Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 120
Lectionary: 120
In those days, the princes said to the king:
“Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,
and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
he is not interested in the welfare of our people,
but in their ruin.”
King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”;
for the king could do nothing with them.
And so they took Jeremiah
and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,
which was in the quarters of the guard,
letting him down with ropes.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud,
and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Ebed-melech, a court official,
went there from the palace and said to him:
“My lord king,
these men have been at fault
in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah,
casting him into the cistern.
He will die of famine on the spot,
for there is no more food in the city.”
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite
to take three men along with him,
and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before
he should die.
“Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,
and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
he is not interested in the welfare of our people,
but in their ruin.”
King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”;
for the king could do nothing with them.
And so they took Jeremiah
and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,
which was in the quarters of the guard,
letting him down with ropes.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud,
and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Ebed-melech, a court official,
went there from the palace and said to him:
“My lord king,
these men have been at fault
in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah,
casting him into the cistern.
He will die of famine on the spot,
for there is no more food in the city.”
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite
to take three men along with him,
and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before
he should die.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 40:2, 3, 4, 18
R. (14b) Lord,
come to my aid!
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
The LORD heard my cry.
He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
he made firm my steps.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
and trust in the LORD.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Though I am afflicted and poor,
yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, hold not back!
R. Lord, come to my aid!
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
The LORD heard my cry.
He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
he made firm my steps.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
and trust in the LORD.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Though I am afflicted and poor,
yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, hold not back!
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Reading 2HEB 12:1-4
Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
AlleluiaJN 10:27
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
20th
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 - Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
For nearly three-fourths of a century after the death of Isaiah no great prophet arose in Judah. It seemed as though the work of the religious leaders in the 8th century B.C. had been in vain. During the long and wicked reign of Manasseh (693-639 B.C.) idolatrous worship was established more firmly than ever, and the morals of the people sank to the lowest ebb. The prophets of Yahweh who dared to raise their voices in protest and warning were either silenced or brutally murdered. It was only after a change for the better had been inaugurated under the successors of Manasseh, that “men of God” again came to the forefront, and a second golden age of Hebrew prophecy began. It is the age of Jeremiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The greatest of these, and at the same time the most Christlike of all the prophets, was Jeremiah.
As we join our first reading today it is 588 B.C., the armies of Nebuchadnezzar have laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. Jeremiah has counseled surrender, but at the instigation of the princes was thrown into prison. Set free, he attempted to retire to his native Anatoth (a Levitical town of Benjamin north of Jerusalem) only to be apprehended as a “deserter.”
4 “This man ought to be put to death,” the princes said to the king; “he demoralizes the soldiers who are left in this city,
The full expression is “he weakens the hands of the soldiers.”
and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.” 5 King Zedekiah answered:
After hearing the complaint of the princes, the king states his own criticism: The true power is not in his hands but those of the princes.
“He is in your power”; for the king could do nothing with them. 6 And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Their final intention was to bring about Jeremiah’s death without bloodshed [sort of like when Joseph was put into the cistern (Genesis 37:17-22)].
8 [ ] Ebed-melech
A Cushite (Ethiopian) eunuch in the court of Zedekiah. The Greek aithiopia (burnt face-dom) is derived from the same Egyptian phrase from which aigyptos (Egypt) is derived. The ancient Ethiopia was not the same region as the modern kingdom of Ethiopia; the name designated the ancient Nubia, the modern Sudan: the valley of the Nile from the 2nd cataract to the 6th cataract.
went there from the palace and said to him, 9 “My lord king, these men have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern. He will die of famine on the spot, for there is no more food in the city.” 10 Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die.
2nd Reading - Hebrews 12:1-4
Last week we began our study of the book of Hebrews from where we had left off in Cycle B. Last week we heard of the faith of Abraham as an example of the theological faith that we all should possess – a faith of hope and trust. We now hear how we are to live out our faith.
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
Like the glory cloud of God’s presence.
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader
The context is the running of a race in which those who run must free themselves from anything which would impede their progress and keep their eyes on the final destination, Jesus.
and perfecter of faith.
The one who consecrates us
For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Jesus is the model for endurance and hardship.
