Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Lectionary: 403
Lectionary: 403
As Moses came down
from Mount Sinai
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant
while he conversed with the LORD.
When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses
and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,
they were afraid to come near him.
Only after Moses called to them did Aaron
and all the rulers of the community come back to him.
Moses then spoke to them.
Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,
and he enjoined on them all that the LORD
had told him on Mount Sinai.
When he finished speaking with them,
he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,
he removed the veil until he came out again.
On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel
all that had been commanded.
Then the children of Israel would see
that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant;
so he would again put the veil over his face
until he went in to converse with the LORD.
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant
while he conversed with the LORD.
When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses
and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,
they were afraid to come near him.
Only after Moses called to them did Aaron
and all the rulers of the community come back to him.
Moses then spoke to them.
Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,
and he enjoined on them all that the LORD
had told him on Mount Sinai.
When he finished speaking with them,
he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,
he removed the veil until he came out again.
On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel
all that had been commanded.
Then the children of Israel would see
that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant;
so he would again put the veil over his face
until he went in to converse with the LORD.
Responsorial PsalmPS 99:5, 6, 7, 9
R. (see 9c) Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
GospelMT 13:44-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
Meditation: "The heavenly treasure and the
pearl of great price"
What do you most treasure and how do you keep it secure? In a
peasant community the best safe was often the earth. The man in the parable
"went in his joy" to sell everything. Why? Because he found a
treasure worth possessing above everything else he had. He did not, however,
have enough to buy the treasure. Fortunately, he only needed enough money to
buy the field. In a similar fashion, God offers his kingdom as incomparable
treasure at a price we can afford! We can't pay the full price for the life
which God gives us; but when we exchange our life for the life which God
offers, we receive a treasure beyond compare. The pearl of great price also
tells us a similar lesson. Pearls in the ancient world came to represent the supremely
valuable. Jesus remarked that one should not cast pearls before swine (Matthew
7:6). Why would a merchant sell everything for a peerless pearl? No doubt
because he was attracted to what he thought was the greatest treasure he could
possess.Discovering God's kingdom is like stumbling across hidden treasure or finding the one pearl of great price. When we discover the kingdom of God we receive the greatest possible treasure – the Lord himself. Selling all that we have to obtain this incomparable treasure could mean many things – our friends, job, our "style of life", what we do with our free time. Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. In this parable what does the treasure of the kingdom refer to? It certainly refers to the kingdom of God in all its aspects. But in a special way, the Lord himself is the treasure we seek. If the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver, then you will delight yourself in the Almighty (Job 22:22-23). Is the Lord the treasure and delight of your heart?
"Lord Jesus, reveal to me the true riches of your kingdom. Help me to set my heart on you alone as the treasure beyond compare with any other. Free my heart of any inordinate desires or attachment to other things that I may freely give to you all that I have in joy and gratitude for all that you have given to me. May I always find joy and delight in your presence."
 The Treasure Hunt |
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Memorial of Saint
Ignatius of Loyola, priest
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Matthew 13: 44-46
Jesus said to his
disciples: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that
he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and
sells all that he has and buys it."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, you have made me for yourself, and my heart is restless
until I rest in you. I want to encounter you more deeply today so that you
can be my treasure. Thank you for the gift of this new day. I know you love
me. I wish to discover your love more deeply and give it to others.
Petition: Lord, help me to treasure the gift of your friendship.
1. In Search of
a Treasure: The restlessness in
our hearts can be compared to a hunt for treasure. In different ways we all
experience the desire for unconditional love, true goodness, the answer to
our deepest questions. In Christ, God has come to give himself to us. He is
the one we truly long for; he is our greatest treasure. During this time of
prayer let us deepen our awareness of the greatness of his gift of
friendship, and let us strengthen this friendship by our openness to his
love.
2. The
Priceless Treasure: In
Christ we have experienced the overwhelming faithfulness of God’s love for
us. In his mercy we discover that our life has infinite value in the Father’s
eyes. In his teachings we discover the wisdom to build our life on solid
ground. In his grace we receive the strength to grow in love and holiness.
This is where we can build a true future. This is where we can live up to our
calling to greatness. But we must be willing to leave aside all other
concerns to really possess this treasure. We must leave aside anything that
tries to give us a false sense of security outside of God. Am I making my
friendship with Christ the one value that guides my heart and my decisions?
3. The Unopened
Treasure Chest: Unpacking
this treasure is the work of our spiritual life. We need to cooperate with
Christ’s grace in order to truly possess this treasure. The cultivation of
faith, hope and charity helps us discover and live this treasure more fully
each day. Our sacrifices and renunciations done to put on the new man help us
dig this treasure out of the earthy make-up of our lives. Living generous
charity helps us make this treasure truly last and enrich our lives. Am I
sincerely allowing Christ’s treasure to transform me?
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, thank you for
the gift of your love. You are the treasure I truly long for. Help me to
enter more deeply into your heart this day by doing things your way no matter
what the cost. Help me to value the gift of your friendship above everything
else.
Resolution: I will make a small sacrifice of my time to
do something extra for someone who needs God’s love.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 31
MATTHEW 13:44-46
MATTHEW 13:44-46
(Exodus 34:29-35, Psalm 99)
KEY VERSE: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field" (v 44).
READING: Jesus described the role of his disciples in terms of human labor: planting, harvesting, fishing, and baking bread. He told them three more parables to help them understand the meaning of God's reign. In the parable of the buried treasure, there was the great joy in the discovery that made the man willing to give up everything to make the treasure his own. Nothing else really mattered. The irony was that the treasure was foundunexpectedly when he was going about his daily business. In the parable of the priceless pearl, Jesus' point was that the effort to search for and attain the kingdom of God was of inestimable worth and nothing could be compared to it. Jesus' followers had come to value the kingdom as a precious treasure that would last for all eternity. Because they discovered its true worth, they willingly sacrificed everything for its attainment. Jesus further compared God's work to a dragnet that brought forth both worthwhile and useless things. Like the story of the weeds among the wheat (v 24-30), it was not the responsibility of Jesus' disciples to judge the actions of others. God would ultimately reveal what was good and what was evil in the world.
REFLECTING: Do I seek heavenly treasure or is my sight set on the riches that the world offers?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to value your kingdom above all else.
Memorial of Ignatius of Loyola, priest
Born in 1491 at Loyola, Spain, Ignatius was wounded in the leg by a cannonball at the siege of Pampeluna in 1521, an injury that left him partially crippled for life. During his recuperation the only books he had access to were The Golden Legend, a collection of lives of the saints, and The Life of Christ. These books, and the time spent in contemplation, changed him. Upon his recovery he took a vow of chastity, hung his sword before the altar of the Virgin of Montserrat, and donned a pilgrim's robes. He journeyed to Rome and the Holy Land where he worked to convert Muslims. His meditations, prayers, visions and insights led to forming the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) on 15 August 1534. He traveled to Europe and the Holy Lands, then settled in Rome to direct the Jesuit order. His health suffered in later years, and he was nearly blind at death. The Jesuits today have over 500 universities and colleges, 30,000 members, and teach over 200,000 students each year.
"Teach us to be generous, good Lord; teach us to serve You as You deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing we do Your will." - Prayer, Ignatius of Loyola
Holy is the Lord
our God
He sells everything he owns and buys the field.Matthew presents Jesus' teaching on the kingdom of heaven in a series of short parables. Today we meet two men, an agricultural worker and a presumably well-to-do merchant, who both make the same radical decision. They invest all their worldly wealth in pursuit of one exceptionally valuable object which they believe will fulfil their deepest yearnings.
However, our Christian faith tells us that only in God can our restless human heart find true peace and joy. To achieve this end we too must make a radical commitment not only of what we possess but also of our very selves because to offer God less than all is to settle for less than God. The cost of discipleship is, in the poet's words, 'not less than everything'.
July 31
St. Ignatius of Loyola
(1491-1556)
St. Ignatius of Loyola
(1491-1556)
The founder of the Jesuits was on his way to military fame and
fortune when a cannon ball shattered his leg. Because there were no books of
romance on hand during his convalescence, Ignatius whiled away the time
reading a life of Christ and lives of the saints. His conscience was deeply
touched, and a long, painful turning to Christ began. Having seen the Mother of
God in a vision, he made a pilgrimage to her shrine at Montserrat (near
Barcelona). He remained for almost a year at nearby Manresa, sometimes with the
Dominicans, sometimes in a pauper’s hospice, often in a cave in the hills
praying. After a period of great peace of mind, he went through a harrowing
trial of scruples. There was no comfort in anything—prayer, fasting,
sacraments, penance. At length, his peace of mind returned.
It was during this year of conversion that Ignatius began to
write down material that later became his greatest work, the Spiritual
Exercises.
He finally achieved his purpose of going to the Holy Land, but
could not remain, as he planned, because of the hostility of the Turks. He
spent the next 11 years in various European universities, studying with great
difficulty, beginning almost as a child. Like many others, his orthodoxy was
questioned; Ignatius was twice jailed for brief periods.
In 1534, at the age of 43, he and six others (one of whom was St.
Francis Xavier, December 2) vowed to live in poverty and chastity and to go to
the Holy Land. If this became impossible, they vowed to offer themselves to the
apostolic service of the pope. The latter became the only choice. Four years
later Ignatius made the association permanent. The new Society of Jesus was
approved by Paul III, and Ignatius was elected to serve as the first general.
When companions were sent on various missions by the pope,
Ignatius remained in Rome, consolidating the new venture, but still finding
time to found homes for orphans, catechumens and penitents. He founded the
Roman College, intended to be the model of all other colleges of the Society.
Ignatius was a true mystic. He centered his spiritual life on the
essential foundations of Christianity—the Trinity, Christ, the Eucharist. His
spirituality is expressed in the Jesuit motto, ad majorem Dei gloriam—“for
the greater glory of God.” In his concept, obedience was to be the prominent
virtue, to assure the effectiveness and mobility of his men. All activity was
to be guided by a true love of the Church and unconditional obedience to the
Holy Father, for which reason all professed members took a fourth vow to go
wherever the pope should send them for the salvation of souls.
Comment:
Luther nailed his theses to the church door at Wittenberg in 1517. Seventeen years later, Ignatius founded the Society that was to play so prominent a part in the Catholic Reformation. He was an implacable foe of Protestantism. Yet the seeds of ecumenism may be found in his words: “Great care must be taken to show forth orthodox truth in such a way that if any heretics happen to be present they may have an example of charity and Christian moderation. No hard words should be used nor any sort of contempt for their errors be shown.” One of the greatest 20thh-century ecumenists was Cardinal Bea, a Jesuit.
Luther nailed his theses to the church door at Wittenberg in 1517. Seventeen years later, Ignatius founded the Society that was to play so prominent a part in the Catholic Reformation. He was an implacable foe of Protestantism. Yet the seeds of ecumenism may be found in his words: “Great care must be taken to show forth orthodox truth in such a way that if any heretics happen to be present they may have an example of charity and Christian moderation. No hard words should be used nor any sort of contempt for their errors be shown.” One of the greatest 20thh-century ecumenists was Cardinal Bea, a Jesuit.
Quote:
Ignatius recommended this prayer to penitents: “Receive, Lord, all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. You have given me all that I have, all that I am, and I surrender all to your divine will, that you dispose of me. Give me only your love and your grace. With this I am rich enough, and I have no more to ask.”
Ignatius recommended this prayer to penitents: “Receive, Lord, all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. You have given me all that I have, all that I am, and I surrender all to your divine will, that you dispose of me. Give me only your love and your grace. With this I am rich enough, and I have no more to ask.”
Patron Saint of:
Retreats
Retreats
LECTIO: MATTHEW 13,44-46
Lectio:
Wednesday, July
31, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father and
protector,
without you nothing is holy,
nothing has value.
Guide us to everlasting life
by helping us to use wisely
the blessings you have given to the world.
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.
without you nothing is holy,
nothing has value.
Guide us to everlasting life
by helping us to use wisely
the blessings you have given to the world.
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
Jesus said to his
disciples: 'The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which
someone has found; he hides it again, goes off in his joy, sells everything he
owns and buys the field.
'Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.
'Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today
presents two brief parables from the discourse of the Parables. Both are
similar to each other, but with significant differences to clarify better
determinate aspects of the Mystery of the Kingdom, which the parables are
revealing.
