JUNE 6 : THURSDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 356

Reading 1 TB 6:10-11; 7:1BCDE, 9-17; 8:4-9A

When the angel Raphael and Tobiah had entered Media

and were getting close to Ecbatana,

Raphael said to the boy,

“Tobiah, my brother!”

He replied: “Here I am!”

He said: “Tonight we must stay with Raguel, who is a relative of yours.

He has a daughter named Sarah.”

So he brought him to the house of Raguel,

whom they found seated by his courtyard gate.

They greeted him first.

He said to them, “Greetings to you too, brothers!

Good health to you, and welcome!”

And he brought them into his home.

Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock

and gave them a cordial reception.

When they had bathed and reclined to eat, Tobiah said to Raphael,

“Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to let me marry

my kinswoman Sarah.”

Raguel overheard the words; so he said to the boy:

“Eat and drink and be merry tonight,

for no man is more entitled

to marry my daughter Sarah than you, brother.

Besides, not even I have the right to give her to anyone but you,

because you are my closest relative.

But I will explain the situation to you very frankly.

I have given her in marriage to seven men,

all of whom were kinsmen of ours,

and all died on the very night they approached her.

But now, son, eat and drink.

I am sure the Lord will look after you both.”

Tobiah answered,

“I will eat or drink nothing until you set aside what belongs to me.”

Raguel said to him: “I will do it.

She is yours according to the decree of the Book of Moses.

Your marriage to her has been decided in heaven!

Take your kinswoman;

from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved.

She is yours today and ever after.

And tonight, son, may the Lord of heaven prosper you both.

May he grant you mercy and peace.”

Then Raguel called his daughter Sarah, and she came to him.

He took her by the hand and gave her to Tobiah with the words:

“Take her according to the law.

According to the decree written in the Book of Moses

she is your wife.

Take her and bring her back safely to your father.

And may the God of heaven grant both of you peace and prosperity.”

Raguel then called Sarah’s mother and told her to bring a scroll,

so that he might draw up a marriage contract

stating that he gave Sarah to Tobiah as his wife

according to the decree of the Mosaic law.

Her mother brought the scroll,

and Raguel drew up the contract, to which they affixed their seals.

Afterward they began to eat and drink.

Later Raguel called his wife Edna and said,

“My love, prepare the other bedroom and bring the girl there.”

She went and made the bed in the room, as she was told,

and brought the girl there.

After she had cried over her, she wiped away the tears and said:

“Be brave, my daughter.

May the Lord grant you joy in place of your grief.

Courage, my daughter.”

Then she left.

When the girl’s parents left the bedroom

and closed the door behind them,

Tobiah arose from bed and said to his wife,

“My love, get up.

Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on us

and to grant us deliverance.”

She got up, and they started to pray

and beg that deliverance might be theirs.

And they began to say:

“Blessed are you, O God of our fathers,

praised be your name forever and ever.

Let the heavens and all your creation

praise you forever.

You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve

to be his help and support;

and from these two the human race descended.

You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone;

let us make him a partner like himself.’

Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine

not because of lust,

but for a noble purpose.

Call down your mercy on me and on her,

and allow us to live together to a happy old age.”

They said together, “Amen, amen,” and went to bed for the night.

Responsorial Psalm PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (see 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,

who walk in his ways!

For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

Blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the recesses of your home;

Your children like olive plants

around your table.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Gospel MK 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,

“Which is the first of all the commandments?”

Jesus replied, “The first is this:

Hear, O Israel!

The Lord our God is Lord alone!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your soul, with all your mind,

and with all your strength.

The second is this:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.

You are right in saying,

He is One and there is no other than he.

And to love him with all your heart,

with all your understanding,

with all your strength,

and to love your neighbor as yourself

is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,

he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

www.usccb.org

Meditation: "Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength"

What is the purpose of God's law or commandments? The Pharisees prided themselves in the knowledge of the law and their ritual requirements. They made it a life-time practice to study the 613 precepts of the Old Testament along with the numerous rabbinic commentaries. They tested Jesus to see if he correctly understood the law as they did. Jesus startled them with his profound simplicity and mastery of the law of God and its purpose. What does God require of us? Simply that we love as he loves! God is love and everything he does flows from his love for us. God loved us first and our love for him is a response to his exceeding grace and kindness towards us. The love of God comes first and the love of neighbor is firmly grounded in the love of God. The more we know of God's love and truth the more we love what he loves and reject what is hateful and contrary to his will. What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us? Faith in God and hope in his promises strengthens us in the love of God. They are essential for a good relationship with God, for being united with him. The more we know of God the more we love him and the more we love him the greater we believe and hope in his promises. The Lord, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as he loves. Do you allow anything to keep you from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous heart?  Paul the Apostle says: hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:5). Do you know the love which conquers all?
"We love you, O our God; and we desire to love you more and more. Grant to us that we may love you as much as we desire, and as much as we ought. O dearest friend, who has so loved and saved us, the thought of whom is so sweet and always growing sweeter, come with Christ and dwell in our hearts; that you keep a watch over our lips, our steps, our deeds, and we shall not need to be anxious either for our souls or our bodies. Give us love, sweetest of all gifts, which knows no enemy. Give us in our hearts pure love, born of your love to us, that we may love others as you love us. O most loving Father of Jesus Christ, from whom flows all love, let our hearts, frozen in sin, cold to you and cold to others, be warmed by this divine fire. So help and bless us in your Son." (Prayer of Anselm, 1033-1109)

