Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 306
Lectionary: 306
It was not to
angels that God subjected the world to come,
of which we are speaking.
Instead, someone has testified somewhere:
What is man that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor,
subjecting all things under his feet.
In “subjecting” all things to him,
he left nothing not “subject to him.”
Yet at present we do not see “all things subject to him,”
but we do see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor”
because he suffered death,
he who “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels,”
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates
and those who are being consecrated all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers” saying:
I will proclaim your name to my brethren,
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.
of which we are speaking.
Instead, someone has testified somewhere:
What is man that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor,
subjecting all things under his feet.
In “subjecting” all things to him,
he left nothing not “subject to him.”
Yet at present we do not see “all things subject to him,”
but we do see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor”
because he suffered death,
he who “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels,”
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates
and those who are being consecrated all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers” saying:
I will proclaim your name to my brethren,
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.
Responsorial PsalmPS 8:2AB AND 5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (see 7) You have given your Son rule over the works of
your hands.
O LORD, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
O LORD, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
AlleluiaSEE 1 THES 2:13
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 1:21-28
Jesus came to
Capernaum with his followers,
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “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, “Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “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, “Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
Meditation: Jesus taught with authority
Do you believe that
God’s word has power to set you free and to transform your life? 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.
Faith works
through love and abounds in hope
Augustine of Hippo (354-430) remarked that "faith is mighty, but without love it profits nothing. The devils confessed Christ, but lacking charity it availed nothing. They said, 'What have we to do with you' (Mark 1:24)? They confessed a sort of faith, but without love. Hence they were devils."
Augustine of Hippo (354-430) remarked that "faith is mighty, but without love it profits nothing. The devils confessed Christ, but lacking charity it availed nothing. They said, 'What have we to do with you' (Mark 1:24)? They confessed a sort of faith, but without love. Hence they were devils."
Faith is powerful, but
without love it profits nothing (1 Corinthians 13). Scripture tells us that
true faith works through love (Galatians 5:6) and abounds in hope (Romans
15:13). Our faith is made perfect in love because love orients us to the
supreme good which is God himself as well as the good of our neighbor who is
created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26,27).
Hope anchors our faith
in the promises of God and purifies our desires for the things which will last
for eternity. That is why the word of Christ has power to set us free from all
that would keep us bound in sin, deception, and despair. Bede the venerable
abbot of an English monastery (672-735) contrasted the power and authority of
Jesus' word with the word of the devil: "The devil, because he had
deceived Eve with his tongue, is punished by the tongue, that he might not
speak" [Homilies on the Gospels 1.8].
Faith must be
nourished with the Word of God
Faith is both a free gift of God and the free assent of our will to the whole truth that God has revealed. To live, grow, and persevere in the faith to the end, we must nourish it with the word of God. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds that we may grow in his truth and in the knowledge of his great love for each of us. If we approach God’s word submissively, 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 eager to be taught by the Lord and to conform your life according to his word?
Faith is both a free gift of God and the free assent of our will to the whole truth that God has revealed. To live, grow, and persevere in the faith to the end, we must nourish it with the word of God. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds that we may grow in his truth and in the knowledge of his great love for each of us. If we approach God’s word submissively, 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 eager to be taught by the Lord and to conform your life according to his word?
"Lord Jesus, your
word is power and life. May I never doubt your saving love and mercy, and the
power of your word to bring healing and deliverance to those in need."
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The Steep and Thorny Road of Truth |
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January 13, 2015.
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
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Mark 1:21-28
Jesus came to
Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and
taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one
having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an
unclean spirit; he cried out, “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, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean
spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and
asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands
even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere
throughout the whole region of Galilee.
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, I long to put you
first in my life. It is easy to get caught up in daily activities. But you
are not just another activity: you are my Lord and my God. I do believe in
you, but I know that I need to believe in you more strongly. I do love you,
but I must still strive to love you more than I love myself and my plans. I
wish to offer you the best of myself right now in this time of conversation
with you.
Petition: Lord, may I understand that you are the truth. May I
love you as Truth-made-incarnate in my heart.
1. Truth and the
Good Interwoven: “For he taught
them as one having authority and not as the scribes.” In his encyclical The
Splendor of Truth, Pope Saint John Paul II reminded us of the necessary link
between freedom, truth and the good. He went so far as to say that a correct
understanding of this link is essential for the salvation of the world. Jesus
taught with authority because he was both the Truth and the Good. Our freedom
consists in recognizing this and living accordingly. Do I sincerely seek the
truth in my life? Do I sincerely seek what is truly good, or am I conforming
myself in some way to the hedonistic and self-seeking standards of the world?
2. Multiplying
Our Good: “What have you to do
with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” When our freedom
refuses to recognize that Jesus is the Truth and that our greatest good
consists in loving and following him, we feel threatened. We try to hold on
to the good we imagine that we have apart from him. He does not want to take
away the good we have, but rather he wishes to increase and multiply it. But
to do so we must allow lesser goods we now have to die so that greater goods might
rise with strength. Unless the seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains
just a seed. But if it dies it rises to new life (cf. John 12:24).
3. The Demands of
Truth: “All were amazed
and asked one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority.’” Today
we live in a relativistic world, where truth is whatever we want it to be.
“Whatever makes you comfortable” is the motto of the day. We are amazed when
Jesus breaks the mold of relativism, revealing the lie hidden within it and
proclaims that he is the Truth. When the Gospel makes demands on my life, do
I shift into relativism and believe that it makes no difference how or if I
respond? If the Gospel makes me comfortable I will obey, but if not…. Truth
can be demanding, but what a blessing it is that, in the person of Christ,
truth is also love, mercy, goodness and joy. Do I love the truth and strive
to live in the light?
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, you know how easily
I excuse myself from meeting your demands for my life. I do so even while
knowing that when I fulfill them I always discover new strength, hidden
energy and untapped resources of love within me. Help me to give myself to
you in love, to meet your demands, and to experience the power of grace
unleashed within me.
Resolution: Today I will offer Christ something that is good but
not necessary. By doing this, I will show my love for him and grow in
self-detachment, so I can be more open to the good that he wishes to give me.
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, MARK 1:21-28
(Hebrews 2:5-12; Psalm 8)
KEY VERSE: "He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him" (v 27).
TO KNOW: The people were enthralled by the power of Jesus' words. When he was invited to teach in a synagogue in Capernaum, they marveled that he taught with the authority of the ancient prophets, not as the scribes who had great learning. During the service a man that was possessed by an "unclean spirit" shouted defiantly at Jesus. The demons acknowledged Jesus' power over the forces of evil, and they attempted to gain control of him by invoking the divine name, the "Holy One of God." Just as Jesus would calm the raging waters (Mk 4:39), he rebuked the demons and ordered them to be silent. The people were astonished by Jesus' works, but they still did not understand his true identity. Nonetheless, Jesus' fame spread throughout the region of Galilee.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, you are my teacher and my healer.
TO SERVE: Do I speak against the powers of evil in the world?
(Hebrews 2:5-12; Psalm 8)
KEY VERSE: "He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him" (v 27).
TO KNOW: The people were enthralled by the power of Jesus' words. When he was invited to teach in a synagogue in Capernaum, they marveled that he taught with the authority of the ancient prophets, not as the scribes who had great learning. During the service a man that was possessed by an "unclean spirit" shouted defiantly at Jesus. The demons acknowledged Jesus' power over the forces of evil, and they attempted to gain control of him by invoking the divine name, the "Holy One of God." Just as Jesus would calm the raging waters (Mk 4:39), he rebuked the demons and ordered them to be silent. The people were astonished by Jesus' works, but they still did not understand his true identity. Nonetheless, Jesus' fame spread throughout the region of Galilee.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, you are my teacher and my healer.
TO SERVE: Do I speak against the powers of evil in the world?
Optional Memorial of Hilary, bishop and
doctor of the Church
Hilary's early life was uneventful. He married and had children (including St. Abra). As he studied the Bible for the first time, he literally read himself into the faith, and was converted by the time he finished the New Testament. Hilary lived the faith so well that he was made bishop of Poitiers from 353 to 368. Bishop Hilary opposed the emperor's attempt to run Church matters, and he was exiled. He used the time to write works explaining the faith. His teaching and writings converted many, and, in an attempt to reduce his notoriety, he was returned to the small town of Poitiers where his enemies hoped he would fade into obscurity. His writings continued to convert unbelievers. Hilary introduced Eastern theology to the Western Church, and fought the heresy Arianism with the help of St. Viventius. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1851.
