Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 419
Lectionary: 419
The children of
Israel offended the LORD by serving the Baals.
Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers,
who led them out of the land of Egypt,
they followed the other gods of the various nations around them,
and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD.
Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth,
the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel,
and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them.
He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about
whom they were no longer able to withstand.
Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them,
as in his warning he had sworn he would do,
till they were in great distress.
Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them
from the power of their despoilers,
they did not listen to their judges,
but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods.
They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken,
and did not follow their example of obedience
to the commandments of the LORD.
Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge
and save them from the power of their enemies
as long as the judge lived;
it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries
of affliction under their oppressors.
But when the judge died,
they would relapse and do worse than their ancestors,
following other gods in service and worship,
relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct.
Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers,
who led them out of the land of Egypt,
they followed the other gods of the various nations around them,
and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD.
Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth,
the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel,
and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them.
He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about
whom they were no longer able to withstand.
Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them,
as in his warning he had sworn he would do,
till they were in great distress.
Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them
from the power of their despoilers,
they did not listen to their judges,
but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods.
They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken,
and did not follow their example of obedience
to the commandments of the LORD.
Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge
and save them from the power of their enemies
as long as the judge lived;
it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries
of affliction under their oppressors.
But when the judge died,
they would relapse and do worse than their ancestors,
following other gods in service and worship,
relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct.
R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They did not exterminate the peoples,
as the LORD had commanded them,
But mingled with the nations
and learned their works.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They served their idols,
which became a snare for them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They became defiled by their works,
and wanton in their crimes.
And the LORD grew angry with his people,
and abhorred his inheritance.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Many times did he rescue them,
but they embittered him with their counsels.
Yet he had regard for their affliction
when he heard their cry.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They did not exterminate the peoples,
as the LORD had commanded them,
But mingled with the nations
and learned their works.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They served their idols,
which became a snare for them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They became defiled by their works,
and wanton in their crimes.
And the LORD grew angry with his people,
and abhorred his inheritance.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Many times did he rescue them,
but they embittered him with their counsels.
Yet he had regard for their affliction
when he heard their cry.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
A young man
approached Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
Meditation: "Sell
what you possess and you will have treasure in heaven"
What
gives hope and satisfaction to our desire for happiness and security? A young
man who had the best the world could offer – wealth and security – came to
Jesus because he lacked one thing. He wanted the kind of lasting peace and
happiness which money could not buy him. The answer he got, however, was not
what he was looking for. He protested that he kept all the commandments; but
Jesus spoke to the trouble in his heart. One thing kept him from giving himself
whole-heartedly to God. While he lacked nothing in material goods, he was
nonetheless possessive of what he had. He placed his hope and security in what
he possessed. So when Jesus challenged him to make God his one true possession
and treasure, he became dismayed.
Why did
he go away from Jesus with sadness rather than with joy? His treasure and his
hope for happiness were misplaced. 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. The Lord
himself is the greatest treasure we can possibly have. Giving up everything
else to have the Lord as our treasure is not sorrowful, but the greatest joy.
See Jesus' parable about the treasure hidden in a field (Matthew
13:44). Selling all that we have could mean many different things –
our friends, our job, our style of life, what we do with our free time. Jesus
challenged the young man because his heart was possessive. He was afraid to
give to others for fear that he would lose what he had gained. Those who are
generous towards God and others find that they cannot outmatch God in
generosity. God blesses us with innumerable spiritual goods – such as
longlasting peace, unspeakable joy, enduring love, abiding relationships and
friendship that does not fade or fail – that far outweigh the fleeting joys of
material possessions which fail to sastify us beyond the present moment. God
alone can satisfy the deepest longing and desires of our heart. Are you willing
to part with anything that might keep you from seeking true joy with Jesus?
"Lord Jesus, you alone can satisfy the
deepest longing in my heart. No other treasure can compare with you. Keep me
free from all discontentment, possessiveness, greed and selfishness, that I may
have joy in knowing that you alone are my true Treasure and my Portion."
 Money Changes Everything |
|
Monday of the
Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
|
|
Father José LaBoy, LC
Matthew 19:16-22
A young man approached Jesus and said,
"Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?" He answered
him, "Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." He asked him,
"Which ones?" And Jesus replied, "You shall not kill; you
shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false
witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor
as yourself." The young man said to him, "All of these I have
observed. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to
be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this
statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Introductory Prayer: Dear Lord, I believe in you because you know
what is best for me and what I must do in order to reach heaven. I hope in
you because you have called me to detach myself from worldly things in order
to possess you. I love you because you are greater than any of the things you
have created.
