Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest
Lectionary: 411
Lectionary: 411
See, upon the mountains there advances
the bearer of good news,
announcing peace!
Celebrate your feasts, O Judah,
fulfill your vows!
For nevermore shall you be invaded
by the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed.
The LORD will restore the vine of Jacob,
the pride of Israel,
Though ravagers have ravaged them
and ruined the tendrils.
Woe to the bloody city, all lies,
full of plunder, whose looting never stops!
The crack of the whip, the rumbling sounds of wheels;
horses a-gallop, chariots bounding,
Cavalry charging, the flame of the sword, the flash of the spear,
the many slain, the heaping corpses,
the endless bodies to stumble upon!
I will cast filth upon you,
disgrace you and put you to shame;
Till everyone who sees you runs from you, saying,
“Nineveh is destroyed; who can pity her?
Where can one find any to console her?”
the bearer of good news,
announcing peace!
Celebrate your feasts, O Judah,
fulfill your vows!
For nevermore shall you be invaded
by the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed.
The LORD will restore the vine of Jacob,
the pride of Israel,
Though ravagers have ravaged them
and ruined the tendrils.
Woe to the bloody city, all lies,
full of plunder, whose looting never stops!
The crack of the whip, the rumbling sounds of wheels;
horses a-gallop, chariots bounding,
Cavalry charging, the flame of the sword, the flash of the spear,
the many slain, the heaping corpses,
the endless bodies to stumble upon!
I will cast filth upon you,
disgrace you and put you to shame;
Till everyone who sees you runs from you, saying,
“Nineveh is destroyed; who can pity her?
Where can one find any to console her?”
Responsorial Psalm DT 32:35CD-36AB, 39ABCD, 41
R. (39c) It is I who deal death and give life.
Close at hand is the day of their disaster,
and their doom is rushing upon them!
Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
“Learn then that I, I alone, am God,
and there is no god besides me.
It is I who bring both death and life,
I who inflict wounds and heal them.”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
I will sharpen my flashing sword,
and my hand shall lay hold of my quiver,
“With vengeance I will repay my foes
and requite those who hate me.”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
Close at hand is the day of their disaster,
and their doom is rushing upon them!
Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
“Learn then that I, I alone, am God,
and there is no god besides me.
It is I who bring both death and life,
I who inflict wounds and heal them.”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
I will sharpen my flashing sword,
and my hand shall lay hold of my quiver,
“With vengeance I will repay my foes
and requite those who hate me.”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
Gospel MT
16:24-28
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay each according to his conduct.
Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here
who will not taste death
until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay each according to his conduct.
Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here
who will not taste death
until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
Meditation: "Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it
"
What is the most important investment you can make with your
life? Jesus poses some probing questions to challenge our assumptions about
what is most profitable and worthwhile. In every decision of life we are making
ourselves a certain kind of person. The kind of person we are, our character,
determines to a large extent the kind of future we will face and live. It is
possible that some can gain all the things they set their heart on, only to
wake up suddenly and discover that they missed the most important things of
all. Of what value are material things if they don't help you gain what truly
lasts in eternity. Neither money nor possessions can buy heaven, mend a broken
heart, or cheer a lonely person.
The great exchange - my life for His Life
Jesus asks the question: What will a person give in exchange for his or her life? Everything we have is an out-right gift from God. We owe him everything, including our very lives. It's possible to give God our money, but not ourselves, or to give him lip-service, but not our hearts. A true disciple gladly gives up all that he or she has in exchange for an unending life of joy and happiness with God. God gives without measure. The joy he offers no sadness or loss can diminish.
Jesus asks the question: What will a person give in exchange for his or her life? Everything we have is an out-right gift from God. We owe him everything, including our very lives. It's possible to give God our money, but not ourselves, or to give him lip-service, but not our hearts. A true disciple gladly gives up all that he or she has in exchange for an unending life of joy and happiness with God. God gives without measure. The joy he offers no sadness or loss can diminish.
True freedom and gain
The cross of Christ leads to victory and freedom from sin, despair, and death. What is the cross which Jesus Christ commands me to take up each day? When my will crosses with his will, then his will must be done. Are you ready to lose all for Jesus Christ in order to gain all with Jesus Christ?
The cross of Christ leads to victory and freedom from sin, despair, and death. What is the cross which Jesus Christ commands me to take up each day? When my will crosses with his will, then his will must be done. Are you ready to lose all for Jesus Christ in order to gain all with Jesus Christ?
"Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my
understanding, and all my will, all that I have and possess. You have given
them to me; to you, O Lord, I restore them; all things are yours, dispose of
them according to your will. Give me your love and your grace, for this is enough
for me." (Prayer of Ignatius of Loyola, 1491-1556)
 Selling Your Soul |
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August 8, 2014. Memorial of Saint Dominic, priest
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Matthew 16:24-28
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come
after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever
wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake
will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and
forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son
of Man will come with his angels in his Father´s glory, and then he will
repay everyone according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some
standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming
in his Kingdom."
Introductory Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to seek the things that are
above. Help me to seek the things that last forever, so that all the things
that I do may give you glory and help my brothers and sisters to grow closer
to you, who live and reign with Christ, your Son, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Petition: Father, give me the courage to take up my cross and
follow in the footsteps of your Son.
1. Friends of the Cross: There are many Christians that are
willing to be friends with Jesus in good times. However, there are very few
Christians that are true friends of Jesus, who embrace the cross at all
times, even in the bad. Of course, it is never easy to be a friend of the
cross, but who wants to be a fair-weather fan of Jesus and his Gospel? Our
Christian lives are a constant battle. We should never forget that. We all
are tempted to escape from the reality of our situation from time to time.
Nevertheless, whoever perseveres until the end will be saved and have a
fruitful life. We can’t expect to have a glorious eternity full of
celebration and joy if we don’t shed some blood, sweat and tears here on
earth for the sake of Christ and the good of our brothers and sisters.
2. Money Can’t Buy You Love: “What profit would there be for one to
gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange
for his life?” In other words, Jesus is saying that it doesn’t matter how
much money you make, or what kind of car you drive, or what kind of clothes
you wear, or what kind of degree you have. You might spend your whole life
trying to earn millions of dollars and amass all sorts of luxuries and
securities, but you will have done all this in vain. You will have missed out
on the true meaning of life and the true treasure of love. Don’t make the
mistake of constantly trying to make life easier and more comfortable for
yourself. You will only end up being hopelessly miserable and extremely
lonely.
3. Paybacks Are Tough: “For the Son of Man will come with his
angels in his Father´s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to
his conduct.” It is clear that Jesus will not let us into heaven just because
we say we believe in him. He also makes this clear in other teachings
throughout the Gospels. Faith alone is not sufficient to be saved. Even Satan
and his devils believe — and shudder (cf. James 2:19). Let us reflect
on the words of Saint James for further insight: “What good is it, my
brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can
faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one
of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you
do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by
itself, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:14-17).
Conversation with Christ: I pledge allegiance to the cross and
to the holy, Catholic Church; and to the Kingdom for which it stands: One
Body in Jesus Christ, everlasting life, with forgiveness and freedom from
sin.
Resolution: I will perform some corporal work of mercy today. (“The
corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering
the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and
burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the
chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing
to God” [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2447]).
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, MATTHEW 16:24-28
(Nahum 2:1, 3, 3:1-3, 6-7; Psalm:Deuteronomy 32)
(Nahum 2:1, 3, 3:1-3, 6-7; Psalm:Deuteronomy 32)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me" (v 24).
READING: Before revealing his glory in the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-9), Jesus warned his disciples about his coming passion and death (v 21). He wanted to help his followers understand that the pathway to exultation was not one of power but of self-denial. True glory could only be found through the way of the cross. Sharing Jesus' passion was not an option for his disciples. If they wished to follow him, they must be willing to let go of everything, even their own lives. Those things that the world valued would profit them nothing. They could not exchange eternal salvation for an earthly reward. At the final judgment, God would repay each one according to their faithful conduct.
REFLECTING: What holds me back from completely following Jesus?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to surrender my life to you.
Memorial of Dominic, priest
Dominic was born of wealthy Spanish nobility of the house of Guzman. His mother was Blessed Joan of Aza who, when pregnant, had a vision that her unborn child was a dog who would set the world on fire with a torch carried in its mouth. A dog bearing a torch in its mouth became a symbol for the Dominicans. Dominic founded the Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans) in 1215, a group who lived a simple, austere life, and an order of nuns dedicated to the care of young girls. Legend says that when Dominic became discouraged at the progress of his mission, he received a vision from Our Lady who showed him a wreath of roses. She told him to say the rosary daily, and teach it to all who would listen. Dominic is often credited with the invention of the rosary, but it predates him. There is also a story that Dominic received a vision of a beggar who, like Dominic, would do great things for the Church. Dominic met the beggar the next day, embraced him and said, "You are my companion and must walk with me. If we hold together, no earthly power can withstand us." The beggar was St. Francis of Assisi.
