Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 432
Lectionary: 432
Brothers and
sisters:
The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
Among men, who knows what pertains to the man
except his spirit that is within?
Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.
We have not received the spirit of the world
but the Spirit who is from God,
so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.
And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom,
but with words taught by the Spirit,
describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.
Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God,
for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it,
because it is judged spiritually.
The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything
but is not subject to judgment by anyone.
For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?”
But we have the mind of Christ.
The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
Among men, who knows what pertains to the man
except his spirit that is within?
Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.
We have not received the spirit of the world
but the Spirit who is from God,
so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.
And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom,
but with words taught by the Spirit,
describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.
Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God,
for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it,
because it is judged spiritually.
The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything
but is not subject to judgment by anyone.
For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?”
But we have the mind of Christ.
Responsorial Psalm PS 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13AB, 13CD-14
R. (17) The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Gospel LK 4:31-37
Jesus went down to
Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,
and he cried out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another,
“What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
and they come out.”
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,
and he cried out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another,
“What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
and they come out.”
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
Meditation: "His word was with authority"
When you listen to the word of God in Scripture
how do you respond to it? Do you hear it with indifference, selective
submission, or with the full assent of faith and obedience? When Jesus taught
he spoke with authority. He spoke the word of God as no one had spoken it
before. When the Rabbis taught they supported their statements with quotes from
other authorities. The prophets spoke with delegated authority - Thus
says the Lord. When Jesus spoke he needed no authorities to back his
statements. He was authority incarnate - the Word of God made flesh. When he
spoke, God spoke. When he commanded even the demons obeyed.
God's Word is alive and active
Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD), in his commentary on this passage from the Gospel of Luke, tells us that Jesus had all power and authority to heal every sickness and expel every demonic power because he was theliving and active Word of God the Father (John 1:14 and Hebrews 4:12):
Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD), in his commentary on this passage from the Gospel of Luke, tells us that Jesus had all power and authority to heal every sickness and expel every demonic power because he was theliving and active Word of God the Father (John 1:14 and Hebrews 4:12):
The bystanders, witnesses
of such great deeds, were astonished at the power of his word. He performed his
miracles, without offering up a prayer, asking no one else at all for the power
to accomplish them. Since he is the living and active Word of God the Father,
by whom all things exist, and in whom all things are, in his own person he
crushed Satan and closed the profane mouth of impure demons. [Commentary on
Luke, Homily 12].
God's
Word has power to set us free
God's living and abiding Word is truth and life and it has power to set us free from every sin and oppression and bring us healing of body, mind, and spirit. If the demons, the fallen angels, were able to recognize the power and authority of Jesus, the Son of God, how much more should we recognize and believe in the power and authority of the Gospel - the good news of Jesus Christ, and entrust our lives to the Lord Jesus?
God's Word produces life and freedom for us
The Lord Jesus speaks his life-giving Word to us each and every day so that we may walk in the freedom of his love and truth. If we approach the Word of God with meekness and humility, and with an eagerness to do everything the Lord desires, we are in a much better position to learn what God wants to teach us through his word. Are you ready to follow the Lord Jesus and to conform your life according to his word?
God's living and abiding Word is truth and life and it has power to set us free from every sin and oppression and bring us healing of body, mind, and spirit. If the demons, the fallen angels, were able to recognize the power and authority of Jesus, the Son of God, how much more should we recognize and believe in the power and authority of the Gospel - the good news of Jesus Christ, and entrust our lives to the Lord Jesus?
God's Word produces life and freedom for us
The Lord Jesus speaks his life-giving Word to us each and every day so that we may walk in the freedom of his love and truth. If we approach the Word of God with meekness and humility, and with an eagerness to do everything the Lord desires, we are in a much better position to learn what God wants to teach us through his word. Are you ready to follow the Lord Jesus and to conform your life according to his word?
"Lord Jesus, you have the words of
everlasting life. May I never doubt your saving love and mercy, and the power
of your word to bring healing, restoration, and freedom from every sin and
oppression."
 Christ at Home in Capernaum |
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September
2, 2014. Tuesday of Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
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Luke 4:31-37
Jesus
then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the
sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with
authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean
demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "Ha! What have you to do with
us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the
Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out
of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out
of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one
another, "What is there about his word? For with authority and power he
commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And news of him spread
everywhere in the surrounding region.
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, you
have looked with favor on me. You have seen in my soul fertile ground, and
you have sown your word in hope of an abundant harvest. I hope never to let
you down by not responding in faith. I allow you to lead me to the fullness
of my vocation as your disciple.
