Tuesday of the
Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 396
Lectionary: 396
Moses stretched out his hand over the
sea,
and the LORD swept the sea
with a strong east wind throughout the night
and so turned it into dry land.
When the water was thus divided,
the children of Israel marched into the midst of the sea on dry land,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
The Egyptians followed in pursuit;
all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and charioteers went after them
right into the midst of the sea.
In the night watch just before dawn
the LORD cast through the column of the fiery cloud
upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic;
and he so clogged their chariot wheels
that they could hardly drive.
With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel,
because the LORD was fighting for them against the Egyptians.
Then the LORD told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea,
that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots and their charioteers.”
So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,
and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth.
The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea,
when the LORD hurled them into its midst.
As the water flowed back,
it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh’s whole army
that had followed the children of Israel into the sea.
Not a single one of them escaped.
But the children of Israel had marched on dry land
through the midst of the sea,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day
from the power of the Egyptians.
When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore
and beheld the great power that the LORD
had shown against the Egyptians,
they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses.
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD:
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
and the LORD swept the sea
with a strong east wind throughout the night
and so turned it into dry land.
When the water was thus divided,
the children of Israel marched into the midst of the sea on dry land,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
The Egyptians followed in pursuit;
all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and charioteers went after them
right into the midst of the sea.
In the night watch just before dawn
the LORD cast through the column of the fiery cloud
upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic;
and he so clogged their chariot wheels
that they could hardly drive.
With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel,
because the LORD was fighting for them against the Egyptians.
Then the LORD told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea,
that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots and their charioteers.”
So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,
and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth.
The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea,
when the LORD hurled them into its midst.
As the water flowed back,
it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh’s whole army
that had followed the children of Israel into the sea.
Not a single one of them escaped.
But the children of Israel had marched on dry land
through the midst of the sea,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day
from the power of the Egyptians.
When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore
and beheld the great power that the LORD
had shown against the Egyptians,
they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses.
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD:
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
Responsorial PsalmEX 15:8-9, 10 AND 12, 17
R. (1b) Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
At the breath of your anger the waters piled up,
the flowing waters stood like a mound,
the flood waters congealed in the midst of the sea.
The enemy boasted, “I will pursue and overtake them;
I will divide the spoils and have my fill of them;
I will draw my sword; my hand shall despoil them!”
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
When your wind blew, the sea covered them;
like lead they sank in the mighty waters.
When you stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them!
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
And you brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place where you made your seat, O LORD,
the sanctuary, O LORD, which your hands established.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
At the breath of your anger the waters piled up,
the flowing waters stood like a mound,
the flood waters congealed in the midst of the sea.
The enemy boasted, “I will pursue and overtake them;
I will divide the spoils and have my fill of them;
I will draw my sword; my hand shall despoil them!”
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
When your wind blew, the sea covered them;
like lead they sank in the mighty waters.
When you stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them!
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
And you brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place where you made your seat, O LORD,
the sanctuary, O LORD, which your hands established.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
GospelMT 12:46-50
While Jesus was
speaking to the crowds,
his mother and his brothers appeared outside,
wishing to speak with him.
Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you.”
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
his mother and his brothers appeared outside,
wishing to speak with him.
Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you.”
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Meditation: "Who is
my brother and sister?"