Into your hands, O Lord, I entrust my spirit
‘Surely life means more than food and the body more than
clothing!’The readings for today bring a deep sense of peace. With calls to trust in God’s goodness and to live in heartfelt compassion, generosity and humility, they are the essence of the Christian message. Jesus tells us to trust in God’s providence, describing the bounty and beauty of nature. ‘Why worry about clothing?’ he asks. ‘Surely life means more than food and the body more than clothing.’ As if in answer, Paul speaks of the essential tenets of Christian living with a metaphor of clothing: ‘You should be clothed in sincere compassion, kindness and humility, gentleness and patience.’ Then he says, ‘Over all these clothes, to complete them, put on love.’ Lord, we pray that we can travel lightly through life, live simply, and bring the Christian message to others through our attitudes and actions.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Repelled by Sin
The idea of the ugliness of sin and the feeling of sorrow for my
personal sins are a response to God’s action in my mind as He guides my mind’s
eye to perceive certain aspects of His truth while I listen to Him speaking
through His revealed Word in the Bible.
August
8
St. Dominic
(1170-1221)
St. Dominic
(1170-1221)
If he hadn’t taken a trip with his bishop, Dominic would probably
have remained within the structure of contemplative life; after the trip, he
spent the rest of his life being a contemplative in active apostolic work.
Born in
old Castile, Spain, he was trained for the priesthood by a priest-uncle,
studied the arts and theology, and became a canon of the cathedral at Osma,
where there was an attempt to revive the apostolic common life described
in the Acts of the Apostles.
On a
journey through France with his bishop, he came face to face with the then
virulent Albigensian heresy at Languedoc. The Albigensians (Cathari, “the
pure”) held to two principles—one good, one evil—in the world. All matter is
evil—hence they denied the Incarnation and sacraments. On the same principle,
they abstained from procreation and took a minimum of food and drink. The inner
circle led what some people regarded as a heroic life of purity and asceticism
not shared by ordinary followers.
Dominic
sensed the need for the Church to combat this heresy, and was commissioned to
be part of the preaching crusade against it. He saw immediately why the
preaching was not succeeding: the ordinary people admired and followed the
ascetical heroes of the Albigenses. Understandably, they were not impressed by
the Catholic preachers who traveled with horse and retinues, stayed at the best
inns and had servants. Dominic therefore, with three Cistercians, began
itinerant preaching according to the gospel ideal. He continued this work for
10 years, being successful with the ordinary people but not with the leaders.
His
fellow preachers gradually became a community, and in 1215 he founded a
religious house at Toulouse, the beginning of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans).
His
ideal, and that of his Order, was to link organically a life with God, study
and prayer in all forms, with a ministry of salvation to people by the word of
God. His ideal: contemplata tradere: “to pass on the fruits of
contemplation” or “to speak only of God or with God."
Stories:
Legend
has it that Dominic saw the sinful world threatened by God’s anger but saved by
the intercession of Mary, who pointed out to her Son two figures: One was
Dominic himself, the other a stranger. In church the next day he saw a ragged
beggar enter—the man in the vision. He went up to him, embraced him and said,
“You are my companion and must walk with me. If we hold together, no earthly
power can withstand us.” The beggar was Francis of Assisi. The meeting of the
two founders is commemorated twice a year, when on their respective feast days
Dominicans and Franciscans celebrate Mass in each other’s churches and
afterward sit at the same table “to eat the bread which for seven centuries has
never been wanting” (Butler’s Lives of the Saints).
Comment:
The Dominican ideal, like that of all religious communities, is for the imitation, not merely the admiration, of the rest of the Church. The effective combining of contemplation and activity is the vocation of truck driver Smith as well as theologian Aquinas. Acquired contemplation is the tranquil abiding in the presence of God, and is an integral part of any full human life. It must be the wellspring of all Christian activity.
The Dominican ideal, like that of all religious communities, is for the imitation, not merely the admiration, of the rest of the Church. The effective combining of contemplation and activity is the vocation of truck driver Smith as well as theologian Aquinas. Acquired contemplation is the tranquil abiding in the presence of God, and is an integral part of any full human life. It must be the wellspring of all Christian activity.
Patron Saint of:
Astronomers
Dominican Republic
Astronomers
Dominican Republic
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 16,24-28
Lectio:
Friday, August 8, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father of everlasting goodness,
our origin and guide,
be close to us
and hear the prayers of all who praise you.
Forgive our sins and restore us to life.
Keep us safe 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.
our origin and guide,
be close to us
and hear the prayers of all who praise you.
Forgive our sins and restore us to life.
Keep us safe 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 16,24-28
Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone wants to be a
follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life
for my sake will find it.
What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life? 'For the Son of man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his behaviour. In truth I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of man coming with his kingdom.'
What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life? 'For the Son of man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his behaviour. In truth I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of man coming with his kingdom.'
3) Reflection
• The five verses of today’s Gospel continue with the words of
Jesus to Peter which we meditated on yesterday. Jesus does not hide nor lessen
the demands of discipleship. He does not allow Peter to take the initiative and
puts him in his place: “Far from me!” Today’s Gospel makes
explicit these demands for all of us;
• Matthew 16, 24: “Take up his cross and follow me”. Jesus draws the conclusions which are valid even until now: “If anyone wants to follow me, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me”. At that time, the cross was the death sentence which the Roman Empire inflicted on marginalized persons and bandits. To take up the cross and carry it behind Jesus was the same as to accept to be marginalized by the unjust system which legitimized injustice. The Cross is not fatalism, nor exigency from the Father. The Cross is the consequence of the commitment freely taken up by Jesus to reveal the Good News that God is Father and that, therefore, we all have to be accepted and treated as brothers and sisters. Because of this revolutionary announcement, Jesus was persecuted and he was not afraid to give his life. Nobody has greater love than this: to give one’s life for his friends (Jn 15, 13). The witness of Paul in the letter to the Galatians indicates the concrete significance and importance of all this: “But as for me, it is out of the question that I should boast at all, except of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”. (Ga 6, 14). And he ends by referring to the marks of the tortures which he suffered: “After this, let no one trouble me, I carry branded on my body the marks of Jesus” (Ga 6, 17).
• Matthew 16, 25-26: “Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it”. These two verses make explicit universal human values which confirm the experience of many Christians and non Christians. To save one’s life, to lose one’s life, to find one’s life. The experience of many is the following: Anyone who is always seeking goods and riches is never satisfied. Anyone who gives himself to others, forgetting himself, experiences a great happiness. This is the experience of the mothers who give themselves, and of so many people who do not think of self but think of others. Many do this and live in this way almost out of instinct, as something which comes from the bottom of the heart. Others act in this way because they have had a painful experience of frustration which has led them to change attitude. Jesus is right in saying: “Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it”. The reason is important: “For my sake”, or like Mark says: “For the sake of the Gospel” (Mk 8, 35). And he ends saying: “What, then will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life?” This last phrase recalls the Psalm where it is said that no one is capable of paying the ransom for his life: “But no one can ever redeem himself or pay his own ransom to God; the price for himself is too high, it can never be that he will live on for ever and avoid the sight of the abyss” (Ps 49, 8-10).
• Matthew 16, 27-28: The Son of Man is going to come in the glory of the Father and he will reward each one according to his behaviour. These two verses refer to the hope regarding the coming of the Son of Man in the last times, as judge of humanity, as he is presented in the vision of the Prophet Daniel (Dn 7, 13-14). The first verse says: “The Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels and will reward each one according to his behaviour”. (Mt 16, 27). This phrase speaks about the justice of the Judge. Each one will receive according to his own behaviour. The second verse says: “There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom”. (Mt 16, 28). This phrase is an advertisement to help to perceive the coming of Jesus, the Judge of the actions of life. Some thought that Jesus would have come afterwards (1 Th 4, 15-18). But in fact, Jesus was already present in persons, especially in the poor. But they did not perceive this, Jesus himself had said: “Every time that you have helped the poor, the sick, the homeless, the prisoner, the pilgrim, you helped me, it was me!” (cfr. Mt 25, 34-45).
4) Personal questions
• Anyone who loses his life will find it. What experience do I
have regarding this?
• The words of Paul: “As for me, instead, there is no other glory than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified for me and I for the world”. Do I have the courage to repeat these words in my life?
• The words of Paul: “As for me, instead, there is no other glory than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified for me and I for the world”. Do I have the courage to repeat these words in my life?
5) Concluding Prayer
Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh,
let us acclaim his name together.
I seek Yahwe4h and he answers me,
frees me from all my fears. (Ps 34, 3-4)
let us acclaim his name together.
I seek Yahwe4h and he answers me,
frees me from all my fears. (Ps 34, 3-4)
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