Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 102
Lectionary: 102
Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
that you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the LORD:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
as a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice
and your bodies flourish like the grass;
the LORD's power shall be known to his servants.
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
that you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the LORD:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
as a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice
and your bodies flourish like the grass;
the LORD's power shall be known to his servants.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
R. (1) Let all
the earth cry out to God with joy.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Reading 2GAL 6:14-18
Brothers and sisters:
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me,
and I to the world.
For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision,
but only a new creation.
Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule
and to the Israel of God.
From now on, let no one make troubles for me;
for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,
brothers and sisters. Amen.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me,
and I to the world.
For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision,
but only a new creation.
Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule
and to the Israel of God.
From now on, let no one make troubles for me;
for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,
brothers and sisters. Amen.
AlleluiaCOL 3:15A, 16A
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;
let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;
let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 10:1-12, 17-20
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.'
Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."
The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,
"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."
Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.'
Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."
The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,
"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."
Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"
14th
Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Isaiah 66:10-14c
The prophets of Israel were not merely men who predicted future events. They were the religious leaders and teachers of the Israelites. They themselves regarded their mission in this light. They wished, above all, to be “men of God,” and to bring God to their people and their people to God. The Hebrew word for prophet, nabi, bears out this interpretation; it means “speaker”: One who speaks God’s words. According to Deuteronomy 18:16, a prophet is one who is raised up to take the place of God as regards the people. In other places he is called the messenger, the servant, the interpreter of God, and also “one who stands in the counsel of God.”
Today we hear the words of the greatest of the Old Covenant prophets – Isaiah; greatness being determined by the length of his recorded works. In this reading Isaiah speaks of the final judgment and the purified and joyful Jerusalem. All children of God nurse at the breast of Jerusalem – an image that beautifully portrays universal peace, contentment, and love. Slowly the image changes and God takes the place of Jerusalem – fondling, comforting, and nursing His children.
10 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; Exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her! 11 Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, That you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts! 12 For thus says the LORD: Lo, I will spread prosperity
In Hebrew, “shalom”
over her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent. As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap;
See 1 Peter 2:2 for similar thought.
13 As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort. 14abc When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bodies flourish like the grass; The LORD’S power shall be known to his servants.
2nd Reading - Galatians 6:14-18
Judaizing preachers from Jerusalem had raised havoc in the various new Christian congregations which Paul had founded. For the most part these communities were composed of converts from paganism. The Judaizers had succeeded in seducing many leading members of the Galatian community to submit to circumcision and other Jewish rites. These false teachers succeeded all the more easily because uncircumcised Christians were persecuted by Pagans and Jews alike, whereas the circumcised, being regarded as Jews, enjoyed comparative peace. Besides, they made the Galatian Christians believe that the observance of the Mosaic Law was something very pleasing to God. After all, who was Paul? He had not lived with Jesus, had not enjoyed the privilege of His teaching, but had taken up the preaching of the Gospel long after Jesus’ death.
Paul responded in about A.D. 54 with his epistle to the Galatians. Today we hear the conclusion of this writing.
14 [M]ay I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The Judaizers boasted of their circumcision but Paul points out in verse 12 that the only reason to be circumcised is to avoid persecution. Instead of self-reliance, Saint Paul preaches dependence on the grace and favor of God and if it were not for the cross, Christianity would not exist.
through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Through the historic event of Calvary, the realization of the Father’s plan of salvation for humanity came into being. The one perfect sacrifice has opened heaven and our sins can now be forgiven and forgotten. We are no longer slaves of God but are instead His sons and daughters.
15 For neither does circumcision mean anything,
This echoes the sentiment of Galatians 5:6 and 1 Corinthians 7:18-19.
nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation.
Baptism washes away the old self and makes us a new creation.
“Paul also mentions a new creation in his letter to the Corinthians. ... The strict meaning of ‘new creation’ is the transformation of all things which will occur after the resurrection from the dead. For then the creation will be freed from sin’s burden and redeemed. Paul demonstrates that saving baptism is an image of things to come. In it we put off the old nature and put on the new. And we, ridding ourselves of sin’s burden, receive the grace of the Spirit. Yet neither the most holy baptism nor the life to come recognizes any difference between circumcision and uncircumcision. By ‘world’ he means the affairs of life – honor, glory and wealth. To these he declares himself dead.” [Theodoret of Cyr (ca. A.D. 450), Interpretation of the Fourteen Epistles of Paul, On Galatians 6:15]
16 Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to the Israel of God.
The Christian people of God are the new “offspring of Abraham.” As such we inherit what has been promised to them. See Romans 9:6-8.
17 From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.
The Greek stigmata did not mean what the word often means in English today. Paul had suffered so much from illness (Galatians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:7), floggings (2 Corinthians 11:25), beasts (1 Corinthians 15:32), and affliction (2 Corinthians 1:8) for Christ’s sake that he could speak of the evidence of such suffering as “brands” marking him forever as the “servant of Christ Jesus” (Galatians 1:10; Romans 1:1). In antiquity stigmata often designated the branding used to mark a slave or an animal as someone’s possession. Of such “marks” in the flesh Paul gladly boasts to those who try to glory in a different mark in the flesh (circumcision).
