Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 335
Lectionary: 335
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.
Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
The brother in lowly circumstances
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,
for he will pass away “like the flower of the field.”
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.
Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
The brother in lowly circumstances
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,
for he will pass away “like the flower of the field.”
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
R. (77a) Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I hold to your promise.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I hold to your promise.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.
Meditation: "No
sign shall be given to this generation"
Are you good at reading signs? Signs tell us what is coming
ahead. The people of Jesus' time expected that the coming of the Messiah would
be accompanied by extraordinary signs and wonders. The religious leaders tested
Jesus to see if he had a genuine sign from heaven to back his Messianic claims.
False messiahs in the past had made extraordinary claims to attract their
followers, such as claiming that they could cleave the Jordan River in two or
cause the walls of Jerusalem to fall. Jesus knew the hearts of those who came
to test him. They were more interested in seeing signs and supernatural
phenomena than they were in hearing the word of God. Simeon had prophesied at
Jesus' birth that he was "destined for the falling and rising of
many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that inner thoughts of
many will be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35). Jesus gave them no sign
except himself and the ultimate proof of his divinity when he rose from the
dead.
The Lord reveals himself and makes his presence known to us in
many ways – in his word and in the "breaking of the bread" in the
Eucharist, in his church – the body of Christ, in his creation, and even in the
everyday circumstances of our lives. If we seek the Lord, we will surely find
him. And we can be confident that he will give us whatever we need to
understand and carry out his will. Most of all the Lord assures us of his daily
presence and the promise that he will never leave us. Theresa of Avila's prayer
book contained a bookmark which she wrote: Let nothing disturb you, let
nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience
achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices. Is
God enough for you?
"Lord Jesus, may I always recognize your saving presence in
my life and never forget your promises when I encounter trials and
difficulties. Give me a faith that never wavers, a hope that never fades, and a
love that never grows cold."
 Loving Christ for Who He Is |
Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
|
Mark 8:11-13
The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for
a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said,
"Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will
be given to this generation." And he left them, and getting into the
boat again, he went across to the other side.
Introductory Prayer:Lord, I
can be so cold to your salvific presence as I hurry about living the moment
and becoming so sufficient unto myself. There is little wonder that I find it
hard to bring myself to prayer—to use faith to know you, divine love to live
in you, and theological hope to trust in you. I approach you now, wanting
only to be a more faithful disciple of your Kingdom.
Petition: Lord,
grant a faith that will console your heart.
1. Sending Christ away:G. K.
Chesterton once asserted, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found
wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” Jesus truly loves us
and would never refuse a humble soul the true goods he needs for fulfillment
and salvation. If our wants, like those of the Pharisees, end up leaving God
silent and our spiritual life cold, it may be a call for us to purify our
hearts of the remaining dregs of our self-centeredness. We should carefully
avoid the attitudes and words that repel Christ. Christ will not let himself
be loved for who he is not, and he will not indulge the desires we have for
who we are not. We can want our happiness to be many things, but Christ wants
us to accept that his will is the heart of our fulfillment.
2. Prayer Is My Daily Breath of Air for the
Soul: Jesus converses with our souls in a language that flows
from supernatural attitudes of faith, hope and love. He will remain silent,
however, if we drag him down to the small, narrow framework of our reason and
calculations—wanting to “figure it out for ourselves” before we will act.
Jesus does not want to be Superman, who comes into our lives only when things
are really bad and all is lost. Rather, Christ intervenes because he wants a
life of communion and grace day after day, sharing his life with each and
every soul. He wants our living in fidelity and childlike trust to be like
breathing the air.
3. The Signs That Bring Christ to Us:Christ
did give us sure signs of his daily presence in our lives. The first is the
sign of the cross. Only faith will unlock its mystery and bring us to the
encounter between our sin and God’s mercy. Sin is at the heart of the worst
that can go wrong with our life; the sign of the Crucified One is its cure.
Faith will permit us, as it did the good thief, to see Christ’s love at the
center of the universe and the world being drawn towards it as if into a
vortex. Another sign he left us is the Eucharist. It is the most powerful
sign because it contains the author of the sign himself. Christ humbles
himself to stay with us at all costs. Under the appearance of bread and wine,
he reveals what he wants to be for our souls; Under the veil of the
sacrament, we learn to encounter Christ personally as pure love. “On the
night he was betrayed he showed the depth of his love…” Let these signs be
the “love language” by which we talk to Christ in the way he wants to be
known, loved and adored.
Conversation with Christ: Christ,
let my prideful demands melt away before a mature encounter with your divine
love. Keep my immaturity from impeding the expansion of your Kingdom; rather,
let me humbly accept my need to change the way I relate to your true plan for
my life.
Resolution: I will
spend some time today acknowledging and thanking Jesus for the signs he has
given me to know, love and serve him better in my life.
|
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, MARK 8:11-13
(James 1:1-11; Psalm 119)
(James 1:1-11; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation" (v 12).
READING: After miraculously feeding 4,000 people in the Gentile territory, Jesus went on to the district of Dalmanutha (near Magdala, west of the Sea of Galilee). Some Pharisees demanded that Jesus display some mighty work of God as a sign that God's reign had arrived. Yet, at the same time, they refused to accept the miracles that Jesus had accomplished. They missed the significance of these works as a manifestation of God's presence. Similarly, God told Moses in the wilderness that the people refused to believe or heed God's voice "despite all the signs" that were performed in their midst (Nm 14:11, 22). Jesus left this faithless place, telling the hypocritical leaders that because of their blind lack of faith, no such sign would be given to them.
REFLECTING: Do I recognize the miracles God has done in my life?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to the signs of your everyday presence.
Optional Memorial of the Seven Founders of the Order of
Servites, religious
Seven wealthy laymen in Florence felt a call to a deeper religious life, and they decided to form a new society devoted to prayer and solitude. As word of their holiness spread, they attracted would-be followers, and they withdrew to the hills around Monte Sennario where they built a church and hermitage. On Good Friday, 13 April 1240, the hermits received a vision of Our Lady. She held in her hand the black habit, and an angel carried a scroll reading Servants of Mary. They accepted the wisdom of Our Lady, wrote a Rule based on Saint Augustine and the Dominican Constitutions, adopted the black habit of an Augustinian monk, and lived as mendicant friars, living solely on alms. The men became known as the Servites, and fostered the devotion known as the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The Servites were solemnly approved by Blessed Pope Benedict XI in 1304, and have since spread around the world.
NOTE: The seven Sorrows of Mary are: 1) the prophecy of Simeon; 2) the flight into Egypt; 3) losing Jesus in Jerusalem; 4) meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary; 5) standing at the foot of the Cross; 6) Jesus being taken from the Cross; 7) the burial of Christ
PRESIDENTS' DAY
George Washington's Birthday, Feb. 22, was implemented by the federal government as the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen. The first formal observance of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday took place in 1865, the year after his assassination. In 1968, legislation shifted Washington's Birthday to the third Monday in February whether or not it fell on the 22nd. While the holiday in February is still officially known as Washington's Birthday it has become known as "Presidents' Day." This has made the third Monday in February a day for honoring both Washington and Lincoln, as well as all the other men who have served as president of the United States of America.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Faith in Action
Faith is to
believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you
believe.
—St. Augustine
—St. Augustine
Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live
They demanded a sign, in order to test him.It is always a temptation to demand a sign from God to know that we are on the right track in life. The problem with looking for big clear signs from heaven is that we fail to recognise the ordinary signposts to God’s presence in our daily lives. The failure of these Pharisees to recognise Jesus, a simple carpenter’s son, as the sign they were looking for is a warning not to dismiss the fact that there are signs of the divine in the mundane. Thus it is that we allow Jesus to accompany us in all we do through the day.