3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
It is difficult to know the nature of the hardships and the persecution the addressees suffered after being baptized and becoming Christians, but it appears that none of the community has undergone martyrdom. We are called to be like Christ and He did this. “Christ bore our corruption only in His flesh, in which truly He bore also our death. In His soul, however, He preserved a perfect incorruptibility, as He had no sin by inheritance nor did He contract any through contagion. Whence also Christ bore without any corruption the weaknesses of our souls, which He bore in His rational soul. For no deficiency of power could be present where the perfection of love held strong in the unflagging acceptance of weakness, a perfection of love which brought the Only-begotten God to march straight to death for us, and, despising shame, to bear the disgrace of the cross. On that account did Christ have the sorrow and grief of our souls; and if He had the weaknesses of our souls, He had them truly, but voluntarily. Truly, of course, so that He might manifestly display in Himself the feeling of a rational soul; and voluntarily, so that He could demonstrate that the assistance of His strength was ready to help our weaknesses.” [Saint Fulgence of Ruspe (A.D. 512-527), Letter to Count Reginus 18,9]
4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
Gospel - Luke 12:49-53
Continuing our discussion of last week where Jesus told the disciples of internal problems caused by selfish Church officials, Jesus now goes on to tell them that He has not come to give peace, but discord.
[Jesus said to His disciples:] 49 “I have come to set the earth on fire,
Fire is usually a figure of judgment (see Luke 3:16-17); here it seems to be the fire that will separate and purify those who are meant for the kingdom (purgatorial fire?). It will work through Jesus’ word and His Spirit. The Gospel of Thomas (an apocryphal Gnostic gospel), saying 10: “Jesus said, ‘I have thrown fire on the world and, behold, I am guarding it until it is ablaze’.”
and how I wish it were already blazing! 50 There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Jesus refers to His coming passion, into which He will be “plunged.” The image is derived from Psalm 124:4-5 and indicates the depths of sorrow and suffering that await Him in His human condition. In the case of infants or adults, martyrdom can take the place of actual baptism in water.
“We have, indeed, a second font, one with the former: namely, that of blood, of which the Lord says: ‘There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,’ when He had already been baptized. For he had come through water and blood (1 John 5:6), as John wrote, so that He might be baptized with water and glorified with blood. He sent out these two baptisms from the wound in His pierced side, that we might in like manner be called by water and chosen by blood, and so that they who believed in His blood might be washed in the water. If they might be washed in water, they must necessarily be so by blood (see Matthew 22:14). This is the baptism which replaces that of the fountain, when it has not been received, and restores it when it has been lost.” [Tertullian (A.D. 200-206), Baptism 16,1] 51 Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
This doesn’t contradict Luke 1:79 or 7:50. Jesus will not tolerate peace at any cost. He will not bring the sobriety of the status quo, but the sword that will divide the eager from the contented. By resisting, through sin, the redeeming work of Christ, we become His opponents.
52 From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
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 - Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
For nearly three-fourths of a century after the death of Isaiah no great prophet arose in Judah. It seemed as though the work of the religious leaders in the 8th century B.C. had been in vain. During the long and wicked reign of Manasseh (693-639 B.C.) idolatrous worship was established more firmly than ever, and the morals of the people sank to the lowest ebb. The prophets of Yahweh who dared to raise their voices in protest and warning were either silenced or brutally murdered. It was only after a change for the better had been inaugurated under the successors of Manasseh, that “men of God” again came to the forefront, and a second golden age of Hebrew prophecy began. It is the age of Jeremiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The greatest of these, and at the same time the most Christlike of all the prophets, was Jeremiah.
As we join our first reading today it is 588 B.C., the armies of Nebuchadnezzar have laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. Jeremiah has counseled surrender, but at the instigation of the princes was thrown into prison. Set free, he attempted to retire to his native Anatoth (a Levitical town of Benjamin north of Jerusalem) only to be apprehended as a “deserter.”
4 “This man ought to be put to death,” the princes said to the king; “he demoralizes the soldiers who are left in this city,
The full expression is “he weakens the hands of the soldiers.”
and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.” 5 King Zedekiah answered:
After hearing the complaint of the princes, the king states his own criticism: The true power is not in his hands but those of the princes.
“He is in your power”; for the king could do nothing with them. 6 And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Their final intention was to bring about Jeremiah’s death without bloodshed [sort of like when Joseph was put into the cistern (Genesis 37:17-22)].
