Thursday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 494
Lectionary: 494
In Wisdom is a
spirit
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.
Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.
Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.
Responsorial PsalmPS 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175
R. (89a) Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
GospelLK 17:20-25
Asked by the
Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”
Then he said to his disciples,
“The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”
Then he said to his disciples,
“The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”
Meditation: The coming of Christ's kingdom
What can
lightning tell us about the coming of the Lord and his kingdom? The Jews is
Jesus' time were watching in great anticipation for some sign which would
indicate when the Messiah would appear to establish the kingdom of God. The
Pharisees' question on this matter was intended to test Jesus since they did
not accept him as the Messiah. Jesus surprised them with the answer that the
kingdom or reign of God was already here! Jesus spoke of the coming of God's
kingdom as both a present event and an event which would be manifested at the
end of time. The "Day of the Lord" was understood in the Old
Testament as the time when God would manifest his glory and power and overthrow
the enemies of his people, Israel. The prophet Amos declared that the "Day"
also meant judgment for Israel as well as the nations (Amos 5:18-20). The
prophet Joel proclaimed that at this "Day" those who truly repented
would be saved, while those who remained enemies of the Lord, whether Jew or
Gentile, would be punished (see Joel 2).
Why did
Jesus associate lightning with the "Day of the Lord"? In the arrid
climate of Palestine, storms were infrequent and seasonal. They often appeared
suddenly or unexpectedly, seemingly out of nowhere, covering everthing in thick
darkness. With little or no warning lightning filled the sky with its piercing
flashes of flaming light. Its power struck terror and awe in those who tried to
flee from its presence. Jesus warned the Pharisees that the "Son of
man" (a title for the Messiah given in the Book of Daniel 7:13-15) would
come in like manner, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, on the clouds of heaven
to bring God's judgment on the "Day of the Lord". No special sign
will be needed to announce his appearance. Nor will his presence and power be
veiled or hidden, but all will recognize him as clearly as the lightning in the
sky.
Jesus
identified himself with the "Day of the Lord". "Son of man"
was understood as a Messianic title for the one who would come not only to
establish God's kingdom but who would come as Judge of the living as well as
the dead. Jesus points to his second coming when he will return to complete the
work of restoration and final judgment. While we do not know the time of his
return, we will not mistake it when it happens. It will be apparent to all, both
believers and non-believers as well. When the Pharisees asked Jesus what sign
would indicate the "Day of the Lord", Jesus replied that only one
sign would point to that day and that sign was Jesus himself. Jesus surprised
the Jews of his time by announcing that God's kingdom was already present among
them in his very person – the Son of God sent from the Father to redeem the
world from sin and destruction. In Jesus we see the power and the glory of
God's kingdom. His divine power overthrew the powers of darkness and sin. Jesus
knew that the only way to victory was through the cross. On that cross he
defeated death and canceled the debt of our sins. The victory of his cross
opens the way for us to become citizens of God's kingdom. Do you seek the
coming of God's kingdom with joyful hope?
"Lord
Jesus Christ, may your kingdom come and my your will be done on earth as it is
in heaven. Be the Ruler of my heart and the Master of my life that I may always
live in the freedom of your love and truth."
 The Kingdom Within |
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Thursday of the
Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
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Father Edward
Hopkins, LC
Luke 17:20-25
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of
God would come, Jesus said in reply, "The coming of the kingdom of God
cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ´Look, here it is,´ or, ´There
it is.´ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you." Then he said to
his disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the
days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will
say to you, ´Look, there he is,´ or ´Look, here he is.´ Do not go off, do not
run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one
side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must
suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in your presence in my life.
You have called me to share in your faith and love. I trust that you will
help me grow closer to you. I love you, Lord, here and now. I will live this
day in prayer.
Petition: Lord, help me to understand your Kingdom
better.
1. When? Since the Pharisees had the wrong notion of
the Kingdom of God, they could hardly ask the proper questions concerning it.
