Solemnity of All Saints
Lectionary: 667
Lectionary: 667
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”
All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”
All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
Responsorial
PsalmPS 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord,
this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Reading 21 JN 3:1-3
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
AlleluiaMT 11:28
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 5:1-12A
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
Meditation: "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is
great in heaven"
What is the good life
which God intends for us? And how is it related with the ultimate end or
purpose of life? Is it not our desire and longing for true happiness,
which is none other than the complete good, the sum of all goods, leaving
nothing more to be desired? Jesus addresses this question in his sermon on the
mount. The heart of Jesus' message is that we can live a very happy life. The
call to holiness, to be saints who joyfully pursue God's will for their lives,
can be found in these eight beatitudes. Jesus' beatitudes sum up our calling or
vocation - to live a life of the beatitudes. The word beatitudeliterally
means "happiness" or "blessedness".
God gives us everything
that leads to true happiness
What is the significance of Jesus' beatitudes, and why are they so central to his teaching? The beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness that God has placed in every heart. They teach us the final end to which God calls us, namely the coming of God's kingdom (Matthew 4:17), the vision of God (Matthew 5:8; 1 John 2;1), entering into the joy of the Lord (Matthew 25:21-23) and into his rest (Hebrews 4:7-11). Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal.
What is the significance of Jesus' beatitudes, and why are they so central to his teaching? The beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness that God has placed in every heart. They teach us the final end to which God calls us, namely the coming of God's kingdom (Matthew 4:17), the vision of God (Matthew 5:8; 1 John 2;1), entering into the joy of the Lord (Matthew 25:21-23) and into his rest (Hebrews 4:7-11). Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal.
Jesus' tells us that God
alone can satisfy the deepest need and longing of our heart. Teresa of Avila's
(1515-1582) prayer book contained a bookmark on which she wrote: Let
nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things pass - God never
changes. Patience achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing
-God alone suffices.
Is God enough for you?
God offers us the greatest good possible - abundant life in Jesus Christ (John
10:10) and the promise of unending joy and happiness with God forever. Do you
seek the highest good, the total good, which is above all else?
The beatitudes are a
sign of contradiction to the world's way of happiness
The beatitudes which Jesus offers us are a sign of contradiction to the world's understanding of happiness and joy. How can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? Poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit. Sorrow and mourning over wasted life and sin leads to joyful freedom from the burden of guilt and spiritual oppression.
The beatitudes which Jesus offers us are a sign of contradiction to the world's understanding of happiness and joy. How can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? Poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit. Sorrow and mourning over wasted life and sin leads to joyful freedom from the burden of guilt and spiritual oppression.
God reveals to the
humble of heart the true source of abundant life and happiness. Jesus promises
his disciples that the joys of heaven will more than compensate for the
troubles and hardships they can expect in this world. Thomas Aquinas said:
"No one can live without joy. That is why a person deprived of
spiritual joy goes after carnal pleasures." Do you know the
happiness of hungering and thirsting for God alone?
"Lord Jesus,
increase my hunger for you and show me the way that leads to everlasting peace
and happiness. May I desire you above all else and find perfect joy in doing
your will."
Daily Quote from the
early church fathers: Perfect blessedness is humility of spirit, by Hilary of
Poitiers (315-367 AD)
"'Blessed are the
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' The Lord taught by way of
example that the glory of human ambition must be left behind when he said, 'The
Lord your God shall you adore and him only shall you serve' (Matthew 4:10). And
when he announced through the prophets that he would choose a people humble and
in awe of his words [Isaiah 66:2], he introduced the perfect Beatitude as
humility of spirit. Therefore he defines those who are inspired as people aware
that they are in possession of the heavenly kingdom... Nothing belongs to
anyone as being properly one's own, but all have the same things by the gift of
a single parent. They have been given the first things needed to come into life
and have been supplied with the means to use them." (excerpt from commentary ON
MATTHEW 4.2)
SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS
Holy Day of Obligation
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, MATTHEW 5:1-12a
(Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24; 1 John 3:1-3)
Holy Day of Obligation
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, MATTHEW 5:1-12a
(Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24; 1 John 3:1-3)
KEY VERSE: "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven" (v 12).
TO KNOW: In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed the character that he required of his followers. The "Beatitudes," which Jesus exalted, was the attitude of trust and humility represented by the poor, the suffering and persecuted. At the time of Jesus, affliction was thought to be punishment for one's sins, and good health and material prosperity were seen as rewards for one's righteousness. Jesus reversed human expectations of those who were thought to be fortunate – the rich, powerful and complacent people. He announced that true happiness was not found in wealth and power. Jesus promised eternal reward for all who humbly sought God's will despite hardships. But the "blessedness" that the disciples received is not some future glory; it is the blessedness that exists in the here and now. Jesus exemplified every Beatitude. He was poor (Mt 8:20) and gentle and meek (11:29). He grieved over sin and hungered and thirsted for God's justice (12:18). He was merciful (12:16-21) and single-hearted in his desire to do God's will (26:39). Jesus suffered persecution and died to bring about God's kingdom (27:50). He gave us the ideal that every Christian should constantly pursue in order to be holy people, worthy of God's reign.
TO LOVE: Which of the Beatitudes do I most need to put into practice today?
TO SERVE: Saints of God, help me to imitate your righteous and holy lives.
SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS
In the New Testament, all baptized Christians are called "saints" (Greek, hagiois, 2 Cor 1:2). Saints are made holy by the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. After their death, some Christians are officially recognized by the Church as "Saints" for their exemplary sanctity. These individuals are models of a virtuous life. They give us hope for the blessed state that we all strive to attain. The spiritual union between all the faithful, living and dead, is called the "Communion of Saints." About the year 1000, people started seeking the Pope's authority in the matter of canonization of individuals that they deemed worthy of being named Saints. Over the years, procedures for canonization have become more complex. The first step towards Sainthood is when a person is declared "venerable," a Servant of God. This stage requires that a candidate has lived a life of faith and high morals. The second stage, with the title of "Blessed," is beatification. For this stage, the candidate must have influenced an extraordinary event, which the Church recognizes as "miraculous," meaning it cannot be explained by laws of human science. Advocates for the nominee collect the evidence, a biography, while a "devil's advocate" researches evidence that the nominee may not deserve the title Saint. The third stage, carrying the title "Saint," requires evidence of a second miracle. The person is then officially recommended to the entire church for veneration (deep respect). The Saint is assigned a feast day and churches can be named after them.
ALL
SAINTS' DAY
The
Solemnity of All Saints is celebrated on the first of November.
It was instituted to honour all of the saints, both known and unknown,
and, according to Pope Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the
faithful's celebration of saints' feasts during the year.
In the
early days of the Church, the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the
anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the
fourth century, neighbouring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer
relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the
invitation of Saint Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of
Pontus. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally
led to a joint commemoration.
In the
persecution of Diocletian, the number of martyrs became so great that a
separate day could not be assigned to each, but the Church, feeling that every
martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of
this we find is in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention
of a common day in a sermon of Saint Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th
homily of Saint John Chrysostom (407).
At
first only martyrs and Saint John the Baptist were honoured by a special day in
the Liturgical Calendar. Other saints were added gradually, and increased in
number when a regular process of canonization was established.
Still,
as early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a "Commemoratio
Confessorum" for the Friday after Easter. In the west, Pope Boniface IV on
May 13, 609 or 610, consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin
and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary. Gregory III (731-741) consecrated
a chapel in the Basilica of Saint Peter to all the saints and fixed the
anniversary for November 1.
A
basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was
annually remembered on May 1. Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on
November 1 to the entire Church. The vigil seems to have been held as early as
the feast itself. The octave was added by Sixtus IV (1471-84).
Francis Merseman, from the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright 1907.
LECTIO
DIVINA: ALL SAINTS - MATTHEW 5,1-12A
Lectio
Divina:
Tuesday,
November 1, 2016
The
Beatitudes
Matthew 5:1-12
Matthew 5:1-12
1. Listening
to the text
a)
Opening prayer:
Lord,
the meaning of our life is to seek your Word, which came to us in the person of
Christ. Make me capable of welcoming what is new in the Gospel of the
Beatitudes, so that I may change my life. I would know nothing about you were
it not for the light of the words spoken by your Son Jesus, who came to tell us
of your marvels. When I am weak, if I go to Him, the Word of God, then I become
strong. When I act foolishly, the wisdom of his Gospel restores me to relish
God and the kindness of his love. He guides me to the paths of life. When some
deformity appears in me, I reflect on his Word and the image of my personality
becomes beautiful. When solitude tries to make me dry, my spiritual marriage to
him makes my life fruitful. When I discover some sadness or unhappiness in
myself, the thought of Him, my only good, opens the way to joy. Therese of the
Child Jesus has a saying that sums up the desire for holiness as an intense
search for God and a listening to others: «If you are nothing, remember that
Jesus is all. You must therefore lose your little nothing into his infinite all
and think of nothing else but this uniquely lovable all…» (Letters, 87, to
Marie Guérin).
b)
Reading the Gospel:
1
Seeing the crowds, he went onto the mountain. And when he was seated his
disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
3 How blessed are the poor in spirit:
the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 Blessed are the gentle:
they shall have the earth as inheritance.
