MAY 22, 2013 : WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 343

Reading 1 SIR 4:11-19

Wisdom breathes life into her children

and admonishes those who seek her.

He who loves her loves life;

those who seek her will be embraced by the Lord.

He who holds her fast inherits glory;

wherever he dwells, the LORD bestows blessings.

Those who serve her serve the Holy One;

those who love her the LORD loves.

He who obeys her judges nations;

he who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers.

If one trusts her, he will possess her;

his descendants too will inherit her.

She walks with him as a stranger

and at first she puts him to the test;

Fear and dread she brings upon him

and tries him with her discipline

until she try him by her laws and trust his soul.

Then she comes back to bring him happiness

and reveal her secrets to them

and she will heap upon him

treasures of knowledge and an understanding of justice.

But if he fails her, she will abandon him

and deliver him into the hands of despoilers.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:165, 168, 171, 172, 174, 175

R. (165a) O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Those who love your law have great peace,

and for them there is no stumbling block.

R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

I keep your precepts and your decrees,

for all my ways are before you.

R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

My lips pour forth your praise,

because you teach me your statutes.

R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

May my tongue sing of your promise,

for all your commands are just.

R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

I long for your salvation, O LORD,

and your law is my delight.

R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Let my soul live to praise you,

and may your ordinances help me.

R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Gospel MK 9:38-40

John said to Jesus,

“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,

and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”

Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.

There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name

who can at the same time speak ill of me.

For whoever is not against us is for us.”

www.usccb.org

Meditation: "Any one who does a mighty work in my name"

Do you rejoice in the good that others do? Jesus reprimands his disciples for their jealousy and suspicion. They were upset that someone who was not of their company was performing a good work in the name of Jesus. They even "forbade" the man "because he was not following us". Jesus' reply is filled with wisdom: "No one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me." Are we not like the disciples when we get upset at the good deeds of others who seem to shine more than us? Paul says that "love is not jealous... but rejoices in the right" (1 Corinthians 13:4,6). Envy and jealousy, its counterpart, are sinful because they lead us to sorrow over what should make us rejoice – namely, our neighbor's good. The reason we may grieve over our another's good  is that somehow we see that good as lessening our own value or excellence. Envy forms when we believe that the other person's advantage or possession diminishes or brings disgrace on us. Envy is contrary to love. Both the object of love and the object of envy is our neighbor's good, but by contrary movements, since love rejoices in our neighbor's good, while envy grieves over it.
How can we overcome envy? With the love that God has put into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit purifies our heart and frees us from our disordered passions, such as envy, jealously, greed, and bitterness. God's love is a generous and selfless love which is wholly oriented towards our good. The love that God places in our hearts seeks the highest good of our neighbor. God's love purifies and frees us from all envy and jealousy – and it compels us to give generously, especially to those who lack what they need. Every one in need has a claim on us because they are dear to God who created them in his own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). God created us in love for love. We are most free and happy when we love as he loves. The love and charitable help we show to our neighbor also expresses the gratitude we have for the abundant mercy and kindness of God towards us. Jesus declared that any kindness shown and any help given to those in need would not lose its reward. Jesus never refused to give to anyone in need who asked for his help. As his disciples we are called to be kind and generous as he is. Are you grateful for God’s mercy and kindness towards you and are you ready to show that same kindness and generosity towards your neighbor?
Gregory of Nyssa, an early church father (330-395 AD), comments on this passage: “God never asks his servants to do what is impossible. The love and goodness of his Godhead is revealed as richly available. It is poured out like water upon all. God furnished to each person according to his will the ability to do something good. None of those seeking to be saved will be lacking in this ability, given by the one who said: ‘whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.’” Ask the Lord to increase your generosity in doing good for others.
"Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may radiate the joy of the gospel to others. May your light and truth shine through me that others may find new life and freedom from sin and the corruption of evil."

