Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor
of the Church
Lectionary: 457
Lectionary: 457
Job answered his
friends and said:
I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?
He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.
He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.
Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.
I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?
He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.
He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.
Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.
Responsorial Psalm PS 88:10BC-11, 12-13, 14-15
R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Gospel LK 9:57-62
As Jesus and his
disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him,
“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.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
on their journey, someone said to him,
“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.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Meditation: "Fit for the kingdom of God"
Are you ready to
follow the Lord Jesus wherever he may lead you? With the call the Lord gives
the grace to respond and the strength to follow all the way to the end. Why
does Jesus issue a challenge with the call? Jesus was utterly honest in telling
people what it would cost to follow him. When a would-be disciple approached
Jesus and said he was ready to follow, Jesus told him it would require
sacrifice - the sacrifice of certain creaturely comforts. Jesus appealed to
this man's heart and told him to detach himself from whatever might hold him
back. Spiritual detachment is a necessary step for following the Lord. It frees
us to give ourselves without reserve to the Lord and his service. While many of
us may not need to give up the comfort of our own home and bed to follow Jesus,
we, nonetheless, must be willing to part with anything that might stand in the
way of doing God's will.
Don't let anything
hold you back from following the Lord Jesus
Another would-be disciple said he would follow as soon as he had buried his father. What he meant by this expression was that he felt the need to return to his home to take care of his father through old age until he died. The third had no obligation to return home, but simply wanted to go back and say good-bye. Jesus surprised these would-be disciples with the stark truth that nothing should hinder us from following the Lord. Was Jesus being harsh and rude to his would-be followers? Not really. We are free to decide whether we will take the path which Jesus offers. But if we choose to go, then the Lord wants us to count the cost and choose for it freely.
Another would-be disciple said he would follow as soon as he had buried his father. What he meant by this expression was that he felt the need to return to his home to take care of his father through old age until he died. The third had no obligation to return home, but simply wanted to go back and say good-bye. Jesus surprised these would-be disciples with the stark truth that nothing should hinder us from following the Lord. Was Jesus being harsh and rude to his would-be followers? Not really. We are free to decide whether we will take the path which Jesus offers. But if we choose to go, then the Lord wants us to count the cost and choose for it freely.
Don't miss the good
path God has set for you - it will lead to joy and freedom
What does the story of a plowman have to do with the journey? A plowman who looked back while plowing his field caused the line or furrow he cut into the soil to become crooked. One crooked line easily leads to another until the whole field is a mess. The plowman had to look straight ahead in order to keep the plow from going off course. Likewise, if we look back on what we have freely left behind to follow the Lord - whether that be some distraction, attachment, or sinful habit which leads us away from doing God's will - our path will likely diverge and we'll miss what God has for us.
What does the story of a plowman have to do with the journey? A plowman who looked back while plowing his field caused the line or furrow he cut into the soil to become crooked. One crooked line easily leads to another until the whole field is a mess. The plowman had to look straight ahead in order to keep the plow from going off course. Likewise, if we look back on what we have freely left behind to follow the Lord - whether that be some distraction, attachment, or sinful habit which leads us away from doing God's will - our path will likely diverge and we'll miss what God has for us.
Will you say
"yes" to the Lord's call for your life?
The Gospel does not record the response from these three would-be disciples. We are only left with the question which Jesus intends for us as well. Are you ready to take the path which the Lord Jesus offers? His grace is sufficient and his love is strong. 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 outmatch God in his 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). The Lord Jesus offers us a kingdom of lasting peace, unending joy, surpassing love, enduring friendship, and abundant life. Is there anything holding you back from pursuing the Lord and his will for you life?
The Gospel does not record the response from these three would-be disciples. We are only left with the question which Jesus intends for us as well. Are you ready to take the path which the Lord Jesus offers? His grace is sufficient and his love is strong. 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 outmatch God in his 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). The Lord Jesus offers us a kingdom of lasting peace, unending joy, surpassing love, enduring friendship, and abundant life. Is there anything holding you back from pursuing the Lord and his will for you life?
"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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Costly Christ |
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October 1, 2014.
Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
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Luke 9: 57-62
As Jesus and his
disciples were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, "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." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied,
"Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him,
"Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of
God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me
say farewell to my family at home." To him Jesus said, "No one who
sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the
Kingdom of God."
Introductory
Prayer: In you, Lord, I find all my joy and happiness. How could
I offend you by chasing after fleeting success and lifeless trophies? I
believe in you because you are truth itself. I hope in you because you are
faithful to your promises. I love you because you have loved me first. I am a
sinner; nevertheless, you have given me so many blessings. I humbly thank
you.
Petition: Let me
willingly accept the cost of following in your footsteps.
1. Hidden
Expenses: A would-be disciple of Jesus´ boasts that he will follow
Our Lord anywhere, whatever the sacrifice. Jesus´ response makes us wonder
whether the fellow understood what he would be getting into. Following Christ
is demanding — and not always glamorous. We might dream of doing great things
for Christ, but then find the day-to-day struggle distasteful ("the Son
of Man has nowhere to rest his head"). Unglamorous challenges take many
forms. A new wife might discover to her chagrin that her husband can´t handle
finances. Or a parent with high hopes learns that a child has a learning disability
that will limit her ability to excel. Or a husband takes a higher-paying job
to support his family, only to find his new boss is a tyrant. Or a teen
suffers ridicule at public school for her modest clothes. All these trials
can be the cost of following Christ. What price am I willing to pay?
2. Family Ties: Christ
tries to dissuade another would-be follower from "burying his
father." The man was probably settling his father´s estate and getting
too involved in family finances. Our Lord wanted him to cut with all that,
immediately, and get on with the work of the Kingdom. Too often money matters
distract us from doing what Christ wants. No wonder St. Paul warns, "The
love of money is the root of all evils" (1Timothy 6:10). Is
money holding me back in my relationship with Christ? Am I working longer
hours than I need to, just for the sake of money?
3. Long Good-bye: The moment
of decision had arrived. But instead of joining Jesus´ camp, the would-be
disciple felt the tug of family ties. As followers of Christ, we have to be
willing to make a fundamental option for Christ — an option that by necessity
excludes other paths. Does this sound hard? It should sound familiar. Think
of the young woman who says yes to a proposal of marriage. She does so assuming
that her beloved has long broken off other romantic relationships. Or take
the student who decides to go out for the soccer team at school. He rules out
spending hours of practice on the basketball court. By extension, if we want
to follow Christ, why do we fritter away hours in activities that have
nothing to do with our faith or the Church? Are there things I need to weed
out of my life?
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, help me focus my energies better on you and what
you are asking of me. Let me not be distracted by activities or material
possessions or even relationships that aren´t helping my spiritual life.
Resolution: I will weed out
one thing from my life that doesn´t fit in with my state as a Christian. It
could be a Web site, a subscription to a publication, an immodest piece of
clothing, a relationship.
By Father Edward
McIlmail, LC
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MINUTE MEDITATIONS
For Ever and Ever
How glorious, how holy and wonderful it is to have a Father in
Heaven.
October
1
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
(1873-1897)
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
(1873-1897)
"I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies.
To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul." These are the words of
Thérèse of the Child Jesus, a Carmelite nun called the "Little
Flower," who lived a cloistered life of obscurity in the convent of
Lisieux, France. (In French-speaking areas, she is known as Thérèse of
Lisieux.) And her preference for hidden sacrifice did indeed convert souls. Few
saints of God are more popular than this young nun. Her autobiography, The
Story of a Soul, is read and loved throughout the world. Thérèse Martin
entered the convent at the age of 15 and died in 1897 at the age of 24. She was
canonized in 1925, and two years later she and St. Francis Xavier were
declared co-patrons of the missions.
Life in a
Carmelite convent is indeed uneventful and consists mainly of prayer and hard
domestic work. But Thérèse possessed that holy insight that redeems the time,
however dull that time may be. She saw in quiet suffering redemptive suffering,
suffering that was indeed her apostolate. Thérèse said she came to the Carmel
convent "to save souls and pray for priests." And shortly before she
died, she wrote: "I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth."
On
October 19, 1997, Saint John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the
Church, the third woman to be so recognized, in light of her holiness and the
influence on the Church of her teaching on spirituality. Her parents, Louis and
Zélie were beatified in 2008.
Comment:
Thérèse has much to teach our age of the image, the appearance, the "sell." We have become a dangerously self-conscious people, painfully aware of the need to be fulfilled, yet knowing we are not. Thérèse, like so many saints, sought to serve others, to do something outside herself, to forget herself in quiet acts of love. She is one of the great examples of the gospel paradox that we gain our life by losing it, and that the seed that falls to the ground must die in order to live (John 12:24).
Thérèse has much to teach our age of the image, the appearance, the "sell." We have become a dangerously self-conscious people, painfully aware of the need to be fulfilled, yet knowing we are not. Thérèse, like so many saints, sought to serve others, to do something outside herself, to forget herself in quiet acts of love. She is one of the great examples of the gospel paradox that we gain our life by losing it, and that the seed that falls to the ground must die in order to live (John 12:24).
Preoccupation with
self separates modern men and women from God, from their fellow human beings,
and ultimately from themselves. We must relearn to forget ourselves, to
contemplate a God who draws us out of ourselves, and to serve others as the
ultimate expression of selfhood. These are the insights of St. Thérèse of
Lisieux, and they are more valid today than ever.
Quote:
All her life St. Thérèse suffered from illness. As a young girl she underwent a three-month malady characterized by violent crises, extended delirium and prolonged fainting spells. Afterwards she was ever frail and yet she worked hard in the laundry and refectory of the convent. Psychologically, she endured prolonged periods of darkness when the light of faith seemed all but extinguished. The last year of her life she slowly wasted away from tuberculosis. And yet shortly before her death on September 30 she murmured, "I would not suffer less."
