Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne,
Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 398
Lectionary: 398
This word of the LORD came to me:
Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear!
I remember the devotion of your youth,
how you loved me as a bride,
Following me in the desert,
in a land unsown.
Sacred to the LORD was Israel,
the first fruits of his harvest;
Should any presume to partake of them,
evil would befall them, says the LORD.
When I brought you into the garden land
to eat its goodly fruits,
You entered and defiled my land,
you made my heritage loathsome.
The priests asked not,
"Where is the LORD?"
Those who dealt with the law knew me not:
the shepherds rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after useless idols.
Be amazed at this, O heavens,
and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD.
Two evils have my people done:
they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;
They have dug themselves cisterns,
broken cisterns, that hold no water.
Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear!
I remember the devotion of your youth,
how you loved me as a bride,
Following me in the desert,
in a land unsown.
Sacred to the LORD was Israel,
the first fruits of his harvest;
Should any presume to partake of them,
evil would befall them, says the LORD.
When I brought you into the garden land
to eat its goodly fruits,
You entered and defiled my land,
you made my heritage loathsome.
The priests asked not,
"Where is the LORD?"
Those who dealt with the law knew me not:
the shepherds rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after useless idols.
Be amazed at this, O heavens,
and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD.
Two evils have my people done:
they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;
They have dug themselves cisterns,
broken cisterns, that hold no water.
Responsorial
Psalm PS 36:6-7AB, 8-9, 10-11
R. (10a) With
you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
O LORD, your mercy reaches to heaven;
your faithfulness, to the clouds.
Your justice is like the mountains of God;
your judgments, like the mighty deep.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
How precious is your mercy, O God!
The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;
from your delightful stream you give them to drink.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
For with you is the fountain of life,
and in your light we see light.
Keep up your mercy toward your friends,
your just defense of the upright of heart.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
O LORD, your mercy reaches to heaven;
your faithfulness, to the clouds.
Your justice is like the mountains of God;
your judgments, like the mighty deep.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
How precious is your mercy, O God!
The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;
from your delightful stream you give them to drink.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
For with you is the fountain of life,
and in your light we see light.
Keep up your mercy toward your friends,
your just defense of the upright of heart.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
AlleluiaSEE MT 11:25
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 13:10-17
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?"
He said to them in reply,
"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.
"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
"Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?"
He said to them in reply,
"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.
"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
Meditation: "Many longed to hear what
you hear"
Do you want to grow in your knowledge of God? Saint
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) once said: "I believe, in order to
understand; and I understand, the better to believe." Both faith and
understanding are gifts of the Holy Spirit that enable us to hear God's word
with clarity so we can know God better and grow in the knowledge of his love
and truth. Jesus, however, had to warn his disciples that not everyone would
understand his teaching.
Closed hearts - prejudiced minds
The prophet Isaiah had warned that some would hear God's word, but not believe, some would see God's actions and miracles, and remain unconvinced. Ironically some of the greatest skeptics of Jesus' teaching and miracles were the learned scribes and Pharisees who prided themselves on their knowledge of Scripture, especially on the law of Moses. They heard Jesus' parables and saw the great signs and miracles which he performed, but they refused to accept both Jesus and his message. How could they "hear and never understand" and "see but never perceive"? They were spiritually blind and deaf because their hearts were closed and their minds were blocked by pride and prejudice. How could a man from Galilee, the supposed son of a carpenter, know more about God and his word, than these experts who devoted their lives to the study and teaching of the law of Moses?
The prophet Isaiah had warned that some would hear God's word, but not believe, some would see God's actions and miracles, and remain unconvinced. Ironically some of the greatest skeptics of Jesus' teaching and miracles were the learned scribes and Pharisees who prided themselves on their knowledge of Scripture, especially on the law of Moses. They heard Jesus' parables and saw the great signs and miracles which he performed, but they refused to accept both Jesus and his message. How could they "hear and never understand" and "see but never perceive"? They were spiritually blind and deaf because their hearts were closed and their minds were blocked by pride and prejudice. How could a man from Galilee, the supposed son of a carpenter, know more about God and his word, than these experts who devoted their lives to the study and teaching of the law of Moses?
