Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 436
Lectionary: 436
Brothers and
sisters:
You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds;
God has now reconciled you
in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death,
to present you holy, without blemish,
and irreproachable before him,
provided that you persevere in the faith,
firmly grounded, stable,
and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard,
which has been preached to every creature under heaven,
of which I, Paul, am a minister.
You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds;
God has now reconciled you
in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death,
to present you holy, without blemish,
and irreproachable before him,
provided that you persevere in the faith,
firmly grounded, stable,
and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard,
which has been preached to every creature under heaven,
of which I, Paul, am a minister.
Responsorial PsalmPS 54:3-4, 6 AND 8
R. (6) God himself is my help.
O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.
R. God himself is my help.
Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
R. God himself is my help.
O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.
R. God himself is my help.
Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
R. God himself is my help.
GospelLK 6:1-5
While Jesus was
going through a field of grain on a sabbath,
his disciples were picking the heads of grain,
rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said,
“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Have you not read what David did
when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat,
ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
his disciples were picking the heads of grain,
rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said,
“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Have you not read what David did
when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat,
ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
Meditation: "The
Son of man is lord of the Sabbath"
What does the
commandment "keep holy the Sabbath" require of us? Or better yet,
what is the primary intention behind this command? The religious leaders
confronted Jesus on this issue. The "Sabbath rest" was meant to be a
time to remember and celebrate God's goodness and the goodness of his work,
both in creation and redemption. It was a day set apart for the praise of God,
his work of creation, and his saving actions on our behalf. It was intended to
bring everyday work to a halt and to provide needed rest and refreshment.
Jesus' disciples are scolded by the scribes and Pharisees, not for plucking and
eating corn from the fields, but for doing so on the Sabbath. In defending his
disciples, Jesus argues from the scriptures that human need has precedence over
ritual custom. In their hunger, David and his men ate of the holy bread offered
in the Temple (1 Samuel 21:2-7). On every Sabbath morning twelves loaves were
laid before God on a golden table in the Holy Place. Each loaf represented one
of the twelve tribes of Israel. No one was allowed to eat this bread except the
priests because it represented the very presence of God. David understood that
human need took precedence over rules and ritual regulations.Why didn't the Pharisees recognize the claims of mercy over rules and regulations? Their zeal for ritual observance blinded them from the demands of charity. Jesus' reference to the bread of the Presence alludes to the true bread from heaven which he offers to all who believe in him. Jesus, the Son of David, and the Son of Man, a title for the Messiah, declares that he is "Lord of the Sabbath." Jesus healed on the Sabbath and he showed mercy to those in need. All who are burdened can find true rest and refreshment in him. Do you seek rest and refreshment in the Lord and in the celebration of the Lord's Day?
"Lord Jesus, you refresh us with your presence and you sustain us with your life-giving word. Show me how to lift the burden of others, especially those who lack the basic necessities of life, and to refresh them with humble care and service."
 The Heart of the Matter |
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Saturday of
Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
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Matthew Reinhardt,
Consecrated Member of Regnum Christi
Luke 6: 1-5
While Jesus was going through a field of
grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing
them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, "Why are you
doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?" Jesus said to them in reply,
"Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him
were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his
companions." Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the
sabbath."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I worship you because I came from you.
I long for you because you made me for yourself. I praise you as my
ever-present helper. I call on you as my powerful protector. (Universal
Prayer of Pope Clement XI)
Petition: Lord, purify my heart.
1. The Pharisees’ Heart: Sometimes a short phrase reveals so much
about what is happening inside a person’s mind and heart. One can get a
glimpse into Hitler’s corrupt heart with his famous phrase: “I do not see why
man should not be just as cruel as nature.” His actions were of the cruelest.
Thirty years ago, when John Paul II was elected pope, the simple phrase, “Be
not afraid”, indicated the attitude he would have for the following 26
fearless years of his papacy. In this passage the Pharisees say so much about
the state of their own hearts by saying so little: “Why are you doing what is
unlawful on the Sabbath?” The Pharisees are all caught up in the externals of
the law and miss the big picture that Christ came to bring: complete love for
God and heroic love of neighbor. As Christians we are not called to have a
heart that calculates the cost, but rather one filled with unconditional
love.
