Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 344
Lectionary: 344
Rely not on your wealth;
say not: "I have the power."
Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: "Who can prevail against me?"
or, "Who will subdue me for my deeds?"
for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not: "I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?"
for the Most High bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident,
adding sin upon sin.
Say not: "Great is his mercy;
my many sins he will forgive."
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
upon the wicked alights his wrath.
Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day.
For suddenly his wrath flames forth;
at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
Rely not upon deceitful wealth,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.
say not: "I have the power."
Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: "Who can prevail against me?"
or, "Who will subdue me for my deeds?"
for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not: "I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?"
for the Most High bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident,
adding sin upon sin.
Say not: "Great is his mercy;
my many sins he will forgive."
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
upon the wicked alights his wrath.
Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day.
For suddenly his wrath flames forth;
at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
Rely not upon deceitful wealth,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.
Responsorial
Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
R. (40:5a) Blessed
are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
AlleluiaSEE 1 THES 2:13
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
"Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another."
"Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
"Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another."
Meditation:
"If your hand or eye causes you to sin"
Who
in their right mind would want to lose their reward and then be deprived of joy
in the end? We have been given the greatest of rewards - God himself who is
perfect love and source of abundant life and unending happiness. Paul the
Apostle tells us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through
the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5). God's love purifies our hearts and compels
us to express kindness and charity towards our neighbor who is created in the
image and likeness of God. We were created in love for love. The charity we
show to our neighbors in their need expresses the gratitude we have for the
abundant goodness and kindness of God towards us. Jesus declared that any
kindness shown and any help given to the people of Christ will not lose its
reward. Jesus never refused to give to anyone in need who asked for his help.
As his disciples we are called to be kind and generous as he is.
Gregory
of Nyssa (330-395 AD), an early church father wrote:
"God
never asks his servants to do what is impossible. The love and goodness of his Godhead
is revealed as richly available. It is poured out like water upon all. God
furnishes to each person according to his will the ability to do something
good. None of those seeking to be saved will be lacking in this ability, given
by the one who said: 'whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you
bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward'" (ON THE
CHRISTIAN MODE OF LIFE 8.1)
Do
you allow the love of Christ to transform your heart that you may treat your
neighbor with loving-kindness and mercy?
Avoiding
evil and the near occasion of sin
Was Jesus' exaggerating when he urged his followers to use drastic measures to avoid evil and its harmful consequences (Mark 9:42-47? Jesus set before his disciples the one supreme goal in life that is worth any sacrifice, and that goal is God himself and his will for our lives which leads to everlasting peace and happiness. Just as a doctor might remove a limb or some part of the body in order to preserve the life of the whole body, so we must be ready to part with anything that causes us to sin and which leads to spiritual death.
Was Jesus' exaggerating when he urged his followers to use drastic measures to avoid evil and its harmful consequences (Mark 9:42-47? Jesus set before his disciples the one supreme goal in life that is worth any sacrifice, and that goal is God himself and his will for our lives which leads to everlasting peace and happiness. Just as a doctor might remove a limb or some part of the body in order to preserve the life of the whole body, so we must be ready to part with anything that causes us to sin and which leads to spiritual death.
Jesus
warns his disciples of the terrible responsibility that they must set no
stumbling block in the way of another, that is, not give offense or bad
example that might lead another to sin. The Greek word for temptation (scandalon)
is exactly the same as the English word scandal. The original
meaning of scandal is a trap or a stumbling block which causes one to trip and
fall. The Jews held that it was an unforgivable sin to teach another to sin. If
we teach another to sin, he or she in turn may teach still another, until a
train of sin is set in motion with no foreseeable end. The young in faith are
especially vulnerable to the bad example of those who should be passing on the
faith. Do you set a good example for others to follow, especially the young?
Salt
and fire
What does Jesus mean when he says "have salt in yourselves" (Mark 9:50)? Salt served a very useful purpose in hot climates before the invention of electricity and refrigeration. Salt not only gave food flavor, it also preserved meat from spoiling. Salt was used as a symbol of fellowship and the sharing of a common meal with one's friends. The near-Eastern expression to betray the salt meant to betray one's Lord or Master or one's friends. Leonardo da Vinci in his painting of the Last Supper depicts Judas in the act of tipping over the salt shaker, thus symbolically indentifying himself as the betrayer of his Master the Lord Jesus.
What does Jesus mean when he says "have salt in yourselves" (Mark 9:50)? Salt served a very useful purpose in hot climates before the invention of electricity and refrigeration. Salt not only gave food flavor, it also preserved meat from spoiling. Salt was used as a symbol of fellowship and the sharing of a common meal with one's friends. The near-Eastern expression to betray the salt meant to betray one's Lord or Master or one's friends. Leonardo da Vinci in his painting of the Last Supper depicts Judas in the act of tipping over the salt shaker, thus symbolically indentifying himself as the betrayer of his Master the Lord Jesus.
Jesus
used the image of salt to describe how his disciples are to live in the world.
As salt purifies, preserves, and produces rich flavor for food, so the disciple
of Christ must be salt in the world of human society to purify, preserve,
and bring the flavor of God's kingdom of righteousness, peace, joy, and
mercy. What did Jesus mean by the expression "salted with fire" and
"salt losing its saltiness"? Salt in the ancient world was often put
in ovens to intensify the heat. When the salt was burned off and no longer
useful it was thrown out on the foot path where it would easily get trodden
upon (Matthew 5:13). Perhaps Jesus wanted to
contrast useful salt and salt which lost its ability to
prevent corruption to encourage his disciples to bring the rich flavor of
Christ's love, holiness, and righteousness to a world dominated by greed,
selfish ambition, and neglect for the weak, poor, and defenseless.
Paul
the Apostle reminds us that we are called to be "the aroma of Christ to
God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a
fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life"
(2 Corinthians 2:15-16 ). The Lord Jesus wants the fragrance of his love and
righteousness to permeate our lives, thoughts, speech, and actions. Do you
allow the fragrance of Christ's love and truth to permeate your relationships
and circle of influence, especially among your family, friends, and neighbors?
"Lord
Jesus, fill me with the fragrance of your love and truth that I may radiate the
joy and peace of the Gospel wherever I go and with whomever I meet."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Why not skip over such passages,
by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"This
is no trivial subject of inquiry that we propose, but rather it concerns things
most urgent, and about which many inquire: namely, whether hell fire has any end.
For that it has no end Christ indeed declared when he said, 'Their fire shall
not be quenched, and their worm shall not die' (Isaiah 66:24). Yes, I know a
chill comes over you on hearing these things. But what am I to do? For this is
God's own command... Ordained as we have been to the ministry of the word, we
must cause our hearers discomfort when it is necessary for them to hear. We do
this not arbitrarily but under command." (excerpt from
the HOMILIES ON FIRST CORINTHIANS 9.1)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, MARK 9:41-50
Weekday
Weekday
KEY VERSE: "Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor?" (v 50).
TO KNOW: Jesus warned his disciples to be careful not to give scandal to the lowly, poor and uneducated ones of the community. Using hyperbole (exaggerated speech), Jesus told them to be ruthless in their renunciation of evil. It would be better to enter heaven "crippled" or "maimed" than to be cast whole into the fires of Gehenna, which was originally a site of child sacrifice to the pagan god Molech (2 Kgs.23:10). Later, Gehenna became a garbage dump with perpetually smoldering fires, suggesting the punishment of the wicked. Jesus' disciples should have a purifying effect on the community. Just as impure salt from the Dead Sea easily lost its flavor, they must be careful not to lose their zeal for God even though they would be refined by "fire" through suffering and persecution (v 49).
TO LOVE: Do I avoid giving scandal to my community?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be a good example for all.
Thursday 28 February 2019
Ecclesiasticus 5:1-8. Psalm 1:1-4, 6. Mark 9:41-50.
Happy are they who hope in the Lord – Psalm 1:1-4, 6.
‘Keep salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.’
Salt has a way of making things more palatable, and the way we
treat others serves to make life more peaceable. The giving of a cup of water is
a simple gesture but it needs to be done with love.
To be at peace with others calls us to be a stepping stone for
them, not a stumbling block. A stumbling block constantly criticises, ignores
and excludes, tears down ideals or destroys dreams. On the other hand, when we
boost someone’s self-confidence or help uncover another’s hidden talents, when
we accept where others have rejected another person, then we become a
stepping-stone, bringing a little light into the darkness of the world. Lord,
grant us compassion for our fellow pilgrims.
Blessed Daniel Brottier
Saint of the Day for February 28
(September 7, 1876 – February 28, 1936)
 |
| Photograph from World War I of Blessed Daniel Brottier, army chaplain | Unknown |
Blessed Daniel Brottier’s Story
Daniel spent most of his life in the trenches—one way or
another.
Born in France in 1876, Daniel was ordained in 1899 and began a
teaching career. That didn’t satisfy him long. He wanted to use his zeal for
the gospel far beyond the classroom. He joined the missionary Congregation of
the Holy Spirit, which sent him to Senegal, West Africa. After eight years
there, his health was suffering. He was forced to return to France, where he
helped raise funds for the construction of a new cathedral in Senegal.
At the outbreak of World War I, Daniel became a volunteer
chaplain and spent four years at the front. He did not shrink from his duties.
Indeed, he risked his life time and again in ministering to the suffering and
dying. It was miraculous that he did not suffer a single wound during his 52
months in the heart of battle.
After the war he was invited to help establish a project for
orphaned and abandoned children in a Paris suburb. He spent the final 13 years
of his life there. He died in 1936 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in
Paris only 48 years later.
Reflection
Blessed Daniel might be called “Teflon Dan” since nothing seemed
to harm him while in the midst of war. God intended to use him in some pretty
wonderful ways for the good of the Church and he willingly served. He is a good
example for all of us.
Lectio Divina: Mark 9:41-50
Lectio Divina
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
keep before us the wisdom and love
You have revealed in Your Son.
Help us to be like Him
in word and deed,
for He lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
keep before us the wisdom and love
You have revealed in Your Son.
Help us to be like Him
in word and deed,
for He lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples: "Anyone who gives you a cup of
water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely
not lose his reward. "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe
in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around
his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut
it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to
go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to
sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two
feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it
out. Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than with two
eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where their worm does not die, and the fire is
not quenched. "Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if
salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves
and you will have peace with one another."
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel narrates some advice from Jesus on the
relationship of adults with the little ones and the excluded. At that time,
many persons were excluded and marginalized. They could not participate. Many
of them would lose their faith. The text on which we are going to meditate now
contains strange affirmations which, if taken literally, cause perplexity in
the reader.
• Mark 9:41: A glass of water will be rewarded. A
phrase from Jesus is inserted here: If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ, then in truth I tell you, he will most certainly
not lose his reward. Two thoughts: 1) “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to
drink”. Jesus is going to Jerusalem to give His life. A gesture of great
donation! But He does not forget the small gestures in life each day: a cup of
water, an act of acceptance or kindness, to give alms, so many gestures. Anyone
who rejects and despises the brick will never be able to construct a house! 2)
“…because you belong to Christ”: Jesus identifies Himself with us who want to
belong to Him. This means that for Him we have great value. The word here
is because, not if. To give a cup of water because the
receiver belongs to Christ also acknowledges Christ! In this act of kindness
the giver is also acknowledging Christ by his action.
• Mark 9:42: Who is a cause of scandal for these little
ones. Scandal, literally, it is a stone along the road, a stone in the
shoe. It is what leads a person away from the right path. To scandalize
the little ones is to be the cause of why the little ones go away from the
right path and lose their faith in God. Anyone who does this receives the
following sentence: “It would have been better to be thrown into the sea with a
great millstone hung round his neck!” Jesus identifies Himself with the
little ones (Mt 23:40-45). Today, in the whole world, many little ones, many
poor people, are leaving the traditional churches. Every year, in Latin
America, approximately three million people leave to other churches. They
cannot believe what we profess! Why does this happen? Is this an action taken
in full knowledge and as a definitive statement? Is it based on a lack of
understanding or teaching? Up to what point are we to be blamed for this? Do we
also merit having a millstone round our neck?
• Mark 9:43-48: To cut off your hand and your foot and to
tear out your eye. Jesus orders the person to cut off the hand, the foot,
to tear out the eye, in the case in which they are cause of scandal. And He
says: “It is better to enter into life or into the Kingdom with one foot (hand,
eye) than to be thrown into hell with two feet, (hands, eyes)”. These
phrases are not to be taken literally, but rather, that there is nothing so
important that it should be retained if it were to keep a person from entering
the Kingdom. They mean that the person has to be rooted in his/her choice of
God and of the Gospel. It might seem obvious that a person can’t be more
attached to something than their own hand or foot, but many are – to their
money, their car or house, their social position, or even more trivial things.
It is better to cut off the things that are not in alignment with the
priorities of the Kingdom.
The expression “hell”, where their worm will never die nor
their fire be put out”, is an image to indicate the situation of a person who
remains without God. “Gehenna” was the name of a valley near
Jerusalem. Jeremiah condemns it (II Kings 23:10; Jer 7:31; 32:35 et al.;
see *Moloch) as a place where children were cult sacrificed, which is the
predominant rabbinical thought. Rabbi David Kimhi’s commentary (ca. 1200 AD)
stated it was where the trash of the city was thrown and where a fire was
always burning to burn the trash. This place, terrible either way, full of
stench, was used by the people to symbolize the situation of the person who did
not participate in the Kingdom of God.
• Mark 9:49-50: Salt and Peace. These two verses help
us to understand the severe words on scandal. Jesus says: “Have salt in
yourselves and be at peace with one another!” The community, in which the
members live in peace with one another, is like a bit of salt which
gives flavor to all the meal. To live in peace and fraternally in the community
is the salt that gives flavor to the life of the people of the community. It is
a sign of theKingdom, a revelation of the Good News of God. Are we salt?
The salt which does not give flavor is good for nothing! Has our salt become
insipid?
• Jesus accepts and defends the life of the little
ones. Several times, Jesus insists that little ones should be
accepted. “Anyone who welcomes a little child in my name welcomes
me” (Mk 9:37). Anyone who gives a cup of water to one of these little ones will
not lose his reward (Mt 10:42). He asks not to despise little ones (Mt 18:10).
And at the final judgment the just will be received because they would have
given something to eat “to one of these little ones” (Mt 25:40). If Jesus
insists so much on acceptance of the little ones, it is because there are many
simple people considered less, who are not accepted! In fact, women and
children were not taken into account (Mt 14 21; 15:38), they were despised (Mt
18:10) and reduced to silence (Mt 21:15-16). Even the Apostles prevented the
children from getting close to Jesus (Mt 19:13-14). In the name of the Law of
God, misinterpreted by the religious authority of the time, many good people
were excluded. Instead of welcoming the excluded, the law was used to
legitimize the exclusion. In the Gospels, the expression “little ones” (in
Greek it is said elachisto, mikroi or nepioi), sometimes indicates “the
children”, and other times it indicates the sections excluded by society. It is
not easy to discern. Sometimes the “little ones” in the Gospel means “the children”.
This because the children belonged to the category of the “little
ones”, of the excluded. Besides, it is not always easy to discern between what
comes from the time of Jesus and that which comes from the time of the
communities for which the Gospels were written. Even if things were like this,
what is clear is the context of exclusion which reigned at the time and which
the first communities kept from Jesus: He places Himself on the side of the
little ones and the excluded, and takes up their defense.
4) Personal questions
• Today in our society and in our community, who are the little
ones and the excluded? How are they accepted on our part?
• “Anyone who welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me” (Mk 9:37). How does this apply to welcoming a child versus abortion in our society?
• We spoke of “Anyone who is not against us is for us” yesterday, and it’s relation to other Christian doctrinal interpretations. We talk about ecumenism. Today we talked about so many people leaving to other churches. These are various views on the same thing. How do they fit together?
• “A millstone round the neck”. Does my behavior deserve a millstone or a cord round the neck? What does the behavior of our community deserve?
• “Anyone who welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me” (Mk 9:37). How does this apply to welcoming a child versus abortion in our society?
• We spoke of “Anyone who is not against us is for us” yesterday, and it’s relation to other Christian doctrinal interpretations. We talk about ecumenism. Today we talked about so many people leaving to other churches. These are various views on the same thing. How do they fit together?
• “A millstone round the neck”. Does my behavior deserve a millstone or a cord round the neck? What does the behavior of our community deserve?
5) Concluding Prayer
The Lord forgives all your offenses,
cures all your diseases,
He redeems your life from the abyss,
crowns you with faithful love and tenderness. (Ps 103:3-4)
cures all your diseases,
He redeems your life from the abyss,
crowns you with faithful love and tenderness. (Ps 103:3-4)
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