5 Blessed are those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness:
they shall have their fill.
7 Blessed are the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers:
they shall be recognised as children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness:
the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
3 How blessed are the poor in spirit:
the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 Blessed are the gentle:
they shall have the earth as inheritance.
5 Blessed are those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness:
they shall have their fill.
7 Blessed are the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers:
they shall be recognised as children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness:
the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
c)
A moment of prayerful silence:
It is
important to be able to listen in deep silence so that the word of Christ may
speak to us and so that the Word made flesh may dwell in us and us in him. It
is only in silent hearts that the Word of God can take root and, on this
Solemnity of All Saints, become flesh in us.
2.
Light shed on the Word (lectio)
a)
The context:
Jesus’
words on the Beatitudes that Matthew drew from his sources, were condensed in
short and isolated phrases, and the Evangelist has placed them in a broader
context, which Biblical scholars call the “sermon on the mount”
(chapters 5-7). This sermon is considered like the statutes or Magna
Carta that Jesus gave to the community as a normative and binding word
that defines a Christian.
The
many themes contained in this long sermon are not to be seen as collection of
exhortations, but rather as a clear and radical indication of the new attitude
of the disciples towards God, oneself and the brothers and sisters. Some
expressions used by Jesus may seem exaggerated, but they are used to stress reality
and thus are realistic in the context although not so in a literary sense: for
instance in vv.29-30: «If your right eye should be your downfall, tear it
out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of
yourself than to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand
should be your downfall, cut it off and throw it away, for it will do you less
harm to lose one part of yourself than to have your whole body go to hell».
This manner of speaking indicates the effect desired to be created in the
reader, who must understand correctly Jesus’ words so as not to distort their
meaning.
Our
focus, for liturgical reasons, will be on the first part of the “sermon on
the mount”, that is the part dealing with the proclamation of the
beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12).
b)
Some details:
Matthew
invites the reader to listen to the beatitudes proclaimed by Jesus with a rich
concentration of details. First he indicates the place where Jesus proclaims
his sermon: “Jesus went onto the mountain” (5:1). That is why exegetes
call this the “sermon on the mount” even though Luke places this sermon
on level ground (Lk 6:20-26). The geographic location of the “mountain”
could be a veiled reference to an episode in the OT quite like ours: that is,
when Moses proclaims the Decalogue on mount Sinai. It is possible that Matthew
wishes to present Jesus as the new Moses who proclaims the new law.
Another
detail that strikes us is the physical posture of Jesus as he proclaims his
words: “when he was seated”. This posture confers upon him a note of
authority in the legislative sense. The disciples and the “crowd” gather around
him: this detail shows what Jesus had to say was for all to hear. We note that
Jesus’ words do not present impossible matters, nor are they addressed to a
special group of people, nor do they mean to establish a code of ethics
exclusively for his inner circle. Jesus’ demands are concrete, binding and
decisively radical.
Someone
branded Jesus’ sermon as follows: «For me, this is the most important text
in the history of humankind. It is addressed to all, believers and non, and
after twenty centuries it is still the only light still shining in the darkness
of violence, fear and solitude in which the West finds itself because of its
pride and selfishness» (Gilbert Cesbron).
The
word “blessed” (in Greek makarioi) in our context does not
say “softly” but cries out happiness found throughout the Bible. For instance,
in the OT, those called “blessed” are those who live out the precepts of
Wisdom (Sir 25,7-10). The prayerful person of the Psalms defines “blessed”
as those who “fear”, or more precisely those who love the Lord,
expressing this love in the observance of the precepts contained in the word of
God (Sal 1,1; 128,1).
Matthew’s
originality lies in adding a secondary phrase that specifies each beatitude:
for instance, the main assertion “blessed are the poor in spirit” is
clarified by an added phrase “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.
