Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 374
Lectionary: 374
Jehoiachin was
eighteen years old when he began to reign,
and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
His mother’s name was Nehushta,
daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
He did evil in the sight of the LORD,
just as his forebears had done.
At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
himself arrived at the city
while his servants were besieging it.
Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,
his ministers, officers, and functionaries,
surrendered to the king of Babylon, who,
in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.
And he carried off all the treasures
of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace,
and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel,
had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold.
He deported all Jerusalem:
all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number,
and all the craftsmen and smiths.
None were left among the people of the land except the poor.
He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon,
and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon
the king’s mother and wives,
his functionaries, and the chief men of the land.
The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylon
all seven thousand men of the army,
and a thousand craftsmen and smiths,
all of them trained soldiers.
In place of Jehoiachin,
the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king,
and changed his name to Zedekiah.
and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
His mother’s name was Nehushta,
daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
He did evil in the sight of the LORD,
just as his forebears had done.
At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
himself arrived at the city
while his servants were besieging it.
Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,
his ministers, officers, and functionaries,
surrendered to the king of Babylon, who,
in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.
And he carried off all the treasures
of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace,
and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel,
had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold.
He deported all Jerusalem:
all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number,
and all the craftsmen and smiths.
None were left among the people of the land except the poor.
He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon,
and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon
the king’s mother and wives,
his functionaries, and the chief men of the land.
The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylon
all seven thousand men of the army,
and a thousand craftsmen and smiths,
all of them trained soldiers.
In place of Jehoiachin,
the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king,
and changed his name to Zedekiah.
Responsorial Psalm PS 79:1B-2, 3-5, 8, 9
R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver
us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Gospel MT 7:21-29
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
Meditation : "Wise who build their house
upon the rock"
If you could forsee a threat to your life and the lose of your
home and goods, wouldn't you take the necessary precautions to avoid such a
disaster? Jesus' story of being swept away by flood waters and wind storms must
have caught the attention of his audience who knew that terrific storms did
occasionally sweep through their dry arrid land without any warning signs. When
Jesus described the builders who were unprepared for such a life-threatening
storm, he likely had the following proverb in mind: When the storm has
swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm for ever (Proverbs
10:25).
What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of
foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the
storms and trials of life that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their
foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes
foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions.
Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for
disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool one another with
our words, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with
its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2).
There is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be
proved, and that is by one's practice. Fine words can never replace good deeds.
Our character is revealed in the choices we make, especially when we must
choose between what is true and false, good and evil. Do you cheat on an exam
or on your income taxes, especially when it will cost you? Do you lie, or
cover-up, when disclosing the truth will cause you pain or embarrassment? A
true person is honest and reliable before God, neighbor, and oneself. Such a
person's word can be taken as trustworthy.
What can keep us from falsehood and spiritual disaster? If we
make the Lord and his word the rock and foundation of our lives, then nothing
can shake us nor keep us from God's presence and protection. Is the Lord and
his word the one sure foundation of your life?
"Lord Jesus, you are the only foundation that can hold us
up when trials and disaster threaten us. Give me the wisdom, foresight, and
strength of character I need to do what is right and good and to reject
whatever is false and contrary to your will. May I be a doer of your word and
not a hearer only."
 Built Wisely 2014-06-26 |
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Matthew 7:21-29
Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who
says to me, ´Lord, Lord,´ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one
who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me,
´Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your
name, and do many deeds of power in your name?´ Then I will declare to them,
´I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.´ Everyone then who hears
these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his
house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on
that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like
a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods
came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell -- and
great was its fall!" Now when Jesus had finished saying these things,
the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having
authority, and not as their scribes.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, before I can produce anything lasting in my life,
I need to be united to you in prayer. Aware of my weakness and inclination to
sin, I trust all the more in your forgiveness and mercy. I believe in your
presence in the Eucharist. It gives me the assurances that you really are
with your Church until the end of time.
Petition: Lord, help me to improve one point of my life that has
been neglected.
1. Lord, Lord: "Faith without works is useless" (James 2:20).
Witnessing to our faith through our works is crucial. It´s not enough to go
to Mass on Sunday, to have the Bible on the shelf, to hang a rosary on the
rearview mirror. Faith in Christ means daily conversion, changing our lives
in conformity to his will. "Not everyone who says to me, ´Lord, Lord,´
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my
Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Doing the will of the Father means
works of charity, of patience, of disinterested service. Real expressions of
our faith demand that we give of ourselves. Real faith doesn´t leave us
feeling smug. Do I ever feel self-righteous because "I´m with the
Pope"? Because I "never got caught" doing something wrong?
Does my faith in Christ leave me complacent? Or does it drive me to works of
charity?
2. Rock Solid: Listening to and following Christ means living as we should.
There is a truth about our being human that demands a response. To know, love
and serve God in this world, and to be happy with him forever in the next,
sums up the purpose of our lives (see Catechism, No. 1). When we sin, we
break not only with Christ but with ourselves. We feel divided interiorly by
our passions, our anger, our vanity, our greed. Christ invites us to
"come home," to be what we were meant to be. That is the surest
foundation we can have when a crisis strikes. Where am I "building on
sand"? Is my prayer life weak? Am I stingy with my possessions?
Hardhearted toward a family member?
3. Façade: We can surmise that the house built on sand looked
sturdy -- that is why no one thought to test its strength before the big
storm arrived. Our lives can be the same way. In a time of calm everything
seems OK. No cares, no fears. Everything looks good on the outside, like
those old Hollywood movie sets: all façade, but no depth. Beneath the
surface, however, there might lie decay, chronic problems, issues that aren´t
resolved, emptiness -- all because Christ isn´t the center of our lives. Are
there areas of my life where I´m living superficially? Am I just putting up
appearances for the neighbors? My parents? My spouse? My sweetheart? My
pastor? What problems do I need to weed out of my life?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, you love me too
much to stand by and let me live my life on the surface. You know it is
difficult for me to give up my mask, because it is never easy for me to face
my weaknesses. Give me the strength to confront what I need to change in my
life.
Resolution: I will note one area where I´m not living up to the
public image I present. Then I will offer up a decade of the rosary to
overcome that vice or weakness.
THURSDAY,
JUNE 26, MATTHEW 7:21-29
(2 Kings 24:8-17; Psalm 79)  KEY VERSE: "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who builds his house on rock" (v 24). READING: Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by telling his disciples that it was not enough to perform works of healing and miracles if they lived contrary to his teachings. The true disciple was one who followed his example of devotion to God's will. Jesus used the illustration of the construction practice of his time in which houses were built on a solid rock foundation. Houses built on the sand of the wadi were in danger of being destroyed by the floods that followed the winter rains. Christians who obeyed Christ's teachings were building on a stable foundation. Those who ignored his words were building upon superficial footing. They were at risk of being swept away by the difficulties that beset them in their daily lives. REFLECTING: Do I obey Jesus in his Word and in his Church? PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to strengthen the weak places in my spiritual house.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Love Transforms Us
Despite our loneliness, our powerlessness, our brokenness,
something drives us and refuses to die. We are a hunger for love. And when at
last that love comes and finds us, picks us up and holds us close, it
transforms us. We become love for others.
For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us ‘Build your house upon a rock!’ it went. ‘Make a good foundation on a solid spot. Storms may come and go, but the peace of God you will always know!’ How true this is. What wisdom it has offered for life. How important to have a strong relationship with a loving God to ground myself in all the blessings and challenges that life entails. Jesus encourages us not only to hear his message but to build our lives on solid foundations—a prayer life of listening for God and choosing to live in a loving and compassionate way. In our busy lives it can be all too easy to run out of time for prayer and reflection. It is up to us to prioritise time to nurture our relationship with God, so that it will be the strong foundation upon which our lives and actions can be built.
June
26
Blessed Raymond Lull (1235-1315) 
Raymond worked all his life to promote the missions and died a
missionary to North Africa.
Raymond
was born at Palma on the island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea. He
earned a position in the king’s court there. One day a sermon inspired him to
dedicate his life to working for the conversion of the Muslims in North
Africa. He became a Secular Franciscan and founded a college where
missionaries could learn the Arabic they would need in the missions. Retiring
to solitude, he spent nine years as a hermit. During that time he wrote on
all branches of knowledge, a work which earned him the title
"Enlightened Doctor."
Raymond
then made many trips through Europe to interest popes, kings and princes in
establishing special colleges to prepare future missionaries. He achieved his
goal in 1311 when the Council of Vienne ordered the creation of chairs of
Hebrew, Arabic and Chaldean at the universities of Bologna, Oxford, Paris and
Salamanca. At the age of 79, Raymond went to North Africa in 1314 to be a
missionary himself. An angry crowd of Muslims stoned him in the city of
Bougie. Genoese merchants took him back to Mallorca, where he died. Raymond
was beatified in 1514.
Comment:
Raymond worked most of his life to help spread the gospel. Indifference on the part of some Christian leaders and opposition in North Africa did not turn him from his goal.
Three hundred years
later Raymond’s work began to have an influence in the Americas. When the
Spanish began to spread the gospel in the New World, they set up missionary
colleges to aid the work. Blessed Junipero Serra belonged to such a college.
Quote:
Thomas of Celano wrote of St. Francis: "In vain does the wicked man persecute one striving after virtue, for the more he is buffeted, the more strongly will he triumph. As someone says, indignity strengthens a generous spirit" (I Celano, #11).
LECTIO
DIVINA: MATTHEW 7,21-29
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Lectio:
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Ordinary Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Father,
guide and protector of your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for your name,
and keep us always in your love.
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.
guide and protector of your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for your name,
and keep us always in your love.
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 - MATTHEW 7,21-29
Jesus said to his disciples: 'It is not anyone who says to me,
"Lord, Lord," who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person
who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to
me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons in
your name, work many miracles in your name?"
Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you;
away from me, all evil doers!
'Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts
on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came
down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it
did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words
of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house
on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it
fell; and what a fall it had!'
Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching
made a deep impression on the people because he taught them with authority,
unlike their own scribes.
3)
REFLECTION
• Today’s Gospel presents the last part of the Sermon on the
Mountain: (a) it is not sufficient to talk and sing, it is necessary to live
and to practice (Mt 7, 21-23). (b) The community constructed on the foundation
of the new Law of the Discourse of the Mountain will remain standing at the
moment of the storm (Mt 7, 24-27). (c) The result of the words of Jesus in
persons is a more critical conscience, concerning the religious leaders, the
Scribes (Mt 7, 28-29).
• The end of the Sermon on the Mountain presents some opposition
and contradictions which exist even in our time: (a) Persons who continually
speak of God, but who do not do God’s will; they use the name of Jesus, but do
not practice in their life the relationship with the Lord (Mt 7, 21). (b) There
are persons who live in the illusion of working for the Lord, but on the day of
the definitive encounter with Him, they will discover, tragically, that they
have never known Him (Mt 7, 22-23). The two last words of the Sermon on the
Mountain, of the house built on the rock (Mt 7, 24-25) and of the house built
on sand (Mt 7, 26-27), illustrate these contradictions. By means of these
Matthew denounces and, at the same time, tries to correct the separation
between faith and life, between speaking and doing, between teaching and
practicing.
• Matthew 7, 21: It is not sufficient to speak, it is
necessary to practice. What is important is not to speak of God in a
beautiful way or to know how to explain the Bible well to others, but rather to
do the will of the Father and, in this way be a revelation of his face and of
his presence in the world. Jesus made the same recommendation to the woman who
praised Mary, His Mother. Jesus answered: “Blessed rather those who listen to
the Word of God and put it into practice” (Lk 11, 28).
• Matthew 7, 22-23: The gifts should be at the service
of the Kingdom, of the community. There were persons with
extraordinary gifts, for example the gift of prophecy, of exorcism, of healing,
but they used these gifts for themselves, outside the context of the community.
In the Day of Judgment, they will hear a hard sentence from Jesus: “Away
from me all evil doers”. Evil, iniquity is the opposite to justice. It
is to do with Jesus what the Doctors did with the law: to teach and not to
practice (Mt 23, 3). Paul will say the same thing with other words and
arguments: “Though I have the power of prophecy, to penetrate all mysteries
and knowledge, and though I have all the faith necessary to move mountains, if
I am without love, I am nothing. Though I should give away to the poor all that
I possess, and even give up my body to be burned, if I am without love, it will
do me no good whatever”. (1Cor 13,2-3).
• Matthew 7, 24-27: The parable of the house built on
the rock. The final conclusion of the Sermon of the Mountain is to
open oneself and to practice. Many people searched their security in
extraordinary gifts or in observance. But the true security does not come from
prestige or from observance. It comes from God! It comes from the love of God
who has loved us first (1 Jn 4, 19). His love for us, manifested in Jesus exceeds
everything (Rm 8, 38-39). God becomes source of security when we seek to do his
will. There he will be the rock which supports us in the moments of difficulty
and storm.
• Matthew 7, 28-29: To teach with authority. The
Evangelist closes the Sermon of the Mountain saying that the crowds were
admired with the teaching of Jesus, “because he taught with authority, and
not like the Scribes”. The result of the teaching of Jesus is a more
critical conscience of the people in regard to the religious authority of the
time. His simple and clear words resulted from his experience of God, from his
life dedicated to the Father’s Project. People remained admired and approved
the teaching of Jesus.
• Community: the house built on the rock. In
the Book of Psalms, frequently, we find the expression: “God is my rock and
my fortress…My God, my rock, my refuge, my stronghold,
my saving strength…” (Ps 18, 3). He is the defence and the strength of
the one who seeks justice (Ps 18, 21. 24). The persons who trust in this God,
become, in turn, a rock for others. Thus, the Prophet Isaiah
invites people in the exile saying: “Listen to me you who pursue saving
justice, you who seek Yahweh! Consider the rock from which you
were hewn, the quarry from which you were dug. Consider Abraham your father and
Sarah who gave you birth” (Is 51, 1-2). The prophet asks people not to
forget the past. The people should remember that Abraham and Sarah, because of
their faith in God, became rock, the beginning of the
People of God. Looking toward this rock, the people should acquire courage to
struggle and to get out from slavery. And Matthew also exhorts the community
this way to have as foundation the same rock (Mt 7, 24-25) and thus, they
themselves can be rock to strengthen their brothers and sisters in their faith.
This is the sense of the name which Jesus gave to Peter: “You are Peter and
on this rock I will build my Church” (Mt 16, 18).
This was the vocation of the first community, called to unite itself with God,
the living rock, so as to become also a living rock, because they listen and
put into practice the Word. (P 2,4-10; 2,5; Ep 2,19-22).
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• How does our community seek to balance prayer and action,
prayer and practice, to speak and to do, to teach and to practice? What should
improve in our community, so that it will be a rock, a secure and welcoming
house for all?
• Which is the rock which supports our community? Which is the
point on which Jesus insists the most?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Help us, God our Saviour,
for the glory of your name;
Yahweh, wipe away our sins,
rescue us for the sake of your name. (Ps 79,9)
for the glory of your name;
Yahweh, wipe away our sins,
rescue us for the sake of your name. (Ps 79,9)
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