Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child
Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 455
Lectionary: 455
One day, when the angels of God came to present themselves before the LORD,
Satan also came among them.
And the LORD said to Satan, "Whence do you come?"
Then Satan answered the LORD and said,
"From roaming the earth and patrolling it."
And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job,
and that there is no one on earth like him,
blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?"
But Satan answered the LORD and said,
"Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing?
Have you not surrounded him and his family
and all that he has with your protection?
You have blessed the work of his hands,
and his livestock are spread over the land.
But now put forth your hand and touch anything that he has,
and surely he will blaspheme you to your face."
And the LORD said to Satan,
"Behold, all that he has is in your power;
only do not lay a hand upon his person."
So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
And so one day, while his sons and his daughters
were eating and drinking wine
in the house of their eldest brother,
a messenger came to Job and said,
"The oxen were ploughing and the asses grazing beside them,
and the Sabeans carried them off in a raid.
They put the herdsmen to the sword,
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
While he was yet speaking, another came and said,
"Lightning has fallen from heaven
and struck the sheep and their shepherds and consumed them;
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
While he was yet speaking, another messenger came and said,
"The Chaldeans formed three columns,
seized the camels, carried them off,
and put those tending them to the sword,
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
While he was yet speaking, another came and said,
"Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine
in the house of their eldest brother,
when suddenly a great wind came across the desert
and smote the four corners of the house.
It fell upon the young people and they are dead;
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
Then Job began to tear his cloak and cut off his hair.
He cast himself prostrate upon the ground, and said,
"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb,
and naked shall I go back again.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD!"
In all this Job did not sin,
nor did he say anything disrespectful of God.
Satan also came among them.
And the LORD said to Satan, "Whence do you come?"
Then Satan answered the LORD and said,
"From roaming the earth and patrolling it."
And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job,
and that there is no one on earth like him,
blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?"
But Satan answered the LORD and said,
"Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing?
Have you not surrounded him and his family
and all that he has with your protection?
You have blessed the work of his hands,
and his livestock are spread over the land.
But now put forth your hand and touch anything that he has,
and surely he will blaspheme you to your face."
And the LORD said to Satan,
"Behold, all that he has is in your power;
only do not lay a hand upon his person."
So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
And so one day, while his sons and his daughters
were eating and drinking wine
in the house of their eldest brother,
a messenger came to Job and said,
"The oxen were ploughing and the asses grazing beside them,
and the Sabeans carried them off in a raid.
They put the herdsmen to the sword,
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
While he was yet speaking, another came and said,
"Lightning has fallen from heaven
and struck the sheep and their shepherds and consumed them;
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
While he was yet speaking, another messenger came and said,
"The Chaldeans formed three columns,
seized the camels, carried them off,
and put those tending them to the sword,
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
While he was yet speaking, another came and said,
"Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine
in the house of their eldest brother,
when suddenly a great wind came across the desert
and smote the four corners of the house.
It fell upon the young people and they are dead;
and I alone have escaped to tell you."
Then Job began to tear his cloak and cut off his hair.
He cast himself prostrate upon the ground, and said,
"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb,
and naked shall I go back again.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD!"
In all this Job did not sin,
nor did he say anything disrespectful of God.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 17:1BCD, 2-3, 6-7
R. (6) Incline
your ear to me and hear my word.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Incline your ear to me and hear my word.
From you let my judgment come;
your eyes behold what is right.
Though you test my heart, searching it in the night,
though you try me with fire, you shall find no malice in me.
R. Incline your ear to me and hear my word.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
Show your wondrous mercies,
O savior of those who flee
from their foes to refuge at your right hand.
R. Incline your ear to me and hear my word.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Incline your ear to me and hear my word.
From you let my judgment come;
your eyes behold what is right.
Though you test my heart, searching it in the night,
though you try me with fire, you shall find no malice in me.