Hilary's early life was uneventful. He married and had children (including St. Abra). As he studied the Bible for the first time, he literally read himself into the faith, and was converted by the time he finished the New Testament. Hilary lived the faith so well that he was made bishop of Poitiers from 353 to 368. Bishop Hilary opposed the emperor's attempt to run Church matters, and he was exiled. He used the time to write works explaining the faith. His teaching and writings converted many, and, in an attempt to reduce his notoriety, he was returned to the small town of Poitiers where his enemies hoped he would fade into obscurity. His writings continued to convert unbelievers. Hilary introduced Eastern theology to the Western Church, and fought the heresy Arianism with the help of St. Viventius. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1851.
Tuesday 13 January 2015
St Hilary.
Hebrews 2:5-12. You gave your Son authority over all your creation—Ps 8:2-5, 9. Mark 1:21-28.
Hebrews 2:5-12. You gave your Son authority over all your creation—Ps 8:2-5, 9. Mark 1:21-28.
‘I know who you are, Holy
One of God!’
The demons and unclean
spirits recognised Jesus, while the crowd did not. This happened in the
synagogue on the Sabbath when the people had gathered to listen to the
Scripture and be instructed by the scribes.
Jesus rebuked the spirit:
‘Be quiet! Come out of him.’ The spirit went out of him and the crowd were
amazed. How different was the authority of Jesus. It seemed to come from a deep
inner strength unlike the empty words of the scribes.
This is a reminder to be
vigilant and aware of the presence of evil spirits in the world and in our
lives. As philosopher Edmund Burke said, evil triumphs when good people do
nothing.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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The Essence of Idolatry
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We are so consumed with the things of the created world that we
forget that there even is a creator! This is the essence of idolatry. We gladly
follow anything other than a God who makes demands on us and tell us what to do
with our money, our bodies, our time… our lives.
January
13
St. Hilary
(315?-368)
St. Hilary
(315?-368)
This staunch defender of the divinity of Christ was a gentle and
courteous man, devoted to writing some of the greatest theology on the Trinity,
and was like his Master in being labeled a “disturber of the peace.” In a very
troubled period in the Church, his holiness was lived out in both scholarship
and controversy. He was bishop of Poitiers in France.
Raised a
pagan, he was converted to Christianity when he met his God of nature in the
Scriptures. His wife was still living when he was chosen, against his will, to
be the bishop of Poitiers in France. He was soon taken up with battling what
became the scourge of the fourth century, Arianism, which denied the divinity
of Christ.
The
heresy spread rapidly. St. Jerome said “The world groaned and marveled to find
that it was Arian.” When Emperor Constantius ordered all the bishops of the
West to sign a condemnation of Athanasius, the great defender of the faith in
the East, Hilary refused and was banished from France to far off Phrygia (in
modern-day Turkey). Eventually he was called the “Athanasius of the West.”
While writing in exile, he was invited by some semi-Arians (hoping for
reconciliation) to a council the emperor called to counteract the Council of
Nicea. But Hilary predictably defended the Church, and when he sought public
debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, the Arians, dreading the
meeting and its outcome, pleaded with the emperor to send this troublemaker
back home. Hilary was welcomed by his people.
Comment:
Christ said his coming would bring not peace but a sword (see Matthew 10:34). The Gospels offer no support for us if we fantasize about a sunlit holiness that knows no problems. Christ did not escape at the last moment, though he did live happily ever after—after a life of controversy, problems, pain and frustration. Hilary, like all saints, simply had more of the same.
Christ said his coming would bring not peace but a sword (see Matthew 10:34). The Gospels offer no support for us if we fantasize about a sunlit holiness that knows no problems. Christ did not escape at the last moment, though he did live happily ever after—after a life of controversy, problems, pain and frustration. Hilary, like all saints, simply had more of the same.
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 1,21B-28
Lectio:
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father of love, hear our prayers.
Help us to know your will
and to do it with courage and faith.
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 - Mark 1,21-28
They went as far as Capernaum, and at once on
the Sabbath he went into the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching
made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with
authority.
And at once in their synagogue there was a man
with an unclean spirit, and he shouted, '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 unclean spirit threw the man into
convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished
that they started asking one another what it all meant, saying, 'Here is a
teaching that is new, and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to
unclean spirits and they obey him.'
And his reputation at once spread everywhere,
through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.
3) Reflection
• Sequence of the Gospels of the days of this
week. Yesterday’s Gospel informed us concerning the first activity of Jesus: he
called four persons to form the community with them (Mk 1, 16-10). Today’s
Gospel describes the admiration of people before the teaching of Jesus (Mt 1,
21-22) and the first miracle when he expels the devil (Mk 1, 23-28). The Gospel
of tomorrow narrates the cure of Peter’s mother-in-law (Mk 1, 29-31), the
healing of many sick persons (Mk 1, 32-34) and the prayer of Jesus in an
isolated place (Mk 1, 35-39). Mark gathers all these episodes which had been
transmitted orally in the communities and he joins them together like bricks of
one only wall. In the years 70’s, the year in which he writes, the Communities
needed orientation. By describing how Jesus began his activity, Mark indicates
what they should do and how, to announce the Good News. Mark gives them a
catechesis, by telling the Communities the events of the life of Jesus.
• Jesus teaches with authority, differently
from the way the Scribes do it. The first thing that the people perceive is the
diverse way in which Jesus teaches. It is not so much the content, but rather
the way in which he teaches that impresses the people. For this reason, by his
different way, Jesus creates a critical conscience in people concerning the
religious authority of that time. The people perceive, they compare and says:
He teaches with authority, in a way different from the way the Scribes do it.
The Scribes of that time taught quoting the authority. Jesus does not quote any
authority, but he speaks beginning with his experience of God and of his life.
His word is rooted in the heart.
• You have come to destroy us! In Mark, the
first miracle is the expulsion of the devil. Jesus struggles and expels the
power of evil which takes possession of persons and alienated them from
themselves. The man possessed by the devil shouts: “I know who you are: You are
the Holy One of God!” The man repeated the official teaching which presented
the Messiah as the “Holy One of God”, that is as a High Priest, or like a King,
Judge, Doctor or General. Even today also, many people live alienated from
themselves, deceived by the power of mass media, means of communication, by
propaganda of business. They repeat what they hear others say. They live as
slaves of consumerism, oppressed by the power of money, threatened by debtors.
Many think that their life is not as it should be if they cannot buy what the
propaganda announces and recommends.
• Jesus rebuked the evil spirit: “Be quiet!
Come out of him!” The spirit threw the man into convulsions, and with a loud
cry went out of him. Jesus restores the person to himself. He gives him back
his conscience and his liberty. He makes the person recover his complete
judgment (cf. Mk 5, 15). Then it was not easy, it was not easy yesterday, it is
not easy today to do in such a way that a person begins to think and to act in
a way diverse from the official ideology.
• A new teaching! He commands even the evil
spirits. The first two signs of the Good News are these: his different way of
teaching the things of God, and his power over evil spirits. Jesus opens a new
road in order that people can attain purity. At that time, a person who was
declared impure could not present himself/herself before God to pray and to
receive the blessing promised by God to Abraham. He/she should first purify
himself/herself. These and many other laws and norms made the life of people
very difficult and marginalized many persons who were considered impure, far
from God. Now, purified by the contact with Jesus, persons could present
themselves before God. This was for them a great Good News!
4) Personal questions
• Could I really say: “I am fully free, master
of myself? If I cannot say it of myself, then something in me is possessed by
other powers. What do I do to expel this strange power?
• Today many people do not live, but are lived.
Do not think, but they are thought by the means of communication, by mass
media. Do not have a critical mind or way of thinking. They are not masters of
themselves. How can this “devil” be expelled?
5) Concluding prayer
Yahweh our Lord,
how majestic is your name throughout the
world!
What are human beings that you spare a thought
for them,
or the child of Adam that you care for him?
(Ps 8,1.4)
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