All her life St. Thérèse suffered from illness. As a young girl she underwent a three-month malady characterized by violent crises, extended delirium and prolonged fainting spells. Afterwards she was ever frail and yet she worked hard in the laundry and refectory of the convent. Psychologically, she endured prolonged periods of darkness when the light of faith seemed all but extinguished. The last year of her life she slowly wasted away from tuberculosis. And yet shortly before her death on September 30 she murmured, "I would not suffer less."
Truly she was a
valiant woman who did not whimper about her illnesses and anxieties. Here was a
person who saw the power of love, that divine alchemy which can change
everything, including weakness and illness, into service and redemptive power
for others. Is it any wonder that she is patroness of the missions? Who else
but those who embrace suffering with their love really convert the world?
Patron Saint of:
Florists
Missionaries
Pilots
Florists
Missionaries
Pilots
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 9, 57-62
Lectio:
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
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.
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
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 - Luke 9, 57-62
As they travelled along they met a man on the road who said to
Jesus, 'I will follow you wherever you go.'
Jesus answered, 'Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.'
Another to whom he said, 'Follow me,' replied, 'Let me go and bury my father first.'
But he answered, 'Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.'
Another said, 'I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say good -- bye to my people at home.'
Jesus said to him, 'Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'
Jesus answered, 'Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.'
Another to whom he said, 'Follow me,' replied, 'Let me go and bury my father first.'
But he answered, 'Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.'
Another said, 'I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say good -- bye to my people at home.'
Jesus said to him, 'Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'
3) Reflection
● In today's Gospel the long and hard journey of Jesus continues
from the periphery of Galilee toward the capital city. Leaving Galilee, Jesus
enters in Samaria and continues toward Jerusalem. But not all understand him.
Many abandon him, because the demands are enormous. But others get close to him
and present themselves to follow Jesus. At the beginning of his pastoral
activity in Galilee, Jesus had called three: Peter, James and John (Lk 5,
8-11). Here also, in Samaria there are three persons who present themselves or
who are called. In the responses of Jesus there are the requirements or
conditions in order to be able to be his disciples.
● Luke 9, 56-58: The first one of the three new disciples. At that time, as they travelled along, they met a man who said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go". Jesus answered: "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head". To this first person who wants to be his disciple, Jesus asks him to divest himself of everything: he has nowhere to lay his head; much less should he seek a false security where to lay the thoughts of his head.
● Luke 9, 59-60: The second one of the three new disciples. To another one he says "Follow me". And he replied, "Let me go and bury my father first". Jesus replied: "Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the Kingdom of God". To this second person called by Jesus to follow Him, he asks him to leave the dead bury the dead. It is a question of a popular saying used to say: leave aside the things of the past. Do not lose time with what happened and look ahead. After having discovered the new life in Jesus, the disciple should not lose time with what has happened.
● Luke 9, 61-62: The third one of the three new disciples. "Another said: I will follow you, Sir, but first let me go and say good-bye to my people at home". But Jesus replied: once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God". To this third person called to be a disciple, Jesus asks to break the family bonds of union. On another occasion he had said: Anyone who loves his father and his mother more than me cannot be my disciple (Lk 14, 26; Mt 10, 37). Jesus is more demanding than the Prophet Elijah who allowed Elisha to greet and take leave from his parents (1 K 19, 19-21). This also means to break the nationalistic bonds of race and the patriarchal family structure.
● These are three fundamental requirements as necessary conditions for those who want to be the disciples of Jesus: (a) to abandon material goods, (b) not to be attached to personal goods lived and accumulated in the past (c) to break away from the family bonds. In reality, nobody, even wishing it, can break neither the family bonds, nor break away from things lived in the past. What is asked is to know how to re-integrate everything (material goods, personal life and family life) in a new way around the new axis which is Jesus and the Good News of God which he has brought to us.
● Jesus himself, lived and became aware of what he was asking to his followers. With his decision to go up to Jerusalem Jesus reveals his project. His journey toward Jerusalem (Lk 9, 51 a 19, 27) is represented as the undertaking (Lk 9, 51), the exodus (Lk 9, 31) or the crossing (Lk 17, 11). Arriving in Jerusalem Jesus fulfils the exodus, the undertaking or the definitive crossing from this world toward the Father (Jn 13, 1). Only a truly free person can do this, because such an exodus presupposes to dedicate one's whole life for the brothers (Lk 23, 44-46; 24, 51). This is the exodus, the crossing, the undertaking of which the communities should become aware in order to be able to carry on Jesus' project.
4) Personal questions
● Compare each one of these three requirements with your life.
● Which are the problems that arise in your life as a consequence of the decision which you have taken to follow Jesus?
● Which are the problems that arise in your life as a consequence of the decision which you have taken to follow Jesus?
5) Concluding prayer
Yahweh, you examine me and know me,
you know when I sit,
when I rise,
you understand my thoughts from afar. (Ps 139,1-2)
you know when I sit,
when I rise,
you understand my thoughts from afar. (Ps 139,1-2)
