Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 450
Lectionary: 450
Like a stream is the king's heart in the hand of the LORD;
wherever it pleases him, he directs it.
All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,
but it is the LORD who proves hearts.
To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart–
the tillage of the wicked is sin.
The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,
but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.
Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue
is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.
The soul of the wicked man desires evil;
his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes.
When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser;
when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
The just man appraises the house of the wicked:
there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin.
He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself also call and not be heard.
wherever it pleases him, he directs it.
All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,
but it is the LORD who proves hearts.
To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart–
the tillage of the wicked is sin.
The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,
but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.
Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue
is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.
The soul of the wicked man desires evil;
his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes.
When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser;
when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
The just man appraises the house of the wicked:
there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin.
He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself also call and not be heard.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35,
44
R. (35) Guide
me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
AlleluiaLK 11:28
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 8:19-21
The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it."
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it."
Meditation: "Hear the word of God and do it"
Who do you love and cherish the most? God did not
intend for us to be alone, but to be with others. He gives us many
opportunities for developing relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and
co-workers. Why does Jesus seem to ignore his own relatives when they pressed
to see him? His love and respect for his mother and his relatives is
unquestionable. Jesus never lost an opportunity to teach his disciples a
spiritual lesson and truth about the kingdom of God. On this occasion when many
gathered to hear Jesus he pointed to another higher reality of relationships,
namely our relationship with God and with those who belong to God.
What is the essence of being a Christian? It is
certainly more than doctrine, precepts, and commandments. It is first and
foremost a relationship - a relationship of trust, affection, commitment,
loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, thoughtfulness, compassion, mercy,
helpfulness, encouragement, support, strength, protection, and so many other
qualities that bind people together in mutual love and unity.
God seeks a personal intimate relationship with each
one of us
God offers us the greatest of relationships - union of heart, mind, and spirit with himself, the very author and source of love (1 John 4:8,16). God's love never fails, never forgets, never compromises, never lies, never lets us down nor disappoints us. His love is consistent, unwavering, unconditional, unrelenting and unstoppable. There is no end to his love. Nothing in this world can make him leave us, ignore us, or withhold from us his merciful love and care (Romans 8:31-39). He will love us no matter what. It is his nature to love. That is why he created us - to be united with him and to share in his love (1 John 3:1).
God offers us the greatest of relationships - union of heart, mind, and spirit with himself, the very author and source of love (1 John 4:8,16). God's love never fails, never forgets, never compromises, never lies, never lets us down nor disappoints us. His love is consistent, unwavering, unconditional, unrelenting and unstoppable. There is no end to his love. Nothing in this world can make him leave us, ignore us, or withhold from us his merciful love and care (Romans 8:31-39). He will love us no matter what. It is his nature to love. That is why he created us - to be united with him and to share in his love (1 John 3:1).
God is a trinity of divine persons - one in being with
the eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and a community of undivided love.
God made us in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26,27) to be a people who are
free to choose what is good, loving, and just and to reject whatever is false
and contrary to his love and righteousness (moral goodness). That is why Jesus
challenged his followers, and even his own earthly relatives, to recognize that
God is the true source of all relationships. God wants all of our relationships
to be rooted in his love and goodness.
The heavenly Father's offer of friendship and adoption
Jesus Christ is God's love incarnate - God's love made visible in human flesh (1 John 4:9-10). That is why Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep and the shepherd who seeks out the sheep who have strayed and lost their way. God is like the father who yearns for his prodigal son to return home and then throws a great party for his son when he has a change of heart and comes back (Luke 15:11-32).
Jesus Christ is God's love incarnate - God's love made visible in human flesh (1 John 4:9-10). That is why Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep and the shepherd who seeks out the sheep who have strayed and lost their way. God is like the father who yearns for his prodigal son to return home and then throws a great party for his son when he has a change of heart and comes back (Luke 15:11-32).
Jesus offered up his life on the cross for our sake,
so that we could be forgiven and restored to unity and friendship with God. It
is through Jesus that we become the adopted children of God - his own sons and
daughters. That is why Jesus told his disciples that they would have many new
friends and family relationships in his kingdom. Whoever does the will of God
is a friend of God and a member of his family - his sons and daughters who have
been ransomed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus Christ we become brothers and sisters -
members of God's family
Lucian of Antioch (240-312 AD), an early Christian martyr once said that "a Christian's only relatives are the saints"- namely those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and adopted as sons and daughters of God. Those who have been baptized into Jesus Christ and who live as his disciples enter into a new family, a family of "saints" here on earth and in heaven. Jesus changes the order of relationships and shows that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood.
Lucian of Antioch (240-312 AD), an early Christian martyr once said that "a Christian's only relatives are the saints"- namely those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and adopted as sons and daughters of God. Those who have been baptized into Jesus Christ and who live as his disciples enter into a new family, a family of "saints" here on earth and in heaven. Jesus changes the order of relationships and shows that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood.
Our adoption as sons and daughters of God transforms
all of our relationships and requires a new order of loyalty to God first and
to his kingdom of righteousness and peace. Do you want to grow in love and
friendship? Allow the Holy Spirit to transform your heart, mind, and will to enable
you to love freely and generously as God has loved you.
"Heavenly Father, you are the source of all true
friendship and love. In all my relationships, may your love be my constant
guide for choosing what is good and for rejecting what is contrary to your
will."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Those who listen and obey God's word become
true children of God, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"The present lesson
teaches us that obedience and listening to God are the causes of every
blessing. Some entered and spoke respectfully about Christ's holy mother and
his brothers. He answered in these words, 'My mother and my brothers are they
who hear the word of God and do it.' Now do not let any one imagine that Christ
scorned the honor due to his mother or contemptuously disregarded the love owed
to his brothers. He spoke the law by Moses and clearly said, 'Honor your father
and your mother, that it may be well with you' (Deuteronomy 5:16). How, I ask,
could he have rejected the love due to brothers, who even commanded us to love
not merely our brothers but also those who are enemies to us? He says, 'Love
your enemies' (Matthew 5:44).
"What does Christ want to teach? His object is to exalt highly his love toward those who are willing to bow the neck to his commands. I will explain the way he does this. The greatest honors and the most complete affection are what we all owe to our mothers and brothers. If he says that they who hear his word and do it are his mother and brothers, is it not plain to every one that he bestows on those who follow him a love thorough and worthy of their acceptance? He would make them readily embrace the desire of yielding themselves to his words and of submitting their mind to his yoke, by means of a complete obedience." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 42)
"What does Christ want to teach? His object is to exalt highly his love toward those who are willing to bow the neck to his commands. I will explain the way he does this. The greatest honors and the most complete affection are what we all owe to our mothers and brothers. If he says that they who hear his word and do it are his mother and brothers, is it not plain to every one that he bestows on those who follow him a love thorough and worthy of their acceptance? He would make them readily embrace the desire of yielding themselves to his words and of submitting their mind to his yoke, by means of a complete obedience." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 42)
TUESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 25, LUKE 8:19-21
Weekday
(Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13; Psalm 119)
Weekday
(Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "My Mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it" (v. 21).
TO KNOW: Jesus' mother and his relatives were concerned about his itinerant lifestyle. They wanted to restrain him because they thought he had gone out of his mind (3:21). They went to the house where he was teaching, but because of the large crowd they were unable to get through. When Jesus was informed that his family wanted to see him, he took the opportunity to teach his followers about the spiritual relationship that should exist between Christians. Blood ties do not constitute membership in the family of God. The tie that binds Christians together is their response to the word of God. The Hebrew word 'shema' means 'to hear’ (Deut. 6:4 - "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one"). But it also has the connotation of obeying (Deut. 11:13 - "Listen obediently to my commandments"). Jesus' mother Mary was blessed because she heard the word of God and obeyed it (Lk 11:28). All who hear God's word and are obedient to it are brothers and sisters of Christ.
TO LOVE: In what ways can I imitate Mary's submission to God's word?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to hear your word and act upon it.
Tuesday 25
September 2018
Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13. Psalm 118(119):1, 27, 30, 34-35, 44.
Luke 8:19-21.
Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands—Psalm 118(119):1,
27, 30, 34-35, 44.
‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of
God and keep it.’
The mark of a true Christian is surely a close, personal
commitment to Jesus, son of God and son of Mary. In him our humanness is lifted
up to the divine, to God.
We, who would ‘follow him more nearly’ by hearing God’s word and
keeping it, share the closest kinship with Jesus in the way we lead our lives.
In remembering those who need our care and love, we help to spread the generous
invitation of Jesus to all to join his family.
‘The Lord weighs the heart’, Proverbs says. ‘To act justly and
virtuously is more pleasing than sacrifice.’
Saints Louis Martin and Zélie Guerin
Saint of the Day for September 25
(August 22, 1823 – July 29, 1894; December 23, 1831 – August 28,
1877)
Saints Louis Martin and Zélie Guerin’s Story
Born into a military family in Bordeaux, Louis trained to become
a watchmaker. His desire to join a religious community went unfulfilled because
he didn’t know Latin. Moving to Normandy, he met the highly-skilled lace maker,
Zélie Guerin, who also had been disappointed in her attempts to enter religious
life. They married in 1858, and over the years were blessed with nine children,
though two sons and two daughters died in infancy.
Louis managed the lace-making business that Zélie continued at
home while raising their children. She died from breast cancer in 1877.
Louis then moved the family to Lisieux to be near his brother
and sister-in-law, who helped with the education of his five surviving girls.
His health began to fail after his 15-year-old daughter entered the Monastery
of Mount Carmel at Lisieux in 1888. Louis died in 1894, a few months after
being committed to a sanitarium.
The home that Louis and Zélie created nurtured the sanctity of
all their children, but especially their youngest, who is known to us as
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Louis and Zélie were beatified in 2008,
and canonized by Pope Francis on October 18, 2015. The Liturgical Feast of
Saints Louis Martin and Zélie Guerin is July 12.
Reflection
In life, Louis and Zélie knew great joy and excruciating sorrow.
They firmly believed that God was with them throughout every challenge that
married life, parenting, and their occupations presented.
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 8:19-21
Lectio Divina:
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
1) OPENING
PRAYER
Father,
guide us, as You guide creation
according to Your law of love.
May we love one another
and come to perfection
in the eternal life prepared for us.
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 us, as You guide creation
according to Your law of love.
May we love one another
and come to perfection
in the eternal life prepared for us.
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
8:19-21
The mother of Jesus and his brothers
came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told,
"Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see
you." He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those
who hear the word of God and act on it."
3) REFLECTION
• The Gospel today presents the episode
in which the relatives of Jesus and His mother want to speak with Him, but
Jesus does not pay attention to them. Jesus had problems with His family.
Sometimes the family helps one to live the Gospel and to participate in the
community. Other times, the family prevents this. This is what happened to
Jesus and this is what happens to us.
• Luke 8:19-20: The family looks for
Jesus. The relatives reach the house where Jesus was staying.They had probably
come from Nazareth. From there to Capernaum the distance is about 40
kilometers. His mother was with them. They probably did not enter because there
were many people, but they sent somebody to tell Him: “Your mother and Your
brothers are outside and want to see You”. According to the Gospel of Mark, the
relatives do not want to see Jesus, they want to take Him back home (Mk 3:32).
They thought that Jesus had lost His head (Mk 3:21). They were afraid, because
according to what history says, the Romans watched very closely all that He
did, in one way or other, with the people (cf. Ac 5:36-39). In Nazareth, up on
the mountains He would have been safer than in Capernaum.
• Luke 8:21: The response of Jesus. The
reaction of Jesus is clear: “My mother and My brothers are those who listen to
the Word of God and put it into practice”. In Mark the reaction of Jesus is
more concrete. Mark says: Looking around at those who were sitting there He
said: “Look, My mother and My brothers! Anyone who does the will of God, he is
My brother, sister and mother (Mk 3:34-35). Jesus extends His family! He does
not permit the family to draw Him away from the mission: neither the family (Jn
7:3-6), nor Peter (Mk 8:33), nor the disciples (Mk 1:36-38), nor Herod (Lk 13:32),
nor anybody else (Jn 10:18).
• It is the Word of God which creates a
new family around Jesus: “My mother and My brothers are those who listen to the
Word of God, and put it into practice.” A good commentary on this episode is
what the Gospel of John says in the Prologue: “He was in the world that had
come into being through Him and the world did not recognize Him. He came to His
own and His own people did not accept Him”. But to those who did accept Him He
gave them power to become children of God: to those who believed in His name,
who were born not from human stock or human desire, or human will, but from God
Himself. And the Word became flesh, He lived among us; and we saw His glory,
the glory that He has from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace
and truth. (Jn 1:10-14). The family, the relatives, do not understand Jesus (Jn
7:3-5; Mk 3:21), they do not form part of the new family. Only those who
receive the Word, that is, who believe in Jesus, form part of the new family.
These are born of God and form part of God’s Family.
• The situation of the family at the
time of Jesus. In the time of Jesus, the political social and economic moment
or the religious ideology, everything conspired in favor of weakening the
central values of the clan, of the community. The concern for the problems of
the family prevented persons from being united in the community. Rather, in
order that the Kingdom of God could manifest itself anew, in the community life
of the people, persons had to go beyond, to pass the narrow limits of the small
family and open themselves to the large family, toward the community. Jesus
gives the example. When His own family tried to take hold of Him, Jesus reacted
and extended the family (Mk 3:33-35). He created the community.
• The brothers and the sisters of Jesus.
The expression “brothers and sisters of Jesus” causes much polemics among
Catholics and Protestants. Basing themselves on this and on other texts, the
Protestants say that Jesus had more brothers and sisters and that Mary had more
sons! The Catholics say that Mary did not have other sons. What should we think
about this? In the first place, both positions: that of the Catholics as well
as that of the Protestants, start from the arguments drawn from the bible and
from the traditions of their respective Churches. Because of this, it is not
convenient to discuss on this question with only intellectual arguments.
Because here it is a question of the convictions that they have and which have
to do with faith and sentiments. The intellectual argument alone does not
succeed in changing a conviction of the heart! Rather, it irritates and draws
away! And even if I do not agree with the opinion of the other person, I must
respect it. In the second place, instead of discussing texts, both we
Catholics, and the Protestants, should unite together to fight in defense of
life, created by God, a life totally disfigured by poverty, injustice, by the
lack of faith. We should recall some phrase of Jesus: “I have come so that they
may have life and life in abundance” (Jn 10:10). “So that all may be one so
that the world will believe that it was You who sent Me” (Jn 17:21). “Do not
prevent them! Anyone who is not against us is for us” (Mk 9:39.40).
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Does your family help or make it
difficult for you to participate in the Christian community?
• How do you assume your commitment in the Christian community without prejudice for the family or for the community?
• How do you assume your commitment in the Christian community without prejudice for the family or for the community?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Teach me, Yahweh, the way of Your will,
and I will observe it.
Give me understanding and I will observe Your Law,
and keep it wholeheartedly. (Ps 119:33-34)
and I will observe it.
Give me understanding and I will observe Your Law,
and keep it wholeheartedly. (Ps 119:33-34)
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