“Anyone who after Christ’s coming is circumcised in the flesh does not carry the marks of the Lord Jesus. Rather, he glories in his own confusion. But the one who was flogged beyond what the law required, frequently was in prison, was beaten three times with rods, was once stoned and suffered all the other things that are written in his catalog of boasting (2 Corinthians 11:23-29) – this is the one who carries on his body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Perhaps also the ascetic today who keeps his body under control and subjects it to servitude so that he will not appear reprobate as he preaches to others may in some way carry the marks of the Lord Jesus on his own body.” [Saint Jerome (A.D. 386), Commentaries on the Epistle to the Galatians 3,6,17]
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers [and sisters]. Amen.
Gospel - Luke 10:1-12,17-20
Last week we heard of the cost of discipleship and how one must constantly keep their eye on the goal and not look back. Today we hear of the mission of the 72.
{Hearing the gospel today is like sitting in on a very important business meeting. It seems we are listening to a sales manager giving orders to his staff as they get ready to set out on a new sales campaign. Actually, it is Jesus preparing His staff of seventy-two for their first great missionary journey – a kind of sales job. His instructions, practical and specific, would be a good program for any endeavor:
1) Stay focused on the project at hand; allow no distractions.
2) Remember, you do not work alone; God is with you.
3) Pray and trust in God’s help.
4) Stay alert at all times. Pay attention.
5) Value your product, because it is important.
6) Carefully discern when it is time to speak, time to be still.
7) If people are closed to you, you are wasting your time; move on.
8) Even then, leave a seed behind to take root and bear fruit later.
9) Remember, Christ will do the follow-up work; you prepare the way 10) Pray for more workers; that’s an essential part of the plan.}
Good sales manager that He is, Jesus also provides His workers with some information about the competition. There will be “snakes and scorpions,” he warns them, using imaginative language to picture the obstacles they will have to overcome. Because He has prepared them so well, however, they have nothing to fear from any competitor. His sales crew is ready for the challenge.
In one way or another, aren’t we all members of Jesus’ sales crew? Haven’t we all been commissioned to “sell” the Good News to others? By word and example, by attitudes and behavior, aren’t we continually telling the world about our “product”? Let’s look again at Jesus’ instructions; they might be exactly what we need to be successful at home, in volunteer work, in our parish, and at our jobs. It’s worth a try. (Taken from Bible & Liturgy Sunday Bulletin, The Liturgical Press, 1995)
10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy (-two) others
In addition to the Twelve. Trustworthy ancient manuscripts support either 70 or 72. The Old Testament text behind the number seems to be Genesis 10:2-31, the table of the nations of the world: the Masoretic text of which reads 70 while the Septuagint has 72. In any case, Luke roots the universal mission of his church in the ministry of Jesus.
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
Three reasons are involved in sending them forth in pairs:
1) mutual support;
2) bearing witness to the truth of their testimony (Deuteronomy 19:15); and 3) living embodiment of the gospel of peace (see verses 5 & 6).
The most famous pair in the history of the Church were Paul and Barnabas.
2 He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
The same saying occurs in Matthew 9:37-38 just before the call of the twelve.
3 Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
The image shifts from reapers to animals. The missionaries may be defenseless before hostile people, but the Christian mission inaugurates a new era of peace and reconciliation in which the lamb will lie down with the wolf (see Isaiah 11:6; 65:25).
4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
See Luke 9:3 where the apostles are given similar instructions.
and greet no one along the way.
This suggests the urgency of the situation that will face the disciples: not even ordinary greetings should deter them (see 2 Kings 4:29).
5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’
This is the peace that the Lucan gospel associates with the salvation being brought by Christ.
6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment.
This saying is quoted in 1 Timothy 5:18 as “scripture” but I can find it nowhere in the Old Testament.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Be satisfied with what is offered – do not shop around.
8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you,
Dietary laws have no force anymore (see 1 Corinthians 10:27; Acts 10:25).
9 cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
It was brought near in the coming of Jesus and is brought even nearer as the missionaries preach and cure the sick and thus extend His activity.
10 Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 11 ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’
A gesture of repudiation – the town isn’t even worth carrying dust from it.
Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. 12 I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.
See Genesis 19. Sodom didn’t have the opportunity for repentance that is being offered to these towns.
17 The seventy (-two) returned rejoicing, and said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Recall Jesus’ power over the demons in Galilee (Luke 8:26-39) and the power Jesus gave the twelve in Luke 9:1-2. The seventy-two disciples share this same authority.
18 Jesus said, AI have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Satan is found at times in the Old Testament in the throne room of Yahweh arguing like a prosecuting attorney against the true welfare of God’s people (Job 2:1ff; Zechariah 3:1ff). The fall of Satan (see Isaiah 14:12) is a symbolic way of telling the disciples of the effect of their mission.
19 Behold, I have given you the power
The gift has permanent value as the powers of evil are continually attacked and overcome.
‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
Not only well-known sources of physical evil, but Old Testament symbols of all kinds of evil.
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.
In Acts Luke frequently narrates how the Lord Jesus rescued His missionaries from the forces of destruction (Acts 28:1-6).
20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Look to the real reward and avoid overemphasizing the external wonders (1 Corinthians 12).
Meditation: "Pray the Lord to send out laborers into his
harvest"
What kind of harvest does
the Lord want us to reap today for his kingdom? When Jesus commissioned seventy
of his disciples to go on mission, he gave them a vision of a vast field that
is ready to be harvested for the kingdom of God. Jesus frequently used the
image of a harvest to convey the coming of God's reign on earth. The harvest is
the fruition of much labor and growth - beginning with the sowing of seeds,
then growth to maturity, and finally the reaping of fruit for the harvest.
