Memorial
of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Lectionary: 357
Lectionary: 357
Anna sat watching the road by which her son was to come.
When she saw him coming, she exclaimed to his father,
“Tobit, your son is coming, and the man who traveled with him!”
Raphael said to Tobiah before he reached his father:
“I am certain that his eyes will be opened.
Smear the fish gall on them.
This medicine will make the cataracts shrink and peel off from his eyes;
then your father will again be able to see the light of day.”
Then Anna ran up to her son, threw her arms around him,
and said to him,
“Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!”
And she sobbed aloud.
Tobit got up and stumbled out through the courtyard gate.
Tobiah went up to him with the fish gall in his hand,
and holding him firmly, blew into his eyes.
“Courage, father,” he said.
Next he smeared the medicine on his eyes, and it made them smart.
Then, beginning at the corners of Tobit’s eyes,
Tobiah used both hands to peel off the cataracts.
When Tobit saw his son, he threw his arms around him and wept.
He exclaimed, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!”
Then he said:
“Blessed be God,
and praised be his great name,
and blessed be all his holy angels.
May his holy name be praised
throughout all the ages,
Because it was he who scourged me,
and it is he who has had mercy on me.
Behold, I now see my son Tobiah!”
Then Tobit went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice
for everything that had happened.
Tobiah told his father that
the Lord God had granted him a successful journey;
that he had brought back the money;
and that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah,
who would arrive shortly,
for she was approaching the gate of Nineveh.
Tobit and Anna rejoiced
and went out to the gate of Nineveh
to meet their daughter-in-law.
When the people of Nineveh saw Tobit walking along briskly,
with no one leading him by the hand, they were amazed.
Before them all Tobit proclaimed
how God had mercifully restored sight to his eyes.
When Tobit reached Sarah, the wife of his son Tobiah,
he greeted her: “Welcome, my daughter!
Blessed be your God for bringing you to us, daughter!
Blessed is your father, and blessed is my son Tobiah,
and blessed are you, daughter!
Welcome to your home with blessing and joy.
Come in, daughter!”
That day there was joy for all the Jews who lived in Nineveh.
When she saw him coming, she exclaimed to his father,
“Tobit, your son is coming, and the man who traveled with him!”
Raphael said to Tobiah before he reached his father:
“I am certain that his eyes will be opened.
Smear the fish gall on them.
This medicine will make the cataracts shrink and peel off from his eyes;
then your father will again be able to see the light of day.”
Then Anna ran up to her son, threw her arms around him,
and said to him,
“Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!”
And she sobbed aloud.
Tobit got up and stumbled out through the courtyard gate.
Tobiah went up to him with the fish gall in his hand,
and holding him firmly, blew into his eyes.
“Courage, father,” he said.
Next he smeared the medicine on his eyes, and it made them smart.
Then, beginning at the corners of Tobit’s eyes,
Tobiah used both hands to peel off the cataracts.
When Tobit saw his son, he threw his arms around him and wept.
He exclaimed, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!”
Then he said:
“Blessed be God,
and praised be his great name,
and blessed be all his holy angels.
May his holy name be praised
throughout all the ages,
Because it was he who scourged me,
and it is he who has had mercy on me.
Behold, I now see my son Tobiah!”
Then Tobit went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice
for everything that had happened.
Tobiah told his father that
the Lord God had granted him a successful journey;
that he had brought back the money;
and that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah,
who would arrive shortly,
for she was approaching the gate of Nineveh.
Tobit and Anna rejoiced
and went out to the gate of Nineveh
to meet their daughter-in-law.
When the people of Nineveh saw Tobit walking along briskly,
with no one leading him by the hand, they were amazed.
Before them all Tobit proclaimed
how God had mercifully restored sight to his eyes.
When Tobit reached Sarah, the wife of his son Tobiah,
he greeted her: “Welcome, my daughter!
Blessed be your God for bringing you to us, daughter!
Blessed is your father, and blessed is my son Tobiah,
and blessed are you, daughter!
Welcome to your home with blessing and joy.
Come in, daughter!”
That day there was joy for all the Jews who lived in Nineveh.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 146:1B-2, 6C-7, 8-9A, 9BC-10
R. (1b) Praise
the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God while I live.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts
The LORD shall reign forever,
your God, O Zion, through all generations! Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God while I live.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts
The LORD shall reign forever,
your God, O Zion, through all generations! Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 14:23
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 12:35-37
As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said,
“How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David?
David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said:
The Lord said to my lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
until I place your enemies under your feet.’
David himself calls him ‘lord’;
so how is he his son?”
The great crowd heard this with delight.
“How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David?
David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said:
The Lord said to my lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
until I place your enemies under your feet.’
David himself calls him ‘lord’;
so how is he his son?”
The great crowd heard this with delight.
Friday (June 5): "The
Christ is the Son of David"
Meditation: What
kind of ruler does the world need today? Who can establish true peace and
justice? When the people of Israel settled into the promised land, they wanted
a king to unite and rule them like the other nations around them. Their first
king, Saul, failed to establish a dynasty. But when David was anointed king God
established a covenant with him and promised that his dynasty would last
forever. Among the Jews the most common title for the Messiah (the Hebrew word
for Christ or the Anointed One) was the Son
of David. The Jews looked forward to the long-expected Savior who
would come from the line of David. Jesus was often addressed with that title,
especially by the crowds (Mark 10:47ff, Matthew 9:27; 12:23).
Why did Jesus question the Jews on the claim that their Messiah
or Christ would be the son of David? After all the New Testament makes clear
that Jesus himself is a direct descendant from the line of David's throne
(Romans 1:3, 2 Timothy 2:8, Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38). Jesus posed the
question to make his hearers understand that the Messiah is more than the son
of David. Jesus makes his point in dramatic fashion by quoting from one of
David's prophetic psalms, Psalm 110: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at
my right hand, till I put your enemies under your feet. How can the
son be the lord of his father? Jesus, who took upon himself our human nature
for our sake, is not only the son of David, he is first and foremost the Son of
God eternally begotten of the Father. The Messiah King whom God promised to
send would not only come from David's line, but would be greater than any
earthy ruler who came before or would come after.
Jesus claimed a sovereignty that only God can claim - a
sovereignty that extends not only to the ends of the earth but to the heavens
as well. But the way Jesus would establish his kingdom was far different from
any of the expectations of the tiny nation of Israel. Jesus came to rule hearts
and minds, not lands and entitlements. He came to free people from the worst
tyranny possible - slavery to sin, Satan, and a world ruled by greed and lust
for power and wealth.
Paul the Apostle states that no one can say 'Jesus is
Lord' except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). It is the role
of the Holy Spirit to make the Lord Jesus present and known in our lives. We
can accept the Lord Jesus or reject him, love him or ignore him. He will not
force his rule upon us. But the consequences of our choice will not only shape
our present life but our destiny as well. What does it mean to acknowledge that
Jesus is Lord? The word lord means ruler or king -
the one who is owed fealty and submission. The Lord and Master of our lives is
the person or thing we give our lives over to and submit to in a full way. We
can be ruled by many things - our possessions, the love of money, our unruly
passions, alcohol, drugs, and other forms of addictions. Only one Lord and
Master can truly set us free to love and serve others selflessly and to be
loved as God intended from the beginning. When we acknowledge that Jesus is
Lord we invite him to be the king of our heart, master of our home, our
thoughts, our relationships, and everything we do. Is the Lord Jesus the true
king and master of your heart and do you give him free reign in every area of
your life?
"Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of
David and the Son of God. You are my Lord and I willingly
submit myself to your rule in my life. Be Lord and King of my life, my
thoughts, heart, home, relationships, work, and all that I do."
FRIDAY, JUNE 5,
MARK 12:35-37
Weekday(Tobit 11:5-17; Psalm 146)
Weekday(Tobit 11:5-17; Psalm 146)
KEY VERSE: "The Lord said to my Lord, `Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet'" (v 36).