The humble of heart receive understanding
There is only one thing that can open a closed, confused, and divided mind - a broken heart and humble spirit! The word disciple means one who is willing to learn and ready to submit to the wisdom and truth which comes from God. Psalm 119 expresses the joy and delight of a disciple who loves God's word and who embraces it with trust and obedience. "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation." (Psalm 119:97-99)
There is only one thing that can open a closed, confused, and divided mind - a broken heart and humble spirit! The word disciple means one who is willing to learn and ready to submit to the wisdom and truth which comes from God. Psalm 119 expresses the joy and delight of a disciple who loves God's word and who embraces it with trust and obedience. "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation." (Psalm 119:97-99)
Listen with reverence and faith
God can only reveal the secrets of his kingdom to the humble and trusting person who acknowledges their need for God and for his truth. The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. If we approach God's word with indifference, skepticism, and disbelief, then we, too, may "hear but not understand" and "see but not perceive." God's word can only take root in a receptive heart that is ready to believe and willing to submit. If we want to hear and to understand God's word, we must listen with reverence and faith. Do you believe God's word and do you submit to it with trust and reverence?
God can only reveal the secrets of his kingdom to the humble and trusting person who acknowledges their need for God and for his truth. The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. If we approach God's word with indifference, skepticism, and disbelief, then we, too, may "hear but not understand" and "see but not perceive." God's word can only take root in a receptive heart that is ready to believe and willing to submit. If we want to hear and to understand God's word, we must listen with reverence and faith. Do you believe God's word and do you submit to it with trust and reverence?
Jerome, an early church
bible scholar who lived between 342-419 AD, wrote: "You are reading [the
Scriptures]? No.Your betrothed is talking to you. It is your betrothed, that
is, Christ, who is united with you. He tears you away from the solitude of the
desert and brings you into his home, saying to you, 'Enter into the joy of your
Master.'"
"Holy Spirit, be my teacher and guide. Open my
ears to hear God's word and open my eyes to understand God's action in my life.
May my heart never grow dull and may my ears never tire of listening to the
voice of Christ."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Ears that refuse to hear, by Hilary of
Poitiers (315-367 AD)
"Faith perceives the mysteries of the kingdom. A
person will make progress in those things he has been immersed in and will
abound with an increase in that progress. But in those things he has not been
immersed in, even that which he has shall be taken away from him. In other
words, he suffers the loss of the law from the loss of his faith. Lacking
faith, the people of the law lost even the efficacy of the law. Therefore,
gospel faith receives a perfect gift, because it enriches with new fruit those
things that have been undertaken. But once it is rejected, even the help of
one's former means of support is taken away. (excerpt from a commentary ON MATTHEW 13.2)
THURSDAY,
JULY 26, MATTHEW 13:10-17
(Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13; Psalm 36)
(Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13; Psalm 36)
KEY VERSE: "Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear" (v. 16).
TO KNOW: Jesus often spoke to the crowds in parables (Hebrew, mashal), making a comparison of common things to impart a moral lesson. These figures of speech encouraged his audience to discover the meaning of his words. Only those who were open to the divine mysteries could understand the plan of God revealed in Jesus’ words. Stubborn nonbelievers were blind and deaf to his message. They fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah: "They look but do not truly see. They listen but do not really hear" (Is 6:9-10). The disciples were blessed because they believed what they saw and heard, and they would grow even more in their understanding of God's reign. The prophets and righteous people of old longed to see and hear that which the disciples of Jesus were privileged to witness.
TO LOVE: Am I able to help others understand the revealed word of God?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to comprehend the mysteries you came to make known.
Memorial of Saints Joachim and
Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Joachim was the husband of Anne, the father o Blessed Virgin Mary, and grandfather of Jesus Christ. There is no mention of them in the New Testament. What we know comes from Catholic legend and the Gospel of James, which is an apocryphal writing form the second century AD. Tradition says that while Joachim was away from home, he and Anne each received a message from an angel that she was pregnant. It is believed that Joachim and Anne gave Mary to the service of the Temple when the girl was three years old. Joaquin and Anne serve as role models for parents and grandparents and deserve to be honored and emulated for their devotion to God and Mary, Mother of Jesus.
Thursday 26 July
2018
Sts Joachim and Anne.
Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13. Psalm 35(36):6-11. Matthew 13:10-17.
You are the source of life, O Lord—Psalm 35(36):6-11.
‘The Lord says this: I remember your faithful love.’
We all have times of insight and times of blindness. We move
between openness to God’s light and closing ourselves off.
In the moments of blindness, we simply do not ‘get’ what God is
saying to us in parables. But in the moments of desire for truth, parables
gently reveal to us the face of the God whom we seek. Jesus’ parables were not
intended to exclude people, but rather to reveal God.
Jesus also knew that not everyone would be receptive to the Good
News.
May we continually open our hearts to God so that we may see and
hear the Good News of salvation in our lives.
Saints Joachim and Anne
Saint of the Day for July 26
(b. 1st century)
 |
| Detail | Abrazo de San Joaquín y Santa Ana ante la Puerta Dorada | Ambrosius Benson |
Saints Joachim and Anne’s Story
In the Scriptures, Matthew and Luke furnish a legal family
history of Jesus, tracing ancestry to show that Jesus is the culmination of
great promises. Not only is his mother’s family neglected, we also know nothing
factual about them except that they existed. Even the names Joachim and Anne come
from a legendary source written more than a century after Jesus died.
The heroism and holiness of these people however, is inferred
from the whole family atmosphere around Mary in the Scriptures. Whether we rely
on the legends about Mary’s childhood or make guesses from the information in
the Bible, we see in her a fulfillment of many generations of prayerful
persons, herself steeped in the religious traditions of her people.
The strong character of Mary in making decisions, her continuous
practice of prayer, her devotion to the laws of her faith, her steadiness at
moments of crisis, and her devotion to her relatives—all indicate a close-knit,
loving family that looked forward to the next generation even while retaining
the best of the past.
Joachim and Anne—whether these are their real names or
not—represent that entire quiet series of generations who faithfully perform
their duties, practice their faith, and establish an atmosphere for the coming
of the Messiah, but remain obscure.
Reflection
This is the “feast of grandparents.” It reminds grandparents of
their responsibility to establish a tone for generations to come: They must
make the traditions live and offer them as a promise to little children. But
the feast has a message for the younger generation as well. It reminds the
young that older people’s greater perspective, depth of experience, and
appreciation of life’s profound rhythms are all part of a wisdom not to be
taken lightly or ignored.
Saints Joachim and Anne are the Patron Saints of:
Grandparents
Saint Anne is the Patron Saint of:
Mothers
Women in Labor
Women in Labor
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
13:10-17
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Ordinary
Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
Lord,
be
merciful to Your people.
Fill
us with Your gifts
and
make us always eager to serve You
in
faith, hope and love.
You
live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW
13:10-17
The
disciples approached Jesus and said, "Why do you speak to the crowd in
parables?" He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the
mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has
not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I
speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not
listen or understand. Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You
shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross
is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have
closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and
understand with their hearts and be converted and I heal them. "But
blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you
see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear
it."
3) REFLECTION
•
Chapter 13 speaks to us about the discourse on the parables. Following the text
of Mark (Mk 4:1-34), Matthew omits the parable of the seed which germinates
alone (Mk 4:26-29), and he stops at the discussion of the reason for the
parable (Mt 13:10-17), adding the parable of the wheat and the darnel (Mt
13:24-30), of the yeast (Mt 13:33), of the treasure (Mt 13:44), of the pearl
(Mt 13:45-46) and of the dragnet (Mt 13:47-50). Together with the parable of
the sower (Mt 13:4-11) and of the mustard seed (Mt 13:31-32), there are seven
parables in the Discourse on the Parables (Mt 13:1-50).
•
Matthew 13:10: The question. In the Gospel of Mark, the
disciples ask for an explanation of the parables (Mk 4:10). Here in Matthew,
the perspective is different. They want to know why Jesus, when He speaks to
the people, speaks only in parables: “Why do You talk to them in parables?” What
is the reason for this difference?
•
Matthew 13:11-13: “Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of
the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not granted. Anyone who has will be
given more and will have more than enough; but anyone who has not will be
deprived even of what he has. The reason I speak to them in parables is that
they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. Jesus
answers: “Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of the
kingdom of Heaven. Anyone who has will be given more and will have more than
enough; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he
has.” Why is it granted to the Apostles to know and not to others?
Here is a comparison to help us understand. Two people listen to the mother who
teaches: A person must not cut and sew.” One of them is the
daughter and the other is not. The daughter understands and the other one
understands nothing. Why? Because in the mother’s house the
expression “cut and sew” means to slander. Thus, the mother’s
teaching helps the daughter to understand how to put love into practice,
helping her so that what she already knows may grow, develop. Anyone
who has will be given more. The other person understands nothing and
loses even the little that she knew regarding love and slander. She remains
confused and does not understand what love has to do with cutting and
sewing! Anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. A
parable reveals and hides at the same time! It reveals for “those who are
inside,” who accept Jesus as the Messiah Servant. It hides from
those who insist on saying that the Messiah will be and should be a glorious
King. These understand the image presented by the parable, but they do not
understand the significance. The disciples, instead, grow in what they already
know concerning the Messiah. The others do not understand anything and lose
even the little that they thought they knew about the Kingdom and the Messiah.
•
Matthew 13:14-15: The fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. Just
as at another time (Mt 12:18-21), in this different reaction of the people and
the Pharisees to the teaching of the parables, Matthew again sees here the
fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. He even quotes at length the text of
Isaiah which says, “Listen and listen, but never understand! Look and
look, but never perceive! This people’s heart has grown coarse, their ears
dulled, they have shut their eyes tight to avoid using their eyes to see, their
ears to hear, their heart to understand, changing their ways and being healed
by Me.”
•
Matthew 13:16-17: “But blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears
because they hear.” All this explains the last sentence: “But
blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear. In truth I
tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see and
never saw it, to hear what you hear and never heard it!”
• The
Parables: a new way of speaking to the people about God. People
remained impressed by the way in which Jesus taught. “A new way of teaching!
Given with authority! Different from that of the scribes!” (Mk 7:28). Jesus had
a great capacity for finding very simple images to compare the things of God
with the things of life which people knew and experienced in the daily struggle
to survive. This presupposes two things: to be in touch with the things of the
life of the people, and to be in touch with the things of God, of the Kingdom
of God. In some parables there are things that happen and that seldom take
place in life. For example, when has it ever happened that a shepherd, who has
one hundred sheep, abandons the flock with 99 to go and look for the lost sheep?
(Lk 15:4). Where have we ever seen a father who accepts with joy and a feast
his son who had squandered all his goods, without saying a word of reproach to
him? (Lk 15:20-24). When has it been seen that a Samaritan man is better than a
Levite, than a priest? (Lk 10:29-37). The parable makes one think. It leads the
person to enter into the story beginning from the experience of life. And
through our experience it urges us to discover that God is present in our daily
life. The parable is a participative form of teaching and educating. It does
not change everything in one minute. It does not make one know; it makes one
discover. The parable changes our perspective; it makes the person who listens
a contemplative; it helps her to observe reality. This is the novelty of the
teaching of the parables of Jesus, different from that of the doctors who
taught that God manifests Himself only in the observance of the law. “The
Kingdom is present in your midst” (Lk 17:21). But those who listened did not
always understand.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
•
Jesus says, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom.”
When I read the Gospels, am I like those who understand nothing or like those
to whom it has been granted to know the Kingdom?
•
What role does the Father’s gratuitous grace have in understanding these
parables?
•
Which is the parable of Jesus with which I most identify ? Why?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Yahweh,
Your faithful love is in the heavens;
Your
constancy reaches to the clouds;
Your
saving justice is like towering mountains,
Your
judgments like the mighty deep. (Ps 36:5-6)
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