R. Incline your ear to me and hear my word.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
Show your wondrous mercies,
O savior of those who flee
from their foes to refuge at your right hand.
R. Incline your ear to me and hear my word.
AlleluiaMK 10:45
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 9:46-50
An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
"Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest."
Then John said in reply,
"Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name
and we tried to prevent him
because he does not follow in our company."
Jesus said to him,
"Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you."
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
"Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest."
Then John said in reply,
"Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name
and we tried to prevent him
because he does not follow in our company."
Jesus said to him,
"Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you."
Meditation: "Jesus perceived the thought of
their hearts"
Are you surprised to see the disciples of Jesus
arguing about who is the greatest among them? Don't we do the same thing? The
appetite for glory and greatness seems to be inbred in us. Who doesn't cherish
the ambition to be "somebody" whom others admire rather than a
"nobody"? Even the psalms speak about the glory God has
destined for us. "You have made them a little lower than God, and
crowned them with glory and honor" (Psalm 8:5). Jesus made a
dramatic gesture by placing a child next to himself to show his disciples who
really is the greatest in the kingdom of God.
What can a little child possibly teach us about
greatness? Children in the ancient world had no rights, position, or privileges
of their own. They were socially at the "bottom of the rung" and at
the service of their parents, much like the household staff and domestic
servants. What is the significance of Jesus' gesture? Jesus elevated a little
child in the presence of his disciples by placing the child in a privileged
position of honor at his right side. It is customary, even today, to seat the
guest of honor at the right side of the host. Who is the greatest in God's
kingdom? The one who is humble and lowly of heart - who instead of asserting
their rights willingly empty themselves of pride and self-seeking glory by
taking the lowly position of a servant or child.
Jesus, himself, is our model. He came not to
be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). Paul the Apostles states that
Jesus "emptied himself and took the form of a servant" (Philippians
2:7). Jesus lowered himself (he whose place is at the right hand of God
the Father) and took on our lowly nature that he might raise us up and clothe
us in his divine nature. "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the
humble" (James 4:6). If we want to be filled with God's life and
power, then we need to empty ourselves of everything which stands in the way -
pride, envy, self-seeking glory, vanity, and possessiveness. God wants empty
vessels so he can fill them with his own glory, power, and love (2 Corinthians
4:7). Are you ready to humble yourself and to serve as Jesus did?
"Lord Jesus, your grace knows no bounds.
You give freely to the humble of heart and you grant us freedom to love and
serve others selflessly. May my love for you express itself in an eagerness to
do good for others."
MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, LUKE 9:46-50
(Job 1:6-22; Psalm 17)
(Job 1:6-22; Psalm 17)
KEY VERSE: "For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest" (v. 48).
TO KNOW: Jesus had been teaching his disciples about his role as the suffering servant of God, yet they failed to comprehend his words. A discussion arose among the disciples about which one of them was the greatest. Appraising their grandiose ambitions, Jesus placed a little child by his side as an example of what discipleship meant. The disciple must be as innocent and trusting as a child, and be willing to serve the poor and lowly of the community. Seemingly without hearing Jesus' words, John became indignant when he heard that an outsider had been casting out demons in Jesus' name. Jesus said that such closed-mindedness was in opposition to the Gospel that he taught them. He told them: "Whoever is not against you is for you" (v. 50).
TO LOVE: Are my ambitions to serve the Lord or to serve my own ego?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to recognize you in the poor and suffering that I meet.
Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the
Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church
Thérèse was born to a middle-class French family. Her father was a watchmaker. Her mother, a lace maker, died of breast cancer when Thérèse was only four. Cured from an illness at age eight when a statue of the Blessed Virgin smiled at her, Thérèse became a Carmelite nun at age 15. Taking the name of Thérèse of the Child Jesus, she defined her path to God as "The Little Way," which consisted of love and trust in God. She is called the "Little Flower" because she saw herself, not as one of the extravagant flowers in the garden, but as a common blossom whose simple beauty offers praise to God. At the direction of her spiritual director, and against her wishes, she dictated her famed autobiography “Story of a Soul.” Thérèse died from tuberculosis when she was 24, after living as a cloistered Carmelite for less than ten years. She never went on missions, never founded a religious order, never performed great works, but within 28 years of her death, the public demand was so great that she was canonized a saint. Thérèse was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997 by Pope John Paul II. Her parents, Louis and Zelie Martin were both be canonized making them the first married couple in the history of the Church to be declared saints at the same time.
"For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." - Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
October has been traditionally known as the
month of the Rosary. The feast of "Our Lady of the Rosary" is
attributed to a vision of the Blessed Mother to Saint Dominic. The Rosary
("rose garden") is called the "Psalter of Mary" because its
150 "Aves" (all 15 decades) correspond to the number of psalms. The
Rosary has been called the "Jesus Prayer" of Western Catholicism.
While saying the prayers of each decade, the person meditates on the mysteries
of our Lord and Lady's life. In addition to the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious
mysteries, Pope John Paul II recommended that the Luminous Mysteries be recited
on Thursdays. These "Mysteries of Light" are drawn from the life of
Christ, and the public revelation of his divine nature and mission.
Monday 1 October
2018
St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
Job 1:6-22. Psalm 16(17):1-3, 6-7. Luke 9:46-50.
Lord, bend your ear and hear my prayer – Psalm 16(17):1-3,
6-7.
‘As a mother comforts a child, so I will comfort you.’
Today’s Gospel challenges us to reject self-centred ambition.
Jesus asks the disciples to welcome the child. This requires us, as with the
disciples, to be generous towards the child. This parable sees the disciples
having to understand servant leadership, that is caring and guiding others
without a focus on power and personal gain but with humility and charity.
The child represents all who are weak and vulnerable and
powerless. Those who have looked after young children and babies know how much
help they need but, in turn, how much of God’s love they contain in this
innocence. Caring for others brings us closer to God.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Saint of the Day for October 1
(January 2, 1873 – September 30, 1897)
 |
| Saint Thérèse of Lisieux as a novice at age 16. | Carmelite Archives of Lisieux |
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux’s Story
“I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To
pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.”
These are the words of Thérèse of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun
called the “Little Flower,” who lived a cloistered life of obscurity in the
convent of Lisieux, France. And her preference for hidden sacrifice did indeed
convert souls. Few saints of God are more popular than this young nun. Her
autobiography, The Story of a Soul, is read and loved throughout
the world. Thérèse Martin entered the convent at the age of 15 and died in 1897
at the age of 24.
Life in a Carmelite convent is indeed uneventful and consists
mainly of prayer and hard domestic work. But Thérèse possessed that holy
insight that redeems the time, however dull that time may be. She saw in quiet
suffering a redemptive suffering, suffering that was indeed her apostolate.
Thérèse said she came to the Carmel convent “to save souls and pray for
priests.” And shortly before she died, she wrote: “I want to spend my heaven
doing good on earth.”
Thérèse was canonized in 1925. On October 19, 1997, Pope
John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church, the third woman to be so
recognized in light of her holiness and the influence of her teaching on
spirituality in the Church.
Her parents, Louis and Zélie, were beatified in 2008, and canonized in
2015.
Reflection
Thérèse has much to teach our age of the image, the appearance,
the “self.” We have become a dangerously self-conscious people, painfully aware
of the need to be fulfilled, yet knowing we are not. Thérèse, like so many
saints, sought to serve others, to do something outside herself, to forget
herself in quiet acts of love. She is one of the great examples of the gospel
paradox that we gain our life by losing it, and that the seed that falls to the
ground must die in order to live.
Preoccupation with self separates modern men and women from God,
from their fellow human beings, and ultimately from themselves. We must
re-learn to forget ourselves, to contemplate a God who draws us out of
ourselves, and to serve others as the ultimate expression of selfhood. These
are the insights of Saint Thérèse, and they are more valid today than ever.
Saint Thérèse is the Patron Saint of:
Florists
Missionaries
Pilots
Priests
Missionaries
Pilots
Priests
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 9:46-50
Lectio Divina:
Monday, October 1, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
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 - Luke 9,46-50
An argument started between the
disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what thoughts were
going through their minds, and he took a little child whom he set by his side
and then he said to them, 'Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name
welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. The
least among you all is the one who is the greatest.'
John spoke up. 'Master,' he said, 'we saw someone driving out devils in your name, and because he is not with us we tried to stop him.' But Jesus said to him, 'You must not stop him: anyone who is not against you is for you.'
John spoke up. 'Master,' he said, 'we saw someone driving out devils in your name, and because he is not with us we tried to stop him.' But Jesus said to him, 'You must not stop him: anyone who is not against you is for you.'
3) Reflection
• The text enlightens us. If previously Luke had presented the convergence of the men around Jesus to recognize him in faith, to attend to listen to him and to be present to his cures, now, a new stage is opened in his public itinerary. The person of Jesus does not monopolize the attention of the crowds any more but he is presented as the one who slowly is being drawn away from his own to go toward the Father. Such an itinerary foresees his journey to Jerusalem. And while he is about to undertake that journey, Jesus reveals to them the destiny that is awaiting him (9, 22). Then he is transfigured before them to indicate the starting point of his “Exodus” toward Jerusalem. But immediately after the light that he experiences in the transfiguration, Jesus once again announces his Passion leaving the disciples uncertain and disturbed. The words of Jesus on the event of his Passion, “The Son of man is going to be delivered into the power of men”, but they did not understand (9, 45) and they were afraid to ask him (9, 45).
• Jesus takes a child. The enigma of Jesus being delivered broke out a great dispute among the disciples to decide to whom the first place would belong. Without being asked his opinion, Jesus, who being God knew how to read hearts, intervenes with a symbolical gesture. To begin he takes a child and places him at his side. Such a gesture is an indication of election, of privilege that is extended at the moment that one becomes a Christian (10, 21-22). So that this gesture will be understood, not uncertain, Jesus gives a word of explanation: the “greatness” of the child is not stressed but his inclination to “acceptance”. The Lord considers “great” anyone who like a child knows how to accept God and his messengers. Salvation presents two aspects: the election on the part of God which is symbolized by the gesture of Jesus who accepts the child: and the acceptance of the one who has sent him, the Father of Jesus (the Son) and of every man. The child embodies Jesus, and both together in their smallness and suffering, realize God’s presence (Bovon). But the two aspects of salvation are indicative also of faith: in the gift of election the passive element emerges; in service, the active one; two pillars of the Christian existence. To accept God or Christ in faith has the consequence of total acceptance of the little ones on the part of the believer or of the community. “To be great” about which the disciples were discussing is not a reality of something beyond, but it refers to the present moment and is expressed in the ‘diaconia’ of service. Lived love and faith carry out two functions: we are accepted by Christ (takes the child); but also we have the particular gift of receiving him (“anyone who accepts the child, accepts him, the Father”, v. 48). A brief dialogue follows between Jesus and John (vv. 49-50). This last disciple is considered among the intimate ones of Jesus. The exorcist who does not belong to those who are intimate with Jesus is entrusted the same role that is given to the disciples. He is an exorcist who, on the one side is external to the group, but on the other, he is inside the group because he has understood the Christological origin of divine force that guides him (“in your name”). The teaching of Jesus is clear: a Christian group should not place obstacles to the missionary activity of other groups. There are no Christians who are “greater” than others, but one is “great” in being and in becoming Christians. And then missionary activity has to be in the service of God and not to increase one’s own fame or renown. That clause on the power of the name of Jesus is of crucial importance: it is a reference to the liberty of the Holy Spirit, whose presence is certainly within the Church, but it can extend beyond the instituted or official ministries.
• The text enlightens us. If previously Luke had presented the convergence of the men around Jesus to recognize him in faith, to attend to listen to him and to be present to his cures, now, a new stage is opened in his public itinerary. The person of Jesus does not monopolize the attention of the crowds any more but he is presented as the one who slowly is being drawn away from his own to go toward the Father. Such an itinerary foresees his journey to Jerusalem. And while he is about to undertake that journey, Jesus reveals to them the destiny that is awaiting him (9, 22). Then he is transfigured before them to indicate the starting point of his “Exodus” toward Jerusalem. But immediately after the light that he experiences in the transfiguration, Jesus once again announces his Passion leaving the disciples uncertain and disturbed. The words of Jesus on the event of his Passion, “The Son of man is going to be delivered into the power of men”, but they did not understand (9, 45) and they were afraid to ask him (9, 45).
• Jesus takes a child. The enigma of Jesus being delivered broke out a great dispute among the disciples to decide to whom the first place would belong. Without being asked his opinion, Jesus, who being God knew how to read hearts, intervenes with a symbolical gesture. To begin he takes a child and places him at his side. Such a gesture is an indication of election, of privilege that is extended at the moment that one becomes a Christian (10, 21-22). So that this gesture will be understood, not uncertain, Jesus gives a word of explanation: the “greatness” of the child is not stressed but his inclination to “acceptance”. The Lord considers “great” anyone who like a child knows how to accept God and his messengers. Salvation presents two aspects: the election on the part of God which is symbolized by the gesture of Jesus who accepts the child: and the acceptance of the one who has sent him, the Father of Jesus (the Son) and of every man. The child embodies Jesus, and both together in their smallness and suffering, realize God’s presence (Bovon). But the two aspects of salvation are indicative also of faith: in the gift of election the passive element emerges; in service, the active one; two pillars of the Christian existence. To accept God or Christ in faith has the consequence of total acceptance of the little ones on the part of the believer or of the community. “To be great” about which the disciples were discussing is not a reality of something beyond, but it refers to the present moment and is expressed in the ‘diaconia’ of service. Lived love and faith carry out two functions: we are accepted by Christ (takes the child); but also we have the particular gift of receiving him (“anyone who accepts the child, accepts him, the Father”, v. 48). A brief dialogue follows between Jesus and John (vv. 49-50). This last disciple is considered among the intimate ones of Jesus. The exorcist who does not belong to those who are intimate with Jesus is entrusted the same role that is given to the disciples. He is an exorcist who, on the one side is external to the group, but on the other, he is inside the group because he has understood the Christological origin of divine force that guides him (“in your name”). The teaching of Jesus is clear: a Christian group should not place obstacles to the missionary activity of other groups. There are no Christians who are “greater” than others, but one is “great” in being and in becoming Christians. And then missionary activity has to be in the service of God and not to increase one’s own fame or renown. That clause on the power of the name of Jesus is of crucial importance: it is a reference to the liberty of the Holy Spirit, whose presence is certainly within the Church, but it can extend beyond the instituted or official ministries.
4) Personal questions
• You, as a believer, baptized, how do you live success and suffering?
• What type of “greatness” do you live in your service to life, to persons? Are you capable of transforming competition into cooperation?
• You, as a believer, baptized, how do you live success and suffering?
• What type of “greatness” do you live in your service to life, to persons? Are you capable of transforming competition into cooperation?
5) Concluding Prayer
I praise your name Lord for your faithful love and your constancy;
your promises surpass even your fame.
You heard me on the day when I called,
and you gave new strength to my heart. (Ps 138,2-3)
I praise your name Lord for your faithful love and your constancy;
your promises surpass even your fame.
You heard me on the day when I called,
and you gave new strength to my heart. (Ps 138,2-3)
