Memorial
of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest
Lectionary: 453
Lectionary: 453
There
is an appointed time for everything,
and a time for every thing under the heavens.
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
What advantage has the worker from his toil?
I have considered the task that God has appointed
for the sons of men to be busied about.
He has made everything appropriate to its time,
and has put the timeless into their hearts,
without man’s ever discovering,
from beginning to end, the work which God has done.
and a time for every thing under the heavens.
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
What advantage has the worker from his toil?
I have considered the task that God has appointed
for the sons of men to be busied about.
He has made everything appropriate to its time,
and has put the timeless into their hearts,
without man’s ever discovering,
from beginning to end, the work which God has done.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 144:1B AND 2ABC, 3-4
R.
(1) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
my mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
LORD, what is man, that you notice him;
the son of man, that you take thought of him?
Man is like a breath;
his days, like a passing shadow.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
my mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
LORD, what is man, that you notice him;
the son of man, that you take thought of him?
Man is like a breath;
his days, like a passing shadow.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
AlleluiaMK 10:45
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 9:18-22
Once
when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Meditation: "Who do you say that Jesus is?"
Who is Jesus for you - and what difference does he
make in your life? Many in Israel recognized Jesus as a mighty man of God, even
comparing him with the greatest of the prophets. Peter, always quick to respond
whenever Jesus spoke, professed that Jesus was truly the "Christ of
God" - "the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). No mortal
being could have revealed this to Peter, but only God. Through the "eyes
of faith" Peter discovered who Jesus truly was. Peter recognized that
Jesus was much more than a great teacher, prophet, and miracle worker. Peter
was the first apostle to publicly declare that Jesus was the Anointed
One, consecrated by the Father and sent into the world to redeem a
fallen human race enslaved to sin and cut off from eternal life with God (Luke
9:20, Acts 2:14-36). The word for "Christ" in Greek is a translation
of the Hebrew word for "Messiah" - both words
literally mean the Anointed One.
Jesus begins to explain the mission he was sent to
accomplish
Why did Jesus command his disciples to be silent about his identity as the anointed Son of God? They were, after all, appointed to proclaim the good news to everyone. Jesus knew that they did not yet fully understand his mission and how he would accomplish it. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD), an early church father, explains the reason for this silence:
Why did Jesus command his disciples to be silent about his identity as the anointed Son of God? They were, after all, appointed to proclaim the good news to everyone. Jesus knew that they did not yet fully understand his mission and how he would accomplish it. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD), an early church father, explains the reason for this silence:
There were things
yet unfulfilled which must also be included in their preaching about him. They
must also proclaim the cross, the passion, and the death in the flesh. They
must preach the resurrection of the dead, that great and truly glorious sign by
which testimony is borne him that the Emmanuel is truly God and by nature the
Son of God the Father. He utterly abolished death and wiped out destruction. He
robbed hell, and overthrew the tyranny of the enemy. He took away the sin of
the world, opened the gates above to the dwellers upon earth, and united earth
to heaven. These things proved him to be, as I said, in truth God. He commanded
them, therefore, to guard the mystery by a seasonable silence until the whole
plan of the dispensation should arrive at a suitable conclusion. (Commentary on Luke, Homily
49)
God's Anointed Son must suffer and die to
atone for our sins
Jesus told his disciples that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and die in order that God's work of redemption might be accomplished. How startled the disciples were when they heard this word. How different are God's thoughts and ways from our thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8). It was through humiliation, suffering, and death on the cross that Jesus broke the powers of sin and death and won for us eternal life and freedom from the slavery of sin and from the oppression of our enemy, Satan, the father of lies and the deceiver of humankind.
Jesus told his disciples that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and die in order that God's work of redemption might be accomplished. How startled the disciples were when they heard this word. How different are God's thoughts and ways from our thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8). It was through humiliation, suffering, and death on the cross that Jesus broke the powers of sin and death and won for us eternal life and freedom from the slavery of sin and from the oppression of our enemy, Satan, the father of lies and the deceiver of humankind.
We, too, have a share in the mission and victory of
Jesus Christ
If we want to share in the victory of the Lord Jesus, then we must also take up our cross and follow where he leads us. What is the "cross" that you and I must take up each day? When my will crosses (does not align) with God's will, then his will must be done. To know Jesus Christ is to know the power of his victory on the cross where he defeated sin and conquered death through his resurrection. The Holy Spirit gives each of us the gifts and strength we need to live as sons and daughters of God. The Holy Spirit gives us faith to know the Lord Jesus personally as our Redeemer, and the power to live the gospel faithfully, and the courage to witness to others the joy, truth, and freedom of the Gospel. Who do you say that Jesus is?
If we want to share in the victory of the Lord Jesus, then we must also take up our cross and follow where he leads us. What is the "cross" that you and I must take up each day? When my will crosses (does not align) with God's will, then his will must be done. To know Jesus Christ is to know the power of his victory on the cross where he defeated sin and conquered death through his resurrection. The Holy Spirit gives each of us the gifts and strength we need to live as sons and daughters of God. The Holy Spirit gives us faith to know the Lord Jesus personally as our Redeemer, and the power to live the gospel faithfully, and the courage to witness to others the joy, truth, and freedom of the Gospel. Who do you say that Jesus is?
"Lord Jesus, I believe and I profess that you are
the Christ, the Son of the living God. Take my life, my will, and all that I
have, that I may be wholly yours now and forever."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Peter confesses that Jesus is God's Anointed
Son and Savior of all, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"You see the skillfulness of the question. He
[Jesus] did not at once say, 'Who do you say that I am?' He refers to the rumor
of those that were outside their company. Then, having rejected it and shown it
unsound, he might bring them back to the true opinion. It happened that way.
When the disciples had said, 'Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and
others, that some prophet of those in old time has risen up,' he said to them,
'But you, who do you say that I am?' Oh! how full of meaning is that word you!
He separates them from all others, that they may also avoid the opinions of
others. In this way, they will not conceive an unworthy idea about him or
entertain confused and wavering thoughts. Then they will not also imagine that
John had risen again, or one of the prophets. 'You,' he says, 'who have been
chosen,' who by my decree have been called to the apostleship, who are the
witnesses of my miracles. Who do you say that I am?'" (excerpt fromCOMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 49)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23,
LUKE 9:18-22
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; Psalm 144)
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; Psalm 144)
KEY VERSE: "But who do you say that I am?" (v 20).
TO KNOW: Jesus wanted his disciples to understand his role and mission, so he took them to the pagan territory of Caesarea Philippi in northern Israel near Banias, where there was the Cave of Pan honoring the Roman god Faunus, half-goat, half-man. There may also have been a temple built by Herod to honor the Emperor Augustus. At that place, Jesus was praying (a typical theme in Luke), and then he asked his disciples who the people believed him to be. They answered that some thought he was John the Baptist raised from the dead, others said that Elijah had returned, still others believed that he was one of the prophets who had arisen. Then Jesus asked them who they personally believed him to be. Peter, speaking for the Twelve, declared that Jesus was the "Messiah of God" (v 20). Jesus warned them not to reveal his identity as many expected the Messiah to be a political leader who would liberate Israel from Roman oppression. Jesus taught them the true meaning of what it meant to be the Messiah. He must suffer and die, but he would be raised from the dead.
TO LOVE: Reflect on who Jesus is in your life.
TO SERVE: Pray the Jesus' prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
Memorial of Saint Padre
Pio of Pietrelcina, priest
Francesco Forgione, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars at age 15, and was ordained at age 22 in 1910. While praying before a cross, he received the stigmata, the first priest ever to be so blessed. American soldiers brought home stories of Padre Pio following WWII, and the priest himself became a point of pilgrimage for both the pious and the curious. He would hear confessions by the hour, reportedly able to read the consciences of those who held back. Padre Pio founded the House for the Relief of Suffering in 1956, a hospital that serves 60,000 a year. His canonization miracle involved the cure of Matteo Pio Colella, age 7, the son of a doctor who worked in the hospital founded by Padre Pio. During a prayer vigil attended by Matteo´s mother and some Capuchin friars, the child's condition improved suddenly. When he awoke from the coma, Matteo said that he had seen an elderly man with a white beard and a long, brown habit, who said to him: "Don´t worry, you will soon be cured." The miracle was approved by the Congregation and Pope John Paul II canonized him 16, June, 2002.
Friday 23 September 2016
Fri 23rd. St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. Day
of penance.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 Blessed be the Lord, my Rock! —Ps 143(144):1-4. Luke 9:18-22
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 Blessed be the Lord, my Rock! —Ps 143(144):1-4. Luke 9:18-22
'Who do you say I am?'
When Peter calls Jesus the Messiah, was he
thinking of someone who would return Israel to the former glory of David and
Solomon? Had he forgotten what Isaiah said about the suffering servant? So I
ask myself, who is Jesus for me? A lantern, a teaching guide or shepherd and always
my unchanging friend. As a cradle Catholic I inherited the faith of my
ancestors, seeing myself as a conscript. Gradually it became a personal faith,
mainly through Franciscan and Ignatian spirituality, and I became a willing
volunteer. To love Jesus as a person changes everything. Thank you, Lord, for
the faith that has become alive through prayer, drawing me to love, to service
and to peace.
ST.
PIO OF PIETRELCINA
On
Sept. 23, the Catholic Church remembers the Italian Franciscan priest St. Pio
of Petrelcina, better known as “Padre Pio” and known for his suffering,
humility and miracles.
The
man later known by these names was originally named Francesco Forgione, born to
his parents Grazio and Maria in 1887. His parents had seven children, two of
whom died in infancy. They taught the five surviving children to live their
faith through daily Mass, family prayer of the rosary, and regular acts of
penance.
Francesco
had already decided at a young age to dedicate his entire life to God. At age
10, he felt inspired by the example of a young Capuchin Franciscan, and told
his parents: “I want to be a friar – with a beard.” Francesco’s father spent time
in America, working to finance his son’s education so he could enter the
religious life.
On
Jan. 22, 1903, Francesco donned the Franciscan habit for the first time. He
took the new name Pio, a modernized Italian form of “Pius,” in honor of Pope
St. Pius V. He made his solemn vows four years later, and received priestly
ordination in the summer of 1910. Shortly after, he first received the Stigmata
– Christ’s wounds, present in his own flesh.
Along
with these mystical but real wounds, Padre Pio also suffered health problems
that forced him to live apart from his Franciscan community for the first six
years of his priesthood. By 1916 he managed to re-enter community life at the
Friary of San Giovanni Rotondo, where he lived until his death. He handled many
duties as a spiritual director and teacher, covering for brothers drafted into
World War I.
During
1917 and 1918, Padre Pio himself briefly served in a medical unit of the
Italian army. He later offered himself as a spiritual “victim” for an end to
the war, accepting suffering as a form of prayer for peace. Once again, he
received the wounds of Christ on his body. They would remain with him for 50
years, through a succession of global conflicts.
Against
his own wishes, the friar’s reputation for holiness, and attending miracles,
began to attract huge crowds. Some Church officials, however, denounced the
priest and had him banned from public ministry in 1931. Pope Pius XI ended the
ban two years later, and his successor Pius XII encouraged pilgrimages to Padre
Pio’s friary.
Known
for patient suffering, fervent prayer, and compassionate spiritual guidance,
Padre Pio also lent his efforts to the establishment of a major hospital, the
“Home to Relieve Suffering.”
Padre
Pio died in 1968, and was declared a saint in 2002. Three years after his
death, Pope Paul VI marveled at his simple and holy life in an address to the
Capuchin Order.
“A
worldwide following gathered around him ... because he said Mass humbly, heard confessions
from dawn to dusk and was – it is not easy to say it – one who bore the wounds
of our Lord,” Pope Paul explained. “He was a man of prayer and suffering.”
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 9,18-22
Lectio Divina:
Friday, September 23, 2016
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
guide us, as you guide creation
according to your law of love.
May we love one another
and come to perfection
in the eternal life prepared for 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.
guide us, as you guide creation
according to your law of love.
May we love one another
and come to perfection
in the eternal life prepared for 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 9,18-22
Now it happened that Jesus was praying alone, and his disciples came to him
and he put this question to them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’
And they answered, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others Elijah; others again one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’
‘But you,’ he said to them, ‘who do you say I am?’ It was Peter who spoke up. ‘The Christ of God,’ he said.
But he gave them strict orders and charged them not to say this to anyone. He said, ‘The Son of man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’
And they answered, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others Elijah; others again one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’
‘But you,’ he said to them, ‘who do you say I am?’ It was Peter who spoke up. ‘The Christ of God,’ he said.
But he gave them strict orders and charged them not to say this to anyone. He said, ‘The Son of man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today follows the same theme as that of Yesterday: the opinion
of the people on Jesus. Yesterday, beginning with Herod, today it is Jesus who
asks what do people think, the public opinion and the Apostles respond giving
the same opinion which was given yesterday. Immediately follows the first
announcement of the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus.
• Luke 9, 18: The question of Jesus after his prayer. “One day, while Jesus was praying alone, his disciples came to him and he put this question to them: “Who do the crowds say I am?” In Luke’s Gospel, on several important and decisive occasions, Jesus is presented in prayer: in his Baptism when he assumes his mission (Lk 3, 21); in the 40 days in the desert, when, he overcame the temptations presented by the devil Lk 4, 1-13); the night before choosing the twelve apostles (Lk 6, 12); in the Transfiguration, when, with Moses and Elijah he spoke about his passion in Jerusalem (Lc 9, 29); in the Garden when he suffers his agony (Lk 22, 39-46); on the Cross, when he asks pardon for the soldier (Lk 23, 34) and when he commits his spirit to God (Lk 23, 46).
• Luke 9, 19: The opinion of the people on Jesus. “They answered: “For some John the Baptist; others Elijah, but others think that you are one of the ancient prophets who has risen from the dead”. Like Herod, many thought that John the Baptist had risen in Jesus. It was a common belief that the prophet Elijah had to return (Mt 17, 10-13; Mk 9, 11-12; Ml 3, 23-24; Eclo 48, 10). And all nourished the hope of the coming of the Prophet promised by Moses (Dt 18,15). This was an insufficient response.
• Luke 9, 20: The question of Jesus to the disciples. After having heard the opinion of others, Jesus asks: “And you, who do you say I am?” Peter answers: “The Messiah of God!” Peter recognizes that Jesus is the one whom the people are waiting for and that he comes to fulfil the promise. Luke omits the reaction of Peter who tries to dissuade Jesus to follow the way of the cross and omits also the harsh criticism of Jesus to Peter (Mk 8, 32-33; Mt 16, 22-23).
• Luke 9, 21: The prohibition to reveal that Jesus is the Messiah of God. “Then Jesus gave them strict orders and charged them not to say this to anyone”. It was forbidden to them to reveal to the people that Jesus is the Messiah of God. Why does Jesus prohibit this? At that time, as we have already seen, everybody was expecting the coming of the Messiah, but, each one in his own way: some expected a king, others a priest, others a doctor, a warrior, a judge or a prophet! Nobody seemed to expect the Messiah Servant, announced by Isaiah (Is 42, 1-9). Anyone who insists in maintaining Peter’s idea, that is, of a glorious Messiah, without the cross, understands nothing and will never be able to assume the attitude of a true disciple. He will continue to be blind, exchanging people for trees (cf. Mk 8, 24). Because without the cross it is impossible to understand who Jesus is and what it means to follow Jesus. Because of this, Jesus insists again on the Cross and makes the second announcement of his passion, death and resurrection.
• Luke 9, 22: The second announcement of the Passion. And Jesus adds: “The Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and Scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day”. The full understanding of the following of Jesus is not obtained through theoretical instruction, but through practical commitment, walking together with him along the road of service, from Galilee up to Jerusalem. The road of the following is the road of the gift of self, of abandonment, of service, of availability, of acceptance of conflict, knowing that there will be a resurrection. The cross is not an accident on the way; it forms part of our way. This because in the organized world starting from egoism, love and service can exist only if they are crucified! Anyone who makes of his life a service to others disturbs those who live attached to privileges, and suffers.
• Luke 9, 18: The question of Jesus after his prayer. “One day, while Jesus was praying alone, his disciples came to him and he put this question to them: “Who do the crowds say I am?” In Luke’s Gospel, on several important and decisive occasions, Jesus is presented in prayer: in his Baptism when he assumes his mission (Lk 3, 21); in the 40 days in the desert, when, he overcame the temptations presented by the devil Lk 4, 1-13); the night before choosing the twelve apostles (Lk 6, 12); in the Transfiguration, when, with Moses and Elijah he spoke about his passion in Jerusalem (Lc 9, 29); in the Garden when he suffers his agony (Lk 22, 39-46); on the Cross, when he asks pardon for the soldier (Lk 23, 34) and when he commits his spirit to God (Lk 23, 46).
• Luke 9, 19: The opinion of the people on Jesus. “They answered: “For some John the Baptist; others Elijah, but others think that you are one of the ancient prophets who has risen from the dead”. Like Herod, many thought that John the Baptist had risen in Jesus. It was a common belief that the prophet Elijah had to return (Mt 17, 10-13; Mk 9, 11-12; Ml 3, 23-24; Eclo 48, 10). And all nourished the hope of the coming of the Prophet promised by Moses (Dt 18,15). This was an insufficient response.
• Luke 9, 20: The question of Jesus to the disciples. After having heard the opinion of others, Jesus asks: “And you, who do you say I am?” Peter answers: “The Messiah of God!” Peter recognizes that Jesus is the one whom the people are waiting for and that he comes to fulfil the promise. Luke omits the reaction of Peter who tries to dissuade Jesus to follow the way of the cross and omits also the harsh criticism of Jesus to Peter (Mk 8, 32-33; Mt 16, 22-23).
• Luke 9, 21: The prohibition to reveal that Jesus is the Messiah of God. “Then Jesus gave them strict orders and charged them not to say this to anyone”. It was forbidden to them to reveal to the people that Jesus is the Messiah of God. Why does Jesus prohibit this? At that time, as we have already seen, everybody was expecting the coming of the Messiah, but, each one in his own way: some expected a king, others a priest, others a doctor, a warrior, a judge or a prophet! Nobody seemed to expect the Messiah Servant, announced by Isaiah (Is 42, 1-9). Anyone who insists in maintaining Peter’s idea, that is, of a glorious Messiah, without the cross, understands nothing and will never be able to assume the attitude of a true disciple. He will continue to be blind, exchanging people for trees (cf. Mk 8, 24). Because without the cross it is impossible to understand who Jesus is and what it means to follow Jesus. Because of this, Jesus insists again on the Cross and makes the second announcement of his passion, death and resurrection.
• Luke 9, 22: The second announcement of the Passion. And Jesus adds: “The Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and Scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day”. The full understanding of the following of Jesus is not obtained through theoretical instruction, but through practical commitment, walking together with him along the road of service, from Galilee up to Jerusalem. The road of the following is the road of the gift of self, of abandonment, of service, of availability, of acceptance of conflict, knowing that there will be a resurrection. The cross is not an accident on the way; it forms part of our way. This because in the organized world starting from egoism, love and service can exist only if they are crucified! Anyone who makes of his life a service to others disturbs those who live attached to privileges, and suffers.
4) Personal questions
• We all believe in Jesus. But there are some who understand him in one way
and others in another way. Today, which is the more common Jesus in the way of
thinking of people?
• How does propaganda interfere in my way of seeing Jesus? What do I do so as not to allow myself to be drawn by the propaganda? What prevents us today from recognizing and assuming the project of Jesus?
• How does propaganda interfere in my way of seeing Jesus? What do I do so as not to allow myself to be drawn by the propaganda? What prevents us today from recognizing and assuming the project of Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
Blessed be Yahweh, my rock,
who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle,
my faithful love, my bastion, my citadel, my Saviour;
I shelter behind him. (Ps 144,1-2)
who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle,
my faithful love, my bastion, my citadel, my Saviour;
I shelter behind him. (Ps 144,1-2)
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