www.dailyscripture.net

Self - Donation

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Edward McIlmail, LC Mark 12:28-34 One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions. Introductory Prayer:Lord, I come before you humbly. As one who has frequently fallen into sin, I am aware of my weakness. Your great love, though, assures me that your grace can keep me on the path to holiness.  Petition:Lord, help me live according to the New Testament. 1. Getting Beyond Myself: A scribe asks Jesus a pointed question and assumes that there is only a one-step answer. In fact, Jesus goes beyond a one-step response and links love of God with love of neighbor. "Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness" (2 John 1:9). Christianity is not strictly a me-and-Jesus affair; such a faith can fall into self-centeredness and disdain for the world. We are called to be leaven in the world, to bring light to the darkness. Jesus wants us to be his arms and legs and voice in the world. Am I content to say prayers and make weekly Mass ― but to do little else? Might God be asking me to get more involved in the parish? In the school? In some kind of charity work? 2. The Gift of Self Is the Greatest Gift: The scribe senses that burnt offerings are not enough. Burnt offerings are something external to us. We let go of things (money, used clothes, old furniture) much faster than we let go of our time, our way of thinking. We give things but not ourselves. Am I loathe to give more of my time to help the Church? Why? 3. Fear of God’s Demands: The scribes understood that Jesus was raising the bar on religious observance. Sacrificing a sheep or a goat wasn´t enough anymore. Christ wanted them to give of themselves ― and that left them uneasy. The Old Testament sacrifices were giving way to the New Testament sacrifice ― the very sacrifice of self. That´s what Jesus wanted; that´s what Jesus himself gave. He gave himself up to a cross to confound our self-love. Does it scare me to die to myself? To my whims? What is Jesus asking of me that makes me uneasy? Conversation with Christ: Lord, you know it´s costly for me to let go of my own way of thinking, to give of my time. Help me realize that this may be the more perfect offering that you seek from me. Resolution:I will offer to do a favor that is costly in personal terms.

www.regnumchristi.org

THURSDAY, JUNE 6
Weekday

MARK 12:28-34
(Tobit 6:10-11, 7:1bcde, 9-17, 8:4-9a; Psalm 128)
KEY VERSE: "There is no other commandment greater than these" (v 31).
READING: The scribes were the learned interpreters of the Law of Moses. They expanded the Ten Commandments given to Moses into 613 rules and regulations. One scribe recognized Jesus' skill as a teacher, and asked him which one of the Mosaic Laws was the greatest. Jesus recognized the scribe's sincere search for truth, and he summed up the entire Law with two basic decrees, which he saw as inseparable. They were the laws upon which all the other commandments were based: to love God with one's entire being (Deut 6:5), and to love one's neighbor as oneself (Lev 19:18). The scribe declared that the love of God and neighbor was worth more than any religious acts that one could perform. Because the scribe understood this principle, he moved a step closer to God's reign.
REFLECTING: Is my love of God demonstrated by the way I love my neighbor? Do I have a healthy self love?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to love others with the love you have shown to me.

Optional Memorial of Norbert, bishop

St. Norbert was born around the year 1080 in the town of Xanten near Cologne, a town near the Holland-German border. Norbert did not begin his career as a reformer. Quite the opposite, for he took holy orders as a career move, a practice that was eroding the credibility and effectiveness of the Church. A narrow escape from death led to a conversion experience. After three years of self-scrutiny and prayer, he concluded that he should seek ordination to the priesthood and commit himself to Jesus and the ideals of the Gospel. A changed man, he returned to the parish community, determined to live as a principled priest and anxious to engage in active ministry. He founded the order of Canons Regular of Pr�montr�, France, the Norbertines, starting a reform movement that swept through European monastic houses. The Norbertines vowed to seek Christ by means of community living, poverty, obedience and celibacy. Norbert held before them the dream of the first Christians after Pentecost whose community life was characterized by the power of the Spirit and a desire to be of service to others.

www.daily-word-of-life.com

Happy are those who fear the Lord.

