Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 377
Lectionary: 377
Thus says the LORD:
For three crimes of Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke my word;
Because they sell the just man for silver,
and the poor man for a pair of sandals.
They trample the heads of the weak
into the dust of the earth,
and force the lowly out of the way.
Son and father go to the same prostitute,
profaning my holy name.
Upon garments taken in pledge
they recline beside any altar;
And the wine of those who have been fined
they drink in the house of their god.
Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them,
who were as tall as the cedars,
and as strong as the oak trees.
I destroyed their fruit above,
and their roots beneath.
It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and who led you through the desert for forty years,
to occupy the land of the Amorites.
Beware, I will crush you into the ground
as a wagon crushes when laden with sheaves.
Flight shall perish from the swift,
and the strong man shall not retain his strength;
The warrior shall not save his life,
nor the bowman stand his ground;
The swift of foot shall not escape,
nor the horseman save his life.
And the most stouthearted of warriors
shall flee naked on that day, says the LORD.
For three crimes of Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke my word;
Because they sell the just man for silver,
and the poor man for a pair of sandals.
They trample the heads of the weak
into the dust of the earth,
and force the lowly out of the way.
Son and father go to the same prostitute,
profaning my holy name.
Upon garments taken in pledge
they recline beside any altar;
And the wine of those who have been fined
they drink in the house of their god.
Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them,
who were as tall as the cedars,
and as strong as the oak trees.
I destroyed their fruit above,
and their roots beneath.
It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and who led you through the desert for forty years,
to occupy the land of the Amorites.
Beware, I will crush you into the ground
as a wagon crushes when laden with sheaves.
Flight shall perish from the swift,
and the strong man shall not retain his strength;
The warrior shall not save his life,
nor the bowman stand his ground;
The swift of foot shall not escape,
nor the horseman save his life.
And the most stouthearted of warriors
shall flee naked on that day, says the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm PS 50:16BC-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23
R. (22a) Remember this, you who never think of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
“When you see a thief, you keep pace with him,
and with adulterers you throw in your lot.
To your mouth you give free rein for evil,
you harness your tongue to deceit.”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
“You sit speaking against your brother;
against your mother’s son you spread rumors.
When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
“Consider this, you who forget God,
lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
“When you see a thief, you keep pace with him,
and with adulterers you throw in your lot.
To your mouth you give free rein for evil,
you harness your tongue to deceit.”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
“You sit speaking against your brother;
against your mother’s son you spread rumors.
When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
“Consider this, you who forget God,
lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
Gospel MT 8:18-22
When Jesus saw a
crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Another of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.”
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Another of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.”
Meditation: "Teacher,
I will follow you wherever you go"
Are you ready to
follow the Lord Jesus wherever he may lead you? In love the Lord Jesus calls
each one of us personally by name and he invites us to follow him as our Lord
and Teacher. What an awesome privilege and an awesome responsibility! What does
it cost to be a disciple and follower of the Lord Jesus? Our whole lives, for
sure! The Lord Jesus in turn promises to give us all that we need to follow him
and more besides! Before we "sign-up" for something, it is
quite natural and appropriate to ask what it will cost us. Jesus made sure that
any "would-be" followers knew what they were getting themselves into.
The cost of
discipleship
One prospective follower, a scribe who was an expert in the Torah (the law of God in the first five books of Moses in the Jewish bible), paid Jesus the highest compliment he knew. He called Jesus "teacher". Jesus advised this would-be follower: Before you follow me, think what you are about to do and count the cost. A disciple must be willing to part with anything that might stand in the way of following Jesus as Teacher and Master. Another would-be disciple responded by saying that he must first bury his father, that is go back home and take care of his father until he died. This disciple was not yet ready to count the cost of following Jesus. Jesus appealed to the man’s heart to choose for God's kingdom first and to detach himself from anything that might keep him from following the Lord.
