Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 388
Lectionary: 388
Jacob gave his sons this charge:
“Since I am about to be taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
the cave in the field of Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the Hittites.”
Now that their father was dead,
Joseph’s brothers became fearful and thought,
“Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!”
So they approached Joseph and said:
“Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
‘You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.’
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father’s God, committed.”
When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him
and said, “Let us be your slaves!”
But Joseph replied to them:
“Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children.”
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.
Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father’s family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation,
and the children of Manasseh’s son Machir
were also born on Joseph’s knees.
Joseph said to his brothers: “I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued,
“When God thus takes care of you,
you must bring my bones up with you from this place.”
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.
“Since I am about to be taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
the cave in the field of Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the Hittites.”
Now that their father was dead,
Joseph’s brothers became fearful and thought,
“Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!”
So they approached Joseph and said:
“Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
‘You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.’
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father’s God, committed.”
When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him
and said, “Let us be your slaves!”
But Joseph replied to them:
“Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children.”
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.
Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father’s family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation,
and the children of Manasseh’s son Machir
were also born on Joseph’s knees.
Joseph said to his brothers: “I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued,
“When God thus takes care of you,
you must bring my bones up with you from this place.”
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.
Responsorial PsalmPS 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7
R. (see Psalm
69:33) Be glad you lowly ones; may
your hearts be glad!
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
GospelMT 10:24-33
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
“Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”
“No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
“Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”
Meditation: "Fear him who can destroy soul and body in hell"
What
does fear have to do with the kingdom of God? Fear is a powerful force. It can
lead us to panic and flight or it can spur us to faith and action. The fear of
God is the antidote to the fear of losing one's life. I sought the Lord, and he
answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.O fear the Lord, you his
saints, for those who fear him have no want! Come, O sons, listen to me, I will
teach you the fear of the Lord. (Psalm
34:4,9,11) What is godly fear? It is reverence for the One who made us in love
and who sustains us in mercy and kindness. The greatest injury or loss which we
can experience is not physical but spiritual – the loss of one's soul to the
power of hell. A healthy fear of God leads to spiritual maturity, wisdom and
right judgment and it frees us from the tyranny of sinful pride, cowardice –
especially in the face of evil, and spiritual deception. Do you trust in God's
grace and mercy and submit to his word?When Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God he met opposition and hostility. He tells his disciples that they must expect the same treatment if they are to live and to proclaim the reign of God. There is both a warning and a privilege in his statement. Just as Jesus had to carry his cross, so the disciples must carry their cross and not try to evade it. To suffer for the faith is to share in the work of Christ. As one hymn states: Lift high the Cross of Christ! Tread where his feet have trod. The Holy Spirit gives us power and grace to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Do you trust in God’s grace to carry your cross for Jesus’ sake?
"Lord Jesus, it is my joy and privilege to be your disciple. Give me strength and courage to bear any hardship and suffering which may come my way in your service. May I witness to others the joy of the gospel."
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Saturday of the
Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time
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Father Shawn Aaron, LC
Matthew 12: 14-21
The Pharisees went
out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized
this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured
them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what
had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, my servant whom I
have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not
break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to
victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."
Introductory Prayer: God our Father, you gave us your Son to make us your children.
I believe, and I am hoping to be raised to full maturity in him through the
school of the Gospel. Thank you for your unconditional love. I offer you my
love in return, knowing you welcome it as a parent does a small child.
Petition: Jesus, like you, make my heart attentive to
the needs of others.
1. When Jesus Realized This, He Withdrew from That Place: There is a great lesson for us here: It is not yet his "hour," so Jesus does not force the issue. Jesus does not taunt the Pharisees or provoke an unnecessary clash. Whenever Jesus challenges a person it is in order to lead that person to a deeper self-reflection and ultimately to a conversion of heart and of life. He did this on several occasions with the same Scribes and Pharisees. Yet this is not the time to engage them intellectually; their hearts are closed and they are unwilling to listen. When at times we find ourselves in a disagreement (perhaps even with a loved one), once the emotions are roused and it becomes clear that one or both parties are not ready for the truth, the prudent, loving and humble thing to do is withdraw from the situation until the moment our hearts are more open to listening.
2. The Master
Physician: Matthew´s comment in
this section of the Gospel is quite revealing: "Many people followed
him, and he cured them all." We must not imagine that all of the
healings were physical. So "meek and humble" is Jesus that every
person felt he could approach him. If a bruised reed comes to Jesus – a
person battered by life, trials and his own sin – his first and only
inclination is to heal that soul. Even to this very day Jesus continually
takes what is broken and makes it whole. He is the master physician who binds
up wounds so that the person may be healed. In light of this attitude we
recognize the contrast between the Pharisees, who seek to kill, and Jesus,
who continues to give life to all who come to him.
3. A Ember of
Faith: All Jesus needs is
the slightest ember of faith and hope to change a person´s life. For
instance, we cannot force a person to love us or to trust us. Likewise, God
himself respects the very freedom he entrusted to us. Nonetheless, our Lord
does give the human person a searching mind and heart. That is why we can say
that the human person is religious by nature from the beginning. Atheists are
not born; they are made by their choices. Within the human soul God already
provides us with the kindling for faith, hope and love. Once we are baptized,
that kindling can become an unquenchable fire. Yet it can also be
extinguished if we carelessly expose it to the winds and waves of unbridled
selfishness, secularism, skepticism and systematic doubt . No matter how far
we think we may have drifted, if we will simply turn to Jesus, we will find
that he is already looking at us.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord Jesus, you see and know what I am to
become if I will keep close to you in faith, hope and love. Deepen within me
the desire to remain united to you in prayer so as to imitate you in love.
Help me become with you what I can never become without you. Mother Most
Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.
Resolution: Today I will contact someone who needs to be encouraged and
listened to.
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SATURDAY, JULY 13
MATTHEW 10:24-33
MATTHEW 10:24-33
(Genesis 49:29-32, 50:15-26a; Psalm 105)
KEY VERSE: "No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master" (v 24).
READING: Jesus was the fullness of God's revelation to the world, but many people were obstinate in their refusal to believe. Jesus confided his message to his twelve apostles, warning them of the opposition they would face as they proclaimed the gospel to the world. Students were not above their teacher, and slaves could not outrank their master; therefore, just as they shared in his ministry they would share in his passion. Though they stood in danger of death, they should not be afraid. It would be a greater peril to lose one's immortal soul. Rather, they should fear the evil one who could lead them to eternal destruction. Jesus reminded his followers of their worth before God. If God was aware of the death of a tiny sparrow, were not their lives worth more? If the apostles were faithful in their task, Jesus would defend them on the day of judgment. Despite the darkness of unbelief, light would come in the dawn of Christ's resurrection.
REFLECTING: Do I remind others of their worth in God's sight?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to defend the faith when I am opposed.
Optional Memorial of Henry
Henry became Duke of Bavaria in 995 upon his father's death, thereby ending his thoughts of becoming a priest. Henry ascended to the throne of Germany in 1002, and was crowned King of Pavia on 15 May 1004. Henry's brother rebelled against him, and Henry was forced to defeat him on the battlefield. Henry later forgave him, and the two reconciled. Henry was crowned as the Holy Roman Emperor in 1014 by Pope Benedict VIII. His was the last of the Saxon dynasty of emperors. Henry founded schools, quelled rebellions, protected the frontiers, worked to establish a stable peace in Europe, and helped to reform the Church while respecting its independence. He fostered missions, and established Bamberg as a center for missions to Slavic countries. Henry started the construction of the cathedral at Basel, Switzerland, which took nearly 400 years to complete. Both Henry and his wife St. Cunegunda were prayerful people, and generous to the poor. Some sources claim the two lived chastely, but there is no proof of this. By his Christian virtues, Henry proved that a good king is a true gift of heaven.
Turn to the Lord
in your need and you will live
'It is enough to grow to be like the teacher.'When someone inspires us or challenges us to change, or to act, there's a feeling within that we want to become more like them. We want to emulate their qualities of justice and compassion, their courage in speaking out.
It’s not easy to be a disciple in today's secular world - even to declare, say, that it's more important to celebrate the Easter liturgies than to participate in the town’s civil celebrations. But if we’re serious about our faith we want to put into practice what we profess and believe.
We have a God who is with us, involved in all the minutiae of our lives, wanting and waiting to empower us. How delighted our God is when we turn to him, not grudgingly, but wholeheartedly.
July 13
St. Henry
(972-1024)
St. Henry
(972-1024)
As German king and Holy Roman Emperor, Henry was a practical man
of affairs. He was energetic in consolidating his rule. He crushed rebellions
and feuds. On all sides he had to deal with drawn-out disputes so as to protect
his frontiers. This involved him in a number of battles, especially in the
south in Italy; he also helped Pope Benedict VIII quell disturbances in Rome.
