Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 244
Lectionary: 244
Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime;
He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years,
and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
They shall live in the houses they build,
and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime;
He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years,
and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
They shall live in the houses they build,
and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.
Responsorial PsalmPS 30:2 AND 4, 5-6, 11-12A AND 13B
R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued
me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Verse Before The GospelAM 5:14
Seek good and not
evil so that you may live,
and the LORD will be with you.
and the LORD will be with you.
GospelJN 4:43-54
At that time Jesus
left [Samaria] for Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in his native place.
When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him,
since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast;
for they themselves had gone to the feast.
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee,
where he had made the water wine.
Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
he went to him and asked him to come down
and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him,
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
The royal official said to him,
“Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.”
The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While the man was on his way back,
his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover.
They told him,
“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.
Now this was the second sign Jesus did
when he came to Galilee from Judea.
For Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in his native place.
When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him,
since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast;
for they themselves had gone to the feast.
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee,
where he had made the water wine.
Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
he went to him and asked him to come down
and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him,
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
The royal official said to him,
“Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.”
The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While the man was on his way back,
his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover.
They told him,
“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.
Now this was the second sign Jesus did
when he came to Galilee from Judea.
Meditation: Jesus - the divine physician
Do you approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith for healing,
pardon, and transformation in Christ-like holiness? Isaiah prophesied that God
would come not only to restore his people, he would also come to recreate new
heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17). Jesus' miracles are signs that
manifest the presence of God and the coming of his kingdom of power and glory.
When a high ranking official, who was very likely from King Herod's court,
heard the reports of Jesus’ preaching and miracles, he decided to seek Jesus
out for an extraordinary favor. If this story happened today the media
headlines would probably say: "High ranking official leaves capital in
search of miracle cure from a small town carpenter."
It took raw courage for a high ranking court official to travel
twenty miles in search of Jesus, the Galilean carpenter. He had to swallow his
pride and put up with some ridicule from his cronies. And when he found the
healer carpenter, Jesus seemed to put him off with the blunt statement that
people would not believe unless they saw some kind of miracle or sign from heaven.
Jesus likely said this to test the man to see if his faith was in earnest. If
he turned away in irritation or with discouragement, he would prove to be
insincere. Jesus, perceiving his faith, sent him home with the assurance that
his prayer had been heard.
It was probably not easy for this man to return to his family
with only an assuring word from Jesus that his son would be healed. Couldn't
Jesus have come to this man's house and layed his hands on the dying child?
Without a moment's hesitation, the court official believed in Jesus and took
him at his word. He began his journey back home with renewed faith and hope -
ready to face whatever might await him - whether it be the anguish of his
distraught family and or the scorn of unbelieving neighbors. Before he could
even make it all the way back to his home town, news reached him that his son
had recovered. What astonishment must have greeted his family and friends when
they heard that his son was instantly restored to health at the very moment
when Jesus had pronounced the words - your son will live!
Jesus' miraculous healings show his generous kindness and
extravagant love - a love that bends down in response to our misery and
wretched condition. Is there any area in your life where you need healing,
pardon, change, and restoration? If you seek the Lord with trust and expectant
faith, he will not disappoint you. He will meet you more than half way and give
you what you need. The Lord Jesus never refused anyone who put their trust in
him. Surrender your doubts and fears, your pride and guilt at his feet, and
trust in his saving word and healing love.
"Lord Jesus, your love never fails and your mercy is
unceasing. Give me the courage to surrender my stubborn pride, fear and doubts
to your surpassing love, wisdom and knowledge. Make be strong in faith,
persevering in hope, and constant in love."
MONDAY, MARCH 16, JOHN 4:43-54
Lenten Weekday
(Isaiah 65:17-21; Psalm 30)
KEY VERSE: "Jesus said to him, `Your son will live,' and he and his whole household came to believe" (v 53).
TO KNOW: Jesus returned to Cana in Galilee where he had changed water to wine (Jn 2:1-12), the first "sign," or self-revelation of Jesus in John's gospel. A royal official approached Jesus and begged him to heal his dying son. Jesus was dismayed because the people refused to believe in him unless they witnessed "signs and wonders" (v 48). When the man begged him a second time, Jesus told him that his son would live. On the strength of Jesus' word, the official returned to his home. On the way, his servants met him and announced that the man's son had recovered at the very hour that Jesus declared he would live. The official and his whole household came to believe in Jesus' saving power. This was the second sign that Jesus performed in Cana in Galilee.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, help me to have faith even when I do not see any evidence.
TO SERVE: Do I put my trust in the Lord's healing word?
Lenten Weekday
(Isaiah 65:17-21; Psalm 30)
KEY VERSE: "Jesus said to him, `Your son will live,' and he and his whole household came to believe" (v 53).
TO KNOW: Jesus returned to Cana in Galilee where he had changed water to wine (Jn 2:1-12), the first "sign," or self-revelation of Jesus in John's gospel. A royal official approached Jesus and begged him to heal his dying son. Jesus was dismayed because the people refused to believe in him unless they witnessed "signs and wonders" (v 48). When the man begged him a second time, Jesus told him that his son would live. On the strength of Jesus' word, the official returned to his home. On the way, his servants met him and announced that the man's son had recovered at the very hour that Jesus declared he would live. The official and his whole household came to believe in Jesus' saving power. This was the second sign that Jesus performed in Cana in Galilee.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, help me to have faith even when I do not see any evidence.
TO SERVE: Do I put my trust in the Lord's healing word?
Monday 16 March 2015
Micah 7:7-9. The Lord is my
light and my salvation—Ps 26(27):1, 7-9, 13-14. John 9:1-41.
‘Lord, that I may see.’
Lord, our prayer today is
for spiritual sight. It is so easy to have a closed mind and not recognise your
truth. Just as those Pharisees were conditioned to think that blindness was the
result of sin, that, no matter how helpful and loving, an action performed on
the Sabbath was not from God, so also can we be prejudiced.
At this time, it is so easy
to be frightened and withdraw into the old certainties and not see new and
loving ways to serve you. It is also easy to be fed up with what seem old ways
of thinking and determine that all these old ways must go. Who are the false
prophets? As always, we rely upon you to open our eyes. We only have to ask humbly
and listen to your reply.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Overcoming Fear
|
In Jesus’s divine wisdom, He knew that fear would be one of the
many things the human heart would contend with during life. Thus, he
continually offered sheltering words, recorded in Scripture, such as, “Let not
your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
March
16
St. Clement Mary Hofbauer
(1751-1820)
St. Clement Mary Hofbauer
(1751-1820)
Clement might be called the second founder of the Redemptorists,
as it was he who carried the congregation of St. Alphonsus Liguori to the
people north of the Alps.
John, the
name given him at Baptism, was born in Moravia into a poor family, the ninth of
12 children. Although he longed to be a priest there was no money for studies,
and he was apprenticed to a baker. But God guided the young man's fortunes. He
found work in the bakery of a monastery where he was allowed to attend classes
in its Latin school. After the abbot there died, John tried the life of a
hermit but when Emperor Joseph II abolished hermitages, John again returned to
Vienna and to baking. One day after serving Mass at the cathedral of St.
Stephen, he called a carriage for two ladies waiting there in the rain. In
their conversation they learned that he could not pursue his priestly studies
because of a lack of funds. They generously offered to support both him and his
friend, Thaddeus, in their seminary studies. The two went to Rome, where they
were drawn to St. Alphonsus' vision of religious life and to the Redemptorists.
The two young men were ordained together in 1785.
Newly
professed at age 34, Clement Mary, as he was now called, and Thaddeus were sent
back to Vienna. But the religious difficulties there caused them to leave and
continue north to Warsaw, Poland. There they encountered numerous
German-speaking Catholics who had been left priestless by the suppression of
the Jesuits. At first they had to live in great poverty and preached outdoor
sermons. They were given the church of St. Benno, and for the next nine years
they preached five sermons a day, two in German and three in Polish, converting
many to the faith. They were active in social work among the poor, founding an
orphanage and then a school for boys.
Drawing
candidates to the congregation, they were able to send missionaries to Poland,
Germany and Switzerland. All of these foundations had eventually to be
abandoned because of the political and religious tensions of the times. After
20 years of difficult work Clement himself was imprisoned and expelled from the
country. Only after another arrest was he able to reach Vienna, where he was to
live and work the final 12 years of his life. He quickly became "the
apostle of Vienna," hearing the confessions of the rich and poor, visiting
the sick, acting as a counselor to the powerful, sharing his holiness with all
in the city. His crowning work was the establishment of a Catholic college in
his beloved city.
Persecution
followed him, and there were those in authority who were able for a while to
stop him from preaching. An attempt was made at the highest levels to have him
banished. But his holiness and fame protected him and the growth of the
Redemptorists. Due to his efforts, the congregation, upon his death in 1820,
was firmly established north of the Alps.
He was
canonized in 1909.
Comment:
Clement saw his life’s work meet with disaster. Religious and political tensions forced him and his brothers to abandon their ministry in Germany, Poland and Switzerland. Clement himself was exiled from Poland and had to start all over again. Someone once pointed out that the followers of the crucified Jesus should see only new possibilities opening up whenever they meet failure. He encourages us to follow his example, trusting in the Lord to guide us.
Clement saw his life’s work meet with disaster. Religious and political tensions forced him and his brothers to abandon their ministry in Germany, Poland and Switzerland. Clement himself was exiled from Poland and had to start all over again. Someone once pointed out that the followers of the crucified Jesus should see only new possibilities opening up whenever they meet failure. He encourages us to follow his example, trusting in the Lord to guide us.
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 4,43-54
Lectio:
Monday, March 16, 2015
Lent Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord our God, almighty Father,
you want us not to turn to the past
to regret it and to mourn over it
but to hope in the future,
in the new earth and the new heaven.
Give us a firm faith
in your Son Jesus Christ,
that notwithstanding the shortcomings of our time
we may have faith in the future,
which you want us to build up
with your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
you want us not to turn to the past
to regret it and to mourn over it
but to hope in the future,
in the new earth and the new heaven.
