Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Lectionary: 240
Lectionary: 240
Thus says the LORD:
This is what I commanded my people:
Listen to my voice;
then I will be your God and you shall be my people.
Walk in all the ways that I command you,
so that you may prosper.
But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed.
They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts
and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.
From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day,
I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets.
Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed;
they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers.
When you speak all these words to them,
they will not listen to you either;
when you call to them, they will not answer you.
Say to them:
This is the nation that does not listen
to the voice of the LORD, its God,
or take correction.
Faithfulness has disappeared;
the word itself is banished from their speech.
This is what I commanded my people:
Listen to my voice;
then I will be your God and you shall be my people.
Walk in all the ways that I command you,
so that you may prosper.
But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed.
They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts
and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.
From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day,
I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets.
Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed;
they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers.
When you speak all these words to them,
they will not listen to you either;
when you call to them, they will not answer you.
Say to them:
This is the nation that does not listen
to the voice of the LORD, its God,
or take correction.
Faithfulness has disappeared;
the word itself is banished from their speech.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R. (8) If
today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Verse Before
The GospelJL 2:12-13
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
for I am gracious and merciful.
return to me with your whole heart,
for I am gracious and merciful.
GospelLK 11:14-23
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters."
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters."
Meditation: "God's
kingdom has come upon you"
What
is the best protection which brings lasting security to our lives? Scripture
tells us that true peace and security come to those who trust in God and obey
his word. "Obey my voice and walk in all the way that I command you, that
it may be well with you" (Jeremiah 7:23). The struggle between choosing to
do good or evil, yielding to my will or God's will, God's way or my way, cannot
be won by human strength or will-power alone. Our enemy, the devil, conspires
with the "world" (whatever is opposed to God and his truth and
righteousness) and our "flesh" (whatever inclines us to yield to
hurtful desires and wrongdoing), to draw us away from the peace, joy, and
security which God provides for those who put their trust in him.Peter the Apostles tells us, Our adversary, the devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls (1 Peter 5:8-9). The devil is opposed to God and he seeks to draw us away from God's plan and will for our lives. God offers us grace (his merciful help and strength) and protection (from Satan's lies and deception) if we are willing to obey his word and resist the devil's lies and temptations. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways (Psalm 91:9-11). The Lord offers us the peace and security of his kingdom which lasts forever and which no other power can overcome.
God's kingdom brings healing and freedom from the destructive forces of sin and Satan
Jesus' numerous exorcisms brought freedom to many who were troubled and oppressed by the work of evil spirits. Jesus himself encountered personal opposition and battled with Satan when he was put to the test in the wilderness just before his public ministry (Luke 4:1-13). He overcame the evil one through his obedience to the will of his Father. Some of the Jewish leaders reacted vehemently to Jesus' healings and exorcisms and they opposed him with malicious slander. How could he get the power and authority to release individuals from Satan's power? They assumed that he had to be in league with Satan. They attributed his power to Satan rather than to God.
Jesus answers their charge with two arguments. There were many exorcists among the Jews in Jesus' time. So Jesus retorted by saying that they also incriminate their own kin who cast out demons. If they condemn Jesus they also condemn themselves. In his second argument he asserts that no kingdom divided against itself can survive for long? We have witnessed enough civil wars in our own time to prove the destructive force at work here for the annihilation of whole peoples and their land. If Satan lends his power against his own forces then he is finished. How can a strong person be defeated except by someone who is stronger? Jesus asserted his power and authority to cast out demons as a clear demonstration of the reign of God.
Jesus' reference to the finger of God points back to Moses' confrontation with Pharoah and his magicians who represented Satan and the kingdom of darkness (see Exodus 8:19). Jesus claims to be carrying on the tradition of Moses whose miracles freed the Israelites from bondage by the finger of God. God's power is clearly at work in the exorcisms which Jesus performed and they give evidence that God's kingdom has come.
Is Jesus the Master of your life?
Jesus makes it clear that there are no neutral parties. We are either for Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God or against it. There are two kingdoms in opposition to one another - the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness under the rule of Satan. If we disobey God’s word, we open to door to the power of sin and Satan in our lives. If you want to live in freedom from sin and Satan, then your "house" - your life and possessions (all that you rely upon for livelihood, peace, and security) - must be occupied by Jesus where he is enthroned as Lord and Savior. Is the Lord Jesus the Master of your home, heart, mind, and will?
"O Lord, our God, grant us, we beseech you, patience in troubles, humility in comforts, constancy in temptations, and victory over all our spiritual foes. Grant us sorrow for our sins, thankfulness for your benefits, fear of your judgment, love of your mercies, and mindfulness of your presence; now and for ever." (Prayer by John Cosin)
A Daily Quote for Lent: God's help for our complete conversion, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When we transform our old life and give our spirit a new image, we find it very hard and tiring to turn back from the darkness of earthly passions to the serene calm of the divine light. We must ask God to help us that a complete conversion may be brought about in us." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 6,5)
THURSDAY,
MARCH 23, LUKE 11:14-23
Lenten Weekday
(Jeremiah 7:23-28; Psalm 95)
Lenten Weekday
(Jeremiah 7:23-28; Psalm 95)
KEY VERSE: "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house" (v 17).
