Eighth Sunday in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 82
Lectionary: 82
Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my LORD has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
my LORD has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
R. (6a) Rest in
God alone, my soul.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
With God is my safety and my glory,
he is the rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
With God is my safety and my glory,
he is the rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
Reading 21 COR 4:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now it is of course required of stewards
that they be found trustworthy.
It does not concern me in the least
that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;
I do not even pass judgment on myself;
I am not conscious of anything against me,
but I do not thereby stand acquitted;
the one who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore do not make any judgment before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now it is of course required of stewards
that they be found trustworthy.
It does not concern me in the least
that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;
I do not even pass judgment on myself;
I am not conscious of anything against me,
but I do not thereby stand acquitted;
the one who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore do not make any judgment before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.
AlleluiaHB 4:12
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective;
discerning reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective;
discerning reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 6:24-34
Jesus said to his disciples:
"No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?'
or 'What are we to drink?'or 'What are we to wear?'
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil."
"No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?'
or 'What are we to drink?'or 'What are we to wear?'
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil."
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Isaiah 49:14-15
The second suffering servant song of Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1-7) almost immediately precedes our first reading today. This song provides the setting for our reading: “1 Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. 2 He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. 3 You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. 4 Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. 5 For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! 6 It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. 7 Thus says the LORD, the redeemer and the Holy One of Israel, To the one despised, whom the nations abhor, the slave of rulers: When kings see you, they shall stand up, and princes shall prostrate themselves.” Commentators see the suffering servant as representing not only an individual, but a people as well; the people of Israel (the 12 tribes, not the northern kingdom). When David was king, the city of Jerusalem had come to represent the entire nation; much as Washington, D.C. represents the government and actions of the United States today. The name Zion refers to the mountain upon which Jerusalem is built.
14 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” 15 Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.
This is possibly the most touching expression of God’s love in the entire Bible. God is, after all, our Father, and we are His adopted children. Saint John points this out in his gospel (John 3:16) where he says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” The feminine image of God is natural in the setting of Jerusalem (Zion), a walled city, being pictured as being pregnant and filled with life.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
As we finish our journey through 1st Corinthians for this cycle of readings, we are once again reminded by Saint Paul that divisions in the Church cannot be tolerated; we are all members of the one body. Because we all belong to the one body, we can’t judge other parts because in doing so we are judging ourselves. There is only one judge, Christ, and we must all answer to Him.
1 Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
The term used here for “servant” is hypēretēs which designated the rowers on the lowest bank of the galleys; it later came to mean “assistant” or “helper”.
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
The steward was the servant entrusted with the administration of the house. Saint Paul uses this term because he insists that he is administering his master’s property and not his own. The apostles are Christ’s stewards, charged with preaching divine revelation and not their own doctrines.
“There is a big difference between being a servant of Christ and a steward of the mysteries of God. Anyone who has read the Bible can be a servant of Christ, but to be a steward of the mysteries one must plumb their depths. Paul was acting as a steward of the mysteries when he commissioned Luke, for example, to write his Gospel, and when he sent Timothy (1 Timothy 1:1-4) to sort out the Ephesian church. I would even dare to say that in Corinth Paul acted like a servant of Christ, whereas in Ephesus he became a steward of the mysteries of God (Ephesians 3:1-13).” [Origen (ca. A.D. 245), Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2,18,10-16]
2 Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.
The first and indispensable quality demanded of the apostle is that he be trustworthy, with a conscious devotion to God’s interests rather than his own.
“A steward’s duty is to administer well the things that have been entrusted to him. The things of the master’s are not the stewards but the reverse – what is his really belongs to his master.” [Saint John Chrysostom (A.D. 392), Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians 10,5]
3 It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgment on myself; 4 I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord.
Human judgment of Paul is not his concern, he is answerable not to man but to God who will judge him on the faithfulness of his ministry.
5 Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God.
The Lord will make known His judgment at the parousia.