TO READ: Jesus had been interrogated by the Herodians (followers of Herod Antipas), the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes. Now it was Jesus turn to ask questions. These religious leaders were hoping for a new king like David who would restore independent rule to Israel. Jesus asked how they could claim that the Messiah would be David's son, since David himself addressed the Messiah as "Lord" (Ps 110:1). Jesus was of Davidic descent, but he was also God's son. He came to fulfill the promises made to David, but only in a spiritual sense. Jesus' kingdom would "endure" and his throne would "stand firm forever." (2 Sm 7:16). The people were filled with joy and hope that the Messiah had indeed come in the person of Jesus.
TO REFLECT: Do my actions help others revere the name of Jesus?
TO RESPOND: Jesus, you are my Lord and God.
Memorial of
Boniface, bishop and martyr
Boniface was educated at the Benedictine
monastery at Exeter, England. He was a missionary to Germany from 719, assisted
by St. Albinus. Boniface destroyed idols and pagan temples, and then built
churches on the sites. In Saxony, Boniface encountered a tribe worshipping a
Norse deity in the form of a huge oak tree. Boniface walked up to the tree,
removed his shirt, took up an axe, and without a word he hacked down the six
foot wide wooden god. Boniface stood on the trunk, and asked, "How stands
your mighty god? My God is stronger than he." The crowd's reaction was
mixed, but some conversions were begun. As Archbishop of Mainz he reformed churches,
built religious houses in Germany, and founded or restored the dioceses of
Bavaria, Thuringgia, and Franconia. Boniface evangelized in Holland, but was
set upon by a troop of pagans, and he and 52 of his new flock were martyred.
Friday
5 June 2015
St Boniface. DAY OF PENANCE. Tobit 11:5-17.
Praise the Lord, my soul!—Ps 145(146):2, 7-10. Mark 12:35-37.
‘Whoever loves me will keep my word.’
The gospel acclamation uses the phrase
‘my word’ not ‘their word’. It is lovely to get that reminder before we hear
the Word of God that, as Christians, we are so bound to the words we are about
to hear, and if we love our God we will keep God’s word. A simple thought, but
there is so much of what it means to be a Christian contained in that little
phrase.
And, in so doing, we join in the great
hymn of Tobias’ father—’Bessed be God: blessed be God’s name forever.’
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
In
the Dark
|
God doesn’t wait for us to repent before he forgives us—his mercy
is constant, overflowing, and limitless. But unless we repent, we will not
receive that mercy, and we will remain unforgiven—just as someone who refuses
to open their eyes remains in the dark.
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 12,35-37
Lectio:
Friday,
June 5, 2015
1) Opening prayer
Father,
your love never fails.
Hear our call.
Keep us from danger
and provide for all our needs.
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.
your love never fails.
Hear our call.
Keep us from danger
and provide for all our needs.
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 12,35-37
While
teaching in the Temple, Jesus said, 'How can the scribes maintain that the
Christ is the son of David? David himself, moved by the Holy Spirit, said: The
Lord declared to my Lord, take your seat at my right hand till I have made your
enemies your footstool. David himself calls him Lord; in what way then can he
be his son?' And the great crowd listened to him with delight.
3)
Reflection
•
In the Gospel of day before yesterday, Jesus criticizes the doctrine of the
Sadducees (Mk 12, 24-27). In today’s Gospel, he criticizes the teaching of the
doctors of the Law. And this time his criticism is not directed to the
incoherence of their life, but to the teaching which they transmit to the
people. On another occasion, Jesus had criticized their incoherence and had
said to the people:“The Scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses:
You must, therefore, do and observe what they tell you, but do not be guided by
what they do, since they do not observe what they preach” (Mt 23.2-3).
Now, he shows himself reserved in regard to those who taught the Messianic
hope, and he bases his criticism on arguments taken from the Bible.