God's word grows like a seed within us
In like manner, the word of God is sown in the hearts of receptive men and women who hear his word, accept it with trust and obedience, and then share the abundant fruit of God's word in their life with others. The harvest Jesus had in mind was not only the gathering in of the people of Israel, but all the peoples (and nations) of the world. John the Evangelist tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
In like manner, the word of God is sown in the hearts of receptive men and women who hear his word, accept it with trust and obedience, and then share the abundant fruit of God's word in their life with others. The harvest Jesus had in mind was not only the gathering in of the people of Israel, but all the peoples (and nations) of the world. John the Evangelist tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Be a sower of God's word of peace and mercy
What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must be "lambs in the midst of wolves"? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25). This certainly refers to the second coming of of the Lord Jesus when all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put down his enemies and established the reign of God over the heavens and the earth. In the meantime, the disciples must expect opposition and persecution from those who would oppose the Gospel. Jesus came to lay down his life for us, as our sacrificial lamb, to atone for our sins and the sins of the world. We, in turn, must be willing to offer our lives with gratitude and humble service for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must be "lambs in the midst of wolves"? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25). This certainly refers to the second coming of of the Lord Jesus when all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put down his enemies and established the reign of God over the heavens and the earth. In the meantime, the disciples must expect opposition and persecution from those who would oppose the Gospel. Jesus came to lay down his life for us, as our sacrificial lamb, to atone for our sins and the sins of the world. We, in turn, must be willing to offer our lives with gratitude and humble service for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are called to speak and witness in God's name
What is the significance of Jesus appointing seventy disciples to the ministry of the word? Seventy was a significant number in biblical times. Moses chose seventy elders to help him in the task of leading the people through the wilderness. The Jewish Sanhedrin, the governing council for the nation of Israel, was composed of seventy members. In Jesus' times seventy was held to be the number of nations throughout the world. Jesus commissioned the seventy to a two-fold task - to speak in his name and to act with his power.
What is the significance of Jesus appointing seventy disciples to the ministry of the word? Seventy was a significant number in biblical times. Moses chose seventy elders to help him in the task of leading the people through the wilderness. The Jewish Sanhedrin, the governing council for the nation of Israel, was composed of seventy members. In Jesus' times seventy was held to be the number of nations throughout the world. Jesus commissioned the seventy to a two-fold task - to speak in his name and to act with his power.
Jesus gave his disciples instructions for how they
were to carry out their ministry. They must go and serve as people without
guile, full of charity (selfless giving in love) and peace, and simplicity.
They must give their full attention to the proclamation of God's kingdom and
not be diverted by other lesser things. They must travel light - only
take what was essential and leave behind whatever would distract them - in
order to concentrate on the task of speaking the word of the God. They must do
their work, not for what they can get out of it, but for what they can give
freely to others, without expecting reward or payment. "Poverty of
spirit" frees us from greed and preoccupation with possessions and makes
ample room for God's provision. The Lord Jesus wants his disciples to be
dependent on him and not on themselves.
Jesus ends his
instructions with a warning: If people reject God's invitation and refuse his
word, then they bring condemnation on themselves. When God gives us his word
there comes with it the great responsibility to respond. Indifference will not
do. We are either for or against God in how we respond to his word.
Our true source of joy comes from God who saves us
Why does Jesus tell his disciples to not take joy in their own successes, even spiritual ones? Jesus makes clear that the true source of our joy is God, and God alone. Regardless of the circumstances, in good times and bad times, in success or loss, God always assures us of victory in Jesus Christ. Jesus assures his disciples that he has all power over evil, including the power of Satan and the evil spirits or fallen angels who conspire against us. In fact, that is why Jesus came into the world to overthrow the evil one (John 12:31). We, too, as disciples of Jesus have been given spiritual authority and power for overcoming the works of darkness and evil (1 John 2:13-14).
Why does Jesus tell his disciples to not take joy in their own successes, even spiritual ones? Jesus makes clear that the true source of our joy is God, and God alone. Regardless of the circumstances, in good times and bad times, in success or loss, God always assures us of victory in Jesus Christ. Jesus assures his disciples that he has all power over evil, including the power of Satan and the evil spirits or fallen angels who conspire against us. In fact, that is why Jesus came into the world to overthrow the evil one (John 12:31). We, too, as disciples of Jesus have been given spiritual authority and power for overcoming the works of darkness and evil (1 John 2:13-14).
God gives us his life-giving word that we may have
abundant life in him. He wills to work in and through each of us for his glory.
God shares his word with us and he commissions us to speak it boldly and
plainly to others. Do you witness the truth and joy of the Gospel by word and
example to those around you?
"Lord Jesus, may the joy and truth of the Gospel
transform my life that I may witness it to those around me. Grant that I may
spread your truth and merciful love wherever I go."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus the Good Shepherd changes wolves into sheep, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"How then does [Jesus] command the holy apostles, who are innocent men and 'sheep,' to seek the company of wolves, and go to them of their own will? Is not the danger apparent? Are they not set up as ready prey for their attacks? How can a sheep prevail over a wolf? How can one so peaceful conquer the savageness of beasts of prey? 'Yes,' he says, 'for they all have me as their Shepherd: small and great, people and princes, teachers and students. I will be with you, help you, and deliver you from all evil. I will tame the savage beasts. I will change wolves into sheep, and I will make the persecutors become the helpers of the persecuted. I will make those who wrong my ministers to be sharers in their pious designs. I make and unmake all things, and nothing can resist my will.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 61)
"How then does [Jesus] command the holy apostles, who are innocent men and 'sheep,' to seek the company of wolves, and go to them of their own will? Is not the danger apparent? Are they not set up as ready prey for their attacks? How can a sheep prevail over a wolf? How can one so peaceful conquer the savageness of beasts of prey? 'Yes,' he says, 'for they all have me as their Shepherd: small and great, people and princes, teachers and students. I will be with you, help you, and deliver you from all evil. I will tame the savage beasts. I will change wolves into sheep, and I will make the persecutors become the helpers of the persecuted. I will make those who wrong my ministers to be sharers in their pious designs. I make and unmake all things, and nothing can resist my will.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 61)
FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, JULY 3, LUKE 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9
(Isaiah 66:10-14c; Psalm 66; Galatians 6:14-18)
SUNDAY, JULY 3, LUKE 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9
(Isaiah 66:10-14c; Psalm 66; Galatians 6:14-18)
KEY VERSE: "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few" (v 2).