Petition: Christ, may zeal for your
friendship consume me so much that I remove all sin from my life.
1.
Great Hopes: Jesus
had great plans for Capernaum –– a big city, situated by the lake on the “way
of the sea,” a thoroughfare open to travelers. It was an ideal hub from which
to spread the Gospel. Would anyone from such a big town have interest in his
message? Christ made his home there. He exercised the greater part of his
public ministry in Capernaum and graced it with more than one-third of his
miracles. It was quite different from Nazareth. Christ asks us to find our
Capernaum –– seeking that niche, using those talents, evangelizing that
audience — where we can become the most effective apostles for him. This may
demand a greater love from us, but we can see how Christ blesses this effort
with his presence, teaching and healing.
2.
Simple Faith: Christ
chooses to cure a man on the Sabbath in Capernaum and nobody raises an
eyebrow! How different this is from Jerusalem! These people here have a
simple faith, unconcerned about the legalities of ritualistic orthodoxy.
“Here I can preach. Here I can heal. Here I can work!” Christ feels at home
and welcomed. Here Christ finds vocations: Peter, Andrew, James, John,
Matthew. Here Christ finds faith even among the pagans: the centurion who
asks for a cure. One can sense a special predilection of Christ toward this
city. From those who have been given more, more will be expected.
3.
Generosity Pushed to Its Limits: Once
a soul responds in generosity, Christ opportunely draws it to the fullness of
its vocation. Encouraged by Capernaum’s faith, Christ asks more of it; just
as he asked of the rich young man. As we see later in the Gospel, what better
place than faith-filled Capernaum for Christ to reveal to the world one of
his most difficult teachings: presenting himself as the Living Bread come
down from heaven? In the end, the majority leave him. “Will you go away too?”
The present-day ruins of Capernaum testify to the truth of Christ’s warning:
“As for you, Capernaum, ‘Are you to be exalted to the skies? You shall go
down to the realm of death!’ If the miracles worked in you had taken place in
Sodom, it would be standing today. I assure you, it will go easier for Sodom
than for you on the Day of Judgment” (Matthew 11:23-4).
Conversation
with Christ: Lord,
you know me and you know everything about me. Let me not become blinded by
the arrogance of my own opinions and ideas. Help me to keep you always before
me as the goal of my life, the pearl of great price, for which I joyfully
sell all I own to possess.
Resolution: I will use one of my talents to
help somebody today.
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, LUKE 4:31-37
(1 Corinthians 2:10b-16; Psalm 145)
(1 Corinthians 2:10b-16; Psalm 145)
KEY VERSE: "For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out" (v 36).
READING: After Jesus was rejected by the people of his hometown, Nazareth (Lk 4:29-30), he went to Capernaum on the northwest coast of Lake Gennesaret (the Sea of Galilee). Once again Jesus taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and this time the people were impressed by his authoritative words. Jesus was suddenly interrupted by the demonic shriek of a man possessed by an evil spirit. Although many did not recognize who Jesus truly was, the demon knew that he was the "Holy One of God" who had come to destroy evil and restore God's supremacy over humankind. With a powerful command, Jesus exorcized the evil spirit and healed the man. The people were in awe of the power of Jesus' word, and his fame spread throughout the area.
REFLECTING: What sort of evil needs to be cast out of my community?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, heal me with your word of life.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
The Gift of Friendship
The amazing friends I have: I didn’t “find” them; I certainly
don’t deserve them; but I do have them. And there is only one feasible reason:
because my friends are God’s gift to me in proof of His love for me, His
friendship.
September
2
Blessed John Francis Burté and Companions
(d. 1792; d. 1794)
Blessed John Francis Burté and Companions
(d. 1792; d. 1794)
These priests were victims of the French Revolution. Though their
martyrdom spans a period of several years, they stand together in the Church’s
memory because they all gave their lives for the same principle. The Civil
Constitution of the Clergy (1791) required all priests to take an oath which
amounted to a denial of the faith. Each of these men refused and was executed.
John
Francis Burté became a Franciscan at 16 and after ordination taught theology to
the young friars. Later he was guardian of the large Conventual friary in Paris
until he was arrested and held in the convent of the Carmelites.
Appolinaris
of Posat was born in 1739 in Switzerland. He joined the Capuchins and acquired
a reputation as an excellent preacher, confessor and instructor of clerics.