• Mark 12, 35-36: The teaching of the Doctors of the Law on the Messiah. The official propaganda both of the government as that of the Doctors of the Law said that the Messiah would have come as the Son of David. This was the way to teach that the Messiah would be a glorious king, strong and dominator. This is how the people shouted on Palm Sunday: “Blessed the Kingdom that is coming from our Father David!” (Mk 11,10). The blind man of Jericho also cried out in this same way: “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!” (Mk 10, 47).
• Mark 12, 37: Jesus questions the teaching of the doctors about the Messiah. Jesus questions this teaching of the Scribes. He quotes a Psalm of David: “The Lord declared to my Lord, take your seat at my right hand, till I have made your enemies your footstool!” (Ps 110,1). And Jesus adds: “If David calls him Lord, how then can he be his son?” This signifies that Jesus was not completely in agreement with the idea of a Messiah, Glorious Lord, who would have come like a powerful king to dominate and to impose himself on all his enemies. Mark adds that people were pleased with the criticism of Jesus. In fact, history informs that the “poor of Yahweh” (anawim) were expecting a Messiah who was not a dominator, but the servant of God for humanity.
•The diverse forms of Messianic hope. Throughout the centuries, the Messianic hope grew, assuming diverse forms. Almost all the groups and movements of the time of Jesus were waiting for the coming of the Kingdom, but each one in his own way, the Pharisees, the Scribes, the Essenes, the Zealots, the Herodians, the Sadducees, the popular prophets, the disciples of John the Baptist, the poor of Yahweh. In the time of Jesus, three tendencies in the Messianic hope could be distinguished.
a) The Messiah personally sent by God: For some, the future Kingdom should arrive through one sent by God, called Messiah, or Christ. He would have been anointed so as to be able to carry out his mission (Is 61,1). Some expected that he would be aprophet; others, a king, a disciple or a priest. Malachi, for example, expects the prophet Elijah (Ml 3,23-24). Psalm 72 expects an ideal king, a new David. Isaiah expects now a disciple (Is 50,4), now a prophet (Is 61,1). The unclean spirit shouted: "I know who you are: the Holy One of God!” (Mc 1, 24). This was a sign that there were people who expected a Messiah who would be a priest (Holy or Sanctifier). The poor of Yahweh (anawim) expected the Messiah “Servant of God”, announced by Isaiah.
b) Messianism without the Messiah. For others, the future would have arrived suddenly, unexpected, without mediations, without help from anyone. God himself would have come in person to carry out the prophecies. There would not have been a Messiah, properly so called. There would be a messianism without a Messiah. Of this we are aware in the Book of Isaiah where God himself arrives with the victory in hand (Is 40, 9-10; 52, 7-8).
c) The Messiah has already come. There were also some groups which did not expect the Messiah. According to them the present situation should continue as it was, because they thought that the future had already arrived. These groups were not popular. For example the Sadducees did not expect the Messiah. The Herodians thought that Herod was a messianic king.
• The light of the Resurrection. The Resurrection of Jesus is the light which enlightens unexpectedly all the past. In the light of the Resurrection Christians would begin to read the Old Testament and would discover in it new meaning which before could not be discovered, because the light was missing (cf. 2 Co 3,15-16). They sought in the Old Testament the words to express the new life which they were living in Christ. There they found the majority of the titles of Jesus: Messiah (Ps 2, 2) Son of man (Dn 7, 13; Ez 2, 1), Son of God (Sl 2, 7; 2 S 7, 13), Servant of Yahweh (Is 42, 1; 41, 8), Redeemer (Is 41, 14; Ps 19, 15; Rt 4, 15), Lord (LXX) (almost 6000 times!). All the great themes of the Old Testament spring up in Jesus and find in him their full realization. In the Resurrection of Jesus springs up the seed and according to everything that has been said by the Fathers of the Church, the whole Old Testament becomes New Testament.
• Mark 12, 35-36: The teaching of the Doctors of the Law on the Messiah. The official propaganda both of the government as that of the Doctors of the Law said that the Messiah would have come as the Son of David. This was the way to teach that the Messiah would be a glorious king, strong and dominator. This is how the people shouted on Palm Sunday: “Blessed the Kingdom that is coming from our Father David!” (Mk 11,10). The blind man of Jericho also cried out in this same way: “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!” (Mk 10, 47).