TO KNOW: Jesus sent forth seventy-two disciples to prepare the soil for the abundant harvest that was to come. The number seventy was symbolic to the Jews. It was the number of elders who were chosen to help Moses lead the people in the wilderness (Nm 11:16-17). It was also the number of the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of the Jews. And it was thought that there were seventy nations in the world. Since Luke was a Gentile, it may well be that he looked forward to the day when every nation would know the Lord. The seventy-two followers of Christ represented him in every home they entered. Jesus warned his disciples that they would be like helpless sheep exposed to prey, and must depend entirely upon God's providence and protection. Yet, as God's messengers, they deserved the support of those who benefited from their proclamation of God's reign. Those who rejected the call to repent were warned that divine judgment was at hand. The seventy-two returned from their mission jubilant because they had witnessed the power over the forces of evil. Jesus told them that they should rejoice more in the fact that they belonged to God.
TO LOVE: Do I give prayer and financial support to those who proclaim the Gospel?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to respond to your Word with faith.
Sunday 3 July 2016
Sun
3rd. 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Isaiah
66:10-14. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy—Ps 65(66):1-7, 16, 20. Galatians 6:14-18.
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20.
The
72 were sent to the villages ahead of Jesus to announce that ‘the Kingdom of
God is very near to you’. The meaning of this message is twofold. In light of
the history of the Jewish people and the prophecies of the Old Testament the
first meaning is clear. The long-awaited hour of God’s favour had arrived and
the consolation of Israel was beginning. More profoundly their message, tied to
the imminent arrival of Jesus, hints at the true and unexpected nature of this
Kingdom. The words Jesus gives them to repeat, that the Kingdom of God is near
to them, will be fulfilled upon His arrival, as Jesus himself is the Kingdom.
Jesus, in sending 72 disciples, references a number associated in the Old Testament with both Israel and the world, stretching the scope of their mission in scale and indeed throughout time.
Jesus, in sending 72 disciples, references a number associated in the Old Testament with both Israel and the world, stretching the scope of their mission in scale and indeed throughout time.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Taking a Bold Stand
|
When violence and suffering threaten to overwhelm us, we must pray
for the grace to be such beacons of hope and goodness in a fallen world. By
working to restore hope through the daily choice to forgive and live in love,
we take a bold stand against the culture of death.
July 3
St. Thomas the Apostle
St. Thomas the Apostle
Poor Thomas! He made one remark and has
been branded as “Doubting Thomas” ever since. But if he doubted, he also
believed. He made what is certainly the most explicit statement of faith in the
New Testament: “My Lord and My God!” (see John 20:24-28) and, in so expressing
his faith, gave Christians a prayer that will be said till the end of time. He
also occasioned a compliment from Jesus to all later Christians: “Have you come
to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and
have believed” (John 20:29).
Thomas should be equally well known for his courage.
Perhaps what he said was impetuous—since he ran, like the rest, at the
showdown—but he can scarcely have been insincere when he expressed his
willingness to die with Jesus. The occasion was when Jesus proposed to go to
Bethany after Lazarus had died. Since Bethany was near Jerusalem, this meant
walking into the very midst of his enemies and to almost certain death.
Realizing this, Thomas said to the other apostles, “Let us also go to die with
him” (John 11:16b).
Comment:
Thomas shares the lot of Peter the impetuous, James and John, the “sons of thunder,” Philip and his foolish request to see the Father—indeed all the apostles in their weakness and lack of understanding. We must not exaggerate these facts, however, for Christ did not pick worthless men. But their human weakness again points up the fact that holiness is a gift of God, not a human creation; it is given to ordinary men and women with weaknesses; it is God who gradually transforms the weaknesses into the image of Christ, the courageous, trusting and loving one.
Thomas shares the lot of Peter the impetuous, James and John, the “sons of thunder,” Philip and his foolish request to see the Father—indeed all the apostles in their weakness and lack of understanding. We must not exaggerate these facts, however, for Christ did not pick worthless men. But their human weakness again points up the fact that holiness is a gift of God, not a human creation; it is given to ordinary men and women with weaknesses; it is God who gradually transforms the weaknesses into the image of Christ, the courageous, trusting and loving one.
Quote:
“...[P]rompted by the Holy Spirit, the Church must walk the same road which Christ walked: a road of poverty and obedience, of service and self-sacrifice to the death.... For thus did all the apostles walk in hope. On behalf of Christ's Body, which is the Church, they supplied what was wanting in the sufferings of Christ by their own trials and sufferings (see Colossians 1:24)” (Vatican II, Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, 5).
