Friday of the Fourteenth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 387
Lectionary: 387
Thus says the LORD:
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.”
I will heal their defection, says the LORD,
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
“I am like a verdant cypress tree”—
because of me you bear fruit!
Let him who is wise understand these things;
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.”
I will heal their defection, says the LORD,
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
“I am like a verdant cypress tree”—
because of me you bear fruit!
Let him who is wise understand these things;
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-13, 14
AND 17
R. (17b) My
mouth will declare your praise.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Behold, you are pleased with sincerity of heart,
and in my inmost being you teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Behold, you are pleased with sincerity of heart,
and in my inmost being you teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
AlleluiaJN 16:13A; 14:26D
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you to all truth
and remind you of all I told you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you to all truth
and remind you of all I told you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 10:16-23
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves;
so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.
But beware of men,
for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.
Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes.”
“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves;
so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.
But beware of men,
for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.
Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes.”
Meditation: Sheep in the midst of wolves - wise and
innocent
What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must
be sheep in the midst of wolves (Matthew
10:16)? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time
when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25).
This Old Testament prophecy certainly refers to the second coming of Christ
when all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put down his
enemies and established the reign of God over the heavens and the earth
(Ephesians 1:10 and Revelation 11:15). In the meantime, the disciples must
expect opposition and persecution from those who oppose the Gospel and the
coming of God's kingdom.
The readiness to serve and face hardship for Christ
and his kingdom
Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they chose to follow him. Here Jesus says to his disciples: This is my task for you at its grimmest and worst - do you accept it? This is not the world's way of recruitment for service and toil with promise of honor and reward. After the British defeat at Dunkirk (June 1940), Churchill offered his country blood, toil, sweat, and tears.
Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they chose to follow him. Here Jesus says to his disciples: This is my task for you at its grimmest and worst - do you accept it? This is not the world's way of recruitment for service and toil with promise of honor and reward. After the British defeat at Dunkirk (June 1940), Churchill offered his country blood, toil, sweat, and tears.
This is not the message we prefer to hear when the
Lord Jesus commissions us in his service for the advancement of God's kingdom
and the battle against Satan's kingdom of darkness and death. Nonetheless, our
privilege is to follow in the footsteps of the Lord and Master who willingly
laid down his life for us in order to bring us victory over Satan, sin, and
death. Are you willing to accept hardship and suffering in serving the Lord
Jesus Christ?
"Lord Jesus, help me to patiently and joyfully
accept the hardships, adversities, and persecution which come my way in serving
you and your kingdom of love, truth,and goodness. Strengthen my faith and
give me courage that I may not shrink back from doing your will."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Spirit of your heavenly Father speaks
through you in every age, by Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD)
"To be sure, we heard in that reading, 'But when
they deliver you up, do not be anxious how or what you are to speak... for it
is not you who are speaking but the Spirit of your Father who speaks through
you.' And he says in another place: 'Behold, I am with you always, even to the
end of the world' (Matthew 28:20). Does this mean that the people who heard those words
of the Lord would be here until the end of the world? The Lord was referring,
rather, not only to those about to depart from this life but also to the
others, including us and those who would come after us in this life. He saw
everyone in his single body, and the words he spoke, 'I am with you even to the
end of the world,' were heard by them and by us too. And if we did not hear
them then in our knowledge, we heard them in his foreknowledge. Therefore, safe
as sheep among the wolves, let us keep the commandments of him who directs us.
And let us be 'innocent as doves but cautious as snakes' (Matthew 10:16).
Innocent as doves that we may not harm anyone; cautious as snakes that we may
be careful of letting anyone harm us." (excerpt
from the Sermon 44a.2)
FRIDAY, JULY 13, MATTHEW 10:16-23
Weekday
(Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 51)
Weekday
(Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 51)
KEY VERSE: "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves" (v. 16).
TO KNOW: When Jesus sent his twelve apostles to proclaim God's reign, he warned them that they would suffer persecution. His followers would be like innocent sheep among ravenous wolves. While they must be unblemished in their personal conduct, they also must be shrewd in their dealings with those who opposed them. Though the apostles would be arrested and mistreated by both religious and political leaders, they should not be concerned about how they would defend themselves. The Spirit of God would enable them to be faithful witnesses (Greek: martus, by analogy, a martyr). The apostles would face hostility and betrayal even from their own families, but they must not lose confidence. Those who persevered to the end would be saved.
TO LOVE: Do I have the courage to profess my faith despite opposition from others?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to live a life of courageous faithfulness.
