Friday
of the Third Week of Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 321
Lectionary: 321
At
the turn of the year, when kings go out on campaign,
David sent out Joab along with his officers
and the army of Israel,
and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.
David, however, remained in Jerusalem.
One evening David rose from his siesta
and strolled about on the roof of the palace.
From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful.
David had inquiries made about the woman and was told,
“She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam,
and wife of Joab’s armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.”
Then David sent messengers and took her.
When she came to him, he had relations with her.
She then returned to her house.
But the woman had conceived,
and sent the information to David, “I am with child.”
David therefore sent a message to Joab,
“Send me Uriah the Hittite.”
So Joab sent Uriah to David.
When he came, David questioned him about Joab, the soldiers,
and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well.
David then said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.”
Uriah left the palace,
and a portion was sent out after him from the king’s table.
But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace
with the other officers of his lord, and did not go down
to his own house.
David was told that Uriah had not gone home.
On the day following, David summoned him,
and he ate and drank with David, who made him drunk.
But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his bed
among his lord’s servants, and did not go down to his home.
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab
which he sent by Uriah.
In it he directed:
“Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce.
Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.”
So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah
to a place where he knew the defenders were strong.
When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab,
some officers of David’s army fell,
and among them Uriah the Hittite died.
David sent out Joab along with his officers
and the army of Israel,
and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.
David, however, remained in Jerusalem.
One evening David rose from his siesta
and strolled about on the roof of the palace.
From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful.
David had inquiries made about the woman and was told,
“She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam,
and wife of Joab’s armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.”
Then David sent messengers and took her.
When she came to him, he had relations with her.
She then returned to her house.
But the woman had conceived,
and sent the information to David, “I am with child.”
David therefore sent a message to Joab,
“Send me Uriah the Hittite.”
So Joab sent Uriah to David.
When he came, David questioned him about Joab, the soldiers,
and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well.
David then said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.”
Uriah left the palace,
and a portion was sent out after him from the king’s table.
But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace
with the other officers of his lord, and did not go down
to his own house.
David was told that Uriah had not gone home.
On the day following, David summoned him,
and he ate and drank with David, who made him drunk.
But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his bed
among his lord’s servants, and did not go down to his home.
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab
which he sent by Uriah.
In it he directed:
“Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce.
Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.”
So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah
to a place where he knew the defenders were strong.
When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab,
some officers of David’s army fell,
and among them Uriah the Hittite died.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 51:3-4, 5-6A, 6BCD-7,
10-11
R.
(see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
I have done such evil in your sight
that you are just in your sentence,
blameless when you condemn.
True, I was born guilty,
a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness;
the bones you have crushed shall rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
I have done such evil in your sight
that you are just in your sentence,
blameless when you condemn.
True, I was born guilty,
a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness;
the bones you have crushed shall rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
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.
GospelMK 4:26-34
Jesus
said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Meditation: What the kingdom of God is
like
What
can mustard seeds teach us about the kingdom of God? The tiny mustard seed
literally grew to be a tree which attracted numerous birds because they loved
the little black mustard seed it produced. God's kingdom works in a similar
fashion. It starts from the smallest beginnings in the hearts of men and women
who are receptive to God's word. And it works unseen and causes a
transformation from within. Just as a seed has no power to change itself until
it is planted in the ground, so we cannot change our lives to be like God until
God gives us the power of his Holy Spirit.
The
Lord of the Universe is ever ready to transform us by the power of his Spirit.
Are you ready to let God change you by his life-giving Word and Spirit? The
kingdom of God produces a transformation in those who receive the new life
which Jesus Christ offers. When we yield to the Lord Jesus and allow his word
to take root in us, our lives are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit
who dwells within us. Paul the Apostle says, "we have this
treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God
and not to us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Do you believe in the
transforming power of the Holy Spirit?