Give us a firm faith
in your Son Jesus Christ,
that notwithstanding the shortcomings of our time
we may have faith in the future,
which you want us to build up
with your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 4, 43-54.
When the two days were over Jesus left for Galilee. He himself
had declared that a prophet is not honoured in his own home town. On his
arrival the Galileans received him well, having seen all that he had done at
Jerusalem during the festival which they too had attended.
He went again to Cana in Galilee, where he had changed the water
into wine. And there was a royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum;
hearing that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judaea, he went and asked him to
come and cure his son, as he was at the point of death. Jesus said to him,
'Unless you see signs and portents you will not believe!' 'Sir,' answered the
official, 'come down before my child dies.' 'Go home,' said Jesus, 'your son
will live.' The man believed what Jesus had said and went on his way home; and
while he was still on the way his servants met him with the news that his boy
was alive. He asked them when the boy had begun to recover. They replied, 'The
fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.' The father realised that this
was exactly the time when Jesus had said, 'Your son will live'; and he and all
his household believed. This new sign, the second, Jesus performed on his
return from Judaea to Galilee.
3)
REFLECTION
• Jesus had left Galilee, and directed himself toward Judah, in
order to arrive to Jerusalem on the occasion of the festival (Jn 4, 45) and,
passing through Samaria, he was returning again toward Galilee (Jn 4, 3-4). The
observant Jews were forbidden to pass through Samaria, and they could not even
speak with the Samaritans (Jn 4, 9). Jesus did not care about these norms which
prevented friendship and dialogue. He remained several days in Samaria and many
people were converted (Jn 4, 40). After that, he decided to return to Galilee.
• John 4, 43-46ª: The return toward Galilee. Even though Jesus
knew that the people of Galilee had a certain reservation toward him, he wished
to return to his own home town. Probably, John refers to how badly Jesus was
received, accepted in Nazareth of Galilee. Jesus himself had declared that “No
prophet is honoured in his own home town” (Lk 4, 24). But now, before the
evidence of what he had done in Jerusalem, the Galileans change their opinion
and received him well. Jesus then returns to Cana where he had worked the first
“sign” (Jn 2,11).
• John 4, 46b-47: The petition of the court official. It is the
case of a pagan. A short time before, in Samaria, Jesus had spoken with a
Samaritan woman, an heretic person according to the Jews, to whom Jesus
revealed his condition of Messiah (Jn 4, 26). And now, in Galilee, he receives
a pagan, the official of the king, who was seeking help for his sick son. Jesus
does not limit himself to help those of his race only, nor those of his own
religion. He is ecumenical and receives all.
• John 4, 48: The answer of Jesus to the court official. The
official wanted Jesus to go with him to his house to cure his son. Jesus
answered: “Unless you see signs and portents you will not believe!” A harsh and
strange answer. Why does Jesus answer in this way? What was wrong with the
petition of the official? What did Jesus want to attain through this response?
Jesus wants to teach how our faith should be. The official would believe only
if Jesus went with him to his house. He wanted to see Jesus curing. In general,
this is the attitude that we all have. We are not aware of the deficiency of
our faith.
• John 4, 49-50: The official repeats his petition and Jesus
repeats the response. In spite of the answer of Jesus, the man does not keep
silence and repeats the same petition:. “Sir, come down before my child dies!”
Jesus continues to keep his stand. He does not respond to the petition and does
not go with the man to his house and repeats the same response, but formulated
in a different way: “Go home! Your son will live!” Both in the first as well as
in the second response, Jesus asks for faith, much faith. He asks that the
official believes that his son has already been cured. And the true miracle
takes place! Without seeing any sign, nor any portent, the man believes in
Jesus’ word and returns home. It should not have been easy. This is the true
miracle of faith; to believe without any other guarantee, except the Word of
Jesus. The ideal is to believe in the word of Jesus, even without seeing (cf.
Jn 20, 29).
• John 4, 51-53: The result of faith in the word of Jesus. When
the man was on the way to his home, his servants saw him and ran to meet him to
tell him that his son had been cured, that he was alive. He asked them when the
boy had begun to recover and discovered that it was exactly the time when Jesus
had said: “Your son will live!” He was confirmed in his faith.
• John 4, 54: A summary presented by John, the Evangelist. John
ends by saying: “This new sign, the second, Jesus preformed”. John prefers to
speak of sign and not of miracle. The word sign recalls something which I see
with my eyes, but which only faith can make me discover its profound sense.
Faith is like an X-Ray: it makes one discover that which the naked eye cannot
see.
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• How do you live your faith? Do you have faith in God’s word or
do you only believe in miracles and in sensitive, perceptible experiences?
• Jesus accepts heretics and foreigners. And I, how do I relate
with persons?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Make music for Yahweh,
all you who are faithful to him,
praise his unforgettable holiness.
His anger lasts but a moment,
his favour through life;
In the evening come tears,
but with dawn cries of joy. (Ps 30,4-5)
all you who are faithful to him,
praise his unforgettable holiness.
His anger lasts but a moment,
his favour through life;
In the evening come tears,
but with dawn cries of joy. (Ps 30,4-5)
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