Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 373
Lectionary: 373
The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan,
"I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD."
Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.
Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported,
"Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the temple
and have consigned them to the master workmen
in the temple of the LORD."
The scribe Shaphan also informed the king
that the priest Hilkiah had given him a book,
and then read it aloud to the king.
When the king heard the contents of the book of the law,
he tore his garments and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest,
Ahikam, son of Shaphan,
Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan,
and the king's servant Asaiah:
"Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah,
about the stipulations of this book that has been found,
for the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us,
because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book,
nor fulfill our written obligations."
The king then had all the elders of Judah
and of Jerusalem summoned together before him.
The king went up to the temple of the LORD with all the men of Judah
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
priests, prophets, and all the people, small and great.
He had the entire contents of the book of the covenant
that had been found in the temple of the LORD, read out to them.
Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORD
that they would follow him
and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees
with their whole hearts and souls,
thus reviving the terms of the covenant
which were written in this book.
And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.
"I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD."
Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.
Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported,
"Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the temple
and have consigned them to the master workmen
in the temple of the LORD."
The scribe Shaphan also informed the king
that the priest Hilkiah had given him a book,
and then read it aloud to the king.
When the king heard the contents of the book of the law,
he tore his garments and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest,
Ahikam, son of Shaphan,
Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan,
and the king's servant Asaiah:
"Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah,
about the stipulations of this book that has been found,
for the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us,
because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book,
nor fulfill our written obligations."
The king then had all the elders of Judah
and of Jerusalem summoned together before him.
The king went up to the temple of the LORD with all the men of Judah
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
priests, prophets, and all the people, small and great.
He had the entire contents of the book of the covenant
that had been found in the temple of the LORD, read out to them.
Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORD
that they would follow him
and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees
with their whole hearts and souls,
thus reviving the terms of the covenant
which were written in this book.
And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 119:33, 34, 35, 36,
37, 40
R. (33a) Teach
me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,
that I may exactly observe them.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Incline my heart to your decrees
and not to gain.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain:
by your way give me life.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your justice give me life.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,
that I may exactly observe them.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Incline my heart to your decrees
and not to gain.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain:
by your way give me life.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your justice give me life.
R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.
AlleluiaJN 15:4A, 5B
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord;
whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord;
whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 7:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them."
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them."
Meditation: "You will know them
by their fruits"
What do grapes, thorns, figs, and thistles have to
teach us about the kingdom of God? The imagery used by Jesus would have been
very familiar to his audience. A certain thorn bush had berries which resembled
grapes. And a certain thistle had a flower, which at least from a distance,
resembled the fig. Isn't it the same today? What we "hear" might have
a resemblance of the truth, but, in fact, when you inspect it closely, it's
actually false. False prophets or teachers abound today as much as they did in
biblical times.
A sound mind accepts what is truly good and right and
rejects what is false and wrong
What's the test of a true or false teacher? Jesus connects soundness with good fruit. Something is sound when it is free from defect, decay, or disease and is healthy. Good fruit is the result of sound living - living according to moral truth and upright character. The prophet Isaiah warned against the dangers of falsehood: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20). The fruits of falsehood produce an easy religion which takes the iron out of religion, the cross out of Christianity, and any teaching which eliminates the hard sayings of Jesus, and which push the judgments of God into the background and makes us think lightly of sin.
What's the test of a true or false teacher? Jesus connects soundness with good fruit. Something is sound when it is free from defect, decay, or disease and is healthy. Good fruit is the result of sound living - living according to moral truth and upright character. The prophet Isaiah warned against the dangers of falsehood: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20). The fruits of falsehood produce an easy religion which takes the iron out of religion, the cross out of Christianity, and any teaching which eliminates the hard sayings of Jesus, and which push the judgments of God into the background and makes us think lightly of sin.
How do we avoid falsehood in our personal lives? By
being true - true to God, his word, and his grace. And that takes character!
Those who are true to God know that their strength lies not in themselves but
in God who supplies what we need. The fruit of a disciple is marked by faith,
hope and love, justice, prudence, fortitude and temperance. Do you seek to
cultivate good fruit in your life and reject whatever produces bad fruit?
"Lord Jesus, may I bear good fruit for your sake
and reject whatever will produce evil fruit. Help me grow in faith, hope, love,
sound judgment, justice, courage, and self control."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Beware of false prophets, by John
Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.
"Jesus reminded them of what happened to their
ancestors who were attracted to false prophets. The same dangers are now faced
as those that occurred in earlier days. He reminded them of the experience of
their ancestors so that they would not despair at the multitude of troubles
that would mount up on this way that is narrow and constricted. He reminded
them that it is necessary to walk in a way that goes contrary to the common
opinion. One must guard oneself not only against pigs and dogs but those other,
more elusive creatures: the wolves. They were going to face inward anxieties as
well as outward difficulties, but they are not to despair. 'Therefore do not be
thrown into confusion,' Jesus says in effect, 'for nothing will happen that is
new or strange. Remember that the ancient adversary is forever introducing
deception as if true.'" (excerpt
from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 23.6)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, MATTHEW 7,
15-20
Weekday
(2 Kings 22:8-13, 23:1-3; Psalm 48)
Weekday
(2 Kings 22:8-13, 23:1-3; Psalm 48)
KEY VERSE: "By their fruits you will know them" (v. 16).
TO KNOW: Jesus warned the Christian community to be on guard against false teachers, which he compared to ravenous wolves disguised as innocent sheep. Their teachings might appear to be harmless, but the effect was as destructive as rot in a sound tree. The way that true Christians could be distinguished from false was by looking at the fruit they produced. Did they promote a spirit of conflict and discord or of unity and faith? Paul listed the fruits of the Spirit as being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). Christians who are obedient to Christ and his gospel produced good fruit like that of a healthy tree.
TO LOVE: Which fruit of the Spirit do my labors produce?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, give me discernment in judging the true from the false.
Optional
Memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor of the Church
Cyril was the Patriarch of Alexandria in Egypt from 412 to 444. Cyril was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the late 4th and 5th centuries. He was a central figure in the Council of Ephesus in 431, which led to the deposition of Nestorius as Patriarch of Constantinople, who was preaching that Mary was not the Mother of God since Christ was Divine and not human, and consequently she should not have the word theotokos (God-bearer) applied to her. Cyril also suppressed the Novatians, the fundamentalists of their day, who held high moral standards, but did not offer restoration for sinners. Among Cyril’s writings were treatises on dogmatic theology, an Apologia against Julian the Apostate, and letters and sermons. Cyril is a Greek Father of the Church, and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1882.
NOTE: Because of the Nestorian controversy, the church created a formula to describe Christ's person at the Council of Chalcedon in 433, which declared: "We all with one voice confess our Lord Jesus Christ one and the same Son, at once complete in manhood, truly God and truly man; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, of one substance with us as regards his manhood, like us in all things, apart from sin."
Wednesday 27
June 2018
2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3. Psalm 118(119):33-37, 40. Matthew
7:15-20.
Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord—Psalm 118(119):33-37,
40.
‘Go and consult the Lord on behalf of me and the people.’
A prophet speaks the truth about the present moment. They need a
close knowledge of the reality of the situation at hand and a keen eye to see
what others turn away from. They come with a deep knowledge of the value of
human life.
They have insight into how things are truly going, particularly
for the despised, forgotten and broken.
True prophets speak of unpopular situations, especially where
injustice, cover-up or fear dictate people’s behaviour. Mob mentality can
animate populist reactions to situations and it takes prophets to see the
mechanism at work again in our time.
Saint Cyril of Alexandria
Saint of the Day for June 27
(378 – June 27, 444)
 |
| Statue in Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Sameiro, Braga, Portugal | photo by Joseolgon |
Saint Cyril of Alexandria’s Story
Saints are not born with halos around their heads. Cyril,
recognized as a great teacher of the Church, began his career as archbishop of
Alexandria, Egypt, with impulsive, often violent, actions. He pillaged and
closed the churches of the Novatian heretics—who required those who denied the
faith to be re-baptized—participated in the deposing of Saint John Chrysostom,
and confiscated Jewish property, expelling the Jews from Alexandria in
retaliation for their attacks on Christians.
Cyril’s importance for theology and Church history lies in his
championing the cause of orthodoxy against the heresy of Nestorius, who taught
that in Christ there were two persons, one human and one divine.
The controversy centered around the two natures in Christ.
Nestorius would not agree to the title “God-bearer” for Mary. He preferred
“Christ-bearer,” saying there are two distinct persons in Christ—divine and
human—joined only by a moral union. He said Mary was not the mother of God but
only of the man Christ, whose humanity was only a temple of God. Nestorianism
implied that the humanity of Christ was a mere disguise.
Presiding as the pope’s representative at the Council of Ephesus
in 431, Cyril condemned Nestorianism and proclaimed Mary truly the
“God-bearer”—the mother of the one Person who is truly God and truly human. In
the confusion that followed, Cyril was deposed and imprisoned for three months,
after which he was welcomed back to Alexandria.
Besides needing to soften some of his opposition to those who
had sided with Nestorius, Cyril had difficulties with some of his own allies,
who thought he had gone too far, sacrificing not only language but orthodoxy.
Until his death, his policy of moderation kept his extreme partisans under
control. On his deathbed, despite pressure, he refused to condemn the teacher
of Nestorius.
Reflection
Lives of the saints are valuable not only for the virtue they
reveal but also for the less admirable qualities that also appear. Holiness is
a gift of God to us as human beings. Life is a process. We respond to God’s
gift, but sometimes with a lot of zigzagging. If Cyril had been more patient
and diplomatic, the Nestorian church might not have risen and maintained power
so long. But even saints must grow out of immaturity, narrowness, and
selfishness. It is because they—and we—do grow, that we are truly saints,
persons who live the life of God.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 7:15-20
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
Father,
guide and protector of Your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for Your name,
and keep us always in Your love.
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 and protector of Your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for Your name,
and keep us always in Your love.
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
7:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but
underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people
pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree
bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear
bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear
good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you
will know them."
3) REFLECTION
• We are reaching the final
recommendations of the Sermon on the Mount. Comparing the Gospel of Matthew
with that of Mark, one perceives a great difference in the way in which they
present the teaching of Jesus. Matthew insists more on the content of the
teaching and organizes it into five great discourses, of which the first one is
the Sermon of the Mount (Mt 5 to 7). Mark says over fifteen times that Jesus
taught, but he rarely says what He taught. In spite of this difference, both
agree on a point: Jesus taught very much. To teach was what Jesus did the most
(Mk 2:13; 4:1-2; 6:34). He does it always (Mk 10:1). Matthew is interested in
the content. To teach is not only a way of communicating a truth in such a way
that people learn it. The content is not limited to words, but it is also
composed of gestures and in the way Jesus related Himself with people. The
content is never separated from the person who communicates it. The person, in
fact, is the origin of the content. Good content without intrinsic goodness is
like milk spilled on the ground. It does not convince and conversion does not
take place.
• The final recommendations and the
result of the Sermon on the Mount in the conscience of the people are the
points of the Gospel of today (Mt 7:15-20) and of tomorrow (Mt 7:21-29). (The
sequence of the Gospel of the days of the week are not always the same as that
of the Gospels).
Matthew 7:13-14: Choose the sure way.
Matthew 7:15-20: The prophet is known by the fruits.
Matthew 7:21-23: Not only speak, but act.
Matthew 7:24-27: Construct the house on rock.
Matthew 7:28-29: The new conscience of the people.
Matthew 7:15-20: The prophet is known by the fruits.
Matthew 7:21-23: Not only speak, but act.
Matthew 7:24-27: Construct the house on rock.
Matthew 7:28-29: The new conscience of the people.
• Matthew 7:15-16ª: Beware of false
prophets. In the time of Jesus, there were prophets of all types, people who
announced apocalyptic messages to involve people in different movements of that
time: Essenes, Pharisees, Zealots, and others (cf. Ac 5:36-37). When Matthew
writes there were also prophets who announced messages different from the one
proclaimed by the community. The letters of Paul mention these movements and
tendencies (cf. 1 Co 12:3; Gal 1:7-9; 2:11-14; 6:12). It must not have been
easy for the community to make a discernment of spirits. This marks the
importance of the words of Jesus on false prophets. The warning of Jesus is
very strong: “Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but
underneath are ravenous wolves”. The same image is used when Jesus sends the
disciples on mission: “I am sending you out as sheep among wolves” (Mt 10:16
and Lc 10:3). The opposition between the ravenous wolf and the meek sheep is
irreconcilable, unless the wolf is converted and looses its aggressiveness as
the prophet Isaiah suggests (Is 11:6; 65:25). What is important here in our
text is the gift of discernment. It is not easy to discern spirits. Sometimes
it happens that personal interests or the interests of a group lead one to
proclaim as false those prophets who announce the disturbing truth. That
happened with Jesus. He was eliminated and put to death, considered a false
prophet by the religious authorities of that time. Every so often, the same
thing has happened and continues to happen in Christianity.
In our society today we experience false
prophets in many ways. First, there are the obvious ones who proclaim
ridiculous things in order to have some fame. There are others who use
Christianity for personal gain. Those who get on television, or the Internet,
or in a community and suggest that filling their bank account with money from
the community members is what God wants. There are others who distort the word
of God, or add to it or remove parts, in order to form their own separate
community or beliefs. There are those that claim a personal revelation from God
that is not consistent with Church teaching. Some claim to be God. The list can
go on… Jesus warns us to not be misled. It is a wide road that carries all of
these false prophets and teachers and their followers.
• Matthew 7:16b-20: The comparison of
the tree and of its fruits. To help to discern spirits, Jesus uses the
comparison of fruit: “You will be able to tell them by their fruits”. A similar
criteria had been suggested in the book of Deuteronomy (Dt 18:21-22). Jesus
adds: “Can you pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way
a sound tree produces good fruit, but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree
cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does
not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. In the Gospel of
John, Jesus completes the comparison: “Every branch in me that bears no fruit,
he cuts away. Every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes to make it bear even
more. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, unless it remains part of
the vine, neither can you unless you remain in Me. Those branches will be cut
off and thrown into the fire to be burnt” (Jn 15:2,4,6).
Some preach that believing in God will
make you wealthy and give you the easy life. This is not Jesus’ message. When
the person saying this has used the charity of the community and the people to
build a huge mansion for themselves and very little goes to the poor, this is
contrary to Jesus’ teaching. This is a lack of the fruit of good works that
Jesus talks about, so it is easy to discern if one looks. This form of teaching
does not produce good works. The same applies to those who preach violence,
retribution, and even death for others. This is not consistent with Jesus’
teaching. He does not advocate killing, nor does He ever suggest “getting
even”. In fact, He teaches the opposite, no matter what the offense. This is
another fruit that can be used to discern the truth.
A false prophet does not even have to
claim to be a prophet. The culture of death through abortion is one example.
The fruit of abortion is innocent death. It is even possible that those
teaching the truth are labeled as false teachers by others. We can see this in
the arguments among some in the Church and with various ecclesial communities.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Do you know any case in which a good
and honest person who proclaimed a truth was condemned as a false
prophet?
• How do the fruits of your actions
reveal yourself to others?
• Can we use the same criteria, fruits
or results, to discern the truth from the collective efforts of groups as well?
Are there groups within Christianity or the Church that are so closed in on
themselves that they produce little good fruit? Are there groups in
Christianity or the Church that end up distorting truth or doctrine in their
zeal or confusion? Can you identify some?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Yahweh, look at my suffering and rescue
me,
for I do not forget Your Law.
Plead my cause and defend me;
as You promised, give me life. (Ps 119:153-154)
for I do not forget Your Law.
Plead my cause and defend me;
as You promised, give me life. (Ps 119:153-154)
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