Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 374
Lectionary: 374
Abram’s wife Sarai
had borne him no children.
She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Sarai said to Abram:
“The LORD has kept me from bearing children.
Have intercourse, then, with my maid;
perhaps I shall have sons through her.”
Abram heeded Sarai’s request.
Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,
his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
When she became aware of her pregnancy,
she looked on her mistress with disdain.
So Sarai said to Abram:
“You are responsible for this outrage against me.
I myself gave my maid to your embrace;
but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy,
she has been looking on me with disdain.
May the LORD decide between you and me!”
Abram told Sarai: “Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please.”
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD’s messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
“Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?”
She answered, “I am running away from my mistress, Sarai.”
But the LORD’s messenger told her:
“Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous,” added the LORD’s messenger,
“that they will be too many to count.
Besides,” the LORD’s messenger said to her:
“You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone’s hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp.”
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Sarai said to Abram:
“The LORD has kept me from bearing children.
Have intercourse, then, with my maid;
perhaps I shall have sons through her.”
Abram heeded Sarai’s request.
Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,
his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
When she became aware of her pregnancy,
she looked on her mistress with disdain.
So Sarai said to Abram:
“You are responsible for this outrage against me.
I myself gave my maid to your embrace;
but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy,
she has been looking on me with disdain.
May the LORD decide between you and me!”
Abram told Sarai: “Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please.”
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD’s messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
“Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?”
She answered, “I am running away from my mistress, Sarai.”
But the LORD’s messenger told her:
“Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous,” added the LORD’s messenger,
“that they will be too many to count.
Besides,” the LORD’s messenger said to her:
“You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone’s hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp.”
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram told Sarai:
“Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please.”
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD’s messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
“Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?”
She answered, “I am running away from my mistress, Sarai.”
But the LORD’s messenger told her:
“Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous,” added the LORD’s messenger,
“that they will be too many to count.
Besides,” the LORD’s messenger said to her:
“You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone’s hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp.”
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Do to her whatever you please.”
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD’s messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
“Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?”
She answered, “I am running away from my mistress, Sarai.”
But the LORD’s messenger told her:
“Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous,” added the LORD’s messenger,
“that they will be too many to count.
Besides,” the LORD’s messenger said to her:
“You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone’s hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp.”
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Responsorial PsalmPS 106:1B-2, 3-4A, 4B-5
R. (1b) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or proclaim all his praises?
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Visit me with your saving help,
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your inheritance.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or proclaim all his praises?
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Visit me with your saving help,
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your inheritance.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
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.
GospelMT 7:21-29
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
Meditation: "The wise who built their house upon the
rock"
If you could foresee a threat to your life and the lose of your
home and goods, wouldn't you take the necessary precautions to avoid such a
disaster? Jesus' story of being swept away by flood waters and wind storms must
have caught the attention of his audience who knew that terrific storms did
occasionally sweep through their dry arid land without any warning signs. When
Jesus described the builders who were unprepared for such a life-threatening
storm, he likely had the following proverb in mind: When the storm has
swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm for ever (Proverbs
10:25).
The only foundation that can keep us safe
What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms and trials of life that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool one another with our words, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2).
What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms and trials of life that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool one another with our words, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2).
There is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be
proved, and that is by one's practice. Fine words can never replace good deeds.
Our character is revealed in the choices we make, especially when we must
choose between what is true and false, good and evil. Do you cheat on an exam
or on your income taxes, especially when it will cost you? Do you lie, or
cover-up, when disclosing the truth will cause you pain or embarrassment? A
true person is honest and reliable before God, neighbor, and oneself. Such a
person's word can be taken as trustworthy.
Christ is the only rock that can save us
What can keep us from falsehood and spiritual disaster? If we make the Lord Jesus and his word the rock and foundation of our lives, then nothing can shake us nor keep us from God's presence and protection. Is the Lord Jesus and his word the one sure foundation of your life?
What can keep us from falsehood and spiritual disaster? If we make the Lord Jesus and his word the rock and foundation of our lives, then nothing can shake us nor keep us from God's presence and protection. Is the Lord Jesus and his word the one sure foundation of your life?
"Lord Jesus, you are the only foundation that can hold us
up when trials and disaster threaten us. Give me the wisdom, foresight, and
strength of character I need to do what is right and good and to reject
whatever is false and contrary to your will. May I be a doer of your word and
not a hearer only."
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, MATTHEW 7:21-29
Weekday
Weekday
KEY VERSE: "Everyone who
listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who
builds his house on rock" (v 24).
TO KNOW: Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by telling his disciples that it was not enough to perform works of healing and miracles if they lived contrary to his teachings. The true disciple was one who followed his example of devotion to God's will. Jesus used the illustration of the construction practice of his time in which houses were built on a solid rock foundation. Houses built on the sand of the wadi were in danger of being destroyed by the floods that followed the winter rains. Christians who obeyed Christ's teachings were building on a stable foundation. Those who ignored his words were building upon superficial footing. They were at risk of being swept away by the difficulties that beset them in their daily lives.
TO LOVE: Do I obey Jesus in his Word and in his Church?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to strengthen the weak places in my spiritual house.
TO KNOW: Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by telling his disciples that it was not enough to perform works of healing and miracles if they lived contrary to his teachings. The true disciple was one who followed his example of devotion to God's will. Jesus used the illustration of the construction practice of his time in which houses were built on a solid rock foundation. Houses built on the sand of the wadi were in danger of being destroyed by the floods that followed the winter rains. Christians who obeyed Christ's teachings were building on a stable foundation. Those who ignored his words were building upon superficial footing. They were at risk of being swept away by the difficulties that beset them in their daily lives.
TO LOVE: Do I obey Jesus in his Word and in his Church?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to strengthen the weak places in my spiritual house.
Thursday 25 June 2015
THU 25TH.
Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good—Ps 105(106):1-5. Matthew 7:21-29.
Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good—Ps 105(106):1-5. Matthew 7:21-29.
This is the conclusion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
He is saying not so much
that evil people can produce marvels—prophecy, miracles—as that these are not
what count. In fact it has generally been the saints who prophesied and worked
miracles—but they did so because they were saints; they were not saints because
they worked miracles,
Miracle, prophecy—these are
useful in so far as they move people to recognise and worship and obey God.
This is what matters in the life of the miracle-worker and also of the person
who witnesses the miracle. That is what the Sermon on the Mount is about. And
to live by what it urges is to give our lives a constancy and strength that
good foundations give a building.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Overcoming Obstacles
|
Exclusion, apathy, complacency, worldliness: These are the faults
that the pope sees as standing in the way of us going forth and sharing the
Good News. As an antidote, he holds forth the importance of listening,
inclusion, community, and sacrifice. And ultimately his answer is to hold on to
the joy of the Gospel and the joy of sharing that Good News.
June
25
Blessed Jutta of Thuringia
(d. 1264?)
Blessed Jutta of Thuringia
(d. 1264?)
Today's patroness of Prussia began her life amidst luxury and
power but died the death of a simple servant of the poor.
In truth,
virtue and piety were always of prime importance to Jutta and her husband, both
of noble rank. The two were set to make a pilgrimage together to the holy
places in Jerusalem, but her husband died on the way. The newly widowed Jutta,
after taking care to provide for her children, resolved to live in a manner
utterly pleasing to God. She disposed of the costly clothes, jewels and
furniture befitting one of her rank, and became a Secular Franciscan, taking on
the simple garment of a religious.
From that
point her life was utterly devoted to others: caring for the sick, particularly
lepers; tending to the poor, whom she visited in their hovels; helping the
crippled and blind with whom she shared her own home. Many of the townspeople
of Thuringia laughed at how the once-distinguished lady now spent all her time.
But Jutta saw the face of God in the poor and felt honored to render whatever
services she could.
About the
year 1260, not long before her death, Jutta lived near the non-Christians in
eastern Germany. There she built a small hermitage and prayed unceasingly for
their conversion. She has been venerated for centuries as the special patron of
Prussia.
Comment:
Jesus once said that a camel can pass through a needle’s eye more easily than a rich person can enter God’s realm. That’s pretty scary news for us. We may not have great fortunes, but we who live in the West enjoy a share of the world’s goods that people in the rest of the world cannot imagine. Much to the amusement of her neighbors, Jutta disposed of her wealth after her husband’s death and devoted her life to caring for those who had no means. Should we follow her example, people will probably laugh at us, too. But God will smile.
Jesus once said that a camel can pass through a needle’s eye more easily than a rich person can enter God’s realm. That’s pretty scary news for us. We may not have great fortunes, but we who live in the West enjoy a share of the world’s goods that people in the rest of the world cannot imagine. Much to the amusement of her neighbors, Jutta disposed of her wealth after her husband’s death and devoted her life to caring for those who had no means. Should we follow her example, people will probably laugh at us, too. But God will smile.
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 7,21-29
Lectio:
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Ordinary Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Father,
guide and protector of your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for your name,
and keep us always in your love.
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.
guide and protector of your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for your name,
and keep us always in your love.
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 - MATTHEW 7,21-29
Jesus said to his disciples: 'It is not anyone who says to me,
"Lord, Lord," who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person
who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to
me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons in
your name, work many miracles in your name?"
Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you;
away from me, all evil doers!
'Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts
on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came
down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it
did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words
of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house
on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it
fell; and what a fall it had!'
Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching
made a deep impression on the people because he taught them with authority,
unlike their own scribes.
3)
REFLECTION
• Today’s Gospel presents the last part of the Sermon on the
Mountain: (a) it is not sufficient to talk and sing, it is necessary to live
and to practice (Mt 7, 21-23). (b) The community constructed on the foundation
of the new Law of the Discourse of the Mountain will remain standing at the
moment of the storm (Mt 7, 24-27). (c) The result of the words of Jesus in
persons is a more critical conscience, concerning the religious leaders, the
Scribes (Mt 7, 28-29).