Always his ultimate purpose was to establish a stable peace in Europe.
According to eleventh-century custom, Henry took advantage of his
position and appointed as bishops men loyal to him. In his case, however, he
avoided the pitfalls of this practice and actually fostered the reform of
ecclesiastical and monastic life. He was canonized in 1146.
Comment:
All in all, this saint was a man of his times. From our standpoint, he may have been too quick to do battle and too ready to use power to accomplish reforms. But, granted such limitations, he shows that holiness is possible in a busy secular life. It is in doing our job that we become saints.
All in all, this saint was a man of his times. From our standpoint, he may have been too quick to do battle and too ready to use power to accomplish reforms. But, granted such limitations, he shows that holiness is possible in a busy secular life. It is in doing our job that we become saints.
Quote:
“We deem it opportune to remind our children of their duty to take an active part in public life and to contribute toward the attainment of the common good of the entire human family as well as to that of their own political community. They should endeavor, therefore, in the light of their Christian faith and led by love, to insure that the various institutions—whether economic, social, cultural or political in purpose—should be such as not to create obstacles, but rather to facilitate or render less arduous man’s perfecting of himself in both the natural order and the supernatural.... Every believer in this world of ours must be a spark of light, a center of love, a vivifying leaven amidst his fellow men. And he will be this all the more perfectly, the more closely he lives in communion with God in the intimacy of his own soul” (Blessed Pope John XXIII, Peace on Earth, 146, 164).
“We deem it opportune to remind our children of their duty to take an active part in public life and to contribute toward the attainment of the common good of the entire human family as well as to that of their own political community. They should endeavor, therefore, in the light of their Christian faith and led by love, to insure that the various institutions—whether economic, social, cultural or political in purpose—should be such as not to create obstacles, but rather to facilitate or render less arduous man’s perfecting of himself in both the natural order and the supernatural.... Every believer in this world of ours must be a spark of light, a center of love, a vivifying leaven amidst his fellow men. And he will be this all the more perfectly, the more closely he lives in communion with God in the intimacy of his own soul” (Blessed Pope John XXIII, Peace on Earth, 146, 164).
LECTIO: MATTHEW 10,24-33
Lectio:
Saturday, July
13, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
through the obedience of Jesus,
your servant and your Son,
you raised a fallen world.
Free us from sin
and bring us the joy that lasts for ever.
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.
through the obedience of Jesus,
your servant and your Son,
you raised a fallen world.
Free us from sin
and bring us the joy that lasts for ever.
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 -
Matthew 10,24-33
Jesus said to his
disciples: "The disciple is not superior to teacher, nor slave to master.
It is enough for disciple to grow to be like teacher, and slave like master. If
they have called the master of the house "Beelzebul", how much more
the members of his household? 'So do not be afraid of them. Everything now
covered up will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear.
What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers,
proclaim from the housetops. 'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but
cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in
hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the
ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been
counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than many
sparrows. 'So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of human
beings, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven.
But the one who disowns me in the presence of human beings, I will disown in
the presence of my Father in heaven.
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel
presents to us diverse instructions of Jesus on the behaviour that the
disciples have to adopt in the exercise of their mission. What strikes
most in these instructions are two warnings: (a) the frequency with which Jesus
refers to the persecutions and suffering which they will have to bear; (b) the
insistence repeated three times to the disciples not to be afraid.
• Matthew 10, 24-25: Persecutions and sufferings which mark the life of the disciples. These two verses constitute the final part of a warning of Jesus to the disciples concerning persecutions. The disciples should know that, because of the fact of being disciples of Jesus, they will be persecuted (Mt 10, 17-23). But this should not be a reason for worrying, because a disciple should imitate the life of the Master and share the trials with him. This is part of discipleship. “A disciple is not greater than the Teacher or a servant than his master; it is sufficient for the disciple to grow to be like his teacher and the servant like his master”. If they called Jesus Beelzebul, how much more will they insult his disciples. In other words, the disciple of Jesus should be worried if in his life there are no persecutions.
• Matthew 10, 26-27: Do not be afraid to say the truth. The disciples should not be afraid to be persecuted. Those who persecute them, succeed to pervert the sense of the facts and to spread calumnies which change truth into lie, and the lie into truth. But no matter how great is the lie, truth will triumph at the end and will make the lie crumble down. This is why we should not be afraid to proclaim truth, the things which Jesus has taught. Every day, the means of communication succeed to pervert the meaning of things and the persons who proclaim the truth are considered as criminals; they make the neo-liberal system to appear as just and it perverts the sense of human life.