2. A King’s Heart: Another character in this passage is King
David, whom Christ hails for having chosen to feed his starving army over
scrupulously following some norms of the law regarding eating. From the story
of David and Goliath, we learn that David had a brave heart from his youth
and that he trusted in God over his own limitations. Young David’s heart was
honest and humble: King Saul was trying to kill him, yet when David had the
chance to kill Saul in a cave, he relented and later made amends with Saul.
David’s heart was weak when he fell in love with Uriah’s wife and then had
Uriah killed. Nevertheless David’s heart did not grow cold from this sin; rather,
he repented deeply: “Have mercy on me, God in your goodness blot out my
offenses, wash away all my guilt, from my sin cleanse me” (Psalm 51). With
time and patience David formed a remarkable heart that loved God and
neighbor.
3. The Sacred Heart: What love the Heart of Christ shows his
apostles in this passage. Imagine the scene: Christ walking through a ripe
field of grain with his closest friends, laughing, joking, talking about the
town they just visited, speaking of their dreams, and also snacking on the
ripe harvest. Christ’s heart was so immersed with love for these men who
would be the pillars of the Church and who would bring his message to the
whole world. How far his thoughts were from the littleness and pettiness of
the empty details of the worn out laws! His law is the new law of love:
“Behold the heart that has so loved men.” Christ looks at us the same way he
looked at his apostles in the field – as friends who are called to be the
pillars of the new evangelization, as apostles who are to bring his words to
the end of the earth. He needs us to say “yes” to this call!
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for the unconditional
love of your heart. I want to repay your love for me by loving you back with
the same intensity. I know I always fall short of this, but you know my
heart, and you know I want to be close to you until the day I meet you
face-to-face in eternity.
Resolution: With a repentant heart, I will go to
confession today.
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
LUKE 6:1-5
(Colossians 1:21-23; Psalm 54)
LUKE 6:1-5
(Colossians 1:21-23; Psalm 54)
KEY VERSE: "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath" (v 5).
READING: The first conflict story told in Luke's gospel regarded the violation of
REFLECTING: Am I unduly bound by scrupulosity?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to avoid legalism and act with compassion and justice.
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, including the Liturgy, and includes reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary. See the complete document on Vatican web site (www.vatican.va) Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, including the Liturgy, and includes reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary. See the complete document on Vatican web site (www.vatican.va) Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
God himself is my help.
God himself is my help.The first reading tells us not to shift in hope. This is not always easy in a world that seems to have more stories of sadness and suffering than ever. The psalm celebrates the offering of oneself. Actions that arise from genuine love are more pleasing to God than those done out of obligation and duty.
In the gospel reading, the Pharisees are upset that Jesus does not seem to be concerned with the letter of the law. But if rules do not nurture us in body and soul, then perhaps the rules should be reconsidered. Do I stand in self- righteous judgment when others make trivial transgressions? Do I acknowledge that everyone has basic needs that they are entitled to meet? Whose interests do the rules protect? Does the law always lead to justice?
September 7
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam
(1813-1853)
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam
(1813-1853)
A man convinced of the inestimable worth of each human being,
Frédéric served the poor of Paris well and drew others into serving the poor of
the world. Through the St. Vincent de Paul Society, his work continues to the
present day.
Frédéric was
the fifth of Jean and Marie Ozanam’s 14 children, one of only three to reach
adulthood. As a teenager he began having doubts about his religion. Reading and
prayer did not seem to help, but long walking discussions with Father Noirot of
the Lyons College clarified matters a great deal.
Frédéric wanted
to study literature, although his father, a doctor, wanted him to become a
lawyer. Frédéric yielded to his father’s wishes and in 1831 arrived in
Paris to study law at the University of the Sorbonne. When certain professors
there mocked Catholic teachings in their lectures, Frédéric defended the
Church.
A
discussion club which Frédéric organized sparked the turning point in his
life. In this club Catholics, atheists and agnostics debated the issues of the
day. Once, after Frédéric spoke about Christianity’s role in civilization,
a club member said: "Let us be frank, Mr. Ozanam; let us also be very
particular. What do you do besides talk to prove the faith you claim is in
you?"
Frédéric was
stung by the question. He soon decided that his words needed a grounding in
action. He and a friend began visiting Paris tenements and offering assistance
as best they could. Soon a group dedicated to helping individuals in need under
the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul formed around Frédéric.
Feeling
that the Catholic faith needed an excellent speaker to explain its
teachings, Frédéric convinced the Archbishop of Paris to appoint Father
Lacordaire, the greatest preacher then in France, to preach a Lenten series in
Notre Dame Cathedral. It was well attended and became an annual tradition in
Paris.
After Frédéric
earned his law degree at the Sorbonne, he taught law at the University of
Lyons. He also earned a doctorate in literature. Soon after marrying Amelie
Soulacroix on June 23, 1841, he returned to the Sorbonne to teach literature. A
well-respected lecturer, Frédéric worked to bring out the best in each
student. Meanwhile, the St. Vincent de Paul Society was growing throughout
Europe. Paris alone counted 25 conferences.
In 1846,
Frédéric, Amelie and their daughter Marie went to Italy; there he hoped to
restore his poor health. They returned the next year. The revolution of 1848
left many Parisians in need of the services of the St. Vincent de Paul
conferences. The unemployed numbered 275,000. The government
asked Frédéric and his co-workers to supervise the government aid to the
poor. Vincentians throughout Europe came to the aid of Paris.
Frédéric then
started a newspaper, The New Era, dedicated to securing justice for
the poor and the working classes. Fellow Catholics were often unhappy with
what Frédéric wrote. Referring to the poor man as "the nation’s
priest," Frédéric said that the hunger and sweat of the poor formed a
sacrifice that could redeem the people’s humanity
In 1852
poor health again forced Frédéric to return to Italy with his wife and
daughter. He died on September 8, 1853. In his sermon at Frédéric’s funeral,
Lacordaire described his friend as "one of those privileged creatures who
came direct from the hand of God in whom God joins tenderness to genius in
order to enkindle the world."
Frédéric was
beatified in 1997. Since Frédéric wrote an excellent book entitledFranciscan
Poets of the Thirteenth Century and since Frederick’s sense of the
dignity of each poor person was so close to the thinking of St. Francis, it
seemed appropriate to include him among Franciscan "greats."
Comment:
Frédéric Ozanam always respected poor while offering whatever service he could. Each man, woman and child was too precious for that. Serving the poor taught Frédéric something about God that he could not have learned elsewhere.
Frédéric Ozanam always respected poor while offering whatever service he could. Each man, woman and child was too precious for that. Serving the poor taught Frédéric something about God that he could not have learned elsewhere.
Quote:
In his homily at the
eatification Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, Blessed John Paul II mentioned that
before World War II he belonged to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He noted
that Frédéric Ozanam "observed the real situation of the poor and sought
to be more and more effective in ehlping them in their human development. He
understood that charity must lead to efforts to rededy injutice. Charity and
justice go together."
LECTIO: LUKE
6,1-5
Lectio:
Saturday, September 7, 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 6,1-5
It happened that one Sabbath Jesus was walking through the
cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their
hands and eating them.
Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the Sabbath day?’
Jesus answered them, ‘So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry- how he went into the house of God and took the loaves of the offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which the priests alone are allowed to eat?’
And he said to them, ‘The Son of man is master of the Sabbath.’
Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the Sabbath day?’
Jesus answered them, ‘So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry- how he went into the house of God and took the loaves of the offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which the priests alone are allowed to eat?’
And he said to them, ‘The Son of man is master of the Sabbath.’
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today speaks about the conflict concerning the
observance of the Sabbath –Saturday. The observance of the Sabbath was a
central law, one of the Ten Commandments. This was a very ancient Law the value
of which was stressed after the Exile. During the Exile, the people had to work
seven days a week from morning until evening, without any conditions to meet
and meditate on the Word of God, to pray together and to share faith, their
problems and their hopes. Therefore, there was an urgent need to stop at least
one day a week to get together and encourage one another during the very
difficult situation of the exile. Otherwise they would have lost their faith.
