Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the
Church
Lectionary: 432
Lectionary: 432
Concerning times
and seasons, brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well
that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.
When people are saying, “Peace and security,”
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief.
For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober.
For God did not destine us for wrath,
but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep
we may live together with him.
Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up,
as indeed you do.
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well
that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.
When people are saying, “Peace and security,”
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief.
For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober.
For God did not destine us for wrath,
but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep
we may live together with him.
Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up,
as indeed you do.
Responsorial PsalmPS 27:1, 4, 13-14
R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of
the Lord in the land of the living.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
GospelLK 4:31-37
Jesus went down to
Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,
and he cried out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another,
“What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
and they come out.”
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,
and he cried out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another,
“What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
and they come out.”
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
Meditation: "His
word was with authority"
When you
listen to the word of God in Scripture how do you respond to it? Do you hear it
with indifference, selective submission, or with the full assent of faith and
obedience? When Jesus taught he spoke with authority. He spoke the word of God
as no one had spoken it before. When the Rabbis taught they supported their
statements with quotes from other authorities. The prophets spoke with delegated
authority – Thus says the Lord. When Jesus spoke he needed no
authorities to back his statements. He was authority incarnate – the Word of
God made flesh. When he spoke, God spoke. When he commanded even the demons
obeyed.
Cyril of
Alexandria (376-444 AD), in his commentary on this passage from the Gospel of
Luke, tells us that Jesus had all power and authority to heal every sickness
and expel every demonic power because he was the living and active Word
of God the Father (John 1:14 and Hebrews 4:12):
The bystanders, witnesses of such great deeds, were astonished at
the power of his word. He performed his miracles, without offering up a prayer,
asking no one else at all for the power to accomplish them. Since he is the
living and active Word of God the Father, by whom all things exist, and in whom
all things are, in his own person he crushed Satan and closed the profane mouth
of impure demons. [Commentary on Luke, Homily 12].
God's living and abiding Word is truth and life
and it has power to set us free from every sin and oppression and bring us
healing of body, mind, and spirit. If the demons, the fallen angels, were able
to recognize the power and authority of Jesus, the Son of God, how much more
should we recognize and believe in the power and authority of the gospel – the
good news of Jesus Christ, and entrust our lives to the Lord Jesus? The Lord
Jesus speaks his life-giving Word to us each and every day so that we may walk
in the freedom of his love and truth. If we approach the Word of God with meekness
and humility, and with an eagerness to do everything the Lord desires, we are
in a much better position to learn what God wants to teach us through his word.
Are you ready to follow the Lord Jesus and to conform your life according to
his word?
"Lord
Jesus, you have the words of everlasting life. May I never doubt your saving
love and mercy, and the power of your word to bring healing, restoration, and
freedom from every sin and oppression."
 Christ at Home in Capernaum |
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Memorial of Saint
Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church
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Luke 4:31-37
Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of
Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his
teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man
with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice,
"Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to
destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked
him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the
man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there about his
word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they
come out." And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, you have looked with favor on me. You
have seen in my soul fertile ground, and you have sown your word in hope of
an abundant harvest. I hope never to let you down by not responding in faith.
I allow you to lead me to the fullness of my vocation as your disciple.
Petition: Christ, may zeal for your friendship consume
me so much that I remove all sin from my life.
1. Great Hopes: Jesus had great plans for Capernaum –– a big
city, situated by the lake on the “way of the sea,” a thoroughfare open to
travelers. It was an ideal hub from which to spread the Gospel. Would anyone
from such a big town have interest in his message? Christ made his home
there. He exercised the greater part of his public ministry in Capernaum and
graced it with more than one-third of his miracles. It was quite different
from Nazareth. Christ asks us to find our Capernaum –– seeking that niche,
using those talents, evangelizing that audience — where we can become the
most effective apostles for him. This may demand a greater love from us, but
we can see how Christ blesses this effort with his presence, teaching and
healing.
2. Simple Faith: Christ chooses to cure a man on the Sabbath
in Capernaum and nobody raises an eyebrow! How different this is from
Jerusalem! These people here have a simple faith, unconcerned about the
legalities of ritualistic orthodoxy. “Here I can preach. Here I can heal.
Here I can work!” Christ feels at home and welcomed. Here Christ finds
vocations: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew. Here Christ finds faith even
among the pagans: the centurion who asks for a cure. One can sense a special
predilection of Christ toward this city. From those who have been given more,
more will be expected.
