Memorial
of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 436
Lectionary: 436
Brothers
and sisters:
Learn from myself and Apollos not to go beyond what is written,
so that none of you will be inflated with pride
in favor of one person over against another.
Who confers distinction upon you?
What do you possess that you have not received?
But if you have received it,
why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?
You are already satisfied; you have already grown rich;
you have become kings without us!
Indeed, I wish that you had become kings,
so that we also might become kings with you.
For as I see it, God has exhibited us Apostles as the last of all,
like people sentenced to death,
since we have become a spectacle to the world,
to angels and men alike.
We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ;
we are weak, but you are strong;
you are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty,
we are poorly clad and roughly treated,
we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands.
When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
when slandered, we respond gently.
We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all,
to this very moment.
I am writing you this not to shame you,
but to admonish you as my beloved children.
Even if you should have countless guides to Christ,
yet you do not have many fathers,
for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.
Learn from myself and Apollos not to go beyond what is written,
so that none of you will be inflated with pride
in favor of one person over against another.
Who confers distinction upon you?
What do you possess that you have not received?
But if you have received it,
why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?
You are already satisfied; you have already grown rich;
you have become kings without us!
Indeed, I wish that you had become kings,
so that we also might become kings with you.
For as I see it, God has exhibited us Apostles as the last of all,
like people sentenced to death,
since we have become a spectacle to the world,
to angels and men alike.
We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ;
we are weak, but you are strong;
you are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty,
we are poorly clad and roughly treated,
we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands.
When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
when slandered, we respond gently.
We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all,
to this very moment.
I am writing you this not to shame you,
but to admonish you as my beloved children.
Even if you should have countless guides to Christ,
yet you do not have many fathers,
for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 145:17-18, 19-20, 21
R.
(18) The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him,
he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD keeps all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him,
he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD keeps all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
AlleluiaJN 14:6
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 6:1-5
While
Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath,
his disciples were picking the heads of grain,
rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said,
“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Have you not read what David did
when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat,
ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
his disciples were picking the heads of grain,
rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said,
“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Have you not read what David did
when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat,
ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
Meditation: "The Son of man is
lord of the Sabbath"
What does the commandment "keep holy the
Sabbath" require of us? Or better yet, what is the primary intention
behind this command? The religious leaders confronted Jesus on this issue. The
"Sabbath rest" was meant to be a time to remember and celebrate God's
goodness and the goodness of his work, both in creation and redemption. It was
a day set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving
actions on our behalf. It was intended to bring everyday work to a halt and to
provide needed rest and refreshment.
The Lord of the Sabbath feeds and nourishes us
Jesus' disciples are scolded by the scribes and Pharisees, not for plucking and eating corn from the fields, but for doing so on the Sabbath. In defending his disciples, Jesus argues from the Scriptures that human need has precedence over ritual custom. In their hunger, David and his men ate of the holy bread offered in the Temple (1 Samuel 21:2-7). On every Sabbath morning twelves loaves were laid before God on a golden table in the Holy Place. Each loaf represented one of the twelve tribes of Israel. No one was allowed to eat this bread except the priests because it represented the very presence of God. David understood that human need took precedence over rules and ritual regulations.
Jesus' disciples are scolded by the scribes and Pharisees, not for plucking and eating corn from the fields, but for doing so on the Sabbath. In defending his disciples, Jesus argues from the Scriptures that human need has precedence over ritual custom. In their hunger, David and his men ate of the holy bread offered in the Temple (1 Samuel 21:2-7). On every Sabbath morning twelves loaves were laid before God on a golden table in the Holy Place. Each loaf represented one of the twelve tribes of Israel. No one was allowed to eat this bread except the priests because it represented the very presence of God. David understood that human need took precedence over rules and ritual regulations.
Seek the Lord's rest and refreshment
Why didn't the Pharisees recognize the claims of mercy over rules and regulations? Their zeal for ritual observance blinded them from the demands of charity. Jesus' reference to the bread of the Presence alludes to the true bread from heaven which he offers to all who believe in him. Jesus, the Son of David, and the Son of Man, a title for the Messiah, declares that he is "Lord of the Sabbath." Jesus healed on the Sabbath and he showed mercy to those in need. All who are burdened can find true rest and refreshment in him. Do you seek rest and refreshment in the Lord and in the celebration of the Lord's Day?
Why didn't the Pharisees recognize the claims of mercy over rules and regulations? Their zeal for ritual observance blinded them from the demands of charity. Jesus' reference to the bread of the Presence alludes to the true bread from heaven which he offers to all who believe in him. Jesus, the Son of David, and the Son of Man, a title for the Messiah, declares that he is "Lord of the Sabbath." Jesus healed on the Sabbath and he showed mercy to those in need. All who are burdened can find true rest and refreshment in him. Do you seek rest and refreshment in the Lord and in the celebration of the Lord's Day?
"Lord Jesus, you refresh us with your presence
and you sustain us with your life-giving word. Show me how to lift the burden
of others, especially those who lack the basic necessities of life, and to
refresh them with humble care and service."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Withered hands - withered minds, by
Athanasius of Alexandria (295-373 AD)
"In the synagogue of the Jews was a man who had a
withered hand. If he was withered in his hand, the ones who stood by were
withered in their minds. And they were not looking at the crippled man nor were
they expecting the miraculous deed of the one who was about to work. But before
doing the work, the Savior ploughed up their minds with words. For knowing the
evil of the mind and its bitter depth, he first softened them up in advance
with words so as to tame the wildness of their understanding, asking: 'Is it
permitted to do good on the sabbath or to do evil; to save a life or to destroy
one?' For if he had said to them, 'Is it permitted to work?' immediately they
would have said, 'You are speaking contrary to the law.' Then he told them what
was intended by the law, for he spoke as the One who established the laws
concerning the sabbath, adding, 'except this: that which will be done for the
sake of a life.' Again if a person falls into a hole on a sabbath, Jews are
permitted to pull the person out (Matthew 12:11). This not only applies to a
person, but also an ox or a donkey. In this way the law agrees that things
relating to preservation may be done, hence Jews prepare meals on the sabbath.
Then he asked them about a point on which they could hardly disagree: 'Is it
permitted to do good? (Matthew 3:4, Luke 6:9) But they did not even so much as
say, 'Yes,' because by then they were not in a good temper." (excerpt from HOMILIES 28)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3,
LUKE 6:1-5
(1 Corinthians 4:6b-15; Psalm 145)
(1 Corinthians 4:6b-15; Psalm 145)
KEY VERSE: "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath" (v 5).
TO KNOW: The first story of Jesus’ conflict with the Pharisees told in Luke's gospel regarded the violation of picking grain on the Sabbath. Luke showed how this controversy led to a final break with the religious leaders, and ultimately to Jesus' death. When Jesus' disciples picked and ate grain on the Sabbath, the Pharisees accused them of violating the Sabbath law, which prohibited harvesting (Ex 34:21). Jesus defended his disciples by reminding them of a precedence in scripture. The great King David fed his hungry men with the bread of offering, which was reserved for priests (1 Sm 21:1-7). Jesus said that charity must prevail over religious laws. Jesus, the "Son of Man," showed solidarity with the needs of his people and displayed his supreme authority over the law.
TO LOVE: Am I unduly bound by scrupulosity?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to avoid legalism and act with compassion and justice.
Memorial of Saint
Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church
Gregory was the son of a wealthy Roman senator. He was educated by the finest teachers in Rome and became Prefect of Rome for a year. Then he sold his possessions, turned his home into a Benedictine monastery, and used his money to build six monasteries in Sicily and one in Rome. Upon seeing English children being sold in the Roman Forum, he became a missionary to England. Gregory was elected Pope by unanimous acclamation on 3 September 590, the first monk to be chosen. He sent St Augustine of Canterbury and a company of monks to evangelize England, and other missionaries to France, Spain, and Africa. Gregory wrote seminal works on the Mass and Office. He collected the melodies and plain chant that became associated with him, known as Gregorian Chants. Gregory is one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church.
Saturday 3 September 2016
Sat 3rd. St Gregory the Great. 1
Corinthians 4:6-15. The Lord is near to all who call him—Ps 144(145):17-21.
Luke 6:1-5.
'Between the law and love'
The Lord's lesson in today's scripture
looks at the tension between law and love. Jesus disciples pick some grains to
eat while walking through the fields, and ate them. In the Jewish tradition, to
do so was unlawful. But Jesus illustrates through the story of David the
importance of prioritising. While rules and laws allow us to live in harmony to
some extent, when laws lead to injustice, they are not God's laws. In our
society today, there are many vulnerable people who suffer due to unjust laws.
May Jesus' words help us today.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Face of Mercy
|
Truly, a mother is at her best when her love survives struggles.
In those situations, a mother has the chance to become the face of mercy to her
children.
September
3
St. Gregory the Great
(540?-604)
St. Gregory the Great
(540?-604)
Coming
events cast their shadows before: Gregory was the prefect of Rome before he was
30. After five years in office he resigned, founded six monasteries on his
Sicilian estate and became a Benedictine monk in his own home at Rome.
Ordained
a priest, he became one of the pope's seven deacons, and also served six years
in the East as papal representative in Constantinople. He was recalled to
become abbot, and at the age of 50 was elected pope by the clergy and people of
Rome.
He
was direct and firm. He removed unworthy priests from office, forbade taking
money for many services, emptied the papal treasury to ransom prisoners of the
Lombards and to care for persecuted Jews and the victims of plague and famine.
He was very concerned about the conversion of England, sending 40 monks from
his own monastery. He is known for his reform of the liturgy, for strengthening
respect for doctrine. Whether he was largely responsible for the revision of
"Gregorian" chant is disputed.
Gregory
lived in a time of perpetual strife with invading Lombards and difficult
relations with the East. When Rome itself was under attack, he interviewed the
Lombard king.
An
Anglican historian has written: "It is impossible to conceive what would
have been the confusion, the lawlessness, the chaotic state of the Middle Ages
without the medieval papacy; and of the medieval papacy, the real father is
Gregory the Great."
His
book, Pastoral Care, on the duties and qualities of a bishop, was
read for centuries after his death. He described bishops mainly as physicians
whose main duties were preaching and the enforcement of discipline. In his own
down-to-earth preaching, Gregory was skilled at applying the daily gospel to
the needs of his listeners. Called "the Great," Gregory has been given
a place with Augustine (August 28), Ambrose (December 7) and Jerome (September
30)as one of the four key doctors of the Western Church.
Comment:
Gregory was content to be a monk, but he willingly served the Church in other ways when asked. He sacrificed his own preferences in many ways, especially when he was called to be Bishop of Rome. Once he was called to public service, Gregory gave his considerable energies completely to this work.
Gregory was content to be a monk, but he willingly served the Church in other ways when asked. He sacrificed his own preferences in many ways, especially when he was called to be Bishop of Rome. Once he was called to public service, Gregory gave his considerable energies completely to this work.
Quote:
"Perhaps it is not after all so difficult for a man to part with his possessions, but it is certainly most difficult for him to part with himself. To renounce what one has is a minor thing; but to renounce what one is, that is asking a lot" (St. Gregory,Homilies on the Gospels).
"Perhaps it is not after all so difficult for a man to part with his possessions, but it is certainly most difficult for him to part with himself. To renounce what one has is a minor thing; but to renounce what one is, that is asking a lot" (St. Gregory,Homilies on the Gospels).
Patron
Saint of:
England
Teachers
England
Teachers
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 6,1-5
Lectio Divina:
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
every good thing comes from you.
Fill our hearts with love for you,
increase our faith,
and by your constant care
protect the good you have given us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
every good thing comes from you.
Fill our hearts with love for you,
increase our faith,
and by your constant care
protect the good you have given us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 6,1-5
It happened that one Sabbath Jesus was walking through the cornfields, and
his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating
them.
Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the Sabbath day?’
Jesus answered them, ‘So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry- how he went into the house of God and took the loaves of the offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which the priests alone are allowed to eat?’
And he said to them, ‘The Son of man is master of the Sabbath.’
Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the Sabbath day?’
Jesus answered them, ‘So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry- how he went into the house of God and took the loaves of the offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which the priests alone are allowed to eat?’
And he said to them, ‘The Son of man is master of the Sabbath.’
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today speaks about the conflict concerning the observance of
the Sabbath –Saturday. The observance of the Sabbath was a central law, one of
the Ten Commandments. This was a very ancient Law the value of which was
stressed after the Exile. During the Exile, the people had to work seven days a
week from morning until evening, without any conditions to meet and meditate on
the Word of God, to pray together and to share faith, their problems and their
hopes. Therefore, there was an urgent need to stop at least one day a week to
get together and encourage one another during the very difficult situation of
the exile. Otherwise they would have lost their faith. It was then that faith
was reborn and the observance of Saturday was re-established.
• Luke 6, 1-2: The cause of the conflict. On Saturday the disciples were walking across the cornfields and they were picking ears of corn. Matthew 12, 1 says that they were hungry (Mt 12, 1). The Pharisees invoke the Bible to say it was a transgression of the Law of Saturday: Why do you do this which is not permitted to do on Saturday?” (cf. Ex 20, 8-11).
• Luke 6, 3-4: The response of Jesus. Immediately Jesus responds recalling that David himself also did things which were prohibited, because he took the sacred bread from the Temple and gave it to the soldiers to eat because they were hungry (I S 21, 2-7). Jesus knew the Bible and referred to it to show that the arguments of others had no foundation. In Matthew, the response of Jesus is more complete. He not only recalls the story of David, but also quotes the Legislation which permits the priests to work on Saturday and he quotes Prophet Hosea: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. He quotes a Biblical text or a historical text, a legislative text and a prophetic text (cf. Mt 12, 1-18). At that time there was no printed Bible as we have it today. In each community there was only one Bible, hand written, which remained in the Synagogue. If Jesus knew the Bible so well, it means that in the 30 years of his life in Nazareth he participated intensely in the life of the community, where every Saturday the Scriptures were read. We still lack very much to have the same familiarity with the Bible and the same participation in the community.
• Luke 6, 5: The conclusion for all of us. And Jesus ends with the following phrase: The Son of Man is Master of the Sabbath! The Lord of Saturday! Jesus, Son of Man, who lives in intimacy with God, discovers the sense of the Bible not from outside, from without, but from inside, that is, discovers the sense starting at the roots, beginning from his intimacy with the author of the Bible who is God himself. Because of this, he calls himself Master of Saturday. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus revitalizes the law of Saturday saying: “Saturday was instituted for man and not man for Saturday”.
• Luke 6, 1-2: The cause of the conflict. On Saturday the disciples were walking across the cornfields and they were picking ears of corn. Matthew 12, 1 says that they were hungry (Mt 12, 1). The Pharisees invoke the Bible to say it was a transgression of the Law of Saturday: Why do you do this which is not permitted to do on Saturday?” (cf. Ex 20, 8-11).
• Luke 6, 3-4: The response of Jesus. Immediately Jesus responds recalling that David himself also did things which were prohibited, because he took the sacred bread from the Temple and gave it to the soldiers to eat because they were hungry (I S 21, 2-7). Jesus knew the Bible and referred to it to show that the arguments of others had no foundation. In Matthew, the response of Jesus is more complete. He not only recalls the story of David, but also quotes the Legislation which permits the priests to work on Saturday and he quotes Prophet Hosea: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. He quotes a Biblical text or a historical text, a legislative text and a prophetic text (cf. Mt 12, 1-18). At that time there was no printed Bible as we have it today. In each community there was only one Bible, hand written, which remained in the Synagogue. If Jesus knew the Bible so well, it means that in the 30 years of his life in Nazareth he participated intensely in the life of the community, where every Saturday the Scriptures were read. We still lack very much to have the same familiarity with the Bible and the same participation in the community.
• Luke 6, 5: The conclusion for all of us. And Jesus ends with the following phrase: The Son of Man is Master of the Sabbath! The Lord of Saturday! Jesus, Son of Man, who lives in intimacy with God, discovers the sense of the Bible not from outside, from without, but from inside, that is, discovers the sense starting at the roots, beginning from his intimacy with the author of the Bible who is God himself. Because of this, he calls himself Master of Saturday. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus revitalizes the law of Saturday saying: “Saturday was instituted for man and not man for Saturday”.
4) Personal questions
• How do you spend Sunday, which is our “Sabbath”? Do you go to Mass
because it is an obligation, in order to avoid sin or to be with God?
• Jesus knew the Bible almost by heart. What does the Bible represent for me?
• Jesus knew the Bible almost by heart. What does the Bible represent for me?
5) Concluding Prayer
My mouth shall always praise Yahweh,
let every creature bless his holy name
for ever and ever. (Ps 145,21)
let every creature bless his holy name
for ever and ever. (Ps 145,21)
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