Petition: Lord, grant me spiritual detachment from
material things.
1. Are You Sure? Sometimes we ask for or desire something
without really considering the conditions necessary to obtain it. We
understand that most things cannot be obtained for free; nevertheless, in the
spiritual life we easily forget this. What the rich young man asks for is the
most valuable, the greatest possible achievement, but he thinks getting it
will be easy. Maybe he was accustomed to being able to buy whatever he wanted
with money. He probably didn’t even think that Christ might tell him to
detach himself from his possessions. The fact that we could want something,
but not want to do what is necessary to attain it, should raise a question:
Do we really want it?
2. A First Step to Eternity: Christ takes the young man’s question
seriously. He doesn’t want to waste the young man’s time allowing him to
think things are easier than they really are. Sadly, in today’s society
people are used to seeking what requires the least effort. This is not the
way of a true Christian. To get to heaven – and everybody should really want
to – one thing is totally necessary: “Keep the commandments.” That means to
avoid sin. God’s love for us precedes the commandments. When we love someone,
we do not treat that person in any old way, but rather in a way that reflects
the love we have for that person. So, we keep the commandments not just to
follow a moral code, but to show in a specific way our love for God. This
step is very important, but it is only a first step to heaven.
3. Not So Sure: The rich young man had no trouble with
living the commandments. Feeling confident, he asks for more, and Christ asks
him to leave his possessions. He wasn’t expecting this. He went away sad,
because he had many possessions. The problem is not having possessions, but
that having many possessions makes us more preoccupied with material things
than with “things of above,” as St. Paul would say (see Colossians 3:1). In
the Gospel, Jesus says, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be
also” (Matthew 6:21).
Petition: Dear Lord, help me to love you above all
things. I realize that I am attached to things that sometimes lead me to
forget you. And yet, I can’t avoid hearing in the depths of my soul your
words: “You cannot serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). Help me understand that
it is not worthwhile to have many things, but not have you.
Resolution: I will examine myself to see what
commandments I am not living fully and detach myself from some concrete thing
that prevents me from doing so.
|
MONDAY, AUGUST 19
MATTHEW 19:16-22
MATTHEW 19:16-22
(Judges 2:11-19; Psalm 106)
KEY VERSE: "Give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven" (v 21).
READING: Jesus' left Galilee and went south to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he cured many. On his journey toward his destiny in Jerusalem, a young man approached him and asked what he might do to inherit eternal life. The man was thinking in terms of keeping rules and regulations. So Jesus tried to correct his view. He told him not to look at his own virtues, but to look to God, the one who was truly good. Righteousness flows from a personal relationship with God, and is lived out by obeying the commandments, which reflect divine goodness. The man remarked that he had observed the entire law, yet still felt there was something more that he could do. Jesus told him that if he wished to be 'perfect' (Greek, teleios, 'reaching a goal'), he should share his wealth with the poor and commit himself totally to God's service. The young man went away sad because he was unable to relinquish his many possessions. Obeying God's commands is a step on the road to perfection, but following Jesus demands total commitment of one's life.
REFLECTING: Do I use my gifts for the sake of God's kingdom?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to let go of anything that stands in the way of following you.
Optional Memorial of John Eudes, priest
John Eudes was a farmer's son who joined the Congregation of the Oratory of France and was ordained a priest at age 24. During severe plagues in 1627 and 1631, he volunteered to care for the stricken in his own diocese. Lest he infect his fellow religious, he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field during the plague. At age 32, John became a parish missionary with a reputation as an outstanding preacherin his opposition to Jansenism*. He preached over 100 parish missions, some lasting from several weeks to several months. In his concern with the spiritual improvement of the clergy, he realized that the greatest need was for seminaries. The same year he founded a new religious community called the Eudists (Congregation of Jesus and Mary), devoted to the formation of the clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries. John is probably best known for the central theme of his writings: Jesus as the source of holiness and Mary as the model of the Christian life. His devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary led Pius XI to declare him the father of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Note: Jansenism
refers to the austere and severe doctrines of Cornelis Jansen who denied free
will, and held that human beings, though depraved in nature, are unable to
resist God's grace. Jansenist teaching was akin to Calvin's doctrine of
predestination. Jansenism was condemned by Pope Innocent X in 1653, and by
Clement XI in 1713. The strict and morally rigorous movement lingered on, and
continued to have an influence on moral and spiritual writing.
Lord, remember us, for the love you
bear your people
He went away sad ...
Today’s extract from Matthew is normally entitled ‘The Rich Young Man’. He asks Jesus: ‘What good thing must I do to have eternal life?’ As though there were only one way. On the contrary, it is true to say that there are as many ways to God as there are people.
Each of us follows the way that seems best for each of us according to the circumstances of our lives - as long as that embraces the two essential commandments that we know so well. So often the road to eternal life seems to consist in loving our neighbour. The young man tells Jesus that he has kept all the commandments and asks what more he could do.
We do not know what became of him, but Jesus challenged him about his over-attachment to his many possessions. How does Jesus challenge us?
August 19
St. John Eudes
(1601-1680)
St. John Eudes
(1601-1680)
How little we know where God’s grace will lead. Born on a farm in
northern France, John died at 79 in the next “county” or department. In that
time he was a religious, a parish missionary, founder of two religious
communities and a great promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart and the
Immaculate Heart of Mary.
He joined
the religious community of the Oratorians and was ordained a priest at 24.
During severe plagues in 1627 and 1631, he volunteered to care for the stricken
in his own diocese. Lest he infect his fellow religious, he lived in a huge
cask in the middle of a field during the plague.
At age
32, John became a parish missionary. His gifts as preacher and confessor won
him great popularity. He preached over 100 parish missions, some lasting from
several weeks to several months.
In his
concern with the spiritual improvement of the clergy, he realized that the
greatest need was for seminaries. He had permission from his general superior,
the bishop and even Cardinal Richelieu to begin this work, but the succeeding
general superior disapproved. After prayer and counsel, John decided it was
best to leave the religious community. The same year he founded a new one,
ultimately called the Eudists (Congregation of Jesus and Mary), devoted to the
formation of the clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries. The new venture,
while approved by individual bishops, met with immediate opposition, especially
from Jansenists and some of his former associates. John founded several
seminaries in Normandy, but was unable to get approval from Rome (partly, it
was said, because he did not use the most tactful approach).
In his
parish mission work, John was disturbed by the sad condition of prostitutes who
sought to escape their miserable life. Temporary shelters were found but
arrangements were not satisfactory. A certain Madeleine Lamy, who had cared for
several of the women, one day said to him, “Where are you off to now? To some
church, I suppose, where you’ll gaze at the images and think yourself pious.
And all the time what is really wanted of you is a decent house for these poor
creatures.” The words, and the laughter of those present, struck deeply within
him. The result was another new religious community, called the Sisters of
Charity of the Refuge.
He is
probably best known for the central theme of his writings: Jesus as the source
of holiness, Mary as the model of the Christian life. John's devotion to the
Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary led Pius XI to declare him the
father of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Comment:
Holiness is the wholehearted openness to the love of God. It is visibly expressed in many ways, but the variety of expression has one common quality: concern for the needs of others. In John’s case, those who were in need were plague-stricken people, ordinary parishioners, those preparing for the priesthood, prostitutes and all Christians called to imitate the love of Jesus and his mother.
Holiness is the wholehearted openness to the love of God. It is visibly expressed in many ways, but the variety of expression has one common quality: concern for the needs of others. In John’s case, those who were in need were plague-stricken people, ordinary parishioners, those preparing for the priesthood, prostitutes and all Christians called to imitate the love of Jesus and his mother.
Quote:
“Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make his spirit, his devotion, his affections, his desires and his disposition live and reign there. All our religious exercises should be directed to this end. It is the work which God has given us to do unceasingly” (St. John Eudes, The Life and Reign of Jesus in Christian Souls).
“Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make his spirit, his devotion, his affections, his desires and his disposition live and reign there. All our religious exercises should be directed to this end. It is the work which God has given us to do unceasingly” (St. John Eudes, The Life and Reign of Jesus in Christian Souls).
LECTIO: MATTHEW
19,16-22
Lectio:
Monday, August 19, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
may we love you in all things and above all things
and reach the joy you have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
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.
may we love you in all things and above all things
and reach the joy you have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
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 19,16-22
A man came to Jesus and asked, 'Master, what good deed must I do
to possess eternal life?' Jesus said to him, 'Why do you ask me about what is
good? There is one alone who is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep
the commandments.' He said, 'Which ones?' Jesus replied, 'These: You shall not
kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give
false witness. Honour your father and your mother. You shall love your
neighbour as yourself.' The young man said to him, 'I have kept all these. What
more do I need to do?' Jesus said, 'If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your
possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven; then come, follow me.'
But when the young man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
But when the young man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today speaks to us about a young man who asks Jesus
which is the way to eternal life. Jesus indicates to him the way of poverty.
