Friday
of the Second Week of Lent
Lectionary: 234
Lectionary: 234
Israel
loved Joseph best of all his sons,
for he was the child of his old age;
and he had made him a long tunic.
When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons,
they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.
One day, when his brothers had gone
to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem,
Israel said to Joseph,
“Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem.
Get ready; I will send you to them.”
So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.
They noticed him from a distance,
and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.
They said to one another: “Here comes that master dreamer!
Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here;
we could say that a wild beast devoured him.
We shall then see what comes of his dreams.”
When Reuben heard this,
he tried to save him from their hands, saying,
“We must not take his life.
Instead of shedding blood,” he continued,
“just throw him into that cistern there in the desert;
but do not kill him outright.”
His purpose was to rescue him from their hands
and return him to his father.
So when Joseph came up to them,
they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;
then they took him and threw him into the cistern,
which was empty and dry.
They then sat down to their meal.
Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,
their camels laden with gum, balm and resin
to be taken down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers:
“What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?
Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,
instead of doing away with him ourselves.
After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.”
His brothers agreed.
They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
for he was the child of his old age;
and he had made him a long tunic.
When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons,
they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.
One day, when his brothers had gone
to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem,
Israel said to Joseph,
“Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem.
Get ready; I will send you to them.”
So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.
They noticed him from a distance,
and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.
They said to one another: “Here comes that master dreamer!
Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here;
we could say that a wild beast devoured him.
We shall then see what comes of his dreams.”
When Reuben heard this,
he tried to save him from their hands, saying,
“We must not take his life.
Instead of shedding blood,” he continued,
“just throw him into that cistern there in the desert;
but do not kill him outright.”
His purpose was to rescue him from their hands
and return him to his father.
So when Joseph came up to them,
they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;
then they took him and threw him into the cistern,
which was empty and dry.
They then sat down to their meal.
Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,
their camels laden with gum, balm and resin
to be taken down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers:
“What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?
Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,
instead of doing away with him ourselves.
After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.”
His brothers agreed.
They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 105:16-17, 18-19,
20-21
R.
(5a) Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
They had weighed him down with fetters,
and he was bound with chains,
Till his prediction came to pass
and the word of the LORD proved him true.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
They had weighed him down with fetters,
and he was bound with chains,
Till his prediction came to pass
and the word of the LORD proved him true.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
Verse
Before The GospelJN 3:16
God
so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son;
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
GospelMT 21:33-43, 45-46
Jesus
said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?”
They answered him,
“He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times.”
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
“Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?”
They answered him,
“He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times.”
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
Meditation: The stone which the builders rejected
Do you ever feel cut off
or separated from God? Joseph was violently rejected by his brothers and sold
into slavery in Egypt. His betrayal and suffering, however, resulted in
redemption and reconciliation for his brothers. "Fear not, for am I in the
place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good,
to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are
today" (Genesis 50:19-20). Joseph prefigures Jesus who was betrayed by one
of his own disciples and put to death on the cross for our redemption. Jesus
came to reconcile us with an all-just and all-merciful God. His parables point
to the mission he came to accomplish - to bring us the kingdom of God.
Parable of the vineyard
What is the message of the parable of the vineyard? Jesus' story about an absentee landlord and his not-so-good tenants would have made sense to his audience. The hills of Galilee were lined with numerous vineyards, and it was quite common for the owners to let out their estates to tenants. Many did it for the sole purpose of collecting rent.Why did Jesus' story about wicked tenants cause offense to the scribes and Pharisees? It contained both a prophetic message and a warning. Isaiah had spoken of the house of Israel as "the vineyard of the Lord" (Isaiah 5:7). Jesus' listeners would have likely understood this parable as referring to God's dealing with a stubborn and rebellious people.
What is the message of the parable of the vineyard? Jesus' story about an absentee landlord and his not-so-good tenants would have made sense to his audience. The hills of Galilee were lined with numerous vineyards, and it was quite common for the owners to let out their estates to tenants. Many did it for the sole purpose of collecting rent.Why did Jesus' story about wicked tenants cause offense to the scribes and Pharisees? It contained both a prophetic message and a warning. Isaiah had spoken of the house of Israel as "the vineyard of the Lord" (Isaiah 5:7). Jesus' listeners would have likely understood this parable as referring to God's dealing with a stubborn and rebellious people.
This parable speaks to
us today as well. It richly conveys some important truths about God and the way
he deals with his people. First, it tells us of God's generosity and trust. The
vineyard is well equipped with everything the tenants need. The owner went away
and left the vineyard in the hands of the tenants. God, likewise trusts us
enough to give us freedom to run life as we choose. This parable also tells us
of God's patience and justice. Not once, but many times he forgives the tenants
their debts. But while the tenants take advantage of the owner's patience, his
judgment and justice prevail in the end.
Gift of the kingdom
Jesus foretold both his death on the cross and his ultimate triumph. He knew he would be rejected and be killed, but he also knew that would not be the end. After rejection would come glory - the glory of his resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father in heaven. The Lord blesses his people today with the gift of his kingdom. And he promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him (see John 15:1-11). He entrusts his gifts and grace to each of us and he gives us work to do in his vineyard - the body of Christ. He promises that our labor will not be in vain if we persevere with faith to the end (see 1 Corinthians 15:58). We can expect trials and even persecution. But in the end we will see triumph. Do you serve the Lord Jesus with joyful hope and confidence in his victory and gift of abundant life?
Jesus foretold both his death on the cross and his ultimate triumph. He knew he would be rejected and be killed, but he also knew that would not be the end. After rejection would come glory - the glory of his resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father in heaven. The Lord blesses his people today with the gift of his kingdom. And he promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him (see John 15:1-11). He entrusts his gifts and grace to each of us and he gives us work to do in his vineyard - the body of Christ. He promises that our labor will not be in vain if we persevere with faith to the end (see 1 Corinthians 15:58). We can expect trials and even persecution. But in the end we will see triumph. Do you serve the Lord Jesus with joyful hope and confidence in his victory and gift of abundant life?
"Thank you, Lord
Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given us - for all the pains
and insults which you have borne for us. O most merciful redeemer, friend, and
brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you
more nearly, for your own sake." (prayer of St. Richard of Chichester, 13th
century)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26,
MATTHEW 21:33-43, 45-46
Lenten Weekday; Day of Abstinence
(Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a; Psalm 105)
Lenten Weekday; Day of Abstinence
(Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a; Psalm 105)
KEY VERSE: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" (v 42).
TO KNOW: Jesus told a parable concerning the religious leaders of Israel. In interpreting a parable it is important to remember that there is usually only one main point. Generally, it is a mistake to treat a parable as an allegory, but this case is different. Jesus used Isaiah's imagery of Israel as a vineyard (Is 5:1-7). The owner (God) lovingly cared for his vineyard (Israel), and in his absence he placed the tenants (the religious leaders) in charge. When vintage time came (the messianic age), the owner sent his servants (the prophets) to gather the fruit of the harvest, but the tenants treated them shamefully. Finally, the owner sent his own son (Jesus), but they dragged him "outside the vineyard" (Hb 13:12) and killed him. Because Israel had rejected the one who God had sent, others (the Gentiles) would benefit from God's mercy, and they would be the ones to yield an abundant harvest.
TO LOVE: Do I refuse to listen to the people who God sends to me?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to produce good fruit in my life.
Friday 26 February 2016
Fri 26th. Day of penance. Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13,
17-28. Remember the marvels the Lord has done—Ps 104(105):16-21. Matthew
21:33-43, 45-46.
Jesus reveals his identity.
In the parable of the vineyard Jesus reveals his
identity to the priests and Pharisee and predicts is own demise on the
cross.
He also gives us hope for the future and the hope that
through choosing to follow him we may see God in heaven. Matthew’s text today
has the well-recited phrase ‘…the stone that the builders rejected has become
the cornerstone’.
There are times in life where you may feel rejected by
your peers or society. Don’t lose heart; it may be there is a bigger plan for
you. Jesus was rejected by many in his own community. They missed much of his
message when he was in their presence. It was hard for him to understand this
rejection, personally it hurt him too, he was a human amongst us. He had to place
trust in his father that his betrayal was part of the greater plan. So at times
we must do the same, trust in God that hurt will pass and that the rejection we
may experience may be overcome.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Purity of Heart
|
Compassion is pure action issuing from purity of heart. It is
carried along toward others by a force of generosity that is too complete, and
too fulfilling for it to worry about what it is going to get in return.
February
26
St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin
(1888-1922)
St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin
(1888-1922)
If anyone knew rejection, ridicule and
disappointment, it was today’s saint. But such trials only brought Maria
Bertilla Boscardin closer to God and more determined to serve him.
Born in Italy in 1888, the young girl lived in fear of
her father, a violent man prone to jealousy and drunkenness. Her schooling was
limited so that she could spend more time helping at home and working in the
fields. She showed few talents and was often the butt of jokes.
In 1904 she joined the Sisters of St. Dorothy and was
assigned to work in the kitchen, bakery and laundry. After some time Maria
received nurses’ training and began working in a hospital with children
suffering from diphtheria. There the young nun seemed to find her true
vocation: nursing very ill and disturbed children. Later, when the hospital was
taken over by the military in World War I, Sister Maria Bertilla fearlessly
cared for patients amidst the threat of constant air raids and bombings.
She died in 1922 after suffering for many years from a
painful tumor. Some of the patients she had nursed many years before were
present at her canonization in 1961.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 21,33-43.45-46
Lectio Divina:
Friday, February 26, 2016
Lent Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
God, we do not want to die;
we want to live.
We want to be happy
but without paying the price.
We belong to our times,
when sacrifice and suffering are out of fashion.
God, make life worth the pain to be lived.
Give us back the age-old realization,
that life means to be born
again and again in pain,
that it may become again
a journey of hope to you,
together with Christ Jesus, our Lord.
we want to live.
We want to be happy
but without paying the price.
We belong to our times,
when sacrifice and suffering are out of fashion.
God, make life worth the pain to be lived.
Give us back the age-old realization,
that life means to be born
again and again in pain,
that it may become again
a journey of hope to you,
together with Christ Jesus, our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW 21,33-43.45-46
Jesus said to the chief priests and the
elders of the people: 'Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner,
who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a
tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad.
When vintage time drew near he sent his
servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his
servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third.
Next he sent some more servants, this
time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way.
Finally he sent his son to them
thinking, "They will respect my son." But when the tenants saw the
son, they said to each other, "This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him
and take over his inheritance." So they seized him and threw him out of
the vineyard and killed him.
Now when the owner of the vineyard
comes, what will he do to those tenants?' They answered, 'He will bring those
wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will
deliver the produce to him at the proper time.'
Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read
in the scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone; this is the Lord's doing and we marvel at it? 'I tell you, then,
that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will
produce its fruit.'
When they heard his parables, the chief
priests and the scribes realised he was speaking about them, but though they
would have liked to arrest him they were afraid of the crowds, who looked on
him as a prophet.
3) REFLECTION
• The text of today’s Gospel forms part
of a whole which is more vast or extensive which includes Mathew 21, 23-40. The
chief priests and the Elders had asked Jesus with which authority he did those
things (Mt 21, 23). They considered themselves the patrons of everything and
they did not want anybody to do things without their permission. The answer of
Jesus is divided into three parts: 1) He, in turn, asks them a question because
he wants to know from them if John the Baptist was from heaven or from earth
(Mt 21, 24-27). 2) He then tells them the parable of the two sons (Mt 21,
28-32). 3) He tells them the parable of the vineyard (Mt 21, 33-46) which is
today’s Gospel.
