Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 398
Lectionary: 398
In the third month
after their departure from the land of Egypt,
on its first day, the children of Israel came to the desert of Sinai.
After the journey from Rephidim to the desert of Sinai,
they pitched camp.
While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,
the LORD told Moses,
“I am coming to you in a dense cloud,
so that when the people hear me speaking with you,
they may always have faith in you also.”
When Moses, then, had reported to the LORD the response of the people,
the LORD added, “Go to the people
and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow.
Make them wash their garments and be ready for the third day;
for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai
before the eyes of all the people.”
On the morning of the third day
there were peals of thunder and lightning,
and a heavy cloud over the mountain,
and a very loud trumpet blast,
so that all the people in the camp trembled.
But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God,
and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain.
Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke,
for the LORD came down upon it in fire.
The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace,
and the whole mountain trembled violently.
The trumpet blast grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking
and God answering him with thunder.
When the LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai,
he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain.
on its first day, the children of Israel came to the desert of Sinai.
After the journey from Rephidim to the desert of Sinai,
they pitched camp.
While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,
the LORD told Moses,
“I am coming to you in a dense cloud,
so that when the people hear me speaking with you,
they may always have faith in you also.”
When Moses, then, had reported to the LORD the response of the people,
the LORD added, “Go to the people
and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow.
Make them wash their garments and be ready for the third day;
for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai
before the eyes of all the people.”
On the morning of the third day
there were peals of thunder and lightning,
and a heavy cloud over the mountain,
and a very loud trumpet blast,
so that all the people in the camp trembled.
But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God,
and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain.
Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke,
for the LORD came down upon it in fire.
The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace,
and the whole mountain trembled violently.
The trumpet blast grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking
and God answering him with thunder.
When the LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai,
he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain.
Responsorial PsalmDANIEL 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
AlleluiaSEE MT 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 13:10-17
The disciples
approached Jesus and said,
“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Meditation: "Many longed to hear what you hear"
Do you want to grow in your knowledge of God? Saint Augustine of
Hippo (354-430 AD) once said: "I believe, in order to understand; and I
understand, the better to believe." Both faith and understanding are gifts
of the Holy Spirit that enable us to hear God's word with clarity so we can
know God better and grow in the knowledge of his love and truth. Jesus,
however, had to warn his disciples that not everyone would understand his
teaching.
Closed hearts - prejudiced minds
The prophet Isaiah had warned that some would hear God's word, but not believe, some would see God's actions and miracles, and remained unconvinced. Ironically some of the greatest skeptics of Jesus' teaching and miracles were the learned scribes and Pharisess who prided themselves on their knowledge of scripture, especially on the law of Moses. They heard Jesus' parables and saw the great signs and miracles which he performed, but they refused to accept both Jesus and his message. How could they "hear and never understand" and "see but never perceive"? They were spiritually blind and deaf because their hearts were closed and their minds were blocked by pride and prejudice. How could a man from Galilee, the supposed son of a carpenter, know more about God and his word, than these experts who devoted their lives to the study and teaching of the law of Moses?
The prophet Isaiah had warned that some would hear God's word, but not believe, some would see God's actions and miracles, and remained unconvinced. Ironically some of the greatest skeptics of Jesus' teaching and miracles were the learned scribes and Pharisess who prided themselves on their knowledge of scripture, especially on the law of Moses. They heard Jesus' parables and saw the great signs and miracles which he performed, but they refused to accept both Jesus and his message. How could they "hear and never understand" and "see but never perceive"? They were spiritually blind and deaf because their hearts were closed and their minds were blocked by pride and prejudice. How could a man from Galilee, the supposed son of a carpenter, know more about God and his word, than these experts who devoted their lives to the study and teaching of the law of Moses?
