Friday of the Second Week of Lent
Lectionary: 234
Lectionary: 234
Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons,
for he was the child of his old age;
and he had made him a long tunic.
When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons,
they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.
One day, when his brothers had gone
to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem,
Israel said to Joseph,
"Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem.
Get ready; I will send you to them."
So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.
They noticed him from a distance,
and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.
They said to one another: "Here comes that master dreamer!
Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here;
we could say that a wild beast devoured him.
We shall then see what comes of his dreams."
When Reuben heard this,
he tried to save him from their hands, saying,
"We must not take his life.
Instead of shedding blood," he continued,
"just throw him into that cistern there in the desert;
but do not kill him outright."
His purpose was to rescue him from their hands
and return him to his father.
So when Joseph came up to them,
they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;
then they took him and threw him into the cistern,
which was empty and dry.
They then sat down to their meal.
Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,
their camels laden with gum, balm and resin
to be taken down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers:
"What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?
Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,
instead of doing away with him ourselves.
After all, he is our brother, our own flesh."
His brothers agreed.
They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
for he was the child of his old age;
and he had made him a long tunic.
When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons,
they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.
One day, when his brothers had gone
to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem,
Israel said to Joseph,
"Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem.
Get ready; I will send you to them."
So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.
They noticed him from a distance,
and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.
They said to one another: "Here comes that master dreamer!
Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here;
we could say that a wild beast devoured him.
We shall then see what comes of his dreams."
When Reuben heard this,
he tried to save him from their hands, saying,
"We must not take his life.
Instead of shedding blood," he continued,
"just throw him into that cistern there in the desert;
but do not kill him outright."
His purpose was to rescue him from their hands
and return him to his father.
So when Joseph came up to them,
they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;
then they took him and threw him into the cistern,
which was empty and dry.
They then sat down to their meal.
Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,
their camels laden with gum, balm and resin
to be taken down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers:
"What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?
Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,
instead of doing away with him ourselves.
After all, he is our brother, our own flesh."
His brothers agreed.
They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 105:16-17, 18-19,
20-21
R. (5a) Remember
the marvels the Lord has done.
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
They had weighed him down with fetters,
and he was bound with chains,
Till his prediction came to pass
and the word of the LORD proved him true.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
They had weighed him down with fetters,
and he was bound with chains,
Till his prediction came to pass
and the word of the LORD proved him true.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
Verse Before
The Gospel JN 3:16
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son;
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
GospelMT 21:33-43, 45-46
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
AHe will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, ADid you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
AHe will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, ADid you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
Meditation: The stone which the
builders rejected
Do you ever feel cut off or separated from God? Joseph
was violently rejected by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt. His
betrayal and suffering, however, resulted in redemption and reconciliation for
his brothers. "Fear not, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you
meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many
people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Genesis 50:19-20). Joseph
prefigures Jesus who was betrayed by one of his own disciples and put to death
on the cross for our redemption. Jesus came to reconcile us with an all-just
and all-merciful God. His parables point to the mission he came to accomplish -
to bring us the kingdom of God.
Parable of the vineyard
What is the message of the parable of the vineyard? Jesus' story about an absentee landlord and his not-so-good tenants would have made sense to his audience. The hills of Galilee were lined with numerous vineyards, and it was quite common for the owners to let out their estates to tenants. Many did it for the sole purpose of collecting rent.Why did Jesus' story about wicked tenants cause offense to the scribes and Pharisees? It contained both a prophetic message and a warning. Isaiah had spoken of the house of Israel as "the vineyard of the Lord" (Isaiah 5:7). Jesus' listeners would have likely understood this parable as referring to God's dealing with a stubborn and rebellious people.
What is the message of the parable of the vineyard? Jesus' story about an absentee landlord and his not-so-good tenants would have made sense to his audience. The hills of Galilee were lined with numerous vineyards, and it was quite common for the owners to let out their estates to tenants. Many did it for the sole purpose of collecting rent.Why did Jesus' story about wicked tenants cause offense to the scribes and Pharisees? It contained both a prophetic message and a warning. Isaiah had spoken of the house of Israel as "the vineyard of the Lord" (Isaiah 5:7). Jesus' listeners would have likely understood this parable as referring to God's dealing with a stubborn and rebellious people.
This parable speaks to us today as well. It richly
conveys some important truths about God and the way he deals with his people.
First, it tells us of God's generosity and trust. The vineyard is well equipped
with everything the tenants need. The owner went away and left the vineyard in
the hands of the tenants. God, likewise trusts us enough to give us freedom to
run life as we choose. This parable also tells us of God's patience and
justice. Not once, but many times he forgives the tenants their debts. But
while the tenants take advantage of the owner's patience, his judgment and
justice prevail in the end.
