Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 331
Lectionary: 331
At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens --
while as yet there was no field shrub on earth
and no grass of the field had sprouted,
for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth
and there was no man to till the soil,
but a stream was welling up out of the earth
and was watering all the surface of the ground --
the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.
Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and he placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The LORD God then took the man
and settled him in the garden of Eden,
to cultivate and care for it.
The LORD God gave man this order:
"You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden
except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
From that tree you shall not eat;
the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die."
while as yet there was no field shrub on earth
and no grass of the field had sprouted,
for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth
and there was no man to till the soil,
but a stream was welling up out of the earth
and was watering all the surface of the ground --
the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.
Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and he placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The LORD God then took the man
and settled him in the garden of Eden,
to cultivate and care for it.
The LORD God gave man this order:
"You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden
except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
From that tree you shall not eat;
the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die."
Responsorial
PsalmPS 104:1-2A, 27-28,
29BC-30
R. (1a) O bless
the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
All creatures look to you
to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
All creatures look to you
to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
AlleluiaSEE JN 17:17B, 17A
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth:
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth:
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 7:14-23
Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them,
“Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.”
When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
“Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?”
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”
“Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.”
When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
“Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?”
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”
Meditation: "Out of the heart come evil
thoughts"
Where
does evil come from and how can we eliminate it from our personal lives? Jesus
deals with this issue in response to the religious leaders' concern with ritual
defilement (uncleanness) - making oneself unfit to offer acceptable worship and
sacrifice to God. The religious leaders were very concerned with avoiding
ritual defilement, some no doubt out of reverent fear of God, and others
because they wanted to be seen as observant Jews. Jesus points his listeners to
the source of true defilement - evil desires which come from inside a person's
innermost being. Sin does not just happen from external forces. It first
springs from the innermost recesses of our thoughts and intentions, from the
secret desires which only the individual mind and heart can conceive.
God
gives us his strength to resist sinful thoughts and desires
When Cain became jealous of his brother Abel, God warned him to guard his own heart: "Sin is couching at the door; it's desire is for you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7). Cain unfortunately did not take God's warning to heart. He allowed his jealousy to grow into spite and hatred for his brother, and he began to look for an opportunity to eliminate his brother all together. When jealously and other sinful desires come knocking at the door of your heart, how do you respond? Do you entertain them and allow them to overtake you? Fortunately God does not leave us alone in our struggle with hurtful desires and sinful tendencies. He gives us the grace and strength we need to resist and overcome sin when it couches at the door of our heart.
When Cain became jealous of his brother Abel, God warned him to guard his own heart: "Sin is couching at the door; it's desire is for you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7). Cain unfortunately did not take God's warning to heart. He allowed his jealousy to grow into spite and hatred for his brother, and he began to look for an opportunity to eliminate his brother all together. When jealously and other sinful desires come knocking at the door of your heart, how do you respond? Do you entertain them and allow them to overtake you? Fortunately God does not leave us alone in our struggle with hurtful desires and sinful tendencies. He gives us the grace and strength we need to resist and overcome sin when it couches at the door of our heart.
God's
word has power to set us free to chose what is good and reject what is wrong
The Lord Jesus wants to set us free from the burden of guilt and from the destructive force of sin and wrong-doing in our personal lives. He wants to purify our hearts and renew our minds so we can freely choose to love and do what is right, good, just, and wise. The Lord Jesus is ready to change and purify our hearts through the grace and help of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Like a physician who probes the wound before treating it, God through his Word and Spirit first brings sin into the light that we may recognize it for what it truly is and call upon his mercy and grace for pardon, healing, and restoration. The Spirit of truth is our Counselor and Helper. His power and grace enables us to choose what is good and to reject what is evil. Do you believe in the power of God's love to heal, change, and transform your heart and mind?
The Lord Jesus wants to set us free from the burden of guilt and from the destructive force of sin and wrong-doing in our personal lives. He wants to purify our hearts and renew our minds so we can freely choose to love and do what is right, good, just, and wise. The Lord Jesus is ready to change and purify our hearts through the grace and help of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Like a physician who probes the wound before treating it, God through his Word and Spirit first brings sin into the light that we may recognize it for what it truly is and call upon his mercy and grace for pardon, healing, and restoration. The Spirit of truth is our Counselor and Helper. His power and grace enables us to choose what is good and to reject what is evil. Do you believe in the power of God's love to heal, change, and transform your heart and mind?
"Lord
Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and make my heart like yours. Strengthen
my heart, mind, and my will that I may freely choose to love what is good and
to reject what is evil."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The cycle of bitterness broken by
forbearance, by Tertullian, 160-225 A.D.
"Let
us, then, his servants, follow our Lord and patiently submit to denunciations
that we may be blessed! If, with slight forbearance, I hear some bitter or evil
remark directed against me, I may return it, and then I shall inevitably become
bitter myself. Either that, or I shall be tormented by unexpressed resentment.
If I retaliate when cursed, how shall I be found to have followed the teaching
of our Lord? For his saying has been handed down that one is defiled not by
unclean dishes but by the words which proceed from his mouth ( Mark
7:15)." (excerpt from ON PATIENCE 8)
[Tertullian
(160-225 AD) was an early Christian writer and theologian from Carthage in the
Roman province of Africa. He was a noted early Christian apologist who defended
Christianity and the practice of Christians against the reproaches of the
pagans. He promoted the principle of freedom of religion as an inalienable
human right and demanded a fair trial for Christians before they were condemned
to death.]
Wednesday 13 February 2019
Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17. Psalm 103(104):1-2, 27-30. Mark 7:14-23.
Bless the Lord, my soul! – Psalm 103(104):1-2, 27-30.
‘Do you also fail to understand?’
The Pharisees had been criticising Jesus’ disciples for not
following Jewish traditions of washing before preparing food (Mark 7:1-8). When
asked about these traditions he quoted Isaiah’s words: ‘their hearts are far
from me … their doctrines are human regulations.’
In today’s reading Jesus goes further by saying that nothing
from the outside can make a person unclean. It is only the things within, avarice,
malice, deceit, slander which make someone unclean. And yet, if we draw on
God’s spirit within ourselves we can enrich the lives of those we meet, for the
fruits of the spirit come forth from the heart of the true follower of Jesus.
Let us seek ways to be true to the Holy Spirit in our work for the common good.
Saint Giles Mary of St. Joseph
Saint of the Day for February 13
(November 16, 1729 – February 7, 1812)
 |
| Engraving of Saint Giles of St. Joseph | Giuseppe Gnaccarini |
Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph’s Story
In the same year that a power-hungry Napoleon Bonaparte led his
army into Russia, Giles Mary of Saint Joseph ended a life of humble
service to his Franciscan community and to the citizens of Naples.
Francesco was born in Taranto to very poor parents. His father’s
death left the 18-year-old Francesco to care for the family. Having secured
their future, he entered the Friars Minor at Galatone in 1754. For 53 years, he
served at St. Paschal’s Hospice in Naples in various roles, such as cook,
porter, or most often as official beggar for that community.
“Love God, love God” was his characteristic phrase as he
gathered food for the friars and shared some of his bounty with the poor—all the
while consoling the troubled and urging everyone to repent. The charity which
he reflected on the streets of Naples was born in prayer and nurtured in the
common life of the friars. The people whom Giles met on his begging rounds
nicknamed him the “Consoler of Naples.” He was canonized in 1996.
Reflection
People often become arrogant and power hungry when they forget
their own sinfulness and ignore the gifts God has given to other people. Giles
had a healthy sense of his own sinfulness—not paralyzing but not superficial
either. He invited men and women to recognize their own gifts and to live out
their dignity as people made in God’s divine image. Knowing someone like Giles
can help us on our own spiritual journey.
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 7:14-23
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
1) OPENING PRAYER
Father,
watch over Your family
and keep us safe in Your care,
for all our hope is in You.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever. Amen.
2) GOSPEL READING - MARK 7:14-23
Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all
of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that
person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” When he got
home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He
said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize
that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it
enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he
declared all foods clean.) “But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles
him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity,
theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy,
arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”
3) REFLECTION
The Gospel today is the continuation of the themes on which we
meditated yesterday. Jesus helps the people and the disciples to understand
better the significance of purity before God. For centuries, the Jews, in order
not to contract impurity, observed many norms and customs bound to food, to
drink, to dress, to hygiene of the body, to contact with persons of other races
and religions, etc. (Mk 7: 3-4). For them it was forbidden to have
contact with gentiles and to eat with them. In the 70’s, the time of Mark, some
converted Jews said, “Now that we are Christians we have to abandon these
ancient customs which separate us from converted gentiles!” But others thought
that they had to continue with the observance of these laws of purity (cf. Col
2: 16,20-22). The attitude of Jesus, described in today’s Gospel, helps us to
overcome this problem.
Mark 7: 14-16: Jesus opens a new way to try to bring people
closer to God. He says to the crowds, “Nothing that goes into someone
from outside can make that person unclean; it is the things that come out of
someone that make that person unclean (Mk 7: 15). Jesus overturns things: what
is impure does not come from outside to the inside, as the Doctors of the Law
taught, but what comes from inside to the outside. Thus, nobody ever needs to
ask himself if this or that food is pure or impure. Jesus places what is pure
and impure on another level, not on the level of ethical behavior. He opens a
new way to reach God, and in this way realizes the most profound design of the
people. .
Mark 7: 17-23: In the house, the disciples asked for an
explanation. The disciples did not understand what Jesus wanted to say with
that affirmation. When they reached the house, they ask for an explanation. The
disciples’ question surprises Jesus. He thought that they had understood the
parable. In His explanation to the disciples He goes to the very bottom of the
question of impurity. He declares that all food is pure! In other words, no
food which enters into the human being from outside can make him become impure,
because it does not go to the heart, but to the stomach and ends in the septic
tank, but what makes one become impure, according to Jesus, is what comes out
from within the heart to poison human relationships. And then He enumerates
some of them: prostitution, murder, adultery, ambition, theft, etc. Thus in
many ways, by means of the word, of life together, of living close to one
another, Jesus helps people to attain purity in another way. By means of
the word He purified the lepers (Mk 1: 40-44), cast out unclean spirits (Mk 1:
26,39; 3: 15,22, etc.), and overcame death, which was the source of all
impurity. Thanks to Jesus, who touches her, the woman who was excluded and
considered impure is cured (Mk 5: 25-34). Without fear of being contaminated,
Jesus eats together with people who were considered impure (Mk 2: 15-17).
The laws of purity at the time of Jesus. The people of that time
were concerned very much about purity. The laws and the norms of purity
indicated the necessary conditions to be able to place oneself before God and
to feel well in His presence. One could not approach God in just any way,
because God is holy. The Law stated, “Be holy because I am holy!” (Lv 19: 2).
One who was not pure could not get close to God to receive the blessings
promised to Abraham. The laws of what was pure and impure (Lv 11 to 16) were
written after the time of slavery in Babylon, around the year 800 after the
Exodus, but had its origin in the ancient mentality and customs of the people
of the Bible. A religious and mystical vision of the world led people to
appreciate things, people and animals, beginning from the category of purity
(Gn 7: 2; Dt 14: 13-21; Nm 12: 10-15; Dt 24: 8-9).
In the context of the Persian domination, the fifth and fourth
centuries before Christ, before the difficulties of reconstructing the Temple
of Jerusalem and of the survival of the clergy, the priests who governed the
people of the Bible increased the laws relative to poverty and obliged the
people to offer sacrifices of purification for sin. Thus, after child birth (Lv
12: 1-8), menstruation (Lv 15: 19-24) the cure of a hemorrhage (Lv 15: 25-30),
women had to offer sacrifices to recover purity. Lepers (Lv 13) or people who
had contact with impure things or animals (Lv 5:1-13) also had to offer
sacrifices. Part of this offering remained for the priests (Lv 5: 13).
At the time of Jesus, to touch a leper, to eat with a tax
collector or publican, to eat without washing your hands, and so many other
activities rendered the person impure, and any contact with this person
contaminated the others. For this reason, it was necessary to avoid an impure
person. People lived with fear, always threatened by so many impure things
which threatened life. They were obliged to live without trust, not trusting
anything or anybody. Now, all of a sudden, everything changes! Through faith in
Jesus, it was possible to have purity and to feel good before God without
having to observe all those laws and those norms of the ancient tradition . It
was liberation! The Good News announced by Jesus took away all fear from the
people, and they no longer had to be in a defensive situation all the time, and
He gives them back the desire to live, and the joy of being children of God,
without fear of being happy!
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
In your life, are there any traditions which you consider sacred
and others which you do not? Which ones? Why?
In the name of the tradition of the ancients, the Pharisees
refused the Commandment of Jesus. Does this happen today? Where and when? Does
it also happen in my life?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
The upright have Yahweh for their Savior,
their refuge in times of trouble;
Yahweh helps them and rescues them,
He will rescue them from the wicked,
and save them because they take refuge in Him. (Ps 37:39-40)
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