Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lectionary: 459
Lectionary: 459
During the
Babylonian captivity, the exiles prayed:
“Justice is with the Lord, our God;
and we today are flushed with shame,
we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem,
that we, with our kings and rulers
and priests and prophets, and with our ancestors,
have sinned in the Lord’s sight and disobeyed him.
We have neither heeded the voice of the Lord, our God,
nor followed the precepts which the Lord set before us.
From the time the Lord led our ancestors out of the land of Egypt
until the present day,
we have been disobedient to the Lord, our God,
and only too ready to disregard his voice.
And the evils and the curse that the Lord enjoined upon Moses, his servant,
at the time he led our ancestors forth from the land of Egypt
to give us the land flowing with milk and honey,
cling to us even today.
For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God,
in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us,
but each one of us went off
after the devices of his own wicked heart,
served other gods,
and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God.”
“Justice is with the Lord, our God;
and we today are flushed with shame,
we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem,
that we, with our kings and rulers
and priests and prophets, and with our ancestors,
have sinned in the Lord’s sight and disobeyed him.
We have neither heeded the voice of the Lord, our God,
nor followed the precepts which the Lord set before us.
From the time the Lord led our ancestors out of the land of Egypt
until the present day,
we have been disobedient to the Lord, our God,
and only too ready to disregard his voice.
And the evils and the curse that the Lord enjoined upon Moses, his servant,
at the time he led our ancestors forth from the land of Egypt
to give us the land flowing with milk and honey,
cling to us even today.
For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God,
in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us,
but each one of us went off
after the devices of his own wicked heart,
served other gods,
and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 79:1B-2, 3-5, 8, 9
R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver
us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
GospelLK 10:13-16
Jesus said to them,
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
Meditation: "He who rejects
me"
If
Jesus were to visit your community today, what would he say? Would he issue a
warning like the one he gave to Chorazin and Bethsaida? And how would you
respond? Wherever Jesus went he did mighty works to show the people how much
God had for them. Chorazin and Bethsaida had been blessed with the visitation
of God. They heard the good news and experienced the wonderful works which
Jesus did for them. Why was Jesus upset with these communities? The word woe is
also translated as alas. It is as much as an expression of
sorrowful pity as it is of anger. Why does Jesus lament and issue a stern
warning? The people who heard the gospel here very likely responded with
indifference. Jesus upbraids them for doing nothing! Repentance demands change
– a change of heart and way of life. God's word is life-giving and it saves us
from destruction – the destruction of soul as well as body. Jesus' anger is
directed toward sin and everything which hinders us from doing the will of God
and receiving his blessing. In love he calls us to walk in his way of truth and
freedom, grace and mercy, justice and holiness. Do you receive his word with
faith and submission or with doubt and indifference?
"Lord
Jesus, give me the child-like simplicity and purity of faith to gaze upon your
face with joy and confidence in your all-merciful love. Remove every doubt,
fear, and proud thought which would hinder me from receiving your word with
trust and humble submission."
 Payback Time |
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Memorial of Saint
Francis of Assisi, religious
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Father Edward
McIlmail, LC
Luke 10: 13-16
Jesus said to them, "Woe to you,
Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting
in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at
the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, ´Will you be exalted to
heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.´" Whoever listens to you
listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects
the one who sent me."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are with me as I
begin this prayer. I trust in your kindness and love. You know my weaknesses
because you saw them all during the agony you underwent for me on Good
Friday. I wish to stay as close to you in this prayer as your Mother did to
you at the foot of the cross. Accept this as the expression of my love for
you.
Petition: Lord, help me to appreciate your gifts and
use them to the best of my ability, for your glory.
1. The Privileged Few: Today we see another side of Jesus in the
Gospel. Often we see him as the miracle worker, curing the sick, raising the
dead. But now we see the flipside of these miracles: Christ demands a
response from the people who have witnessed them. It´s not enough that people
stare in wonderment at Our Lord´s mighty deeds. Those deeds, among other
things, prove his divine origin and the truthfulness of his message. Part of
that message demands repentance and conversion. Closer to our own day we can
think of the tens of millions of people who personally saw Pope John Paul II
in his many public appearances. How many of those people actually changed
their lives after the encounter? How have I responded to God´s grace and
favor in my life? Have I taken God´s graces for granted?
2. The Not-so-Blessed: God, in his mysterious design seems, to
favor some souls with gifts not given to others. Here, Jesus acknowledges
that Tyre and Sidon – pagan towns – would have responded better to his
miracles than did Chorazin and Capernaum. That begs the question: Why didn´t
Jesus perform more miracles in those Gentile towns? Alas, ours is not the
place to question the wisdom of God. Suffice it to say that Christ gives some
of us more than he gives others, and he expects to see a return on his
investment. It´s not enough that we keep our faith untarnished and sitting on
a shelf, hidden from the world. No. The gift of faith should prompt us to
strive for holiness, for continual conversion of heart, and for zeal to build
the Church. Does faith impact my life like that?
3. Domino Effect: Christ´s authority includes his ability to
delegate it. To the Church, he gives the power to bind and to loose.
"Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are
retained" (John 20:23). Moreover, Number 891 of the Catechism observes
that "The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys […]
infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of
all the faithful -- who confirms his brethren in the faith -- he proclaims by
a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals." When we
follow the Holy Father´s teaching, we honor the One who gave him authority.
And Our Lord´s authority extends in other areas: to parents over their
dependent children, to government officials who oversee the common good, etc.
Do I respect the legitimate authority of those around me? Do I understand
that obedience to legitimate authority is a form of obedience to God himself?
Conversation with Christ: Jesus, help me see that your obedience to
Pilate on Good Friday was part of your obedience to your loving Father in
heaven. Let me understand that obedience to legitimate authority is a means
of growth in humility and holiness.
Resolution: I will carry out one request that a
legitimate authority (a boss, a parent, etc.) has been asking of me… and do
it with joy.
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, LUKE 10:13-16
(Baruch
1:15-22; Psalm 79)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever listens
to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me" (v 16).
READING: Jesus centered much of
his ministry in the cities around the Sea of Galilee. Like the ancient
prophets, Jesus expressed profound displeasure with those who rejected God's
truth. He gave the obstinate cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida a warning, saying
that the Gentiles living in Tyre and Sidon never saw such mighty deeds. If they
had, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes as did the Ninevites in
Jonah's day (Jon 3:1-10). Proud Capernaum, Jesus’ “headquarters” in Galilee,
fare no better. There would be harsh consequences for closing ears and hearts
to the message Jesus preached. He reminded his listeners that the mission of
his disciples was to bring the reign of God to them. Because the proclamation
of the gospel was the word of God, it was not to be treated lightly. Whoever
heard their words of his disciples also heard Jesus. Whoever rejected them
rejected Jesus and the one who sent him.
REFLECTING: Am I Christ's messenger
of good news to unbelieving people?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to
hear your voice spoken by the servants of your Church.
Memorial
of St. Francis, Assisi
Francis
was the son of a rich cloth merchant. He led a misspent youth and served
occasionally as a soldier. During an imprisonment, he had a conversion
experience, including a message from Christ calling him to leave his worldly
life and serve "Lady Poverty." Upon release from prison, Francis
began taking his religion seriously. While Francis was praying before a
crucifix in a wayside chapel of San Damiano just outside of Assisi, he heard a
voice saying: "Go, Francis, and repair my house, which as you see is
falling into ruin." Taking this literally, Francis sold some cloth from
his father's store to procure the money for the restoration of San Damiano's.
His father was indignant, and after legal proceedings, Francis renounced his
father, laying aside the garments he had received from him. Francis lived as a
beggar in the region of Assisi, barefoot and clad in a rough garment, he
preached purity and peace, served the sick, and regarded all men and women as
his brothers and sisters. He began to attract followers, and in 1209 founded
the Franciscans. In 1212 Clare of Assisi became his spiritual student, which
led to the founding of the Poor Clares. Francis preached to the Saracens in
Arabia. While in meditation on Mount Alvernia in the Apennines in September
1224, Francis received the stigmata, which periodically bled during the
remaining two years of his life. Francis was canonized only two years after his
death. St. Francis is the patron of ecology.
For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
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The life and work of St Francis of Assisi has touched many lives. With his gentle simplicity and love of all creation, he offered to the world a true sense of Christ’s peace. Through challenging words in Luke’s gospel, Jesus warns about the possibility of ridicule and rejection. But he also gives the promise that he will stand by those who act in his name. Let us pray for Pope Francis to have discernment and courage in the face of complex issues as he engages in his new mission. His good humour and love of the people suggest he will face his tasks with courage and trust in the Lord. Encouraging us to be people of daily prayer, his continuing enlightenment will bring a new song for the church this century. With Jesus and his patron saint backing him, his work will be blessed.
www.churchresources.info
October 4
St. Francis of Assisi
(1182-1226)
Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired
the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense,
but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit
and without a sense of self-importance.
Serious
illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life
as leader of Assisi's youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a
self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the
road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer:
"Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your
duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun
this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and
bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and
exceeding joy."
From the
cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him,
"Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling
down." Francis became the totally poor and humble workman.
He must
have suspected a deeper meaning to "build up my house." But he would
have been content to be for the rest of his life the poor "nothing"
man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned chapels. He gave up all his
possessions, piling even his clothes before his earthly father (who was
demanding restitution for Francis' "gifts" to the poor) so that he
would be totally free to say, "Our Father in heaven." He was, for a
time, considered to be a religious fanatic, begging from door to door when he
could not get money for his work, evokng sadness or disgust to the hearts of
his former friends, ridicule from the unthinking.
But
genuineness will tell. A few people began to realize that this man was actually
trying to be Christian. He really believed what Jesus said: "Announce the
kingdom! Possess no gold or silver or copper in your purses, no traveling bag,
no sandals, no staff" (Luke 9:1-3).
Francis'
first rule for his followers was a collection of texts from the Gospels. He had
no idea of founding an order, but once it began he protected it and accepted
all the legal structures needed to support it. His devotion and loyalty to the
Church were absolute and highly exemplary at a time when various movements of
reform tended to break the Church's unity.
He was
torn between a life devoted entirely to prayer and a life of active preaching
of the Good News. He decided in favor of the latter, but always returned to
solitude when he could. He wanted to be a missionary in Syria or in Africa, but
was prevented by shipwreck and illness in both cases. He did try to convert the
sultan of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade.
During
the last years of his relatively short life (he died at 44), he was half blind
and seriously ill. Two years before his death, he received the stigmata, the
real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side.
On his
deathbed, he said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the
Sun, "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death." He sang Psalm 141,
and at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the last
hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation
of his Lord.
Comment:
Francis of Assisi was poor only that he might be Christ-like. He recognized creation as another manifestation of the beauty of God. In 1979, he was named patron of ecology. He did great penance (apologizing to "Brother Body" later in life) that he might be totally disciplined for the will of God. His poverty had a sister, humility, by which he meant total dependence on the good God. But all this was, as it were, preliminary to the heart of his spirituality: living the gospel life, summed up in the charity of Jesus and perfectly expressed in the Eucharist.
Francis of Assisi was poor only that he might be Christ-like. He recognized creation as another manifestation of the beauty of God. In 1979, he was named patron of ecology. He did great penance (apologizing to "Brother Body" later in life) that he might be totally disciplined for the will of God. His poverty had a sister, humility, by which he meant total dependence on the good God. But all this was, as it were, preliminary to the heart of his spirituality: living the gospel life, summed up in the charity of Jesus and perfectly expressed in the Eucharist.
Quote:
"We adore you and we bless you, Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all the churches which are in the whole world, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world" (St. Francis).
"We adore you and we bless you, Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all the churches which are in the whole world, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world" (St. Francis).
Patron Saint of:
Animals
Ecology
Italy
Merchants
www.americancatholic.orgAnimals
Ecology
Italy
Merchants
LECTIO: LUKE
10,13-16
Lectio:
Friday, October 4, 2013
ORDINARY TIME
1)
Opening prayer
Father,
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
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.
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
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 10,13-16
Jesus
said: 'Alas for you, Corazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done
in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting
in sackcloth and ashes. And still, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon
at the Judgement than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be
raised high as heaven? You shall be flung down to hell.
'Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.'
'Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.'
3) Reflection
● The
Gospel today continues speaking about the sending out of the seventy-two
disciples (Lk 10,1-12). At the end, after sending them out, Jesus speaks about
shaking off the dust from the shoes, if the missionaries are not welcomed or
accepted (Lk 10,10-12). Today's Gospel stressed and extends the threats upon
those who refuse to receive the Good News.
● Luke 10, 13-14: Alas for you, Corazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! The place which Jesus travelled or covered in the three years of his missionary life was small. It measured only a few square kilometres along the Sea of Galilee around the cities of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Corazin. Precisely in this very small space Jesus works the majority of his miracles and presents his discourses. He has come to save the whole of humanity, and he hardly went out of the limited space of his land. But, tragically, Jesus had to see that the people of those cities do not want to accept the message of the Kingdom and are not converted. The cities fixed themselves in the rigidity of their beliefs, traditions and customs and they do not accept the invitation of Jesus to change life. Alas for you, Corazin; Alas for you Bethsaida! For if the miracle done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes". Jesus compares the two cities with Tyre and Sidon which in the past were unyielding enemies of Israel, ill-treating the people of God. For this reason they were cursed by the Prophets: (Is 23, 1; Jr 25, 22; 47, 4; Ez 26, 3; 27, 2; 28, 2; Jl 4, 4; Am 1, 10). And now Jesus says that these same cities, symbols of all the evil done to the people in the past, would have already converted if so many miracles would have been worked in them as in Corazin and in Bethsaida.
● Luke 10, 15: And you Capernaum. "Did you want to be raised high as Heaven? You shall be flung down to hell. Jesus recalls the condemnation which Isaiah, the Prophet launched against Babylonia. Proud and arrogant, Babylonia thought: "I shall scale the heavens; higher than the stars of God I shall set my throne. I shall sit on the Mount of the Assembly far away to the north. I shall climb high above the clouds, I shall rival the Most High" (Is 14, 13-14). That is what it thought! But it completely deceived itself! The contrary happened. The Prophet says: "Now you have been flung down to Sheol, into the depths of the abyss!" (Is 14, 15). Jesus compares Capernaum with that terrible Babylonia which destroyed the monarchy and the temple and took the people as slaves, from which it never succeeded to recover. Like Babylonia, Capernaum thought it was something important, but it fell into the most profound hell. The Gospel of Matthew compares Capernaum with the city of Sodom, the symbol of the worse perversion, which was destroyed by God's anger (Gen 18, 16 to 19, 29). Sodom would have converted if it had seen the miracles which Jesus worked in Capernaum (Mt 11, 23-24). Today, the same paradox continues to exist. Many of us, Catholics since we were children, have such consolidated convictions that nobody is capable to convert us. And in some places, Christianity, instead of being a source of change and of conversion, has become the refuge of the most reactionary forces of politics of the country.
● Luke 10, 16: "Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me. And those who reject me reject the one who has sent me". This phrase places the accent on the identification of the disciples with Jesus, in so far as he is despised by the authority. In Matthew the same phrase of Jesus, placed in another context, underlines the identification of the disciples with Jesus accepted by the people (Mt 10, 40). In both cases, the disciples identify themselves with Jesus in the total gift and in this gift is realized their encounter with God, and God allows himself to be found by those who seek him.
● Luke 10, 13-14: Alas for you, Corazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! The place which Jesus travelled or covered in the three years of his missionary life was small. It measured only a few square kilometres along the Sea of Galilee around the cities of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Corazin. Precisely in this very small space Jesus works the majority of his miracles and presents his discourses. He has come to save the whole of humanity, and he hardly went out of the limited space of his land. But, tragically, Jesus had to see that the people of those cities do not want to accept the message of the Kingdom and are not converted. The cities fixed themselves in the rigidity of their beliefs, traditions and customs and they do not accept the invitation of Jesus to change life. Alas for you, Corazin; Alas for you Bethsaida! For if the miracle done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes". Jesus compares the two cities with Tyre and Sidon which in the past were unyielding enemies of Israel, ill-treating the people of God. For this reason they were cursed by the Prophets: (Is 23, 1; Jr 25, 22; 47, 4; Ez 26, 3; 27, 2; 28, 2; Jl 4, 4; Am 1, 10). And now Jesus says that these same cities, symbols of all the evil done to the people in the past, would have already converted if so many miracles would have been worked in them as in Corazin and in Bethsaida.
● Luke 10, 15: And you Capernaum. "Did you want to be raised high as Heaven? You shall be flung down to hell. Jesus recalls the condemnation which Isaiah, the Prophet launched against Babylonia. Proud and arrogant, Babylonia thought: "I shall scale the heavens; higher than the stars of God I shall set my throne. I shall sit on the Mount of the Assembly far away to the north. I shall climb high above the clouds, I shall rival the Most High" (Is 14, 13-14). That is what it thought! But it completely deceived itself! The contrary happened. The Prophet says: "Now you have been flung down to Sheol, into the depths of the abyss!" (Is 14, 15). Jesus compares Capernaum with that terrible Babylonia which destroyed the monarchy and the temple and took the people as slaves, from which it never succeeded to recover. Like Babylonia, Capernaum thought it was something important, but it fell into the most profound hell. The Gospel of Matthew compares Capernaum with the city of Sodom, the symbol of the worse perversion, which was destroyed by God's anger (Gen 18, 16 to 19, 29). Sodom would have converted if it had seen the miracles which Jesus worked in Capernaum (Mt 11, 23-24). Today, the same paradox continues to exist. Many of us, Catholics since we were children, have such consolidated convictions that nobody is capable to convert us. And in some places, Christianity, instead of being a source of change and of conversion, has become the refuge of the most reactionary forces of politics of the country.
● Luke 10, 16: "Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me. And those who reject me reject the one who has sent me". This phrase places the accent on the identification of the disciples with Jesus, in so far as he is despised by the authority. In Matthew the same phrase of Jesus, placed in another context, underlines the identification of the disciples with Jesus accepted by the people (Mt 10, 40). In both cases, the disciples identify themselves with Jesus in the total gift and in this gift is realized their encounter with God, and God allows himself to be found by those who seek him.
4) Personal questions
● Does
my city and my country deserve the warning of Jesus against Capernaum, Corazin
and Bethsaida?
● How do I identify myself with Jesus?
● How do I identify myself with Jesus?
5) Concluding prayer
Protect me, O God, in you is my refuge.
To Yahweh I say,
'You are my Lord, my happiness is in none.'
My birthright, my cup is Yahweh;
you, you alone, hold my lot secure. (Ps 16,1-2,5)
To Yahweh I say,
'You are my Lord, my happiness is in none.'
My birthright, my cup is Yahweh;
you, you alone, hold my lot secure. (Ps 16,1-2,5)
LECTIO: ST.
FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Lectio:
Saturday, October 4, 2014
1) Opening prayer
O God, by whose gift Saint Francis was conformed to Christ in
poverty and humility, grant that, by walking in Francis' footsteps, we may
follow your Son, and, through joyful charity, come to be united with you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11,25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of
heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever
and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased
you to do.
Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.'
Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.'
3) Reflection
• Today we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In
the Gospel we will listen to the invitation of Jesus: “Learn from me for I
am meek and humble of heart”. The Gospel shows the tenderness with
which Jesus welcomes, accepts the little ones. He wanted the poor to find rest
and peace in him.
• The context of chapters 11 and 12 of Matthew. In this context is stressed and made evident the fact that the poor are the only ones to understand and to accept the wisdom of the Kingdom. Many people did not understand this preference of Jesus for the poor and the excluded.
a) John the Baptist, who looked at Jesus with the eyes of the past, had doubts (Mt 11, 1-15)
b) The people, who looked at Jesus with a purpose of their own interests, were not capable to understand him (Mt 11, 16-19).
c) The great cities around the lake, which listened to Jesus’ preaching and saw the miracles, did not want to open themselves to his message (Mt 11, 20-24).
d) The wise and the Doctors, who judged everything according to their own science, were not capable to understand the preaching of Jesus (Mt 11, 25).
e) Not even his relatives understood him (Mt 12, 46-50).
f) Only the little ones understood him and accepted the Good News of the Kingdom (Mt 11, 25-30).
g) The others want sacrifice, but Jesus wants mercy (Mt 12, 1-8).
h) The reaction against Jesus impels the Pharisees to want to kill him (Mt 12, 9-14).
i) They said that Jesus was Beelzebul (Mt 12, 22-32).
j) But Jesus did not draw back. He continues to assume the mission of Servant, as described in the prophecies (Mt 12, 15-21). This is why he was persecuted and condemned to death.
• Matthew 11, 25-26: Only the little ones understand and accept the Good News of the Kingdom. Jesus addresses a prayer to the Father: “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do!” The wise, the doctors of that time, had created a series of laws which they imposed upon the people in the name of God. They thought that God demanded this observance from the people. But the Law of love, brought by Jesus, said the contrary. What is important is not what we do for God, but rather what God, in his great love, does for us! People understood the words of Jesus and were filled with joy. The wise thought that Jesus was not right. They could not understand this teaching which modified the relationship of the people of God.
• Matthew 11, 27: The origin of the New Law: The Son knows the Father. Jesus, the Son, knows the Father. He knows what the Father wanted when, centuries before, he gave the Law to Moses. What the Father wants to tell us, he handed it to Jesus, and Jesus revealed it to the little ones, because they opened themselves to his message. Today, also, Jesus continues to teach many things to the poor and to the little ones. The wise and the intelligent do well if they become pupils of the little ones!
• Matthew 11, 28-30: “Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest”. Jesus invites all those who are tired to find rest in him. These are the people who are tired under the weight of the impositions and the observances which the law of purity demanded. And he says: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart”. Many times this phrase has been manipulated to ask people to submit themselves, to be passive. What Jesus wants to say is the contrary. He asks people to leave aside the professors of religion of that time, to rest and to begin to learn from him, from Jesus, who is “gentle and humble of heart”. Jesus does not do like the Scribes who pride themselves of their own science, but he is like the people who live humiliated and exploited. Jesus, the new teacher, knows from experience what happens in the heart of the people and how much the people suffer.
• The invitation of divine wisdom to all those who seek it. Jesus invites all those who are oppressed under the weight of the observance of the law to find rest in him, because he is gentle and humble of heart, capable of relieving and consoling the people who suffer, who feel tired and depressed (Mt 11, 25-30). In this invitation resound the beautiful words of Isaiah who consoled the people who lived in exile (Is 55, 1-3). This invitation is bound to divine wisdom, which invites persons to the encounter with her (Ws 24, 19), saying: “her ways are filled with delight; her paths all lead to contentment” (Pr 3, 17). And he adds: “Wisdom brings up her own children and cares for those who seek her. Whoever loves her, loves life, those who seek her early will be filled with joy” (Si 4, 11-12). This invitation reveals a very important characteristic of the feminine face of God: tenderness and acceptance which consoles, which gives life to persons and leads them to feel well. Jesus is defence, the protection and the maternal womb which the Father offers to people who are tired (cfr. Is 66, 10-13).
• The context of chapters 11 and 12 of Matthew. In this context is stressed and made evident the fact that the poor are the only ones to understand and to accept the wisdom of the Kingdom. Many people did not understand this preference of Jesus for the poor and the excluded.
a) John the Baptist, who looked at Jesus with the eyes of the past, had doubts (Mt 11, 1-15)
b) The people, who looked at Jesus with a purpose of their own interests, were not capable to understand him (Mt 11, 16-19).
c) The great cities around the lake, which listened to Jesus’ preaching and saw the miracles, did not want to open themselves to his message (Mt 11, 20-24).
d) The wise and the Doctors, who judged everything according to their own science, were not capable to understand the preaching of Jesus (Mt 11, 25).
e) Not even his relatives understood him (Mt 12, 46-50).
f) Only the little ones understood him and accepted the Good News of the Kingdom (Mt 11, 25-30).
g) The others want sacrifice, but Jesus wants mercy (Mt 12, 1-8).
h) The reaction against Jesus impels the Pharisees to want to kill him (Mt 12, 9-14).
i) They said that Jesus was Beelzebul (Mt 12, 22-32).
j) But Jesus did not draw back. He continues to assume the mission of Servant, as described in the prophecies (Mt 12, 15-21). This is why he was persecuted and condemned to death.
• Matthew 11, 25-26: Only the little ones understand and accept the Good News of the Kingdom. Jesus addresses a prayer to the Father: “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do!” The wise, the doctors of that time, had created a series of laws which they imposed upon the people in the name of God. They thought that God demanded this observance from the people. But the Law of love, brought by Jesus, said the contrary. What is important is not what we do for God, but rather what God, in his great love, does for us! People understood the words of Jesus and were filled with joy. The wise thought that Jesus was not right. They could not understand this teaching which modified the relationship of the people of God.
• Matthew 11, 27: The origin of the New Law: The Son knows the Father. Jesus, the Son, knows the Father. He knows what the Father wanted when, centuries before, he gave the Law to Moses. What the Father wants to tell us, he handed it to Jesus, and Jesus revealed it to the little ones, because they opened themselves to his message. Today, also, Jesus continues to teach many things to the poor and to the little ones. The wise and the intelligent do well if they become pupils of the little ones!
• Matthew 11, 28-30: “Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest”. Jesus invites all those who are tired to find rest in him. These are the people who are tired under the weight of the impositions and the observances which the law of purity demanded. And he says: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart”. Many times this phrase has been manipulated to ask people to submit themselves, to be passive. What Jesus wants to say is the contrary. He asks people to leave aside the professors of religion of that time, to rest and to begin to learn from him, from Jesus, who is “gentle and humble of heart”. Jesus does not do like the Scribes who pride themselves of their own science, but he is like the people who live humiliated and exploited. Jesus, the new teacher, knows from experience what happens in the heart of the people and how much the people suffer.
• The invitation of divine wisdom to all those who seek it. Jesus invites all those who are oppressed under the weight of the observance of the law to find rest in him, because he is gentle and humble of heart, capable of relieving and consoling the people who suffer, who feel tired and depressed (Mt 11, 25-30). In this invitation resound the beautiful words of Isaiah who consoled the people who lived in exile (Is 55, 1-3). This invitation is bound to divine wisdom, which invites persons to the encounter with her (Ws 24, 19), saying: “her ways are filled with delight; her paths all lead to contentment” (Pr 3, 17). And he adds: “Wisdom brings up her own children and cares for those who seek her. Whoever loves her, loves life, those who seek her early will be filled with joy” (Si 4, 11-12). This invitation reveals a very important characteristic of the feminine face of God: tenderness and acceptance which consoles, which gives life to persons and leads them to feel well. Jesus is defence, the protection and the maternal womb which the Father offers to people who are tired (cfr. Is 66, 10-13).
4) Personal questions
• What produces tension in you and what gives you peace? For
you, to live in community, is it a source of tension or of peace?
• How can these words of Jesus help our community to be a place of rest for our life?
• How can these words of Jesus help our community to be a place of rest for our life?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh is tenderness and pity,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love;
his indignation does not last for ever,
nor his resentment remain for all time. (Ps 103,8-9)
slow to anger and rich in faithful love;
his indignation does not last for ever,
nor his resentment remain for all time. (Ps 103,8-9)
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