One prospective follower, a scribe who was an expert in the Torah (the law of God in the first five books of Moses in the Jewish bible), paid Jesus the highest compliment he knew. He called Jesus "teacher". Jesus advised this would-be follower: Before you follow me, think what you are about to do and count the cost. A disciple must be willing to part with anything that might stand in the way of following Jesus as Teacher and Master. Another would-be disciple responded by saying that he must first bury his father, that is go back home and take care of his father until he died. This disciple was not yet ready to count the cost of following Jesus. Jesus appealed to the man’s heart to choose for God's kingdom first and to detach himself from anything that might keep him from following the Lord.
The greatest call
The Lord Jesus invites us into the most wonderful and greatest of relationships - a personal relationship of love and friendship, trust and commitment with himself, the Lord and Ruler of the heavens and the earth. How can we give the Lord our unqualified "yes" to the call he has for our lives? The Lord Jesus fills the hearts of those who accept his invitation of discipleship and friendship with the outpouring of his love into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5). The love of God frees us from attachments to other things so we can give ourselves freely to God for his glory and for his kingdom. It was love that compelled the Lord Jesus to lay down his life for us. And he calls us in love to give our all for him.
The Lord Jesus invites us into the most wonderful and greatest of relationships - a personal relationship of love and friendship, trust and commitment with himself, the Lord and Ruler of the heavens and the earth. How can we give the Lord our unqualified "yes" to the call he has for our lives? The Lord Jesus fills the hearts of those who accept his invitation of discipleship and friendship with the outpouring of his love into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5). The love of God frees us from attachments to other things so we can give ourselves freely to God for his glory and for his kingdom. It was love that compelled the Lord Jesus to lay down his life for us. And he calls us in love to give our all for him.
We cannot outgive
God
What can keep us from giving our all to God? Fear, self-concern, pre-occupation, and attachment to other things. Even spiritual things can get in the way of having God alone as our Treasure if we put them first. Detachment is a necessary step if we want to make the Lord our Treasure and Joy. It frees us to give ourselves without reserve to the Lord and to his service. There is nothing greater we can do with our lives than to place them at the service of the Lord and Master of the universe. We cannot outgive God in generosity. Jesus promises that those who are willing to part with what is most dear to them for his sake “will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29). Is there anything holding you back from giving your all to the Lord?
What can keep us from giving our all to God? Fear, self-concern, pre-occupation, and attachment to other things. Even spiritual things can get in the way of having God alone as our Treasure if we put them first. Detachment is a necessary step if we want to make the Lord our Treasure and Joy. It frees us to give ourselves without reserve to the Lord and to his service. There is nothing greater we can do with our lives than to place them at the service of the Lord and Master of the universe. We cannot outgive God in generosity. Jesus promises that those who are willing to part with what is most dear to them for his sake “will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29). Is there anything holding you back from giving your all to the Lord?
"Take, O Lord,
and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will.
All that I am and all that I possess you have given me. I surrender it all to
you to be disposed of according to your will. Give me only your love and
your grace – with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more.” (Prayer
of Ignatius Loyola, 1491-1556)
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Determined Discipleship 2014-06-30 |
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Matthew 8:18-22
When Jesus saw a
crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side. A scribe
approached and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you
go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have
nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." Another of his
disciples said to him, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But Jesus answered him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their
dead."
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, I come to you in this meditation ready to do
whatever you ask. Left to myself I often take the easy and convenient path,
yet I know the way of a Christian is through the narrow gate. In you I find
the reason to abandon the easy path for a more perfect mission of love. I’m
ready to learn the meaning of your command: “Follow me.”
Petition: Lord Jesus,
help me to seek true holiness by following after you.
1. Follow His
Footsteps: The transition to becoming a disciple is not an easy
one. While a disciple generously hands over his own will to the Lord
unconditionally, the scribe in today’s passage still seeks his own will, as
noble as it may be. A disciple is born from an invitation: “Follow me.” This
scribe does not yet have the total freedom of heart that life with Christ
demands. Where do I stand? One becomes identified with Christ not through a
mere accumulation of doctrine, principles and techniques, but by living a
common life with Christ born from union with the Master’s will. May I hear
Christ’s voice setting the pace of holiness in my life and inviting me to
leave behind my own will for the new life he presents.