8 [ ] Ebed-melech
A Cushite (Ethiopian) eunuch in the court of Zedekiah. The Greek aithiopia (burnt face-dom) is derived from the same Egyptian phrase from which aigyptos (Egypt) is derived. The ancient Ethiopia was not the same region as the modern kingdom of Ethiopia; the name designated the ancient Nubia, the modern Sudan: the valley of the Nile from the 2nd cataract to the 6th cataract.
went there from the palace and said to him, 9 “My lord king, these men have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern. He will die of famine on the spot, for there is no more food in the city.” 10 Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die.
2nd Reading - Hebrews 12:1-4
Last week we began our study of the book of Hebrews from where we had left off in Cycle B. Last week we heard of the faith of Abraham as an example of the theological faith that we all should possess – a faith of hope and trust. We now hear how we are to live out our faith.
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
Like the glory cloud of God’s presence.
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader
The context is the running of a race in which those who run must free themselves from anything which would impede their progress and keep their eyes on the final destination, Jesus.
and perfecter of faith.
The one who consecrates us
For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Jesus is the model for endurance and hardship.
3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
It is difficult to know the nature of the hardships and the persecution the addressees suffered after being baptized and becoming Christians, but it appears that none of the community has undergone martyrdom. We are called to be like Christ and He did this. “Christ bore our corruption only in His flesh, in which truly He bore also our death. In His soul, however, He preserved a perfect incorruptibility, as He had no sin by inheritance nor did He contract any through contagion. Whence also Christ bore without any corruption the weaknesses of our souls, which He bore in His rational soul. For no deficiency of power could be present where the perfection of love held strong in the unflagging acceptance of weakness, a perfection of love which brought the Only-begotten God to march straight to death for us, and, despising shame, to bear the disgrace of the cross. On that account did Christ have the sorrow and grief of our souls; and if He had the weaknesses of our souls, He had them truly, but voluntarily. Truly, of course, so that He might manifestly display in Himself the feeling of a rational soul; and voluntarily, so that He could demonstrate that the assistance of His strength was ready to help our weaknesses.” [Saint Fulgence of Ruspe (A.D. 512-527), Letter to Count Reginus 18,9]
4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
Gospel - Luke 12:49-53
Continuing our discussion of last week where Jesus told the disciples of internal problems caused by selfish Church officials, Jesus now goes on to tell them that He has not come to give peace, but discord.
[Jesus said to His disciples:] 49 “I have come to set the earth on fire,
Fire is usually a figure of judgment (see Luke 3:16-17); here it seems to be the fire that will separate and purify those who are meant for the kingdom (purgatorial fire?). It will work through Jesus’ word and His Spirit. The Gospel of Thomas (an apocryphal Gnostic gospel), saying 10: “Jesus said, ‘I have thrown fire on the world and, behold, I am guarding it until it is ablaze’.”
and how I wish it were already blazing! 50 There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Jesus refers to His coming passion, into which He will be “plunged.” The image is derived from Psalm 124:4-5 and indicates the depths of sorrow and suffering that await Him in His human condition. In the case of infants or adults, martyrdom can take the place of actual baptism in water.
“We have, indeed, a second font, one with the former: namely, that of blood, of which the Lord says: ‘There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,’ when He had already been baptized. For he had come through water and blood (1 John 5:6), as John wrote, so that He might be baptized with water and glorified with blood. He sent out these two baptisms from the wound in His pierced side, that we might in like manner be called by water and chosen by blood, and so that they who believed in His blood might be washed in the water. If they might be washed in water, they must necessarily be so by blood (see Matthew 22:14). This is the baptism which replaces that of the fountain, when it has not been received, and restores it when it has been lost.” [Tertullian (A.D. 200-206), Baptism 16,1] 51 Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
This doesn’t contradict Luke 1:79 or 7:50. Jesus will not tolerate peace at any cost. He will not bring the sobriety of the status quo, but the sword that will divide the eager from the contented. By resisting, through sin, the redeeming work of Christ, we become His opponents.
52 From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Meditation: "I came to cast fire upon
the earth"
Do
you want to be on fire for God? Jesus shocked his disciples when he declared
that he would cast fire and cause division rather than peace upon the earth.
What kind of fire did Jesus have in mind here?
The
fire of God's purifying love and cleansing word
The image of fire in biblical times was often associated with God and with his action in the world and in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as God's revelation to Moses through the burning bush in the wilderness which was not consumed by the flames (Exodus 3:2). God assured the Hebrew people of his continual presence, guidance, and protection for them through the wilderness for forty years with the pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13:21-22). The prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven to reveal God's presence and power and to purify the people of false idols (1 Kings 18:36-39). The image of fire was also used as a sign of God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13) and holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), and his righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9) and holy wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16).
The image of fire in biblical times was often associated with God and with his action in the world and in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as God's revelation to Moses through the burning bush in the wilderness which was not consumed by the flames (Exodus 3:2). God assured the Hebrew people of his continual presence, guidance, and protection for them through the wilderness for forty years with the pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13:21-22). The prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven to reveal God's presence and power and to purify the people of false idols (1 Kings 18:36-39). The image of fire was also used as a sign of God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13) and holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), and his righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9) and holy wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16).
Fire
is also a sign and symbol of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. John
the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire
(Matthew 3:11-12 and Luke 3:16-17). When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon
the disciples at Pentecost "tongues of fire" appeared above their
heads (Acts 2:3). We can see from both the Old and New Testament Scriptures
that God's fire purifies and cleanses to make us clean (sins washed away) and
holy (fit to offer him acceptable praise and worship), and it inspires a
reverent fear (awe in God's presence) and respect (obeying and giving God his
due) for God and for his holy word.
Loyalty
unites - division separates
Why did Jesus link fire from heaven with costly division on the earth? Did he expect his followers to take his statement of "father against son and son against father" and "mother against daughter and daughter against mother" literally? Or was he intentionally using a figure of speech to emphasize the choice and cost of following him above all else? Jesus used a typical Hebrew hyperbole (a figure of speech which uses strong language and exaggeration for emphasis) to drive home an important lesson. We often do the same when we want to emphasize something very strongly. Jesus' hyperbole, however, did contain a real warning that the Gospel message does have serious consequences for our lives.
Why did Jesus link fire from heaven with costly division on the earth? Did he expect his followers to take his statement of "father against son and son against father" and "mother against daughter and daughter against mother" literally? Or was he intentionally using a figure of speech to emphasize the choice and cost of following him above all else? Jesus used a typical Hebrew hyperbole (a figure of speech which uses strong language and exaggeration for emphasis) to drive home an important lesson. We often do the same when we want to emphasize something very strongly. Jesus' hyperbole, however, did contain a real warning that the Gospel message does have serious consequences for our lives.
When
Jesus spoke about division within families he likely had in mind the prophecy
of Micah: a man's enemies are the men of his own household (Micah
7:6). The essence of Christianity is loyalty to Jesus Christ - the Son of God
and Savior of the world - a loyalty that takes precedence over every other
relationship. The love of God compels us to choose who will be first in our
lives. To place any relationship (or anything else) above God is a form of
idolatry.
Who
do you love first and foremost?
Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?
Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?
The
Gospel message is good news for those who seek pardon, peace, and the abundant
life which God offers us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus offers true
freedom to those who believe in him - freedom from slavery to sin, Satan, and
the oppressive forces of hatred and evil that can destroy body, mind, and
spirit. Do you listen to the voice of your Savior and trust in his word? Commit
your ways to him, obey his word, and you will find true peace, joy, and
happiness in the Lord your God.
"Lord
Jesus, may the fire of your love consume me and transform my life that I may
truly desire nothing more than life with you. Fill me with the power of your
Holy Spirit that I may always seek to please you and do your will."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The fire of the Gospel and being baptized in the Holy
Spirit, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"We
affirm that the fire that Christ sent out is for humanity's salvation and
profit. May God grant that all our hearts be full of this. The fire is the
saving message of the Gospel and the power of its commandments. We were cold
and dead because of sin and in ignorance of him who by nature is truly God. The
gospel ignites all of us on earth to a life of piety and makes us fervent in
spirit, according to the expression of blessed Paul (Romans 12:11). Besides
this, we are also made partakers of the Holy Spirit, who is like fire within
us. We have been baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit. We have learned the
way from what Christ says to us. Listen to his words: 'Truly I say to you, that
except a man be born of water and spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God'
(John 3:5). It is the divinely inspired Scripture's custom to give the name of
fire sometimes to the divine and sacred words and to the efficacy and power
which is by the Holy Spirit by which we are made fervent in spirit." (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 94)
TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, LUKE 12:49-53
(Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Psalm 40; Hebrews 12:1-4)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, LUKE 12:49-53
(Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Psalm 40; Hebrews 12:1-4)
KEY VERSE: "There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!" (v 49).
TO KNOW: As Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem, he was consumed with a passion to redeem humanity from its sins. He was in anguish until it could be accomplished. John the Baptist had foretold that Jesus would baptize with the purifying fire of the Spirit (Lk 3:16). This "baptism of fire" would be set ablaze on the cross at Calvary when Jesus was plunged into his death and resurrection. His proclamation of the kingdom was a refining fire that required total commitment from his disciples -- no one could remain neutral (Rv 3:15-16). Like the prophet Jeremiah, Jesus was prepared to face the consequences as he spoke God's truth to those who refused to hear it (Jer 38:4-10). Jesus' message was a two-edged sword (Hb 4:12), which would cause dissension even among members of the same family who were either for or against him (Lk 2:34). This dissension was described by the prophet Micah who said that a person's enemies might be those of his or her own household (Micah 7:6).
TO LOVE: Do I share my faith with my family even when I might face rejection?
TO SERVE: Holy Spirit, help me to live my baptismal call in everything I do.
Sunday 14 August 2016
Sun
14th. 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10. Lord, come to our aid!—Ps 39(40):2-4, 18. Hebrews 12:1-4. Luke
12:49-53.
The
message of Jesus can seem contradictory sometimes.
Look
back at the Gospel from a month ago (14 July) and you'll remember Matthew
11:28-30, which ends with 'my yoke is easy and my burden light'. In today's
Gospel, Jesus tells us that he came to bring division. How can we reconcile
these two statements? Perhaps we can think of the message in Matthew's Gospel
as being an expression of what Jesus desires for us, while the message in
Luke's Gospel today is Jesus in down-to-earth, pragmatic mode dealing with the
reality of human stubbornness and hardness of heart.
Let us pray that God will deliver us from the miry clay of our stubborn and hardened hearts.
Let us pray that God will deliver us from the miry clay of our stubborn and hardened hearts.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Eternal Bliss
|
It will be lovely one day when we have ended our suffering and are
together in heaven.
–Blessed Ulrika Nisch
–Blessed Ulrika Nisch
August
14
St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
(1894-1941)
St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
(1894-1941)
“I
don’t know what’s going to become of you!” How many parents have said that?
Maximilian Mary Kolbe’s reaction was, “I prayed very hard to Our Lady to tell
me what would happen to me. She appeared, holding in her hands two crowns, one
white, one red. She asked if I would like to have them—one was for purity, the
other for martyrdom. I said, ‘I choose both.’ She smiled and disappeared.”
After that he was not the same.
He
entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans in Lvív (then Poland,
now Ukraine), near his birthplace, and at 16 became a novice. Though he later
achieved doctorates in philosophy and theology, he was deeply interested in
science, even drawing plans for rocket ships.
Ordained
at 24, he saw religious indifference as the deadliest poison of the day. His
mission was to combat it. He had already founded the Militia of the Immaculata,
whose aim was to fight evil with the witness of the good life, prayer, work and
suffering. He dreamed of and then founded Knight of the Immaculata, a
religious magazine under Mary’s protection to preach the Good News to all
nations. For the work of publication he established a “City of the
Immaculata”—Niepokalanow—which housed 700 of his Franciscan brothers. He later
founded one in Nagasaki, Japan. Both the Militia and the magazine ultimately
reached the one-million mark in members and subscribers. His love of God was daily
filtered through devotion to Mary.
In
1939 the Nazi panzers overran Poland with deadly speed. Niepokalanow was
severely bombed. Kolbe and his friars were arrested, then released in less than
three months, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
In 1941
he was arrested again. The Nazis’ purpose was to liquidate the select ones, the
leaders. The end came quickly, in Auschwitz three months later, after terrible
beatings and humiliations.
A
prisoner had escaped. The commandant announced that 10 men would die. He
relished walking along the ranks. “This one. That one.” As they were being
marched away to the starvation bunkers, Number 16670 dared to step from the
line. “I would like to take that man’s place. He has a wife and children.” “Who
are you?” “A priest.” No name, no mention of fame. Silence. The commandant,
dumbfounded, perhaps with a fleeting thought of history, kicked Sergeant
Francis Gajowniczek out of line and ordered Father Kolbe to go with the nine.