• Mark 12, 37: Jesus questions the teaching of the doctors about the Messiah. Jesus questions this teaching of the Scribes. He quotes a Psalm of David: “The Lord declared to my Lord, take your seat at my right hand, till I have made your enemies your footstool!” (Ps 110,1). And Jesus adds: “If David calls him Lord, how then can he be his son?” This signifies that Jesus was not completely in agreement with the idea of a Messiah, Glorious Lord, who would have come like a powerful king to dominate and to impose himself on all his enemies. Mark adds that people were pleased with the criticism of Jesus. In fact, history informs that the “poor of Yahweh” (anawim) were expecting a Messiah who was not a dominator, but the servant of God for humanity.
•The diverse forms of Messianic hope. Throughout the centuries, the Messianic hope grew, assuming diverse forms. Almost all the groups and movements of the time of Jesus were waiting for the coming of the Kingdom, but each one in his own way, the Pharisees, the Scribes, the Essenes, the Zealots, the Herodians, the Sadducees, the popular prophets, the disciples of John the Baptist, the poor of Yahweh. In the time of Jesus, three tendencies in the Messianic hope could be distinguished.
a) The Messiah personally sent by God: For some, the future Kingdom should arrive through one sent by God, called Messiah, or Christ. He would have been anointed so as to be able to carry out his mission (Is 61,1). Some expected that he would be aprophet; others, a king, a disciple or a priest. Malachi, for example, expects the prophet Elijah (Ml 3,23-24). Psalm 72 expects an ideal king, a new David. Isaiah expects now a disciple (Is 50,4), now a prophet (Is 61,1). The unclean spirit shouted: "I know who you are: the Holy One of God!” (Mc 1, 24). This was a sign that there were people who expected a Messiah who would be a priest (Holy or Sanctifier). The poor of Yahweh (anawim) expected the Messiah “Servant of God”, announced by Isaiah.
b) Messianism without the Messiah. For others, the future would have arrived suddenly, unexpected, without mediations, without help from anyone. God himself would have come in person to carry out the prophecies. There would not have been a Messiah, properly so called. There would be a messianism without a Messiah. Of this we are aware in the Book of Isaiah where God himself arrives with the victory in hand (Is 40, 9-10; 52, 7-8).
c) The Messiah has already come. There were also some groups which did not expect the Messiah. According to them the present situation should continue as it was, because they thought that the future had already arrived. These groups were not popular. For example the Sadducees did not expect the Messiah. The Herodians thought that Herod was a messianic king.
• The light of the Resurrection. The Resurrection of Jesus is the light which enlightens unexpectedly all the past. In the light of the Resurrection Christians would begin to read the Old Testament and would discover in it new meaning which before could not be discovered, because the light was missing (cf. 2 Co 3,15-16). They sought in the Old Testament the words to express the new life which they were living in Christ. There they found the majority of the titles of Jesus: Messiah (Ps 2, 2) Son of man (Dn 7, 13; Ez 2, 1), Son of God (Sl 2, 7; 2 S 7, 13), Servant of Yahweh (Is 42, 1; 41, 8), Redeemer (Is 41, 14; Ps 19, 15; Rt 4, 15), Lord (LXX) (almost 6000 times!). All the great themes of the Old Testament spring up in Jesus and find in him their full realization. In the Resurrection of Jesus springs up the seed and according to everything that has been said by the Fathers of the Church, the whole Old Testament becomes New Testament.
4) Personal questions
•
Which is the hope for the future of today’s world in which we live?
• Does Faith in the Resurrection influence the way of living your life?
• Does Faith in the Resurrection influence the way of living your life?
5) Concluding Prayer
I
am waiting for your salvation, Yahweh,
I fulfil your commandments.
I observe your precepts, your judgements,
for all my ways are before you. (Ps 119:166,168)
I fulfil your commandments.
I observe your precepts, your judgements,
for all my ways are before you. (Ps 119:166,168)
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