Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 437
Lectionary: 437
Brothers and
sisters:
I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I am filling up
what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
on behalf of his Body, which is the Church,
of which I am a minister
in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me
to bring to completion for you the word of God,
the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.
But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,
to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles;
it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.
It is he whom we proclaim,
admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
For this I labor and struggle,
in accord with the exercise of his power working within me.
For I want you to know how great a struggle I am having for you
and for those in Laodicea
and all who have not seen me face to face,
that their hearts may be encouraged
as they are brought together in love,
to have all the richness of assured understanding,
for the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I am filling up
what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
on behalf of his Body, which is the Church,
of which I am a minister
in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me
to bring to completion for you the word of God,
the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.
But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,
to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles;
it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.
It is he whom we proclaim,
admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
For this I labor and struggle,
in accord with the exercise of his power working within me.
For I want you to know how great a struggle I am having for you
and for those in Laodicea
and all who have not seen me face to face,
that their hearts may be encouraged
as they are brought together in love,
to have all the richness of assured understanding,
for the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Responsorial PsalmPS 62:6-7, 9
R. (8) In God is my safety and my glory.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. In God is my safety and my glory.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him;
God is our refuge!
R. In God is my safety and my glory.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. In God is my safety and my glory.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him;
God is our refuge!
R. In God is my safety and my glory.
AlleluiaJN 10:27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 6:6-11
On a certain
sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
Meditation: "Is it lawful to save life or to
destroy it?"
What is God's intention for the commandment, keep holy the
Sabbath (Exodus 20:8; Deuteronomy 5:12)? The scribes and Pharisees
wanted to catch Jesus in the act of breaking the Sabbath ritual so they might
accuse him of breaking God's law. In a few penetrating words Luke records that
Jesus knew their thoughts. They were filled with fury and
contempt for Jesus because they put their own thoughts of right and wrong above
God. They were ensnared in their own legalism because they did not understand
or see the purpose of God. Jesus shows them their fallacy by pointing to God's
intention for the Sabbath: to do good and to save life rather
than to do evil or to destroy life.
What is the significance of Jesus' healing the man with the
withered hand? Ambrose (337-397 AD), the 4th century bishop of Milan who was
instrumental in bringing Augustine of Hippo to the Christian faith, comments on
this miracle:
"Then you heard the words of the Lord, saying, 'Stretch
forth your hand.' That is the common and universal remedy. You who think that
you have a healthy hand beware lest it is withered by greed or by sacrilege.
Hold it out often. Hold it out to the poor person who begs you. Hold it out to
help your neighbor, to give protection to a widow, to snatch from harm one whom
you see subjected to unjust insult. Hold it out to God for your sins. The hand
is stretched forth; then it is healed. Jeroboam's hand withered when he
sacrificed to idols; then it stretched out when he entreated God (1 Kings
13:4-6)."
Why do Christians celebrate Sunday as the Lord's Day?
Most importantly, we celebrate it to commemorate God's work of redemption in
Jesus Christ and the new work of creation accomplished through Christ's death
and resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:17). God's action is a model for us. If God
"rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, we, too, ought to
"rest" and let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed"
(see Exodus 31:17; 23:12). Taking "our sabbath rest" is a way of
expressing honor to God for all that he has done for us. Such "rest"
however does not exempt us from our love for our neighbor. If we truly love the
Lord above all else, then the love of God will overflow to love of neighbor as
well. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said: "The charity of truth
seeks holy leisure; the necessity of charity accepts just work."
How can we make Sunday a day holy to the Lord? First, by
refraining from unnecessary work and from activities that hinder the worship we
owe to God. We can also perform works of mercy, such as humble service of the
sick, the infirm, and the elderly. And we ought to seek appropriate relaxation
of mind and body as well. The joy of the Lord's Day is a great gift to refresh
and strengthen us in our love of God and of neighbor (Nehemiah 8:10). Do you
know the joy of the Lord and do you find rest and refreshment in celebrating
the Lord's Day?