• Mathew 21, 33-40: The parable of the
vineyard. Jesus begins as follows: “Listen to another parable: There was a man,
a landowner, who planted a vineyard, he fenced it around, dug a winepress in it
and built a tower”. The parable is a beautiful summary of the history of
Israel, taken from the prophet Isaiah (Is 5, 1-7). Jesus addresses himself to
the chief priests, to the elders (Mt 21, 23) and to the Pharisees (Mt 21, 45)
and He gives a response to the question which they addressed to him asking
about the origin of his authority (Mt 21, 23). Through this parable, Jesus clarifies
several things: (a) He reveals the origin of his authority: He is the Son, the
heir. (b) He denounces the abuse of the authority of the tenants, that is of
the priests and elders who were not concerned and did not take care of the
people of God. (c) He defends the authority of the prophets, sent by God, but
who were killed by the priests and the elders. (4) He unmasks the authority by
which they manipulate the religion and kill the Son, because they do not want
to lose the source of income which they succeed to accumulate for themselves,
throughout the centuries.
• Mathew 21, 41: The sentence which they
give to themselves. At the end of the parable Jesus asks: “Now, when the owner
of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? They are not aware
that the parable was speaking precisely of them. This is why, with the response
that they give, they decree their own condemnation: “The chief priests and the
elders of the people answered: ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end
and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him at
the proper time”. Several times Jesus uses this same method. He leads the
person to say the truth about himself, without being aware that he condemns
himself. For example in the case of the Pharisee who condemns the young woman
considering her a sinner (Luke 7, 42-43) and in the case of the parable of the
two sons (Mt 21, 28-32).
• Mathew 21, 42-46: The sentence given
by themselves was confirmed by their behaviour. From the clarification given by
Jesus, the chief priests, the elders and the Pharisees understand that the
parable speaks about them, but they do not convert. All the contrary! They keep
to their own project to kill Jesus. They will reject “the corner stone”. But
they do not have the courage to do it openly, because they fear the reaction of
the people.
• The diverse groups which held the
power at the time of Jesus. In today’s Gospel two groups appear which, at that
time, governed: the priests, the elders and the Pharisees. Then, some brief
information on the power which each of these groups and others had is given:
a) The priests: They were the ones in
charge of the worship in the Temple. The people took to the Temple the tithe
and the other taxes and offerings to pay the promises made. The High Priest
occupied a very important place in the life of the nation, especially after the
exile. He was chosen and appointed from among the three or four aristocratic
families who possessed more power and riches.
b) The elders or the Chief Priests of
the People: They were the local leaders in the different villages of the city.
Their origin came from the heads of the ancient tribes.
c) The Sadducees: they were the lay
aristocratic elite of society. Many of them were rich merchants or landlords.
From the religious point of view they were conservative. They did not accept
the changes supported by the Pharisees, for example, faith in the resurrection
and the existence of the angels.
d) The Pharisees: Pharisee means:
separated. They struggled in a way that through the perfect observance of the
Law of purity, people would succeed in being pure, separated and saint as the
Law and Tradition demanded! Because of the exemplary witness of their life
according to the norms of the time, their moral authority was greatly extended
in the villages of Galilee.
e) Scribe or doctor of the Law: They
were the ones in charge of teaching. They dedicated their life to the study of
the Law of God and taught people what to do to observe all the Law of God. Not
all the Scribes belonged to the same line. Some were united with the Pharisees,
others with the Sadducees.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Some times have you felt that you were
controlled in an undue manner, at home, at work, in the Church? Which was your
reaction? Was it the same as that of Jesus?
• If Jesus would return today and would
tell us the same parable, how would I react?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
As the height of heaven above earth,
so strong is faithful the love of the Lord for those who fear him.
As the distance of east from west,
so far from us does he put our faults. (Ps 103,11-12)
so strong is faithful the love of the Lord for those who fear him.
As the distance of east from west,
so far from us does he put our faults. (Ps 103,11-12)
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