TO KNOW: Jesus was accused of casting out devils by the power of "Beelzebul" (Satan, master of demons, or "the lord of flies"). Jesus pointed out the absurdity of this accusation. He asked the crowd whether their own people performed exorcisms in the name of God or in Satan's name. If Satan (meaning “adversary”) used his power to cast out demons, then Satan was working against himself and would eventually be defeated. Jesus was the "one mightier" prophesied by John the Baptist (Lk 3:16). Every word and act of Jesus' ministry was an attack on Satan's stronghold. Like Moses, Jesus power came from the "finger of God" (Ex 8:15). Whoever did not join Jesus in his opposition of evil assisted the adversary in his attempt to destroy God's realm.
TO LOVE: Do I pray for God's power to protect my household from evil?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me this Lent to oppose evil wherever I see it.
Solemnity of Saint Toribio de
Mogrovejo, bishop
Turibio was born in Spain in 1538, to a noble family in the kingdom of Leon. He studied law and became a lawyer and then professor at Salamanca, receiving appointment-despite being a layman-as chief judge of the court of Inquisition at Granada under King Philip II of Spain. The king subsequently appointed him in 1580 to the post of archbishop of Lima, Peru. After receiving ordination and then consecration, he arrived in Peru in 1581 and soon demonstrated a deep zeal to reform the archdiocese and a determination to do all in his power to aid the poor and defend the rights of the Indians who were then suffering severely under Spanish occupation. He founded schools, churches, hospitals, and the first seminary in the New World. To assist his pastoral work among the Indians, he also mastered several Indian dialects. He died in 1606. The 16th century bishop upheld the rights of Peru’s indigenous peoples, and became one of the first canonized saints of the Americas, canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726.
Thursday 23 March
2017
Thu 23rd. St Turibius de
Mongrovejo. Jr 7:23-28; Lk 11:14-23.
‘He who is
not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.’ Luke
11:23
For those who know the Gospels,
this seems a strange thing for Jesus to say – ‘who is not with me is against
me’ – because elsewhere in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew he is reported as
saying the exact opposite: ‘whoever is not against us is for us’. On closer
scrutiny, however, these positive sayings are about people who are trying to do
good by healing others. The negative saying, on the other hand, occurs in the
context of Jesus casting out evil demons that are tearing people apart. Jesus
will have none of that. He comes to gather us together. Lord, I am being torn
apart by doubt and grief. Please gather me up and make me whole.
ST. TURIBIUS DE MOGROVEJO
Catholics in Latin America and throughout the world will celebrate
the life and ministry of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo on March 23. The 16th
century bishop upheld the rights of Peru's indigenous peoples, and became one
of the first canonized saints of the Americas.
Turibius
was born in Spain during 1538, to a noble family in the kingdom of Leon. He
frequently prayed, fasted, and gave to the poor even as a child, and eventually
developed the daily habit of praying the Rosary along with the Little Office of
the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He
went on to study law at the University of Salamanca, and eventually served as a
judge for five years in the territory of Granada. His judicial wisdom and
diligence drew the attention of King Philip II, who wanted Turibius – who was
still a layman – to be consecrated as a missionary archbishop for the Spanish
colony of Peru.
Turibius
became greatly dismayed, protesting to the king and Church authorities that he
was not even a priest and could not possibly accept the charge. In a series of
letters, he pled that he was not personally capable of serving as the
Archbishop of Lima – nor, he reminded them, did canon law permit a layman to
become an archbishop.
Eventually,
however, he had little choice but to comply. He was consecrated as a bishop in
1581, at the age of 43, and immediately left for Lima, Peru.
The
new archbishop undertook to travel throughout the rugged and mountainous
diocese, where he observed many of the worst effects of colonialism – both upon
the enslaved and oppressed natives, and on many of the colonists who seemed to
have lost their souls in the pursuit of wealth.
He
responded with constant prayer and penance, as he traveled throughout his
territory administering the sacraments, teaching the Catholic faith, and
establishing schools, seminaries and hospitals.
To
the indigenous Peruvians, the archbishop was a herald of the Gospel who held
their lives as more precious than their country's supplies of gold and silver.
But to the many colonists whose behavior showed no sign of their Catholic origins,
he was a prophetic scourge – whose efforts to awaken the public conscience
earned him rebukes and opposition.
Turibius
ultimately managed to make three visitations of his diocese, under rugged and
dangerous conditions, which occupied about half of his 25 years as Archbishop
of Lima. He united the Peruvian Church at an administrative level by holding
several local councils of its clergy, but was also known to spend days
traveling to reach a single individual with the message of Christ.
The
archbishop became seriously ill in 1606. He sensed that his death was imminent,
and decreed that his possessions should be distributed to the poor. St.
Turibius died on March 23, and his body was found to be incorrupt the next
year. He was declared a saint in 1726, and is now regarded as the patron of
native peoples' rights and Latin American bishops.
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 11:14-23
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Lent Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
Lord our God,
many of us never had it so good
and so we have become smug and self-satisfied,
happy in our own little world.
God, may our ears remain open to your word
and our hearts to you
and to our brothers and sisters.
Do not allow us to forget you,
or to place our trust in ourselves.
Make us restless for you
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
many of us never had it so good
and so we have become smug and self-satisfied,
happy in our own little world.
God, may our ears remain open to your word
and our hearts to you
and to our brothers and sisters.
Do not allow us to forget you,
or to place our trust in ourselves.
Make us restless for you
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING - LUKE 11,
14-23
He was driving out a devil and it was
dumb; and it happened that when the devil had gone out the dumb man spoke, and
the people were amazed. But some of them said, 'It is through Beelzebul, the
prince of devils, that he drives devils out.'
Others asked him, as a test, for a sign
from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, 'Any kingdom
which is divided against itself is heading for ruin, and house collapses
against house. So, too, with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can
his kingdom last? - since you claim that it is through Beelzebul that I drive
devils out. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out, through
whom do your own sons drive them out? They shall be your judges, then. But if
it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the kingdom of
God has indeed caught you unawares. So long as a strong man fully armed guards
his own home, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than himself
attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied
on and shares out his spoil.
'Anyone who is not with me is against
me; and anyone who does not gather in with me throws away.
3) REFLECTION
• Today’s Gospel is that of Luke. We
already meditated on the parallel text of Mark (Mk 3, 22-27) during January.
• Luke 11, 14-16: The diverse
reactions before the expulsion of a devil. Jesus had expelled a devil
which was dumb. The expulsion produced two different reactions. On the one
side, the crowd of persons who remain astonished and surprised. The people
accept Jesus and believe in him. On the other side, those who do not accept
Jesus and do not believe in him. Among the latter, some said that Jesus cast
out the devils in the name of Beelzebul, the prince of devils, and others
wanted a sign from heaven. Mark says that it was a question of the Scribes who
had come from Jerusalem (Mk 3,22), who were not in agreement with the liberty
of Jesus. They wanted to defend the Tradition against the novelty of Jesus.
• Luke 11, 17-22: Jesus’ answer is
divided into three parts:
1st part: Comparison
with a divided kingdom. (vv.
17-18a) Jesus denounces the absurdity of the calumny of the Scribes. To say
that he casts out the devils with the help of the prince of the devils means to
deny the evidence. It is the same thing as saying that water is dry, and that
the sun is darkness. The Doctors of Jerusalem slandered against him because
they did not know how to explain the benefits which Jesus fulfilled for the
people. They were afraid to lose their leadership. They felt threatened in
their authority before the people.
2nd part: through whom
do your own sons drive them out? (
vv. 18b-20) Jesus provokes the accusers and asks: “”But if it is
through Beelzebul that I drive out devils, in whose name do your disciples
drive them out?” Let them respond and explain themselves! “If I drive out the
devil through the finger of God, then the Kingdom of God has indeed caught you
unawares”.
3rd part: when someone
stronger than himself attacks and defeats him, the stronger one takes away all
weapons. (vv. 21-22) Jesus compares the devil to
a strong man. Nobody, except a stronger person, can rob in the house of a
strong man: Jesus is the strongest. This is why he succeeds to enter into the
house and to get hold of the strong man. He succeeds in driving out the devils.
Jesus seizes the strong man and now robs in his house, that is, he liberates
the persons who were under the power of evil. The Prophet Isaiah had used the
same comparison to describe the coming of the Messiah (Is 49, 24-25). This is
why Luke says that the expulsion of the devil is an evident sign that the
Kingdom of God has arrived.
• Luke 11, 23: Anyone who is not
with me is against me. Jesus ends his response with this phrase:
“Anyone who is not with me is against me. And anyone who does not gather in
with me throws away”. On another occasion, also regarding the expulsion of a
devil, the disciples prevented a man to use the name of Jesus to drive out the
devil because he was not one of their group. Jesus answered: “You must not stop
him: anyone who is not against you is for you!”. (Lk 9, 50). These two phrases
seem to be contradictory, but they are not. The phrase in today’s Gospel is
said against the enemies who have a preconception against Jesus: “Anyone who is
not with me is against me. And anyone who does not gather in with me throws
away”. The preconception and the lack of acceptance make dialogue impossible
and break the union. The other phrase is said for the disciples who thought
they had the monopoly on Jesus. “Anyone who is not against you is for you!”
Many persons who are not Christians practice love, goodness, justice, many
times in a much better way than Christians. We cannot exclude them. They are
brothers and workers in the construction of the Kingdom. We Christians are not
the owners of Jesus. On the contrary: Jesus is our Lord!
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• “Anyone who is not with me, is against
me. And anyone who does not gather in with me, throws away”. How does this take
place in my life?
• “Do not stop him, because anyone who
is not against you is for you!” How does this take place in my life?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Come, let us cry out with joy to Yahweh,
acclaim the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving,
acclaim him with music. (Ps 95-1-2)
acclaim the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving,
acclaim him with music. (Ps 95-1-2)
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