Their expected kingdom was a worldly kingdom that would cast off foreign
domination and restore sovereignty to Israel. But Christ’s kingdom is
concerned more about the state of the soul and the struggle between good and
evil than external nations. The Pharisees’ misperception kept them from
recognizing Christ and his kingdom. Thousands of years later we, too, can be
susceptible to the errors of the Pharisees. For us, a lack of faith can keep
us from seeing that the Kingdom of God comes only when we accept Jesus as
king of our souls. Only when we allow him to rule and order our lives does
his kingdom come. The “when” is now. Now is the moment for me to encounter
Christ and make him my king.
2. Where? Christ’s disciples also struggled to
understand the nature of the kingdom. They sought to see “the days of the Son
of Man,” a powerful reign where Christ was supreme with the entire world
subject to him. Yet, Christ comes first to reign in the heart of each person.
In my own heart, do I believe in Christ and accept his will? Do I love him
and sacrifice myself in order to respond to his will? Am I building the
kingdom from my prayer and life of grace?
3. How? If the kingdom is here and now, then how do
we enter? We enter the same way our King enters – through the door of
suffering and perseverance. “First he must suffer greatly and be rejected.”
Belief is not just a one-time acceptance. Faith must be lived throughout the
great and little trials we encounter in life. In this way we make faith and
the kingdom more our own. We need to remember that in the end, it is the
kingdom -- and the King himself -- who comes to us, like lighting across the
sky.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, help me to understand your
kingdom. Build your kingdom within me, in my thoughts and desires. Become my
life and my love. Cut away any distance between us. Make my life the light
and salt to spread your kingdom effectively to those with whom I cross paths.
Resolution: I will dedicate a longer and calmer time to
examine my conscience tonight, and look for progress as well as the struggles
of the kingdom within me.
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THURSDAY,
NOVEMBER 14 LUKE 17:20-25(Wisdom 7:22b―8:1; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "For behold, the kingdom of God is among you" (v 21).
KEY VERSE: "For behold, the kingdom of God is among you" (v 21).
READING: After centuries of domination by foreign powers, Israel realized that only divine intervention could release them from oppression. Israel longed for this great "Day of the Lord" (Joel 2:11), and looked forward to the Messiah who would announce the arrival of God's kingdom. Jesus explained that the kingdom was not a geographical or political realm, nor could it be pinpointed in time. The kingdom was already in their midst and, at the same time, yet to come, a mystery for which Christians pray daily in the Lord's Prayer ̶ "Thy Kingdom come." Jesus established God's reign through his words and works, his death and resurrection. It will be fully revealed at his final coming, a day which will arrive when least expected.
REFLECTING: What am I doing to bring God's reign to fulfillment?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to live each day for the kingdom.
Your word is forever, O Lord.
The beautiful qualities of wisdom are identified with Jesus.They can also be identified with the kingdom of God. The author of Wisdom is telling the Jewish minority in Alexandria that they need not feel inferior to the sophisticated Egyptians. In fact, he tells them, true wisdom is to be found in fidelity to their own religious insights. Jesus is saying something similar. The kingdom of heaven begins to exist for us when we are faithful to the vision of life that God has for us. Life, death and resurrection remain deeply mysterious, but the deepest longings of our hearts give us a sense of what we are called to. We long for peace and love, grace and meaning. With your help, Lord, we can and do make these things happen in our families and in our communities.
November 16
St. Gertrude
(1256?-1302)
St. Gertrude
(1256?-1302)
Gertrude, a Benedictine nun in Helfta (Saxony), was one of the
great mystics of the 13th century. Together with her friend and teacher St.
Mechtild, she practiced a spirituality called "nuptial mysticism,"
that is, she came to see herself as the bride of Christ. Her spiritual life was
a deeply personal union with Jesus and his Sacred Heart, leading her into the
very life of the Trinity.
But this
was no individualistic piety. Gertrude lived the rhythm of the liturgy, where
she found Christ. In the liturgy and in Scripture, she found the themes and
images to enrich and express her piety. There was no clash between her personal
prayer life and the liturgy.
Comment:
Gertrude's life is another reminder that the heart of the Christian life is prayer: private and liturgical, ordinary or mystical, always personal.
Gertrude's life is another reminder that the heart of the Christian life is prayer: private and liturgical, ordinary or mystical, always personal.
Quote:
"Lord, you have granted me your secret friendship by opening the sacred ark of your divinity, your deified heart, to me in so many ways as to be the source of all my happiness; sometimes imparting it freely, sometimes as a special mark of our mutual friendship. You have so often melted my soul with your loving caresses that, if I did not know the abyss of your overflowing condescensions, I should be amazed were I told that even your Blessed Mother had been chosen to receive such extraordinary marks of tenderness and affection" (Adapted from The Life and Revelations of Saint Gertrude).
"Lord, you have granted me your secret friendship by opening the sacred ark of your divinity, your deified heart, to me in so many ways as to be the source of all my happiness; sometimes imparting it freely, sometimes as a special mark of our mutual friendship. You have so often melted my soul with your loving caresses that, if I did not know the abyss of your overflowing condescensions, I should be amazed were I told that even your Blessed Mother had been chosen to receive such extraordinary marks of tenderness and affection" (Adapted from The Life and Revelations of Saint Gertrude).
Patron Saint of:
West Indies
West Indies
LECTIO: LUKE
17,20-25
Lectio:
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
protect us from all harm.
Give us freedom of spirit
and health in mind and body
to do your work on earth.
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.
protect us from all harm.
Give us freedom of spirit
and health in mind and body
to do your work on earth.
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 17,20-25
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come,
Jesus gave them this answer, 'The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit
of observation and there will be no one to say, "Look, it is here! Look,
it is there!" For look, the kingdom of God is among you.'
He said to the disciples, 'A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of man and will not see it.
They will say to you, "Look, it is there!" or, "Look, it is here!" Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of man when his Day comes. But first he is destined to suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.
He said to the disciples, 'A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of man and will not see it.
They will say to you, "Look, it is there!" or, "Look, it is here!" Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of man when his Day comes. But first he is destined to suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel gives us the discussion between Jesus and the
Pharisees on the coming of the Kingdom. The Gospel today and that of the
following days deal with the coming of the end of time.
• Luke 17, 20-21: The Kingdom is among you. “Asked when the Kingdom of God was to come?” Jesus answered: “The coming of the Kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, ‘Look, it is here! Look, it is there! For look, the Kingdom of God is among you!” The Pharisees thought that the Kingdom could come only after people would have reached the perfect observance of the Law of God. For them, the coming of the Kingdom would be the reward of God for the good behaviour of people, and the Messiah would have come in a very solemn way as a king, received by his people. Jesus says the contrary. The coming of the Kingdom cannot be observed as the coming of an earthly king is observed. For Jesus, the Kingdom of God has already come! It is already among us, independently of our effort or merit. Jesus sees things in a different way. He has another way of reading life. He prefers the Samaritan who lives with gratitude to the nine who think that they merit the good that they receive from God (Lk 17, 17-19).
• Luke 17, 22-24: The signs to recognize the coming of the Son of Man. “A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, ‘Look it is there! or Look, it is here!’ Make no move, do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightening flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his Day comes”. In this affirmation of Jesus there are elements that are taken from the apocalyptic vision of history, quite common in the first centuries and after Jesus. The apocalyptic vision of history has the following characteristic: in the time of great persecutions and of oppression, the poor have the impression that God loses control of history. They feel lost, without a horizon and without any hope of liberation. In those moments of apparent absence of God, prophecy assumes the form of apocalypse. The apocalyptic, seek to enlighten the desperate situation with the light of faith to help the people not to lose hope and to continue to have courage on the way. To show that God does not lose control of history, they describe the different stages of the realization of the project of God through history. Begun in a determinate significant moment in the past, this project of God advances, stage after stage, through the situations lived by the poor, until the final victory is obtained at the end of history. In this way, the apocalyptic place the present moment like a stage which has already been foreseen in the overall project of God. Generally, the last stage, before the coming of the end is represented like a moment of suffering and of crisis, of which many have tried to profit to deceive people saying: “They will tell you: Look it is here, or look it is there; do not move, do not follow them. Because like lightening flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of man when his Day comes”. Having the eyes of faith which Jesus communicates, the poor can perceive that the Kingdom is already among them (Lk 17, 21), like lightening, without any doubt. The coming of the Kingdom brings with it its own evidence and does not depend on the forecast or prediction of others.