3. Generosity Pushed to Its Limits: Once a soul responds in generosity, Christ
opportunely draws it to the fullness of its vocation. Encouraged by
Capernaum’s faith, Christ asks more of it; just as he asked of the rich young
man. As we see later in the Gospel, what better place than faith-filled
Capernaum for Christ to reveal to the world one of his most difficult
teachings: presenting himself as the Living Bread come down from heaven? In
the end, the majority leave him. “Will you go away too?” The present-day
ruins of Capernaum testify to the truth of Christ’s warning: “As for you,
Capernaum, ‘Are you to be exalted to the skies? You shall go down to the
realm of death!’ If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Sodom, it
would be standing today. I assure you, it will go easier for Sodom than for
you on the Day of Judgment” (Matthew 11:23-4).
Conversation with Christ: Lord, you know me and you know everything
about me. Let me not become blinded by the arrogance of my own opinions and
ideas. Help me to keep you always before me as the goal of my life, the pearl
of great price, for which I joyfully sell all I own to possess.
Resolution: I will use one of my talents to help
somebody today.
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
LUKE
4:31-37
(1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11;
Psalm 27)
KEY VERSE: "For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out" (v 36).
READING: After Jesus was rejected by the people in Nazareth, his hometown (Lk 4:29-30), he went to Capernaum on the northwest coast of Lake Gennesaret (the Sea of Galilee). Once again Jesus taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and this time the people were impressed by his authoritative words. Jesus was suddenly interrupted by the demonic shriek of a man possessed by an evil spirit. Although many did not recognize who Jesus truly was, the demon knew that he was the "Holy One of God" who had come to destroy evil and restore God's supremacy over humankind. With a powerful command, Jesus exorcized the evil spirit and healed the man. The people were in awe of the power of Jesus' word, and his renown spread throughout the area.
REFLECTING: What sort of evil needs to be cast out of my community?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, heal me with your word of life.
KEY VERSE: "For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out" (v 36).
READING: After Jesus was rejected by the people in Nazareth, his hometown (Lk 4:29-30), he went to Capernaum on the northwest coast of Lake Gennesaret (the Sea of Galilee). Once again Jesus taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and this time the people were impressed by his authoritative words. Jesus was suddenly interrupted by the demonic shriek of a man possessed by an evil spirit. Although many did not recognize who Jesus truly was, the demon knew that he was the "Holy One of God" who had come to destroy evil and restore God's supremacy over humankind. With a powerful command, Jesus exorcized the evil spirit and healed the man. The people were in awe of the power of Jesus' word, and his renown spread throughout the area.
REFLECTING: What sort of evil needs to be cast out of my community?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, heal me with your word of life.
Memorial of Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of
the Church
Gregory was the son of a wealthy Roman senator. He was educated by the finest teachers in Rome and became Prefect of Rome for a year. Then he sold his possessions, turned his home into a Benedictine monastery, and used his money to build six monasteries in Sicily and one in Rome. Upon seeing English children being sold in the Roman Forum, he became a missionary to England. He sent St Augustine of Canterbury and a company of monks to evangelize England, and other missionaries to France, Spain, and Africa. Gregory wrote seminal works on the Mass and Office. He collected the melodies and plain chant that became so associated with him that they are now known as Gregorian Chants. Gregory was elected Pope by unanimous acclamation on 3 September 590, the first monk to be so chosen. PopeGregory is one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church.
September 3
St. Gregory the Great
(540?-604)
St. Gregory the Great
(540?-604)
Coming events cast their shadows before: Gregory was the prefect
of Rome before he was 30. After five years in office he resigned, founded six
monasteries on his Sicilian estate and became a Benedictine monk in his own
home at Rome.
Ordained
a priest, he became one of the pope's seven deacons, and also served six years
in the East as papal representative in Constantinople. He was recalled to
become abbot, and at the age of 50 was elected pope by the clergy and people of
Rome.
He was direct
and firm. He removed unworthy priests from office, forbade taking money for
many services, emptied the papal treasury to ransom prisoners of the Lombards
and to care for persecuted Jews and the victims of plague and famine. He was
very concerned about the conversion of England, sending 40 monks from his own
monastery. He is known for his reform of the liturgy, for strengthening respect
for doctrine. Whether he was largely responsible for the revision of
"Gregorian" chant is disputed.
