Thursday of the Tenth
Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 362
Lectionary: 362
Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink,
for there is the sound of a heavy rain."
So Ahab went up to eat and drink,
while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel,
crouched down to the earth,
and put his head between his knees.
"Climb up and look out to sea," he directed his servant,
who went up and looked, but reported, "There is nothing."
Seven times he said, "Go, look again!"
And the seventh time the youth reported,
"There is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising from the sea."
Elijah said, "Go and say to Ahab,
'Harness up and leave the mountain before the rain stops you.'"
In a trice the sky grew dark with clouds and wind,
and a heavy rain fell.
Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel.
But the hand of the LORD was on Elijah,
who girded up his clothing and ran before Ahab
as far as the approaches to Jezreel.
for there is the sound of a heavy rain."
So Ahab went up to eat and drink,
while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel,
crouched down to the earth,
and put his head between his knees.
"Climb up and look out to sea," he directed his servant,
who went up and looked, but reported, "There is nothing."
Seven times he said, "Go, look again!"
And the seventh time the youth reported,
"There is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising from the sea."
Elijah said, "Go and say to Ahab,
'Harness up and leave the mountain before the rain stops you.'"
In a trice the sky grew dark with clouds and wind,
and a heavy rain fell.
Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel.
But the hand of the LORD was on Elijah,
who girded up his clothing and ran before Ahab
as far as the approaches to Jezreel.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 65:10, 11, 12-13
R. (2a) It is
right to praise you in Zion, O God.
You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
Thus have you prepared the land:
drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
Thus have you prepared the land:
drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
AlleluiaJN 13:34
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."
"I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."
Meditation: Be reconciled to your brother
Are you ever driven by anger, rage, or revenge? The
first person to hate his brother was Cain, the son of Adam and Eve. God warned
Cain: Why are you angry? ..Sin is couching at the door; it's desire is
for you, but you must master it (Genesis 4:6-7). Sin doesn't just
happen to us - it first grows as a tiny seed in our heart. Unless it is
uprooted by God's grace, it grows like a weed and chokes the vine and all its
fruit.
Forbidden anger must be uprooted from our heart
Jesus addressed the issue of keeping the commandments with his disciples. The scribes and Pharisees equated righteousness with satisfying the outward observance of the law. Jesus showed them how short they had come. Jesus points to the heart as the seat of desire and choice. Unless evil and forbidden desires are eradicated, the heart will be corrupted. Jesus points to forbidden anger with one's brother. This is a selfish anger that broods and is long-lived, that nurses a grudge and keeps wrath warm, and that refuses to die. Harboring anger in the heart as well as anger in speech and action are equally forbidden by God.
Jesus addressed the issue of keeping the commandments with his disciples. The scribes and Pharisees equated righteousness with satisfying the outward observance of the law. Jesus showed them how short they had come. Jesus points to the heart as the seat of desire and choice. Unless evil and forbidden desires are eradicated, the heart will be corrupted. Jesus points to forbidden anger with one's brother. This is a selfish anger that broods and is long-lived, that nurses a grudge and keeps wrath warm, and that refuses to die. Harboring anger in the heart as well as anger in speech and action are equally forbidden by God.
God's love and truth sets us free from anger and
malice
What is the antidote to anger and rage? Mercy, kindness, and forbearance spring from a heart full of love and forgiveness. God has forgiven us and he calls us to extend mercy and forgiveness towards those who cause us grief and harm. In the cross of Jesus we see the supreme example of love and forgiveness and the power of goodness for overcoming evil. Only God's love and grace can set our hearts and minds free from the tyranny of wounded pride and spiteful revenge.
What is the antidote to anger and rage? Mercy, kindness, and forbearance spring from a heart full of love and forgiveness. God has forgiven us and he calls us to extend mercy and forgiveness towards those who cause us grief and harm. In the cross of Jesus we see the supreme example of love and forgiveness and the power of goodness for overcoming evil. Only God's love and grace can set our hearts and minds free from the tyranny of wounded pride and spiteful revenge.
Do you harbor any anger towards another person? And
are you quick to be reconciled when a rupture has been caused in your
relationships? Ask God to set you free and to fill your heart and mind with his
love and goodness. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "God's love has been
poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us"
(Romans 5:5). Through the grace and help of the Holy Spirit we can overcome
malice with good, hatred with kindness, and injury with pardon.
"May I be no man's enemy, and may I be the friend
of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me:
and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only
that which is good. May I wish for all men's happiness and envy none. May I
never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or
said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always
rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or
my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I
never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be
able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself.
May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be
gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never
discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and
follow in their footsteps." (Prayer
of Eusebius, 3rd century)
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Taming the Tongue, by Augustine of
Hippo (354-430 AD)
"What are we to do? Whoever says, 'You
fool!' hall be liable to the hell of fire. But no human being can
tame the tongue. Will everyone therefore go to the hell of fire? By no
means. Lord, you have become our refuge from generation to generation (Psalm
90:1). Your wrath is just. You send no one to hell unjustly. Where
shall I go from your spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence (Psalm
139:7), unless to you? Thus let us understand, my dearly beloved, that if no
human being can tame the tongue, we must take refuge in God, who will tame it.
Does your own human nature prevent you from taming your tongue? No
human being can tame the tongue (James 3:8). Consider this analogy
from the animals that we tame. A horse does not tame itself; a camel does not
tame itself; an elephant does not tame itself; a snake does not tame itself; a
lion does not tame itself. So too a man does not tame himself. In order to tame
a horse, an ox, a camel, an elephant, a lion and a snake, a human being is
required. Therefore God should be required in order for a human being to be
tamed. (excerpt from Sermon 55:2)
THURSDAY, JUNE 14, MATTHEW 5:20-26
Weekday
(1 Kings 18:41-46; Psalm 65)
Weekday
(1 Kings 18:41-46; Psalm 65)
KEY VERSE: "Leave your gift at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (v. 24).
TO KNOW: Jesus told his disciples that their holiness must surpass that of the religious leaders who outwardly observed the minute details of the law but inwardly were not submitted to God's will. As their teacher, Jesus' authority was greater than that of Moses. Jesus deepened the literal meaning of the Law of Moses. He condemned the act of murder, but also the anger that brought about the deed. He said that anger was a serious transgression when it bore malice toward another. It also was an offense against God, in whose image we are created. Anyone who offended another person must first go and be reconciled with that individual before coming to worship God. Without this willingness to change one's heart, punishment, rather than salvation, would be the consequence.
TO LOVE: Think about how my words and actions might have offended someone else.
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to seek reconciliation with my brothers and sisters.
FLAG DAY (USA)
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes pattern for the national flag. This was almost a year after the Declaration of Independence and more than a decade before the U.S. Constitution was finalized. Flag Day was first celebrated in 1877, the centennial of the U.S. flag's existence. After that many citizens and organizations advocated the adoption of a national day of commemoration for the U.S. Flag. It was not until 1949, that President Harry Truman signed legislation making Flag Day a day of national observance.
Thursday 14 June
2018
1
Kings 18:41-46. Psalm 64(65):10-13. Matthew 5:20-26.
It
is right to praise you in Zion, O God—Psalm 64(65):10-13.
‘The
hand of the Lord had come on Elijah.’
Matthew
has Jesus ‘lifting the bar.’ Jesus tells those listening that their virtue
needs to go much deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees. Under the Old
Law, ‘You must not kill’ was the benchmark, but Jesus expects much more from
his followers.
It
is no good for us to make offerings before the altar while there is unresolved
anger in our hearts. We need to seek reconciliation in all our relationships.
Our
challenge is to become peacemakers. Unresolved anger in us creates blockages in
our relationship with our Creator God. Lord, we pray for the grace to help us
resolve any anger in our heart.
Saint
Albert Chmielowski
Saint
of the Day for June 14
(August
20, 1845 – December 25, 1916)
 |
| Opuszczona plebania | Painting by Albert Chmielowski |
Saint
Albert Chmielowski’s Story
Born
in Igolomia near Kraków as the eldest of four children in a wealthy family, he
was christened Adam. During the 1864 revolt against Czar Alexander III, Adam’s
wounds forced the amputation of his left leg.
His
great talent for painting led to studies in Warsaw, Munich, and Paris. Adam
returned to Kraków and became a Secular Franciscan. In 1888, when he founded
the Brothers of the Third Order of Saint Francis, Servants to the Poor, he took
the name Albert. They worked primarily with the homeless, depending completely
on alms while serving the needy regardless of age, religion, or politics. A
community of Albertine sisters was established later.
Pope
John Paul II beatified Albert in 1983, and canonized him six years later.
His Liturgical Feast Day is June 17.
Reflection
Reflecting
on his own priestly vocation, Pope John Paul II wrote in 1996 that Brother
Albert had played a role in its formation “because I found in him a real
spiritual support and example in leaving behind the world of art, literature,
and the theater, and in making the radical choice of a vocation to the
priesthood” (Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly
Ordination). As a young priest, Karol Wojtyla repaid his debt of gratitude
by writing The Brother of Our God, a play about Brother Albert’s
life.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 5:20-26
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
God of wisdom and love,
source of all good,
send Your Spirit to teach us Your truth
and guide our actions
in Your way of peace.
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.
source of all good,
send Your Spirit to teach us Your truth
and guide our actions
in Your way of peace.
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 - MATTHEW
5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples: "I
tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. "You have heard
that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will
be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will
be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be
answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to
fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall
that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your
gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will
hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to
you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."
3) REFLECTION
• The text of today’s Gospel is placed
in a lager unity: Mt 5:20 to Mt 5:48. In this Matthew shows us how Jesus
interpreted and explained the Law of God. Five times He repeats the phrase, “You
have heard how it was said to our ancestors, but I say to you!” (Mt
5:21,27,33,38,43). According to some Pharisees, Jesus was eliminating the law.
But it was exactly the contrary. He said, “Do not imagine that I have
come to abolish the Law and the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to
complete them” (Mt 5:17). Before the Law of Moses, Jesus has an
attitude of rupture and of continuity. He
breaks away from the mistaken interpretation which was closed up in the prison
of the letter, but He affirms categorically the last objective of the law: to
attain the greatest justice, which is Love.
Jesus tells us the same thing every
parent knows. If a child is running toward the street full of busy cars, it
isn’t just a problem when he gets into the road! The parent does not even want
the child to go in that direction! While sin and separation from God may have
clear lines in the commandments, it is better to not run in that direction in
the first place. The Pharisees were more intent on drawing a line at the edge
of the road than in helping others to stay away from the traffic.
• In the communities for which Matthew
writes his Gospel there were diverse opinions concerning the Law of Moses. For
some, it no longer had any sense, for others it should be observed even up to
the minimum details. Because of this there were many conflicts and disputes.
Some said of the others that they were stupid and idiotic. Matthew
tries to help both groups to understand the true meaning of the Law and
presents some counsels of Jesus to help them face and overcome the conflicts
which arose within the families and the communities.
• Matthew 5:20: Your justice
should surpass that of the Pharisees. This first verse gives the
general key to everything which follows in Mt 5:20-48. The Evangelist indicates
to the communities how they should practice a greater justice which surpasses
the justice of the scribes and the pharisees and which leads to the full
observance of the law. Then, after this general key to a greater justice,
Matthew quotes five very concrete examples of how to practice the Law, in such
a way that its observance leads to the perfect practice of love. In the first
example of today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals what God wanted in giving Moses the
fifth commandment, “Do not kill!”
• Matthew 5:21-22: Do not kill.
“You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, you shall not kill and if
anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court."(Ex. 20:13).
To observe fully this fifth commandment it is not sufficient to avoid
murdering. It is necessary to uproot from within oneself everything which in
one way or other can lead to murder, for example, anger, hatred, the desire of
vengeance, exploitation, etc. “anyone who is angry with his brother will
answer for it before the court”. That is, anyone who is angry against
the brother merits or deserves the same punishment of condemnation by the court which,
according to the ancient law, was reserved to the murderer! But Jesus goes
beyond all this. He wants to uproot the origin of murder: “Anyone who
calls a brother ‘Fool’ will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who
calls him ‘Traitor’ will answer for it in hell fire.” In other words,
I truly observe the commandment not to kill if I succeed in taking away from my
heart any sentiment of anger which leads to insult a brother. That is, if I
attain the perfection of love.
This is also the basis for an
understanding of vice versus virtue. For Jesus, it isn’t enough to just avoid
vice, but to work to attain the corresponding virtue. If one defines murder as
only killing the body, but hurting the person is acceptable, then one can never
get to the point of love. This is where Jesus is moving His followers and the
community. Many of Jesus’ parables are like this, such as the Good Samaritan.
It is not enough to pass by and ignore a brother. Love requires the opposite.
He begins to recast the Commandments from Laws that can be distorted, as do the
Pharisees, into a way to live in love.
• Matthew 5:23-24: The perfect
worship wanted by God. “If you are bringing your offering to the altar and
there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your
offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first,
and then come back sand present your offering.” In order to be
accepted by God, and be united to Him, it is necessary to be reconciled with
the brother and with the sister. Before the destruction of the Temple, in the
year 70, when the Christians still participated in the pilgrimages to Jerusalem
to take their offering to the altar of the Temple, they always remembered this
statement of Jesus. Now in the years 80’s, the time in which Matthew
writes, the Temple and the Altar no longer existed. The community itself had
become the Temple and the Altar of God (1Cor 3:16). In the light of the Lord’s
Prayer: “give us this day” and “as we forgive”, there is now a mandate for
reconciling with another daily for Christians, rather than just before a trip
to the altar.
• Matthew 5:25-26: To be reconciled. One
of the points on which the Gospel of Matthew most insists on is reconciliation,
because in the communities of that time there were many tensions among the
groups which had different tendencies, without any dialogue. Nobody wanted to
give in or cede before the other. Matthew enlightens this situation with the
words of Jesus on reconciliation which demand acceptance and understanding.
Because the only sin which God does not forgive is our lack of forgiveness of
others (Mt 6:14). For this reason, he writes of reconciliation first, before it
is too late.
• The ideal of greatest justice. Five times, Jesus quotes a commandment or a usage of
the ancient law: Do not kill. (Mt 5:21), Do not commit adultery (Mt 5:27), Do
not bear false witness (Mt 5:33), Eye for eye, tooth for tooth (5:38), To love
neighbor and to hate the enemy (Mt 5:43). And five times He criticizes the
ancient way of observing these commandments and He indicates a new way to
attain justice, the objective of the law (Mt 5:22-26; 5:28-32; 5:34-37;
5:39-42; 5:44-48). The word Justice is present seven times
in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 3:15; 5:6,10,20; 6:1.33; 21:32). The religious
ideal of the Jews of that time was “to be just before God.” The Pharisees
taught that a person attains justice before God when he/she observes all the
norms of the Law in all its details. This teaching resulted in a legalistic
oppression and produced much anguish in people of good will, because it was
very difficult for a person to be able to observe all the norms (Rm 7:21-24).
This is why Matthew takes some words of Jesus on justice, showing that this
leads a person to surpass the justice of the Pharisees (Mt 5:20). For Jesus,
justice does not come from what I do for God observing the law, but from what
God does for me, accepting me with love, like a son, like a daughter. The new
ideal that Jesus proposes is this: "To be perfect as
the Heavenly Father is perfect!” (Mt 5:48). That means that I will be
just before God, if I try to accept and to forgive people as God accepts and
forgives me gratuitously in spite of my many defects and sins.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• What are the more frequent conflicts
in my family and in our community? How would they end if they were recast in
the way that Jesus presents here?
• Rewrite each Commandment, moving away
from it’s extreme interpretation and into the way Jesus does here, then
rephrase them into a positive way. Do you see that each becomes an example of
love?
• How can Jesus’ advice help me to
improve relationships in the sphere of our family and of the community,
especially when recast in a positive way of love?
FOR FURTHER STUDY
The Catechism explains the Virtues as
Theological Virtues and Cardinal Virtues, as well as their opposites as Vices.
Many saints, such as St. Francis de Sales and St Ignatius of Loyola give
guidance on living in virtue and avoiding vice. Take time today to look at some
of these writings and see how Jesus’ new way of looking at the Law guides
us "To be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect!” (Mt
5:48).
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord, You visit the earth and make it fruitful,
You fill it with riches;
the river of God brims over with water,
You provide the grain. (Ps 65:9)
You fill it with riches;
the river of God brims over with water,
You provide the grain. (Ps 65:9)
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