February
17
Seven Founders of the Servite Order
(13th century)
Seven Founders of the Servite Order
(13th century)
Can you imagine seven prominent men of Boston or Denver banding
together, leaving their homes and professions, and going into solitude for a
life directly given to God? That is what happened in the cultured and
prosperous city of Florence in the middle of the 13th century. The city was
torn with political strife as well as the heresy of the Cathari, who believed
that physical reality was inherently evil. Morals were low and religion seemed
meaningless.
In 1240
seven noblemen of Florence mutually decided to withdraw from the city to a
solitary place for prayer and direct service of God. Their initial difficulty
was providing for their dependents, since two were still married and two were
widowers.
Their aim
was to lead a life of penance and prayer, but they soon found themselves
disturbed by constant visitors from Florence. They next withdrew to the
deserted slopes of Monte Senario.
In 1244,
under the direction of St. Peter of Verona, O.P., this small group adopted a
religious habit similar to the Dominican habit, choosing to live under the Rule
of St. Augustine and adopting the name of the Servants of Mary. The new Order
took a form more like that of the mendicant friars than that of the older
monastic Orders.
Members
of the community came to the United States from Austria in 1852 and settled in
New York and later in Philadelphia. The two American provinces developed from
the foundation made by Father Austin Morini in 1870 in Wisconsin.
Community
members combined monastic life and active ministry. In the monastery, they led
a life of prayer, work and silence while in the active apostolate they engaged
in parochial work, teaching, preaching and other ministerial activities.
Comment:
The time in which the seven Servite founders lived is very easily comparable to the situation in which we find ourselves today. It is “the best of times and the worst of times,” as Dickens once wrote. Some, perhaps many, feel called to a countercultural life, even in religion. All of us are faced in a new and urgent way with the challenge to make our lives decisively centered in Christ.
The time in which the seven Servite founders lived is very easily comparable to the situation in which we find ourselves today. It is “the best of times and the worst of times,” as Dickens once wrote. Some, perhaps many, feel called to a countercultural life, even in religion. All of us are faced in a new and urgent way with the challenge to make our lives decisively centered in Christ.
Quote:
“Let all religious therefore spread throughout the whole world the good news of Christ by the integrity of their faith, their love for God and neighbor, their devotion to the Cross and their hope of future glory.... Thus, too, with the prayerful aid of that most loving Virgin Mary, God’s Mother, ‘Whose life is a rule of life for all,’ religious communities will experience a daily growth in number, and will yield a richer harvest of fruits that bring salvation” (Vatican II, Decree on the Renewal of Religious Life, 25).
“Let all religious therefore spread throughout the whole world the good news of Christ by the integrity of their faith, their love for God and neighbor, their devotion to the Cross and their hope of future glory.... Thus, too, with the prayerful aid of that most loving Virgin Mary, God’s Mother, ‘Whose life is a rule of life for all,’ religious communities will experience a daily growth in number, and will yield a richer harvest of fruits that bring salvation” (Vatican II, Decree on the Renewal of Religious Life, 25).
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 8,11-13
Lectio:
Monday, February 17, 2014
1) Opening prayer
Lord God,
forgive us that in our weak faith
we ask sometimes for signs and wonders.
We know that you are our Father,
but it is not always easy for us
to recognize your loving presence.
Give us eyes of faith to see the sign
that you are with us in Jesus and his message.
We say so reluctantly, for it is painful:
purify our trust in you and in Jesus
that we may become more mature Christians,
who love you through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 8,11-13
The Pharisees came up and started a discussion with him; they demanded of him a sign from heaven, to put him to the test. And with a profound sigh he said, 'Why does this generation demand a sign? In truth I tell you, no sign shall be given to this generation.' And, leaving them again, he re-embarked and went away to the other side.
3) Reflection
• Mark 8, 11-13: The Pharisees ask for a sign from Heaven. Today’s Gospel narrates a discussion of the Pharisees with Jesus. Jesus also, as it happened with Moses in the Old Testament, had fed the hungry people in the desert, by multiplying the bread (Mk 8, 1-10). This is a sign that he presented himself before the people as a new Moses. But the Pharisees were not capable to perceive the meaning of the multiplication of the loaves. They continued to discuss with Jesus, and ask for a sign, “from Heaven”. They had understood nothing of all that Jesus had done. “Jesus sighed profoundly”, probably feeling disgust and sadness before so much blindness. And he concludes saying: “No sign will be given to this generation”. He left them and went toward the other side of the lake. It is not worthwhile to show a beautiful picture to one who does not want to open the eyes. Anyone who closes the eyes cannot see!
• The danger of dominating ideology. He we can clearly perceive how the “yeast of Herod and the Pharisees” (Mk 8, 15), the dominating ideology of the time, made persons lose their capacity to analyze events objectively. This yeast came from far and had taken profound roots in the life of the people. It went so far as to contaminate the mentality of the disciples and manifested itself in many ways. With the formation which Jesus gave them, he tried to uproot this “yeast”.
• The following are some examples of this fraternal help which Jesus gave to his disciples.
a) The mentality of a closed group. On a certain day a person not belonging to the community used the name of Jesus to drive out devils. John saw it and forbade this fact: “We have forbidden this because he was not one of ours” (Mk 9, 38). John thought he had the monopoly on Jesus and wanted to prevent others to use the name of Jesus to do good. John wanted a community closed in itself. It was the yeast of the “Elected People, the separated People!” Jesus responds: “Do not stop him! Anyone who is not against us is for us!” (Mk 9, 39-40).
b) The mentality of a group which considers itself superior to others. Certain times, the Samaritans did not want to offer hospitality to Jesus. The reaction of some of the disciples was immediate: “May fire descend from Heaven and burn them up!” (Lk 9, 54). They thought that because they were with Jesus, everyone had to welcome him, to accept him. They thought they had God on their side to defend him. It was the yeast of the “Chosen People, the Privileged People!” Jesus reproaches them: “Jesus turned and rebuked them” (Lk 9, 55).
c) The competitive mentality of and of prestige. The disciples discussed among themselves about the first place (Mk 9, 33-34). It was the yeast of class and of competitiveness, which characterized the official religion and the society of the Roman Empire. It was already getting into the small community around Jesus. Jesus reacts and orders to have a contrary mentality: “If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last” (Mk 9, 35).
d) The mentality of those who marginalize the little ones. The disciples scolded little children. It was the yeast of the mentality of that time, according to which children did not count and should be disciplined by adults. Jesus rebukes the disciples: “Let the little children come to me!” (Mk 10, 14). The children become the teachers of the adults: “Anyone who does not welcome the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it”. (Lk 18, 17).
• As it happened in the time of Jesus, today also the Neo liberal mentality of the dominating ideology arises once again and appears even in the life of the community and of the family. The prayerful reading of the Gospel, made in community, can help to change in us the vision of things and to deepen in us conversion and the fidelity which Jesus asks from us.
4) For Personal Confrontation
• Before the alternative: to have faith in Jesus or to ask for a sign from heaven, the Pharisees want a sign from heaven. They were not capable to believe in Jesus. The same thing happens to me. What have I chosen?
• The yeast of the Pharisees prevented the disciples to perceive the presence of the Kingdom in Jesus. Have some remains of this yeast of the Pharisees remained in me?
5) Concluding Prayer
Lord, you are generous and act generously,
teach me your will. (Ps 119,68)
Lord God,
forgive us that in our weak faith
we ask sometimes for signs and wonders.
We know that you are our Father,
but it is not always easy for us
to recognize your loving presence.
Give us eyes of faith to see the sign
that you are with us in Jesus and his message.
We say so reluctantly, for it is painful:
purify our trust in you and in Jesus
that we may become more mature Christians,
who love you through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 8,11-13
The Pharisees came up and started a discussion with him; they demanded of him a sign from heaven, to put him to the test. And with a profound sigh he said, 'Why does this generation demand a sign? In truth I tell you, no sign shall be given to this generation.' And, leaving them again, he re-embarked and went away to the other side.
3) Reflection
• Mark 8, 11-13: The Pharisees ask for a sign from Heaven. Today’s Gospel narrates a discussion of the Pharisees with Jesus. Jesus also, as it happened with Moses in the Old Testament, had fed the hungry people in the desert, by multiplying the bread (Mk 8, 1-10). This is a sign that he presented himself before the people as a new Moses. But the Pharisees were not capable to perceive the meaning of the multiplication of the loaves. They continued to discuss with Jesus, and ask for a sign, “from Heaven”. They had understood nothing of all that Jesus had done. “Jesus sighed profoundly”, probably feeling disgust and sadness before so much blindness. And he concludes saying: “No sign will be given to this generation”. He left them and went toward the other side of the lake. It is not worthwhile to show a beautiful picture to one who does not want to open the eyes. Anyone who closes the eyes cannot see!
• The danger of dominating ideology. He we can clearly perceive how the “yeast of Herod and the Pharisees” (Mk 8, 15), the dominating ideology of the time, made persons lose their capacity to analyze events objectively. This yeast came from far and had taken profound roots in the life of the people. It went so far as to contaminate the mentality of the disciples and manifested itself in many ways. With the formation which Jesus gave them, he tried to uproot this “yeast”.
• The following are some examples of this fraternal help which Jesus gave to his disciples.
a) The mentality of a closed group. On a certain day a person not belonging to the community used the name of Jesus to drive out devils. John saw it and forbade this fact: “We have forbidden this because he was not one of ours” (Mk 9, 38). John thought he had the monopoly on Jesus and wanted to prevent others to use the name of Jesus to do good. John wanted a community closed in itself. It was the yeast of the “Elected People, the separated People!” Jesus responds: “Do not stop him! Anyone who is not against us is for us!” (Mk 9, 39-40).
b) The mentality of a group which considers itself superior to others. Certain times, the Samaritans did not want to offer hospitality to Jesus. The reaction of some of the disciples was immediate: “May fire descend from Heaven and burn them up!” (Lk 9, 54). They thought that because they were with Jesus, everyone had to welcome him, to accept him. They thought they had God on their side to defend him. It was the yeast of the “Chosen People, the Privileged People!” Jesus reproaches them: “Jesus turned and rebuked them” (Lk 9, 55).
c) The competitive mentality of and of prestige. The disciples discussed among themselves about the first place (Mk 9, 33-34). It was the yeast of class and of competitiveness, which characterized the official religion and the society of the Roman Empire. It was already getting into the small community around Jesus. Jesus reacts and orders to have a contrary mentality: “If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last” (Mk 9, 35).
d) The mentality of those who marginalize the little ones. The disciples scolded little children. It was the yeast of the mentality of that time, according to which children did not count and should be disciplined by adults. Jesus rebukes the disciples: “Let the little children come to me!” (Mk 10, 14). The children become the teachers of the adults: “Anyone who does not welcome the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it”. (Lk 18, 17).
• As it happened in the time of Jesus, today also the Neo liberal mentality of the dominating ideology arises once again and appears even in the life of the community and of the family. The prayerful reading of the Gospel, made in community, can help to change in us the vision of things and to deepen in us conversion and the fidelity which Jesus asks from us.
4) For Personal Confrontation
• Before the alternative: to have faith in Jesus or to ask for a sign from heaven, the Pharisees want a sign from heaven. They were not capable to believe in Jesus. The same thing happens to me. What have I chosen?
• The yeast of the Pharisees prevented the disciples to perceive the presence of the Kingdom in Jesus. Have some remains of this yeast of the Pharisees remained in me?
5) Concluding Prayer
Lord, you are generous and act generously,
teach me your will. (Ps 119,68)
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