“...[P]rompted by the Holy Spirit, the Church must walk the same road which Christ walked: a road of poverty and obedience, of service and self-sacrifice to the death.... For thus did all the apostles walk in hope. On behalf of Christ's Body, which is the Church, they supplied what was wanting in the sufferings of Christ by their own trials and sufferings (see Colossians 1:24)” (Vatican II, Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, 5).
Patron Saint of:
Architects
Construction workers
Cooks
Architects
Construction workers
Cooks
LECTIO DIVINA: 14TH SUNDAY OF
ORDINARY TIME (C)
Lectio
Divina:
Sunday,
July 3, 2016
The
sending of the 72 disciples
Rebuilding Community Life
Luke 10:1-12.17-20
Rebuilding Community Life
Luke 10:1-12.17-20
1.
Opening prayer
“Lord
Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind
with which you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of
the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God
in the disturbing events of your suffering and death. Thus, the cross which
had seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the
resurrection and source of new life.
Create
in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation, in the
Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May
your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may
experience the power of your resurrection and witness to others that you are
alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of
you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit.
Amen.”
2.
Reading
a)
A key to the reading:
Jesus’
preaching draws many people (Mk 3:7-8). A small community begins to form around
him. At first, two persons (Mk 1:16-18); then another two (Mk 1:19-20); then
twelve (Mk 3:13-19); and now in our text, more than seventy-two persons (Lk
10:1). The community continues to grow. One thing Jesus insists on is community
life. He set the example. He never wished to work alone. The first thing he did
at the beginning of his preaching in Galilee was to call people to live with
him and share in his mission (Mk 1:16-20; 3,14). The ambience of fraternity
that grows around Jesus is a foretaste of the Kingdom, a proof of
the new experience of God with the Father. Thus, if God is Father and Mother,
then we are all one family of brothers and sisters. Thus is the community born,
the new family (cf. Mk 3:34-35).
This
Sunday’s Gospel tells us of practical things to direct the seventy-two
disciples in their proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom and in
rebuilding community life. Proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom and
rebuilding community life are two sides of the same coin. One does not exist
and cannot make sense without the other. While reading the text, try to look
for this connection between community life and the proclamation of the Kingdom
of God.
b)
A division of the text to help with the reading:
Luke
10:1: The Mission
Luke 10:2-3: Co-responsibility
Luke 10:4-6: Hospitality
Luke 10:7: Sharing
Luke 10:8: Communion around the table
Luke 10:9a: Welcoming those excluded
Luke 10:9b: The coming of the Kingdom
Luke 10:10-12: Wiping the dust from their feet
Luke 10:17-20: The names written in heaven
Luke 10:2-3: Co-responsibility
Luke 10:4-6: Hospitality
Luke 10:7: Sharing
Luke 10:8: Communion around the table
Luke 10:9a: Welcoming those excluded
Luke 10:9b: The coming of the Kingdom
Luke 10:10-12: Wiping the dust from their feet
Luke 10:17-20: The names written in heaven
c)
Text:
1 After
this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him in
pairs, to all the towns and places he himself would be visiting. 2 And he said
to them, 'The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the
harvest to send labourers to do his harvesting. 3 Start off now, but look, I am
sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Take no purse with you, no
haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter,
let your first words be, "Peace to this house!" 6 And if a man of
peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come
back to you. 7 Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to
offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. 8 Whenever
you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you. 9
Cure those in it who are sick, and say, "The kingdom of God is very near
to you." 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you
welcome, go out into its streets and say, 11 "We wipe off the very dust of
your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this:
the kingdom of God is very near." 12 I tell you, on the great Day it will
be more bearable for Sodom than for that town.
17 The seventy-two came back rejoicing. 'Lord,' they said, 'even the devils submit to us when we use your name.' 18 He said to them, 'I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Look, I have given you power to tread down serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. 20 Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven.'
17 The seventy-two came back rejoicing. 'Lord,' they said, 'even the devils submit to us when we use your name.' 18 He said to them, 'I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Look, I have given you power to tread down serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. 20 Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven.'
3.
A moment of prayerful silence
so
that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4.
Some questions
to
help us in our personal reflection.
a)
What pleased or struck you most in this text? Why?
b) Name each of the things that Jesus tells the disciples to do and the things to avoid.
c) What does Jesus wish to clarify through each of these suggestions so different from those common in everyday life?
d) How can we put into practice what the Lord asks: “take no purse with you”, “do not move from house to house”, “salute no one on the road”, “wipe off the very dust from your feet”?
e) Why are these suggestions of Jesus a sign of the coming of the Kingdom of God?
f) Jesus tells us to be attentive to the most important thing when he says: “your names are written in heaven!” What does this mean for us?
b) Name each of the things that Jesus tells the disciples to do and the things to avoid.
c) What does Jesus wish to clarify through each of these suggestions so different from those common in everyday life?
d) How can we put into practice what the Lord asks: “take no purse with you”, “do not move from house to house”, “salute no one on the road”, “wipe off the very dust from your feet”?
e) Why are these suggestions of Jesus a sign of the coming of the Kingdom of God?
f) Jesus tells us to be attentive to the most important thing when he says: “your names are written in heaven!” What does this mean for us?
5.
For those who wish to go deeper into the theme
a)
The literary and historical context:
A
little before our text, in Luke 9:51, is the beginning of the second phase of
Jesus’ apostolic activities, that is, a long journey to Jerusalem (Lk 9:51 to
19:29). The first phase took place in Galilee and began with the presentation
of Jesus’ programme in the synagogue of Nazareth (Lk 4:14-21). In the second
phase, he goes to Samaria, sends messengers ahead of him (Lk 9:52) and draws
new disciples (Lk 9:57-62). The second phase begins with the appointment of the
other 72 disciples and with the presentation of the programme that will guide
them in their missionary activities (Lk 10:1-16). Thus Luke suggests that these
new disciples are not Jews from Galilee but Samaritans, and that the place
where Jesus proclaims the Good News is no longer Galilee but Samaria, the
territory of the excluded. The aim of the mission given to the disciples is the
rebuilding of community life. In Jesus days, many movements tried new ways of
life and of sharing life: the Pharisees, the Essenes, the Zealots, John the
Baptist and others. Many formed communities of disciples (Jn 1:35; Lk 11:1;
Acts 19:3) and had their missionaries (Mt 23:15). But there was one great
difference. The communities of Pharisees, for instance, lived apart from
people. The community around Jesus lives among the people. Jesus’ proposal to
the 72 disciples is to recover the old community values that were being lost,
like hospitality, welcoming, sharing, communion around the table, accepting the
excluded. Jesus tries to renew and reorganise communities in such a way that
they may become an expression of the Covenant, an expression of the Kingdom of
God.
b)
A commentary on the text:
Luke
10:1: The Mission
Jesus sends the disciples to the places he would be visiting. The disciple is Jesus’ spokesperson. He is not the master of the Good News. Jesus sends them in pairs. This allows for mutual help and thus the mission is not that of an individual but of the community. Two persons represent the community better.
Jesus sends the disciples to the places he would be visiting. The disciple is Jesus’ spokesperson. He is not the master of the Good News. Jesus sends them in pairs. This allows for mutual help and thus the mission is not that of an individual but of the community. Two persons represent the community better.
Luke
10:2-3: Co-responsibility
Their first task is to ask God to send labourers. All of Jesus’ disciples must feel responsible for the mission. Thus they have to pray to the Father for the continuance of the mission. Jesus sends his disciples like lambs among wolves. The mission is a difficult and dangerous task. The system within which they lived and within which we still live continues to resist the reorganisation of people living in community. Anyone who, like Jesus, proclaims love in a society organised on individual and collective selfishness, will be a lamb among wolves and will be crucified.
Their first task is to ask God to send labourers. All of Jesus’ disciples must feel responsible for the mission. Thus they have to pray to the Father for the continuance of the mission. Jesus sends his disciples like lambs among wolves. The mission is a difficult and dangerous task. The system within which they lived and within which we still live continues to resist the reorganisation of people living in community. Anyone who, like Jesus, proclaims love in a society organised on individual and collective selfishness, will be a lamb among wolves and will be crucified.
Luke
10:4-6: Hospitality
Jesus’ disciples may not take anything with them, no purse, no sandals. All they can take with them is peace. This means that they had to rely on the hospitality of the people. Thus the disciple who goes carrying nothing but peace, shows he trusts people. He thinks that he will be accepted and that thus people will feel respected and confirmed. In this way the disciples were criticising the laws concerning exclusion and brought out the old values of community sharing of the people of God. Salute no one on the road means that they must not waste time with matters not pertaining to the mission. This may be a reference to the episode of the death the Sunamite’s son, where Elisha says to his employee, “Go! If anyone salutes you, do not answer” (2Kings 4:29), because this was a matter of life and death. Proclaiming God’s Good News is a matter of life and death!
Jesus’ disciples may not take anything with them, no purse, no sandals. All they can take with them is peace. This means that they had to rely on the hospitality of the people. Thus the disciple who goes carrying nothing but peace, shows he trusts people. He thinks that he will be accepted and that thus people will feel respected and confirmed. In this way the disciples were criticising the laws concerning exclusion and brought out the old values of community sharing of the people of God. Salute no one on the road means that they must not waste time with matters not pertaining to the mission. This may be a reference to the episode of the death the Sunamite’s son, where Elisha says to his employee, “Go! If anyone salutes you, do not answer” (2Kings 4:29), because this was a matter of life and death. Proclaiming God’s Good News is a matter of life and death!
Luke
10:7: Sharing
The disciples must not move from house to house, but must stay in the same house. They must live together with and share in the life and work of the local people, and live on what they receive in exchange, the labourer deserves his wages. This means that they must trust in sharing. Through this new practice, they recovered one of the old traditions of the people of God, criticising a culture of accumulation that was characteristic of the Roman Empire and so proclaimed a new model for people to live together.
The disciples must not move from house to house, but must stay in the same house. They must live together with and share in the life and work of the local people, and live on what they receive in exchange, the labourer deserves his wages. This means that they must trust in sharing. Through this new practice, they recovered one of the old traditions of the people of God, criticising a culture of accumulation that was characteristic of the Roman Empire and so proclaimed a new model for people to live together.
Luke
10:8: Communion around the table
The disciples must take what food and drink they offer. When the Pharisees went on a mission, they went prepared. They took with them purse and money so that they could provide for their own food. They maintained that they could not trust the food of the people because it was not always ritually “pure”. Thus the observance of the Law of legal purity, instead of helping to overcome divisions, weakened the life of communitarian values. Jesus’ disciples must not be separate from the people but rather accept communion around the table. When coming into contact with people they were not to be afraid of losing legal purity. The community value of fraternal living together is greater than the observance of ritual norms. By acting thus, they criticised the current laws on purity, and proclaimed a new way to purity, to intimacy with God.