'Love … with all your heart.'
The scribe had been observing Jesus, and seemed to be puzzled by what he saw. He put the question: 'Which is the first commandment?' Jesus' answer is fourfold. His order of priorities makes us look again: 'You must love … with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' Notice the order. Loving with the heart comes first. Loving with the mind is third.

How do I love? Can I learn better to love from the heart rather than from the mind? Then I will be following Jesus who accepted everyone, and listened compassionately. I will give love. That love will come back to me.

www.churchresources.info

June 6
St. Norbert
(1080?-1134)

In the twelfth century in the French region of Premontre, St. Norbert founded a religious Order known as the Praemonstratensians or the Norbertines. His founding of the Order was a monumental task: combating rampant heresies (particularly regarding the Blessed Sacrament), revitalizing many of the faithful who had grown indifferent and dissolute, plus effecting peace and reconciliation among enemies.

Norbert entertained no pretensions about his own ability to accomplish this multiple task. Even with the aid of a goodly number of men who joined his Order, he realized that nothing could be effectively done without God’s power. Finding this help especially in devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, he and his Norbertines praised God for success in converting heretics, reconciling numerous enemies and rebuilding faith in indifferent believers. Many of them lived in central houses during the week and served in parishes on weekends.
Reluctantly, Norbert became archbishop of Magdeburg in central Germany, a territory half pagan and half Christian. In this position he zealously and courageously continued his work for the Church until his death on June 6, 1134.

Comment:

A different world cannot be built by indifferent people. The same is true in regard to the Church. The indifference of vast numbers of nominal faithful to ecclesiastical authority and essential doctrines of the faith weakens the Church's witness. Unswerving loyalty to the Church and fervent devotion to the Eucharist, as practiced by Norbert, will continue immeasurably towards maintaining the people of God in accord with the heart of Christ.

Quote:

On the occasion of his ordination to the priesthood, Norbert said, "O Priest! You are not yourself because you are God. You are not of yourself because you are the servant and minister of Christ. You are not your own because you are the spouse of the Church. You are not yourself because you are the mediator between God and man. You are not from yourself because you are nothing. What then are you? Nothing and everything. O Priest! Take care lest what was said to Christ on the cross be said to you: 'He saved others, himself he cannot save!'"

www.americancatholic.org

St. Marcellin Champagnat

Feastday: June 6
Patron of Education & Teachers
1789 - 1840
Canonized By: Pope John Paul II

In 1816, the newly ordained Marcellin Champagnat, consecrated to Mary, felt a personal call by God to found a religious community of Brothers that would bring the message of Jesus' love to neglected young people. Today his passionate spirit, daring vision and persistent work are embodied in the mission of Marist Brothers living on five continents.

Joseph Benedict Marcellin Champagnat was born in Marlhes,France in 1789. At the end of the French Revolution, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest for theArchdiocese of Lyon. Marcellin's concern for the educationof children and young people was rooted in his own educational experience. Because of the French Revolution, Marcellin did not attend school until age 11, and that experience lasted only one day! Marcellin watched in horror as the school teacher beat a student who tried to answer a question that had been posed to Marcellin. He left school that day and did not return to formal education until he entered the seminary at age 16. Although gifted with natural intelligence, Marcellin's lack of formal education caused him to struggle as a student. With determination and perseverance, Marcellin managed to meet all his academic requirements. His memories of the school teacher who beat the student, and his own recollections of his academic struggles were the basis of his educational philosophy: "to educate children you must love them and love them all equally."

On October 28, 1816, three months after his ordination, Marcellin was called to the Montagne home where 16 year old Jean-Baptiste Montagne was dying. As Marcellin prepared to hear the confession of Jean-Baptiste, he realized that the young man had little religious or academic education. It occurred to Marcellin that Jean-Baptiste was one of many young people victimized by lack of education during and after the French Revolution.

Marcellin's own difficult school experience and his encounter with Jean-Baptiste Montagne convinced him that he had to do something to combat the illiteracy and spiritual poverty of the young people in rural France.

Six months after his ordination, Marcellin founded the religious community, "The Marist Brothers of the Schools" (also known as "The Little Brothers of Mary") to make known, through their lives and service, the love of Jesus and Mary - especially where access to love and support, education and catechism was remote.

For himself and his Brothers, Marcellin wished "goods which are more solid and real" than material possessions. He said of his community's mission that they were to "serve God with fervor, to fulfill faithfully all the duties of our state, to work every day to detach our heart from creatures in order to give it to Jesus and Mary, to open it to all the movements of grace." The Brothers would find their glory, Marcellin said, in their efforts "to imitate and follow Jesus Christ," guided and strengthened by the Spirit. In all their being and work among the young, they were "to make Jesus Christ known and loved."

