Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 465
Lectionary: 465
Gird yourselves and
weep, O priests!
wail, O ministers of the altar!
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!
The house of your God is deprived
of offering and libation.
Proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the elders,
all who dwell in the land,
Into the house of the LORD, your God,
and cry to the LORD!
Alas, the day!
for near is the day of the LORD,
and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all who dwell in the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming;
Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom,
a day of clouds and somberness!
Like dawn spreading over the mountains,
a people numerous and mighty!
Their like has not been from of old,
nor will it be after them,
even to the years of distant generations.
wail, O ministers of the altar!
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!
The house of your God is deprived
of offering and libation.
Proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the elders,
all who dwell in the land,
Into the house of the LORD, your God,
and cry to the LORD!
Alas, the day!
for near is the day of the LORD,
and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all who dwell in the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming;
Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom,
a day of clouds and somberness!
Like dawn spreading over the mountains,
a people numerous and mighty!
Their like has not been from of old,
nor will it be after them,
even to the years of distant generations.
Responsorial PsalmPS 9:2-3, 6 AND 16, 8-9
R. (9) The Lord will judge the world with justice.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out forever and ever.
The nations are sunk in the pit they have made;
in the snare they set, their foot is caught.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
But the LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He judges the world with justice;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out forever and ever.
The nations are sunk in the pit they have made;
in the snare they set, their foot is caught.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
But the LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He judges the world with justice;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
GospelLK 11:15-26
When Jesus had
driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:
“By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons.”
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”
“By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons.”
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”
Meditation:
"If it is by the finger of God"
When
danger lurks, what kind of protection do you seek? Jesus came to
free us from the greatest danger of all – the corrupting force of evil which
destroys us from within and makes us slaves to sin and Satan (John 8:34). Evil
is not an impersonal force that just happens. It has a name and a face and it
seeks to master every heart and soul on the face of the earth (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Scripture identifies the Evil One by many names, 'Satan', 'Be-el'zebul – the
prince of demons', the 'Devil', the 'Deceiver', the 'Father of Lies', and
'Lucifier', the fallen angel who broke rank with God and established his own
army and kingdom in opposition to God. Jesus declared that he came to overthrow
the power of Satan and his kingdom (John 12:31). Jesus' numerous exorcisms
brought freedom to many who were troubled and oppressed by the work of evil
spirits. Jesus himself encountered personal opposition and battle with Satan
when he was put to the test in the wilderness just before his public ministry
(Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1). He overcame the Evil One through his obedience to the
will of his Father.
Some of
the Jewish leaders reacted vehemently to Jesus' healings and exorcisms and they
opposed him with malicious slander. How could Jesus get the power and authority
to release individuals from Satan's influence and control? They assumed that he
had to be in league with Satan. They attributed his power to Satan rather than
to God. Jesus answers their charge with two arguments. There were many
exorcists in Palestine in Jesus' time. So Jesus retorted by saying that they also
incriminate their own kin who cast out demons. If they condemn Jesus they also
condemn themselves.
In his
second argument Jesus asserts that no kingdom divided against itself can
survive for long. We have witnessed enough civil wars in our own time to prove
the destructive force at work here for the annihilation of whole peoples and
their land. If Satan lends his power against his own forces then he is
finished. Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th century church father explains the force
of Jesus' argument:
Kingdoms are established by the fidelity of subjects and the
obedience of those under the royal scepter. Houses are established when those
who belong to them in no way whatsoever thwart one another but, on the
contrary, agree in will and deed. I suppose it would establish the kingdom too
of Beelzebub, had he determined to abstain from everything contrary to himself.
How then does Satan cast out Satan? It follows then that devils do not depart
from people on their own accord but retire unwillingly. “Satan,” he says, “does
not fight with himself.” He does not rebuke his own servants. He does not
permit himself to injure his own armorbearers. On the contrary, he helps his
kingdom. “It remains for you to understand that I crush Satan by divine power.”
[Commentary on Luke, Homily 80]
How can a strong person be defeated except by
someone who is stronger? Jesus asserted his power and authority to cast out
demons as a clear demonstration of the reign of God. Jesus' reference to the 'finger
of God' points back to Moses' confrontation with
Pharoah and his magicians who represented Satan and the kingdom of darkness
(see Exodus 8:19). Jesus claims to be carrying on the tradition of Moses whose
miracles freed the Israelites from bondage by the finger of
God. God's power is clearly at work in the exorcisms
which Jesus performed and they give evidence that God's kingdom has come.
What is
the point of Jesus' grim story about a vacant house being occupied by an evil
force? It is not enough to banish evil thoughts and habits from our lives. We
must also fill the void with God who is the source of all that is good,
wholesome, true, and life-giving for us. Augustine of Hippo said that our lives
have a God-shaped void which only God can fill satisfactorily. If we attempt to
leave it vacant or to fill it with something else, we will end up being in a
worse state in the end. What do you fill the void in your life with? The Lord
Jesus wants to fill our hearts and minds with the power of his life-giving word
and healing love. Jesus makes it very clear that there are no neutral parties
in this world. We are either for Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God
or against it. There are ultimately only two kingdoms which stand in opposition
to one another – the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness which is under
the rule of Satan. If we disobey God's word, we open to door to the power of
sin and Satan. If we want to live in true freedom, then our "house"
(the inner core of our true being) must be occupied by Jesus where he is enthroned
as Lord and Savior. The Lord assures us of his protection from spiritual harm
and he gives us the help and strength we need to resist the devil and his lies
(James 4:7). "Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High
your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For
he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways"(Psalm
91:9-11). Do you know the peace and security of a life submitted to God and his
word?
"Lord
Jesus, be the ruler of my heart and the master of my home. May there be nothing
in my life that is not under your lordship."
 Keeping House |
|
Friday of the
Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time
|
|
Father Patrick
Butler, LC
Luke 11: 15-26
When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of
the crowd said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he
drives out demons." Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from
heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom
divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you
say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out
demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore
they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out
demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully
armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than
he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and
distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever
does not gather with me scatters. When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says,
´I shall return to my home from which I came.´ But upon returning, it finds
it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other
spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last
condition of that person is worse than the first."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are omnipotent, all-powerful. For
that reason alone, I ought to ally myself to you. I believe that you can do
all things. I am confident that you will act in my life. I love you because
even though you are the all-powerful God, you are humble, having made
yourself one like me, so that I can approach you without being intimidated,
with trust.
Petition: Lord Jesus, your kingdom come in my soul!
1. THE Sign from Heaven: When Jesus casts out a demon from a soul,
some of the bystanders then ask him to perform a sign from heaven. Jesus is
the sign from heaven, the living presence of God with us. His casting out a
demon already testifies that he can do what no one else can do. It proves
that he is God. However, I want to fix my eyes on him as the object of my
love, not on the spectacular things that he does. It is important to look at
the Giver, not the gift he gives.
2. The Kingdom of God: There is combat going on, and the human soul
is the battleground. In this case the man is freed of demonic possession, and
one kingdom has been dispossessed of its conquest. Another Kingdom is on the
move! Light is replacing darkness. Springtime melts away the winter. This
brings joy and warmth to my soul.
3. The Gentle Guest: When the soul has been freed from the
effects of evil, it can be likened to a tidy house. Jesus chose to clean the
house, the interior dwelling place, of the possessed man. He will not, by his
choice alone, take up the vacant place in that soul. He very much desires to
be there, but he knocks and wants to be invited in freely by the homeowner.
Once at home in my heart, Jesus is the strong man whom no one can overcome.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus Christ, I am not content just
with being liberated from sin, although that is already a great gift. I know
that you are knocking at the door of my heart. I ask you to come in and make
my soul your dwelling place. I have been made to be a dwelling place of the
Blessed Trinity, and I desire that fullness of life.
Resolution: I will be attentive to the fact that I am a
dwelling of God and look to do what is worthy of that dignity. Specifically,
I will be attentive to the thoughts that pass through my mind and the words
that cross my lips today.
|
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, LUKE 11:15-26
(Joel 1:13-15, 2:1-2; Psalm 9)
(Joel 1:13-15, 2:1-2; Psalm 9)
KEY VERSE: "If it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (v 20).
READING: When Jesus exorcised a man who was mute, he was accused of working miracles by the power of Beelzebul, meaning 'Lord of the lofty dwelling' (Baal, the pagan god of Syria). Jesus pointed out the absurdity of this accusation. It was self-defeating for Satan to allow his power to work against himself. Jesus asked the people whether they were acting in God's name or Satan's when they drove out evil. If they did not join Jesus in his opposition to the Evil One, they were assisting the adversary's attempt to destroy God's kingdom. Jesus warned them that when Satan had been driven out, they must strengthen their spiritual households. Otherwise, the Evil One would return, and their lives would be worse off than they were before.
REFLECTING: Do I do my best to guard my household from evil?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, heal all the weak and sinful areas of my life.
The Lord will judge the world with
justice.
The Day of the Lord is coming.In the first reading from Joel, the coming of the Lord, the presence of the heart of God, seems to reveal our own inadequacy. We may notice not so much the light, but what the light reveals inside us. We may forget the light, overcome by the sight of so many shadowy efforts. We may not feel whole. We may become dark in mood, gloomy of heart and live blindly in the cloud of disappointment, fearful of what God’s love might do to us. Jesus, you did not come with punishment to people who cried out to you as your light revealed their sackcloth feelings. Your day was and is a day of freedom. As we recognise our need of you, you joyfully wash us, nourishing us with your life. In you all our devilish feelings find healing and acceptance.
October 10
Blessed Angela Truszkowska
(1825-1899)
Blessed Angela Truszkowska
(1825-1899)
Today we honor a woman who submitted to God's will throughout her
life—a life filled with pain and suffering.
Born in
1825 in central Poland and baptized Sophia, she contracted tuberculosis as a
young girl. The forced period of convalescence gave her ample time for
reflection. Sophia felt called to serve God by working with the poor, including
street children and the elderly homeless in Warsaw's slums. In time, her cousin
joined her in the work.
In 1855,
the two women made private vows and consecrated themselves to the Blessed
Mother. New followers joined them. Within two years they formed a new
congregation, which came to be known as the Felician Sisters. As their numbers
grew, so did their work, and so did the pressures on Mother Angela (the new
name Sophia took in religious life).
Mother
Angela served as superior for many years until ill health forced her to resign
at the age of 44. She watched the order grow and expand, including missions to
the United States among the sons and daughters of Polish immigrants.
Pope John
Paul II beatified her in 1993.
LECTIO: LUKE
11,15-26
Lectio:
Friday, October 11, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
your love for us
surpasses all our hopes and desires.
Forgive our failings,
keep us in your peace
and lead us in the way of salvation.
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 11,15-26
Jesus was driving out a devil, but some of the
people said, 'It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he drives
devils out.' Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing
what they were thinking, he said to them, 'Any kingdom which is divided against
itself is heading for ruin, and house collapses against house.
So, too, with Satan: if he is divided against
himself, how can his kingdom last? - since you claim that it is through
Beelzebul that I drive devils out. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I drive
devils out, through whom do your own sons drive them out? They shall be your
judges, then. But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out,
then the kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares. So long as a strong man
fully armed guards his own home, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone
stronger than himself attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all
the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil.
'Anyone who is not with me is against me; and
anyone who does not gather in with me throws away.
'When an unclean spirit goes out of someone it
wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest, and not finding
one it says, "I will go back to the home I came from." But on arrival,
finding it swept and tidied, it then goes off and brings seven other spirits
more wicked than itself, and they go in and set up house there, and so that
person ends up worse off than before.'
3) Reflection
• Today's Gospel speaks about a long
discussion around the expulsion of a mute demon which Jesus had before the
people.
• Luke 11, 14-16: Three diverse reactions in
the face of that expulsion. Jesus was casting out devils. Before this very
visible fact, before everyone, there were three different reactions. People
were surprised, astonished and applauded. Others said: "it is in the name
of Beelzebul that he casts out devils". The Gospel of Mark tells us that
it was a question of the Scribes who had gone to Jerusalem to control the
activity of Jesus (Mk 3, 22). Others still asked for a sign from heaven,
because they were not convinced by such an evident sign such as the expulsion
done in front of all the people.
• Luke 11, 17-19: Jesus shows the incoherence
of the enemies. Jesus uses two arguments to confirm the accusation of casting
out the devil in the name of Beelzebul. In the first place, if the devil casts
out the devil himself, he divides himself and will not survive. In the second
place, Jesus gives them back their argument: If I cast out the demons in name
of Beelzebul, your disciples cast them out in whose name? With these words,
they were also casting out demons in the name of Beelzebul. .
• Luke 11, 20-23: Jesus is the strongest man
who has come, a sign of the arrival of the Kingdom. Here Jesus leads us to the
central point of his argument: "When a strong man, fully armed guards his
own home, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than himself
attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied
on and shares out his spoil". According to the opinion of the people of
that time, Satan dominated the world through the demons (daimônia). He was a
strong and well armed man who guarded his house. The great novelty was the fact
that Jesus succeeded to cast out the demons. This was a sign that he was and is
the strongest man who has come. With the coming of Jesus the kingdom of
Beelzebul was declining: "But if it is through the finger of God that I
drive devils out, then the kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares".
When the magi of Pharaoh saw that Moses did things that they were not capable
of doing, they were more honest than the Scribes before Jesus and they said:
"Here is the finger of God!" (Ex 8, 14-15).
• Luke 11, 24-26: The second fall is worse
than the first one. At the time of Luke in the years 80's, a time of
persecution, many Christians returned back and abandoned the community. They
went back to live as before. To warn them and all of us, Luke keeps these words
of Jesus on the second fall which is worse than the first one.
• The expulsion of the demons. The first
impact caused by the action of Jesus among the people is the expulsion of the
demons: "He gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him!"
(Mk 1, 27). One of the principal causes of the discussion of Jesus with the
Scribes was the expulsion of the devils. They slandered against him saying:
"He is possessed by Beelzebul!" "It is in the name of Beelzebul,
head of demons that he casts out devils!" The first power that the
Apostles received when they were sent out on mission was the power to drive out
demons: "He gave them authority over unclean spirits" (Mk 6 ,7). The
first sign which accompanies the announcement of the Resurrection is the expulsion
of demons: "The signs that will be associated with believers, in my name
they will cast out devils!" (Mk 16, 17). The expulsion of devils was what
struck people more (Mc 1,27). This reached the centre of the Good News of the
Kingdom. By means of the expulsion Jesus restored or recovered persons to
themselves. He restored them their judgment, their conscience (Mk 5, 15). And,
especially, the Gospel of Mark, from beginning until the end, with almost words
which are the same, constantly repeats the same image: "And Jesus cast out
devils!" (Mk 1, 26.34.39; 3, 11-12. 22.30; 5, 1-20; 6, 7.13; 7, 25-29; 9,
25-27.38; 16, 17). It seems to be a refrain which is always repeated. Today,
instead of always using the same words, we will use different words to transmit
the same image and we will say: "The power of evil, Satan, who causes so
much fear to people, Jesus overcame him, dominated him, seized him, conquered
him, cast him out, eliminated him, exterminated him, destroyed him and killed
him!" With this the Gospel wants to tell us that: "It is forbidden to
the Christian to fear Satan!" By his Resurrection and by his liberating
action, Jesus drives away from us the fear of Satan, he gives freedom to the
heart, firmness in our actions and causes hope to emerge in the horizon! We
should walk along the path of Jesus savouring the victory over the power of
evil!
4) Personal questions
• To drive out the power of evil. Which is
today the power of evil which standardizes people and robs from them the
critical conscience?
• Can you say that you are completely free? In
the case of a negative response, some part of you is under the power of other
forces. What do you do in order to cast out this power which dominates you?
5) Concluding prayer
Full of splendour and majesty his work,
his saving justice stands firm for ever.
He gives us a memorial of his great deeds;
Yahweh is mercy and tenderness. (Ps 111,3-4)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét