MARCH 02, 2014 : EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME year A

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 82

Reading 1IS 49:14-15

Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my LORD has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.

Responsorial Psalm PS 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

R/ (6a) Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
R/ Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R/ Rest in God alone, my soul.
With God is my safety and my glory,
he is the rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him.
R/ Rest in God alone, my soul.

Reading 2 1 COR 4:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now it is of course required of stewards
that they be found trustworthy.
It does not concern me in the least
that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;
I do not even pass judgment on myself;
I am not conscious of anything against me,
but I do not thereby stand acquitted;
the one who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore do not make any judgment before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.

Gospel MT 6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

www.usccb.org

Meditation: “Why are you anxious?”

What does the expression “serving two masters” and “being anxious” have in common? They both have the same root problem – being divided within oneself. The root word for “anxiety” literally means “being of two minds.” An anxious person is often “tossed to and fro” and paralyzed by fear, indecision, and insecurity. Fear of some bad outcome cripples those afflicted with anxiety. It’s also the case with someone who wants to live in two opposing kingdoms – God's kingdom of light, truth, and goodness or Satan's kingdom of darkness, sin, and deception – following God's standards and way of happiness or following the world’s standards of success and happiness. Who is the master in charge of your life? Our “master” is whatever governs our thought-life, shapes our ideals, and controls the desires of our heart and the values we choose to live by. We can be ruled by many different things – the love of money and possessions, the power of position and prestige, the glamor of wealth and fame, and the driving force of unruly passions, harmful desires, and addictive cravings. Ultimately the choice of who is our master boils down to two: God or “mammon”. What is mammon? “Mammon” stands for “material wealth or possessions” or whatever tends to “control our appetites and desires.”

There is one master alone who has the power to set us free from slavery to sin, fear, pride, and greed, and a host of other hurtful desires. That master is the Lord Jesus Christ who alone can save us from all that would keep us bound up in fear and anxiety. Jesus used an illustration from nature – the birds and the flowers – to show how God provides for his creatures in the natural order of his creation. God provides ample food, water, light, and heat to sustain all that lives and breathes. How much more can we, who are created in the very image and likeness of God, expect our heavenly Father and creator to sustain not only our physical bodies, but our mind, heart, and soul as well? God our Father is utterly reliable because it is his nature to love, heal, forgive, and make whole again. Jesus taught his disciples to pray with confidence to their heavenly Father: Give us this day our daily bread. What is bread, but the very staple of life and symbol of all that we need to live and grow. Anxiety is neither helpful nor necessary. It robs us of faith and confidence in God’s help and it saps our energy for doing good. Jesus admonishes his followers to put away anxiety and preoccupation with material things and instead to seek first the things of God – his kingdom and righteousness. Anxiety robs the heart of trust in the mercy and goodness of God and in his loving care for us. God knows our needs even before we ask and he gives generously to those who trust in him. Who is your master – God or mammon?

“Lord Jesus, free me from needless worries and help me to put my trust in you. May my first and only concern be for your glory and your kingdom of peace and righteousness. Help me to live each day and moment with trust and gratitude for your providential care for me.”

www.dailyscripture.net

Scripture Study

March 2, 2014 - 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING: Isaiah 49:14-15. Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me." Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.

EXPLANATION:
This is part of the message of consolation that the prophet, second-Isaiah, brought to the Jewish exiles in Babylon when they were on the brink of despair. The exiles thought that God had abandoned them but the prophet tells them emphatically that this is no so.
Zion said: Zion, another name for Jerusalem, is used figuratively here as a personification of the Jewish exiles in Babylon.
my Lord . . . me: Yahweh has abandoned them to their fate; he has lost interest in them.
Can. . . child: The, prophet asks them, in God's name, is there a mother so unnatural and so bereft of feeling that she could neglect and abandon her sucking infant, whose very existence depends on her caring for it?
Even . . . forget: It is within the bounds of possibility that there could be mothers who could do this but:
yet . . . you: Yahweh himself declares that even if some unnatural mothers could forget their infants and let them die he will not be so unnatural with his Chosen People, because they are his children, however unworthy of his love and care they have proved themselves to be in the past.

APPLICATION: In human relationships there is no greater love than that of a mother for her baby. It has been proved beyond doubt down through the history of the human race. It is an unselfish love, a love, a dedication that demands and expects nothing in return. The love between husband and wife has of its nature a tinge of selfishness in it---it is at its best a mutual love, which expects and demands an equal response. The love of a child for its parents, when it comes to the use of reason, is inspired by gratitude for past favors and by a self-interested hope for more favors to come. But the love of a mother for her helpless baby is absolutely free of all self-interest, it looks for no return either in the present or in the future.

This is the image that God employs to describe his love for his Chosen People : the love of a mother for the baby at her breast, a love free from all self-interest and prepared to go to any lengths in order to bring his children to the maturity and perfection planned for them.

The exiles, let us hope, believed his word and put their trust in him, but they could not and did not realize or foresee the real lengths to which that unselfish love of God for them would go. The most they hoped for and desired was a return to their native land where peace and plenty would be given them by their kind God. But this was only a tiny part of God's plan for them; we know the full truth now. God's plan was to bring them back to Jerusalem and Judah so that he would fulfill his promise given to Abraham and their ancestors.

In Judah would be born the descendant of Abraham, Judah and David---the Messiah who would bring them, and all who would accept him, to their real homeland, heaven. As we know, God carried out his plan in spite of the stubbornness and disloyalty of those Chosen People to whom he had been not only a kind father but a loving mother all through their history. If some, or many of them, failed to reach their true homeland---the real promised land of eternal peace and plenty---the fault was theirs not God's.

With our greater knowledge today of God's love for us, and of his interest in our true welfare, which the Incarnation has proved, we are much more guilty than the Jews of the Old Testament if we prove disloyal to God and ungrateful for all he has done for us. If we allow the things of this world, its pleasures, its wealth, its positions of power (all of which will end for us in a few years), to make us forget God and our own eternal welfare, then we are far worse than the disloyal Jews who know little about the future life, and who had not before their eyes the example of the Son of God crucified for their sakes.

Yet the sad fact is that there are millions of Christians today, who live un-christian lives; men and women who act and behave as if the world was the beginning and end of everything for them. They forget, or rather do all they can to forget, that there is a future life towards which they are steadily and quickly moving.

However, there is one ray of hope for even the worst of us, and that ray of hope is God's declaration that his love for us is stronger and greater than even that of a mother for the baby at her breast. If we turn to him with true repentance---no matter how numerous or how heinous our past faults were---he will take us back once more to his bosom. He will forgive and forget our past if we will put that past behind us, and from now on serve him as loyal and grateful children. Great sinners in the past have become saints; great sinners in the future will become eternal citizens of heaven. You too, be you a great or a lesser sinner, can end like them, if like them you return truly repentant to the God of love.

SECOND READING: 1 Cor. 4: 1-5. This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then every man will receive his commendation from God.

EXPLANATION:
In this letter Paul has already referred to "factions" or divisions which had arisen among his converts. It was nothing very serious---it was rather that some groups boasted of having Paul as their teacher. Others boasted of Apollos, a great orator who came there after Paul had left. Others claimed Cephas, Peter, as their model, while others again claimed Christ as their teacher---as they all could. But a small beginning like this could lead to serious conflict later perhaps. Paul, therefore, condemned them and told them it was the message not the messenger that counted (see Chapters 1-3). In the verses read today Paul stresses this last point and tells them the preachers of the gospel are Christ's servants and no one but Christ and God had a right to pass judgment on them.
servants . . . stewards: The Corinthians must see in their teachers: the true servants of Christ---it is he who appointed and sent them, it is for him, for his gospel that they are primarily working. They are also stewards in that they have charge of God's household. It is their duty to dispense the faith and the sacraments---"the mysteries of God."
found trustworthy: A steward is not free to do his own will, he must manage his master's household and property honestly and according to the orders of his master.
with me . . . you: The Corinthians, therefore, have no right to pass judgment on Paul's actions. Only his master, God, who made him a steward has a right to do this.
not . . . myself: This does not mean that he does not examine his conscience; but he knows that he is incapable of passing a truly objective judgment on his actions, for even though he is not conscious of any wrong-doing or carelessness in his task:
It is the Lord who judges: The Lord is his judge---he will judge objectively without fear or favor.
Therefore . . . time: Do not take the Lord's prerogative, wait until he judges. This applies not only to their judging of Paul but of one another.
things now hidden: God sees all things and will therefore judge with full knowledge of the facts.
purposes . . . heart: The intentions (purpose of the heart) may change the moral value of any act. A good act done with an evil intention becomes evil. An evil act done in ignorance of its evil, can be a good act if the doer intends to do good. An act, indifferent morally in itself, can be a good or an evil act according to the doer's intention.
his . . . God: God will judge justly and each will receive reward or punishment according to his actions.

APPLICATION: The lesson we all must learn from St. Paul today is that we must avoid judging our neighbor---the right to judge belongs to God, who alone is aware of all the facts and circumstances. The strange fact is that there is a deep-rooted inclination in most of us to pass a moral judgment, almost always a condemnatory judgment, on our neighbor's actions. But this is an inclination we must resist, however strong the temptation. What we hear the neighbor say, or what we see him do, may appear evil to us, but even granted that it is evil, ours is not the right to condemn. That remains God's prerogative. As St. Paul tells us, we cannot see the "purpose of the heart." The neighbor's intention, which alone gives moral value to his sayings or doings, is unknown to us, and so our judgment is passed without full knowledge of the facts. It is, therefore, rash.

This prohibition of judging and condemning our neighbor holds for all our neighbors, whether they be above us, below us, or our equals. With our equals, and those below us, we are inclined to be a little more lenient, perhaps because we understand their circumstances better. But as a rule, our severest condemnations are reserved for our superiors. Is it perhaps because we are jealous that they, and not we, hold the higher position, or is it less blameworthy in that we do not understand all the difficulties that they have to contend with? In either case our judgment of them is sinful for we are usurping a right which is not ours.

This does not mean that we must take no interest in our neighbors spiritual welfare. Though we are not our brothers judges, we are our brothers' keepers. In all charity, and with true Christian humility and kindness, we must, wherever possible, help our neighbor to avoid offending God. Passing judgment on him and spreading defamatory tales about him is not the Christian approach to charitable help. Instead we must, as far as possible, cover up his failings and try to understand his weaknesses. In this frame of mind we can approach him discreetly, and if he sees our motives are really charitable we may, with God's grace, bring him to realize his mistakes.

Many a broken home, many a lapsed Christian, many an impenitent death could and would have been prevented if neighbors were active in true love of their fellowman. And if some neighbor or neighbors are condemned when they come to the judgment seat, because we did not do our Christian duty, how can we expect a favorable judgment? We shall be judged not only on what we did but on what we left undone. Resolve today, never again to pass private judgment on your neighbor and his actions. Instead, always resolve to be ready with a word of advice, and of encouragement. Have a fervent prayer for a neighbor who seems in need of spiritual help.

One charitable word of encouragement and counsel given to an apparently erring neighbor will be more likely to help him than pages of condemnation and abuse. We shall be rewarded by God in the first case, whether we succeed or not. We shall be condemned for our judgment in the latter case whether our judgment was true or not, because we usurped God's right.

GOSPEL: Matthew 6:24-34. Jesus said to his disciples, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day."

EXPLANATION:
This is part of the "Sermon on the Mount:' a collection of the sayings of Jesus, given in different places and at different times but collected here by St. Matthew in chapters 5-7. They concern the kingdom of God and how it may be attained. The section we read today deals with the things of this world and how we should be detached from them if we wish to be members of God's kingdom on earth and in heaven.
no . . . masters: A slave could be owned by two masters but the situation would be impossible as each would demand his fulltime service.
God and mammon: The two masters that Christ refers to are God and worldly wealth. Each demands fulltime service. If a man loves God, he has no time for mammon. If his heart is set on getting worldly wealth (mammon) he has no time for God.
do . . . on: He tells his disciples and his hearers not to be over-solicitous about their food or their clothing. This does not mean they must not earn their livelihood and wear some clothes, but they must not make themselves slaves to this world's goods.
Look . . . air: The example he gives proves the above point. God feeds the birds because the birds search and search hard for their food. Man must do likewise.
lilies of the field: Their beautiful colors would not keep them warm if they had sensitive bodies to warm. Man needs clothing in most climates and must provide that clothing.
do not be anxious: This is the point Christ is driving home. While we must do our daily chores and do our best to provide for our needs, we must always remember to give God first place in our hearts. If we do this the very daily chores become a prayer and an act of reverence and trust in God who has a divine interest in us.
sufficient . . .day: This was probably a popular proverb and a wise one it is. The parable of the man whose barns were too small to hold all he possessed, and who was on the point of building larger ones, when he was called to the judgment seat, brings this truth out. Yet, we must plan ahead in many ways but we must not be so occupied planning for a wealthy, worldly future that we forget the real future.

APPLICATION: The lesson is evident : God must have first place in our lives, if we really believe in a future, eternal life, as all Christians, and most other sane men do. But we still must earn our living and work our passage through life. What Christ is warning us against is that we must not get so attached to, and so enslaved by, the things of this world, that we neglect God and our own eternal happiness.

Most of us will say: "there is little danger that we shall get enslaved by the wealth of this world---we have so little of it." But a man can get so attached to the little he has and so anxious to increase it, that he can cut God out of his life and forget the one thing necessary. Remember that a man can be drowned as easily in a tub of water as he could be in the deepest point in the Atlantic ocean. It is not the possession of the things of this world that Christ forbids, but letting the things of this world possess us. While we make the wealth and the goods of this earth serve our eternal purpose we can be true followers of Christ, but if we let them enslave us to the exclusion of that purpose then we are indeed on the wrong road.

In the parable of Dives and Lazarus, it was not the possession of much wealth that brought Dives to hell. but the wrong use of it. He lacked charity. He ignored his needy neighbors. He selfishly tried to spend all his wealth on himself. Neither was it the poverty of Lazarus that brought him to Abraham's bosom, but the willing acceptance of his lot. He was unable, through illness, to earn his bread. He got little charity from those who could and should have helped him. Yet he bore with his misfortune patiently and so earned heaven. The fact is, of course, that not all rich men will go to hell. Neither will all beggars go to heaven.

While we work honestly for our living, we have every right to our just wage and have every freedom to spend what we earn on the necessities of life for ourselves and our families. We can also make the normal provisions for the years that may lie ahead. What our Lord is condemning is the inordinate love of riches and the things of this world---a love so inordinate that it leaves us no time, and no desire, to look for, and provide for, our real future---the life that begins when we leave this earth and all that it has.

 http://www.catholicmatters.com/ 

Who Is My Master?

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Father Robert DeCesare, LC Matthew 6:24-34 Jesus said to his disciples: "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ´What will we eat?´ or ´What will we drink?´ or ´What will we wear?´ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today´s trouble is enough for today." Introductory Prayer: Once again, Lord, I come to you to pray. Even though I cannot see you, I trust that you are present and I want very much for you to instruct me through your teachings. In the same way you demonstrate your love for me by spending this time with me, I want to express my love for you by dedicating this time to you with a spirit of faith, confidence and attention. Here I am, Lord, to listen to you and respond with love. Petition: Lord, help me to put you first in my life. 1. “No One Can Serve Two Masters” - “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). The two are opposed. There is a constant battle going on within, between the flesh and the spirit. The one wants to master the other. “I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand” (Romans 7:21). Since the spirit is against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit, no one can fool himself into thinking he can serve both. It is impossible to serve both masters, because one is pitted against the other. 2. “You Cannot Serve God and Wealth” - Saint Thomas More had helped a young family friend, Richard Rich. But when Saint Thomas was arrested, Richard Rich’s envy and love of power led him to testify falsely against More in order to secure his own position at court. Envy and unbridled ambition can destroy our souls. This illustrates the clash in our soul between defining ourselves either by who we are or by what we have. Blessed Pope John Paul II wrote in Evangelium Vitae: “The values of being are replaced by those of having. The only goal which counts is the pursuit of one´s own material well-being. The so-called ‘quality of life’ is interpreted primarily or exclusively as economic efficiency, inordinate consumerism, physical beauty and pleasure, to the neglect of the more profound dimensions – interpersonal, spiritual and religious – of existence” (no. 23). The two poles are at odds, and we are caught in the middle, having to choose one of them, as we cannot choose both. 3. “Strive First for the Kingdom of God” - What good will it do us if we concern ourselves with this world, only to lose what is most important, our happiness in the next world? What else matters but the kingdom of God? We are called to seek this kingdom, and to seek it here and now. Striving for the kingdom of God demands the best from us, but is not oppressive. It calls for us always to seek to do good and avoid evil. It calls for us to deny our inner tendency towards worldly goods and pleasures and to seek to become more and more like Christ. When we act as we are supposed to, we are striving for God’s kingdom. Conversation with Christ: Lord, I want to leave behind me all those attractions that keep me from putting you first. I know that it will be a struggle. I want to master myself for you. Help me to put you first, above all else in my life, so that I may truly strive for the kingdom of heaven. Resolution: I will make a small sacrifice in order to grow in the virtue I need most.

www.regnumchristi.org

MINUTE MEDITATIONS 

Complete Trust

Father, help us to have trust in your wisdom, accept what we cannot understand, and follow you along paths that are dark ahead, knowing that you will lead us, even in the darkness. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

— from Stories of Jesus 

EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, MARCH 2, MATTHEW 6:24-34
(Isaiah 49:14-15; Psalm 62; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5)

KEY VERSE: "But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (v 33).
READING: Before they entered the Promised Land, Joshua set before the people an ultimatum as to whether they would serve the God of Israel or foreign Gods (Josh 24:14-15). So too, Jesus said that a disciple could not serve two masters. They must make a choice. Either they will serve the holy and living God or be a slave to the god of wealth and material possessions (Aramaic, mammon). He told them not to be overly concerned about their physical needs. He used an example from nature. The short-lived birds were fed and cared for by their creator, and the lovely field flowers bloomed one day and withered the next. If God provided for them, would he not all the more give Jesus' disciples what they needed? They must place their trust in their Heavenly Father and devote their energies to acting in an upright, moral way (righteousness). By earnestly seeking God's will, all else would fall into place.
REFLECTING: What is my greatest concern for today? Can I trust God for tomorrow?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to remember all the ways you have cared for me in the past, and continue to trust you with my future.

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Rest in God alone, my soul 

‘Do not worry about your life.’

‘Worry’, it is said ‘is like sitting in a rocking chair—rocking back and forth but going nowhere.’ Jesus says much the same in today’s gospel: ‘Can any of you, for all your worrying, add one single moment to your span of life?’ Worry is such a trap. It drains us of our hope and robs us of the joy that is meant to be ours as Christians. Problems in the family, sickness, death, an uncertain future, loneliness ... We can become so centred on ourselves and our worries that we fail to turn to our God who calls us to trust him. What a relief to know that God is at work in our lives. We are all children of the Father and he will let no one slip through his hands. Lord, help me to trust in you. May your love cast out all my fears and worries.

www.pray.com.au

March 2
St. Agnes of Bohemia
(1205-1282)

Agnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her.

Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. At the age of three, she was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life.

After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes preferred the King of Heaven to him.

After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. St. Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess.

Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification. Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess; nevertheless, the title she preferred was "senior sister." Her position did not prevent her from cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she declined her royal brother’s offer to set up an endowment for the monastery.

Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282. She was canonized in 1989.

Comment:

Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to selfishness certainly didn’t vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns "have it made" regarding holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our standards (inclination to selfishness) for God’s standard of generosity.

Quote:

"Have nothing to do with anyone who would stand in your way and would seek to turn you aside from fulfilling the vows which you have made to the Most High (Psalm 49:14) and from living in that perfection to which the Spirit of the Lord has called you" (Clare to Agnes of Bohemia, Letter II in Murray Bodo, O.F.M., Clare: A Light in the Garden, p. 118).

www.americancatholic.org

LECTIO DIVINA: 8TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

Lectio: 

 Sunday, March 2, 2014  

Do not worry about tomorrow.
We are more important than birds and lilies
Matthew 6.24-34

1. LECTIO

a) Opening prayer

Holy Spirit that covers me with your silence and speak without words touch the heart. Your joy is mine, anxieties and fears while flying away like autumn leaves to be replaced by another spring. You're the sweetest caress, when I surrender to the cares of life that loses hope. You're the light that enlightens me and guide me, to you O Lord. Come Holy Spirit take my hand and teach me to pray when you can not find the words ispiramele.

b) Reading of the Gospel: Matthew 6.24-34

Then Jesus told his disciples: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other, or you and despise the other. You can not serve God and wealth. Therefore I say unto you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what you will wear life is not worth perhaps more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Not much better than they are worth? And which of you, as you worry, can extend their lives even a little? And the dress, why do you bother? Observe how the lilies of the field neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them. Now, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will do much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we wear? ". Of all these things go in search of the pagans. Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need. Instead, try, first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its'.

c) A moment of silent prayer

Because the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our lives.

2. MEDITATIO

a) A key to reading

The track offered us for reflection, taken from the sixth chapter of Matthew's Gospel, we understand in the context of the discourse gospel of Jesus on the mountain (Mt 5.1 to 7.12). This discussion includes:

- The Beatitudes (5:1-12);

- The six topics that compare or contrast the old with the new law given by Jesus (5.21 to 48). Certainly the purpose of such arguments is not to oppose the New Testament to the Old, but to go deeper, the root of the commandments that govern the external behavior. Jesus came not to abolish but to perfect the law (5.17 to 20);

- Jesus' teachings on the three acts of piety: prayer (including the Lord's Prayer), almsgiving and fasting (6.1 to 18). The literary form is similar to that used for the six antitheses;

- The grouping of other courses without a special structure (6.19 to 7.12).

Our text begins with verse 24, which reiterates the issue of accession to the total life plan proposed by the teachings of the Master. Joining this project is to love one master, God, and devote himself to him. "No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other or one and despise the other." These poles of hate / love, affection / contempt Deuteronomy reminds us that seeks to regulate cases of polygamy, where it can happen that one has "two wives, one beloved and another hated" (cf. Dt 21.15 -17). The Genesis is the first book of Samuel we relate the two cases of Jacob, Rachel and Leah on the one hand and Elkanah, and Anne Peninnah the other (Gen 29.30-31, 1 Sam 1.2-8). St. Paul also speaks of an undivided heart in the service of the Lord (1 Cor 7.7 to 34). The Lord does not kill those who submit themselves! He is Father and is well aware of our needs. Already in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus invites us to ask the Father to provide us our daily bread (6.11).

Dedication to God, then, entails a drop in his father's hands and providential. Compassionate God who cares for the grass of the field and provides nourishment to the sparrows also takes care of us, Jesus assures us: "if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, not will do more for you ...?" (v. 30). The contrast with the wealth explains why, in Hebrew and Aramaic, Mammon is used in reference to trust in material things. The rich young man, in fact, Jesus asks us to indulge with confidence, leaving their security in tangible property, to freely follow the Master (Mark 10.17-31; Mt 19.16-30).

Jesus would have us understand that God alone is worthy of our trust and our abandonment of the branch. We are here in mind the warnings of Jesus about the danger of riches, and his coming (cf. Lk 16.19-30; 17.22 to 37, from 18.24 to 27 and parallel texts). The trouble for material things causes us to lose what is most needed (Luke 10:38-42) and fills us with a trivial concern.

b) A few questions

To guide the meditation and practice.

- What struck you about this book?

- Join the project of Jesus is to love one master, God, and devote himself to him. What practical implications does this choice in your life?

- God is a Father who cares for us. You trust him? How does it manifest that trust?

- Perhaps not the life more than food and the body more than clothing? What is life for you?

- What concerns you in life?

3. ORATIO

Moment of silent prayer

Our Father ...

4. CONTEMPLATIO

Imagine that Jesus speaks to you with these words:

Why do you confuse excitement? Let me care of your things and everything will calm down. Tell you the truth that every act of true, blind, complete abandonment to me, has the effect you desire and resolve difficult situations. Surrender to me does not mean smashing, upset and despair, turning to me a request then agitated because I follow you, and so changes in the stirring prayer. Surrendering means closing the eyes of quietly, diverting the mind from the tribulation and get back to me because I only do we find, like children asleep in his mother's arms, the other side. So many things I work when the soul in its spiritual needs and those materials turns to me, looks at me and saying, "you think," he closes his eyes and rest!

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