Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 476
Lectionary: 476
Brothers and
sisters:
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature.
For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity
and to lawlessness for lawlessness,
so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.
But what profit did you get then
from the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of those things is death.
But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God,
the benefit that you have leads to sanctification,
and its end is eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature.
For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity
and to lawlessness for lawlessness,
so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.
But what profit did you get then
from the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of those things is death.
But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God,
the benefit that you have leads to sanctification,
and its end is eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Responsorial PsalmPS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
R. (Ps 40:5) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
AlleluiaPHIL 3:8-9
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I consider all thing so much rubbish
that I may gain Christ and be found in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I consider all thing so much rubbish
that I may gain Christ and be found in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 12:49-53
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Meditation: "I came to cast fire upon the earth"
Do you want to be on fire for God? Jesus shocked his disciples
when he declared that he would cast fire and cause division rather than peace
upon the earth. What kind of fire did Jesus have in mind here?
The fire of God's purifying love and cleansing
word
The image of fire in biblical times was often associated with God and with his action in the world and in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as God's revelation to Moses through the burning bush in the wilderness which was not consumed by the flames (Exodus 3:2). God assured the Hebrew people of his continual presence, guidance, and protection for them through the wilderness for forty years with the pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13:21-22). The prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven to reveal God's presence and power and to purify the people of false idols (1 Kings 18:36-39). The image of fire was also used as a sign of God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13) and holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), and his righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9) and holy wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16).
The image of fire in biblical times was often associated with God and with his action in the world and in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as God's revelation to Moses through the burning bush in the wilderness which was not consumed by the flames (Exodus 3:2). God assured the Hebrew people of his continual presence, guidance, and protection for them through the wilderness for forty years with the pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13:21-22). The prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven to reveal God's presence and power and to purify the people of false idols (1 Kings 18:36-39). The image of fire was also used as a sign of God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13) and holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), and his righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9) and holy wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16).
Fire is also a sign and symbol of the presence and power of the
Holy Spirit. John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize with the Holy
Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11-12 and Luke 3:16-17). When the Holy Spirit
was poured out upon the disciples at Pentecost "tongues of fire"
appeared above their heads (Acts 2:3). We can see from both the Old and New Testament
Scriptures that God's fire purifies and cleanses to make us clean (sins washed
away) and holy (fit to offer him acceptable praise and worship), and it
inspires a reverent fear (awe in God's presence) and respect (obeying and
giving God his due) for God and for his holy word.
Loyalty unites - division separates
Why did Jesus link fire from heaven with costly division on the earth? Did he expect his followers to take his statement of "father against son and son against father" and "mother against daughter and daughter against mother" literally? Or was he intentionally using a figure of speech to emphasize the choice and cost of following him above all else? Jesus used a typical Hebrew hyperbole (a figure of speech which uses strong language and exaggeration for emphasis) to drive home an important lesson. We often do the same when we want to emphasize something very strongly. Jesus' hyperbole, however, did contain a real warning that the Gospel message does have serious consequences for our lives.
Why did Jesus link fire from heaven with costly division on the earth? Did he expect his followers to take his statement of "father against son and son against father" and "mother against daughter and daughter against mother" literally? Or was he intentionally using a figure of speech to emphasize the choice and cost of following him above all else? Jesus used a typical Hebrew hyperbole (a figure of speech which uses strong language and exaggeration for emphasis) to drive home an important lesson. We often do the same when we want to emphasize something very strongly. Jesus' hyperbole, however, did contain a real warning that the Gospel message does have serious consequences for our lives.
When Jesus spoke about division within families he likely had in
mind the prophecy of Micah: a man's enemies are the men of his own
household (Micah 7:6). The essence of Christianity is loyalty to Jesus
Christ - the Son of God and Savior of the world - a loyalty that takes
precedence over every other relationship. The love of God compels us to choose
who will be first in our lives. To place any relationship (or anything else)
above God is a form of idolatry.
Who do you love first and foremost?
Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?
Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?
The Gospel message is good news for those who seek pardon,
peace, and the abundant life which God offers us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus offers true freedom to those who believe in him - freedom from slavery to
sin, Satan, and the oppressive forces of hatred and evil that can destroy body,
mind, and spirit. Do you listen to the voice of your Savior and trust in his
word? Commit your ways to him, obey his word, and you will find true peace,
joy, and happiness in the Lord your God.