"Lord Jesus, in your victory over sin and death on the cross
and in your resurrection you give us the assurance of sharing in the eternal
rest of heaven. Transform my heart with your love that I may freely serve my
neighbor for his good and find joy and refreshment in the celebration of Sunday
as the Lord's Day."
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, LUKE 6:6-11
Weekday
(Colossians 1:24 ̶ 2:3; Psalm 62)
Weekday
(Colossians 1:24 ̶ 2:3; Psalm 62)
KEY VERSE: "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" (v 9).
TO READ: Jesus often disputed with the religious leaders about their rigid interpretation of the Sabbath law. Just as harvesting was prohibited on the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-5), so was healing ̶ unless a person's life was in danger. When a man with a withered hand came to the synagogue on the Sabbath, the scribes and the Pharisees maliciously watched to see what Jesus would do. Since the man's life was not threatened, he could have waited until the next day to be healed. If Jesus healed him, he could be charged with a violation of the Sabbath law. Jesus knew that he was being observed as to what he would do, but he openly challenged his opponents by calling the man to stand in front of the assembly and stretch out his hand. Only Luke tells us that it was the man's right hand that was withered (See Mt 12:10-13 and Mk 3:1-6). This meant that he was probably unable to do physical labor; therefore, he was deprived of a livelihood. Jesus declared that the refusal to do good was evil in itself, and he healed the man. The Pharisees were enraged by this merciful act, but they saw no problem in plotting Jesus' death on the Sabbath.
TO REFLECT: Do I pray for people in my faith community who need healing?
TO RESPOND: Lord Jesus, give me a compassionate heart to help those in need.
LABOR DAY (USA) First Monday in September
Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as a "workingman's holiday." The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Note: On May 15, 1891, Pope Leo XIII issued his encyclical Rerum Novarum ("Condition of Labor"), the Church's position on modern day labor. Although the Encyclical follows the lines of the traditional teaching concerning the rights and duties of those possessing property and the relations of employer and employee, it applies the old doctrines specifically to modern conditions. As the years go by, an increasing number of persons look upon this statement of Leo XIII as the most fruitful and effective principle of industrial justice that has ever been enunciated.
Monday 7 September 2015
MON 7TH.Colossians 1:24–2:3.
In God is my safety and my glory—Ps 61(62):6-7, 9. Luke 6:6-11.
‘I was made a servant with
the responsibility towards you that God gave me.’
Paul knew his purpose and
saw suffering as part of the job description of a disciple of Christ, willingly
and joyfully suffering on behalf of others for the sake of the gospel. Our job
as disciples is to ‘make everyone perfect in Christ’, which means to create
spiritually mature Christ-followers, in the process of growth, of becoming more
like Jesus every day. It is all about transformation. Paul labours and
struggles in this task and we are also called to lay ourselves out, to move
people toward full devotion to Christ, enriching one another through
encouragement and united in love. With this purpose and suffering we will
understand and know Christ more fully.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Words Hold Power
|
Words hold so much power. We can use them to tear down our
spouses, displaying disrespect and undermining their dignity, or we can work to
build them up using words of love and encouragement. We must remember that our
spouse holds the highest place in our hearts and lives, second only to God, and
thus deserves all the respect we can give them.
September
7
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam
(1813-1853)
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam
(1813-1853)
A man convinced of the inestimable worth of each human being,
Frédéric served the poor of Paris well and drew others into serving the poor of
the world. Through the St. Vincent de Paul Society, his work continues to the
present day.
Frédéric was
the fifth of Jean and Marie Ozanam’s 14 children, one of only three to reach
adulthood. As a teenager he began having doubts about his religion. Reading and
prayer did not seem to help, but long walking discussions with Father Noirot of
the Lyons College clarified matters a great deal.