2. Choosing the
Better Way: Christ does not coldly ignore the scribe, but seeks to
attract him to a different way of life, a life of simple poverty. Our Lord’s
own self-emptying poverty goes beyond the lot of the poorest of men. What
Christ’s poverty shows, however, is not misery. Rather, it compels and
attracts, for it is an infallible sign of the richness of God from whom
Christ lives and moves. Christ’s living example empowers men to leave their world
for something better, nobler and more worthy of the life they have been
given. May my example also compel others to find a better way, a holier way.
3. Shunning
Shoddy Sophisms: There is an almost ruthless quality to Christ’s response
to the sophisms and excuses offered to avoid following him. Detachment from
all personal wants and desires is the way to simplicity of heart. Simplicity
of heart requires us to be brutally honest with ourselves. What comes first
in our life? What is really moving our heart to make the choices we make? Is
it God’s will? God’s will for us is never complicated; perhaps it may be
difficult, but it is never complicated. Sometimes, under the pretext of doing
good, we rationalize not doing what is better. We do not need sophisticated
analyses assessing how many obstacles there are to doing God’s will. All we
need to clear the path to its perfect fulfillment is a generous heart.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, I know you have called me; I ask for your strength
to respond with simplicity and fortitude. I have heard your voice and I now
answer.
Resolution: Today I
will live better my vocation in life and, in particular, fulfill some
obligation that I normally put off.
THIRTEENTH
WEEKDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, MONDAY, JUNE 30, MATTHEW 8:18-22
(Amos 2:6-10, 13-16; Psalm 50)  KEY VERSE: "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead" (v 22). READING: For the first time in Matthew's gospel, Jesus referred to himself as the "Son of Man," the lowly servant who was totally dedicated to God's will, and who would be exalted in glory despite grave suffering (Dn 7:13). On one occasion, an eager scribe approached Jesus asking if he could follow him as a disciple. Jesus warned the scribe that it would not be an easy task. Discipleship was a radical call that offered neither security nor comfort. When one of Jesus' disciples asked for permission to go home and bury his father, Jesus' answer appeared to be harsh. Commitment to God's reign superseded all other obligations, even those having the highest importance. All who would participate in Jesus' glory must share his total devotion to the gospel he announced. REFLECTING: Am I willing to follow where Jesus leads me today? PRAYING: Lord Jesus, give me the courage to do what it takes to be your disciple.
Optional
Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
 On the day following the remembrance of Saints Peter and Paul who suffered martyrdom in Rome, the Church celebrates other early Christian martyrs. The Emperor Nero held these Christians responsible for the great fire that took place in Rome, and they were put to death in various locations around the city, including the Coliseum and its environs. This celebration also commemorates some of the earliest Popes, successors of St. Peter, all of whom were martyred. The names of the first three are in the Roman Canon of the Mass [Canon 1]: Linus (67-76), Anacletus or Cletus (76-88) and Clement (88-97). Historical details of the lives of these early Bishops of Rome are uncertain.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
Spiritual
Childhood
The
master is more than our master; He is our Father. Our vocation is to be
children. We realize this through the gift of God’s Son. The Father loves us
as He loves Him. The key to sanctity is spiritual childhood.
Remember this, you who never
think of God
Remember this, you who never think of God.The gospel acclamation today is ‘If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Ps 94:8).’ Do we hear God’s voice when we hear an abused child’s hurting cry, a surly teenager’s monosyllables, a tired mother’s shortness of temper, a young father working long hours away from his family, a middle‑aged person facing redundancy, an elderly man longing for companionship, a grandmother fighting for her independence but needing full-time care, an asylum seeker, a refugee, a perpetrator, a victim? Do we offer mercy and compassion? Do we miss the opportunity to offer encouragement; to acknowledge someone’s giftedness—to say to the surly teenager, ‘I love you more than you know’; to have a cuppa with someone who’s lonely; to listen to the asylum seeker’s story? Do we take time to hear people’s stories? ‘If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.’
June 30
First Martyrs of the Church of Rome (d. 68) 
There were Christians in Rome within a dozen or so years after
the death of Jesus, though they were not the converts of the “Apostle of the
Gentiles” (Romans 15:20). Paul had not yet visited them at the time he wrote
his great letter in 57-58 A.D..
There
was a large Jewish population in Rome. Probably as a result of controversy
between Jews and Jewish Christians, the Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews
from Rome in 49-50 A.D. Suetonius the historian says that the expulsion was
due to disturbances in the city “caused by the certain Chrestus” [Christ].
Perhaps many came back after Claudius’s death in 54 A.D. Paul’s letter was
addressed to a Church with members from Jewish and Gentile backgrounds.
In July
of 64 A.D., more than half of Rome was destroyed by fire. Rumor blamed the
tragedy on Nero, who wanted to enlarge his palace. He shifted the blame by
accusing the Christians. According to the historian Tacitus, many Christians
were put to death because of their “hatred of the human race.” Peter and Paul
were probably among the victims.
Threatened
by an army revolt and condemned to death by the senate, Nero committed
suicide in 68 A.D. at the age of 31.
Comment:
Wherever the Good News of Jesus was preached, it met the same opposition as Jesus did, and many of those who began to follow him shared his suffering and death. But no human force could stop the power of the Spirit unleashed upon the world. The blood of martyrs has always been, and will always be, the seed of Christians.
Quote:
Pope Clement I, third successor of St. Peter, writes: “It was through envy and jealousy that the greatest and most upright pillars of the Church were persecuted and struggled unto death.... First of all, Peter, who because of unreasonable jealousy suffered not merely once or twice but many times, and, having thus given his witness, went to the place of glory that he deserved. It was through jealousy and conflict that Paul showed the way to the prize for perseverance. He was put in chains seven times, sent into exile, and stoned; a herald both in the east and the west, he achieved a noble fame by his faith....”
“Around these men
with their holy lives there are gathered a great throng of the elect, who,
though victims of jealousy, gave us the finest example of endurance in the
midst of many indignities and tortures. Through jealousy women were
tormented, like Dirce or the daughters of Danaus, suffering terrible and
unholy acts of violence. But they courageously finished the course of faith
and despite their bodily weakness won a noble prize.”
LECTIO
DIVINA: MATTHEW 8,18-22
Lectio:
Monday, June 30, 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, on God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2)
GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW 8,18-22
When Jesus saw the crowd all about him he gave orders to leave
for the other side. One of the scribes then came up and said to him, 'Master,
I will follow you wherever you go.' Jesus said, 'Foxes have holes and the
birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.'
Another man, one of the disciples, said to him, 'Lord, let me
go and bury my father first.' But Jesus said, 'Follow me, and leave the dead
to bury their dead.'
3)
REFLECTION
• From the 10th to the 12th week
of ordinary time, we have meditated on chapters 5 to 8 of the Gospel of
Matthew. Following the meditation of chapter 8, today’s Gospel presents the
conditions of the following of Jesus. Jesus decides to go to the other side
of the lake, and a person asks to follow him (Mt 8, 18-22).
• Matthew 8, 18: Jesus orders to go to the other side
of the lake. He had accepted and cured all the sick whom people had
brought to him (Mt 8, 16). Many people were around him. Seeing that crowd,
Jesus decides to go to the other side of the lake. In Mark’s Gospel, from
which Matthew takes a great part of his information, the context is diverse.
Jesus had just finished the discourse of the parables (Mk 4, 3-34) and said:
“Let us go to the other side!” (Mk 4, 35), and, once on the boat from where
he had pronounced the discourse (cf. Mk 4, 1-2), the disciples took him to
the other side. Jesus was so tired that he went to sleep on a cushion (Mc 4,
38).