The young man does not accept the proposal of Jesus because he is very rich. A
rich person is protected by the security of the riches which he possesses. He
has difficulty to open the hand of his security. Attached to the advantages of
his goods, he lives concerned to defend his own interests. A poor person does
not have this concern. But there are some poor people who have the mentality of
the rich. Many times, the desire for riches creates in them a great dependence
and renders the poor, slaves of consumerism, because they seek riches
everywhere. They no longer have time to dedicate themselves to the service of
neighbour.
• Matthew 19, 16-19: The commandments and eternal life. A person approaches Jesus and asks him: “Master, what good deed should I do to possess eternal life?” Some manuscripts say that it was a young man. Jesus responds abruptly: “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one alone who is good!” Then he responds to the question and says: “If you wish to enter into life keep the commandments”. The young rich man reacts and asks: “Which commandments?” Jesus very kindly enumerates the commandments which the young man already knew: “You shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honour father and mother, love your neighbour as yourself”. The response of Jesus is very significant. The young man had asked what to do to obtain eternal life. He wanted to live close to God! But Jesus recalls only the commandments which refer to respect for the life close to others! He does not mention the first three commandments which define the relationship with God. According to Jesus, we will be well with God only if we are well with our neighbour. It is not worth it to deceive oneself. The door to reach God is our neighbour.
In Mark, the question of the young man is different: “Good Master what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers: “Why do you call me good? No one is good, but God alone.” (Mk 10, 17-18). Jesus deviates the attention from himself toward God, because what is important is to do God’s will, to reveal the project of the Father.
• Matthew 19, 20: What does it serve to observe the commandments? The young man responds: “I have always observed all these things. What more do I need to do?” What follows is strange. The young man wanted to know the way which leads to eternal life. Now, the way of eternal life was and continues to be: to do God’s will, expressed in the commandments. In other words, the young man observed the commandments without knowing for what purpose. If he had known it he would not have asked the question. It is like for many Catholics who do not know why they are Catholics. “I was born a Catholic and this is why I am Catholic!” It is as if was a custom!
• Matthew 19, 21-22: The proposal of Jesus and the response of the young man. Jesus answers: “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven; then come follow me”. But on hearing these words the young man went away very sad because he was very rich. The observance of the commandments is only the first degree of a stairway that goes beyond, much farther and much higher. Jesus asks more! The observance of the commandments prepares the persons to be able to reach the point of giving oneself completely to the neighbour. Mark says that Jesus looked at the young man with love (Mk 10, 21). Jesus asks for very much, but he asks for it with much love. The young man did not accept the proposal of Jesus and goes away, “because he was very rich”.
• Jesus and the option for the poor. A two-fold slavery marked the situation of the people at the time of Jesus: the slavery of the politics of Herod, supported by the Roman Empire and maintained by a whole system which was well organized for exploitation and repression, and the slavery of the official religion, maintained by the religious authority of the time. For this reason the clan, the families, the community, were disintegrating and the majority of the people were excluded, marginalized, homeless, without either a religion or a society. So, for this reason, there were diverse movements which, like Jesus, tried to build up life in the communities: Essens, Pharisees and later on, the Zelots. But in the community of Jesus, there was something new which made it different from the other groups. There was the attitude concerning the poor and the excluded. The communities of the Pharisees lived separated. The word “Pharisee” meant “separated”. This was the attitude concerning the poor and the excluded. The communities of the Pharisees lived separated from the impure people. Some Pharisees considered the people, ignorant and damned (Jn 7, 49), in sin (Jn 9, 34). They could learn nothing from the people (Jn 9,34). On the contrary, Jesus and his community lived in the midst of persons who were excluded, considered impure; tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes, lepers (Ml 2, 16; 1, 41; Lk 7, 37). Jesus recognizes the richness and the values which the poor possess (Mt 11, 25-26; Lk 2 1, 1-4). He proclaims them blessed, because the Kingdom is theirs, of the poor (Lk 6, 20; Mt 5, 3). He defines his mission in this way: “To announce the Good News to the poor” (Lk 4, 18). He himself lives poorly. He possesses nothing for himself, not even a stone where to recline his head (Lk 9, 58). And to anyone who wants to follow him, who wants to live like him, he orders that he choose either God or money! (Mt 6, 24). He orders to choose the poor, as he proposed it to the rich young man! (Mk 10, 21). This different way of accepting the poor and of living with them is a sign of the Kingdom of God.