www.dailyscripture.net

The Zeal of Charity

Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Father Edward Hopkins, LC Mark 9:38-40 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” Introductory Prayer:Lord Jesus, I believe in you and in all the expressions of your goodness and love in my life. I believe in your Eucharist, where you have made yourself my bread and a prisoner of love to teach me goodness of heart. I trust that you can train my heart to react more as you do, with forgiveness and blessing. I love you, Lord; I wish to love you with my prayer and increased charity. Mary, teach me to love with the heart of your son. Petition:Make my heart more like yours, Lord. 1. A Son of Thunder: The young apostle says with uncontrolled fervor, “We tried to prevent him.” They obviously acted first and consulted Jesus only afterwards. What moved them? What so often moves us––a sense of righteous zeal! We know or think we know what is right. “Let no one step out of line, or we will let him know!” Moreover, this person “does not follow us,” so he should not be able to act in your name! What is this “Son of Thunder” missing? Is not the mightiest deed an act of charity? How often do I make rash judgments without really knowing the full picture and without consulting Jesus first? 2. Judgments of Gospel Charity: Jesus does not hesitate to offer a positive judgment. Mighty deeds in his name can be found only in one speaking well of him. Moreover, beyond logic, Jesus possesses a deeper insight. He reads all actions with a heart of charity. His judgments will always be colored by his looking to find the very best in each person. His every action will be interpreted by love. In such manner he interprets well the actions of the woman who wipes his feet with her tears and hair, of the paralytic lowered from the roof, of the tax collector who climbed a tree to see him. Do I judge others with a heart filled with gospel charity, or am I very quick to spot faults? Are my impulses modified by my experience of Christ’s love for me? 3. For or Against Him? Jesus presents a simple principle for judging. Unless a person shows himself to be against us, consider him for us. We should fight to help others be “for us.” “Believe all the good you hear and only believe the evil you see.” This supposition of goodness runs contrary to our tendency to judge and speak evil of others with a minimum of evidence while demanding disproportionate proofs to credit them for good. Is it my job to find deformities in a member of the Body of Christ? A good person sees with eyes of goodness. Why can I not find excuses for the weakness and failings I see in others? Why is it so easy to speak poorly of others, to point out their defects and to fall into slander or gossip? Would the answer be found in the narrow or stingy dimensions of my own heart? Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, grant me a heart overflowing with your love. Make charity my first reaction, my constant hope and my irresistible tendency. Open my eyes in faith to see you working in people of all backgrounds and faiths. Help me to dismiss all personal, unnecessary judgments with an assumption of charity. May I win souls with my goodness and never be without charity in my fight for your Kingdom. Resolution:I will counter every thought against charity with two thoughts of charity. I will counter every word against charity with two words of sincere charity for the one maligned.

www.regnumchristi.org

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22
Weekday

MARK 9:38-40
(Sirach 4:11-19; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me" (v 39).
READING: Jesus warned his disciples about problems they would face as they led the Church after his death and resurrection. He admonished them about worldly ambition (v 33-37), and petty intolerance. Seeming not to hear him, his disciples arrogantly suggested that some exorcists, who did not belong to their company, should be prevented from expelling demons in Jesus' name. Jesus challenged their closed-mindedness, and encouraged them to affirm good wherever they found it. They must imitate God's tolerance toward all people of good will. No one could do the mighty deeds of God and at the same time speak ill of Jesus. All who did good by the power of Jesus' name were contributing to building up the kingdom. Even the simplest acts of charity would be rewarded.
REFLECTING: Am I judgmental toward those who are not of my faith? 
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to be open-minded toward all who do your work.

Memorial of Rita of Cascia, religious

From her early youth, Rita showed interest in a religious life. However, when she was twelve, her parents betrothed her to an ill-tempered, abusive individual. Disappointed but obedient, Rita married him when she was 18, and was the mother of twin sons. She put up with her husband's abuses for eighteen years before he was ambushed and stabbed to death. Her sons swore vengeance on their father's killers, but through Rita's prayers and interventions, they forgave the offenders. Upon the deaths of her sons, Rita again felt the call to religious life, and she was admitted to the Augustine monastery at age 36. Rita lived 40 years in the convent, spending her time in prayer and charity, and working for peace in the region. She was devoted to the Passion, and in response to a prayer to suffer as Christ did, she received a chronic head wound that appeared to have been caused by a crown of thorns, and which bled for 15 years.  Rita is well-known as a patron of desperate, seemingly impossible causes and situations. This is because she has been involved in so many stages of life - wife, mother, widow, and nun She buried her family, helped bring peace to her city, saw her dreams denied and yet never lost her faith in God.

www.daily-word-of-life.com

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Greatest, least, first and last are not kingdom categories.
To pass over and exclude are not the way of kingdom procedures. ‘We stopped him; he’s not of our group!’ protests John. ‘You must not stop him’, answers Jesus. Competitiveness operates when resources are finite and places limited. Such restrictions do not apply with God. God’s resources are infinite and he offers employment to everyone. The distinctive feature of kingdom behaviour is offering welcome, operating across all human barriers: such obstacles have no substance before God.

