Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 395
Lectionary: 395
Hear what the LORD says:
Arise, present your plea before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice!
Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD,
pay attention, O foundations of the earth!
For the LORD has a plea against his people,
and he enters into trial with Israel.
O my people, what have I done to you,
or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
from the place of slavery I released you;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow before God most high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Arise, present your plea before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice!
Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD,
pay attention, O foundations of the earth!
For the LORD has a plea against his people,
and he enters into trial with Israel.
O my people, what have I done to you,
or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
from the place of slavery I released you;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow before God most high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 50:5-6, 8-9, 16BC-17, 21 AND 23
R. (23b) To the
upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
AlleluiaPS 95:8
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 12:38-42
Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
Meditation: "An adulterous generation
seeks for a sign"
What
would the Lord Jesus say about our generation? Jesus gave a rather stern
warning to his generation when they demanded a sign from him. It was
characteristic of the Jews that they demanded "signs" from God's
messengers to authenticate their claims. Jesus faulted them for one thing: spiritual
adultery. The image of adultery was often used in the Scriptures for
describing apostasy or infidelity towards God.
Signs
from God
When the religious leaders pressed Jesus to give proof for his claims to be the Messiah sent from God, he says in so many words that he is God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person. The Ninevites recognized God's warning when Jonah spoke to them, and they repented (Jonah 3:5). And the Queen of Sheba recognized God's wisdom in Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-9). Jonah was God's sign and his message was the message of God for the people of Nineveh. Unfortunately the religious leaders of Jesus' day were not content to accept the signs right before their eyes. They had rejected the message of John the Baptist and now they reject Jesus as God's Anointed One (Messiah) and they fail to heed his message.
When the religious leaders pressed Jesus to give proof for his claims to be the Messiah sent from God, he says in so many words that he is God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person. The Ninevites recognized God's warning when Jonah spoke to them, and they repented (Jonah 3:5). And the Queen of Sheba recognized God's wisdom in Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-9). Jonah was God's sign and his message was the message of God for the people of Nineveh. Unfortunately the religious leaders of Jesus' day were not content to accept the signs right before their eyes. They had rejected the message of John the Baptist and now they reject Jesus as God's Anointed One (Messiah) and they fail to heed his message.
Simeon
had prophesied at Jesus' birth that he was destined for the fall and
rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against... that
thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed(Luke 2:34-35). Jesus confirmed
his message with many miracles in preparation for the greatest sign of all -
his resurrection on the third day.
The
Holy Spirit's gift of wisdom and understanding
The Lord Jesus, through the gift of his Holy Spirit, offers us freedom from sin and ignorance, and he gives us wisdom and understanding so that we may grow in knowledge of God and his ways. Do you thirst for God and for the wisdom which comes from above? James the Apostle says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity (James 3:17). A double-minded person cannot receive this kind of wisdom. If we wish to be wise in God's ways, then we must humble ourselves before him, like attentive students who wish to learn, and submit our heart and mind to his will for our lives.
The Lord Jesus, through the gift of his Holy Spirit, offers us freedom from sin and ignorance, and he gives us wisdom and understanding so that we may grow in knowledge of God and his ways. Do you thirst for God and for the wisdom which comes from above? James the Apostle says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity (James 3:17). A double-minded person cannot receive this kind of wisdom. If we wish to be wise in God's ways, then we must humble ourselves before him, like attentive students who wish to learn, and submit our heart and mind to his will for our lives.
The
single of heart and mind desire one thing alone - God who is the source of all
wisdom, goodness, truth, and knowledge. Do you wish to be wise and loving as
God is wise and loving? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the wisdom which
comes from above and to free your heart from all that would hinder God's loving
action in your life.
"Lord
Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may grow in wisdom and knowledge of
your love and truth. Free me from stubborn pride and wilfulness that I may
wholly desire to do what is pleasing to you."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The stumbling block of the cross, from
an anonymous early Christian teacher
"What is the sign of Jonah? The stumbling block
of the cross. So it is not the disputers of knowledge who will be saved but
those who believe true teaching. For the cross of Christ is indeed a stumbling
block to those who dispute knowledge but salvation to those who believe. Paul
testifies to this: 'But we, for our part, preach the crucified Christ - to the
Jews indeed a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who
are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of
God' (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Why do the Jews seek signs and the Greeks seek
wisdom? God pointed to the sign of the stumbling block of the cross to both the
Jews and the Greeks. Thus those who wish to find Christ not through faith but
through wisdom will perish on the stumbling block of foolishness. Those who
wish to know the Son of God not through faith but through a demonstration of
signs will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the stumbling block of
his death. It is no small wonder that the Jews, considering the death of
Christ, thought he was merely a man, when even Christians - as they purport to be
but really are not - because of his death are reluctant to declare the only
begotten, the crucified, as incomparable majesty. (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW,
HOMILY 30)
MONDAY, JULY 18, MATTHEW 12:38-42
Weekday
(Micah 6:1-4, 6-8; Psalm: Exodus 50)
Weekday
(Micah 6:1-4, 6-8; Psalm: Exodus 50)
KEY VERSE: "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign" (v 39).
TO KNOW: The scribes and Pharisees demanded evidence from Jesus that his works came from God and not from the evil one (Beelzebul, v 27). Jesus said that it was the religious leaders who were sinful, since they preferred a religion of legalism to one that made moral demands of them. Jesus told them that the people of Nineveh repented because of Jonah's preaching, not because of signs and wonders (Jon 3:10). The Queen of Sheba sought Solomon's wisdom, not his magic (1 Kgs 10:1-10). Jesus was greater than either Jonah or Solomon, yet the people refused to believe in him. The only sign he would give those faithless ones was the "Sign of Jonah," the three days the prophet spent in the belly of the whale (Jon 2), a sign of Jesus' impending death and resurrection.
TO LOVE: Do I need evidence to have faith in Jesus?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to see you in the everyday circumstances of my life.
Optional Memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis, priest
Camillus entered the Capuchin novitiate three times, but each time a nagging leg injury, which he received while fighting the Turks, forced him to give up. He went to Rome for medical treatment where St. Philip Neri became his priest and confessor. Camillus moved into San Giacomo Hospital for the incurable, and eventually became its administrator. Lacking education, he began to study with children when he was 32 years old. Ordained a priest, he founded the Congregation of the Servants of the Sick (Camellians) who cared for the sick both in hospital and home. Camillus honored the sick as living images of Christ, and hoped that the service he gave them did penance for his wayward youth.
Monday 18 July 2016
Mon
18th.
Micah 6:1-4, 6-8. To the upright I will show the
saving power of God—Ps 49(50):5-6, 8-9, 16-17, 21, 23. Matthew 12:38-42.
God
has already redeemed me, but are my offerings pleasing?
Justice, kindness and humility are indications of God's spirit and work. Am I faithful to God? Am I disciplined in acting justly, with loving-kindness and unpretentiousness? Do I have an attitude of thankfulness? Or am I placing demands on God?
The words of Jesus remind me of His death and resurrection, God's ultimate work.
Justice, kindness and humility are indications of God's spirit and work. Am I faithful to God? Am I disciplined in acting justly, with loving-kindness and unpretentiousness? Do I have an attitude of thankfulness? Or am I placing demands on God?
The words of Jesus remind me of His death and resurrection, God's ultimate work.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Cradle of Grace
|
Send your Spirit, Lord, and bid him hover. Stay over me; cover me.
In the shadow of your love, I can find the courage. I can say yes. I will be a
cradle of grace, and I will sing with gladness. I will call you Christ,
Messiah, Most High, and I will let you be magnified in my soul.
July 18
St. Camillus de Lellis
(1550-1614)
St. Camillus de Lellis
(1550-1614)
Humanly
speaking, Camillus was not a likely candidate for sainthood. His mother died
when he was a child, his father neglected him, and he grew up with an excesive
love for gambling. At 17 he was afflicted with a disease of his leg that
remained with him for life. In Rome, he entered the San Giacomo Hospital for
Incurables as both patient and servant, but was dismissed for quarrelsomeness
after nine months. He served in the Venetian army for three years. Then in the
winter of 1574, when he was 24, he gambled away everything he had–savings,
weapons, literally down to his shirt. He accepted work at the Capuchin friary
at Manfredonia, and was one day so moved by a sermon of the superior that he
began a conversion that changed his whole life. He entered the Capuchin movitiate,
but was dismissed because of the apparently incurable sore on his leg. After
another stint of service at San Giacomo, he came back to the Capuchins, only to
be dismissed again, for the same reason.
Again,
back at San Giacomo, his dedication was rewarded by his being made
superintendent. He devoted the rest of his life to the care of the sick, and
has been named, along with St. John of God, patron of hospitals, nurses and the
sick. With the advice of his friend St. Philip Neri, he studied for the priesthood
and was ordained at the age of 34. Contrary to the advice of his friend, he
left San Giacomo and founded a congregation of his own. As superior, he devoted
much of his own time to the care of the sick.
Charity
was his first concern, but the physical aspects of the hospital also received
his diligent attention. He insisted on cleanliness and the technical competence
of those who served the sick. The members of his community bound themselves to
serve prisoners and persons infected by the plague as well as those dying in
private homes. Some of his men were with troops fighting in Hungary and Croatia
in 1595, forming the first recorded military field ambulance. In Naples, he and
his men went onto the galleys that had plague and were not allowed to land. He
discovered that there were people being buried alive, and ordered his brothers
to continue the prayers for the dying 15 minutes after apparent death.
He
himself suffered the disease of his leg through his life. In his last illness
he left his own bed to see if other patients in the hospital needed help.
Story:
A
doctor in Philadelphia is a modern-day Camillus. An AP news story reports that
the 31-year-old bachelor does not have an office, and gave up a lucrative
health center job to treat the chronically ill in the inner city who cannot get
to a clinic. He limits his practice to house calls in that inner city
neighborhood.
Comment:
Saints are created by God. Parents must indeed nurture the faith in their children; husbands and wives must cooperate to deepen their baptismal grace; friends must support each other. But all human effort is only the dispensing of divine power. We must all "try" as if everything depended on us. But only the power of God can fulfill the plan of God–to make us like himself.
Saints are created by God. Parents must indeed nurture the faith in their children; husbands and wives must cooperate to deepen their baptismal grace; friends must support each other. But all human effort is only the dispensing of divine power. We must all "try" as if everything depended on us. But only the power of God can fulfill the plan of God–to make us like himself.
Quote:
Patron
Saint of:
Hospitals
Nurses
Hospitals
Nurses
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
12,38-42
Lectio
Divina:
Monday,
July 18, 2016
Ordinary
Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
be merciful to your people.
Fill us with your gifts
and make us always eager to serve you
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
be merciful to your people.
Fill us with your gifts
and make us always eager to serve you
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2)
Gospel Reading - Matthew 12,38-42
Some
of the scribes and Pharisees spoke up. 'Master,' they said, 'we should like to
see a sign from you.' He replied, 'It is an evil and unfaithful generation that
asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet
Jonah. For as Jonah remained in the belly of the sea-monster for three days and
three nights, so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth for three
days and three nights.
On Judgement Day the men of Nineveh will appear against this generation and they will be its condemnation, because when Jonah preached they repented; and look, there is something greater than Jonah here.
On Judgement Day the Queen of the South will appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look, there is something greater than Solomon here.
On Judgement Day the men of Nineveh will appear against this generation and they will be its condemnation, because when Jonah preached they repented; and look, there is something greater than Jonah here.
On Judgement Day the Queen of the South will appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look, there is something greater than Solomon here.
3)
Reflection
•
Today’s Gospel presents to us a discussion between Jesus and the religious
authority of the time. This time, the doctors of the law and the Pharisees are
those who ask Jesus for a sign. Jesus had made many signs: he had cured the
leper (Mt 8,1-4), the servant of the centurion (Mt 8,5-13), Peter’s
mother-in-law (Mt 8,14-15), the sick and the possessed of the city (Mt 8,16),
he had calmed down the storm (Mt 8,23-27), had cast out the devils (Mt 8,28-34)
and had worked many other miracles. The people seeing all these signs recognize
in Jesus the Servant of Yahweh (Mt 8,17; 12,17-21). But the doctors and the
Pharisees were not capable to perceive the significance of so many signs which
Jesus had made. They wanted something different.
• Matthew 12,38: The request for a sign made by the Pharisees and the doctors. The Pharisees arrived and said to Jesus: Master, we should like to see a sign from you". They want Jesus to make a sign for them, a miracle, and thus they will be able to verify and examine if Jesus is or not the one who is sent by God according to what they imagined and expected. They wanted to ascertain it, to be sure. They wanted to submit Jesus to their own criteria, in such a way as to be able to place him into their own Messianic frame. There is no openness in them for a possible conversation. They had understood nothing of all that Jesus had done.
• Mathew 12,39: The response of Jesus: the sign of Jonah. Jesus does not submit himself to the request of the religious authority, because it is not sincere: “An evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign that will be given them is the sign of the prophet Jonah”. These words constitute a very strong judgment regarding the doctors and the Pharisees. They evoke the oracle of Hosea who denounced the people, accusing it of being an unfaithful and adulterous spouse (Ho 2,4). The Gospel of Mark says that Jesus before the request of the Pharisees sighed profoundly (Mk 8,12), probably out of indignation and of sadness before such a great blindness: because it is not worthwhile to place a beautiful picture before someone who does not want to open the eyes. Anyone who closes the eyes cannot see! The only sign which will be given to them is the sign of Jonah.
• Matthew 12,41: There is something greater than Jonah here. Jesus looks toward the future: “For as Jonah remained in the belly of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the son of man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights”. Therefore, the only sign will be the resurrection of Jesus which will be prolonged in the resurrection of his followers. This is the sign which will be given to the doctors and the Pharisees in the future. They will be placed before the fact that Jesus, condemned to death by them and to the death of the cross, God will raise him from the dead and he will continue, in many ways to raise those who believe in him., for example, he will raise them in the witness of the apostles, “persons without instruction” who will have had the courage to face authority announcing the resurrection of Jesus (Ac 4,13). What converts is witness, not miracles: “On Judgment day the men of Nineveh will appear against this generation and they will be its condemnation, because when Jonah preached they repented”. The people of Nineveh converted because of the witness of the preaching of Jonah and they denounced the unbelief of the doctors and the Pharisees: because “Look, there is something greater than Jonah here”.
• Matthew 12,42: There is something greater than Solomon here. The reference to the conversion of the people of Nineveh is associated and makes one recall the episode of the Queen of the South. “On Judgment Day the Queen of the South will appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and look, there is something greater than Solomon here!” This reminder of the episode of the Queen of the South who recognizes the wisdom of Solomon, indicates how the Bible was used at that time. By association: the principal rule of interpretation was the following: “The Bible is explained through the Bible”. Up until now this is one of the more important norms for the interpretation of the Bible, especially for the prayerful reading of the Word of God.
• Matthew 12,38: The request for a sign made by the Pharisees and the doctors. The Pharisees arrived and said to Jesus: Master, we should like to see a sign from you". They want Jesus to make a sign for them, a miracle, and thus they will be able to verify and examine if Jesus is or not the one who is sent by God according to what they imagined and expected. They wanted to ascertain it, to be sure. They wanted to submit Jesus to their own criteria, in such a way as to be able to place him into their own Messianic frame. There is no openness in them for a possible conversation. They had understood nothing of all that Jesus had done.
• Mathew 12,39: The response of Jesus: the sign of Jonah. Jesus does not submit himself to the request of the religious authority, because it is not sincere: “An evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign that will be given them is the sign of the prophet Jonah”. These words constitute a very strong judgment regarding the doctors and the Pharisees. They evoke the oracle of Hosea who denounced the people, accusing it of being an unfaithful and adulterous spouse (Ho 2,4). The Gospel of Mark says that Jesus before the request of the Pharisees sighed profoundly (Mk 8,12), probably out of indignation and of sadness before such a great blindness: because it is not worthwhile to place a beautiful picture before someone who does not want to open the eyes. Anyone who closes the eyes cannot see! The only sign which will be given to them is the sign of Jonah.
• Matthew 12,41: There is something greater than Jonah here. Jesus looks toward the future: “For as Jonah remained in the belly of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the son of man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights”. Therefore, the only sign will be the resurrection of Jesus which will be prolonged in the resurrection of his followers. This is the sign which will be given to the doctors and the Pharisees in the future. They will be placed before the fact that Jesus, condemned to death by them and to the death of the cross, God will raise him from the dead and he will continue, in many ways to raise those who believe in him., for example, he will raise them in the witness of the apostles, “persons without instruction” who will have had the courage to face authority announcing the resurrection of Jesus (Ac 4,13). What converts is witness, not miracles: “On Judgment day the men of Nineveh will appear against this generation and they will be its condemnation, because when Jonah preached they repented”. The people of Nineveh converted because of the witness of the preaching of Jonah and they denounced the unbelief of the doctors and the Pharisees: because “Look, there is something greater than Jonah here”.
• Matthew 12,42: There is something greater than Solomon here. The reference to the conversion of the people of Nineveh is associated and makes one recall the episode of the Queen of the South. “On Judgment Day the Queen of the South will appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and look, there is something greater than Solomon here!” This reminder of the episode of the Queen of the South who recognizes the wisdom of Solomon, indicates how the Bible was used at that time. By association: the principal rule of interpretation was the following: “The Bible is explained through the Bible”. Up until now this is one of the more important norms for the interpretation of the Bible, especially for the prayerful reading of the Word of God.
4)
Personal questions
• To
be converted means to be completely changed morally, but also to change the
ideas and the way of thinking. A moralist is one who changes behaviour but
keeps unaltered his way of thinking. And I how am I?
• Before the renewal of the Church today, am I a Pharisee who asks for a sign or am I like the people who recognize that this is the way wanted by God?
• Before the renewal of the Church today, am I a Pharisee who asks for a sign or am I like the people who recognize that this is the way wanted by God?
5)
Concluding Prayer
Better
your faithful love than life itself;
my lips will praise you.
Thus I will bless you all my life,
in your name lift up my hands. (Ps 63,3-4)
my lips will praise you.
Thus I will bless you all my life,
in your name lift up my hands. (Ps 63,3-4)
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