In the “block of death” they were ordered to strip naked, and their slow
starvation began in darkness. But there was no screaming—the prisoners sang. By
the eve of the Assumption four were left alive. The jailer came to finish Kolbe
off as he sat in a corner praying. He lifted his fleshless arm to receive the
bite of the hypodermic needle. It was filled with carbolic acid. They burned
his body with all the others. He was beatified in 1971 and canonized in 1982.
Comment:
Father Kolbe’s death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God. And his beloved Immaculata was his inspiration.
Father Kolbe’s death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God. And his beloved Immaculata was his inspiration.
Quote:
“Courage, my sons. Don’t you see that we are leaving on a mission? They pay our fare in the bargain. What a piece of good luck! The thing to do now is to pray well in order to win as many souls as possible. Let us, then, tell the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us anything she wishes” (Maximilian Mary Kolbe, when first arrested).
“Courage, my sons. Don’t you see that we are leaving on a mission? They pay our fare in the bargain. What a piece of good luck! The thing to do now is to pray well in order to win as many souls as possible. Let us, then, tell the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us anything she wishes” (Maximilian Mary Kolbe, when first arrested).
Patron
Saint of:
Addicts
Drug addiction
Addicts
Drug addiction
LECTIO DIVINA: 20TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (C)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Attentive to the events.
Jesus teaches to read the signs of the times
Luke 12, 49-59
Jesus teaches to read the signs of the times
Luke 12, 49-59
Opening prayer
Shaddai, God of the mountain,
You who make of our fragile life
the rock of your dwelling place,
lead our mind
to strike the rock of the desert,
so that water may gush to quench our thirst.
May the poverty of our feelings
cover us as with a mantle in the darkness of the night
and may it open our heart to hear the echo of silence
until the dawn,
wrapping us with the light of the new morning,
may bring us,
with the spent embers of the fire of the shepherds of the Absolute
who have kept vigil for us close to the divine Master,
the flavour of the holy memory.
Shaddai, God of the mountain,
You who make of our fragile life
the rock of your dwelling place,
lead our mind
to strike the rock of the desert,
so that water may gush to quench our thirst.
May the poverty of our feelings
cover us as with a mantle in the darkness of the night
and may it open our heart to hear the echo of silence
until the dawn,
wrapping us with the light of the new morning,
may bring us,
with the spent embers of the fire of the shepherds of the Absolute
who have kept vigil for us close to the divine Master,
the flavour of the holy memory.
1. LECTIO
a) The text:
49 'I
have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already!
50 There is a baptism I must still receive, and what constraint I am under
until it is completed! 51 'Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on
earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on, a household of
five will be divided: three against two and two against three; 53 father
opposed to son, son to father, mother to daughter, daughter to mother,
mother-in-law to daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law to mother-in-law.' 54 He said
again to the crowds, 'When you see a cloud looming up in the west you say at
once that rain is coming, and so it does. 55 And when the wind is from the
south you say it's going to be hot, and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to
interpret the face of the earth and the sky. How is it you do not know how to
interpret these times? 57 'Why not judge for yourselves what is upright? 58 For
example: when you are going to court with your opponent, make an effort to
settle with him on the way, or he may drag you before the judge and the judge
hand you over to the officer and the officer have you thrown into prison. 59 I
tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the very last penny.'
b) A moment of silence:
Let us allow the voice of the Word to resonate within us.
2. MEDITATIO
Let us allow the voice of the Word to resonate within us.
2. MEDITATIO
a) Some questions:
- I have come to bring fire to the earth: Fire presupposes a vehemence of
sentiment and a centre of life because where there is light, heat, force,
movement, there is life. And not a life which is stagnant, but a life which is
continuously nourished. Does the fire of the life of God burn in me?
- Why not judge for yourselves what is upright? The invitation to discern
personally is even more urgent in a world in which opinions run after each
other and form a “mass”… How much do I allow myself to be conditioned by the
judgements and criteria chosen by others?