Sent to the East as a missionary, he was in Paris studying Oriental languages
when the French Revolution began. Refusing the oath, he was swiftly arrested and
detained in the Carmelite convent.
Severin
Girault, a member of the Third Order Regular, was a chaplain for a group of
sisters in Paris. Imprisoned with the others, he was the first to die in the
slaughter at the convent.
These
three plus 182 others—including several bishops and many religious and diocesan
priests—were massacred at the Carmelite house in Paris on September 2, 1792.
They were beatified in 1926.
John
Baptist Triquerie, born in 1737, entered the Conventual Franciscans. He was
chaplain and confessor of Poor Clare monasteries in three cities before he was
arrested for refusing to take the oath. He and 13 diocesan priests were
guillotined in Laval on January 21, 1794. He was beatified in 1955.
Comment:
"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" was the motto of the French Revolution. If individuals have "inalienable rights," as the Declaration of Independence states, these must come not from the agreement of society (which can be very fragile) but directly from God. Do we believe that? Do we act on it?
"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" was the motto of the French Revolution. If individuals have "inalienable rights," as the Declaration of Independence states, these must come not from the agreement of society (which can be very fragile) but directly from God. Do we believe that? Do we act on it?
Quote:
“The upheaval which occurred in France toward the close of the 18th century wrought havoc in all things sacred and profane and vented its fury against the Church and her ministers. Unscrupulous men came to power who concealed their hatred for the Church under the deceptive guise of philosophy.... It seemed that the times of the early persecutions had returned. The Church, spotless bride of Christ, became resplendent with bright new crowns of martyrdom” (Acts of Martyrdom).
“The upheaval which occurred in France toward the close of the 18th century wrought havoc in all things sacred and profane and vented its fury against the Church and her ministers. Unscrupulous men came to power who concealed their hatred for the Church under the deceptive guise of philosophy.... It seemed that the times of the early persecutions had returned. The Church, spotless bride of Christ, became resplendent with bright new crowns of martyrdom” (Acts of Martyrdom).
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 4,31-37
Lectio:
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
every good thing comes from you.
Fill our hearts with love for you,
increase our faith,
and by your constant care
protect the good you have given us.
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.
every good thing comes from you.
Fill our hearts with love for you,
increase our faith,
and by your constant care
protect the good you have given us.
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 4,31-37
Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught them
on the Sabbath.
And his teaching made a deep impression on them because his word carried authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’
But Jesus rebuked it, saying, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man into the middle, went out of him without hurting him at all.
Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What is it in his words? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And the news of him travelled all through the surrounding countryside.
And his teaching made a deep impression on them because his word carried authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’
But Jesus rebuked it, saying, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man into the middle, went out of him without hurting him at all.
Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What is it in his words? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And the news of him travelled all through the surrounding countryside.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we can see the facts more closely: the
admiration of the people because of the way Jesus taught and the cure of a man
who was possessed by an unclean spirit. Not all the Evangelists give this
account in the same way. For Luke, the first miracle is the peace with which
Jesus liberates himself from the threat of death on the part of the people of
Nazareth (Lk 4, 29-30) and the cure of the possessed man (Lk 4, 33-35). For
Matthew, the first miracle is the cure of the sick and of the possessed (Mt 4,
23) or, more specifically, the cure of a leper (Mt 8, 1-4). For Mark, the
miracle was the expulsion of the devil (Mk 1, 23-26). For John, the first
miracle was Cana, where Jesus changed the water into wine (Jn 2, 1-11). Thus,
in the way of narrating things, each Evangelist, accordingly, indicates which
was the greatest concern of Jesus.
• Luke 4, 31: The change of Jesus toward Capernaum: “Jesus descends to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and on Saturday he taught the people”. Matthew says that Jesus went to live in Capernaum (Mt 4, 13). He changed his residence. Capernaum was a small city on the crossroad between two important streets: the one coming from Asia Minor and was leading to Petra on the south of Transjordan, and the other one coming from the region of the two rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates, and descended toward Egypt. The change toward Capernaum facilitated the contact with the people and the diffusion of the Good News.
• Luke 4, 32: Admiration of the people at the teaching of Jesus. The first thing that people perceive is that Jesus teaches in a different way. It is not so much the content that strikes them, but rather his way of teaching: “Jesus speaks with authority”. Mark adds that because of his different way of teaching; Jesus created a critical conscience among the people in regard to the religious authority of his time. The people perceived and compared: “He teaches with authority, unlike the Scribes” (Mk 1, 22.27). The Scribes taught quoting authority. Jesus does not quote any authority; rather he speaks starting from his experience of God and of his life.