• Matthew 19, 16-19: The commandments and eternal life. A person approaches Jesus and asks him: “Master, what good deed should I do to possess eternal life?” Some manuscripts say that it was a young man. Jesus responds abruptly: “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one alone who is good!” Then he responds to the question and says: “If you wish to enter into life keep the commandments”. The young rich man reacts and asks: “Which commandments?” Jesus very kindly enumerates the commandments which the young man already knew: “You shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honour father and mother, love your neighbour as yourself”. The response of Jesus is very significant. The young man had asked what to do to obtain eternal life. He wanted to live close to God! But Jesus recalls only the commandments which refer to respect for the life close to others! He does not mention the first three commandments which define the relationship with God. According to Jesus, we will be well with God only if we are well with our neighbour. It is not worth it to deceive oneself. The door to reach God is our neighbour.
In Mark, the question of the young man is different: “Good Master what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers: “Why do you call me good? No one is good, but God alone.” (Mk 10, 17-18). Jesus deviates the attention from himself toward God, because what is important is to do God’s will, to reveal the project of the Father.
• Matthew 19, 20: What does it serve to observe the commandments? The young man responds: “I have always observed all these things. What more do I need to do?” What follows is strange. The young man wanted to know the way which leads to eternal life. Now, the way of eternal life was and continues to be: to do God’s will, expressed in the commandments. In other words, the young man observed the commandments without knowing for what purpose. If he had known it he would not have asked the question. It is like for many Catholics who do not know why they are Catholics. “I was born a Catholic and this is why I am Catholic!” It is as if was a custom!
• Matthew 19, 21-22: The proposal of Jesus and the response of the young man. Jesus answers: “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven; then come follow me”. But on hearing these words the young man went away very sad because he was very rich. The observance of the commandments is only the first degree of a stairway that goes beyond, much farther and much higher. Jesus asks more! The observance of the commandments prepares the persons to be able to reach the point of giving oneself completely to the neighbour. Mark says that Jesus looked at the young man with love (Mk 10, 21). Jesus asks for very much, but he asks for it with much love. The young man did not accept the proposal of Jesus and goes away, “because he was very rich”.
• Jesus and the option for the poor. A two-fold slavery marked the situation of the people at the time of Jesus: the slavery of the politics of Herod, supported by the Roman Empire and maintained by a whole system which was well organized for exploitation and repression, and the slavery of the official religion, maintained by the religious authority of the time. For this reason the clan, the families, the community, were disintegrating and the majority of the people were excluded, marginalized, homeless, without either a religion or a society. So, for this reason, there were diverse movements which, like Jesus, tried to build up life in the communities: Essens, Pharisees and later on, the Zelots. But in the community of Jesus, there was something new which made it different from the other groups. There was the attitude concerning the poor and the excluded. The communities of the Pharisees lived separated. The word “Pharisee” meant “separated”. This was the attitude concerning the poor and the excluded. The communities of the Pharisees lived separated from the impure people. Some Pharisees considered the people, ignorant and damned (Jn 7, 49), in sin (Jn 9, 34). They could learn nothing from the people (Jn 9,34). On the contrary, Jesus and his community lived in the midst of persons who were excluded, considered impure; tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes, lepers (Ml 2, 16; 1, 41; Lk 7, 37). Jesus recognizes the richness and the values which the poor possess (Mt 11, 25-26; Lk 2 1, 1-4). He proclaims them blessed, because the Kingdom is theirs, of the poor (Lk 6, 20; Mt 5, 3). He defines his mission in this way: “To announce the Good News to the poor” (Lk 4, 18). He himself lives poorly. He possesses nothing for himself, not even a stone where to recline his head (Lk 9, 58). And to anyone who wants to follow him, who wants to live like him, he orders that he choose either God or money! (Mt 6, 24). He orders to choose the poor, as he proposed it to the rich young man! (Mk 10, 21). This different way of accepting the poor and of living with them is a sign of the Kingdom of God.
4) Personal questions
• Can a person who lives concerned about his wealth or with
acquiring the goods which the propaganda of consumerism offers, free himself
from all this in order to follow Jesus and live in peace in a Christian
community? Is this possible? What do you think?
• What does it mean for us today: “Go, sell all you possess and give it to the poor?” Is it possible to do this concretely? Do you know anybody who has succeeded to do this for the Kingdom?
• What does it mean for us today: “Go, sell all you possess and give it to the poor?” Is it possible to do this concretely? Do you know anybody who has succeeded to do this for the Kingdom?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
In grassy meadows he lets me lie.
By tranquil streams he leads me to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice
as befits his name. (Ps 23,1-3)
In grassy meadows he lets me lie.
By tranquil streams he leads me to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice
as befits his name. (Ps 23,1-3)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét