Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 461
Lectionary: 461
Brothers and sisters:
I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking
the one who called you by the grace of Christ
for a different gospel (not that there is another).
But there are some who are disturbing you
and wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ.
But even if we or an angel from heaven
should preach to you a gospel
other than the one that we preached to you,
let that one be accursed!
As we have said before, and now I say again,
if anyone preaches to you a gospel
other than the one that you received,
let that one be accursed!
Am I now currying favor with human beings or God?
Or am I seeking to please people?
If I were still trying to please people,
I would not be a slave of Christ.
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,
that the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin.
For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking
the one who called you by the grace of Christ
for a different gospel (not that there is another).
But there are some who are disturbing you
and wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ.
But even if we or an angel from heaven
should preach to you a gospel
other than the one that we preached to you,
let that one be accursed!
As we have said before, and now I say again,
if anyone preaches to you a gospel
other than the one that you received,
let that one be accursed!
Am I now currying favor with human beings or God?
Or am I seeking to please people?
If I were still trying to please people,
I would not be a slave of Christ.
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,
that the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin.
For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 111:1B-2, 7-8, 9 AND 10C
R. (5) The
Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 13:34
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 10:25-37
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?
How do you read it?”
He said in reply,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.”
He replied to him, “You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live.”
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied,
“A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?
How do you read it?”
He said in reply,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.”
He replied to him, “You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live.”
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied,
“A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Meditation: "Go and do
likewise"
If God is all-loving and compassionate, then why is
there so much suffering and evil in this world? Many agnostics
refuse to believe in God because of this seemingly imponderable problem. If God
is love then evil and suffering must be eliminated in all its forms. What is
God's answer to this human dilemma? Jesus' parable about a highway robbery
gives us a helpful hint. Jesus told this dramatic story in response to a devout
Jew who wanted to understand how to apply God's great commandment of love to
his everyday life circumstances. In so many words this religious-minded Jew
said: "I want to love God as best as I can and I want to love my neighbor
as well. But how do I know that I am fulfilling my duty to love my neighbor as
myself?"
Jesus must have smiled when he heard this man
challenge him to explain one's duty towards their neighbor. For the Jewish
believer the law of love was plain and simple: "treat your neighbor as you
would treat yourself." The real issue for this believer was the correct
definition of who is "my neighbor". He understood
"neighbor" to mean one's fellow Jew who belonged to the same covenant
which God made with the people of Israel. Up to a certain point, Jesus agreed
with this sincere expert but, at the same time, he challenged him to see that
God's view of neighbor went far beyond his narrow definition.
God's love and mercy
extends to all
Jesus told a parable to show how wide God's love and mercy is towards every fellow human being. Jesus' story of a brutal highway robbery was all too familiar to his audience. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho went through a narrow winding valley surrounded by steep rocky cliffs. Many wealthy Jews from Jerusalem had winter homes in Jerico. This narrow highway was dangerous and notorious for its robbers who could easily ambush their victim and escape into the hills. No one in his right mind would think of traveling through this dangerous highway alone. It was far safer to travel with others for protection and defense.
Jesus told a parable to show how wide God's love and mercy is towards every fellow human being. Jesus' story of a brutal highway robbery was all too familiar to his audience. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho went through a narrow winding valley surrounded by steep rocky cliffs. Many wealthy Jews from Jerusalem had winter homes in Jerico. This narrow highway was dangerous and notorious for its robbers who could easily ambush their victim and escape into the hills. No one in his right mind would think of traveling through this dangerous highway alone. It was far safer to travel with others for protection and defense.
Our prejudice gets in
the way of mercy
So why did the religious leaders refuse to give any help when they saw a half-dead victim lying by the roadside? Didn't they recognize that this victim was their neighbor? And why did a Samaritan, an outsider who was despised by the Jews, treat this victim with special care at his own expense as he would care for his own family? Who was the real neighbor who showed brotherly compassion and mercy? Jesus makes the supposed villain, the despised Samaritan, the merciful one as an example for the status conscious Jews. Why didn't the priest and Levite stop to help? The priest probably didn't want to risk the possibility of ritual impurity. His piety got in the way of charity. The Levite approached close to the victim, but stopped short of actually helping him. Perhaps he feared that bandits were using a decoy to ambush him. The Levite put personal safety ahead of saving his neighbor.
So why did the religious leaders refuse to give any help when they saw a half-dead victim lying by the roadside? Didn't they recognize that this victim was their neighbor? And why did a Samaritan, an outsider who was despised by the Jews, treat this victim with special care at his own expense as he would care for his own family? Who was the real neighbor who showed brotherly compassion and mercy? Jesus makes the supposed villain, the despised Samaritan, the merciful one as an example for the status conscious Jews. Why didn't the priest and Levite stop to help? The priest probably didn't want to risk the possibility of ritual impurity. His piety got in the way of charity. The Levite approached close to the victim, but stopped short of actually helping him. Perhaps he feared that bandits were using a decoy to ambush him. The Levite put personal safety ahead of saving his neighbor.
God expects us to be
merciful as he is merciful
What does Jesus' story tell us about true love for one's neighbor? First, we must be willing to help even if others brought trouble on themselves through their own fault or negligence. Second, our love and concern to help others in need must be practical. Good intentions and showing pity, or emphathizing with others, are not enough. And lastly, our love for others must be as wide and as inclusive as God's love. God excludes no one from his care and concern. God's love is unconditional. So we must be ready to do good to others for their sake, just as God is good to us.
What does Jesus' story tell us about true love for one's neighbor? First, we must be willing to help even if others brought trouble on themselves through their own fault or negligence. Second, our love and concern to help others in need must be practical. Good intentions and showing pity, or emphathizing with others, are not enough. And lastly, our love for others must be as wide and as inclusive as God's love. God excludes no one from his care and concern. God's love is unconditional. So we must be ready to do good to others for their sake, just as God is good to us.
Jesus not only taught God's way of love, but he showed
how far God was willing to go to share in our suffering and to restore us to
wholeness of life and happiness. Jesus overcame sin, suffering, and death
through his victory on the cross. His death brought us freedom from slavery to
sin and the promise of everlasting life with God. He willingly shared in our
suffering to bring us to the source of true healing and freedom from sin and
oppression. True compassion not only identifies and emphathizes with the one
who is in pain, but takes that pain on oneself in order to bring freedom and
restoration.
The cross shows us God's
perfect love and forgiveness
Jesus truly identified with our plight, and he took the burden of our sinful condition upon himself. He showed us the depths of God's love and compassion, by sharing in our suffering and by offering his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins upon the cross. His suffering is redemptive because it brings us healing and restoration and the fulness of eternal life. God offers us true freedom from every form of oppression, sin, and suffering. And that way is through the cross of Jesus Christ. Are you ready to embrace the cross of Christ, to suffer for his sake, and to lay down your life out of love for your neighbor?
Jesus truly identified with our plight, and he took the burden of our sinful condition upon himself. He showed us the depths of God's love and compassion, by sharing in our suffering and by offering his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins upon the cross. His suffering is redemptive because it brings us healing and restoration and the fulness of eternal life. God offers us true freedom from every form of oppression, sin, and suffering. And that way is through the cross of Jesus Christ. Are you ready to embrace the cross of Christ, to suffer for his sake, and to lay down your life out of love for your neighbor?
"Lord Jesus, may your love always be
the foundation of my life. Free me from every fear and selfish-concern that I
may freely give myself in loving service to others, even to the point of laying
my life down for their sake."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: God desires to be our neighbor, by
Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"God our Lord wished to be called our neighbor.
The Lord Jesus Christ meant that he was the one who gave help to the man lying
half-dead on the road, beaten and left by the robbers. The prophet said in
prayer, 'As a neighbor and as one's own brother, so did I please' (Psalm 34:14
). Since the divine nature is far superior and above our human nature, the
command by which we are to love God is distinct from our love of our neighbor.
He shows mercy to us because of his own goodness, while we show mercy to one
another because of God's goodness. He has compassion on us so that we may enjoy
him completely, while we have compassion on another that we may completely
enjoy him. (excerpt from CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTION
33)
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, LUKE
10:25-37
Weekday
(Galatians 1:6-12, Psalm 111)
Weekday
(Galatians 1:6-12, Psalm 111)
KEY VERSE: "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself" (v 27).
TO KNOW: A scribe, who was well versed in the Law of Moses, asked Jesus: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus asked him what was written in the law. The scribe answered correctly that he must love God and neighbor as himself. Hoping to put Jesus to the test, the scribe then asked: "Who is my neighbor?" In his parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus reversed the scribe's narrow view of 'neighbor' as only those who belonged to the people of Israel, by contrasting the attitudes of three witnesses to the scene of a victim who had been beaten half-dead. A priest and Levite passed him by but they did not stop to help, probably because they didn't want to risk the possibility of ritual impurity. Their piety got in the way of their charity. But an outsider, a Samaritan, came to the man's rescue. There was deep hostility between Jews and Samaritans, and the words 'Samaritan' and 'neighbor' were generally not used together. But Jesus made the supposed villain into the hero. He asked the scribe, "Who was neighbor to the wounded man?" And the scribe answered, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus told this legal expert to go and do likewise to the "neighbor" he would meet along the way.
TO LOVE: Do I have compassion toward people who do not meet my standards?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to see you in the suffering people I meet each day.
Monday 3 October 2016
Mon 3rd. Galatians 1:6-12. The Lord will
remember his covenant forever—Ps 110(111):1-2, 7-10. Luke 10:25-37.
'What would you do?'
The Good Samaritan story is one of the
most popular Gospel narratives used by organisations and those who seek to
serve the poor. There is even an Australian congregation of women called the
Good Samaritans. The Good Samaritan, someone whom Jesus' culture looked down
upon, follows one of the two most important commandments, to love his neighbour
as himself. While the priest and the Levite pass by on the other side, the
Samaritan takes the injured man, tends his wounds and pays in advance for his
care. Think of ways in which you too might go about offering this service, and
reflect on the times where you crossed to the other side of the road.
ST.
MOTHER THÉODORE GUÉRIN
St.
Théodore Guérin, SP, was born Anne-Therese Guerin at Etables, Brittany in
France on October 2, 1798.
As she was growing up, the French government was virulently anti-clerical, closing down seminaries and churches and arresting priests and religious. Her cousin was a seminarian who lived in hiding in her parents’ devout Catholic home. He instructed her thoroughly in the faith and she displayed an advanced knowledge of theology, even at a young age.
Anne-Thérèse entered the Sisters of Providence at 26 and devoted herself to religious education. Her intellectual capacities were formidable, and she was even recognized by the French Academy for her acheivements.
In 1840 Mother Théodore Guérin was sent to Indiana, in the USA to found a convent of the Sisters of Providence in the diocese of Vincennes. There she pioneered Catholic education, opened the first girls’ boarding school in Indiana, and fought against the anti-Catholicism prevalent in the day.
She was well known for her heroic witness to faith, her hope, and her love of God. The fledgling years of the convent of Our Lady of the Woods were difficult, with the ever present danger of it being burned down by anti- Catholics. The persecution also came from within the Church, from her own bishop, who, on not being allowed to tamper with the order’s rule, excommunicated her. The excommunication was eventually lifted by his successor.
James Cardinal Gibbons said of her in 1904, that she was “a woman of uncommon valour, one of those religious athletes whose life and teachings effect a spiritual fecundity that secures vast conquests to Christ and His holy Church.”
She died on May 14, 1856 after a period of sickness, and her feast day is celebrated on October 3.
She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 25, 1998, and canonized a saint of the Roman Catholic church on October 15, 2006, by Pope Benedict XVI.
As she was growing up, the French government was virulently anti-clerical, closing down seminaries and churches and arresting priests and religious. Her cousin was a seminarian who lived in hiding in her parents’ devout Catholic home. He instructed her thoroughly in the faith and she displayed an advanced knowledge of theology, even at a young age.
Anne-Thérèse entered the Sisters of Providence at 26 and devoted herself to religious education. Her intellectual capacities were formidable, and she was even recognized by the French Academy for her acheivements.
In 1840 Mother Théodore Guérin was sent to Indiana, in the USA to found a convent of the Sisters of Providence in the diocese of Vincennes. There she pioneered Catholic education, opened the first girls’ boarding school in Indiana, and fought against the anti-Catholicism prevalent in the day.
She was well known for her heroic witness to faith, her hope, and her love of God. The fledgling years of the convent of Our Lady of the Woods were difficult, with the ever present danger of it being burned down by anti- Catholics. The persecution also came from within the Church, from her own bishop, who, on not being allowed to tamper with the order’s rule, excommunicated her. The excommunication was eventually lifted by his successor.
James Cardinal Gibbons said of her in 1904, that she was “a woman of uncommon valour, one of those religious athletes whose life and teachings effect a spiritual fecundity that secures vast conquests to Christ and His holy Church.”
She died on May 14, 1856 after a period of sickness, and her feast day is celebrated on October 3.
She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 25, 1998, and canonized a saint of the Roman Catholic church on October 15, 2006, by Pope Benedict XVI.
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