• Matthew 10, 28: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body. The disciples should not be afraid of those who kill the body, who torture, who strike and cause suffering. Those who torture can kill the body, but they cannot succeed to kill liberty and the spirit in the body. They should be afraid, yes, that the fear of suffering may lead them to hide or to deny the truth, and that this will lead them to offend God, because anyone who draws away from God will be lost forever.
• Matthew 10, 29-31: Do not be afraid, but trust in Divine Providence. The disciples should not fear anything, because they are in God’s hands. Jesus orders to look at the birds in the air. Two sparrows are sold for a penny, but not one of them will fall to the ground without the Father wanting. Every hair on our head has been counted. Luke says that not one hair falls without our Father wanting it (Lk 21, 18). And so many hairs fall from our head! Because of this “Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows”. This is the lesson which Jesus draws from the contemplation of nature.
• Matthew 10, 32-33: Do not be afraid to be the witnesses of Jesus. At the end Jesus summarizes everything in this sentence: “If anyone declares himself for me in the presence of human beings, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven; 33: the one who instead will disown me in the presence of human beings, I will disown him in the presence of my Father in heaven”. Knowing that we are in God’s hands and that God is with us, at every moment, we have the necessary courage and the peace to render witness and to be disciples of Jesus.
• Matthew 10, 24-25: Persecutions and sufferings which mark the life of the disciples. These two verses constitute the final part of a warning of Jesus to the disciples concerning persecutions. The disciples should know that, because of the fact of being disciples of Jesus, they will be persecuted (Mt 10, 17-23). But this should not be a reason for worrying, because a disciple should imitate the life of the Master and share the trials with him. This is part of discipleship. “A disciple is not greater than the Teacher or a servant than his master; it is sufficient for the disciple to grow to be like his teacher and the servant like his master”. If they called Jesus Beelzebul, how much more will they insult his disciples. In other words, the disciple of Jesus should be worried if in his life there are no persecutions.
• Matthew 10, 26-27: Do not be afraid to say the truth. The disciples should not be afraid to be persecuted. Those who persecute them, succeed to pervert the sense of the facts and to spread calumnies which change truth into lie, and the lie into truth. But no matter how great is the lie, truth will triumph at the end and will make the lie crumble down. This is why we should not be afraid to proclaim truth, the things which Jesus has taught. Every day, the means of communication succeed to pervert the meaning of things and the persons who proclaim the truth are considered as criminals; they make the neo-liberal system to appear as just and it perverts the sense of human life.
• Matthew 10, 28: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body. The disciples should not be afraid of those who kill the body, who torture, who strike and cause suffering. Those who torture can kill the body, but they cannot succeed to kill liberty and the spirit in the body. They should be afraid, yes, that the fear of suffering may lead them to hide or to deny the truth, and that this will lead them to offend God, because anyone who draws away from God will be lost forever.
• Matthew 10, 29-31: Do not be afraid, but trust in Divine Providence. The disciples should not fear anything, because they are in God’s hands. Jesus orders to look at the birds in the air. Two sparrows are sold for a penny, but not one of them will fall to the ground without the Father wanting. Every hair on our head has been counted. Luke says that not one hair falls without our Father wanting it (Lk 21, 18). And so many hairs fall from our head! Because of this “Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows”. This is the lesson which Jesus draws from the contemplation of nature.
• Matthew 10, 32-33: Do not be afraid to be the witnesses of Jesus. At the end Jesus summarizes everything in this sentence: “If anyone declares himself for me in the presence of human beings, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven; 33: the one who instead will disown me in the presence of human beings, I will disown him in the presence of my Father in heaven”. Knowing that we are in God’s hands and that God is with us, at every moment, we have the necessary courage and the peace to render witness and to be disciples of Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Are you afraid?
Afraid of what? Why?
•Have you been persecuted sometimes because of your commitment to announce the Good News of God which Jesus announced to us?
•Have you been persecuted sometimes because of your commitment to announce the Good News of God which Jesus announced to us?
5) Concluding Prayer
Your decrees stand
firm, unshakeable,
holiness is the beauty of your house,
Yahweh, for all time to come. (Ps 93,5)
holiness is the beauty of your house,
Yahweh, for all time to come. (Ps 93,5)
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