The humble of heart receive understanding
There is only one thing that can open a closed, confused, and divided mind - a broken heart and humble spirit! The word disciple means one who is willing to learn and ready to submit to the wisdom and truth which comes from God. Psalm 119 expresses the joy and delight of a disciple who loves God's word and who embraces it with trust and obedience. "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation." (Psalm 119:97-99)
There is only one thing that can open a closed, confused, and divided mind - a broken heart and humble spirit! The word disciple means one who is willing to learn and ready to submit to the wisdom and truth which comes from God. Psalm 119 expresses the joy and delight of a disciple who loves God's word and who embraces it with trust and obedience. "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation." (Psalm 119:97-99)
Listen with reverence and faith
God can only reveal the secrets of his kingdom to the humble and trusting person who acknowledges their need for God and for his truth. The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. If we approach God's word with indifference, skepticism, and disbelief, then we, too, may "hear but not understand" and "see but not perceive." God's word can only take root in a receptive heart that is ready to believe and willing to submit. If we want to hear and to understand God's word, we must listen with reverence and faith. Do you believe God's word and do you submit to it with trust and reverence?
God can only reveal the secrets of his kingdom to the humble and trusting person who acknowledges their need for God and for his truth. The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. If we approach God's word with indifference, skepticism, and disbelief, then we, too, may "hear but not understand" and "see but not perceive." God's word can only take root in a receptive heart that is ready to believe and willing to submit. If we want to hear and to understand God's word, we must listen with reverence and faith. Do you believe God's word and do you submit to it with trust and reverence?
Jerome, an early church bible scholar who lived between 342-419
AD, wrote: "You are reading [the scriptures]? No.Your betrothed is talking
to you. It is your betrothed, that is, Christ, who is united with you. He tears
you away from the solitude of the desert and brings you into his home, saying
to you, 'Enter into the joy of your Master.'"
"Holy Spirit, be my teacher and guide. Open my ears to hear
God's word and open my eyes to understand God's action in my life. May my heart
never grow dull and may my ears never tire of listening to the voice of
Christ."
THURSDAY, JULY 23, MATTHEW 13:10-17
(Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20b; Psalm: Daniel 3)
(Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20b; Psalm: Daniel 3)
KEY VERSE: "Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear" (v 16).
TO KNOW: Jesus often spoke to the crowds in parables (Hebrew, mashal), making a comparison of common things to impart a moral lesson. These figures of speech encouraged his audience to discover the meaning of his words. Only those who were open to the divine mysteries could understand the plan of God revealed in Jesus. Stubborn nonbelievers were blind and deaf to his message. They fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah: "They look but do not truly see. They listen but do not really hear" (Is 6:9-10). The disciples were blessed because they believed what they saw and heard, and they would grow even more so in their understanding of God's reign. The prophets and righteous people of old longed to see and hear that which the disciples of Jesus were privileged to witness.
TO LOVE: Am I able to help others understand the revealed word of God?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to comprehend the mysteries you came to reveal.
Optional Memorial of Bridget of Sweden,
religious
Bridget began receiving visions, mostly of the Crucifixion, at age seven. In 1316, at age thirteen, she wed Prince Ulfo of Nercia in an arranged marriage. She was the mother of eight children including St. Catherine of Sweden. After her husband’s death in 1344 she pursued a religious life, for which she was harassed by others at the court. She eventually renounced her title of princess. Bridget founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines) at Vadstena in 1346. It received confirmation by Pope Urban V in 1370, and survives today. She chastened and counseled kings and Popes Clement VI, Urban VI, and Gregory XI, urging them to return to Rome from Avignon. She encouraged all to meditate on Jesus Crucified. Bridget recorded the revelations given in her visions, and these became hugely popular in the Middle Ages.
Thursday 23 July 2015
St
Bridget of Sweden.
Exodus
19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20. Glory and praise forever. Daniel 3:52-26. Matthew
13:10-17.
Winter
can take possession of the heart.
Jesus was
aware of the coarsening of the hearts of many people with whom he came in
contact. It saddened him that they could not see, understand or grasp what he
was offering. Their hearts were dulled, overwhelmed by the toils, distractions
and disappointments of life. What has changed?
Today, we
are called to evangelise our communities, but still many people don’t seem to
see, hear or understand.
We thank
God for those we received with joy at Easter and continue to help nourish the
faith they have embraced. Jesus’ encouraging words to his disciples in the last
lines of this gospel are also addressed to us. Lord, help us not to freeze over
this winter and lose the fire in our hearts. May we listen
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
The Mercy of God
|
For pity’s sake, I beseech you by all that you hold sacred not to
wrong him by entertaining the slightest suspicion that he has abandoned you
even for a single moment. This is really one of the most diabolical temptations
which you must drive far from you as soon as you are aware of it.
July
23
St. Bridget
(1303?-1373)
St. Bridget
(1303?-1373)
From age seven on, Bridget had visions of Christ crucified. Her
visions formed the basis for her activity—always with the emphasis on charity
rather than spiritual favors.
She lived
her married life in the court of the Swedish king Magnus II. Mother of eight
children (the second eldest was St. Catherine of Sweden), she lived the strict
life of a penitent after her husband’s death.
Bridget
constantly strove to exert her good influence over Magnus; while never fully
reforming, he did give her land and buildings to found a monastery for men and
women. This group eventually expanded into an Order known as the Bridgetines
(still in existence).
In 1350,
a year of jubilee, Bridget braved a plague-stricken Europe to make a pilgrimage
to Rome. Although she never returned to Sweden, her years in Rome were far from
happy, being hounded by debts and by opposition to her work against Church
abuses.
A final
pilgrimage to the Holy Land, marred by shipwreck and the death of her son,
Charles, eventually led to her death in 1373. In 1999, she, Saints Catherine of
Siena (April 29) and Teresa Benedicts of the Cross (Edith Stein, August
9) were named co-patronesses of Europe.
Comment:
Bridget’s visions, rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the years that the legitimate Bishop of Rome lived in Avignon, France. She saw no contradiction between mystical experience and secular activity, and her life is a testimony to the possibility of a holy life in the marketplace.
Bridget’s visions, rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the years that the legitimate Bishop of Rome lived in Avignon, France. She saw no contradiction between mystical experience and secular activity, and her life is a testimony to the possibility of a holy life in the marketplace.
Quote:
Despite the hardships of life and wayward children (not all became saints), Margery Kempe of Lynn says Bridget was “kind and meek to every creature” and “she had a laughing face.”
Despite the hardships of life and wayward children (not all became saints), Margery Kempe of Lynn says Bridget was “kind and meek to every creature” and “she had a laughing face.”
Patron Saint of:
Europe
Europe
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 13,10-17
Lectio:
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
be merciful to your people.
Fill us with your gifts
and make us always eager to serve you
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
be merciful to your people.
Fill us with your gifts
and make us always eager to serve you
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 13,10-17
Then the disciples went up to Jesus and asked, 'Why do you talk
to them in parables?' In answer, he said, 'Because to you is granted to
understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not
granted. Anyone who has will be given more and will have more than enough; but
anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. The reason I talk to
them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or
understanding. So in their case what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah is being
fulfilled: Listen and listen, but never understand! Look and look, but never
perceive! This people's heart has grown coarse, their ears dulled, they have
shut their eyes tight to avoid using their eyes to see, their ears to hear,
their heart to understand, changing their ways and being healed by me.
'But blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! In truth I tell you, many prophets and upright people longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.
3) Reflection
• Chapter 13 speaks to us about the discourse of the Parables.
Following the text of Mark (Mk 4,1-34), Matthew omits the parable of the seed
which germinates alone (Mk 4,26-29), and he stops on the discussion of the
reason for the Parable (Mt 13,10-17) adding the parable of the wheat and the
darnel (Mt 13,24-30), of the yeast (Mt 13,33), of the treasure (Mt 13,44), of
the pearl (Mt 13,45-46) and of the dragnet (Mt 13,47-50). Together with the
parable of the sower (Mt 13,4-11) and of the mustard seed (Mt 13,31-32), there
are seven parables in the Discourse of the Parables (Mt
13,1-50).
• Matthew 13,10: The question. In the Gospel of Mark, the Disciples ask for an explanation of the parables (Mk 4,10). Here in Matthew, the prospective is diverse. They want to know why Jesus, when he speaks to the people, speaks only in parables: “Why do you talk to them in parables?” Which is the reason for this difference?
• Matthew 13,11-13: “Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not granted. Anyone who has will be given more and will have more than enough; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. The reason I speak to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. Jesus answers: “Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. Anyone who has will be given more and will have more than enough; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has“. Why is it granted to the Apostles to know and not to others? Here is a comparison to help us to understand. Two persons listen to the mother who teaches: is someone who does not cut and sew”. One of them is the daughter and the other is not. The daughter understands and the other one understands nothing. Why? Because in the house of the mother the expression “cut and sew” means to slander. Thus, the teaching of the mother helps the daughter to understand better how to put into practice love, helping her so that what she already knows may grow, develop. Anyone who has will be given more. The other person understands nothing and loses even the little that she knew regarding love and slander. She remains confused and does not succeed in understanding what love has to do with cutting and sewing! Anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has.A parable reveals and hides at the same time! It reveals for “those who are inside”, who accept Jesus as the Messiah Servant. It hides from those who insist in saying that the Messiah will be and should be a Glorious King. These understand the image presented by the parable, but they do not succeed to understand the significance. The Disciples, instead grow in what they already know concerning the Messiah. The others do not understand anything and lose even the little that they thought they knew on the Kingdom and on the Messiah.
• Matthew 13,14-15: ”The fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah. Just like some other time (Mt 12,18-21), in this different reaction of the people and of the Pharisees before the teaching of the parables, Matthew again sees here the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah. He even quotes at length the text of Isaiah which says: “Listen and listen, but never understand! Look and look, but never perceive! This people’s heart has grown coarse, their ears dulled, they have shut their eyes tight to avoid using their eyes to see, their ears to hear, their heart to understand, changing their ways and being healed by me”.
• Matthew 13,16-17: “But blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear“. All this explains the last phrase: “But blessed are your eyes because they see your ears because they hear. In truth I tell you, many prophets and upright people longed to see what you see and never saw it, to hear what you hear and never heard it!”
• The Parables: a new way of speaking to the people about God.People remained impressed about the way in which Jesus taught. “A new way of teaching! Given with authority! Different from that of the Scribes! (Mk 7,28). Jesus had a great capacity for finding very simple images to compare the things of God with the things of life which people knew and experienced in the daily struggle to survive. This presupposes two things: to be inside the things of the life of the people, and to be inside the things of God, of the Kingdom of God. In some parables there are things that happen and that seldom arrive in life. For example, when has it ever happened that a shepherd, who has one hundred sheep, abandons the flock with 99 to go and look for the lost sheep? (Lk 15,4). Where have we ever seen a father who accepts with joy and a feast his son who had squandered all his goods, without saying a word of reproach to him? (Lk 15,20-24). When has it been seen that a Samaritan man is better than a Levite, than a priest? (Lk 10,29-37). The parable makes one think. It leads the person to enter into the story beginning from the experience of life. And through our experience it urges us to discover that God is present in our daily life. The parable is a participative form of teaching and of educating. It does not change everything in one minute. It does not make one know, it makes one discover. The parable changes our look, it renders the person who listens to be a contemplative, it helps her to observe reality. This is the novelty of the teaching of the parables of Jesus, different from that of the doctors who taught that God manifests himself only in the observance of the law. “The Kingdom is present in your midst” (Lk 17,21). But those who listened did not always understand.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus says: “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries
of the Kingdom”. When I read the Gospels am I like those who understand nothing
or like those to whom it has been granted to know the Kingdom?
• Which is the parable of Jesus with which I identify myself more? Why?
• Which is the parable of Jesus with which I identify myself more? Why?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh, your faithful love is in the heavens,
your constancy reaches to the clouds,
your saving justice is like towering mountains,
your judgements like the mighty deep. (Ps 36,5-6)
your constancy reaches to the clouds,
your saving justice is like towering mountains,
your judgements like the mighty deep. (Ps 36,5-6)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét