Thursday
of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 344
Lectionary: 344
Come
now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 49:14-15AB, 15CD-16,
17-18, 19-20
R.
(Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is
theirs!
This is the way of those whose trust is folly,
the end of those contented with their lot:
Like sheep they are herded into the nether world;
death is their shepherd and the upright rule over them.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Quickly their form is consumed;
the nether world is their palace.
But God will redeem me
from the power of the nether world by receiving me.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him down.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Though in his lifetime he counted himself blessed,
“They will praise you for doing well for yourself,”
He shall join the circle of his forebears
who shall never more see light.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
This is the way of those whose trust is folly,
the end of those contented with their lot:
Like sheep they are herded into the nether world;
death is their shepherd and the upright rule over them.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Quickly their form is consumed;
the nether world is their palace.
But God will redeem me
from the power of the nether world by receiving me.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him down.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Though in his lifetime he counted himself blessed,
“They will praise you for doing well for yourself,”
He shall join the circle of his forebears
who shall never more see light.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
AlleluiaSEE 1 THES 2:13
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 9:41-50
Jesus
said to his disciples:
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
Meditation: "If your hand or eye
causes you to sin"
Who in their right mind
would want to lose their reward and then be deprived of joy in the end? We have
been given the greatest of rewards - God himself who is perfect love and source
of abundant life and unending happiness. Paul the Apostle tells us that "God's
love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Romans
5:5). God's love purifies our hearts and compels us to express kindness and
charity towards our neighbor who is created in the image and likeness of God.
We were created in love for love. The charity we show to our neighbors in their
need expresses the gratitude we have for the abundant goodness and kindness of
God towards us. Jesus declared that any kindness shown and any help given to
the people of Christ will not lose its reward. Jesus never refused to give to
anyone in need who asked for his help. As his disciples we are called to be
kind and generous as he is.
Gregory of Nyssa (330-395 AD), an early church father
wrote:
"God never asks his servants to do what is
impossible. The love and goodness of his Godhead is revealed as richly
available. It is poured out like water upon all. God furnishes to each person
according to his will the ability to do something good. None of those seeking
to be saved will be lacking in this ability, given by the one who said:
'whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ,
will by no means lose his reward'" (ON
THE CHRISTIAN MODE OF LIFE 8.1)
Do you allow the love of Christ to transform your
heart that you may treat your neighbor with loving-kindness and mercy?
Avoiding evil and the near occasion of sin
Was Jesus' exaggerating when he urged his followers to use drastic measures to avoid evil and its harmful consequences (Mark 9:42-47? Jesus set before his disciples the one supreme goal in life that is worth any sacrifice, and that goal is God himself and his will for our lives which leads to everlasting peace and happiness. Just as a doctor might remove a limb or some part of the body in order to preserve the life of the whole body, so we must be ready to part with anything that causes us to sin and which leads to spiritual death. Jesus warns his disciples of the terrible responsibility that they must set no stumbling block in the way of another, that is, not give offense or bad example that might lead another to sin. The Greek word for temptation (scandalon) is exactly the same as the English word scandal. The original meaning of scandal is a trap or a stumbling block which causes one to trip and fall. The Jews held that it was an unforgivable sin to teach another to sin. If we teach another to sin, he or she in turn may teach still another, until a train of sin is set in motion with no foreseeable end. The young in faith are especially vulnerable to the bad example of those who should be passing on the faith. Do you set a good example for others to follow, especially the young?
Was Jesus' exaggerating when he urged his followers to use drastic measures to avoid evil and its harmful consequences (Mark 9:42-47? Jesus set before his disciples the one supreme goal in life that is worth any sacrifice, and that goal is God himself and his will for our lives which leads to everlasting peace and happiness. Just as a doctor might remove a limb or some part of the body in order to preserve the life of the whole body, so we must be ready to part with anything that causes us to sin and which leads to spiritual death. Jesus warns his disciples of the terrible responsibility that they must set no stumbling block in the way of another, that is, not give offense or bad example that might lead another to sin. The Greek word for temptation (scandalon) is exactly the same as the English word scandal. The original meaning of scandal is a trap or a stumbling block which causes one to trip and fall. The Jews held that it was an unforgivable sin to teach another to sin. If we teach another to sin, he or she in turn may teach still another, until a train of sin is set in motion with no foreseeable end. The young in faith are especially vulnerable to the bad example of those who should be passing on the faith. Do you set a good example for others to follow, especially the young?
Salt and fire
What does Jesus mean when he says "have salt in yourselves" (Mark 9:50)? Salt served a very useful purpose in hot climates before the invention of electricity and refrigeration. Salt not only gave food flavor, it also preserved meat from spoiling. Salt was used as a symbol of fellowship and the sharing of a common meal with one's friends. The near-Eastern expression to betray the salt meant to betray one's Lord or Master or one's friends. Leonardo da Vinci in his painting of the Last Supper depicts Judas in the act of tipping over the salt shaker, thus symbolically indentifying himself as the betrayer of his Master the Lord Jesus.
What does Jesus mean when he says "have salt in yourselves" (Mark 9:50)? Salt served a very useful purpose in hot climates before the invention of electricity and refrigeration. Salt not only gave food flavor, it also preserved meat from spoiling. Salt was used as a symbol of fellowship and the sharing of a common meal with one's friends. The near-Eastern expression to betray the salt meant to betray one's Lord or Master or one's friends. Leonardo da Vinci in his painting of the Last Supper depicts Judas in the act of tipping over the salt shaker, thus symbolically indentifying himself as the betrayer of his Master the Lord Jesus.
Jesus used the image of salt to describe how his
disciples are to live in the world. As salt purifies, preserves, and produces
rich flavor for food, so the disciple of Christ must be salt in the world of
human society to purify, preserve, and bring the flavor of God's kingdom
of righteousness, peace, joy, and mercy. What did Jesus mean by the expression
"salted with fire" and "salt becoming saltless"? Salt in
the ancient world was often put in ovens to intensify the heat. When the salt
was burned off and no longer useful it was thrown out on the foot path where it
would easily get trodden upon (Matthew 5:13). Perhaps
Jesus wanted to contrast useful salt and salt which lost its
ability to prevent corruption to encourage his disciples to bring the rich
flavor of Christ's love, holiness, and righteousness to a world dominated by
greed, selfish ambition, and neglect for the weak, poor, and defenseless.
Paul the Apostle reminds us that we are called to be
"the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among
those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a
fragrance from life to life" (2 Corinthians 2:15-16 ). The Lord Jesus
wants the fragrance of his love and righteousness to permeate our lives,
thoughts, speech, and actions. Do you allow the fragrance of Christ's love and
truth to permeate your relationships and circle of influence, especially among
your family, friends, and neighbors?
"Lord Jesus, fill me with the fragrance of your
love and truth that I may radiate the joy and peace of the Gospel wherever I go
and with whomever I meet."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Why not skip over such passages, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"This is no trivial subject of inquiry that we
propose, but rather it concerns things most urgent, and about which many
inquire: namely, whether hell fire has any end. For that it has no end Christ
indeed declared when he said, 'Their fire shall not be quenched, and their worm
shall not die' (Isaiah 66:24). Yes, I know a chill comes over you on hearing
these things. But what am I to do? For this is God’s own command... Ordained as
we have been to the ministry of the word, we must cause our hearers discomfort
when it is necessary for them to hear. We do this not arbitrarily but under
command." (excerpt from the HOMILIES
ON FIRST CORINTHIANS 9.1)
THURSDAY, MAY 19, MARK 9:41-50
Weekday
(James 5:1-6; Psalm 49)
Weekday
(James 5:1-6; Psalm 49)
KEY VERSE: "Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor?" (v 50).
TO KNOW: Jesus warned his disciples to be careful not to give scandal to the lowly, poor and uneducated ones of the community. Using hyperbole (exaggerated speech), Jesus told them to be ruthless in their renunciation of evil. It would be better to enter heaven "crippled" or "maimed" than to be cast whole into the fires of Gehenna (originally a site of child sacrifice to Molech, 2 Kgs.23:10, and later, a garbage dump with perpetually smoldering fires, which suggested the punishment of the wicked). Jesus' disciples should have a purifying effect on the community. Just as impure salt from the Dead Sea easily lost its flavor, they must be careful not to lose their zeal for God even though they would be refined by "fire" (v 49) through suffering and persecution.
TO LOVE: Am I careful not to give scandal in my community?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be a good example to all.
Thursday 19 May 2016
Thu 19th. James 5:1-6. Happy the poor in spirit; the
kingdom of heaven is theirs—Ps 48(49):14-20. Mark 9:41-50.
If salt becomes insipid, how can you season it again?
Our newspapers report scandals, sometimes in ways that
are scandalous. Though our lives may furnish no copy for them, there can be
occasions when our deeds do not conform to our words and when the Christian
faith we profess is compromised by the way we act. Our failings in this regard
may be minor. However, they would be extremely serious if our hypocritical
conduct were to impact on the spiritual wellbeing of the young and vulnerable.
With Semitic hyperbole, Jesus speaks vehemently in today’s gospel and elsewhere
(cf. Mt 18:7) about anyone who is an obstacle to the faith of the ‘little
ones’. Scandal, in Pope Francis’s words, is ‘to profess one way of life – “I am
a Christian” – and then live like a pagan, who does not believe in anything.’
And he reminds us, ‘All of us are capable of giving scandal.’
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
God's Radiating Love
|
Every
home should feel the sunshine of God’s love radiating through it. Remember that
he has called you by name, you are his, you are precious to him, he loves you.
Those we live with belong to him, are precious to him. Such knowledge should
become the burning flame of God’s love in our homes. May we each grow into the
likeness of Christ through love for each other.
May 19
St. Theophilus of Corte
(1676-1740)
St. Theophilus of Corte
(1676-1740)
If we
expect saints to do marvelous things continually and to leave us many memorable
quotes, we are bound to be disappointed with St. Theophilus. The mystery of
God's grace in a person's life, however, has a beauty all its own.
Theophilus
was born in Corsica of rich and noble parents. As a young man he entered the
Franciscans and soon showed his love for solitude and prayer. After admirably
completing his studies, he was ordained and assigned to a retreat house near
Subiaco. Inspired by the austere life of the Franciscans there, he founded
other such houses in Corsica and Tuscany. Over the years, he became famous for
his preaching as well as his missionary efforts.
Though
he was always somewhat sickly, Theophilus generously served the needs of God's
people in the confessional, in the sickroom and at the graveside. Worn out by
his labors, he died on June 17, 1740. He was canonized in 1930.
Comment:
There is a certain dynamism in all the saints that prompts them to find ever more selfless ways of responding to God's grace. As time went on, Theophilus gave more and more singlehearted service to God and to God's sons and daughters. Honoring the saints will make no sense unless we are thus drawn to live as generously as they did. Their holiness can never substitute for our own.
There is a certain dynamism in all the saints that prompts them to find ever more selfless ways of responding to God's grace. As time went on, Theophilus gave more and more singlehearted service to God and to God's sons and daughters. Honoring the saints will make no sense unless we are thus drawn to live as generously as they did. Their holiness can never substitute for our own.
Quote:
Francis of Assisi used to say, "Let us begin, brothers, to serve the Lord God, for up to now we have made little or no progress" (1 Celano, #193).
Francis of Assisi used to say, "Let us begin, brothers, to serve the Lord God, for up to now we have made little or no progress" (1 Celano, #193).
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 9,41-50
Lectio
Divina:
Thursday,
May 19, 2016
Ordinary
Time
1)
Opening prayer
Father,
keep before us the wisdom and love
you have revealed in your Son.
Help us to be like him
in word and deed,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
keep before us the wisdom and love
you have revealed in your Son.
Help us to be like him
in word and deed,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2)
Gospel Reading - Mark 9,41-50
Jesus
said to his disciples: 'If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink because you
belong to Christ, then in truth I tell you, he will most certainly not lose his
reward.
'But
anyone who is the downfall of one of these little ones who have faith, would be
better thrown into the sea with a great millstone hung round his neck.
And
if your hand should be your downfall, cut it off; it is better for you to enter
into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that
never be put out.
And
if your foot should be your downfall, cut it off; it is better for you enter
into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
And
if your eye should be your downfall, tear it out; it is better for you to enter
into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into
hell where their worm will never die nor their fire be put out. For everyone
will be salted with fire.
Salt
is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you make it salty
again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.'
3)
Reflection
•
Today’s Gospel narrates some advice from Jesus on the relationship of adults
with the little ones and the excluded. At that time, many persons were excluded
and marginalized. They could not participate. Many of them would lose their
faith. The text on which we are going to meditate now contains strange
affirmations which, if taken literally, cause perplexity in people.
•
Mark 9, 41: A glass of water will be rewarded. A phrase from
Jesus is inserted here: If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink because you
belong to Christ, then in truth I tell you, he will most certainly not lose his
reward. Two thoughts: 1) “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink”. Jesus
is going to Jerusalem to give his life. A gesture of great donation! But he
does not forget the small gesture of donation of life of each day: a cup of
water, an act of acceptance, to give alms, so many gestures. Anyone who rejects
and despises the brick will never be able to construct a house! 2) “…because
you belong to Christ”: Jesus identifies himself with us who want to belong to
him; this means that for him we have great value.