• Matthew 8, 19: A doctor of the Law wants to follow
Jesus. At the moment in which Jesus decides to cross the lake, a
doctor of the law came to him and said:“Master I will follow you wherever
you go”. A parallel text in Luke (Lk 9, 57-62) treats the same theme
but in a slightly diverse way. According to Luke, Jesus had decided to go to
Jerusalem where he would have been condemned and killed. In going toward
Jerusalem, he entered the territory of Samaria (Lk 9, 51-52), where three
persons ask to follow him (Lk 9, 57.59.61). In Matthew’s Gospel, who writes
for the converted Jews, the person who wants to follow Jesus is a doctor of
the law. Matthew insists on the fact that an authority of the Jews recognizes
the value of Jesus and asks to follow him, to be one of his disciples. In
Luke, who writes for the converted pagans, the persons who want to follow
Jesus are Samaritans. Luke stresses the ecumenical openness of Jesus who
accepts also the non Jews to be his disciples.
• Matthew 8, 20: The response of Jesus to the doctor
of the law. The response of Jesus is identical both in Matthew and
in Luke, and it is a very demanding response which leaves no doubts: “Foxes
have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the son of Man has nowhere
to lay his head”. Anyone who wants to be a disciple of Jesus has to
know what he is doing. He should examine the exigencies and estimate well,
before taking a decision (Lk 14, 28-32). “So in the same way none of
you can be my disciple without giving up all that he owns”. (Lk 14,
33).
• Matthew 8, 21: A disciple asks to go and bury his
father. Immediately, one who was already a disciple asks him
permission to go and bury his deceased father: “Lord, let me go and bury
my father first”. In other words, he asks Jesus to delay crossing
the lake for later after the burial of his father. To bury one’s parents was
a sacred duty for the sons (cf. Tb 4, 3-4).
• Matthew 8, 22: The answer of Jesus. Once
again the response of Jesus is very demanding. Jesus does not delay his trip
over to the other side of the lake and says to the disciple: “Follow me,
and leave the dead to bury their dead”. When Elijah called Elisha,
he allows him to greet his relatives (1K 19, 20). Jesus is much more
demanding. In order to understand all the significance and importance of the
response of Jesus it is well to remember that the expressionLeave the dead
to bury their dead was a popular proverb used by the people to
indicate that it is not necessary to spend energies in things which have no
future and which have nothing to do with life. Such a proverb should not be
taken literally. It is necessary to consider the objective with which it is
being used. Thus, in our case, by means of the proverb Jesus stresses the
radical exigency of the new life to which he calls and which demands to
abandon everything to follow Jesus. It describes the exigencies of following of
Jesus. To follow Jesus.Like the rabbi of that time Jesus gathers
his disciples . All of them “follow Jesus” To follow was the
term which was used to indicate the relationship between the disciple and the
master. For the first Christians, to follow Jesus, meant three
very important things bound together: a) To imitate the example of
the Master: Jesus was the model to be imitated and to recreate in
the life of the disciple (Jn 13, 13-15). Living together daily allowed for a
constant confrontation. In “Jesus’ School” only one subject was taught: The
Kingdom and this Kingdom is recognized in the life and practice of
Jesus. b) To participate in the destiny of the Master: Anyone
who followed Jesus should commit himself like he to be with him in his
privations (Lk 22, 28), including in persecutions (Mt 10, 24-25) and on the
Cross (Lk 14, 27). He should be ready to die with him (Jn 11, 16). c) To
bear within us the life of Jesus: After Easter, the light of the
Resurrection, the following took on a third dimension: "It is no
longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me" (Ga 2, 20). It is a
question of the mystical dimension of the following, fruit of the action of
the Spirit. The Christians tried to follow in their life the path of Jesus
who had died in defence of life and rose from the dead thanks to the power of
God. (Ph 3, 10-11).
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• To be a disciple of Jesus. to follow Jesus. How am I living
the following of Jesus?
• The foxes have their lairs and the birds of heaven their
nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. How can we live today
this exigency of Jesus?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your face will grow bright,
you will never hang your head in shame. A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears, saves him from all his troubles. (Ps 34, 5-6) |
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