• Luke 4, 33-35: Jesus fights against the power of evil. The first miracle is the expulsion of the devil. The power of evil took possession of persons, alienating them. Jesus restores the persons to be themselves again, giving them back the consciousness and liberty. He does this thanks to the force of his word: “Be quiet! Come out of him!” And on another occasion he says: “But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the Kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares” (Lk 11, 20). Today, also, many people live alienated from themselves, subjugated by the means of communication, by the propaganda of the government and of business. They live slaves of consumerism, oppressed by debts and threatened by creditors. People think that they do not live well if they do not have everything which the propaganda announces. It is not easy to expel this power which today, alienates many people, and return the persons to be themselves again.
• Luke 4, 36-37: The reaction of the people: he gives orders to the unclean spirits. Jesus not only has a diverse way of teaching the things of God, but another aspect which causes admiration in the people is his power over unclean spirits: “What is it in his words? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out”. Jesus opens a new path so that the people can place themselves before God to pray and to receive the blessings promised to Abraham. Before, they had to purify themselves. There were many laws and norms which made the life of the people difficult and marginalized many persons who were considered impure. But now, purified by faith in Jesus, persons could once again place themselves before God and pray to him, without the need to have recourse to the complicated norms of purity which were frequently expensive.
• Luke 4, 31: The change of Jesus toward Capernaum: “Jesus descends to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and on Saturday he taught the people”. Matthew says that Jesus went to live in Capernaum (Mt 4, 13). He changed his residence. Capernaum was a small city on the crossroad between two important streets: the one coming from Asia Minor and was leading to Petra on the south of Transjordan, and the other one coming from the region of the two rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates, and descended toward Egypt. The change toward Capernaum facilitated the contact with the people and the diffusion of the Good News.
• Luke 4, 32: Admiration of the people at the teaching of Jesus. The first thing that people perceive is that Jesus teaches in a different way. It is not so much the content that strikes them, but rather his way of teaching: “Jesus speaks with authority”. Mark adds that because of his different way of teaching; Jesus created a critical conscience among the people in regard to the religious authority of his time. The people perceived and compared: “He teaches with authority, unlike the Scribes” (Mk 1, 22.27). The Scribes taught quoting authority. Jesus does not quote any authority; rather he speaks starting from his experience of God and of his life.
• Luke 4, 33-35: Jesus fights against the power of evil. The first miracle is the expulsion of the devil. The power of evil took possession of persons, alienating them. Jesus restores the persons to be themselves again, giving them back the consciousness and liberty. He does this thanks to the force of his word: “Be quiet! Come out of him!” And on another occasion he says: “But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the Kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares” (Lk 11, 20). Today, also, many people live alienated from themselves, subjugated by the means of communication, by the propaganda of the government and of business. They live slaves of consumerism, oppressed by debts and threatened by creditors. People think that they do not live well if they do not have everything which the propaganda announces. It is not easy to expel this power which today, alienates many people, and return the persons to be themselves again.
• Luke 4, 36-37: The reaction of the people: he gives orders to the unclean spirits. Jesus not only has a diverse way of teaching the things of God, but another aspect which causes admiration in the people is his power over unclean spirits: “What is it in his words? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out”. Jesus opens a new path so that the people can place themselves before God to pray and to receive the blessings promised to Abraham. Before, they had to purify themselves. There were many laws and norms which made the life of the people difficult and marginalized many persons who were considered impure. But now, purified by faith in Jesus, persons could once again place themselves before God and pray to him, without the need to have recourse to the complicated norms of purity which were frequently expensive.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus causes admiration and astonishment among the people.
Does the way of acting of our community cause admiration among the people of
the neighbourhood? What type of admiration?
• Jesus drives out the power of evil and restores the persons to be themselves again. Today many persons live alienated from everything and from all. How can we help them to recover and be themselves again?
• Jesus drives out the power of evil and restores the persons to be themselves again. Today many persons live alienated from everything and from all. How can we help them to recover and be themselves again?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh is tenderness and pity,
slow to anger, full of faithful love.
Yahweh is generous to all,
his tenderness embraces all his creatures. (Ps 145,8-9)
slow to anger, full of faithful love.
Yahweh is generous to all,
his tenderness embraces all his creatures. (Ps 145,8-9)
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