Optional Memorial of Saint Henry
King Henry became Duke of Bavaria in 995 upon his father's death, thereby ending his thoughts of becoming a priest Henry ascended to the throne of Germany in 1002, and was crowned King of Pavia on 15 May 1004. Henry's brother rebelled against him, and Henry was forced to defeat him on the battlefield. Henry later forgave his brother, and the two reconciled. Henry was crowned as the Holy Roman Emperor in 1014 by Pope Benedict VIII. His was the last emperor of the Saxon dynasty. Henry worked to establish a stable peace in Europe, and helped to reform the Church while respecting its independence. He founded schools, fostered missions, and established Bamberg as a center for missions to Slavic countries. Henry started the construction of the cathedral at Basel, Switzerland, which took nearly 400 years to complete. Both Henry and his wife Saint Cunegunda were prayerful people, and generous to the poor. By his Christian virtues, Henry proved that a good king is a true gift of heaven.
Friday 13 July
2018
Day of Penance.
Hosea 14:2–10. Psalm 50(51):3–4, 8–9, 12–14, 17. Matthew
10:16–23.
My mouth will declare your praise—Psalm 50(51):3–4, 8–9, 12–14,
17.
‘You are the one in whom orphans find compassion.’
Jesus made it quite clear that following him was not going to be
easy. The disciples must have noticed how Jesus was treated by the scribes and
teachers of their community.
These so-called leaders weren’t moved by his words or actions,
as the crowds who followed him were. Instead they reviled and criticised him
and plotted to kill him.
Jesus promised the disciples that the Spirit would be with them
forever. This is what he tells us as he sends us out each day. He asks us to
reach out to the lost sheep in our lives and communities and to offer healing,
peace and love.
Saint Henry
Saint of the Day for July 13
(May 6, 972 – July 13, 1024)
 |
| Stained glass window of Saint Henry | photo by Lawrence, OP | flicker |
Saint Henry’s Story
As German king and Holy Roman Emperor, Henry was a practical man
of affairs. He was energetic in consolidating his rule. He crushed rebellions
and feuds. On all sides he had to deal with drawn-out disputes so as to protect
his frontiers. This involved him in a number of battles, especially in the
south in Italy; he also helped Pope Benedict VIII quell disturbances in Rome.
Always his ultimate purpose was to establish a stable peace in Europe.
According to eleventh-century custom, Henry took advantage of
his position and appointed as bishops men loyal to him. In his case, however,
he avoided the pitfalls of this practice and actually fostered the reform of
ecclesiastical and monastic life. He was canonized in 1146.
Reflection
All in all, this saint was a man of his times. From our
standpoint, he may have been too quick to do battle and too ready to use power
to accomplish reforms. But granted such limitations, he shows that holiness is
possible in a busy secular life. It is in doing our job that we become saints.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
10,16-23
Lectio Divina:
Friday, July 13, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
through the obedience of Jesus,
your servant and your Son,
you raised a fallen world.
Free us from sin
and bring us the joy that lasts for ever.
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 10,16-23
Jesus said to his disciples: “Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as snakes and yet innocent as doves. 'Be prepared for people to hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as evidence to them and to the gentiles. But when you are handed over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes, because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you.
'Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will come forward against their parents and have them put to death. You will be universally hated on account of my name; but anyone who stands firm to the end will be saved.
If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another. In truth I tell you, you will not have gone the round of the towns of Israel before the Son of man comes.
3) Reflection
• To the community of his disciples, called and gathered together around him and invested with his same authority as collaborators, Jesus entrusts them directives in view of their future mission.
• Matthew 10, 16-19: Danger and trust in God. Jesus introduces this part of his discourse with two metaphors: sheep in the midst of wolves; prudent as serpents, simple as the doves. The first one serves to show the difficult and dangerous context to which the disciples are sent. On the one hand, the dangerous situation is made evident in which the disciples sent on mission will find themselves; on the other the expression “I send you” expresses protection. Also regarding the astuteness of the serpent and the simplicity of the dove Jesus seems to put together two attitudes: trust in God and prolonged and attentive reflection on the way in which we should relate with others.
Jesus, then, following this gives an order that seems, at first sight, filled with mistrust: «beware of men...”, but, in reality, it means to be attentive to possible persecutions, hostility, and denouncement. The expression “will deliver you” does not only refer to the accusation in the tribunal but, above all, it has a theological value: the disciples who is following Jesus can experience the same experience of the Master of “being delivered in the hands of man” (17, 22). The disciples must be strong and resist in order “to give witness”, The fact of being delivered to the tribunal should become a witness for the Jews and for the Pagans, it is the possibility to be able to draw them to the person and the cause of Jesus and, therefore, to the knowledge of the Gospel. This positive implication is important as a result of witnessing: characterized by the credible and fascinating faith.
• Matthew 10, 20: the divine help. So that all this may take place in the mission-witness of the disciples it is essential to have the help that comes from God. That is to say that we should not trust our own security and resources, but the disciples in critical, dangerous and aggressive situations, for their lives found help and solidarity in God. For their mission as disciples is also promised the Spirit of the Father (v.20), he is the one who acts in them when they are committed in their mission of evangelization and of witnessing, the Spirit will speak through them.
• Matthew 10, 21-22: Threat-consolation. Once again the announcement of threat is repeated in the expression “will be delivered”: Brother will betray brother, a father against his son, the sons against the parents. It is a question of a true and great disorder in the social relationships, the breaking up of the family. Persons who are bound by the most intimate family relationships – such as parents, children, brothers and sisters – will fall in the misfortune of mutually hating and eliminating one another. In what sense does such a division of the family have to do with the witness in behalf of Jesus? Such breaking up of the family relationships could be caused by the diverse attitudes that are taken within the family, regarding Jesus. The expression “you will be hated” seems to indicate the theme of the hostile acceptance on the part of the contemporaries and of those he sent. The strong sense of the words of Jesus find a comparison in another part of the New Testament: «Blessed are you if you are insulted for the sake of Christ’s name, because the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, rests upon you. No one of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or evil doer or as a spy. But if one suffers as a Christian, do not blush, because of this name, rather give glory to God”. After the threat, follows the promise of consolation (v.3). The greatest consolation for the disciples will be that of “being saved”, of being able to live the experience of the Saviour, that is to say, to participate in his victories.
• To the community of his disciples, called and gathered together around him and invested with his same authority as collaborators, Jesus entrusts them directives in view of their future mission.
• Matthew 10, 16-19: Danger and trust in God. Jesus introduces this part of his discourse with two metaphors: sheep in the midst of wolves; prudent as serpents, simple as the doves. The first one serves to show the difficult and dangerous context to which the disciples are sent. On the one hand, the dangerous situation is made evident in which the disciples sent on mission will find themselves; on the other the expression “I send you” expresses protection. Also regarding the astuteness of the serpent and the simplicity of the dove Jesus seems to put together two attitudes: trust in God and prolonged and attentive reflection on the way in which we should relate with others.
Jesus, then, following this gives an order that seems, at first sight, filled with mistrust: «beware of men...”, but, in reality, it means to be attentive to possible persecutions, hostility, and denouncement. The expression “will deliver you” does not only refer to the accusation in the tribunal but, above all, it has a theological value: the disciples who is following Jesus can experience the same experience of the Master of “being delivered in the hands of man” (17, 22). The disciples must be strong and resist in order “to give witness”, The fact of being delivered to the tribunal should become a witness for the Jews and for the Pagans, it is the possibility to be able to draw them to the person and the cause of Jesus and, therefore, to the knowledge of the Gospel. This positive implication is important as a result of witnessing: characterized by the credible and fascinating faith.
• Matthew 10, 20: the divine help. So that all this may take place in the mission-witness of the disciples it is essential to have the help that comes from God. That is to say that we should not trust our own security and resources, but the disciples in critical, dangerous and aggressive situations, for their lives found help and solidarity in God. For their mission as disciples is also promised the Spirit of the Father (v.20), he is the one who acts in them when they are committed in their mission of evangelization and of witnessing, the Spirit will speak through them.
• Matthew 10, 21-22: Threat-consolation. Once again the announcement of threat is repeated in the expression “will be delivered”: Brother will betray brother, a father against his son, the sons against the parents. It is a question of a true and great disorder in the social relationships, the breaking up of the family. Persons who are bound by the most intimate family relationships – such as parents, children, brothers and sisters – will fall in the misfortune of mutually hating and eliminating one another. In what sense does such a division of the family have to do with the witness in behalf of Jesus? Such breaking up of the family relationships could be caused by the diverse attitudes that are taken within the family, regarding Jesus. The expression “you will be hated” seems to indicate the theme of the hostile acceptance on the part of the contemporaries and of those he sent. The strong sense of the words of Jesus find a comparison in another part of the New Testament: «Blessed are you if you are insulted for the sake of Christ’s name, because the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, rests upon you. No one of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or evil doer or as a spy. But if one suffers as a Christian, do not blush, because of this name, rather give glory to God”. After the threat, follows the promise of consolation (v.3). The greatest consolation for the disciples will be that of “being saved”, of being able to live the experience of the Saviour, that is to say, to participate in his victories.
4) Personal questions
• What do these dispositions of Jesus teach us today for understanding the mission of the Christian?
• Do you know how to trust on divine help when you experience conflicts, persecutions and trials?
• What do these dispositions of Jesus teach us today for understanding the mission of the Christian?
• Do you know how to trust on divine help when you experience conflicts, persecutions and trials?
5) Concluding Prayer
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
sustain in me a generous spirit.
Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will speak out your praise. (Ps 51,12.15)
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
sustain in me a generous spirit.
Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will speak out your praise. (Ps 51,12.15)
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