A man of deep prayer, Marcellin was grounded in a loving community. His devotion to the love of God, Mary, and his Brothers inspired him to a universal mission. The Marist Brothers were known for theirfamily spirit and simple Gospel way of being fully present to each other and all people. Their schoolsmultiplied at a fast pace - almost a dozen a year, and by the turn of the century, the Marist Brothers had accepted invitations from many countries around the world.

Marcellin often proclaimed, "This is all God's work…this is all Mary's work." That remains true to thespirit of today's Marist Brothers and their lay colleagues as they respond in fresh, bold and creative ways to meet the needs of youth.

In 1955 Marcellin Champagnat was declared Blessed by Pope Pius XII. He was canonized by Pope JohnPaul II on April 18, 1999.

www.catholic.org

LECTIO: MARK 12,28B-34

 

Lectio: 

 Thursday, June 6, 2013  

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Father,
your love never fails.
Hear our call.
Keep us from danger
and provide for all our needs.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel Reading - Mark 12,28b-34

One of the scribes put a question to Jesus, 'Which is the first of all the commandments?' Jesus replied, 'This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one, only Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.' The scribe said to him, 'Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true, that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.'
Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' And after that no one dared to question him any more.

3) Reflection

• The Gospel today presents a beautiful conversation between Jesus and a Doctor of the Law. The doctor wants to know from Jesus which is the first of all the commandments. Today, also many persons want to know what is most important in religion. Some say: to be baptized. Others, to pray. Others say: to go to Mass or to participate in the worship on Sunday. Others say: to love your neighbour! Others are worried about the appearance or the charges or tasks in the Church.
• Mark 12, 28: The question of the Doctor of the Law. A doctor of the Law, who had seen the debate of Jesus with the Sadducees (Mk 12,23-27), was pleased with the response of Jesus, and he perceives in him a great intelligence and wants to profit of this occasion to ask him a question: Which is the first one of all the commandments?” At that time the Jews had an enormous number of norms which regulated, in practice, the observance of the Ten Commandments of the Law of God. Some said: “All these norms have the same value, because they all come from God. It does not belong to us to introduce distinctions in the things of God”. Others would say: “Some Laws are more important than others, that is why they oblige more!” The Doctor wanted to know Jesus’ opinion.
• Mark 12, 29-31: The response of Jesus. Jesus responds by quoting a passage of the Bible to say that the first commandment is “to love God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength!” (Dt 6, 4-5). At the time of Jesus, the pious Jews made of this text of Deuteronomy a prayer which they recited three times a day: in the morning, at noon and in the evening. Among them it was known as today we know the Our Father. And Jesus adds, quoting the Bible again: the second one is this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other more important commandment than this one”. (Lev 19,18). A brief and profound response! It is the summary of all that Jesus has taught about God and about life (Mt 7, 12).
• Mark 12, 32-33: The answer of the doctor of the Law. The Doctor agrees with Jesus and draws the conclusion: “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself; this is far more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice”. In other words, the commandment of love is more important than the commandments related to worship and sacrifice in the Temple. This affirmation was already used by the prophets of the Old Testament (Ho 6, 6; Ps 40, 6-8; Ps 51, 16-17). Today, we would say that the practice of love is more important than novenas, promises, Masses, prayers, and processions.
• Mark 12, 34: The summary of the Kingdom. Jesus confirms the conclusion reached by the Doctor and says: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God!” In fact, the Kingdom of God consists in recognizing that love toward God is equal to the love of neighbour. Because if God is Father, we all are sisters and brothers and should show this in practice, living in community. "On these two commandments depend the Law and the prophets” (Mt 22, 4). The disciples must keep in mind, fix in their memory, in their intelligence, in the heart, in the hands and in the feet this important law of love: God is only attained through the total gift of self to our neighbour!
• The first and most important commandment. The most important and first commandment was and will always be: “to love God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk 12,30). In the measure in which the People of God, throughout the centuries, has deepened the meaning and the importance of the love of God, it has become aware that God’s love is true and real only in the measure in which it is made concrete in the love to neighbour. And thus, the second commandment which asks for the love for neighbour, is similar to the first commandment of God’s love (Mt 22, 39; Mk 12, 31). “Anyone who says I love God, and hates his brother, is a liar” (1 Jn 4, 20). “On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets too” (Mt 22, 40).

4) Personal questions

• For you, what is more important in religion and in life? Which are the concrete difficulties that you find, in order to be able to live that which you consider more important?
• Jesus tells the doctor: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God”. Today, am I nearer or farther away from the Kingdom of God than the doctor praised by Jesus?

5) Concluding Prayer

Direct me in your ways, Yahweh,
and teach me your paths.
Encourage me to walk in your truth and teach me
since you are the God who saves me. (Ps 25,4-5)

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