Who do you
love and cherish the most? God did not intend for us to be alone, but to be
with others. He gives us many opportunities for developing relationships with
family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Why does Jesus seem to ignore his
own relatives when they pressed to see him? His love and respect for his mother
and his relatives is unquestionable. Jesus never lost an opportunity to teach
his disciples a spiritual lesson and truth about the kingdom of God. On this
occasion when many gathered to hear Jesus he pointed to another higher reality
of relationships, namely our relationship with God and with those who belong to
God.What is the essence of being a Christian? It is certainly more than doctrine, precepts, and commandments. It is first and foremost a relationship – a relationship of trust, affection, commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, thoughtfulness, compassion, mercy, helpfulness, encouragement, support, strength, protection, and so many other qualities that bind people together in mutual love and unity. God offers us the greatest of relationships – union of heart, mind, and spirit with himself, the very author and source of love (1 John 4:8,16). God's love never fails, never forgets, never compromises, never lies, never lets us down nor disappoints us. His love is consistent, unwavering, unconditional, and unstopable. Nothing can deter him from ever leaving us, ignoring us, or treating us unkindly. He will love us no matter what. It is his nature to love. That is why he created us – to be united with him and to share in his love and unity of persons (1 John 3:1). God is a trinity of persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and a community of love. That is why Jesus challenged his followers and even his own earthly relatives to recognize that God is the true source of all relationships. God wants all of our relationships to be rooted in his love.
Jesus is God's love incarnate – God's love made visible in human flesh (1 John 4:9-10). That is why Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep and the shepherd who seeks out the sheep who have strayed and lost their way. God is like the father who yearns for his prodigal son to return home and then throws a great party for his son when he has a change of heart and comes back (Luke 15:11-32). Jesus offered up his life on the cross for our sake, so that we could be forgiven and restored to unity and friendship with God. It is through Jesus that we become the adopted children of God – his own sons and daughters. That is why Jesus told his disciples that they would have many new friends and family relationships in his kingdom. Whoever does the will of God is a friend of God and a member of his family – his sons and daughters who have been ransomed by the precious blood of Christ.
An early Christian martyr once said that "a Christian's only relatives are the saints" – namely those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and adopted as sons and daughters of God. Those who have been baptized into Jesus Christ and who live as his disciples enter into a new family, a family of "saints" here on earth and in heaven. Jesus changes the order of relationships and shows that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood. Our adoption as sons and daughters of God transforms all of our relationships and requires a new order of loyalty to God first and to his kingdom of righteousness and peace. Do you want to grow in love and friendship? Allow God's Holy Spirit to transform your heart, mind, and will to enable you to love freely and generously as he loves.
"Heavenly Father, you bless us with many relationships and you invite us into the community of your sons and daughters who have been redeemed by your son, Jesus Christ. Help me to love my neighbor with charity, kindness, compassion, and mercy, just as you have loved me. In all of my relationships, and in all that I do and say, may I always seek to bring you honor and glory."
 Scoring Goals in Life |
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Tuesday of the
Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
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Father Robert DeCesare, LC
Matthew 12: 46-50
While Jesus was
still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing
outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Look, your mother and
your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." But to the
one who had told him this, Jesus replied, "Who is my mother, and who are
my brothers?" And pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my
mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is
my brother and sister and mother."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I begin my meditation aware of my need of your grace and
your help. Without you, Lord, I can do nothing, but with you, Lord, I can do
all things. I believe that you are truly present in the Eucharist. There,
under the guise of bread, Lord, you remain to be with me. I trust in you,
Lord, because you have given me a reason for living. I trust you because you
are faithful to your promises. Lord, I love you because you have given me the
treasure of my Catholic faith. You have given me this gift to enable me to
follow the path to heaven and be with you forever.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace to know your will and to follow it in
my life.
1. What is the Goal
of My Life? This is the
fundamental question of our purpose in life. The Father made us so that we
may come to know, love and serve him in this world, so as to be happy with
him forever in the next. “Of all visible creatures only man is ‘able to know
and love his creator’. He is "the only creature on earth that God has
willed for its own sake", and he alone is called to share, by knowledge
and love, in God´s own life. It was for this end that he was created”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 356). To aid us, God gave his Son for us
to follow and to learn from, so that we might fulfill our purpose in life.
This is why we follow him; this is why we listen to him; so that we may
fulfill our purpose.
2. I’m On a
Mission: Our mission
in life is to fulfill our purpose. Thus the fulfillment of our mission is a
fundamental concern for our conscience. The immediate norm for the right
exercise of our conscience could put it like this: “Anything that helps me
fulfill my mission is good for me; anything that comes between me and it is
bad for me.” Or, using Christ´s words: “My food is to do the Will of Him who
sent me and to complete his work” (John 4:34); "I do always what pleases
Him" (John 8:29). The reason is obvious: Action follows being, so what
we are determines what we do. Similarly, the apostolic mission flows from our
Christian essence. What we are and what we do are two sides of the same coin.
3. Part of God’s
Family: As Christ says in
another passage of the Gospel, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother
and sister and mother" (Mark 3: 35). The family of Christ is eternal. He
welcomes those who do his will because we were made to do his will. If we are
faithful to our vocation, and we fulfill our purpose in life, then we meet
the hopes and dreams the Lord has for us. He wants us to be holy. He made us
for himself. Nothing would please him more than to be able to say to us at
the end of time: “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, I want to be
part of your family. I want to do your will, because I know that it will make
me holy. Your will is sanctifying. I want to be sanctified. Grant me the
grace to know your will, love it and fulfill it.
Resolution: I will review my day before I go to bed to
examine how I have fulfilled God’s will today.
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TUESDAY, JULY 23
MATTHEW 12:46-50
MATTHEW 12:46-50
(Exodus 14:21 ̶ 15:1; Psalm: Exodus 15)
KEY VERSE: "For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother" (v 50).
READING: Jesus' opponents stubbornly refused to believe in him. While addressing the crowds, his mother and brothers came to see him. The word "brothers" does not imply that Mary had other children. The Hebrew word 'ach, (brother,) can mean "kinsmen," varying degrees of blood relationship (see Gn 13:8; Lv 10:4); persons of common ancestry; members of the same tribe or clan (Nm 16:10), or of the same nation (Dt 15:12). The Greek word adelphos has a similar connotation. Jesus used this opportunity to declare who were the true members of his spiritual family. It was not their physical relationship that made one a "brother" or "sister" of Jesus, but doing God's will. Jesus was the "firstborn of many brothers" who have become children of God by faith (Ro 8:29). In Luke's gospel, Jesus' mother Mary was extolled as a true disciple, not because of blood relationship, but because she heard and kept God's word (Lk 11:28).
REFLECTING: How do I serve my brothers and sisters in Christ?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, thank you for allowing me to belong to God's family.
Optional Memorial of Bridget of Sweden, religious
Bridget began receiving visions, mostly of the Crucifixion, at age seven. In 1316, at age thirteen, she wed prince Ulfo of Nercia in an arranged marriage. She was the mother of eight children including St.Catherine of Sweden. After Ulfo's death in 1344 she pursued a religious life, for which she was harassed by others at the court. She eventually renounced her title of princess. Bridget founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines) at Vadstena in 1346. It received confirmation by Pope Urban V in 1370, and survives today. She chastened and counseled kings, urging Popes Clement VI, Urban VI, and Gregory XI to return to Rome from Avignon. Bridget encouraged all who would listen to meditate on the Passion of Jesus Crucified. Bridget recorded the revelations given in her visions, and these became hugely popular in the Middle Ages.
Let us sing to
the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
'Those who do the will of my Father are my family.'Rarely do members of a family grow up under the same roof, notes author Richard Bach. Our growing often only bears fruit after we leave home. We carry what we have learnt and bring it to new situations, adapting it and testing its validity. Our spiritual life has to mature if it is to be authentically our own, and not a pale shadow of earlier years.
Just as Jesus gained a new family - his disciples - we gain a new faith family as we move into new surroundings. This new family draws us into a more adult faith where we learn to discern how God is calling us, where we are drawn to do the will of the Father.
Lord, help me to listen, to the voice without and the voice within, so I may truly learn where in the vineyard you would have me toil.
July 23
St. Bridget
(1303?-1373)
St. Bridget
(1303?-1373)
From age seven on, Bridget had visions of Christ crucified. Her
visions formed the basis for her activity—always with the emphasis on charity
rather than spiritual favors.
She lived her married life in the court of the Swedish king Magnus
II. Mother of eight children (the second eldest was St. Catherine of Sweden),
she lived the strict life of a penitent after her husband’s death.
Bridget constantly strove to exert her good influence over Magnus;
while never fully reforming, he did give her land and buildings to found a
monastery for men and women. This group eventually expanded into an Order known
as the Bridgetines (still in existence).
In 1350, a year of jubilee, Bridget braved a plague-stricken
Europe to make a pilgrimage to Rome. Although she never returned to Sweden, her
years in Rome were far from happy, being hounded by debts and by opposition to
her work against Church abuses.
A final pilgrimage to the Holy Land, marred by shipwreck and the
death of her son, Charles, eventually led to her death in 1373. In 1999, she,
Saints Catherine of Siena (April 29) and Teresa Benedicts of the Cross
(Edith Stein, August 9) were named co-patronesses of Europe.
Comment:
Bridget’s visions, rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the years that the legitimate Bishop of Rome lived in Avignon, France. She saw no contradiction between mystical experience and secular activity, and her life is a testimony to the possibility of a holy life in the marketplace.
Bridget’s visions, rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the years that the legitimate Bishop of Rome lived in Avignon, France. She saw no contradiction between mystical experience and secular activity, and her life is a testimony to the possibility of a holy life in the marketplace.
Quote:
Despite the hardships of life and wayward children (not all became saints), Margery Kempe of Lynn says Bridget was “kind and meek to every creature” and “she had a laughing face.”
Despite the hardships of life and wayward children (not all became saints), Margery Kempe of Lynn says Bridget was “kind and meek to every creature” and “she had a laughing face.”
Patron Saint of:
Europe
Europe
LECTIO: MATTHEW 12,46-50
Lectio:
Tuesday, July
23, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
be merciful to your people.
Fill us with your gifts
and make us always eager to serve you
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord,
be merciful to your people.
Fill us with your gifts
and make us always eager to serve you
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 12,46-50
While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you." But he said in reply to the one who told him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."
3) Reflection
• The family of Jesus. The relatives reached the house where Jesus was. Probably they have come from Nazareth. From there up to Capernaum there is a distance of forty kilometres. His mother also comes together with them. They do not enter, but they send a messenger: "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you." Jesus’ reaction is clear: "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." To understand well the sense of this response it is convenient to look at the situation of the family in the time of Jesus.
• In the Old Israel, the clan, that is, the large family (the community), was the basis for social living together. It was the protection of the families and of the persons, the guarantee of the possession of the land, the principle vehicle of the tradition, the defence of identity. It was the concrete way on the part of the people of that time to incarnate the love of God and the love toward neighbour. To defend the clan was the same as to defend the Covenant.
• In the Galilee at the time of Jesus, because of the system established during the long periods of government of Herod the Great (37 BC to 4 BC) and of his son Herod Antipas (4 BC to 39 AD), the clan, (the community) was becoming weaker. The taxes to be paid, both to the Government and to the Temple, the debts which were increasing, the individualistic mentality of the Hellenistic ideology, the frequent threats of violent repression on the part of the Romans and the obligation to accept the soldiers and give them hospitality, the ever growing problem of survival , all this impelled the families to close themselves in self and to think only of their own needs. This closing up was strengthened by the religion of the time. For example: the one who gave his inheritance to the Temple, could leave his parents without any help. This weakened the fourth commandment which was the backbone of the clan (Mk 7, 8-13). Besides this, the observance of the Norms of purity was a factor of marginalization for many persons: women, children, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, possessed persons, tax collectors or Publicans, the sick, mutilated persons and paraplegic persons.
• And thus, the concern with the problems of one’s own family prevented the persons to meet in community. Now, in order that the Kingdom of God could manifest itself in community living of the people, the persons had to overcome the narrow limits of the small family and open themselves again to the large family, to the Community. Jesus gave the example. When his own family tries to take possession of him, he reacted and extended the family: "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." He crated a community.
• Jesus asked the same thing from all those who wanted to follow him. Families could not close themselves up in self . The excluded and the marginalized had to be accepted in the life with others, and in this way feel accepted by God (Lk 14, 12-14) This was the path to attain the objective of the Law which said “There must, then, be no poor among you” (Dt 15, 4). Like the great Prophets of the past, Jesus tries to consolidate community life in the villages of Galilee. He takes back the profound sense of the clan, of the family, of the community, as an expression of the incarnation of the love toward God and toward neighbour.
• The family of Jesus. The relatives reached the house where Jesus was. Probably they have come from Nazareth. From there up to Capernaum there is a distance of forty kilometres. His mother also comes together with them. They do not enter, but they send a messenger: "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you." Jesus’ reaction is clear: "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." To understand well the sense of this response it is convenient to look at the situation of the family in the time of Jesus.
• In the Old Israel, the clan, that is, the large family (the community), was the basis for social living together. It was the protection of the families and of the persons, the guarantee of the possession of the land, the principle vehicle of the tradition, the defence of identity. It was the concrete way on the part of the people of that time to incarnate the love of God and the love toward neighbour. To defend the clan was the same as to defend the Covenant.
• In the Galilee at the time of Jesus, because of the system established during the long periods of government of Herod the Great (37 BC to 4 BC) and of his son Herod Antipas (4 BC to 39 AD), the clan, (the community) was becoming weaker. The taxes to be paid, both to the Government and to the Temple, the debts which were increasing, the individualistic mentality of the Hellenistic ideology, the frequent threats of violent repression on the part of the Romans and the obligation to accept the soldiers and give them hospitality, the ever growing problem of survival , all this impelled the families to close themselves in self and to think only of their own needs. This closing up was strengthened by the religion of the time. For example: the one who gave his inheritance to the Temple, could leave his parents without any help. This weakened the fourth commandment which was the backbone of the clan (Mk 7, 8-13). Besides this, the observance of the Norms of purity was a factor of marginalization for many persons: women, children, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, possessed persons, tax collectors or Publicans, the sick, mutilated persons and paraplegic persons.
• And thus, the concern with the problems of one’s own family prevented the persons to meet in community. Now, in order that the Kingdom of God could manifest itself in community living of the people, the persons had to overcome the narrow limits of the small family and open themselves again to the large family, to the Community. Jesus gave the example. When his own family tries to take possession of him, he reacted and extended the family: "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." He crated a community.
• Jesus asked the same thing from all those who wanted to follow him. Families could not close themselves up in self . The excluded and the marginalized had to be accepted in the life with others, and in this way feel accepted by God (Lk 14, 12-14) This was the path to attain the objective of the Law which said “There must, then, be no poor among you” (Dt 15, 4). Like the great Prophets of the past, Jesus tries to consolidate community life in the villages of Galilee. He takes back the profound sense of the clan, of the family, of the community, as an expression of the incarnation of the love toward God and toward neighbour.
4) Personal questions
• To live faith in the community. What place and what influence does the community have in my way of living faith ?
• Today, in the large city, overcrowding promotes individualism which is contrary to life in community. What am I doing to counteract this evil?
• To live faith in the community. What place and what influence does the community have in my way of living faith ?
• Today, in the large city, overcrowding promotes individualism which is contrary to life in community. What am I doing to counteract this evil?
5) Concluding prayer
I waited, I waited for Yahweh,
then he stooped to me
and heard my cry for help.
He put a fresh song in my mouth,
praise of our God. (Ps 40,1.3)
I waited, I waited for Yahweh,
then he stooped to me
and heard my cry for help.
He put a fresh song in my mouth,
praise of our God. (Ps 40,1.3)
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