Lord, we grew up needy and learnt selfish ways in our earthly city. With you we have entered God’s kingdom of plenty, but have not shaken off selfish ways. Teach us to reach out to others with the glass of water and the kind word, that we may indeed become citizens of your kingdom.

www.churchresources.info

May 22
Blessed Joachima
(1783-1854)

Born into an aristocratic family in Barcelona, Spain, Joachima was 12 when she expressed a desire to become a Carmelite nun. But her life took an altogether different turn at 16 with her marriage to a young lawyer, Theodore de Mas. Both deeply devout, they became secular Franciscans. During their 17 years of married life they raised eight children.

The normalcy of their family life was interrupted when Napoleon invaded Spain. Joachima had to flee with the children; Theodore, remaining behind, died. Though Joachima reexperienced a desire to enter a religious community, she attended to her duties as a mother. At the same time, the young widow led a life of austerity and chose to wear the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis as her ordinary dress. She spent much time in prayer and visiting the sick.
Four years later, with some of her children now married and younger ones under their care, Joachima confessed her desire to a priest to join a religious order. With his encouragement she established the Carmelite Sisters of Charity. In the midst of the fratricidal wars occurring at the time, Joachima was briefly imprisoned and, later, exiled to France for several years.
Sickness ultimately compelled her to resign as superior of her order. Over the next four years she slowly succumbed to paralysis, which caused her to die by inches. At her death in 1854 at the age of 71, Joachima was known and admired for her high degree of prayer, deep trust in God and selfless charity.

Comment:

Joachima understands loss. She lost the home where her children grew up, her husband and, finally, her health. As the power to move and care for her own needs slowly ebbed away, this woman who had all her life cared for others became wholly dependent; she required help with life’s simplest tasks. When our own lives go spinning out of control, when illness and bereavement and financial hardship strike, all we can do is cling to the belief that sustained Joachima: God watches over us always.

May 22
St. Rita of Cascia
(1381-1457)

Like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Rita of Cascia was a wife, mother, widow and member of a religious community. Her holiness was reflected in each phase of her life.

Born at Roccaporena in central Italy, Rita wanted to become a nun but was pressured at a young age into marrying a harsh and cruel man. During her 18-year marriage, she bore and raised two sons. After her husband was killed in a brawl and her sons had died, Rita tried to join the Augustinian nuns in Cascia. Unsuccessful at first because she was a widow, Rita eventually succeeded.
Over the years, her austerity, prayerfulness and charity became legendary. When she developed wounds on her forehead, people quickly associated them with the wounds from Christ's crown of thorns. She meditated frequently on Christ's passion. Her care for the sick nuns was especially loving. She also counseled lay people who came to her monastery.
Beatified in 1626, Rita was not canonized until 1900. She has acquired the reputation, together with St. Jude, as a saint of impossible cases. Many people visit her tomb each year.

Comment:

Although we can easily imagine an ideal world in which to live out our baptismal vocation, such a world does not exist. An “If only ….” approach to holiness never quite gets underway, never produces the fruit that God has a right to expect.

Rita became holy because she made choices that reflected her Baptism and her growth as a disciple of Jesus. Her overarching, lifelong choice was to cooperate generously with God's grace, but many small choices were needed to make that happen. Few of those choices were made in ideal circumstances—not even when Rita became an Augustinian nun.

Quote:

For the Baptism of adults and for all the baptized at the Easter Vigil, three questions are asked: “Do you reject sin so as to live in the freedom of God's children? Do you reject the glamor of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin? Do you reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?”

Patron Saint of:

Difficult marriages
Impossible causes
Infertility
Parenthood

www.americancatholic.org

LECTIO: MARK 9,38-40

Lectio: 

 Wednesday, May 22, 2013  

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Father,
keep before us the wisdom and love
you have revealed in your Son.
Help us to be like him
in word and deed,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel Reading - Mark 9,38-40

John said to Jesus, 'Master, we saw someone who is not one of us driving out devils in your name, and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.' But Jesus said, 'You must not stop him; no one who works a miracle in my name could soon afterwards speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.

3) Reflection

• Today’s Gospel narrates quite a beautiful and actual example of the pedagogy of Jesus. It shows us how he helped his disciples to perceive and to overcome the “yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod”.
• Mark 9, 38-40: A closed mentality: He was not one of ours” Someone who did not belong to the community used the name of Jesus to drive out the devils. John, the disciple, sees this and forbids it: We have stopped him because he was not one of us. In the name of the community he forbids that the other one can do a good deed! He thinks that being a disciple, he can have the monopoly on Jesus and, because of this, he wants to forbid that others to use the name of Jesus to do good. This was the closed and ancient mentality of the “chosen People, a separated People!” Jesus responds: “You must not stop him; no one who works a miracle in my name could soon afterwards speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.” (Mk 9, 40). It would be very difficult to find a more ecumenical affirmation than this affirmation of Jesus. For Jesus, what is important is not if the person forms part of the community or not, but rather if the person does or not the good which the community should do.
• A picture of Jesus, formator of his disciples. Jesus, the Master, is the axis, the centre and the model of formation given to the disciples. By his attitudes he is an example of the Kingdom; he embodies the love of God and reveals it (Mk 6, 31; Mt 10, 30; Lk 15, 11-32). Many small gestures show this witness of life with which Jesus marked his presence in the life of the disciples, preparing them for life and for the mission. This was his way of giving a human form to the experience which he himself had of God, the Father. The following is a picture of Jesus, the Formator of his disciples:
- he involves them in the mission (Mk 6, 7; Lk 9,1-2; 10, 1),
- when they return he reviews with them all that they have lived (Lk 10, 17-20)
- he corrects them when they fail and want to be the first ones (Mk 9, 33-35; 10, 14-15
- he waits for the opportune moment to correct them (Lk 9, 46-48; Mk 10, 14-15)
- he helps them to discern (Mk 9, 18-19)
- he challenges them when they are slow (Mk 4, 13; 8, 14-21)
- he prepares them to face the conflict (Jn 16, 33; Mt 10, 17-25)
- he orders them to observe reality (Mk 8, 27-29; Jn 4, 35; Mt 16, 1-3)
- he reflects with them on questions of the moment (Lk 13, 1-5)
- he confronts them with the needs of the people (Jn 6, 5)
- he teaches them that the needs of the people are above the ritual prescriptions (Mt12, 7-12)
- he meets alone with them so as to be able to instruct them (Mk 4, 34; 7, 17; 9, 30-31; 10, 10; 13, 3)
- he knows how to listen even if the dialogue is difficult (Jn 4, 7-42)
- he helps them to accept themselves (Lk 22, 32)
- he is demanding and asks them to leave everything out of love for him (Mk 10, 17-31)
- he is severe concerning hypocrisy (Lk 11, 37-53
- he asks more questions than gives responses (Mk 8, 17-21
- he is firm and does not allow himself to be deviated from the right path (Mk 8, 33; Lk 9, 54)
- he prepares them for conflict and persecution (Mt 10, 16-25).
• Formation was not, in the first place, the transmission of truths to be remembered, but the communication of the new experience of God and of the life which radiates from Jesus for the disciples. The community itself which was forming around Jesus was the expression of this new experience. Formation led persons to have a different way of looking, to have different attitudes. It gave them a new conscience concerning the mission and concerning themselves. It helped them to place themselves at the side of the excluded. And soon afterwards, it produced “conversion” as a consequence of the acceptance of the Good News (Mk 1, 15).

4) Personal questions

• What does it mean for me, today, in the XXI century, the affirmation of Jesus who says: “Anyone who is not against us is for us?”
• How does the formation of Jesus take place in my life?

5) Concluding Prayer

Bless Yahweh, my soul,
from the depths of my being, his holy name;
bless Yahweh, my soul,
never forget all his acts of kindness. (Ps 103,1-2)

 

www.ocarm.org