Another difference with the OT is that Jesus’ words proclaim a saving
blessedness here and now and without any limitations. For Jesus, all can attain
happiness on condition that they remain united to Him.
c)
The first three beatitudes:
i) The first cry concerns the poor: “How
blessed are the poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven is theirs”. The
reader may be shocked: how can the poor be happy? In the Bible, the poor are
those who empty themselves of themselves and above all renounce the presumption
of building their own present and future alone, and thus leave room for and
focus on God’s project and his Word. The poor, always in the biblical sense, is
not someone closed in on himself, miserable, negative, but someone who nurtures
being open to God and to others. God is all his/her treasure. We could say with
St.Teresa of Avila: happy are those who experience that “God alone suffices!”,
meaning that they are rich in God.
A great modern spiritual author described poverty as follows: «As long as one does not empty one’s heart, God cannot fill it with himself. As you empty your heart, so does the Lord fill it. Poverty is emptiness, not only in what concerns the future but also the past. Not a regret or memory, not a worry or wish! God is not in the past, God is not in the future: He is in the present! Leave your past to God, leave your future to God. Your poverty is to live the present, the Presence of God who is Eternity» (Divo Barsotti).
This is the first beatitude, not just because it is the first of many, but because it seems to encapsulate all the others in their diversity.
A great modern spiritual author described poverty as follows: «As long as one does not empty one’s heart, God cannot fill it with himself. As you empty your heart, so does the Lord fill it. Poverty is emptiness, not only in what concerns the future but also the past. Not a regret or memory, not a worry or wish! God is not in the past, God is not in the future: He is in the present! Leave your past to God, leave your future to God. Your poverty is to live the present, the Presence of God who is Eternity» (Divo Barsotti).
This is the first beatitude, not just because it is the first of many, but because it seems to encapsulate all the others in their diversity.
ii) ”Blessed are those who mourn;
they shall be comforted”. One can mourn because of a great pain or
suffering. This underlines the fact that we are dealing with a serious
situation even though the motives or the cause are not mentioned. If we wish to
identify today “those who mourn” we could think of all the Christians who hold
dear the demands of the kingdom and suffer because of many negative aspects in
the Church; rather than focus on holiness, the Church presents divisions and
lacerations. They may also be those who suffer because of their sins and
inconsistencies and who, in some way, slow down their conversion. To these,
only God can bring the news of “consolation””.
iii) ”Blessed are the gentle, they
shall have the earth as inheritance”. The third beatitude is about
gentleness. This is a quality that is not so popular today. Rather, for many it
has a negative connotation and is taken for weakness or the kind of
imperturbability that knows how to control calculatingly one’s own emotions.
What does the word “gentle” mean in the Bible? The gentle are remembered as
those who enjoy great peace (Ps 37:10), are happy, blessed and loved by God.
They are also contrasted with evildoers, the ungodly and sinners. Thus the OT
gives us a wealth of meanings that do not allow for one single definition.
In the NT the first time we meet the word is in Matthew 11:29: “Learn from me because I am gentle and humble of heart”. A second time is in Mt 21:5, when Matthew describes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and cites the prophet Zechariah 2:9: “Behold your servant comes to you gentle”. Truly, Matthew’s Gospel may be described as the Gospel of gentleness.
Paul too says that gentleness is an identifying quality of the Christian. In 2 Corinthians 10:1 he exhorts believers “I urge you by the gentleness and forbearance of Christ”. In Galatians 5:22 gentleness is considered one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the heart of believers and consists in being meek, moderate, slow to punish, kind and patient towards others. Again in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:12 gentleness is an attitude that is part of the Christian and a sign of the new man in Christ.
Finally, an eloquent witness comes from 1 Peter 3:3-4: “Your adornment should be not an exterior one, consisting of braided hair or gold jewellery or fine clothing, but the interior disposition of the heart, consisting in the imperishable quality of a gentle and peaceful spirit, so precious in the sight of God”.
How does Jesus use the word “gentle”? A truly enlightening definition is the one given by the gentle person of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini “The gentle person, according to the beatitudes, is one who, in spite of the fervour of his/her feelings, remains docile and calm, not possessive, interiorly free, always extremely respectful of the mystery of freedom, imitating God in this respect who does everything with respect for the person, and urges the person to obedience without ever using violence. Gentleness is opposed to all forms of material or moral arrogance, it gains the victory of peace over war, of dialogue over imposition”.
To this wise interpretation we add that of another famous exegete: “The gentleness spoken of in the beatitudes is none other than that aspect of humility that manifests itself in practical affability in one’s dealings with the other. Such gentleness finds its image and its perfect model in the person of Jesus, gentle and humble of heart. Truly, such gentleness seems to us like a form of charity, patient and delicately attentive towards others” (Jacques Dupont).
In the NT the first time we meet the word is in Matthew 11:29: “Learn from me because I am gentle and humble of heart”. A second time is in Mt 21:5, when Matthew describes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and cites the prophet Zechariah 2:9: “Behold your servant comes to you gentle”. Truly, Matthew’s Gospel may be described as the Gospel of gentleness.
Paul too says that gentleness is an identifying quality of the Christian. In 2 Corinthians 10:1 he exhorts believers “I urge you by the gentleness and forbearance of Christ”. In Galatians 5:22 gentleness is considered one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the heart of believers and consists in being meek, moderate, slow to punish, kind and patient towards others. Again in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:12 gentleness is an attitude that is part of the Christian and a sign of the new man in Christ.
Finally, an eloquent witness comes from 1 Peter 3:3-4: “Your adornment should be not an exterior one, consisting of braided hair or gold jewellery or fine clothing, but the interior disposition of the heart, consisting in the imperishable quality of a gentle and peaceful spirit, so precious in the sight of God”.
How does Jesus use the word “gentle”? A truly enlightening definition is the one given by the gentle person of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini “The gentle person, according to the beatitudes, is one who, in spite of the fervour of his/her feelings, remains docile and calm, not possessive, interiorly free, always extremely respectful of the mystery of freedom, imitating God in this respect who does everything with respect for the person, and urges the person to obedience without ever using violence. Gentleness is opposed to all forms of material or moral arrogance, it gains the victory of peace over war, of dialogue over imposition”.
To this wise interpretation we add that of another famous exegete: “The gentleness spoken of in the beatitudes is none other than that aspect of humility that manifests itself in practical affability in one’s dealings with the other. Such gentleness finds its image and its perfect model in the person of Jesus, gentle and humble of heart. Truly, such gentleness seems to us like a form of charity, patient and delicately attentive towards others” (Jacques Dupont).
3.
The word enlightens me (to meditate)
a) Am
I able to accept those little signs of poverty in my regard? For instance, the
poverty of poor health and little indispositions? Do I make exorbitant demands?
b) Am I able to accept some aspect of my poverty and fragility?
c) Do I pray like a poor person, as one who asks with humility the grace of God, his pardon and his mercy?
d) Inspired by Jesus’ message concerning gentleness, do I renounce violence, vengeance and a vengeful spirit?
e) Do I encourage, in families and in my place of work, a spirit of kindness, gentleness and peace?
f) Do I pay back any small malice, insinuations or offensive allusions with evil?
g) Do I look after the weakest who cannot defend themselves? Am I patient with old people? Do I welcome lonely strangers who are often exploited at work?
b) Am I able to accept some aspect of my poverty and fragility?
c) Do I pray like a poor person, as one who asks with humility the grace of God, his pardon and his mercy?
d) Inspired by Jesus’ message concerning gentleness, do I renounce violence, vengeance and a vengeful spirit?
e) Do I encourage, in families and in my place of work, a spirit of kindness, gentleness and peace?
f) Do I pay back any small malice, insinuations or offensive allusions with evil?
g) Do I look after the weakest who cannot defend themselves? Am I patient with old people? Do I welcome lonely strangers who are often exploited at work?
4.
To pray
a)
Psalm 23:
The
Psalm seems to rotate around the title “The Lord is my shepherd”. The saints
are the image of the flock on the way: they are accompanied by the goodness and
loyalty of God, until they finally reach the house of the Father (L.Alonso Schökel, I salmi
della fiducia, Dehoniana libri, Bologna 2006, 54)
Yahweh
is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
I lack nothing.
In
grassy meadows he lets me lie.
By tranquil streams he leads me
to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name.
By tranquil streams he leads me
to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name.
Even
were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death
I should fear no danger,
for you are at my side.
Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.
I should fear no danger,
for you are at my side.
Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.
You
prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup brims over.
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup brims over.
Kindness
and faithful love pursue me every day of my life.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come.
b)
Closing prayer:
Lord
Jesus, you show us the way of the beatitudes so that we may come to that
happiness that is fullness of life and thus holiness. We are all called to
holiness, but the only treasure of the saints is God. Your Word, Lord, calls
saints all those who in baptism were chosen by your love of a Father, to be
conformed to Christ. Grant, Lord, that by your grace we may achieve this
conformity to Jesus Christ. We thank you, Lord, for the saints you have placed
on our way and who manifest your love. We ask for your pardon if we have
tarnished your face in us and denied our calling to be saints.