• The end of the Sermon on the Mountain presents some opposition
and contradictions which exist even in our time: (a) Persons who continually
speak of God, but who do not do God’s will; they use the name of Jesus, but do
not practice in their life the relationship with the Lord (Mt 7, 21). (b) There
are persons who live in the illusion of working for the Lord, but on the day of
the definitive encounter with Him, they will discover, tragically, that they
have never known Him (Mt 7, 22-23). The two last words of the Sermon on the
Mountain, of the house built on the rock (Mt 7, 24-25) and of the house built
on sand (Mt 7, 26-27), illustrate these contradictions. By means of these
Matthew denounces and, at the same time, tries to correct the separation between
faith and life, between speaking and doing, between teaching and practicing.
• Matthew 7, 21: It is not sufficient to speak, it is
necessary to practice. What is important is not to speak of God in a
beautiful way or to know how to explain the Bible well to others, but rather to
do the will of the Father and, in this way be a revelation of his face and of
his presence in the world. Jesus made the same recommendation to the woman who
praised Mary, His Mother. Jesus answered: “Blessed rather those who listen to
the Word of God and put it into practice” (Lk 11, 28).
• Matthew 7, 22-23: The gifts should be at the service
of the Kingdom, of the community. There were persons with
extraordinary gifts, for example the gift of prophecy, of exorcism, of healing,
but they used these gifts for themselves, outside the context of the community.
In the Day of Judgment, they will hear a hard sentence from Jesus: “Away
from me all evil doers”. Evil, iniquity is the opposite to justice. It
is to do with Jesus what the Doctors did with the law: to teach and not to
practice (Mt 23, 3). Paul will say the same thing with other words and
arguments: “Though I have the power of prophecy, to penetrate all mysteries
and knowledge, and though I have all the faith necessary to move mountains, if
I am without love, I am nothing. Though I should give away to the poor all that
I possess, and even give up my body to be burned, if I am without love, it will
do me no good whatever”. (1Cor 13,2-3).
• Matthew 7, 24-27: The parable of the house built on
the rock. The final conclusion of the Sermon of the Mountain is to
open oneself and to practice. Many people searched their security in
extraordinary gifts or in observance. But the true security does not come from
prestige or from observance. It comes from God! It comes from the love of God
who has loved us first (1 Jn 4, 19). His love for us, manifested in Jesus
exceeds everything (Rm 8, 38-39). God becomes source of security when we seek
to do his will. There he will be the rock which supports us in the moments of
difficulty and storm.
• Matthew 7, 28-29: To teach with authority. The
Evangelist closes the Sermon of the Mountain saying that the crowds were
admired with the teaching of Jesus, “because he taught with authority, and
not like the Scribes”. The result of the teaching of Jesus is a more
critical conscience of the people in regard to the religious authority of the
time. His simple and clear words resulted from his experience of God, from his
life dedicated to the Father’s Project. People remained admired and approved
the teaching of Jesus.
• Community: the house built on the rock. In
the Book of Psalms, frequently, we find the expression: “God is my rock and
my fortress…My God, my rock, my refuge, my stronghold,
my saving strength…” (Ps 18, 3). He is the defence and the strength of
the one who seeks justice (Ps 18, 21. 24). The persons who trust in this God,
become, in turn, a rock for others. Thus, the Prophet Isaiah
invites people in the exile saying: “Listen to me you who pursue saving
justice, you who seek Yahweh! Consider the rockfrom which you were
hewn, the quarry from which you were dug. Consider Abraham your father and
Sarah who gave you birth” (Is 51, 1-2). The prophet asks people not to
forget the past. The people should remember that Abraham and Sarah, because of
their faith in God, became rock, the beginning of the
People of God. Looking toward this rock, the people should acquire courage to
struggle and to get out from slavery. And Matthew also exhorts the community
this way to have as foundation the same rock (Mt 7, 24-25) and thus, they themselves
can be rock to strengthen their brothers and sisters in their faith. This is
the sense of the name which Jesus gave to Peter: “You are Peter and on this rock I
will build my Church” (Mt 16, 18). This was the vocation of the first
community, called to unite itself with God, the living rock, so as to become
also a living rock, because they listen and put into practice the Word. (P
2,4-10; 2,5; Ep 2,19-22).
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• How does our community seek to balance prayer and action,
prayer and practice, to speak and to do, to teach and to practice? What should
improve in our community, so that it will be a rock, a secure and welcoming
house for all?
• Which is the rock which supports our community? Which is the
point on which Jesus insists the most?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Help us, God our Saviour,
for the glory of your name;
Yahweh, wipe away our sins,
rescue us for the sake of your name. (Ps 79,9)
for the glory of your name;
Yahweh, wipe away our sins,
rescue us for the sake of your name. (Ps 79,9)
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