Frédéric wanted
to study literature, although his father, a doctor, wanted him to become a
lawyer. Frédéric yielded to his father’s wishes and in 1831 arrived in
Paris to study law at the University of the Sorbonne. When certain professors
there mocked Catholic teachings in their lectures, Frédéric defended the
Church.
A
discussion club which Frédéric organized sparked the turning point in his
life. In this club Catholics, atheists and agnostics debated the issues of the
day. Once, after Frédéric spoke about Christianity’s role in civilization,
a club member said: "Let us be frank, Mr. Ozanam; let us also be very
particular. What do you do besides talk to prove the faith you claim is in
you?"
Frédéric was
stung by the question. He soon decided that his words needed a grounding in
action. He and a friend began visiting Paris tenements and offering assistance
as best they could. Soon a group dedicated to helping individuals in need under
the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul formed around Frédéric.
Feeling
that the Catholic faith needed an excellent speaker to explain its
teachings, Frédéric convinced the Archbishop of Paris to appoint Father
Lacordaire, the greatest preacher then in France, to preach a Lenten series in
Notre Dame Cathedral. It was well attended and became an annual tradition in
Paris.
After Frédéric
earned his law degree at the Sorbonne, he taught law at the University of
Lyons. He also earned a doctorate in literature. Soon after marrying Amelie
Soulacroix on June 23, 1841, he returned to the Sorbonne to teach literature. A
well-respected lecturer, Frédéric worked to bring out the best in each
student. Meanwhile, the St. Vincent de Paul Society was growing throughout
Europe. Paris alone counted 25 conferences.
In 1846,
Frédéric, Amelie and their daughter Marie went to Italy; there he hoped to
restore his poor health. They returned the next year. The revolution of 1848
left many Parisians in need of the services of the St. Vincent de Paul
conferences. The unemployed numbered 275,000. The government
asked Frédéric and his co-workers to supervise the government aid to the
poor. Vincentians throughout Europe came to the aid of Paris.
Frédéric then
started a newspaper, The New Era, dedicated to securing justice for
the poor and the working classes. Fellow Catholics were often unhappy with
what Frédéric wrote. Referring to the poor man as "the nation’s
priest," Frédéric said that the hunger and sweat of the poor formed a
sacrifice that could redeem the people’s humanity
In 1852
poor health again forced Frédéric to return to Italy with his wife and
daughter. He died on September 8, 1853. In his sermon at Frédéric’s funeral,
Lacordaire described his friend as "one of those privileged creatures who
came direct from the hand of God in whom God joins tenderness to genius in
order to enkindle the world."
Frédéric was
beatified in 1997. Since Frédéric wrote an excellent book entitledFranciscan
Poets of the Thirteenth Century and since Frederick’s sense of the
dignity of each poor person was so close to the thinking of St. Francis, it
seemed appropriate to include him among Franciscan "greats."
Comment:
Frédéric Ozanam always respected poor while offering whatever service he could. Each man, woman and child was too precious for that. Serving the poor taught Frédéric something about God that he could not have learned elsewhere.
Frédéric Ozanam always respected poor while offering whatever service he could. Each man, woman and child was too precious for that. Serving the poor taught Frédéric something about God that he could not have learned elsewhere.
Quote:
In his homily at the
eatification Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, Saint John Paul II mentioned that
before World War II he belonged to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He noted
that Frédéric Ozanam "observed the real situation of the poor and sought
to be more and more effective in ehlping them in their human development. He
understood that charity must lead to efforts to rededy injutice. Charity and
justice go together."
LECTIO: LUKE
6,6-11
Lectio:
Monday, September 7, 2015
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
you redeem us
and make us your children in Christ.
Look upon us,
give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
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 - Luke 6,6-11
On a Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was present, and his right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure somebody on the Sabbath, hoping to find something to charge him with. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man with the withered hand, 'Get up and stand out in the middle!'
And he came forward and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them, 'I put it to you: is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it?' Then he looked round at them all and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He did so, and his hand was restored.
But they were furious and began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus.
God our Father,
you redeem us
and make us your children in Christ.
Look upon us,
give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
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 - Luke 6,6-11
On a Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was present, and his right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure somebody on the Sabbath, hoping to find something to charge him with. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man with the withered hand, 'Get up and stand out in the middle!'
And he came forward and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them, 'I put it to you: is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it?' Then he looked round at them all and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He did so, and his hand was restored.
But they were furious and began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus.
3) Reflection
• Context: This passage presents Jesus who cures a man with a withered hand. Different from the context of chapters 3 and 4 in which Jesus is alone, now here he is surrounded by his disciples and the women who go around with him. Therefore, here we have Jesus always moving. In the first stages of this journey the reader finds different ways of listening to the Word of Jesus on the part of those who follow him and which, definitively, it could be summarized in two experiences, which recall, in turn, two types of approaches: that of Peter (5,1-11) and that of the centurion (7,1-10). The first one encounters Jesus who invites him after the miraculous catch to become a fisherman of men; then he falls on his knees before Jesus: «Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man” (5, 8). The second one does not have any direct communication with Jesus: he has heard people speak very well about Jesus and he sends his envoys to ask for the cure of one of his servants who is dying; he is asking for something not for himself, but for a person who was a favourite of his. The figure of Peter expresses the attitude of the one who, discovering himself a sinner, places all his acts under the influence of the Word of Jesus. The centurion, showing solicitude for the servant, learns to listen to God. Well, between these itineraries or attitudes which characterize the itinerant journey of Jesus, is placed the cure of the man who presents the withered hand. This event of the miracle takes place in a context of debate or controversy: the ears of corn picked on the Sabbath and on the act of curing on a Saturday, precisely the withered hand. Between the two discussions there is the crucial role played by the Word of Jesus: “The Son of man is master of the Sabbath” (6, 5). Continuing with this passage we ask ourselves which is the sense of this withered hand? It is a symbol of the salvation of man who is taken back to the original moment, that of creation. The right hand, then, expresses human acting. Jesus then, gives back to this day of the week, Saturday, the deepest significance: it is the day of joy, of the restoration and not of limitation. What Jesus shows is the Messianic Saturday and not the legalistic one: the cures that he does are signs of the Messianic times, of restoration, of the liberation of man.
• The dynamic of the miracle. Luke places before Jesus a man who has a withered hand, dry, paralyzed. Nobody is interested in asking for his cure and much less the one concerned. And just the same, the sickness was not only an individual problem but its effects have repercussion on the whole community. But in our account we do not have so much the problem of the sickness as that of the aspect that it was done on Saturday. Jesus is criticized because he cured on Saturday. The difference with the Pharisees is in the fact that they on Saturday do not act on the basis of the commandment of love which is the essence of the Law. Jesus, after having ordered man to get in the middle of the assembly, formulates a decisive question: “Is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?” The space for the answer is restricted: to cure or not to cure, or rather, to cure or to destroy (v.9). Let us imagine the difficulty of the Pharisees: it is excluded that evil can be done on Saturday or lead man to damnation, and even less to cure because help was permitted only in case of extreme need. The Pharisees feel provoked and this causes aggressiveness in them. But it is evident that the intention of Jesus in curing on Saturday is for the good of man and in the first place, for the one who is sick. This motivation of love invites us to reflect on our behaviour and to found it on that of Jesus who saves. Jesus is not only attentive to cure the sick person but is interested also in the cure of his enemies: to cure them from their distorted attitude in their observance of the Law; to observe Saturday without freeing their neighbour from their misery and sickness is not in accordance with the will of God. According to the Evangelist, the function of Saturday is to do good, to save, like Jesus has done during his earthly life.
4) Personal questions
• Do you feel involved in the words of Jesus: how do you commit yourself in your service to life? Do you know how to create the necessary conditions so that others may live better?
• Do you know how to place at the centre of your attention and of your commitment every person and all their requirements?
• Context: This passage presents Jesus who cures a man with a withered hand. Different from the context of chapters 3 and 4 in which Jesus is alone, now here he is surrounded by his disciples and the women who go around with him. Therefore, here we have Jesus always moving. In the first stages of this journey the reader finds different ways of listening to the Word of Jesus on the part of those who follow him and which, definitively, it could be summarized in two experiences, which recall, in turn, two types of approaches: that of Peter (5,1-11) and that of the centurion (7,1-10). The first one encounters Jesus who invites him after the miraculous catch to become a fisherman of men; then he falls on his knees before Jesus: «Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man” (5, 8). The second one does not have any direct communication with Jesus: he has heard people speak very well about Jesus and he sends his envoys to ask for the cure of one of his servants who is dying; he is asking for something not for himself, but for a person who was a favourite of his. The figure of Peter expresses the attitude of the one who, discovering himself a sinner, places all his acts under the influence of the Word of Jesus. The centurion, showing solicitude for the servant, learns to listen to God. Well, between these itineraries or attitudes which characterize the itinerant journey of Jesus, is placed the cure of the man who presents the withered hand. This event of the miracle takes place in a context of debate or controversy: the ears of corn picked on the Sabbath and on the act of curing on a Saturday, precisely the withered hand. Between the two discussions there is the crucial role played by the Word of Jesus: “The Son of man is master of the Sabbath” (6, 5). Continuing with this passage we ask ourselves which is the sense of this withered hand? It is a symbol of the salvation of man who is taken back to the original moment, that of creation. The right hand, then, expresses human acting. Jesus then, gives back to this day of the week, Saturday, the deepest significance: it is the day of joy, of the restoration and not of limitation. What Jesus shows is the Messianic Saturday and not the legalistic one: the cures that he does are signs of the Messianic times, of restoration, of the liberation of man.
• The dynamic of the miracle. Luke places before Jesus a man who has a withered hand, dry, paralyzed. Nobody is interested in asking for his cure and much less the one concerned. And just the same, the sickness was not only an individual problem but its effects have repercussion on the whole community. But in our account we do not have so much the problem of the sickness as that of the aspect that it was done on Saturday. Jesus is criticized because he cured on Saturday. The difference with the Pharisees is in the fact that they on Saturday do not act on the basis of the commandment of love which is the essence of the Law. Jesus, after having ordered man to get in the middle of the assembly, formulates a decisive question: “Is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?” The space for the answer is restricted: to cure or not to cure, or rather, to cure or to destroy (v.9). Let us imagine the difficulty of the Pharisees: it is excluded that evil can be done on Saturday or lead man to damnation, and even less to cure because help was permitted only in case of extreme need. The Pharisees feel provoked and this causes aggressiveness in them. But it is evident that the intention of Jesus in curing on Saturday is for the good of man and in the first place, for the one who is sick. This motivation of love invites us to reflect on our behaviour and to found it on that of Jesus who saves. Jesus is not only attentive to cure the sick person but is interested also in the cure of his enemies: to cure them from their distorted attitude in their observance of the Law; to observe Saturday without freeing their neighbour from their misery and sickness is not in accordance with the will of God. According to the Evangelist, the function of Saturday is to do good, to save, like Jesus has done during his earthly life.
4) Personal questions
• Do you feel involved in the words of Jesus: how do you commit yourself in your service to life? Do you know how to create the necessary conditions so that others may live better?
• Do you know how to place at the centre of your attention and of your commitment every person and all their requirements?
5) Concluding Prayer
Joy for all who take refuge in you,
endless songs of gladness!
You shelter them, they rejoice in you,
those who love your name. (Ps 5,11)
Joy for all who take refuge in you,
endless songs of gladness!
You shelter them, they rejoice in you,
those who love your name. (Ps 5,11)
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