Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and
Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 454
Lectionary: 454
I, Zechariah, raised my eyes and looked:
there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I asked, "Where are you going?"
He answered, "To measure Jerusalem,
to see how great is its width and how great its length."
Then the angel who spoke with me advanced,
and another angel came out to meet him and said to him,
"Run, tell this to that young man:
People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country,
because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst.
But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD,
and I will be the glory in her midst."
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you.
there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I asked, "Where are you going?"
He answered, "To measure Jerusalem,
to see how great is its width and how great its length."
Then the angel who spoke with me advanced,
and another angel came out to meet him and said to him,
"Run, tell this to that young man:
People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country,
because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst.
But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD,
and I will be the glory in her midst."
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you.
Responsorial
PsalmJEREMIAH 31:10, 11-12AB,
13
R. (see 10d) The Lord
will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd guards his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD's blessings.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd guards his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD's blessings.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
AlleluiaSEE 2 TM 1:10
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 9:43B-45
While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men."
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men."
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Meditation: "They were astonished at
the majesty of God"
Do you know the majesty of God? When we ascribe
majesty to someone or something we acknowledge greatness in that person or
thing and voice our respect for it. The miracles of Jesus revealed the awesome
power and majesty of God and his favor and blessing (grace) - especially
towards the lowly and humble of heart.
God's way to victory and glory is through the cross
But with the miracles Jesus also gave a prophetic warning: There can be no share in God's glory without the cross. Jesus prophesied concerning his own betrayal and crucifixion - but it did not make any sense to the disciples because it did not fit their understanding of the Messiah who was supposed to come and free his people from tyranny and oppression. Little did they know that the way to victory over sin and death would be through the cross and resurrection of Christ.
But with the miracles Jesus also gave a prophetic warning: There can be no share in God's glory without the cross. Jesus prophesied concerning his own betrayal and crucifixion - but it did not make any sense to the disciples because it did not fit their understanding of the Messiah who was supposed to come and free his people from tyranny and oppression. Little did they know that the way to victory over sin and death would be through the cross and resurrection of Christ.
Our fear of suffering betrays our lack of hope in
Christ's victory
When the disciples heard Jesus' prediction of suffering and betrayal they were afraid to ask further questions. Like a person who might receive bad news from the doctor about some tumor or disease that could destroy them and then refuse to ask any further questions, the disciples of Jesus didn't want to know any more about the consequences of possible suffering, defeat, and death on a cross. They couldn't understand how the cross could bring victory and lead to new life and freedom in Christ.
When the disciples heard Jesus' prediction of suffering and betrayal they were afraid to ask further questions. Like a person who might receive bad news from the doctor about some tumor or disease that could destroy them and then refuse to ask any further questions, the disciples of Jesus didn't want to know any more about the consequences of possible suffering, defeat, and death on a cross. They couldn't understand how the cross could bring victory and lead to new life and freedom in Christ.
How often do we reject what we do not wish to see? We
have heard God's word and we know the consequences of accepting it or rejecting
it. But do we give it our full allegiance and mold our lives according to it?
Ask the Lord Jesus to show you his majesty and glory that you may grow in
reverence of him and in godly fear (reverence) of his word.
"Lord Jesus, by your cross you have redeemed the
world and revealed your glory and triumph over sin and death. May I never fail
to see your glory and victory in the cross. Help me to conform my life to your
will and to follow in your way of love and holiness."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The scapegoat foreshadowed Christ's passion,
by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"The mystery of the passion may be seen also in
another instance. According to the Mosaic law, two goats were offered. They
were not different in any way from one another (Leviticus 16:7-8), but they
were alike in size and appearance. Of these, one was called 'the lord,' and the
other was called 'sent-away.' When the lot was cast for the one called 'lord,'
it was sacrificed. The other one was sent away from the sacrifice, and
therefore had the name of 'sent-away.' Who was signified by this? The Word,
though he was God, was in our likeness and took the form of us sinners, as far
as the nature of the flesh was concerned. The male or female goat was
sacrificed for sins. Death was our desert, for we had fallen under the divine
curse because of sin. When the Savior of all undertook the responsibility, he
transferred to himself what was due to us and laid down his life, that we might
be sent away from death and destruction." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 53)
SATURDAY,
SEPTEMBER 30, LUKE 9:43b-45
(Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15a; Jeremiah 31)
(Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15a; Jeremiah 31)
KEY VERSE: "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men" (v 44).