- Make an effort to settle with him on the way… You are walking to go to the
tribunal because you think you are right, but the opponent also has the same
certainty. How do I feel before the one whom I feel is hostile toward me? Do I
feel sure of myself to the point of going to the tribunal or rather do I try to
agree with my opponent on the way?
b) Detailed Analysis of the Text:
v. 49. I have
come to bring fire to the earth; and how I wish it were blazing already! The fire which is not
extinguished comes from Heaven, it is the fire of the Spirit which makes of all
things that exist, the luminous and warm expression of the divine Presence
among us. The Baptism of love. The light is born, the bread is born, the water is
born, God is born! The Cross, a new Bethlehem, House of the perfect Bread, a
new Emmaus, the hostel of the broken Bread, a new Bethany, House of the
perfumed Bread offered to men forever.
v. 50. There
is a baptism I must still receive; and what constraint I am under until it is
completed! Anguish,
the symptom of those fears which from within get hold of one and disfigure,
distort and leave without breath, Jesus also experienced this. What can one do
against anguish? Nothing can be done but only wait so that what is good is
fulfilled and that the fears be involved in the event itself. Anguish clasps
tightly and can demolish every possibility of interior movement. The anguish of
the one who trusts and accepts life, even if it clasps the person tightly in a terrible
vice like grip, does not demolish, but rather fortifies in so far as it renders
the waiting free or devoid of illusions and of easy hopes.
v, 51. Do you
suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather
division. Man
seeks peace. But what peace? The peace of “do not disturb me”, the peace of
“let us not make problems”, the peace of “everything is fine”, a superficial
peace. This peace is the earthly peace. Jesus has come to bring us the true
peace, the fullness of the gifts of God. This peace then, is no longer called
peace, but in so far as it is against the apparent peace, it is called, in the
eyes of man “division” It can well be said that the peace of Christ elects or
chooses and in so far as it elects, it distinguishes, like a magnet which in a
magnetic field attracts to itself what is of the same “nature”, but it does not
attract anything which is not of a similar nature.
vv. 52-53. For
from now on, a household of five will be divided: three against two and two
against three; father opposed to son, son to father, mother to daughter,
daughter to mother, mother-in-law to daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law to
mother-in-law.Everything which divides does not come from God, because in God
there is unity. But in His name it is possible even to go beyond the natural
commandment. Honour your father and mother, says the ancient law. And the
new law which is that of love without limit even goes to say: He
who loves father and mother more than Me is not worthy of me. Division is this case can be
understood as the priority of love, a hierarchy of values. To God, the source
of life corresponds the first place. To the father and the mother who have
accepted, welcomed life, the second place… such an order is in the logical
nature of that order. It is not an honour to the father and the mother to
disobey God or to love Christ less. Because the love for father and mother is a
love of response, the love of God is generating love.
vv. 54-55. He said
again to the crowds, “When you see a cloud looming up in the west you say at
once that rain is coming, and so it does. And when the wind is from the south
you say it is going to be hot, and it is. Before reproaching the crowds,
Jesus appreciates the good that they are capable of doing. If a cloud comes
from the west, it is rain that comes. And man has this certainty as a result
that he has been observing the natural phenomena up to the point of formulating
laws. If the wind comes from the south, it will be hot. Confirmed and reflected
upon, regulates the consequences for us.
v. 56. Hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the face of the earth and the sky. How is it you do
not know how to interpret these times? Why not use the same criteria
for the events of the present moment? History speaks for itself. Why not
evaluate it on the basis of experience? The logic which binds premises and
consequences is the same one on human events and on supernatural ones. The
world of relationships, the world of religious convictions, the world of human
expectations… everything is subject to the same law. Then, if Christ has been
expected for centuries as the fulfilment of the promises of God, and if this
Jesus of Nazareth fulfils the works of faith with the finger of God, why doubt
that the Kingdom of God has arrived? This is hypocrisy. It is not to want to
admit God’s fidelity and to insist and persist to wait for the fulfilment of
what we have seen.
v. 57. Why not
judge for yourselves what is upright? What is
upright can always be judged. It does not serve to wait for the judgement of
others. And just the same, we are always bound to the thought and the words of
others, to what happens and to what is projected, to perspectives of success
and to thousands of hesitations. To trust one’s correct judgement is wise!.
v. 58. When
you are going to court with your opponent, make an effort to settle with him on
the way, or he may drag you before the judge and the judge hand you over to the
officer and the officer have you thrown into prison. The wisdom and the judgement of
Jesus are directed toward something truly useful. Do not expect to receive
justice, because no one is just to the point of being able to avoid being
condemned to prison. We are all sinners! And therefore, instead to appealing to
a false justice, that for which you consider yourself worthy to be absolved,
better appeal to harmony. Try to reach an agreement so as not to be led before
the judge. You judge the facts and conclude that it is always better not to
feel oneself free from guilt. Saint Paul says it: Neither
do I judge myself… my
judge is the Lord. Yes He…
v. 59. I tell
you, you will not get out till you have paid the very last penny. Who has no debts? Why do we
want to live our life in a court to constantly decide who is guilty and who is
innocent? Would it not be better to live simply, in agreement and harmony with
everyone, since all seek to want what is good and all have fragility and
weakness as the coin with which to pay?
c) Reflection:
If we too could bring fire to the earth of our heart! A fire
capable of extending itself without causing a great fire, but creating cordial
bonds of union and a lively exchange… The one who plays with fire will
certainly have his hands burnt, but what a great benefit for all. Fire divides,
it creates circles of encounter and barriers of inaccessible passages. Like in
all divine things we find ourselves in at a crossroads section: with Christ or
against Him. Yes, because we must never forget that He is a sign of
contradiction for all times, a stumbling stone for those who look to the top
expecting miracles and prodigies and a corner stone for the one who looks at
His tired hands and grasps tightly the hands of a carpenter trying to construct
the house of hope , the Church. A time of grace: How not recognize it? If you
go by a lighted fire, you feel the heat. Christ is the lighted fire or flame!
If you cross a torrent flowing with water, on a suffocating hot day of summer,
you feel the freshness and feel attracted by the movement of the water which
comes toward you to quench your thirst and to give you moments of relief. And
Christ is the water which gushes out for eternal life! If at night you listen
to the silence, you cannot but feel anxious waiting for the light of the new
day which will rise. And Christ is the Sun who rises! It is the word which at
night is silence and in the East it becomes a syllable of a new dialogue. Why
not become aware that it is just that all hostility falls and walk with anyone
recognizing him as a brother? If you consider him an enemy, you are going to
seek justice… If you consider him as a brother, the thought comes to your mind
to take care of him and to walk together a part of the road, to share with him
your anguishes and your anxieties, and to listen to him about his difficulties.
Why do you want at all costs to pay your debt up to the last penny?
3.
ORATIO
Psalm 32
How blessed are those whose offence is forgiven,
whose sin blotted out.
How blessed are those to whom Yahweh imputes no guilt,
whose spirit harbours no deceit.
whose sin blotted out.
How blessed are those to whom Yahweh imputes no guilt,
whose spirit harbours no deceit.
I said not a word,
but my bones wasted away from groaning all the day;
day and night your hand lay heavy upon me;
my heart grew parched as stubble in summer drought.
but my bones wasted away from groaning all the day;
day and night your hand lay heavy upon me;
my heart grew parched as stubble in summer drought.
I made my sin known to you,
did not conceal my guilt.
I said, 'I shall confess my offence to Yahweh.'
And you, for your part,
took away my guilt,
forgave my sin.
did not conceal my guilt.
I said, 'I shall confess my offence to Yahweh.'
And you, for your part,
took away my guilt,
forgave my sin.
That is why each of your faithful ones
prays to you in time of distress.
Even if great floods overflow,
they will never reach your faithful.
prays to you in time of distress.
Even if great floods overflow,
they will never reach your faithful.
You are a refuge for me,
you guard me in trouble,
with songs of deliverance you surround me.
you guard me in trouble,
with songs of deliverance you surround me.
I shall instruct you
and teach you the way to go;
I shall not take my eyes off you.
and teach you the way to go;
I shall not take my eyes off you.
Be not like a horse or a mule;
that does not understand bridle or bit;
if you advance to master them,
there is no means of bringing them near.
that does not understand bridle or bit;
if you advance to master them,
there is no means of bringing them near.
Countless troubles are in store for the wicked,
but one who trusts in Yahweh
is enfolded in his faithful love.
but one who trusts in Yahweh
is enfolded in his faithful love.
Rejoice in Yahweh,
exult all you upright,
shout for joy,
you honest of heart.
exult all you upright,
shout for joy,
you honest of heart.
4.
CONTEMPLATIO
Lord, you who search into my heart and make of my fears the
paths to create the newness of gifts, enter into my anguishes. There where I
lose my hope and where the tremor devours me, there where every spark of grace
burns my securities and makes of me a pile of ashes, there enkindle anew the
fire of your love. Give a look or gaze capable of penetrating reality and of
fixing it on your gaze which waits for me beyond the veil of all appearances.
Do not allow that I be driven away from my desire of communion. And also there
where in your name I would find opposition, resistance, adversity, may be able
to enter into the anguish of division to maintain alive the flame of the
encounter with you!
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