Gregory
lived in a time of perpetual strife with invading Lombards and difficult
relations with the East. When Rome itself was under attack, he interviewed the
Lombard king.
An
Anglican historian has written: "It is impossible to conceive what would
have been the confusion, the lawlessness, the chaotic state of the Middle Ages
without the medieval papacy; and of the medieval papacy, the real father is
Gregory the Great."
His book, Pastoral
Care, on the duties and qualities of a bishop, was read for centuries after
his death. He described bishops mainly as physicians whose main duties were
preaching and the enforcement of discipline. In his own down-to-earth
preaching, Gregory was skilled at applying the daily gospel to the needs of his
listeners. Called "the Great," Gregory has been given a place with
Augustine (August 28), Ambrose (December 7) and Jerome (September 30)as one of
the four key doctors of the Western Church.
Comment:
Gregory was content to be a monk, but he willingly served the Church in other ways when asked. He sacrificed his own preferences in many ways, especially when he was called to be Bishop of Rome. Once he was called to public service, Gregory gave his considerable energies completely to this work.
Gregory was content to be a monk, but he willingly served the Church in other ways when asked. He sacrificed his own preferences in many ways, especially when he was called to be Bishop of Rome. Once he was called to public service, Gregory gave his considerable energies completely to this work.
Quote:
"Perhaps it is not after all so difficult for a man to part with his possessions, but it is certainly most difficult for him to part with himself. To renounce what one has is a minor thing; but to renounce what one is, that is asking a lot" (St. Gregory,Homilies on the Gospels).
"Perhaps it is not after all so difficult for a man to part with his possessions, but it is certainly most difficult for him to part with himself. To renounce what one has is a minor thing; but to renounce what one is, that is asking a lot" (St. Gregory,Homilies on the Gospels).
Patron Saint of:
England
Teachers
England
Teachers
LECTIO: LUKE
4,31-37
Lectio:
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
every good thing comes from you.
Fill our hearts with love for you,
increase our faith,
and by your constant care
protect the good you have given us.
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.
every good thing comes from you.
Fill our hearts with love for you,
increase our faith,
and by your constant care
protect the good you have given us.
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 - Luke 4,31-37
Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught them
on the Sabbath.
And his teaching made a deep impression on them because his word carried authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’
But Jesus rebuked it, saying, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man into the middle, went out of him without hurting him at all.
Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What is it in his words? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And the news of him travelled all through the surrounding countryside.
And his teaching made a deep impression on them because his word carried authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’
But Jesus rebuked it, saying, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man into the middle, went out of him without hurting him at all.
Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What is it in his words? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And the news of him travelled all through the surrounding countryside.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we can see the facts more closely: the
admiration of the people because of the way Jesus taught and the cure of a man
who was possessed by an unclean spirit. Not all the Evangelists give this
account in the same way. For Luke, the first miracle is the peace with which
Jesus liberates himself from the threat of death on the part of the people of
Nazareth (Lk 4, 29-30) and the cure of the possessed man (Lk 4, 33-35). For
Matthew, the first miracle is the cure of the sick and of the possessed (Mt 4,
23) or, more specifically, the cure of a leper (Mt 8, 1-4). For Mark, the
miracle was the expulsion of the devil (Mk 1, 23-26). For John, the first
miracle was Cana, where Jesus changed the water into wine (Jn 2, 1-11). Thus,
in the way of narrating things, each Evangelist, accordingly, indicates which
was the greatest concern of Jesus.
• Luke 4, 31: The change of Jesus toward Capernaum: “Jesus descends to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and on Saturday he taught the people”. Matthew says that Jesus went to live in Capernaum (Mt 4, 13). He changed his residence. Capernaum was a small city on the crossroad between two important streets: the one coming from Asia Minor and was leading to Petra on the south of Transjordan, and the other one coming from the region of the two rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates, and descended toward Egypt. The change toward Capernaum facilitated the contact with the people and the diffusion of the Good News.
• Luke 4, 32: Admiration of the people at the teaching of Jesus. The first thing that people perceive is that Jesus teaches in a different way. It is not so much the content that strikes them, but rather his way of teaching: “Jesus speaks with authority”. Mark adds that because of his different way of teaching; Jesus created a critical conscience among the people in regard to the religious authority of his time. The people perceived and compared: “He teaches with authority, unlike the Scribes” (Mk 1, 22.27). The Scribes taught quoting authority. Jesus does not quote any authority; rather he speaks starting from his experience of God and of his life.
• Luke 4, 33-35: Jesus fights against the power of evil. The first miracle is the expulsion of the devil. The power of evil took possession of persons, alienating them. Jesus restores the persons to be themselves again, giving them back the consciousness and liberty. He does this thanks to the force of his word: “Be quiet! Come out of him!” And on another occasion he says: “But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the Kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares” (Lk 11, 20). Today, also, many people live alienated from themselves, subjugated by the means of communication, by the propaganda of the government and of business. They live slaves of consumerism, oppressed by debts and threatened by creditors. People think that they do not live well if they do not have everything which the propaganda announces. It is not easy to expel this power which today, alienates many people, and return the persons to be themselves again.
• Luke 4, 36-37: The reaction of the people: he gives orders to the unclean spirits. Jesus not only has a diverse way of teaching the things of God, but another aspect which causes admiration in the people is his power over unclean spirits: “What is it in his words? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out”. Jesus opens a new path so that the people can place themselves before God to pray and to receive the blessings promised to Abraham. Before, they had to purify themselves. There were many laws and norms which made the life of the people difficult and marginalized many persons who were considered impure. But now, purified by faith in Jesus, persons could once again place themselves before God and pray to him, without the need to have recourse to the complicated norms of purity which were frequently expensive.
• Luke 4, 31: The change of Jesus toward Capernaum: “Jesus descends to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and on Saturday he taught the people”. Matthew says that Jesus went to live in Capernaum (Mt 4, 13). He changed his residence. Capernaum was a small city on the crossroad between two important streets: the one coming from Asia Minor and was leading to Petra on the south of Transjordan, and the other one coming from the region of the two rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates, and descended toward Egypt. The change toward Capernaum facilitated the contact with the people and the diffusion of the Good News.
• Luke 4, 32: Admiration of the people at the teaching of Jesus. The first thing that people perceive is that Jesus teaches in a different way. It is not so much the content that strikes them, but rather his way of teaching: “Jesus speaks with authority”. Mark adds that because of his different way of teaching; Jesus created a critical conscience among the people in regard to the religious authority of his time. The people perceived and compared: “He teaches with authority, unlike the Scribes” (Mk 1, 22.27). The Scribes taught quoting authority. Jesus does not quote any authority; rather he speaks starting from his experience of God and of his life.
• Luke 4, 33-35: Jesus fights against the power of evil. The first miracle is the expulsion of the devil. The power of evil took possession of persons, alienating them. Jesus restores the persons to be themselves again, giving them back the consciousness and liberty. He does this thanks to the force of his word: “Be quiet! Come out of him!” And on another occasion he says: “But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the Kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares” (Lk 11, 20). Today, also, many people live alienated from themselves, subjugated by the means of communication, by the propaganda of the government and of business. They live slaves of consumerism, oppressed by debts and threatened by creditors. People think that they do not live well if they do not have everything which the propaganda announces. It is not easy to expel this power which today, alienates many people, and return the persons to be themselves again.
• Luke 4, 36-37: The reaction of the people: he gives orders to the unclean spirits. Jesus not only has a diverse way of teaching the things of God, but another aspect which causes admiration in the people is his power over unclean spirits: “What is it in his words? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out”. Jesus opens a new path so that the people can place themselves before God to pray and to receive the blessings promised to Abraham. Before, they had to purify themselves. There were many laws and norms which made the life of the people difficult and marginalized many persons who were considered impure. But now, purified by faith in Jesus, persons could once again place themselves before God and pray to him, without the need to have recourse to the complicated norms of purity which were frequently expensive.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus causes admiration and astonishment among the people.
Does the way of acting of our community cause admiration among the people of
the neighbourhood? What type of admiration?
• Jesus drives out the power of evil and restores the persons to be themselves again. Today many persons live alienated from everything and from all. How can we help them to recover and be themselves again?
• Jesus drives out the power of evil and restores the persons to be themselves again. Today many persons live alienated from everything and from all. How can we help them to recover and be themselves again?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh is tenderness and pity,
slow to anger, full of faithful love.
Yahweh is generous to all,
his tenderness embraces all his creatures. (Ps 145,8-9)
slow to anger, full of faithful love.
Yahweh is generous to all,
his tenderness embraces all his creatures. (Ps 145,8-9)
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