountability for their faithlessness to God, and their lack of justice and mercy toward others. Jesus compared his ministry to the prophets Elijah and Elisha who were rejected by their own, yet brought healing and hope to Gentiles (1 Kgs.17; 2 Kgs.5) who had the wisdom to recognize the prophets in their midst. The people were angered by Jesus' words. They dragged him from the synagogue and attempted to throw him over a cliff; however, Jesus miraculously eluded them. This incident prefigured the persecution that Jesus continually faced. He would find no escape from his ultimate fate on Calvary.
REFLECTING: Pray for those who suffer persecution and martyrdom for the sake of the gospel.
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to listen to your voice in this Year of Faith.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
I will sing of your salvation
‘From now on it is people you will catch.’
Simon is mentioned six times in this passage, once as Simon Peter. We met him without explanation in the previous chapter. For Luke, Jesus begins his ministry as a lone preacher and meets with rejection at Nazareth. Now he seeks to involve others.
Jesus addressed the eager crowds from this same Simon’s boat. That done, they rowed off and Jesus invited Simon to drop the nets. Conditions were unfavourable, Simon had had a fruitless night, and then was not the time for fishing!
Peter thus encounters God in the ordinariness of everyday life, an encounter that leaves him shaken, with a profound sense of his own sinfulness. He surely realised Isaiah’s words: ‘I am a man of unclean lips.’ Jesus assures him that his new calling is to catch people—alive and for life: unlike his present trade that deals in dead fish!
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February 3
St. Blaise
(d. 316)
We know more about the
devotion to St. Blaise by Christians around the world than we know about the
saint himself. His feast is observed as a holy day in some Eastern Churches.
The Council of Oxford, in 1222, prohibited servile labor in England on Blaise’s
feast day. The Germans and Slavs hold him in special honor and for decades many
United States Catholics have sought the annual St. Blaise blessing for their
throats
We know that Bishop Blaise was martyred in his
episcopal city of Sebastea, Armenia, in 316. The legendary Acts of St.
Blaise were written 400 years later. According to them Blaise was a good
bishop, working hard to encourage the spiritual and physical health of his
people. Although the Edict of Toleration (311), granting freedom of worship in
the Roman Empire, was already five years old, persecution still raged in
Armenia. Blaise was apparently forced to flee to the back country. There he
lived as a hermit in solitude and prayer, but he made friends with the wild
animals. One day a group of hunters seeking wild animals for the amphitheater
stumbled upon Blaise’s cave. They were first surprised and then frightened. The
bishop was kneeling in prayer surrounded by patiently waiting wolves, lions and
bears.
As the hunters hauled Blaise off to prison, the legend
has it, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his
throat. At Blaise’s command the child was able to cough up the bone.
Agricolaus, governor of Cappadocia, tried to persuade
Blaise to sacrifice to pagan idols. The first time Blaise refused, he was
beaten. The next time he was suspended from a tree and his flesh torn with iron
combs or rakes. (English wool combers, who used similar iron combs, took Blaise
as their patron. They could easily appreciate the agony the saint underwent.)
Finally, he was beheaded.
Comment:
Four centuries give ample opportunity for fiction to creep in with fact. Who can be sure how accurate Blaise’s biographer was? But biographical details are not essential. Blaise is seen as one more example of the power those have who give themselves entirely to Jesus. As Jesus told his apostles at the Last Supper, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). With faith we can follow the lead of the Church in asking for Blaise’s protection.
Four centuries give ample opportunity for fiction to creep in with fact. Who can be sure how accurate Blaise’s biographer was? But biographical details are not essential. Blaise is seen as one more example of the power those have who give themselves entirely to Jesus. As Jesus told his apostles at the Last Supper, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). With faith we can follow the lead of the Church in asking for Blaise’s protection.
Quote:
“Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Blessing of St. Blaise).
“Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Blessing of St. Blaise).
Patron Saint of:
Throat ailments
Throat ailments
Lectio: 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time (C)
Lectio:
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Jesus connects the Bible to life
The people of Nazareth do not like Jesus and drive him away
Luke 4:21-30
The people of Nazareth do not like Jesus and drive him away
Luke 4:21-30
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the reading:
In the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time, the
Liturgy presents us with the conflict that arose between Jesus and the people
of Nazareth. This happens on a Saturday during the celebration of the Word in
the community hall, after Jesus reads a text from the prophet Isaiah. Jesus
quotes the prophet Isaiah so as to present his programme of action and
immediately adds a very brief comment. At first, they are all amazed and happy.
But when they realize the significance of Jesus’ programme concerning their
lives, they rebel and want to kill him. These kinds of conflicts exist even
today. We accept others so long as they act in conformity with our ideas, but
when they decide to welcome into the community people whom we exclude, then we
are in conflict. This is what happened in Nazareth.
This Sunday’s Gospel begins with verse 21, a brief comment made by Jesus. We take the liberty to include in the comment the preceding verses 16-20. This allows us to read the text from Isaiah quoted by Jesus and to better understand the conflict, which is the result of the reading of this text together with the brief comment. As we read, it is good for us to note two things: “How does Jesus actualise the text of Isaiah? What reactions does this actualisation of the text of Isaiah produce in the people?”
This Sunday’s Gospel begins with verse 21, a brief comment made by Jesus. We take the liberty to include in the comment the preceding verses 16-20. This allows us to read the text from Isaiah quoted by Jesus and to better understand the conflict, which is the result of the reading of this text together with the brief comment. As we read, it is good for us to note two things: “How does Jesus actualise the text of Isaiah? What reactions does this actualisation of the text of Isaiah produce in the people?”
b) A division of the text to help with the reading:
Luke 4:16: Jesus arrives in Nazareth and takes part in
the community meeting
Luke 4:17-19: Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah
Luke 4:20-21: Jesus connects the Bible to life before an attentive public
Luke 4:22: The contradictory reactions of the public
Luke 4:23-24: Jesus criticizes the people’s reaction
Luke 4:25-27: Jesus sheds light on the Bible, quoting Elijah and Elisha
Luke 4:28-30: The furious reaction of the people who want to kill Jesus
Luke 4:17-19: Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah
Luke 4:20-21: Jesus connects the Bible to life before an attentive public
Luke 4:22: The contradictory reactions of the public
Luke 4:23-24: Jesus criticizes the people’s reaction
Luke 4:25-27: Jesus sheds light on the Bible, quoting Elijah and Elisha
Luke 4:28-30: The furious reaction of the people who want to kill Jesus
b) Text:
16 He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up,
and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up
to read, 17 and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the
scroll he found the place where it is written: 18 The spirit of the Lord is on
me, for he has anointed me to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent
me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go
free, 19 to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord.
20 He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to speak to them, 'This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening.' 22 And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, 'This is Joseph's son, surely?' 23 But he replied, 'No doubt you will quote me the saying, "Physician, heal yourself," and tell me, "We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own country." ' 24 And he went on, 'In truth I tell you, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country. 25 'There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah's day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, 26 but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a town in Sidonia. 27 And in the prophet Elisha's time there were many suffering from virulent skin-diseases in Israel, but none of these was cured -- only Naaman the Syrian.'
28 When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. 29 They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him off the cliff, 30 but he passed straight through the crowd and walked away.
20 He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to speak to them, 'This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening.' 22 And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, 'This is Joseph's son, surely?' 23 But he replied, 'No doubt you will quote me the saying, "Physician, heal yourself," and tell me, "We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own country." ' 24 And he went on, 'In truth I tell you, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country. 25 'There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah's day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, 26 but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a town in Sidonia. 27 And in the prophet Elisha's time there were many suffering from virulent skin-diseases in Israel, but none of these was cured -- only Naaman the Syrian.'
28 When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. 29 They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him off the cliff, 30 but he passed straight through the crowd and walked away.
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten
our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) What pleased or struck you most in the text? Why?
b) On what day, where, through whom and how does Jesus present his programme?
c) What is the content of Jesus’ programme? Who are the excluded he wants to welcome?
d) How does Jesus actualise Isaiah’s text?
e) How do the people react? Why?
f) Could Jesus’ programme be ours also? Who are the excluded that we should welcome into our community today?
b) On what day, where, through whom and how does Jesus present his programme?
c) What is the content of Jesus’ programme? Who are the excluded he wants to welcome?
d) How does Jesus actualise Isaiah’s text?
e) How do the people react? Why?
f) Could Jesus’ programme be ours also? Who are the excluded that we should welcome into our community today?
5. For those who wish to go deeper into the text
a) The historical context so as to locate the text:
In ancient Israel, the large family or clan or community,
was the basis of social life. It provided protection to families and persons,
it guaranteed possession of the land, it was the principal vehicle of tradition
and a defence of the people’s identity. It was a concrete way of incarnating
the love of God in the love of neighbour. To defend the clan, the community,
was equivalent to defending the Covenant with God.
In Jesus’ days, a double slavery marked people’s lives and contributed to the disintegration of the clan, the community: (i) the slavery of the politics of Herod Antipas’ government (4 BC to 39 AD) and (ii) the slavery of the official religion. Because of the exploitation and repression of Herod Antipas’ politics, supported by the Roman Empire, many people had no fixed home and were excluded and unemployed (Lk 14:21; Mt 20:3.5-6). The clan, the community, was weakened. Families and persons had no help, no defence. The official religion, maintained by the religious authorities of the time, instead of strengthening the community so that it could welcome the excluded, added to this slavery. God’s Law was used to legitimise the exclusion or marginalization of many persons: women, children, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, the possessed, publicans, the sick, the mutilated, paraplegics. It was the opposite of the fraternity God dreamed of for all! Thus, the political and economic situation and the religious ideology all conspired to weaken the local community and prevented the manifestation of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus reacts to this situation of his people and presents a programme that will change it. Jesus’ experience of God as the Father of love, gives him the possibility of evaluating reality and to see what was wrong with the lives of his people.
In Jesus’ days, a double slavery marked people’s lives and contributed to the disintegration of the clan, the community: (i) the slavery of the politics of Herod Antipas’ government (4 BC to 39 AD) and (ii) the slavery of the official religion. Because of the exploitation and repression of Herod Antipas’ politics, supported by the Roman Empire, many people had no fixed home and were excluded and unemployed (Lk 14:21; Mt 20:3.5-6). The clan, the community, was weakened. Families and persons had no help, no defence. The official religion, maintained by the religious authorities of the time, instead of strengthening the community so that it could welcome the excluded, added to this slavery. God’s Law was used to legitimise the exclusion or marginalization of many persons: women, children, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, the possessed, publicans, the sick, the mutilated, paraplegics. It was the opposite of the fraternity God dreamed of for all! Thus, the political and economic situation and the religious ideology all conspired to weaken the local community and prevented the manifestation of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus reacts to this situation of his people and presents a programme that will change it. Jesus’ experience of God as the Father of love, gives him the possibility of evaluating reality and to see what was wrong with the lives of his people.
b) A commentary on the text:
Luke 4:16: Jesus arrives in Nazareth and takes part
in the community meeting
Moved by the Holy Spirit, Jesus goes to Galilee and begins to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God (Lk 4:14). He goes to villages teaching in synagogues and finally arrives in Nazareth. He goes back to the community where, from his childhood for thirty years, he had taken part in the weekly meetings. On the Saturday after his arrival, Jesus, as usual, goes to the synagogue to take part in the celebration and gets up to read.
Moved by the Holy Spirit, Jesus goes to Galilee and begins to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God (Lk 4:14). He goes to villages teaching in synagogues and finally arrives in Nazareth. He goes back to the community where, from his childhood for thirty years, he had taken part in the weekly meetings. On the Saturday after his arrival, Jesus, as usual, goes to the synagogue to take part in the celebration and gets up to read.
Luke 4:17-19: Jesus reads a passage from the prophet
Isaiah
In those days, there were two readings during the Saturday celebrations. The first dealt with the Law of God, was taken from the Pentateuch and was fixed. The second was taken from the historical or prophetical books, and was chosen by the reader. The reader could choose. Jesus chose the text from Isaiah that presents a summary of the mission of the Servant of God, and that reflected the situation of the people of Galilee then. In the name of God, Jesus takes up his position in defence of the life of his people, takes on his mission as Servant of God, and, using Isaiah’s words, proclaims before all: “The spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord" (Is 61:1-2). He takes up an ancient tradition of the prophets and proclaims “a year of favour from the Lord”. This expression was equivalent to proclaiming a jubilee year, or, Jesus invites the people of his town to begin anew, to rewrite history at its very roots (Dt 15:1-11; Lev 25:8-17).
In those days, there were two readings during the Saturday celebrations. The first dealt with the Law of God, was taken from the Pentateuch and was fixed. The second was taken from the historical or prophetical books, and was chosen by the reader. The reader could choose. Jesus chose the text from Isaiah that presents a summary of the mission of the Servant of God, and that reflected the situation of the people of Galilee then. In the name of God, Jesus takes up his position in defence of the life of his people, takes on his mission as Servant of God, and, using Isaiah’s words, proclaims before all: “The spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord" (Is 61:1-2). He takes up an ancient tradition of the prophets and proclaims “a year of favour from the Lord”. This expression was equivalent to proclaiming a jubilee year, or, Jesus invites the people of his town to begin anew, to rewrite history at its very roots (Dt 15:1-11; Lev 25:8-17).
Luke 4:20-21: Jesus connects the Bible to life
before an attentive public
When he had finished reading, Jesus gives the book back to the servant and sits down. Jesus is not yet the co-ordinator of the community, he is a lay person and as such takes part in the celebration like all the others. He had been away from the community for many weeks, had then joined John the Baptist’s movement and was baptized by him in the Jordan (Lk 3:21-22). Moreover, he had spent more than forty days in the desert, reflecting on his mission (Lk 4: 1-2). The Saturday after his return to the community, Jesus is invited to read. All are attentive and curious: “What will he say?” Jesus’ comment is brief, very brief indeed. He actualises the text, connects it with the people’s lives saying: “This text is being fulfilled today even as you are listening”.
When he had finished reading, Jesus gives the book back to the servant and sits down. Jesus is not yet the co-ordinator of the community, he is a lay person and as such takes part in the celebration like all the others. He had been away from the community for many weeks, had then joined John the Baptist’s movement and was baptized by him in the Jordan (Lk 3:21-22). Moreover, he had spent more than forty days in the desert, reflecting on his mission (Lk 4: 1-2). The Saturday after his return to the community, Jesus is invited to read. All are attentive and curious: “What will he say?” Jesus’ comment is brief, very brief indeed. He actualises the text, connects it with the people’s lives saying: “This text is being fulfilled today even as you are listening”.
Luke 4:22: The contradictory reactions of the
people
The people’s reaction is ambivalent. At first their attitude is one of attention, wonder and acclamation. Then, immediately, there is a negative reaction. They say: “This is Joseph’s son, surely!” Why are they scandalized? Because Jesus speaks of welcoming the poor, the blind, prisoners and the oppressed. They do not accept his proposal. And so, just when Jesus presents his project to welcome the excluded, he himself is excluded!
But there is another motive too. It is important to note the details of the quotations that Jesus uses from the Old Testament. In the commentary on Luke 3:4-6 on the second Sunday of Advent, Luke gives a longer quotation from Isaiah to show that the opening to pagans had already been foreseen by the prophets. Here we have something like this. Jesus quotes the text from Isaiah up to the point where it says: "to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord", and leaves out the rest of the sentence that says "and a day of vindication by our God, to comfort all who mourn" (Is 61,2b). The people of Nazareth challenge the fact that Jesus left out the part on vindication. They wanted the Day of the coming of the Kingdom to be a day of vindication against the oppressors of the people. Thus those who mourned would have regained their rights. But were it so, the advent, the coming of the Kingdom would not have changed an unjust system. Jesus rejects this way of thinking, he rejects vengeance. His experience of God, Father, helped him better understand the exact meaning of the prophecies. His reaction, unlike that of the people of Nazareth, shows us that the old image of God as a severe and vengeful judge was stronger than the Good News of God, a loving Father who welcomes those excluded.
Luke 4:23-24: Jesus criticizes the people’s
reaction
Jesus interprets the people’s reaction and considers it as a form of envy: “Physician, heal yourself. Whatever things we have heard of as done in Capharnaum, do here, also in your own country!” Jesus was well know throughout Galilee (Lk 4:14) and the people of Nazareth were not pleased that Jesus, a son of their land, worked good things in other peoples’ lands and not in his own. But there is a deeper reason for the reaction. Even if Jesus had worked in Nazareth the things he had worked in Capharnaum, they would still not have believed in him. They knew Jesus: “Who is he to teach us? Is he not Joseph’s son?” (Lk 4:22). “Is he not the carpenter?” (cfr Mk 6:3-4) Today too this happens so often: when a lay person preaches in church, many will not accept that. They leave and say: “He or she is like us: he or she knows nothing!” They cannot believe that God can speak through the most ordinary persons. Mark adds that Jesus is hurt by his people’s unbelief (Mk :,6).
Jesus interprets the people’s reaction and considers it as a form of envy: “Physician, heal yourself. Whatever things we have heard of as done in Capharnaum, do here, also in your own country!” Jesus was well know throughout Galilee (Lk 4:14) and the people of Nazareth were not pleased that Jesus, a son of their land, worked good things in other peoples’ lands and not in his own. But there is a deeper reason for the reaction. Even if Jesus had worked in Nazareth the things he had worked in Capharnaum, they would still not have believed in him. They knew Jesus: “Who is he to teach us? Is he not Joseph’s son?” (Lk 4:22). “Is he not the carpenter?” (cfr Mk 6:3-4) Today too this happens so often: when a lay person preaches in church, many will not accept that. They leave and say: “He or she is like us: he or she knows nothing!” They cannot believe that God can speak through the most ordinary persons. Mark adds that Jesus is hurt by his people’s unbelief (Mk :,6).
Luke 4:23-27: Jesus sheds light on the Bible
quoting Elijah and Elisha
In order to confirm that his mission is really that of welcoming the excluded, Jesus uses two well known passages of the Bible, the story of Elijah and that of Elisha. Both show up the closed mentality of the people of Nazareth, and criticize them. In Elijah’s time there were many widows in Israel, but Elijah was sent to a foreign widow from Sarepta (1 Kings 17:7-16). In Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but Elisha was sent to a foreigner from Syria (2 Kings 5:14). Again we see Luke’s concern to show that openness towards pagans came from Jesus himself. Jesus faced the same difficulties that the communities in Luke’s time faced.
In order to confirm that his mission is really that of welcoming the excluded, Jesus uses two well known passages of the Bible, the story of Elijah and that of Elisha. Both show up the closed mentality of the people of Nazareth, and criticize them. In Elijah’s time there were many widows in Israel, but Elijah was sent to a foreign widow from Sarepta (1 Kings 17:7-16). In Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but Elisha was sent to a foreigner from Syria (2 Kings 5:14). Again we see Luke’s concern to show that openness towards pagans came from Jesus himself. Jesus faced the same difficulties that the communities in Luke’s time faced.
Luke 4:28-30: The furious reaction of the people
who want to kill Jesus
The mention of these two passages from the Bible produces greater anger in the people. The community of Nazareth even wants to kill Jesus. He remains calm. Other people’s anger will not distract him from his purpose. Luke shows how difficult it is to overcome a mentality of privilege and of closure towards others. The same thing happens today. Many of us Catholics grow up with a mentality that leads us to believe that we are better than others and that the others must become like us in order to be saved. Jesus never thought this way.
The mention of these two passages from the Bible produces greater anger in the people. The community of Nazareth even wants to kill Jesus. He remains calm. Other people’s anger will not distract him from his purpose. Luke shows how difficult it is to overcome a mentality of privilege and of closure towards others. The same thing happens today. Many of us Catholics grow up with a mentality that leads us to believe that we are better than others and that the others must become like us in order to be saved. Jesus never thought this way.
c) Further information:
The meaning of a jubilee year:
In 2000, Pope John Paul II invited Catholics to
celebrate the jubilee. Celebrating important dates is part of life. This allows
us to rediscover and revive our initial enthusiasm. In the Bible, “the Jubilee
Year” was an important law. At first, it was decreed that every seventh year,
sold or leased lands were to return to the clan of origin. Everyone was to be
able to go back to his property. This prevented the formation of stagnant funds
and guaranteed a living for families. During a Jubilee Year lands were to be
sold back, slaves were to be redeemed and debts cancelled (cf. Dt 15:1-18). The
celebration of a Jubilee Year every seven years was not easy (cf Jeremiah
34:8-16). After the exile, began the custom of celebrating every fifty years,
that is, every seven times seven years (Lev 25:8-17). The purpose of a Jubilee
Year was and still is to re-affirm the rights of the poor, welcome the excluded
and reintegrate them into society. The jubilee was a legal instrument to go
back to the deep sense of the Law of God. It was an occasion to take stock of
the course travelled, to discover and correct errors and to begin everything
anew. Jesus begins his preaching by proclaiming a new jubilee, a “Year of
favour from the Lord”.
6. Praying with Psalm 72 (71)
“He will free the poor who cry!”
God, endow the king with your own fair judgement,
the son of the king with your own saving justice,
that he may rule your people with justice,
and your poor with fair judgement.
the son of the king with your own saving justice,
that he may rule your people with justice,
and your poor with fair judgement.
Mountains and hills,
bring peace to the people!
With justice he will judge the poor of the people,
he will save the children of the needy and crush their oppressors.
In the sight of the sun and the moon he will endure, age after age.
bring peace to the people!
With justice he will judge the poor of the people,
he will save the children of the needy and crush their oppressors.
In the sight of the sun and the moon he will endure, age after age.
He will come down like rain on mown grass,
like showers moistening the land.
In his days uprightness shall flourish,
and peace in plenty till the moon is no more.
His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,
from the river to the limits of the earth.
like showers moistening the land.
In his days uprightness shall flourish,
and peace in plenty till the moon is no more.
His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,
from the river to the limits of the earth.
The Beast will cower before him,
his enemies lick the dust;
the kings of Tarshish and the islands will pay him tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Saba will offer gifts;
all kings will do him homage,
all nations become his servants.
his enemies lick the dust;
the kings of Tarshish and the islands will pay him tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Saba will offer gifts;
all kings will do him homage,
all nations become his servants.
For he rescues the needy who calls to him,
and the poor who has no one to help.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the needy from death.
From oppression and violence he redeems their lives,
their blood is precious in his sight.
and the poor who has no one to help.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the needy from death.
From oppression and violence he redeems their lives,
their blood is precious in his sight.
Long may he live; may the gold of Sheba be given him!
Prayer will be offered for him constantly,
and blessings invoked on him all day.
May wheat abound in the land,
waving on the heights of the hills,
like Lebanon with its fruits and flowers at their best,
like the grasses of the earth.
Prayer will be offered for him constantly,
and blessings invoked on him all day.
May wheat abound in the land,
waving on the heights of the hills,
like Lebanon with its fruits and flowers at their best,
like the grasses of the earth.
May his name be blessed for ever,
and endure in the sight of the sun.
In him shall be blessed every race in the world,
and all nations call him blessed.
Blessed be Yahweh,
the God of Israel,
who alone works wonders;
blessed for ever his glorious name.
May the whole world be filled with his glory!
Amen! Amen!
and endure in the sight of the sun.
In him shall be blessed every race in the world,
and all nations call him blessed.
Blessed be Yahweh,
the God of Israel,
who alone works wonders;
blessed for ever his glorious name.
May the whole world be filled with his glory!
Amen! Amen!
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us
to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our
actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed
to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practice the
Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit
forever and ever. Amen.
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