• Matthew 13,44: The parable of the treasure hidden in the field. Jesus tells a very simple and brief story which could happen in the life of any person. He says: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; someone finds it and hides it again, then he goes off with great joy, he sells everything he owns and buys the field”. Jesus does not explain, he only says: “The Kingdom of Heaven is similar to a treasure hidden in a field”. In this way he urges the auditors to share with others what this story has aroused in them. I share some points that are discovered: (a) The treasure, the Kingdom, is already found in the field, in life. It is hidden. We go through the field and step over the plants without being aware. (b) The man finds the treasure, just out of chance. He did not expect to find it, because he was not looking for it. (c) Seeing that it is a question of a very important treasure, what does he do? He does what we all would do in order to take possession of the treasure. He goes and he sells everything that he has and he buys the field. And, thus, together with the field he obtains the treasure also, the Kingdom. The condition is to sell everything! (d) If the treasure, the Kingdom, is already in my life, then an important aspect of life begins to have a new value. (e) In this story, what dominates is gratuity. The treasure is found by chance, independently of our programmes. The Kingdom comes! And we must draw the consequences and not allow this moment of grace to go by without bearing fruit.
• Matthew 13,45-46: The parable of the merchant of fine pearls. The second parable is similar to the first one, but with an important difference. Let us try to discover it. The story is the following: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value, he goes off and sells everything he owns and buys it”. I share some points that I have discovered: (a) it is the story of a merchant of pearls. His profession is to look for pearls. This is the only thing that he does in his life: to look for and to find pearls. Looking, he finds a pearl of great value. Here the discovery of the Kingdom is not just by chance, but it is the fruit of a long search. (b) The merchant of pearls knows the value of the pearls, because many persons would like to sell him the pearls that they find. But the merchant does not allow himself to be deceived. He knows the value of his merchandise. (c) When he finds a pearl of great value, he goes and sells everything which he owns and buys the pearl. The Kingdom is the greatest value.
• Summarizing the teaching of the two parables. Both of them have the same objective: to reveal the presence of the Kingdom, but each one reveals it in a diverse way: through the discovery of the gratuity of God’s action in us, and through the effort and the search which each human being makes to discover always better, the sense of his/her life.
• Matthew 13,44: The parable of the treasure hidden in the field. Jesus tells a very simple and brief story which could happen in the life of any person. He says: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; someone finds it and hides it again, then he goes off with great joy, he sells everything he owns and buys the field”. Jesus does not explain, he only says: “The Kingdom of Heaven is similar to a treasure hidden in a field”. In this way he urges the auditors to share with others what this story has aroused in them. I share some points that are discovered: (a) The treasure, the Kingdom, is already found in the field, in life. It is hidden. We go through the field and step over the plants without being aware. (b) The man finds the treasure, just out of chance. He did not expect to find it, because he was not looking for it. (c) Seeing that it is a question of a very important treasure, what does he do? He does what we all would do in order to take possession of the treasure. He goes and he sells everything that he has and he buys the field. And, thus, together with the field he obtains the treasure also, the Kingdom. The condition is to sell everything! (d) If the treasure, the Kingdom, is already in my life, then an important aspect of life begins to have a new value. (e) In this story, what dominates is gratuity. The treasure is found by chance, independently of our programmes. The Kingdom comes! And we must draw the consequences and not allow this moment of grace to go by without bearing fruit.
• Matthew 13,45-46: The parable of the merchant of fine pearls. The second parable is similar to the first one, but with an important difference. Let us try to discover it. The story is the following: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value, he goes off and sells everything he owns and buys it”. I share some points that I have discovered: (a) it is the story of a merchant of pearls. His profession is to look for pearls. This is the only thing that he does in his life: to look for and to find pearls. Looking, he finds a pearl of great value. Here the discovery of the Kingdom is not just by chance, but it is the fruit of a long search. (b) The merchant of pearls knows the value of the pearls, because many persons would like to sell him the pearls that they find. But the merchant does not allow himself to be deceived. He knows the value of his merchandise. (c) When he finds a pearl of great value, he goes and sells everything which he owns and buys the pearl. The Kingdom is the greatest value.
• Summarizing the teaching of the two parables. Both of them have the same objective: to reveal the presence of the Kingdom, but each one reveals it in a diverse way: through the discovery of the gratuity of God’s action in us, and through the effort and the search which each human being makes to discover always better, the sense of his/her life.
4) Personal questions
• A hidden treasure:
have I found it sometimes? Have I sold everything in order to be able to buy
it?
• To look for pearls: which is the pearl that you are looking for and you have not as yet found?
• To look for pearls: which is the pearl that you are looking for and you have not as yet found?
5) Concluding Prayer
I will sing of your
strength,
in the morning acclaim your faithful love;
you have been a stronghold for me,
a refuge when I was in trouble. (Ps 59,16)
in the morning acclaim your faithful love;
you have been a stronghold for me,
a refuge when I was in trouble. (Ps 59,16)
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