The disciples must take what food and drink they offer. When the Pharisees went on a mission, they went prepared. They took with them purse and money so that they could provide for their own food. They maintained that they could not trust the food of the people because it was not always ritually “pure”. Thus the observance of the Law of legal purity, instead of helping to overcome divisions, weakened the life of communitarian values. Jesus’ disciples must not be separate from the people but rather accept communion around the table. When coming into contact with people they were not to be afraid of losing legal purity. The community value of fraternal living together is greater than the observance of ritual norms. By acting thus, they criticised the current laws on purity, and proclaimed a new way to purity, to intimacy with God.
Luke
10:9a: Welcoming those excluded
The disciples must look after the sick, cure lepers and drive out evil spirits (cf Mt 10:8). This means that they must welcome into the community those who had been excluded from it. The practice of solidarity is a criticism of a society that excluded a person from the rest of the community. And thus is recovered the ancient prophetic tradition of goêl. From earliest times, the strength of the clan or the community was revealed in its defence of the value of a person, a family and the possession of land, and was concretely practised every “seven times seven years” in the celebration of the jubilee year (Lv 25,8-55; Dt 15,1-18).
The disciples must look after the sick, cure lepers and drive out evil spirits (cf Mt 10:8). This means that they must welcome into the community those who had been excluded from it. The practice of solidarity is a criticism of a society that excluded a person from the rest of the community. And thus is recovered the ancient prophetic tradition of goêl. From earliest times, the strength of the clan or the community was revealed in its defence of the value of a person, a family and the possession of land, and was concretely practised every “seven times seven years” in the celebration of the jubilee year (Lv 25,8-55; Dt 15,1-18).
Luke
10:9b: The coming of the Kingdom
Hospitality, sharing, communion around the table, welcoming the excluded (goêl) were four pillars for sustaining community life. But because of the difficult situation of poverty, unemployment, persecution and oppression from the Romans, these pillars were broken. Jesus wants to rebuild them and affirms that, if they go back to these four values, the disciples can proclaim to the four winds: The Kingdom of God is very near to you! Proclaiming the Kingdom does not mean teaching truth and doctrine, but bringing people to a new way of living and sharing, a new way of acting and thinking, based on the Good News that Jesus proclaims: God is Father and therefore we are all together brothers and sisters.
Hospitality, sharing, communion around the table, welcoming the excluded (goêl) were four pillars for sustaining community life. But because of the difficult situation of poverty, unemployment, persecution and oppression from the Romans, these pillars were broken. Jesus wants to rebuild them and affirms that, if they go back to these four values, the disciples can proclaim to the four winds: The Kingdom of God is very near to you! Proclaiming the Kingdom does not mean teaching truth and doctrine, but bringing people to a new way of living and sharing, a new way of acting and thinking, based on the Good News that Jesus proclaims: God is Father and therefore we are all together brothers and sisters.
Luke
10:10-12: Wiping the dust from their feet
How can we understand such a hard threat? Jesus came to bring an entirely new thing. He came to recover the communitarian values of the past: hospitality, sharing, communion around the table and welcoming the excluded. This explains the severity of the words used against those who refuse to accept the message. They are not refusing something new, but their own past, their own culture and wisdom! Jesus’ plan for the 72 disciples was aimed at digging up the memory, recovering the communitarian values of the oldest tradition, to rebuild the community and renew the Covenant, to renew life and thus to make God the new great Good News in the life of people.
How can we understand such a hard threat? Jesus came to bring an entirely new thing. He came to recover the communitarian values of the past: hospitality, sharing, communion around the table and welcoming the excluded. This explains the severity of the words used against those who refuse to accept the message. They are not refusing something new, but their own past, their own culture and wisdom! Jesus’ plan for the 72 disciples was aimed at digging up the memory, recovering the communitarian values of the oldest tradition, to rebuild the community and renew the Covenant, to renew life and thus to make God the new great Good News in the life of people.
Luke
10:17-20: The names written in heaven
The disciples come back from the mission and get together with Jesus to evaluate what they had done. They begin by telling their stories. With great joy, they inform him that, in the name of Jesus, they were able to drive out evil spirits! Jesus helps them in their discernment. If they were able to drive out evil spirits, it was because Jesus had given them that power. While they stay with Jesus, no evil can come to them. And Jesus says that the most important thing was not driving out evil spirits, but that their names are written in heaven. To have one’s name written in heaven means to be certain of being known and loved by the Father. Some time before this, James and John had asked to bring down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans (Lk 9:54). Now, through the proclamation of the Good News, Satan falls from heaven (Lk 10:18) and the names of the Samaritan disciples are entered in heaven! In those days, many thought that whatever was Samaritan was of the devil, of Satan (Jn 8:48). Jesus changes everything!
The disciples come back from the mission and get together with Jesus to evaluate what they had done. They begin by telling their stories. With great joy, they inform him that, in the name of Jesus, they were able to drive out evil spirits! Jesus helps them in their discernment. If they were able to drive out evil spirits, it was because Jesus had given them that power. While they stay with Jesus, no evil can come to them. And Jesus says that the most important thing was not driving out evil spirits, but that their names are written in heaven. To have one’s name written in heaven means to be certain of being known and loved by the Father. Some time before this, James and John had asked to bring down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans (Lk 9:54). Now, through the proclamation of the Good News, Satan falls from heaven (Lk 10:18) and the names of the Samaritan disciples are entered in heaven! In those days, many thought that whatever was Samaritan was of the devil, of Satan (Jn 8:48). Jesus changes everything!
c)
Further information:
The
small communities being formed in Galilee and in Samaria are above all “a
foretaste of the Kingdom”. The community around Jesus is like the face of God
transformed into New News for the people, above all for the poor. Is our
community like this?
Here
are some characteristics of the community that grew around Jesus. These are
characteristics of the face of God revealed in them. They may act as a mirror
for the revision of our community:
i) “You have only one master, and you are all brothers" (Mt 23:8). The foundation of the community is not knowledge or power, but equality among the brothers and sisters. It is fraternity.
ii) Jesus insists on equality between men and women (Mt 19:7-12) and gives orders to men and women (Mt 28:10; Mk 16:9-10; Jn 20:17). They all “follow” Jesus from Galilee (Mk 15:41; Lk 8:2-3).
iii) They had a common house shared with the poor (Jn 13:29). This sharing must reach the soul and heart of all (Acts 1:14; 4:32). It must reach the point that there are no secrets among them (Jn 15:15).
iv) The power of service. “Any one who wants to be first among you, must be slave to all!” (Mk 10:44). Jesus sets the example (Jn 13:15). "The Son of man came not be served, but to serve" (Mt 20:28). "Here am I among as one who serves" (Lk 22:27). "We are useless servants!" (Lk 17:10)
v) Because of many conflicts and divisions, Jesus insists that the community be a place of forgiveness and reconciliation, not of mutual condemnation (Mt 18:21-22; Lk 17:3-4). The power to forgive was given to Peter (Mt 16:19), the apostles (Jn 20:23) and the communities (Mt 18:18). God’s pardon is passed on to the community.
vi) They prayed together in the Temple (Jn 2:13; 7:14; 10:22-23). Sometimes Jesus forms smaller groups (Lk 9:28; Mt 26:36-37). They pray before meals (Mk 6:41; Lk 24:30) and frequent the synagogues (Lk 4:16).
vii) Joy that no one can take away (Jn 16:20-22) "Blessed are you!" Your name is written in heaven (Lk 10:20), their eyes will see what has been promised (Lk 10:23-24), the Kingdom is yours! (Lk 6:20).
i) “You have only one master, and you are all brothers" (Mt 23:8). The foundation of the community is not knowledge or power, but equality among the brothers and sisters. It is fraternity.
ii) Jesus insists on equality between men and women (Mt 19:7-12) and gives orders to men and women (Mt 28:10; Mk 16:9-10; Jn 20:17). They all “follow” Jesus from Galilee (Mk 15:41; Lk 8:2-3).
iii) They had a common house shared with the poor (Jn 13:29). This sharing must reach the soul and heart of all (Acts 1:14; 4:32). It must reach the point that there are no secrets among them (Jn 15:15).
iv) The power of service. “Any one who wants to be first among you, must be slave to all!” (Mk 10:44). Jesus sets the example (Jn 13:15). "The Son of man came not be served, but to serve" (Mt 20:28). "Here am I among as one who serves" (Lk 22:27). "We are useless servants!" (Lk 17:10)
v) Because of many conflicts and divisions, Jesus insists that the community be a place of forgiveness and reconciliation, not of mutual condemnation (Mt 18:21-22; Lk 17:3-4). The power to forgive was given to Peter (Mt 16:19), the apostles (Jn 20:23) and the communities (Mt 18:18). God’s pardon is passed on to the community.
vi) They prayed together in the Temple (Jn 2:13; 7:14; 10:22-23). Sometimes Jesus forms smaller groups (Lk 9:28; Mt 26:36-37). They pray before meals (Mk 6:41; Lk 24:30) and frequent the synagogues (Lk 4:16).
vii) Joy that no one can take away (Jn 16:20-22) "Blessed are you!" Your name is written in heaven (Lk 10:20), their eyes will see what has been promised (Lk 10:23-24), the Kingdom is yours! (Lk 6:20).
The
community around Jesus is the model for the early Christians after the
resurrection (Acts 2:42-47)! The community is like the face of God transformed
into Good News for the people.
6.
Praying the Psalm 146
(145)
The
face of God, confirmed by Jesus
Alleluia!
Praise Yahweh, my soul!
I will praise Yahweh all my life,
I will make music to my God as long as I live.
I will praise Yahweh all my life,
I will make music to my God as long as I live.
Do
not put your trust in princes,
in any child of Adam,
who has no power to save.
When his spirit goes forth he returns to the earth,
on that very day all his plans come to nothing.
in any child of Adam,
who has no power to save.
When his spirit goes forth he returns to the earth,
on that very day all his plans come to nothing.
How
blessed is he who has Jacob's God to help him,
his hope is in Yahweh his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.
He keeps faith for ever,
gives justice to the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry;
Yahweh sets prisoners free.
his hope is in Yahweh his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.
He keeps faith for ever,
gives justice to the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry;
Yahweh sets prisoners free.
Yahweh
gives sight to the blind,
lifts up those who are bowed down.
Yahweh protects the stranger,
he sustains the orphan and the widow.
Yahweh loves the upright,
but he frustrates the wicked.
lifts up those who are bowed down.
Yahweh protects the stranger,
he sustains the orphan and the widow.
Yahweh loves the upright,
but he frustrates the wicked.
Yahweh
reigns for ever, your God, Zion,
from age to age.
from age to age.
7.
Closing prayer
Lord
Jesus, we thank you for your Word that has clarified for us the will of the
Father. Grant that your Spirit may enlighten our actions and give us the
strength to put into practice that which your Word has revealed to us. Grant
that we, like Mary, your Mother, may not only listen to your Word but also put
it into practice. Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for
ever and ever. Amen.
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