“God will judge in His own good time. A judge is insulted if a servant presumes to pronounce a verdict before the judge makes the decision known.” [The Ambrosiaster (A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles 1 Corinthians 4,5]
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Isaiah 49:14-15
The second suffering servant song of Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1-7) almost immediately precedes our first reading today. This song provides the setting for our reading: “1 Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. 2 He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. 3 You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. 4 Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. 5 For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! 6 It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. 7 Thus says the LORD, the redeemer and the Holy One of Israel, To the one despised, whom the nations abhor, the slave of rulers: When kings see you, they shall stand up, and princes shall prostrate themselves.” Commentators see the suffering servant as representing not only an individual, but a people as well; the people of Israel (the 12 tribes, not the northern kingdom). When David was king, the city of Jerusalem had come to represent the entire nation; much as Washington, D.C. represents the government and actions of the United States today. The name Zion refers to the mountain upon which Jerusalem is built.
14 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” 15 Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.
This is possibly the most touching expression of God’s love in the entire Bible. God is, after all, our Father, and we are His adopted children. Saint John points this out in his gospel (John 3:16) where he says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” The feminine image of God is natural in the setting of Jerusalem (Zion), a walled city, being pictured as being pregnant and filled with life.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
As we finish our journey through 1st Corinthians for this cycle of readings, we are once again reminded by Saint Paul that divisions in the Church cannot be tolerated; we are all members of the one body. Because we all belong to the one body, we can’t judge other parts because in doing so we are judging ourselves. There is only one judge, Christ, and we must all answer to Him.
1 Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
The term used here for “servant” is hypēretēs which designated the rowers on the lowest bank of the galleys; it later came to mean “assistant” or “helper”.
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
The steward was the servant entrusted with the administration of the house. Saint Paul uses this term because he insists that he is administering his master’s property and not his own. The apostles are Christ’s stewards, charged with preaching divine revelation and not their own doctrines.
“There is a big difference between being a servant of Christ and a steward of the mysteries of God. Anyone who has read the Bible can be a servant of Christ, but to be a steward of the mysteries one must plumb their depths. Paul was acting as a steward of the mysteries when he commissioned Luke, for example, to write his Gospel, and when he sent Timothy (1 Timothy 1:1-4) to sort out the Ephesian church. I would even dare to say that in Corinth Paul acted like a servant of Christ, whereas in Ephesus he became a steward of the mysteries of God (Ephesians 3:1-13).” [Origen (ca. A.D. 245), Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2,18,10-16]
2 Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.
The first and indispensable quality demanded of the apostle is that he be trustworthy, with a conscious devotion to God’s interests rather than his own.
“A steward’s duty is to administer well the things that have been entrusted to him. The things of the master’s are not the stewards but the reverse – what is his really belongs to his master.” [Saint John Chrysostom (A.D. 392), Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians 10,5]
3 It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgment on myself; 4 I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord.
Human judgment of Paul is not his concern, he is answerable not to man but to God who will judge him on the faithfulness of his ministry.
5 Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God.
The Lord will make known His judgment at the parousia.
“God will judge in His own good time. A judge is insulted if a servant presumes to pronounce a verdict before the judge makes the decision known.” [The Ambrosiaster (A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles 1 Corinthians 4,5]
Gospel - Matthew 6:24-34
Our gospel reading for today comes from a collection of sayings of Jesus, sayings which are found in scattered contexts in Luke but are collected here in Matthew 6:19-34 and 7:1-27. The sayings in chapter six all have one common theme: singleness of purpose. The disciple should attend exclusively to the service of God and should not permit himself to be distracted from this concentration even by what men think are legitimate concerns. To place this is the full context, let’s look also at verses 19-23: “19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. 22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.” This discussion of light and the eye reflects the physiological understanding at the time that there was a light within the eye which allowed a person to see and when that light was extinguished, blindness ensued. Likewise, if Christ, the Light of the World, does not shine within you, your soul is in darkness and evil is the result.