Peter
Chrysologous (400-450 AD), an early church father, explained how the "
tree of the cross" spread its branches throughout the world and grew into
a worldwide community of faith offering its fruit to the whole world:
It is
up to us to sow this mustard seed in our minds and let it grow within us into a
great tree of understanding reaching up to heaven and elevating all our
faculties; then it will spread out branches of knowledge, the pungent savor of
its fruit will make our mouths burn, its fiery kernel will kindle a blaze
within us inflaming our hearts, and the taste of it will dispel our
unenlightened repugnance. Yes, it is true: a mustard seed is indeed an image of
the kingdom of God. Christ is the kingdom of heaven. Sown like a mustard seed
in the garden of the virgin’s womb, he grew up into the tree of the cross whose
branches stretch across the world. Crushed in the mortar of the passion, its
fruit has produced seasoning enough for the flavoring and preservation of every
living creature with which it comes in contact. As long as a mustard seed
remains intact, its properties lie dormant; but when it is crushed they are
exceedingly evident. So it was with Christ; he chose to have his body crushed,
because he would not have his power concealed….
Christ
became all things in order to restore all of us in himself. The man Christ
received the mustard seed which represents the kingdom of God; as man he
received it, though as God he had always possessed it. He sowed it in his
garden, that is in his bride, the Church. The Church is a garden extending over
the whole world, tilled by the plough of the gospel, fenced in by stakes of
doctrine and discipline, cleared of every harmful weed by the labor of the
apostles, fragrant and lovely with perennial flowers: virgins’ lilies and
martyrs’ roses set amid the pleasant verdure of all who bear witness to Christ
and the tender plants of all who have faith in him. Such then is the mustard
seed which Christ sowed in his garden. When he promised a kingdom to the
patriarchs, the seed took root in them; with the prophets it sprang up; with
the apostles it grew tall; in the Church it became a great tree putting forth
innumerable branches laden with gifts. And now you too must take the wings of
the psalmist’s dove, gleaming gold in the rays of divine sunlight, and fly to
rest for ever among those sturdy, fruitful branches. No snares are set to trap
you there; fly off, then, with confidence and dwell securely in its shelter. (SERMON
98)
Do
you allow the seed of God's word to take deep root in your life and transform
you into a fruit-bearing disciple of Jesus Christ?
"Lord
Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and transform me into the Christ-like
holiness you desire. Increase my zeal for your kingdom and instill in me a holy
desire to live for your greater glory."
Daily Quote from the
early church fathers: God gave us what was most precious, by
Isaac of Nineveh (a Syrian monk, teacher, and bishop), 613-700 A.D.
"The sum of all is God, the Lord of all, who from love of his
creatures has delivered his Son to death on the cross. For God so loved the
world that he gave his only begotten Son for it. Not that he was unable to save
us in another way, but in this way it was possible to show us his abundant love
abundantly, namely, by bringing us near to him by the death of his Son. If he
had anything more dear to him, he would have given it to us, in order that by
it our race might be his. And out of his great love he did not even choose to
urge our freedom by compulsion, though he was able to do so. But his aim was
that we should come near to him by the love of our mind. And our Lord obeyed
his Father out of love for us." (excerpt from ASCETICAL HOMILY
74.28)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, MARK
4:26-34
Weekday
(2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Psalm 51)
Weekday
(2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Psalm 51)
KEY VERSE: "With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it" (v 33).
TO KNOW: The key point of Jesus' teaching was the coming of God's reign. In his parables, he used examples from everyday life, such as farmers, seeds and grain, to invite his followers to discover the meaning of his message. Jesus explained that the growth and fruitfulness of the kingdom was not solely due to their efforts, but was the work of God. Human inadequacy could not hinder the coming of the reign of God, which would grow imperceptibly until fully established at the final judgment. Jesus compared the irrepressible quality of the kingdom to a mustard seed. When the seed was sown, it was very small, but when it matured it attained the height of a tree. In God's kingdom, there would be room for all people, Jew and Gentile, to dwell securely under its lofty branches.
TO LOVE: Do I trust that my work will be fruitful under God's guidance?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to grow and mature in my faith.
Friday 29 January, 2016
Fri 29th. Day of penance. 2 Samuel 11:1-10, 13-17. Be
merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned—Ps 50(51):3-7, 10-11. Mark 4:26-34.
The power of parables.
David was a great king although he started out as a
shepherd boy with a slingshot slaying the huge Goliath. By the time he ordered
Uriah’s death, David was a great king, commandeering armies. And yet in many
ways he had still not grasped the notion of the Kingdom of God.
This was an idea that the ‘new David’ or the new
messiah, Jesus Christ put forward. In the time of David, the ancient Hebrews
owned their own land. By the time Jesus walked the earth of ancient Palestine
the country was occupied by the Romans. The Jews were eagerly awaiting a new
David to save them from the Romans and deliver their beloved land back to them.
But instead of rallying together an army as his ancestor David had done
centuries before, Jesus spoke of the ‘kingdom within’ – a kingdom the size of a
mustard seed. Jesus spoke in parables – powerful spiritual grenades that often
confused and disturbed people. He subverted the notion of ‘kingdom’ as
something vast and only within the grasp of a special few and made it a tiny
thing that could be found within a person and was accessible to all, regardless
of whether they ruled countries and led armies. What a powerful and empowering
idea!
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Apostolate of Presence
|
Lord, your love is like that of a mother—unconditional, constant,
nurturing, wise. Let that love flow through me to my children and all the
people you entrust to my care. Thank you for my earthly mother and all the
mothers I know. And thank you for the Mother you share with us, who is always
ready to strengthen and guide.
—Kimberly Hahn
—Kimberly Hahn
January
29
Servant of God Brother Juniper
(d. 1258)
Servant of God Brother Juniper
(d. 1258)
"Would to God, my brothers,
I had a whole forest of such Junipers," said Francis of this holy friar.
We don’t know much about Juniper
before he joined the friars in 1210. Francis sent him to establish
"places" for the friars in Gualdo Tadino and Viterbo. When St. Clare
was dying, Juniper consoled her. He was devoted to the passion of Jesus and was
known for his simplicity.
Several stories about Juniper in
the Little Flowers of St. Francis illustrate his exasperating
generosity. Once Juniper was taking care of a sick man who had a craving to eat
pig’s feet. This helpful friar went to a nearby field, captured a pig and cut
off one foot, and then served this meal to the sick man. The owner of the pig
was furious and immediately went to Juniper’s superior. When Juniper saw his
mistake, he apologized profusely. He also ended up talking this angry man into
donating the rest of the pig to the friars!
Another time Juniper had been
commanded to quit giving part of his clothing to the half-naked people he met
on the road. Desiring to obey his superior, Juniper once told a man in need
that he couldn’t give the man his tunic, but he wouldn’t prevent the man from
taking it either. In time, the friars learned not to leave anything lying
around, for Juniper would probably give it away.
He died in 1258 and is buried at
Ara Coeli Church in Rome.
Comment:
What can we make of Juniper? He certainly seems to be the first of many Franciscan "characters." No doubt some of the stories about him have improved considerably in the retelling. Although the stories about Juniper may seem a little quaint, his virtues were not. He was humble because he knew the truth about God, himself and others. He was patient because he was willing to suffer ("patience" comes from patior meaning "to suffer") in his following of Jesus.
What can we make of Juniper? He certainly seems to be the first of many Franciscan "characters." No doubt some of the stories about him have improved considerably in the retelling. Although the stories about Juniper may seem a little quaint, his virtues were not. He was humble because he knew the truth about God, himself and others. He was patient because he was willing to suffer ("patience" comes from patior meaning "to suffer") in his following of Jesus.
Quote:
It is said that St. Francis once described the perfect friar by citing "the patience of Brother Juniper, who attained the state of perfect patience because he kept the truth of his low estate constantly in mind, whose supreme desire was to follow Christ on the way of the cross" (Mirror of Perfection, #85).
It is said that St. Francis once described the perfect friar by citing "the patience of Brother Juniper, who attained the state of perfect patience because he kept the truth of his low estate constantly in mind, whose supreme desire was to follow Christ on the way of the cross" (Mirror of Perfection, #85).
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 4,26-34
Lectio Divina:
Friday, January 29, 2016
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of your Son
may bring mankind to unity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
on God, for ever and ever. Amen.
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of your Son
may bring mankind to unity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
on God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 4, 26-34
Jesus said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, at once he starts to reap because the harvest has come.'
He also said, 'What can we say that the kingdom is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which, at the time of its sowing, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. Yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.' Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were by themselves.
Jesus said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, at once he starts to reap because the harvest has come.'
He also said, 'What can we say that the kingdom is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which, at the time of its sowing, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. Yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.' Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were by themselves.
3) Reflection
• It is always beautiful to see Jesus, who sought in life and in events, new elements and images which could help people to perceive and experience the presence of the Kingdom In today’s Gospel, once again, he narrates two brief stories which take place every day in the life of all of us: “The story of the seed that grows by itself” and “the story of the small mustard seed which grows into the biggest shrub”.
• The story of the seed which grows alone. The farmer who plants knows the process: seed, the green sprout, leaf, spike, grain. The farmer knows how to wait, he does not cut down the grain before it is time. But he does not know how the soil, the rain, the sun and the seed have this force or strength to make the plant grow from nothing until it bears fruit. This is how the Kingdom of God is. It is a process, there are stages and moments of growth. It takes place in time. It produces fruit at the just moment, but nobody knows how to explain its mysterious force. Nobody, not even the landlord. Only God!
• The story of the small mustard seed which grows and becomes big. The mustard seed is small, but it grows and at the end, the birds make their nests in its branches. This is how the Kingdom is. It begins very small, it grows and it extends its branches. The parable leaves an open question which will receive a response later on in the Gospel: Who are the birds? The text suggests that it is a question of the Pagans who will not be able to enter into the community and participate in the Kingdom.
• Because Jesus teaches by means of the Parables. Jesus tells many parables. All are taken from the life of the people! In this way he helped persons to discover the things of God in daily life, a life which becomes transparent. Because what is extraordinary of God is hidden in the ordinary and common things of daily life. People understood the things of life. In the parables they received the key to open it and to find in it the signs of God.
• It is always beautiful to see Jesus, who sought in life and in events, new elements and images which could help people to perceive and experience the presence of the Kingdom In today’s Gospel, once again, he narrates two brief stories which take place every day in the life of all of us: “The story of the seed that grows by itself” and “the story of the small mustard seed which grows into the biggest shrub”.
• The story of the seed which grows alone. The farmer who plants knows the process: seed, the green sprout, leaf, spike, grain. The farmer knows how to wait, he does not cut down the grain before it is time. But he does not know how the soil, the rain, the sun and the seed have this force or strength to make the plant grow from nothing until it bears fruit. This is how the Kingdom of God is. It is a process, there are stages and moments of growth. It takes place in time. It produces fruit at the just moment, but nobody knows how to explain its mysterious force. Nobody, not even the landlord. Only God!
• The story of the small mustard seed which grows and becomes big. The mustard seed is small, but it grows and at the end, the birds make their nests in its branches. This is how the Kingdom is. It begins very small, it grows and it extends its branches. The parable leaves an open question which will receive a response later on in the Gospel: Who are the birds? The text suggests that it is a question of the Pagans who will not be able to enter into the community and participate in the Kingdom.
• Because Jesus teaches by means of the Parables. Jesus tells many parables. All are taken from the life of the people! In this way he helped persons to discover the things of God in daily life, a life which becomes transparent. Because what is extraordinary of God is hidden in the ordinary and common things of daily life. People understood the things of life. In the parables they received the key to open it and to find in it the signs of God.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus does not explain the Parables. He tells the stories and awakens in others the imagination and the reflection of the discovery. What have you discovered in these two Parables?
• The objective of the words is to render life transparent. Has your life become more transparent throughout the years, or has the contrary taken place?
• Jesus does not explain the Parables. He tells the stories and awakens in others the imagination and the reflection of the discovery. What have you discovered in these two Parables?
• The objective of the words is to render life transparent. Has your life become more transparent throughout the years, or has the contrary taken place?
5) Concluding Prayer
Have mercy on me, O God, in your faithful love,
in your great tenderness wipe away my offences;
wash me clean from my guilt,
purify me from my sin. (Ps 51,1-2)
Have mercy on me, O God, in your faithful love,
in your great tenderness wipe away my offences;
wash me clean from my guilt,
purify me from my sin. (Ps 51,1-2)
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