"Lord Jesus, may the fire of your love consume me and
transform my life that I may truly desire nothing more than life with you. Fill
me with the power of your Holy Spirit that I may always seek to please you and
do your will."
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22,
LUKE 12:49-53
Weekday
(Romans 6:19-23; Psalm 1)
Weekday
(Romans 6:19-23; Psalm 1)
KEY VERSE: "There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!" (v 49).
TO KNOW: John the Baptist told his followers that the Messiah would baptize with the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit (Lk 3:16). The fire that consumed Jesus was a passion to redeem humanity from their sins ̶ a fire that would be ignited on the cross on Calvary. St. Paul knew that baptism was no mere symbolic ritual. In baptism, the Christian died to the old life and was raised to a new life in Christ (Ro 6:4). The rite of the early Church demonstrated this truth. Proselytes entered the baptismal pool stripped of their old clothing and were totally immersed in water. When the new Christian came out of the water, he or she was clothed in a white garment, a symbol of having risen with Christ (Rev 19:8). Jesus demanded radical conversion and total commitment from his disciples. Their attachment to him might even require a separation from family members who did not share their Christian beliefs. This dissension was described by the prophet Micah who said that a person's enemies might be those of their own household (Micah 7:6).
TO LOVE: Do I share my faith with my family even though I might face rejection?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to live my baptismal call in everything I do.
Optional Memorial of John Paul II, pope
Pope Saint John Paul II, born Karol Józef Wojtyła in Poland, was pope of the Catholic Church from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005. He was the second longest-serving pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX who served for nearly 32 years. In light of "countless requests from every part of the world," Pope Francis approved putting Saints John Paul II and John XXIII on the church's universal calendar of feast days. Pope John Paul II’s feast day is observed on Oct. 22, the day of his Inaugural Mass as Bishop of Rome. During his 27 year papacy, the popular pope became remembered for his charismatic nature, zeal for families, young people and the sick, world travels, and role in the fall of communism in Europe. He is also noted for his promotion of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the new Code of Canon Law. In his homily at his inauguration as pope, he stressed "Do not be afraid, Open, I say open wide the doors for Christ." The message became one of the signature statements of his papacy. "Totus Tuus" (Latin meaning "totally yours") was Pope John Paul II's apostolic motto. It expressed his personal Consecration to Mary based on the spiritual approach of Saint Louis de Montfort.
Thursday 22 October 2015
THU 22ND.
Pope St John Paul II. Romans 6:19-23. Happy are they who hope in the
Lord—Ps 1:1-4, 6. Luke 12:49-53.
'Now you
are set free from sin and bound to the service of God.'
We have
been commissioned to continue Christ’s work on earth—to be witnesses of the
truth.
To live
in truth is to live uprightly, which is not always easy in this world. No
matter how unpopular a message truth might demand, however, we must be ready to
testify to it. For Christ has won us as his own—where sin brings death, Christ
is our eternal life.
The
psalmist reminds us, ‘God watches over the path of the upright’. What can be
better than serving our God? There is nothing to fear: not persecution, not
failure, not even ourselves. We are stamped with God’s sign
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Who’s Driving?
|
Stress will either drive you crazy or drive you to your knees. It
depends on who is in control of your life.
October
22
St. John Paul II
(1920-2005)
St. John Paul II
(1920-2005)
“Open wide the doors to Christ,” urged John Paul II during the
homily at the Mass when he was installed as pope in 1978.
Born in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla had lost his mother, father and older brother before his 21st birthday. Karol’s promising academic career at Krakow’s Jagiellonian University was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. While working in a quarry and a chemical factory, he enrolled in an “underground” seminary in Kraków. Ordained in 1946, he was immediately sent to Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology.
Back in Poland, a short assignment as assistant pastor in a rural parish preceded his very fruitful chaplaincy for university students. Soon he earned a doctorate in philosophy and began teaching that subject at Poland’s University of Lublin.
Communist officials allowed him to be appointed auxiliary bishop of Kraków in 1958, considering him a relatively harmless intellectual. They could not have been more wrong!
He attended all four sessions of Vatican II and contributed especially to itsPastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Appointed as archbishop of Kraków in 1964, he was named a cardinal three years later.
Elected pope in October 1978, he took the name of his short-lived, immediate predecessor. Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. In time, he made pastoral visits to 124 countries, including several with small Christian populations.