24 “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
This is why bigamy is not allowed (humor). The disciple cannot have a divided loyalty. Although we think of mammon today as being money, the Talmud uses the term also to describe possessions in general. Taken together with verses 19-21 and the passage which follows, the radical character of this teaching becomes evident. Material possessions are a false god that demands exclusive loyalty but we are to have only one God (the first commandment). Any claims which material possessions have on an individual must be totally and completely repudiated. This doesn’t mean that material possessions are evil and that we shouldn’t own anything, but it does mean that God must be first in our lives and those possessions which we do have we should always be willing to sacrifice to God.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
“Worry” is more than simple thought and planning. Jesus is referring to the kind of worry which leads to a divided loyalty and ultimately to an exclusive concentration of possessions. Jesus doesn’t deny the reality of human needs (see verse 32). In speaking of food, drink and clothing, Jesus is saying that the person is more important than the external goods which sustain him.
26 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
This does not excuse a person from earning a living; after all, birds work harder than most men in order to sustain themselves. It is not laziness that He recommends (see 2 Thessalonians 3:10). The audience to which these sayings are addressed is composed primarily of peasants and laborers and Jesus says nothing to them which invites them to abandon their life of incessant toil. What is recommended is that one’s anxiety should not exceed the labor that is require to secure a living. It is not the use of the necessities of life that is discouraged, but the accumulation of material possessions. Verse 27 can also be translated “Can any of you by worrying add a single cubit to your stature?”. Accumulated possessions do not prolong the lifespan or increase one’s height.
28 Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. 29 But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
For a proper attitude about clothing, Jesus uses the example of the wild flowers which bloom in profusion on the Palestinian hills; hills which are a dull brown most of the year. The bright display of color lasts only a few weeks but is very impressive while it lasts. Solomon’s clothing, the proverbial example of wealth in the Bible, did not endure much longer than the wild flowers in the overall history of God’s people. Jesus is telling them that their faith is not as deep as it should be (see also Matthew 6:26; 14:31; 16:8; 17:20).
31 So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ 32 All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.
To make the provision of food and clothing one’s major concern, an object of anxiety, is to live like the pagans who know no dedication except to the accumulation of goods in this world. God’s righteousness is His plan for the salvation of the human race. The disciples must maintain their dedication to the reign of God and submit themselves to and cooperate with His plan.
34 Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.
This saying is rather paradoxical to modern ears, especially since we are urged by society to “save for our later years”. In fact, we are urged by the Church to provide for our old age so that we do not become a burden upon our family and on society. What this saying does address though, is that if this “saving” becomes “accumulation”, it has detracted from the loyalty which we owe to God alone.
Meditation: "Why are you anxious -
seek first his kingdom"
What does the expression "serving two
masters" and "being anxious" have in common? They both have the
same root problem - being divided within oneself. The root word for
"anxiety" literally means "being of two minds." An anxious
person is often "tossed to and fro" and paralyzed by fear,
indecision, and insecurity. Fear of some bad outcome cripples those afflicted
with anxiety. It's also the case with someone who wants to live in two opposing
kingdoms - God's kingdom of light, truth, and goodness or Satan's kingdom of
darkness, sin, and deception - following God's standards and way of happiness
or following the world's standards of success and happiness.
Who is the master of your life?
Who is the master in charge of your life? Our "master" is whatever governs our thought-life, shapes our ideals, and controls the desires of our heart and the values we choose to live by. We can be ruled by many different things - the love of money and possessions, the power of position and prestige, the glamor of wealth and fame, and the driving force of unruly passions, harmful desires, and addictive cravings. Ultimately the choice of who is our master boils down to two: God or "mammon". What is mammon? "Mammon" stands for "material wealth" or "possessions" or whatever tends to control our appetites and desires.
Who is the master in charge of your life? Our "master" is whatever governs our thought-life, shapes our ideals, and controls the desires of our heart and the values we choose to live by. We can be ruled by many different things - the love of money and possessions, the power of position and prestige, the glamor of wealth and fame, and the driving force of unruly passions, harmful desires, and addictive cravings. Ultimately the choice of who is our master boils down to two: God or "mammon". What is mammon? "Mammon" stands for "material wealth" or "possessions" or whatever tends to control our appetites and desires.
The antidote to fear, pride, and greed
There is one master alone who has the power to set us free from slavery to sin, fear, pride, and greed, and a host of other hurtful desires. That master is the Lord Jesus Christ who alone can save us from all that would keep us bound up in fear and anxiety. Jesus used an illustration from nature - the birds and the flowers - to show how God provides for his creatures in the natural order of his creation. God provides ample food, water, light, and heat to sustain all that lives and breathes. How much more can we, who are created in the very image and likeness of God, expect our heavenly Father and creator to sustain not only our physical bodies, but our mind, heart, and soul as well? God our Father is utterly reliable because it is his nature to love, heal, forgive, and make whole again.
There is one master alone who has the power to set us free from slavery to sin, fear, pride, and greed, and a host of other hurtful desires. That master is the Lord Jesus Christ who alone can save us from all that would keep us bound up in fear and anxiety. Jesus used an illustration from nature - the birds and the flowers - to show how God provides for his creatures in the natural order of his creation. God provides ample food, water, light, and heat to sustain all that lives and breathes. How much more can we, who are created in the very image and likeness of God, expect our heavenly Father and creator to sustain not only our physical bodies, but our mind, heart, and soul as well? God our Father is utterly reliable because it is his nature to love, heal, forgive, and make whole again.
Jesus - our daily bread
Jesus taught his disciples to pray with confidence to their heavenly Father: Give us this day our daily bread. What is bread, but the very staple of life and symbol of all that we need to live and grow. Anxiety is neither helpful nor necessary. It robs us of faith and confidence in God’s help and it saps our energy for doing good. Jesus admonishes his followers to put away anxiety and preoccupation with material things and instead to seek first the things of God - his kingdom and righteousness. Anxiety robs the heart of trust in the mercy and goodness of God and in his loving care for us. God knows our needs even before we ask and he gives generously to those who trust in him. Who is your master - God or mammon?
Jesus taught his disciples to pray with confidence to their heavenly Father: Give us this day our daily bread. What is bread, but the very staple of life and symbol of all that we need to live and grow. Anxiety is neither helpful nor necessary. It robs us of faith and confidence in God’s help and it saps our energy for doing good. Jesus admonishes his followers to put away anxiety and preoccupation with material things and instead to seek first the things of God - his kingdom and righteousness. Anxiety robs the heart of trust in the mercy and goodness of God and in his loving care for us. God knows our needs even before we ask and he gives generously to those who trust in him. Who is your master - God or mammon?
"Lord Jesus, free me from needless worries and
help me to put my trust in you. May my first and only concern be for your glory
and your kingdom of peace and righteousness. Help me to live each day and
moment with trust and gratitude for your providential care for me."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The value of life, by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.
"Note the acceleration of images: just when the
lilies are decked out, he no longer calls them lilies but 'grass of the field'
(Matthew 6:30 ). He then points further to their vulnerable condition by saying
'which are here today.' Then he does not merely say 'and not tomorrow' but
rather more callously 'cast into the oven.' These creatures are not merely
'clothed but 'so clothed' in this way as to be later brought to nothing. Do you
see how Jesus everywhere abounds in amplifications and intensifications? And he
does so in order to press his points home. So then he adds, 'Will he not much
more clothe you?' The force of the emphasis is on 'you' to indicate covertly
how great is the value set upon your personal existence and the concern God
shows for you in particular. It is as though he were saying, 'You, to whom he
gave a soul, for whom he fashioned a body, for whose sake he made everything in
creation, for whose sake he sent prophets, and gave the law, and wrought those
innumerable good works, and for whose sake he gave up his only begotten
Son.'" (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF
MATTHEW, HOMILY 22.1)
EIGHTH SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, MATTHEW 6:24-34
(Isaiah 49:14-15; Psalm 62; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, MATTHEW 6:24-34
(Isaiah 49:14-15; Psalm 62; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5)
KEY VERSE: "But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (v 33).
TO KNOW: Before they entered the Promised Land, Joshua set before the people an ultimatum as to whether they would serve the God of Israel or foreign Gods (Josh 24:14-15). So too, Jesus said that a disciple could not serve two masters. They must make a choice. Either they will serve the holy and living God or be a slave to the god of wealth and material possessions (Aramaic, mammon). He told them not to be overly concerned about their physical needs. He used an example from nature. The short-lived birds were fed and cared for by their creator, and the lovely field flowers bloomed one day and withered the next. If God provided for them, would he not all the more give Jesus' disciples what they needed? They must place their trust in their Heavenly Father and devote their energies to acting in an upright, moral way (righteousness). By earnestly seeking God's will, all else would fall into place.
TO LOVE: What is my greatest concern for today? Can I trust God for tomorrow?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to remember all the ways you have cared for me in the past, and remind me to trust you with my future.
Sunday 26 February 2017
Sun 26th. 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Isaiah 49:14-15. Rest in God alone, my soul—Ps 61(62):2-3, 6-9. 1 Corinthians
4:1-5. Matthew 6:24-34.
Readings
It is the Lord who judges me.
Readings
It is the Lord who judges me.
In the reading from Corinthians today Paul
reminds us that we are stewards of God’s message and that a level of trust is
required for this responsibility. Patience is prescribed by Paul in our wait
for our Lord’s return: ‘Do not pronounce judgement before the time, before the
Lord comes, who will bring light to the things now hidden in darkness and will
disclose the purpose of the heart.’
The Gospel from Matthew reminds us to put
God first in our approach to our daily life, not counting the cost, but
trusting that the Lord will provide for our needs: ‘Strive first for the
kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you
as well.’
Jesus telling the Disciples not to worry
about what tomorrow brings and have faith that God will provide.
ST. ALEXANDER
St.
Alexander succeeded St. Achillas as bishop of Alexandria in 313.
Alexander
was a champion of orthodox Catholic teaching.
The
majority of his ministry was dedicated to fighting against the Arian heresy. Arius,
a priest of Alexandria, claimed Jesus was not truly God and that there was a
time when the Son, the second person of the Trinity, did not exist.
The
bishop was gentle with Arius but when Arianism started accumulating a larger
following, Alexander finally excommunicated Arius. The sentence of
excommunication was confirmed in the year 320.
Alexander's
epistle on the Arian heresy has survived and remains an important part of
ecclesiastical literature.
It
is assumed that St. Alexander drew up the acts of the first General Council of
Nicaea in 325, where Arianism was formally condemned.
He
died in Alexandria two years after his return from the council.
St.
Alexander was also famous for his charity to the poor and his doctrine on life.
LECTIO
DIVINA: 8TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Do not worry about tomorrow.
We are more important than birds and lilies
Matthew 6.24-34
We are more important than birds and lilies
Matthew 6.24-34
1. LECTIO
a)
Opening prayer
Holy
Spirit that covers me with your silence and speak without words touch the
heart. Your joy is mine, anxieties and fears while flying away like autumn
leaves to be replaced by another spring. You're the sweetest caress, when I
surrender to the cares of life that loses hope. You're the light that
enlightens me and guide me, to you O Lord. Come Holy Spirit take my hand and
teach me to pray when you can not find the words ispiramele.
b)
Reading of the Gospel: Matthew 6.24-34
Then
Jesus told his disciples: "No man can serve two masters: for either he
will hate the one and love the other, or you and despise the other. You can not
serve God and wealth. Therefore I say unto you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what you will wear life is not
worth perhaps more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds
of the air neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Not much better than they are worth? And which of you, as
you worry, can extend their lives even a little? And the dress, why do you
bother? Observe how the lilies of the field neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell
you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them. Now,
if God so clothe the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will do much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Do
not worry, saying, "What shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we
wear? ". Of all these things go in search of the pagans. Your heavenly
Father knoweth that ye have need. Instead, try, first, the kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. So do not worry
about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its'.
c)
A moment of silent prayer
Because
the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our lives.
2. MEDITATIO
a)
A key to reading
The
track offered us for reflection, taken from the sixth chapter of Matthew's
Gospel, we understand in the context of the discourse gospel of Jesus on the
mountain (Mt 5.1 to 7.12). This discussion includes:
-
The Beatitudes (5:1-12);
-
The six topics that compare or contrast the old with the new law given by Jesus
(5.21 to 48). Certainly the purpose of such arguments is not to oppose the New
Testament to the Old, but to go deeper, the root of the commandments that
govern the external behavior. Jesus came not to abolish but to perfect the law
(5.17 to 20);
-
Jesus' teachings on the three acts of piety: prayer (including the Lord's
Prayer), almsgiving and fasting (6.1 to 18). The literary form is similar to
that used for the six antitheses;
-
The grouping of other courses without a special structure (6.19 to 7.12).
Our
text begins with verse 24, which reiterates the issue of accession to the total
life plan proposed by the teachings of the Master. Joining this project is to
love one master, God, and devote himself to him. "No one can serve two
masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other or one and despise
the other." These poles of hate / love, affection / contempt Deuteronomy
reminds us that seeks to regulate cases of polygamy, where it can happen that
one has "two wives, one beloved and another hated" (cf. Dt 21.15
-17). The Genesis is the first book of Samuel we relate the two cases of Jacob,
Rachel and Leah on the one hand and Elkanah, and Anne Peninnah the other (Gen
29.30-31, 1 Sam 1.2-8). St. Paul also speaks of an undivided heart in the
service of the Lord (1 Cor 7.7 to 34). The Lord does not kill those who submit
themselves! He is Father and is well aware of our needs. Already in the Lord's
Prayer, Jesus invites us to ask the Father to provide us our daily bread
(6.11).
Dedication
to God, then, entails a drop in his father's hands and providential.
Compassionate God who cares for the grass of the field and provides nourishment
to the sparrows also takes care of us, Jesus assures us: "if God so clothe
the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the
fire, not will do more for you ...?" (v. 30). The contrast with the wealth
explains why, in Hebrew and Aramaic, Mammon is used in reference to trust in
material things. The rich young man, in fact, Jesus asks us to indulge with
confidence, leaving their security in tangible property, to freely follow the
Master (Mark 10.17-31; Mt 19.16-30).
Jesus
would have us understand that God alone is worthy of our trust and our
abandonment of the branch. We are here in mind the warnings of Jesus about the
danger of riches, and his coming (cf. Lk 16.19-30; 17.22 to 37, from 18.24 to
27 and parallel texts). The trouble for material things causes us to lose what is
most needed (Luke 10:38-42) and fills us with a trivial concern.
b)
A few questions
To
guide the meditation and practice.
-
What struck you about this book?
-
Join the project of Jesus is to love one master, God, and devote himself to
him. What practical implications does this choice in your life?
-
God is a Father who cares for us. You trust him? How does it manifest that
trust?
-
Perhaps not the life more than food and the body more than clothing? What is
life for you?
-
What concerns you in life?
3. ORATIO
Moment
of silent prayer
Our
Father ...
4. CONTEMPLATIO
Imagine
that Jesus speaks to you with these words:
Why
are you troubled with your concerns? Let me care of your things and everything
will calm down. I can tell you the truth that if you surrender in me totally
every act of true or blind will affect what you desire, and resolve difficult
situations. Surrendering does not mean smashing, upsetting and despairing but turning
to me all your worry so I can change it into excitement in prayer because I am
always with you. Surrendering means closing the eyes of the soul peacefully,
diverting the mind from the tribulation and getting back to me because only me
can protect you like children asleep in his mother's arms. How hard I work when
the soul in its spiritual needs and in those material, so turns to me, looks at
me and say, "I am thinking of you," then close your eyes and
rest!
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