It was then that faith was reborn and the observance of Saturday was
re-established.
• Luke 6, 1-2: The cause of the conflict. On Saturday the disciples were walking across the cornfields and they were picking ears of corn. Matthew 12, 1 says that they were hungry (Mt 12, 1). The Pharisees invoke the Bible to say it was a transgression of the Law of Saturday: Why do you do this which is not permitted to do on Saturday?” (cf. Ex 20, 8-11).
• Luke 6, 3-4: The response of Jesus. Immediately Jesus responds recalling that David himself also did things which were prohibited, because he took the sacred bread from the Temple and gave it to the soldiers to eat because they were hungry (I S 21, 2-7). Jesus knew the Bible and referred to it to show that the arguments of others had no foundation. In Matthew, the response of Jesus is more complete. He not only recalls the story of David, but also quotes the Legislation which permits the priests to work on Saturday and he quotes Prophet Hosea: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. He quotes a Biblical text or a historical text, a legislative text and a prophetic text (cf. Mt 12, 1-18). At that time there was no printed Bible as we have it today. In each community there was only one Bible, hand written, which remained in the Synagogue. If Jesus knew the Bible so well, it means that in the 30 years of his life in Nazareth he participated intensely in the life of the community, where every Saturday the Scriptures were read. We still lack very much to have the same familiarity with the Bible and the same participation in the community.
• Luke 6, 5: The conclusion for all of us. And Jesus ends with the following phrase: The Son of Man is Master of the Sabbath! The Lord of Saturday! Jesus, Son of Man, who lives in intimacy with God, discovers the sense of the Bible not from outside, from without, but from inside, that is, discovers the sense starting at the roots, beginning from his intimacy with the author of the Bible who is God himself. Because of this, he calls himself Master of Saturday. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus revitalizes the law of Saturday saying: “Saturday was instituted for man and not man for Saturday”.
• Luke 6, 1-2: The cause of the conflict. On Saturday the disciples were walking across the cornfields and they were picking ears of corn. Matthew 12, 1 says that they were hungry (Mt 12, 1). The Pharisees invoke the Bible to say it was a transgression of the Law of Saturday: Why do you do this which is not permitted to do on Saturday?” (cf. Ex 20, 8-11).
• Luke 6, 3-4: The response of Jesus. Immediately Jesus responds recalling that David himself also did things which were prohibited, because he took the sacred bread from the Temple and gave it to the soldiers to eat because they were hungry (I S 21, 2-7). Jesus knew the Bible and referred to it to show that the arguments of others had no foundation. In Matthew, the response of Jesus is more complete. He not only recalls the story of David, but also quotes the Legislation which permits the priests to work on Saturday and he quotes Prophet Hosea: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. He quotes a Biblical text or a historical text, a legislative text and a prophetic text (cf. Mt 12, 1-18). At that time there was no printed Bible as we have it today. In each community there was only one Bible, hand written, which remained in the Synagogue. If Jesus knew the Bible so well, it means that in the 30 years of his life in Nazareth he participated intensely in the life of the community, where every Saturday the Scriptures were read. We still lack very much to have the same familiarity with the Bible and the same participation in the community.
• Luke 6, 5: The conclusion for all of us. And Jesus ends with the following phrase: The Son of Man is Master of the Sabbath! The Lord of Saturday! Jesus, Son of Man, who lives in intimacy with God, discovers the sense of the Bible not from outside, from without, but from inside, that is, discovers the sense starting at the roots, beginning from his intimacy with the author of the Bible who is God himself. Because of this, he calls himself Master of Saturday. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus revitalizes the law of Saturday saying: “Saturday was instituted for man and not man for Saturday”.
4) Personal questions
• How do you spend Sunday, which is our “Sabbath”? Do you go to
Mass because it is an obligation, in order to avoid sin or to be with God?
• Jesus knew the Bible almost by heart. What does the Bible represent for me?
• Jesus knew the Bible almost by heart. What does the Bible represent for me?
5) Concluding Prayer
My mouth shall always praise Yahweh,
let every creature bless his holy name
for ever and ever. (Ps 145,21)
let every creature bless his holy name
for ever and ever. (Ps 145,21)
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