He promoted ecumenical and interfaith initiatives, especially the 1986 Day of Prayer for World Peace in Assisi. He visited Rome’s Main Synagogue and the Western Wall in Jerusalem; he also established diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel. He improved Catholic-Muslim relations and in 2001 visited a mosque in Damascus, Syria.
The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, a key event in John Paul’s ministry, was marked by special celebrations in Rome and elsewhere for Catholics and other Christians. Relations with the Orthodox Churches improved considerably during his ministry as pope.
“Christ is the center of the universe and of human history” was the opening line of his 1979 encyclical, Redeemer of the Human Race. In 1995, he described himself to the United Nations General Assembly as “a witness to hope.”
His 1979 visit to Poland encouraged the growth of the Solidarity movement there and the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe 10 years later. He began World Youth Day and traveled to several countries for those celebrations. He very much wanted to visit China and the Soviet Union but the governments in those countries prevented that.
One of the most well-remembered photos of his pontificate was his one-on-one conversation in 1983 with Mehmet Ali Agca, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier.
In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people.
In the last years of his life, he suffered from Parkinson’s disease and was forced to cut back on some of his activities.
Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II in 2011, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014.
Born in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla had lost his mother, father and older brother before his 21st birthday. Karol’s promising academic career at Krakow’s Jagiellonian University was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. While working in a quarry and a chemical factory, he enrolled in an “underground” seminary in Kraków. Ordained in 1946, he was immediately sent to Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology.
Back in Poland, a short assignment as assistant pastor in a rural parish preceded his very fruitful chaplaincy for university students. Soon he earned a doctorate in philosophy and began teaching that subject at Poland’s University of Lublin.
Communist officials allowed him to be appointed auxiliary bishop of Kraków in 1958, considering him a relatively harmless intellectual. They could not have been more wrong!
He attended all four sessions of Vatican II and contributed especially to itsPastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Appointed as archbishop of Kraków in 1964, he was named a cardinal three years later.
Elected pope in October 1978, he took the name of his short-lived, immediate predecessor. Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. In time, he made pastoral visits to 124 countries, including several with small Christian populations.
He promoted ecumenical and interfaith initiatives, especially the 1986 Day of Prayer for World Peace in Assisi. He visited Rome’s Main Synagogue and the Western Wall in Jerusalem; he also established diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel. He improved Catholic-Muslim relations and in 2001 visited a mosque in Damascus, Syria.
The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, a key event in John Paul’s ministry, was marked by special celebrations in Rome and elsewhere for Catholics and other Christians. Relations with the Orthodox Churches improved considerably during his ministry as pope.
“Christ is the center of the universe and of human history” was the opening line of his 1979 encyclical, Redeemer of the Human Race. In 1995, he described himself to the United Nations General Assembly as “a witness to hope.”
His 1979 visit to Poland encouraged the growth of the Solidarity movement there and the collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe 10 years later. He began World Youth Day and traveled to several countries for those celebrations. He very much wanted to visit China and the Soviet Union but the governments in those countries prevented that.
One of the most well-remembered photos of his pontificate was his one-on-one conversation in 1983 with Mehmet Ali Agca, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier.
In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people.
In the last years of his life, he suffered from Parkinson’s disease and was forced to cut back on some of his activities.
Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II in 2011, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014.
Comment:
Before John Paul II’s funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square, hundreds of thousands of people had waited patiently for a brief moment to pray before his body, which lay in state inside St. Peter’s for several days. The media coverage of his funeral was unprecedented.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI, presided at the funeral Mass and concluded his homily by saying: “None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi [‘to the city and to the world’].
“We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father’s house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Before John Paul II’s funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square, hundreds of thousands of people had waited patiently for a brief moment to pray before his body, which lay in state inside St. Peter’s for several days. The media coverage of his funeral was unprecedented.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI, presided at the funeral Mass and concluded his homily by saying: “None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi [‘to the city and to the world’].
“We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father’s house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Quote:
In his 1999 Letter to the Elderly, Pope John Paul II wrote: “Grant, O Lord of life,...when the moment of our definitive ‘passage’ comes, that we may face it with serenity, without regret for what we shall leave behind. For in meeting you, after having sought you for so long, we shall find once more every authentic good which we have known here on earth, in the company of all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and hope....Amen.”
In his 1999 Letter to the Elderly, Pope John Paul II wrote: “Grant, O Lord of life,...when the moment of our definitive ‘passage’ comes, that we may face it with serenity, without regret for what we shall leave behind. For in meeting you, after having sought you for so long, we shall find once more every authentic good which we have known here on earth, in the company of all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and hope....Amen.”
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 12,49-53
Lectio:
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty and everlasting God,
our source of power and inspiration,
give us strength and joy
in serving you as followers of Christ,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 12,49-53
Jesus said to his disciples: 'I have come to
bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already!
There is a baptism I must still receive, and
what constraint I am under until it is completed! 'Do you suppose that I am
here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now
on, a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against
three; father opposed to son, son to father, mother to daughter, daughter to
mother, mother-in-law to daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law to mother-in-law.'
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today gives us some phrases of
Jesus. The first one on the fire on earth is only in Luke’s Gospel. The others
have more or less parallel phrases in Matthew. This leads us to the problem of
the origin of the composition of these two Gospels for which much ink has
already been used throughout these two past centuries and this problem will
only be solved fully when we will be able to speak with Matthew and Luke, after
our resurrection.
• Luke 12, 49-50: Jesus has come to bring fire
on earth. “I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were
blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and what constraint I
am under until it is completed!” The image of fire frequently is mentioned in
the Bible and does not have only one meaning. It could be the image of
devastation and of punishment, and it can also be the image of purification and
illumination (Is 1, 25; Zc 13, 9). It can also express protection as it appears
in Isaiah: “Should you pass through fire, you will not suffer” (Is 43, 2). John
the Baptist baptized with water, but after him Jesus baptized with fire (Lk 3,
16). Here the image of fire is associated to the action of the Holy Spirit who
descends every Pentecost on the image of the tongues of fire (Ac 2, 2-4).
Images and symbols never have an obligatory sense, totally defined, which does
not allow any divergence. In this case it would neither be image nor symbol. It
is proper to the symbol to arouse the imagination of the auditors and
spectators. Leaving freedom to the auditors, the image of fire combined with
the image of baptism indicates the direction toward which Jesus wants people to
turn their imagination. Baptism is associated with the water and it is always
the expression of a commitment. In another point, Baptism appears like the
symbol of the commitment of Jesus with his Passion: “Can you be baptized with
the baptism with which I will be baptized?” (Mc 10, 38-39).
• Luke 12, 51-53: Jesus has come to bring
division. Jesus always speaks of peace (Mt 5, 9; Mk 9, 50; Lk 1, 79; 10, 5; 19,
38; 24, 36; Jn 14, 27; 16, 33; 20, 21.26). And so how can we understand the
phrase in today’s Gospel which seems to say the contrary: “Do you think that I
am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you , but rather division”. This
affirmation does not mean that Jesus himself is in favour of division. No!
Jesus did not want division. But the announcement of truth that Jesus of
Nazareth was the Messiah becomes a reason for much division among the Jews. In
the same family or community, some were in favour and others were radically
contrary. In this sense, the Good News of Jesus was really a source of division
, a “sign of contradiction” (Lk 2, 34) or as Jesus said: “for from now on a
household will be divided, father opposed to son, son to father, mother to
daughter, daughter to mother, mother-in-law to daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law
to mother-in-law”. That is what was happening, in fact in the families and in
the communities: much division, much discussion, as a consequence of the Good
News among the Jews of that time, some accepting, others denying. The same
thing could be applied to the announcement of fraternity as a supreme value of human
living together. Not all agreed with this announcement, because they preferred
to maintain their privileges. And for this reason, they were not afraid to
persecute those who announced sharing and fraternity. This was the division
which arose and which and which was at the origin of the Passion and death of
Jesus. This is what was happening. Jesus wants the union of all in truth (cf.
Jn 17, 17-23). Even now it is like this. Many times there where the Church is
renewed, the call of the Good News becomes a “sign of contradiction” and of
division. Persons who during years had lived very comfortably in the routine of
their Christian life, they do not want to be disturbed or bothered by the
“innovations” of Vatican Council II. Disturbed by changes, they use all their
intelligence to find arguments to defend their own opinions and to condemn the
changes considering them contrary to what they think is their true faith.
4) Personal questions
• Seeking union Jesus was the cause of
division. Does this happen with you today?
• How do I react before the changes in the
Church?
5) Concluding prayer
Shout for joy, you upright;
praise comes well from the honest.
Give thanks to Yahweh on the lyre,
play for him on the ten-stringed lyre. (Ps
33,1-2)
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