• Luke 17, 25: By the Cross up to the Glory. “But first he is destined to suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation”. Always the same warning: the Cross, scandal for the Jews and foolishness for the Greek, but for us the expression of the wisdom and the power of God (1Co 1, 18.23). The path toward the glory passes through the Cross. The life of Jesus is our canon, it is the canonical norm for all of us.
• Luke 17, 20-21: The Kingdom is among you. “Asked when the Kingdom of God was to come?” Jesus answered: “The coming of the Kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, ‘Look, it is here! Look, it is there! For look, the Kingdom of God is among you!” The Pharisees thought that the Kingdom could come only after people would have reached the perfect observance of the Law of God. For them, the coming of the Kingdom would be the reward of God for the good behaviour of people, and the Messiah would have come in a very solemn way as a king, received by his people. Jesus says the contrary. The coming of the Kingdom cannot be observed as the coming of an earthly king is observed. For Jesus, the Kingdom of God has already come! It is already among us, independently of our effort or merit. Jesus sees things in a different way. He has another way of reading life. He prefers the Samaritan who lives with gratitude to the nine who think that they merit the good that they receive from God (Lk 17, 17-19).
• Luke 17, 22-24: The signs to recognize the coming of the Son of Man. “A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, ‘Look it is there! or Look, it is here!’ Make no move, do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightening flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his Day comes”. In this affirmation of Jesus there are elements that are taken from the apocalyptic vision of history, quite common in the first centuries and after Jesus. The apocalyptic vision of history has the following characteristic: in the time of great persecutions and of oppression, the poor have the impression that God loses control of history. They feel lost, without a horizon and without any hope of liberation. In those moments of apparent absence of God, prophecy assumes the form of apocalypse. The apocalyptic, seek to enlighten the desperate situation with the light of faith to help the people not to lose hope and to continue to have courage on the way. To show that God does not lose control of history, they describe the different stages of the realization of the project of God through history. Begun in a determinate significant moment in the past, this project of God advances, stage after stage, through the situations lived by the poor, until the final victory is obtained at the end of history. In this way, the apocalyptic place the present moment like a stage which has already been foreseen in the overall project of God. Generally, the last stage, before the coming of the end is represented like a moment of suffering and of crisis, of which many have tried to profit to deceive people saying: “They will tell you: Look it is here, or look it is there; do not move, do not follow them. Because like lightening flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of man when his Day comes”. Having the eyes of faith which Jesus communicates, the poor can perceive that the Kingdom is already among them (Lk 17, 21), like lightening, without any doubt. The coming of the Kingdom brings with it its own evidence and does not depend on the forecast or prediction of others.
• Luke 17, 25: By the Cross up to the Glory. “But first he is destined to suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation”. Always the same warning: the Cross, scandal for the Jews and foolishness for the Greek, but for us the expression of the wisdom and the power of God (1Co 1, 18.23). The path toward the glory passes through the Cross. The life of Jesus is our canon, it is the canonical norm for all of us.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus said: “The Kingdom is in your midst!” Have you already
found some sign of the Kingdom in your life, in the life of your nation or in
the life of your community?
• The cross in our life. Suffering. How do you consider or see suffering? What do you do about it?
• The cross in our life. Suffering. How do you consider or see suffering? What do you do about it?
5) Concluding prayer
He keeps faith for ever,
gives justice to the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry;
Yahweh sets prisoners free. (Ps 146,6-7)
gives justice to the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry;
Yahweh sets prisoners free. (Ps 146,6-7)
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