Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 443
Lectionary: 443
Brothers and sisters:
In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact
that your meetings are doing more harm than good.
First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church
there are divisions among you,
and to a degree I believe it;
there have to be factions among you
in order that also those who are approved among you
may become known.
When you meet in one place, then,
it is not to eat the Lord’s supper,
for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper,
and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.
Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink?
Or do you show contempt for the Church of God
and make those who have nothing feel ashamed?
What can I say to you? Shall I praise you?
In this matter I do not praise you.
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my Body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact
that your meetings are doing more harm than good.
First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church
there are divisions among you,
and to a degree I believe it;
there have to be factions among you
in order that also those who are approved among you
may become known.
When you meet in one place, then,
it is not to eat the Lord’s supper,
for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper,
and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.
Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink?
Or do you show contempt for the Church of God
and make those who have nothing feel ashamed?
What can I say to you? Shall I praise you?
In this matter I do not praise you.
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my Body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 40:7-8A, 8B-9, 10, 17
R. (1 Cor 11:26b) Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
AlleluiaJN 3:16
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 7:1-10
When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
“He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.”
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
“Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
“He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.”
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
“Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.
Meditation: "Say the word - be
healed"
Do you seek the Lord Jesus with confidence and pray
with expectant faith? A Roman official boldly sought Jesus with a daring
request. What made him confident that Jesus would receive his request and act
favorably towards him? Like a true soldier, he knew the power of command. And
he saw in Jesus both the power and the mercy of God to heal and restore life. In
the Roman world the position of centurion was very important. He was an officer
in charge of a hundred soldiers. In a certain sense, he was the backbone of the
Roman army, the cement which held the army together. Polybius, an ancient
write, describes what a centurion should be: "They must not be so much
venturesome seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and
reliable. They ought not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when
hard pressed, they must be ready to hold their ground, and die at their
posts."
The centurion who approached Jesus was not only
courageous, but faith-filled as well. He risked the ridicule of his Roman
companions by seeking help from a Jewish preacher from Galilee, as well as
mockery from the Jews who despised Roman occupation of their land. Nonetheless,
this centurion approached Jesus with confidence and humility. Augustine of
Hippo (354-430 AD) notes that the centurion regarded himself as unworthy to
receive the Lord into his house: "Humility was the door through which the
Lord entered to take full possession of one whom he already possessed."
The centurion was an extraordinary man because he loved his slave. In the Roman
world slaves were treated like animals rather than people. The centurion was also
an extraordinary man of faith. He believed that Jesus had the power to
heal his beloved slave. Jesus commends him for his faith and immediately grants
him his request.
Are you willing to suffer ridicule in the practice of
your faith? And when you need help, do you approach the Lord Jesus confidently
with expectant faith?
"Lord Jesus you came to set us free from the
tyranny of sin, selfishness, and fear. Increase my faith in the power of your
saving word and give me joy and freedom to love and serve others generously for
their sake just as you have generously laid down your life for my sake."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The power of Divinity and the grace of
humility, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397
A.D.
"How great is the sign of divine humility, that
the Lord of heaven by no means disdained to visit the centurion’s servant!
Faith is revealed in deeds, but humanity is more active in compassion. Surely
he did not act this way because he could not cure in his absence, but in order
to give you a form of humility for imitation he taught the need to defer to the
small and the great alike. In another place he says to the ruler, 'Go, your son
lives' (John 4:50), that you may know both the power of Divinity and the grace
of humility. In that case he refused to go to the ruler's son, lest he seem to
have had regard for riches. In this case he went himself lest he seem to have
despised the humble rank of the centurion's servant. All of us, slave and free,
are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11)." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
5.84)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12,
LUKE 7:1-10
Weekday
(1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33; Psalm 40)
Weekday
(1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33; Psalm 40)
KEY VERSE: "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith" (v 9).
TO KNOW: A centurion was a high ranking officer in the Roman army who commanded a force of up to 100 men. This centurion stationed in Capernaum was a member of Herod’s peacekeeping force rather than a member of the imperial army. When the officer's servant became ill, he sent the Jewish elders of the synagogue to entreat Jesus to come and heal him. The Jews were grateful to the centurion for having built their synagogue, and they urged Jesus to go and heal the man's servant. But the centurion sent word that he was not worthy to have Jesus enter his home (Jews regarded Gentile homes to be "unclean"). The officer knew how to use authority and he recognized this power in Jesus. He had confidence that Jesus could heal his servant with a word of command. Jesus marveled at the man's faith, which contrasted with the disbelief of his own people. When the Centurion's messengers returned home, they found the centurion's servant healed.
TO LOVE: Do I use the power of intercessory prayer to help others in need?
TO SERVE: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
NOTE: Revised Roman Missal
In the Mass, right before receiving Communion we as Catholics say this: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." It is fitting that we tell Jesus, just as the centurion did, that we really are not worthy of having him abide in our souls. We recognize that Jesus is Lord and that his mighty word dwelling within us will in fact heal us of all unworthiness: “Say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
Optional Memorial of the
Most Holy Name of the Mary
The memorial of the Holy Name of Mary is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3). In 1683, John Sobieski, King of Poland, brought an army to the outskirts of Vienna in Austria to stop the advance of Moslem armies. After the king entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he and his soldiers thoroughly defeated the enemy. Pope Innocent XI ordered the memorial of Mary's Most Holy Name, which had already been honored in some parts of the Christian world, to be celebrated each year by the universal Church as a perpetual memorial of the great blessing of that victory. Mary always points us to Jesus, reminding us of God's infinite goodness. She helps us to open our hearts to God's ways.
www.togetherwithgodsword.com
Monday 12 September 2016
Mon 12th. Most Holy Name of Mary. 1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33.
Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again—Ps 39(40):7-10, 17. Luke
7:1-10.
'I tell you, not even in Israel have I found faith like this'
'I
talked to the good Lord about it'. This was my mother Ellie's invariable
response. There was no one else to ask. As my brother and I say, 'I have no
idea how she did it'. Mum brought up three children alone in a country town.
Newly arrived, she had no family or friends. She set about getting a job at the
local hospital and continued working there for 20 years, replaced by three men.
This was when women's wages were far lower than men's and there was no credit
available. She walked over a kilometre to work for those 20 years, usually in a
hurry and up a steep hill. She never had a holiday. At 97, she said, 'Next time
I see you it will be in heaven' and died quietly the next morning.
BLESSED APOLLINARIS FRANCO
Blessed
Apollinaris was born in Old Castile, Spain where he joined the Franciscan
order. He was sent to Japan to head the Japanese Franciscan mission in
1614, the year that the new Japanese shogun had instituted a nationwide ban on
Christianity and declared being a Christian a capital offense.
Friar Apollinaris Franco evangelized covertly until he was arrested in 1617 and thrown into prison in Nagasaki along with other priests and laymen, for five years to await his execution. The conditions in the prison were exceedingly harsh in an attempt to force the prisoners to reject the faith.
Apollinaris ministered to the other prisoners and converted some of the jailers through his example and teaching. On September 12, 1622, he was burned at the stake along with other Franciscans and Jesuits.
Friar Apollinaris Franco evangelized covertly until he was arrested in 1617 and thrown into prison in Nagasaki along with other priests and laymen, for five years to await his execution. The conditions in the prison were exceedingly harsh in an attempt to force the prisoners to reject the faith.
Apollinaris ministered to the other prisoners and converted some of the jailers through his example and teaching. On September 12, 1622, he was burned at the stake along with other Franciscans and Jesuits.
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 7,1-10
Lectio Divina:
Monday, September 12, 2016
PRAYER
Holy Father, through Jesus your Son, the Word made flesh for us, send me your Holy Spirit, that my ears may be opened to hear the “letter of love” that you have written to me and enlighten my mind that I may understand it in depth. Make my heart docile that it may receive your will with joy and help me to give witness to it. Amen.
READING
From the Gospel accordino to Luke (7:1-10)
When he had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, "He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us." And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
MEDITATION
• Chapter 7 of the gospel of Luke helps us to receive the call addressed to the pagans to adhere to faith in the Lord Jesus. The figure of the centurion becomes the pacesetter for all those who want to abide by the faith of Israel and then encounter and know the face of the Father in Jesus. In the meditation on this Gospel, we are also proposed to open ourselves to faith or to make our confidence in the Word of the Lord more firmly unshaken. Let us try, then, to follow, with our hearts, the paces of this Roman centurion, so that in him we may also be present.
• Perhaps the first aspect that emerges from the reading of the passage is the situation of suffering in which the centurion finds himself. Try to hear more attentively the words that try to give light to this reality. Capernaum, a border city, a city apart, on the margins, a city where the blessings of God seem slow to arrive. The grave illness; the imminent death of a dear person.
• But we soon see that the Lord enters into this situation, coming to share in it, to live in it with his loving presence. The words in italics confirm this truth: “asking him to come”; “and Jesus went with them”; “he was only a short distance.” It is wonderful to see this movement of Jesus who moves near to him who calls him, who searches for him and who asks for salvation. This is how Jesus acts with each one of us.
• But it is also very useful to enter into contact with the figure of the centurion, who is here a bit like our master, our guide on the way of faith.
“When he heard about Jesus”. He received the announcement, he heard the good news and held it in his heart. He did not net it escape and did not close his ears to life. He remembered Jesus and now he goes in search for him.
• “He sent.” Twice does the centurion carry out his action: first sending the elders of the people to Jesus, authoritative figures, then by sending his friends. Luke uses two different verbs and this helps us to understand better that in this man something took place, a state of passage: he became more and more open to the encounter with Jesus. Sending his friends is a bit like going to Jesus himself.
“asking him to come and save.” Two beautiful verbs that explain the whole intensity of his request to Jesus. He wants Jesus to come, to be near, to enter into his poor life, to come and visit his pain. It is a declaration of love, of great faith, because it is as if he was saying: “Without you, I cannot live anymore. Come!” And he does not ask for any mere salvation, a superficial healing, as the particular verb chosen by Luke helps us to understand. In fact, here it is a traverse salvation, one that crosses the entirety of life, of the entire person, and is capable of taking a person beyond, past every obstacle, every difficulty or trial, beyond even death.
• “I am not worthy.” Luke puts these words in the mouth of the centurion twice, and these words help us to understand the great transformation that has taken place within himself. He feels unworthy, incapable, insufficient, as the two different greek terms used here indicate. Perhaps the first conquest on the road of faith with Jesus is exactly this: the discovery of our great need for Him, for his presence and the more certain knowledge that alone we can do nothing because we are poor, we are sinners. However, precisely because of this we are infinitely loved!
• “Say the word.” Here is the great leap, the great transformation in faith. The centurion now believes in a clear, serene and faithful way. While Jesus walked towards him, he was also completing his own interior journey, changing, becoming a new man. First, he welcomed the person of Jesus, then his word. For him it is the Lord as he is, his word is efficacious, true, powerful, able to do what he says. All of his doubts have crumbled; nothing remains but faith, the certain confidence in salvation, in Jesus.
QUESTIONS
• Does my prayer feel like that of the centurion, addressed to Jesus to come and save? Am I also ready to explain to the Lord my uneasiness, my need for him? Am I perhaps ashamed to present to him the sickness, the death that lives in my house, in my life? What do I need in order to fulfill this first step in trust?
• And if I open my heart in prayer, to the invocation, if I invite the Lord to come, what is the profound attitude of my heart? Is there also in me, as in the centurion, the knowledge of being unworthy, of not being sufficient solely of myself, of not being pretentious? Do I know how to place myself before the Lord with that humility that comes from love, from serene trust in Him?
• Is his Word good enough for me? Do I ever listen to it in its entirety with attention, with respect, even though, perhaps, I am not able to fully understand it?
And in this moment, what is the word that I want to hear from the mouth of the Lord for me? What do I want Him to say to me?
• The pagan centurion had such a great faith…and I, who am Christian, what faith do I have? Perhaps it is true that I must pray like this: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
FINAL PRAYER
Your words are a lamp for my steps, Lord!
How can a youth keep his way pure?
By observing your word.
With all my heart I search for you:
do not let me deviate from your commands.
Put again into my heart your promise
that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you, Lord:
teach me your decrees.
With my mouth I recount
all of the wisdom from your mouth.
On the way of your teachings is my joy,
more than all other riches.
I want to meditate on your precepts,
to consider your ways.
In your decrees is my delight,
I will not forget your word.
Holy Father, through Jesus your Son, the Word made flesh for us, send me your Holy Spirit, that my ears may be opened to hear the “letter of love” that you have written to me and enlighten my mind that I may understand it in depth. Make my heart docile that it may receive your will with joy and help me to give witness to it. Amen.
READING
From the Gospel accordino to Luke (7:1-10)
When he had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, "He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us." And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
MEDITATION
• Chapter 7 of the gospel of Luke helps us to receive the call addressed to the pagans to adhere to faith in the Lord Jesus. The figure of the centurion becomes the pacesetter for all those who want to abide by the faith of Israel and then encounter and know the face of the Father in Jesus. In the meditation on this Gospel, we are also proposed to open ourselves to faith or to make our confidence in the Word of the Lord more firmly unshaken. Let us try, then, to follow, with our hearts, the paces of this Roman centurion, so that in him we may also be present.
• Perhaps the first aspect that emerges from the reading of the passage is the situation of suffering in which the centurion finds himself. Try to hear more attentively the words that try to give light to this reality. Capernaum, a border city, a city apart, on the margins, a city where the blessings of God seem slow to arrive. The grave illness; the imminent death of a dear person.
• But we soon see that the Lord enters into this situation, coming to share in it, to live in it with his loving presence. The words in italics confirm this truth: “asking him to come”; “and Jesus went with them”; “he was only a short distance.” It is wonderful to see this movement of Jesus who moves near to him who calls him, who searches for him and who asks for salvation. This is how Jesus acts with each one of us.
• But it is also very useful to enter into contact with the figure of the centurion, who is here a bit like our master, our guide on the way of faith.
“When he heard about Jesus”. He received the announcement, he heard the good news and held it in his heart. He did not net it escape and did not close his ears to life. He remembered Jesus and now he goes in search for him.
• “He sent.” Twice does the centurion carry out his action: first sending the elders of the people to Jesus, authoritative figures, then by sending his friends. Luke uses two different verbs and this helps us to understand better that in this man something took place, a state of passage: he became more and more open to the encounter with Jesus. Sending his friends is a bit like going to Jesus himself.
“asking him to come and save.” Two beautiful verbs that explain the whole intensity of his request to Jesus. He wants Jesus to come, to be near, to enter into his poor life, to come and visit his pain. It is a declaration of love, of great faith, because it is as if he was saying: “Without you, I cannot live anymore. Come!” And he does not ask for any mere salvation, a superficial healing, as the particular verb chosen by Luke helps us to understand. In fact, here it is a traverse salvation, one that crosses the entirety of life, of the entire person, and is capable of taking a person beyond, past every obstacle, every difficulty or trial, beyond even death.
• “I am not worthy.” Luke puts these words in the mouth of the centurion twice, and these words help us to understand the great transformation that has taken place within himself. He feels unworthy, incapable, insufficient, as the two different greek terms used here indicate. Perhaps the first conquest on the road of faith with Jesus is exactly this: the discovery of our great need for Him, for his presence and the more certain knowledge that alone we can do nothing because we are poor, we are sinners. However, precisely because of this we are infinitely loved!
• “Say the word.” Here is the great leap, the great transformation in faith. The centurion now believes in a clear, serene and faithful way. While Jesus walked towards him, he was also completing his own interior journey, changing, becoming a new man. First, he welcomed the person of Jesus, then his word. For him it is the Lord as he is, his word is efficacious, true, powerful, able to do what he says. All of his doubts have crumbled; nothing remains but faith, the certain confidence in salvation, in Jesus.
QUESTIONS
• Does my prayer feel like that of the centurion, addressed to Jesus to come and save? Am I also ready to explain to the Lord my uneasiness, my need for him? Am I perhaps ashamed to present to him the sickness, the death that lives in my house, in my life? What do I need in order to fulfill this first step in trust?
• And if I open my heart in prayer, to the invocation, if I invite the Lord to come, what is the profound attitude of my heart? Is there also in me, as in the centurion, the knowledge of being unworthy, of not being sufficient solely of myself, of not being pretentious? Do I know how to place myself before the Lord with that humility that comes from love, from serene trust in Him?
• Is his Word good enough for me? Do I ever listen to it in its entirety with attention, with respect, even though, perhaps, I am not able to fully understand it?
And in this moment, what is the word that I want to hear from the mouth of the Lord for me? What do I want Him to say to me?
• The pagan centurion had such a great faith…and I, who am Christian, what faith do I have? Perhaps it is true that I must pray like this: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
FINAL PRAYER
Your words are a lamp for my steps, Lord!
How can a youth keep his way pure?
By observing your word.
With all my heart I search for you:
do not let me deviate from your commands.
Put again into my heart your promise
that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you, Lord:
teach me your decrees.
With my mouth I recount
all of the wisdom from your mouth.
On the way of your teachings is my joy,
more than all other riches.
I want to meditate on your precepts,
to consider your ways.
In your decrees is my delight,
I will not forget your word.
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