•
Mark 9, 42: Who is a cause of scandal for these little ones. Scandal, literally,
it is a stone along the road, a stone in the shoe; it is that which leads a
person away from the right path. To scandalize the little ones is
to be the cause why the little ones go away from the right path and lose their
faith in God. Any one who does this receives the following sentence: “It
would have been better to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone hung
round his neck!” Because Jesus identifies himself with the little ones
(Mt 23, 40-45). Today, in the whole world, many little ones, many poor people
are leaving the traditional churches. Every year, in Latin America,
approximately three million persons are going to other churches. They cannot
believe what we profess in our church! Why does this happen? Up to what point
are we to be blamed for this? Do we also merit having a millstone round our neck?
•
Mark 9, 43-48: To cut off your hand and your foot and to tear out your
eye. Jesus orders the person to cut off the hand, the foot, to tear
out the eye, in the case in which they are cause of scandal. And he says: “It
is better to enter into life or into the Kingdom with one foot (hand, eye) than
to be thrown into hell with two feet, (hands, eyes)”. These phrases
are not to be taken literally. They mean that the person has to be rooted in
his/her choice of God and of the Gospel.
The
expression “hell” where their worm will never die nor their fire be put
out”, is an image to indicate the situation of a person who remains without
God. “geenna” was the name of a valley near Jerusalem, where the trash
of the city was thrown and where a fire was always burning to burn the trash.
This place full of stench was used by the people to symbolize the situation of
the person who did not participate in the Kingdom of God.
•
Mark 9, 49-50: Salt and Peace. These two verses help us to
understand the severe words on scandal. Jesus says: “Have salt in yourselves
and be at peace with one another!” The community, in which the members live in peace
with one another, is like a bit of salt which gives flavour to all the
meal. To live in peace and fraternally in the community is the salt that gives
flavour to the life of the people of the neighbourhood. It is a sign of the Kingdom, a
revelation of the Good News of God. Are we salt? The salt which does not give
flavour is good for nothing!
• Jesus
accepts and defends the life of the little ones. Several times, Jesus
insists that little ones should be accepted. “Anyone who welcomes a
little child in my name welcomes me” (Mk 9, 37). Anyone who gives a cup of
water to one of these little ones will not lose his reward (Mt 10, 42). He asks
not to despise little ones (Mt 18, 10). And at the final judgment the just will
be received because they would have given something to eat “to one of these
little ones” (Mt 25, 40). If Jesus insists so much on acceptance of the little
ones, it is because there are many simple people considered less, who are not
accepted! In fact, women and children were not taken into account, did not
count (Mt 14 21; 15, 38), they were despised (Mt 18, 10) and reduced to silence
(Mt 21, 15-16). Even the Apostles prevented the children from getting close to
Jesus (Mt 19, 13-14). In the name of the Law of God, misinterpreted by the
religious authority of the time, many good people were excluded. Instead of
welcoming the excluded, the law was used to legitimize the exclusion. In the
Gospels, the expression “little ones” (in Greek it is said elachisto,
mikroi or nepioi), sometimes it indicates “the children”, other times it
indicates the sections excluded by society. It is not easy to discern.
Sometimes the “little ones” in the Gospel means “the children”. This because the
children belonged to the category of the “little ones”, of the
excluded. Besides, it is not always easy to discern between what comes from the
time of Jesus and that which comes from the time of the communities for which
the Gospels were written. And even if things were like this, what is clear is
the context of exclusion which reigned at the time and which the first
communities kept from Jesus: he places himself on the side of the little ones,
of the excluded, and takes up their defence.
4)
Personal questions
• In
our society and in our community, today who are the little one and the
excluded? How are they accepted on our part?
• “A
millstone round the neck”. Does my behaviour deserve a millstone or a cord
round the neck? And the behaviour of our community, what does it deserve?
5)
Concluding Prayer
The
Lord forgives all your offences,
cures all your diseases,
he redeems your life from the abyss,
crowns you with faithful love and tenderness. (Ps 103,3-4)
cures all your diseases,
he redeems your life from the abyss,
crowns you with faithful love and tenderness. (Ps 103,3-4)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét