Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 437
Lectionary: 437
Brothers and sisters:
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father’s wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father’s wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Responsorial PsalmPS
5:5-6, 7, 12
R. (9) Lead me in your justice, Lord.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
You hate all evildoers.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But let all who take refuge in you
be glad and exult forever.
Protect them, that you may be the joy
of those who love your name.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
You hate all evildoers.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But let all who take refuge in you
be glad and exult forever.
Protect them, that you may be the joy
of those who love your name.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
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 6:6-11
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
Meditation: "Is it lawful to save
life or to destroy it?"
What is God's intention for the commandment, keep
holy the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8; Deuteronomy 5:12)? The scribes and
Pharisees wanted to catch Jesus in the act of breaking the Sabbath ritual so
they might accuse him of breaking God's law. In a few penetrating words Luke
records that Jesus knew their thoughts. They were filled with
fury and contempt for Jesus because they put their own thoughts of right and
wrong above God. They were ensnared in their own legalism because they did not
understand or see the purpose of God. Jesus shows them their fallacy by
pointing to God's intention for the Sabbath: to do good and to save
life rather than to do evil or to destroy life.
What is the significance of Jesus' healing the man
with the withered hand? Ambrose (337-397 AD), the 4th century bishop of Milan
who was instrumental in bringing Augustine of Hippo to the Christian faith,
comments on this miracle:
"Then you heard the words of the
Lord, saying, 'Stretch forth your hand.' That is the common and universal
remedy. You who think that you have a healthy hand beware lest it is withered
by greed or by sacrilege. Hold it out often. Hold it out to the poor person who
begs you. Hold it out to help your neighbor, to give protection to a widow, to
snatch from harm one whom you see subjected to unjust insult. Hold it out to
God for your sins. The hand is stretched forth; then it is healed. Jeroboam's
hand withered when he sacrificed to idols; then it stretched out when he
entreated God (1 Kings 13:4-6)."
Why do Christians
celebrate Sunday as the Lord's
Day? Most importantly, we
celebrate it to commemorate God's work of redemption in Jesus Christ and the
new work of creation accomplished through Christ's death and resurrection (2
Corinthians 5:17). God's action is a model for us. If God "rested and was
refreshed" on the seventh day, we, too, ought to "rest" and let
others, especially the poor, "be refreshed" (see Exodus 31:17;
23:12). Taking "our sabbath rest" is a way of expressing honor to God
for all that he has done for us. Such "rest" however does not exempt
us from our love for our neighbor. If we truly love the Lord above all else,
then the love of God will overflow to love of neighbor as well. Saint Augustine
of Hippo (354-430 AD) said: "The charity of truth seeks holy leisure; the
necessity of charity accepts just work."
How can we make Sunday a day holy to the Lord? First,
by refraining from unnecessary work and from activities that hinder the worship
we owe to God. We can also perform works of mercy, such as humble service of
the sick, the infirm, and the elderly. And we ought to seek appropriate
relaxation of mind and body as well. The joy of the Lord's Day is a great gift
to refresh and strengthen us in our love of God and of neighbor (Nehemiah
8:10). Do you know the joy of the Lord and do you find rest and refreshment in
celebrating the Lord's Day?
"Lord Jesus, in your victory over sin and death
on the cross and in your resurrection you give us the assurance of sharing in
the eternal rest of heaven. Transform my heart with your love that I may freely
serve my neighbor for his good and find joy and refreshment in the celebration
of Sunday as the Lord's Day."
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, LUKE 6:6-11
Weekday
(1 Corinthians 5:1-8; Psalm 5)
Weekday
(1 Corinthians 5:1-8; Psalm 5)
KEY VERSE: "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" (v 9).
TO KNOW: Jesus often disputed with the religious leaders about their rigid interpretation of the Sabbath law. Just as harvesting was prohibited on the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-5), so was healing ̶ unless a person's life was in danger. When a man with a withered hand came to the synagogue on the Sabbath, the scribes and the Pharisees maliciously watched to see what Jesus would do. Since the man's life was not threatened, he could have waited until the next day to be healed. If Jesus healed him, he could be charged with a violation of the Sabbath law. Jesus knew that he was being observed as to what he would do, but he openly challenged his opponents by calling the man to stand in front of the assembly and stretch out his hand. Only Luke tells us that it was the man's right hand that was withered (See Mt 12:10-13 and Mk 3:1-6). This meant that he was probably unable to do physical labor; therefore, he was deprived of a livelihood. Jesus declared that the refusal to do good was evil in itself, and he healed the man. The Pharisees were enraged by this so-called violation of the Sabbath, but they saw no problem in plotting Jesus' death on the holy day.
TO LOVE: Do I pray for people in my faith community who need healing?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, give me a compassionate heart to help those in need.
Monday 5 September 2016
Mon 5th. 1 Corinthians 5:1-8. Lead me in
your justice, Lord—Ps 5:5-7, 12. Luke 6:6-11.
'Healing on the Sabbath'
Jesus demonstrates more clearly than ever
in this Gospel that love is more important than tradition, rules and
regulations. He heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, and attracts
the ire of the scribes and Pharisees. The lesson is a poignant one for us, even
today. How much do we allow our traditions and rules to stop us from loving? I
remember 12 years ago visiting two families, both refugee families. As they
invited me to stay longer and kept pouring cups of tea, I was anxious, worried
that I would miss Mass that evening. In the end, the only Mass available to me
was a 9pm charismatic service in the city. And it was a gift. I learned so much
from this.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Little By Little
|
The Little Flower had taught that God doesn’t expect great deeds
from all or even most of us, but is more than satisfied with the “little” acts
of love we perform on a daily basis. The Kingdom of Heaven is reached little by
little, not by storm.
September
5
Saint Teresa of Calcutta
(1910-1997)
Saint Teresa of Calcutta
(1910-1997)
Mother Teresa of Kolkata,
the tiny woman recognized throughout the world for her work among the poorest
of the poor, was beatified October 19, 2003. Among those present were hundreds
of Missionaries of Charity, the order she founded in 1950 as a diocesan
religious community. Today the congregation also includes contemplative sisters
and brothers and an order of priests.
Born to Albanian parents
in what is now Skopje, Macedonia (then part of the Ottoman Empire), Gonxha
(Agnes) Bojaxhiu was the youngest of the three children who survived. For a
time, the family lived comfortably, and her father's construction business
thrived. But life changed overnight following his unexpected death.
During her years in
public school Agnes participated in a Catholic sodality and showed a strong
interest in the foreign missions. At age 18 she entered the Loreto Sisters of
Dublin. It was 1928 when she said goodbye to her mother for the final time and
made her way to a new land and a new life. The following year she was sent to
the Loreto novitiate in Darjeeling, India. There she chose the name Teresa and
prepared for a life of service. She was assigned to a high school for girls in
Kolkata, where she taught history and geography to the daughters of the
wealthy. But she could not escape the realities around her—the poverty, the
suffering, the overwhelming numbers of destitute people.
In 1946, while riding a
train to Darjeeling to make a retreat, Sister Teresa heard what she later
explained as “a call within a call. The message was clear. I was to leave the
convent and help the poor while living among them.” She also heard a call to
give up her life with the Sisters of Loreto and, instead, to “follow Christ
into the slums to serve him among the poorest of the poor.”
After receiving
permission to leave Loreto, establish a new religious community and undertake
her new work, she took a nursing course for several months. She returned to
Kolkata, where she lived in the slums and opened a school for poor children.
Dressed in a white sari and sandals (the ordinary dress of an Indian woman) she
soon began getting to know her neighbors—especially the poor and sick—and
getting to know their needs through visits.
The work was exhausting,
but she was not alone for long. Volunteers who came to join her in the work,
some of them former students, became the core of the Missionaries of Charity.
Others helped by donating food, clothing, supplies, the use of buildings. In
1952 the city of Kolkata gave Mother Teresa a former hostel, which became a
home for the dying and the destitute. As the order expanded, services were also
offered to orphans, abandoned children, alcoholics, the aging, and street
people.
For the next four decades
Mother Teresa worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor. Her love knew no bounds.
Nor did her energy, as she crisscrossed the globe pleading for support and
inviting others to see the face of Jesus in the poorest of the poor. In 1979
she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. On September 5, 1997, God called her
home.
Comment:
Mother Teresa's
beatification, just over six years after her death, was part of an expedited
process put into effect by Pope John Paul II. Like so many others around the
world, he found her love for the Eucharist, for prayer and for the poor a model
for all to emulate.
Quote:
Speaking in a strained,
weary voice at the 2003 beatification Mass, Pope John Paul II declared her
blessed, prompting waves of applause before the 300,000 pilgrims in St. Peter's
Square. In his homily, read by an aide for the aging pope, the Holy Father
called Mother Teresa “one of the most relevant personalities of our age” and
“an icon of the Good Samaritan.” Her life, he said, was “a bold proclamation of
the gospel.”
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 6,6-11
Lectio Divina:
Monday, September 5, 2016
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
you redeem us
and make us your children in Christ.
Look upon us,
give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
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 6,6-11
On a Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was present, and his right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure somebody on the Sabbath, hoping to find something to charge him with. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man with the withered hand, 'Get up and stand out in the middle!'
And he came forward and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them, 'I put it to you: is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it?' Then he looked round at them all and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He did so, and his hand was restored.
But they were furious and began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus.
God our Father,
you redeem us
and make us your children in Christ.
Look upon us,
give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance you promised.
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 6,6-11
On a Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was present, and his right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure somebody on the Sabbath, hoping to find something to charge him with. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man with the withered hand, 'Get up and stand out in the middle!'
And he came forward and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them, 'I put it to you: is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it?' Then he looked round at them all and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He did so, and his hand was restored.
But they were furious and began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus.
3) Reflection
• Context: This passage presents Jesus who cures a man with a withered hand. Different from the context of chapters 3 and 4 in which Jesus is alone, now here he is surrounded by his disciples and the women who go around with him. Therefore, here we have Jesus always moving. In the first stages of this journey the reader finds different ways of listening to the Word of Jesus on the part of those who follow him and which, definitively, it could be summarized in two experiences, which recall, in turn, two types of approaches: that of Peter (5,1-11) and that of the centurion (7,1-10). The first one encounters Jesus who invites him after the miraculous catch to become a fisherman of men; then he falls on his knees before Jesus: «Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man” (5, 8). The second one does not have any direct communication with Jesus: he has heard people speak very well about Jesus and he sends his envoys to ask for the cure of one of his servants who is dying; he is asking for something not for himself, but for a person who was a favourite of his. The figure of Peter expresses the attitude of the one who, discovering himself a sinner, places all his acts under the influence of the Word of Jesus. The centurion, showing solicitude for the servant, learns to listen to God. Well, between these itineraries or attitudes which characterize the itinerant journey of Jesus, is placed the cure of the man who presents the withered hand. This event of the miracle takes place in a context of debate or controversy: the ears of corn picked on the Sabbath and on the act of curing on a Saturday, precisely the withered hand. Between the two discussions there is the crucial role played by the Word of Jesus: “The Son of man is master of the Sabbath” (6, 5). Continuing with this passage we ask ourselves which is the sense of this withered hand? It is a symbol of the salvation of man who is taken back to the original moment, that of creation. The right hand, then, expresses human acting. Jesus then, gives back to this day of the week, Saturday, the deepest significance: it is the day of joy, of the restoration and not of limitation. What Jesus shows is the Messianic Saturday and not the legalistic one: the cures that he does are signs of the Messianic times, of restoration, of the liberation of man.
• The dynamic of the miracle. Luke places before Jesus a man who has a withered hand, dry, paralyzed. Nobody is interested in asking for his cure and much less the one concerned. And just the same, the sickness was not only an individual problem but its effects have repercussion on the whole community. But in our account we do not have so much the problem of the sickness as that of the aspect that it was done on Saturday. Jesus is criticized because he cured on Saturday. The difference with the Pharisees is in the fact that they on Saturday do not act on the basis of the commandment of love which is the essence of the Law. Jesus, after having ordered man to get in the middle of the assembly, formulates a decisive question: “Is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?” The space for the answer is restricted: to cure or not to cure, or rather, to cure or to destroy (v.9). Let us imagine the difficulty of the Pharisees: it is excluded that evil can be done on Saturday or lead man to damnation, and even less to cure because help was permitted only in case of extreme need. The Pharisees feel provoked and this causes aggressiveness in them. But it is evident that the intention of Jesus in curing on Saturday is for the good of man and in the first place, for the one who is sick. This motivation of love invites us to reflect on our behaviour and to found it on that of Jesus who saves. Jesus is not only attentive to cure the sick person but is interested also in the cure of his enemies: to cure them from their distorted attitude in their observance of the Law; to observe Saturday without freeing their neighbour from their misery and sickness is not in accordance with the will of God. According to the Evangelist, the function of Saturday is to do good, to save, like Jesus has done during his earthly life.
4) Personal questions
• Do you feel involved in the words of Jesus: how do you commit yourself in your service to life? Do you know how to create the necessary conditions so that others may live better?
• Do you know how to place at the centre of your attention and of your commitment every person and all their requirements?
• Context: This passage presents Jesus who cures a man with a withered hand. Different from the context of chapters 3 and 4 in which Jesus is alone, now here he is surrounded by his disciples and the women who go around with him. Therefore, here we have Jesus always moving. In the first stages of this journey the reader finds different ways of listening to the Word of Jesus on the part of those who follow him and which, definitively, it could be summarized in two experiences, which recall, in turn, two types of approaches: that of Peter (5,1-11) and that of the centurion (7,1-10). The first one encounters Jesus who invites him after the miraculous catch to become a fisherman of men; then he falls on his knees before Jesus: «Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man” (5, 8). The second one does not have any direct communication with Jesus: he has heard people speak very well about Jesus and he sends his envoys to ask for the cure of one of his servants who is dying; he is asking for something not for himself, but for a person who was a favourite of his. The figure of Peter expresses the attitude of the one who, discovering himself a sinner, places all his acts under the influence of the Word of Jesus. The centurion, showing solicitude for the servant, learns to listen to God. Well, between these itineraries or attitudes which characterize the itinerant journey of Jesus, is placed the cure of the man who presents the withered hand. This event of the miracle takes place in a context of debate or controversy: the ears of corn picked on the Sabbath and on the act of curing on a Saturday, precisely the withered hand. Between the two discussions there is the crucial role played by the Word of Jesus: “The Son of man is master of the Sabbath” (6, 5). Continuing with this passage we ask ourselves which is the sense of this withered hand? It is a symbol of the salvation of man who is taken back to the original moment, that of creation. The right hand, then, expresses human acting. Jesus then, gives back to this day of the week, Saturday, the deepest significance: it is the day of joy, of the restoration and not of limitation. What Jesus shows is the Messianic Saturday and not the legalistic one: the cures that he does are signs of the Messianic times, of restoration, of the liberation of man.
• The dynamic of the miracle. Luke places before Jesus a man who has a withered hand, dry, paralyzed. Nobody is interested in asking for his cure and much less the one concerned. And just the same, the sickness was not only an individual problem but its effects have repercussion on the whole community. But in our account we do not have so much the problem of the sickness as that of the aspect that it was done on Saturday. Jesus is criticized because he cured on Saturday. The difference with the Pharisees is in the fact that they on Saturday do not act on the basis of the commandment of love which is the essence of the Law. Jesus, after having ordered man to get in the middle of the assembly, formulates a decisive question: “Is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?” The space for the answer is restricted: to cure or not to cure, or rather, to cure or to destroy (v.9). Let us imagine the difficulty of the Pharisees: it is excluded that evil can be done on Saturday or lead man to damnation, and even less to cure because help was permitted only in case of extreme need. The Pharisees feel provoked and this causes aggressiveness in them. But it is evident that the intention of Jesus in curing on Saturday is for the good of man and in the first place, for the one who is sick. This motivation of love invites us to reflect on our behaviour and to found it on that of Jesus who saves. Jesus is not only attentive to cure the sick person but is interested also in the cure of his enemies: to cure them from their distorted attitude in their observance of the Law; to observe Saturday without freeing their neighbour from their misery and sickness is not in accordance with the will of God. According to the Evangelist, the function of Saturday is to do good, to save, like Jesus has done during his earthly life.
4) Personal questions
• Do you feel involved in the words of Jesus: how do you commit yourself in your service to life? Do you know how to create the necessary conditions so that others may live better?
• Do you know how to place at the centre of your attention and of your commitment every person and all their requirements?
5) Concluding Prayer
Joy for all who take refuge in you,
endless songs of gladness!
You shelter them, they rejoice in you,
those who love your name. (Ps 5,11)
Joy for all who take refuge in you,
endless songs of gladness!
You shelter them, they rejoice in you,
those who love your name. (Ps 5,11)
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