Gift of the kingdom
Jesus foretold both his death on the cross and his ultimate triumph. He knew he would be rejected and put to death, but he also knew that would not be the end. After rejection would come glory - the glory of his resurrection from the grave and his ascension to the right hand of the Father in heaven. The Lord blesses his people today with the gift of his kingdom - a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. And he promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him (see John 15:1-11). He entrusts his gifts and grace (unmerited favor and blessing) to each of us and he gives us work to do in his vineyard - the body of Christ in our midst today. He promises that our labor for him will not be in vain if we persevere with faith to the end (see 1 Corinthians 15:58). We can expect trials and even persecution. But in the end we will see triumph. Do you follow and serve the Lord Jesus with joyful hope and confidence in the victory he has won for you and the gift of abundant new life in the Holy Spirit?
Jesus foretold both his death on the cross and his ultimate triumph. He knew he would be rejected and put to death, but he also knew that would not be the end. After rejection would come glory - the glory of his resurrection from the grave and his ascension to the right hand of the Father in heaven. The Lord blesses his people today with the gift of his kingdom - a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. And he promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him (see John 15:1-11). He entrusts his gifts and grace (unmerited favor and blessing) to each of us and he gives us work to do in his vineyard - the body of Christ in our midst today. He promises that our labor for him will not be in vain if we persevere with faith to the end (see 1 Corinthians 15:58). We can expect trials and even persecution. But in the end we will see triumph. Do you follow and serve the Lord Jesus with joyful hope and confidence in the victory he has won for you and the gift of abundant new life in the Holy Spirit?
"Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for all the
benefits which you have given us - for all the pains and insults which you have
borne for us. O most merciful redeemer, friend, and brother, may we know you
more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, for your own
sake." (prayer of St. Richard of Chichester, 13th
century)
A Daily Quote for Lent: Life through death, by Augustine, Bishop
of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Unless the Word of God had first assumed our
mortal flesh He could not have died for us. Only in that way was the immortal
God able to die and to give life to mortal humans. Therefore, by this double
sharing He brought about a wonderful exchange. We made death possible for Him,
and He made life possible for us." (excerpt
from Sermon 218C, 1)
FRIDAY, MARCH
2, MATTHEW 21:33-43, 45-46
Lenten Weekday
(Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a; Psalm 105)
Lenten Weekday
(Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a; Psalm 105)
KEY VERSE: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" (v. 42).
TO KNOW: Jesus used Isaiah's imagery of Israel as a vineyard (Is 5:1-7). In this parable, which becomes an allegory, the owner (God) lovingly cared for his vineyard (Israel), and in his absence he placed the tenants (the religious leaders) in charge. When vintage time came (the messianic age), the owner sent his servants (the prophets) to gather the fruit of the harvest, but the tenants treated them shamefully. Finally, the owner sent his own son (Jesus), but they dragged him "outside the vineyard" (Hb 13:12) and killed him. Because Israel had rejected the one who God had sent, others (the Gentiles) would benefit from God's mercy, and they would be the ones to yield an abundant harvest. We are tenants of God’s vineyard, the world, entrusted with its care. Everything that we have is on loan.
TO LOVE: How am I using the gifts that God gave me? My money? My time? My talents?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to produce good fruit in this Lenten season.
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
World Day of prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women who come together in prayer on the first Friday of March in more than 170 countries and regions of various races, cultures and traditions. Through the World Day of Prayer, women affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence in the world. Women around the world are encouraged:
* to become aware of the whole world and no longer live in isolation
* to be enriched by the faith experience of Christians of other countries and cultures
* to take up the burdens of other people and pray with and for them
* to become aware of their talents and use them in the service of society.
Saint Agnes of Bohemia
Saint of the Day for March 2
(1205 – March 6, 1282)
Saint Agnes of Bohemia’s Story
Agnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving
for all who knew her.
Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of
Bohemia. She was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later.
As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life.
After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and King
Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the
Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was
persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes
preferred the King of Heaven to him.
After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for
the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague.
In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. Saint Clare
sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters
advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess.
Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification.
Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess, nevertheless, the
title she preferred was “senior sister.” Her position did not prevent her from
cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters
found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she
declined her royal brother’s offer to set up an endowment for the monastery.
Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282.
She was canonized in 1989.
Reflection
Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a
life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to
selfishness certainly didn’t vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is
perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns “have it made” regarding
holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our
standards—inclinations to selfishness—for God’s standard of generosity.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
21,33-43.45-46
Lectio Divina:
Friday, March 2, 2018
Season of Lent
1) OPENING PRAYER
God, we do not want to die;
we want to live.
We want to be happy
but without paying the price.
We belong to our times,
when sacrifice and suffering are out of fashion.
God, make our life worth living.
Give us back the age-old realization,
that life means to be born
again and again in pain,
that it may become again
a journey of hope to You,
together with Christ Jesus, our Lord.
we want to live.
We want to be happy
but without paying the price.
We belong to our times,
when sacrifice and suffering are out of fashion.
God, make our life worth living.
Give us back the age-old realization,
that life means to be born
again and again in pain,
that it may become again
a journey of hope to You,
together with Christ Jesus, our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW
21:33-43,45-46
Jesus said to the chief priests and the
elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who
planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a
tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time
drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the
tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third
they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they
said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his
inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him, AHe will put those wretched men to a wretched death and
lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper
times." Jesus said to them, ADid you never read in the Scriptures: The
stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has
this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the
Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will
produce its fruit." When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his
parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were
attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
3) REFLECTION
• The text of today’s Gospel forms part
of a greater whole which includes Mathew 21:23-40. The chief priests and the
elders had asked Jesus by what authority He did those things (Mt 21:23). They
considered themselves the custodians of everything and they did not want
anybody to do things without their permission. Jesus’ answer is divided into
three parts: 1) He, in turn, asks them a question because He wants to
know, in their opinion, if John the Baptist was from heaven or from earth
(Mt 21:24-27); 2) He then tells them the parable of the two sons (Mt
21:28-32); 3) He tells them the parable of the vineyard (Mt 21:33-46),
which is today’s Gospel.
• Matthew 21:33-40: The parable of the
vineyard. Jesus begins as follows: “Listen to another parable: There was a man,
a landowner, who planted a vineyard, he fenced it around, dug a winepress in it
and built a tower.” The parable is a beautiful summary of the history of
Israel, taken from the prophet Isaiah (Is 5:1-7). Jesus addresses Himself to the
chief priests, to the elders (Mt 21:23) and to the Pharisees (Mt 21:45) and He
gives a response to the question which they addressed to Him about the origin
of His authority (Mt 21:23). Through this parable, Jesus clarifies several
things: (a) He reveals the origin of His authority: He is the Son, the heir;
(b) He denounces the abuse of the authority of the tenants, that is of the
priests and elders who were not concerned and did not take care of the people
of God; (c) He defends the authority of the prophets, sent by God, but who were
killed by the priests and the elders; (d) He unmasks the authority by which
they manipulate the religion and kill the Son, because they do not want to lose
the source of income which they have accumulated for themselves throughout the
centuries.
• Matthew 21:41: The sentence which they
give to themselves. At the end of the parable Jesus asks: “Now, when the owner
of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They are not aware
that the parable was speaking precisely of them. This is why, with the response
that they give, they decree their own condemnation: “The chief priests and the
elders of the people answered: ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end
and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him at
the proper time’.” Several times Jesus uses this same method. He leads the
person to tell the truth about himself, without knowing that he is condemning
himself. For example, in the case of the Pharisee who condemns the young woman,
considering her a sinner (Luke 7:42-43), and in the case of the parable of the
two sons (Mt 21:28-32).
• Matthew 21:42-46: The sentence given
by themselves was confirmed by their behavior. From the clarification given by
Jesus, the chief priests, the elders and the Pharisees understand that the
parable is about them, but they do not convert. Rather, they keep to their own
plan to kill Jesus. They will reject “the cornerstone.” But they do not have
the courage to do it openly because they fear the reaction of the people.
• The diverse groups which held the
power at the time of Jesus. In today’s Gospel three groups appear, which, at
that time, governed: the priests, the elders and the Pharisees. Then, some
brief information on the power which each of these groups and others had is
given:
a) The priests: They were the ones in
charge of the worship in the Temple. The people paid the Temple a tithe and
other taxes and offerings. The High Priest occupied a very important
place in the life of the nation, especially after the exile. He was chosen and
appointed from among the three or four aristocratic families who possessed more
power and riches.
b) The elders or the Chief Priests of
the People: They were the local leaders in the different villages of the city.
Their origin came from the heads of the ancient tribes.
c) The Sadducees: they were the lay
aristocratic elite of society who wanted to maintain a priestly caste. Many of
them were rich merchants or landlords. From the religious point of view they
were liberal in their willingness to incorporate Hellenism into their lives.
They did not accept the changes supported by the Pharisees, for example, faith
in the resurrection and the existence of angels.
d) The Pharisees: Pharisee means
“separated.” They believed in the Oral Law handed down from Moses and that
through the perfect observance of the Law of purity, people would succeed in
being pure, separated and holy as the Law and Tradition demanded! Because of
the exemplary witness of their life according to the norms of the time, their
moral authority was widespread in the villages of Galilee.
e) Scribe or doctor of the Law: They
were the ones in charge of teaching. They dedicated their life to the study of
the Law of God and taught people what to do to observe all the Law of God. Not
all the Scribes belonged to the same line. Some were united with the Pharisees,
others with the Sadducees.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Have you sometimes felt that you were
unduly controlled or misunderstood? What was your reaction? Was it the same as
that of Jesus?
• If Jesus returned today and told us
the same parable, would it be as relevant? What would the reaction be from
society and on a personal level?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
As far as heaven is above the
earth,
so strong is the faithful love of the Lord for those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far from us does He put our faults. (Ps 103:11-12)
so strong is the faithful love of the Lord for those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far from us does He put our faults. (Ps 103:11-12)
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