TO KNOW: The people were amazed by the power of God at work in Jesus. In the midst of this adulation, Jesus told his disciples that he was the suffering "Son of Man" (v 44), his most characteristic way of speaking of himself. In saying this, he identified himself with the figure in the book of Daniel, which speaks of one like a 'son of man' coming on the clouds from heaven (Dn 7:13-14). When Jesus used the term, he was referring not only to himself, but also to all those who believed in him. As “the son of man” (Hebrew, ben Adam) Jesus is the new and true son of Adam. Where Adam failed and led the entire human race into captivity to sin and death, Jesus brought life and freedom. Like the people of Israel who opposed the "beast-like" kingdoms of the world, Jesus triumphed over his enemies. In Luke's gospel, this is Jesus' second prediction of his passion (see Lk 9:22), yet his disciples still failed to understand his meaning.
TO LOVE: Do I pay attention to what Jesus is telling me?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be faithful to you in adversity and in victory.
Memorial of Saint Jerome, priest
and doctor of the Church
Born to a rich pagan family, Jerome misspent his youth. After his conversion, he was baptized in 365 and began his study of theology. He lived for years as a hermit in the Syrian deserts. Ordained a priest, he was a student of Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, and secretary to Pope Damasus who commissioned him to revise the Latin text of the Bible, translating most of the Old Testament from the Hebrew. The result of his 30 years of work was the Vulgate translation, which was in common use until the Vatican II Council. He also wrote scriptural commentaries, which are a great source of inspiration for us today. He was an avid student, a thorough scholar, a prodigious letter-writer and a consultant to monk, bishop and pope. Saint Augustine said of him, "What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known." Jerome was a friend and teacher of Saint Paula, Saint Marcella, and Saint Eustochium. He lived his last 34 years in the Holy Land as a semi-recluse.
Saturday 30
September 2017
St Jerome.
Zechariah
2:5-9, 14-15. Jeremiah 31:10-13. Luke 9:43-45.
The Lord
will guard us, like a shepherd guarding his flock — Jeremiah 31:10-13.
We are all
the children of God.
The first reading and the psalm
speak of the saving work of God.
They predict a great Jerusalem, a
golden age of joyfulness and gladness. But Jesus tells a different story—the
Son of Man will be handed over!
Lord, your greatness was in
rejecting the way of popular success. Even when people were full of admiration,
you chose the cross instead. This is how you save us.
You did not come to take away our
troubles but to share them.
In you we see that joy and sorrow
go together and are intertwined.
In you we see that it is through
struggle that we are saved.
Help us, Lord, to struggle
together as family, parish, community, nation and world.
For it is in struggling together,
amidst the joy and sorrow, that we will find that deeper gladness and peace.
ST. JEROME
Saint Jerome, the priest, monk and Doctor of the Church renowned
for his extraordinary depth of learning and translations of the Bible into
Latin in the Vulgate, is celebrated by the Church with his memorial today,
September 30.
Besides
his contributions as a Church Father and patronage of subsequent Catholic
scholarship, Jerome is also regarded as a patron of people with difficult
personalities—owing to the sometimes extreme approach which he took in
articulating his scholarly opinions and the teaching of the Church. He is also
notable for his devotion to the ascetic life, and for his insistence on the
importance of Hebrew scholarship for Christians.
Born
around 340 as Eusebius Hieronymous Sophronius in present-day Croatia, Jerome
received Christian instruction from his father, who sent him to Rome for
instruction in rhetoric and classical literature. His youth was thus dominated
by a struggle between worldly pursuits --which brought him into many types of
temptation-- and the inclination to a life of faith, a feeling evoked by
regular trips to the Roman catacombs with his friends in the city.
Baptized
in 360 by Pope Liberius, Jerome traveled widely among the monastic and
intellectual centers of the newly Christian empire. Upon returning to the city
of his birth, following the end of a local crisis caused by the Arian heresy,
he studied theology in the famous schools of Trier and worked closely with two
other future saints, Chromatius and Heliodorus, who were outstanding teachers of
orthodox theology.
Seeking
a life more akin to the first generation of “desert fathers,” Jerome left the
Adriatic and traveled east to Syria, visiting several Greek cities of civil and
ecclesiastical importance on the way to his real destination: “a wild and stony
desert ... to which, through fear or hell, I had voluntarily condemned myself,
with no other company but scorpions and wild beasts.”
Jerome's
letters vividly chronicle the temptations and trials he endured during several
years as a desert hermit. Nevertheless, after his ordination by the bishop of
Antioch, followed by periods of study in Constantinople and service at Rome to
Pope Damasus I, Jerome opted permanently for a solitary and ascetic life in the
city of Bethlehem from the mid-380s.
Jerome
remained engaged both as an arbitrator and disputant of controversies in the
Church, and served as a spiritual father to a group of nuns who had become his
disciples in Rome. Monks and pilgrims from a wide array of nations and cultures
also found their way to his monastery, where he commented that “as many
different choirs chant the psalms as there are nations.”
Rejecting
pagan literature as a distraction, Jerome undertook to learn Hebrew from a
Christian monk who had converted from Judaism. Somewhat unusually for a
fourth-century Christian priest, he also studied with Jewish rabbis, striving
to maintain the connection between Hebrew language and culture, and the
emerging world of Greek and Latin-speaking Christianity. He became a secretary
of Pope Damasus, who commissioned the Vulgate from him. Prepared by these
ventures, Jerome spent 15 years translating most of the Hebrew Bible into its
authoritative Latin version. His harsh temperament and biting criticisms of his
intellectual opponents made him many enemies in the Church and in Rome and he
was forced to leave the city.
Jerome
went to Bethlehem, established a monastery, and lived the rest of his years in
study, prayer, and ascetcism.
St.
Jerome once said, "I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ:
'Search the Scriptures,' and 'Seek and you shall find.' For if, as Paul says,
Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who does not
know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of
Scriptures is ignorance of Christ."
After
living through both Barbarian invasions of the Roman empire, and a resurgence
of riots sparked by doctrinal disputes in the Church, Jerome died in his
Bethlehem monastery in 420.
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 9,43B-45
Lectio Divina:
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Ordinary
Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
guide us, as you guide creation
according to your law of love.
May we love one another
and come to perfection
in the eternal life prepared for us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
guide us, as you guide creation
according to your law of love.
May we love one another
and come to perfection
in the eternal life prepared for us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 9,43b-45
Everyone was awestruck by the greatness
of God. But while everyone was full of admiration for all he did, he said to
his disciples, ‘For your part, you must have these words constantly in mind:
The Son of man is going to be delivered into the power of men.’
But they did not understand what he said; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
But they did not understand what he said; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today presents the second
announcement of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. The disciples do
not understand the words about the cross, because they are neither capable to
understand a Messiah who becomes the servant of his brothers. They continue to
dream about a glorious Messiah.
• Luke 9, 43b-44: The contrast. “Everyone was full of admiration for all he did”. Jesus said to his disciples “For your part you must have these words constantly in mind: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the power of men”. The contrast is very big. On one side, the vibration and admiration of the people for everything that Jesus said and did. Jesus seems to correspond to all that people dream, believe and expect. On the other side, the affirmation of Jesus that he will be put to death and delivered in the hands of men, that is, the opinion of the authority on Jesus is totally contrary to the opinion of the people.
• Luke 9, 45: The announcement of the Cross. “But they did not understand what he said; for them it was so mysterious, that they did not understand the sense and were afraid to ask questions concerning this argument”. The disciples listened to him but they did not understand the words about the cross. But even in this way, they do not ask for any clarification. They are afraid to show their ignorance!
• The title Son of Man. This name appears quite frequently in the Gospels: 12 times in John, 13 in Mark, 28 in Luke, 30 in Matthew. In all, it appears 83 times in the four Gospels. This is the name which pleased Jesus the most. This title comes from the Old Testament. In the Book of Ezekiel, is indicated the very human condition of the prophet (Ez 3, 1.4.10. 17; 4, 1 etc.). In the Book of Daniel, the same title appears in the apocalyptic vision (Dn 7, 1-28), in which Daniel describes the empires of the Babylonians, of the Medes, of the Persians and of the Greeks. In the vision of the prophet, these four empires have the appearance of “monstrous animals” (cf. Dn 7, 3-8). They are animal empires which are brutal, inhuman, which persecute, dehumanize and kill (Dn 7, 21.25). In the vision of the prophet, after the anti-human kingdoms, the Kingdom of God appears which has the appearance, not of an animal, but rather of a human person, Son of Man. That is, a Kingdom with the appearance of people, a human kingdom, which promotes life, it humanizes (Dn 7, 13-14). In the prophecy of Daniel the Son of Man represents, not an individual, but rather, as he himself says, the “people of the Saints of the Most High” (Dn 7, 27; cf. Dn 7, 18). It is the People of God who do not allow themselves to be dehumanized nor deceived or manipulated by the dominating ideology of the animal empires. The Mission of the Son of Man, that is, of the People of God, consists in realizing the Kingdom of God like a human kingdom. That is, a Kingdom which promotes life, which humanizes persons.
Presenting himself as Son of Man to the disciples, Jesus makes his own this mission which is the mission of all the People of God. It is as if he would say to them and to all of us: “Come with me! This mission is not only mine, but it belongs to all of us! Let us go together to carry out the mission which God has entrusted to us, and thus realize the human and humanizing Kingdom which he dreamt!” And he did this during all his life, especially during the last three years. Pope Leo the Great said: “Jesus was so human, but so human, like only God can be human”. The more human he was, the more divine he was. The more he is “Son of Man” the more he is “Son of God!” Everything which dehumanizes persons draws away from God. That was condemned by God, who has placed the good of the human person above all the laws, above the Sabbath or Saturday (Mk 2, 27). At the moment when he was condemned to death by the religious tribunal of the Synedrium, Jesus assumes this title. When he was asked if he was “the Son of God” (Mk 14, 61), he answered that he is the “Son of Man”: “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty” (Mk 14, 62). Because of this affirmation he was declared, by the authority, guilty deserving death. He himself knew it because he had said: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10, 45).
• Luke 9, 43b-44: The contrast. “Everyone was full of admiration for all he did”. Jesus said to his disciples “For your part you must have these words constantly in mind: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the power of men”. The contrast is very big. On one side, the vibration and admiration of the people for everything that Jesus said and did. Jesus seems to correspond to all that people dream, believe and expect. On the other side, the affirmation of Jesus that he will be put to death and delivered in the hands of men, that is, the opinion of the authority on Jesus is totally contrary to the opinion of the people.
• Luke 9, 45: The announcement of the Cross. “But they did not understand what he said; for them it was so mysterious, that they did not understand the sense and were afraid to ask questions concerning this argument”. The disciples listened to him but they did not understand the words about the cross. But even in this way, they do not ask for any clarification. They are afraid to show their ignorance!
• The title Son of Man. This name appears quite frequently in the Gospels: 12 times in John, 13 in Mark, 28 in Luke, 30 in Matthew. In all, it appears 83 times in the four Gospels. This is the name which pleased Jesus the most. This title comes from the Old Testament. In the Book of Ezekiel, is indicated the very human condition of the prophet (Ez 3, 1.4.10. 17; 4, 1 etc.). In the Book of Daniel, the same title appears in the apocalyptic vision (Dn 7, 1-28), in which Daniel describes the empires of the Babylonians, of the Medes, of the Persians and of the Greeks. In the vision of the prophet, these four empires have the appearance of “monstrous animals” (cf. Dn 7, 3-8). They are animal empires which are brutal, inhuman, which persecute, dehumanize and kill (Dn 7, 21.25). In the vision of the prophet, after the anti-human kingdoms, the Kingdom of God appears which has the appearance, not of an animal, but rather of a human person, Son of Man. That is, a Kingdom with the appearance of people, a human kingdom, which promotes life, it humanizes (Dn 7, 13-14). In the prophecy of Daniel the Son of Man represents, not an individual, but rather, as he himself says, the “people of the Saints of the Most High” (Dn 7, 27; cf. Dn 7, 18). It is the People of God who do not allow themselves to be dehumanized nor deceived or manipulated by the dominating ideology of the animal empires. The Mission of the Son of Man, that is, of the People of God, consists in realizing the Kingdom of God like a human kingdom. That is, a Kingdom which promotes life, which humanizes persons.
Presenting himself as Son of Man to the disciples, Jesus makes his own this mission which is the mission of all the People of God. It is as if he would say to them and to all of us: “Come with me! This mission is not only mine, but it belongs to all of us! Let us go together to carry out the mission which God has entrusted to us, and thus realize the human and humanizing Kingdom which he dreamt!” And he did this during all his life, especially during the last three years. Pope Leo the Great said: “Jesus was so human, but so human, like only God can be human”. The more human he was, the more divine he was. The more he is “Son of Man” the more he is “Son of God!” Everything which dehumanizes persons draws away from God. That was condemned by God, who has placed the good of the human person above all the laws, above the Sabbath or Saturday (Mk 2, 27). At the moment when he was condemned to death by the religious tribunal of the Synedrium, Jesus assumes this title. When he was asked if he was “the Son of God” (Mk 14, 61), he answered that he is the “Son of Man”: “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty” (Mk 14, 62). Because of this affirmation he was declared, by the authority, guilty deserving death. He himself knew it because he had said: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10, 45).
4) Personal questions
• How do you combine in your life,
suffering and faith in God?
• In the time of Jesus there was contrast: people thought and expected or hoped in a certain way; the religious authority thought and expected or hoped in a different way. Today, this same contrast exists.
• In the time of Jesus there was contrast: people thought and expected or hoped in a certain way; the religious authority thought and expected or hoped in a different way. Today, this same contrast exists.
5) Concluding Prayer
For ever, Yahweh,
your word is planted firm in heaven.
Your constancy endures from age to age;
you established the earth and it stands firm. (Ps 119,89-90)
your word is planted firm in heaven.
Your constancy endures from age to age;
you established the earth and it stands firm. (Ps 119,89-90)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét