Friday of the Third Week of Lent
Lectionary: 241
Lectionary: 241
Thus says the LORD:
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, "Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, 'Our god,'
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion."
I will heal their defection, says the LORD,
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
"I am like a verdant cypress tree"–
Because of me you bear fruit!
Let him who is wise understand these things;
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, "Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, 'Our god,'
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion."
I will heal their defection, says the LORD,
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
"I am like a verdant cypress tree"–
Because of me you bear fruit!
Let him who is wise understand these things;
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 81:6C-8A, 8BC-9,
10-11AB, 14 AND 17
R. (see 11 and 9a) I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
An unfamiliar speech I hear:
"I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"Unseen, I answered you in thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, will you not hear me?"
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
An unfamiliar speech I hear:
"I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"Unseen, I answered you in thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, will you not hear me?"
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
Verse Before
The GospelMT 4:17
Repent, says the Lord;
the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
GospelMK 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Meditation:
"You are not far from the kingdom of God"
What
is the best and sure way to peace, happiness, and abundant life? The prophet
Hosea addressed this question with his religious community - the people of
Israel. Hosea's people lived in a time of economic anxiety and fear among the
nations. They were tempted to put their security in their own possessions and
in their political alliances with other nations rather than in God. Hosea
called his people to return to God to receive pardon, healing, and restoration.
He reminded them that God would "heal their faithlessness and love them
freely" (Hosea 14:4). God's ways are right and his wisdom brings strength
and blessing to those who obey him.
The
grace and power of love and obedience
How does love and obedience to God's law go together? The Pharisees prided themselves in the knowledge of the law and their ritual requirements. They made it a life-time practice to study the 613 precepts of the Old Testament along with the numerous rabbinic commentaries. They tested Jesus to see if he correctly understood the law as they did. Jesus startled them with his profound simplicity and mastery of the law of God and its purpose.
How does love and obedience to God's law go together? The Pharisees prided themselves in the knowledge of the law and their ritual requirements. They made it a life-time practice to study the 613 precepts of the Old Testament along with the numerous rabbinic commentaries. They tested Jesus to see if he correctly understood the law as they did. Jesus startled them with his profound simplicity and mastery of the law of God and its purpose.
What
does God require of us? Simply that we love as he loves! God is love and
everything he does flows from his love for us. God loved us first and our love
for him is a response to his exceeding grace and kindness towards us. The love
of God comes first and the love of neighbor is firmly grounded in the love of God.
The more we know of God's love and truth the more we love what he loves and
reject what is hateful and contrary to his will.
The
love which conquers all
What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us? Faith in God and hope in his promises strengthen us in the love of God. They are essential for a good relationship with God, for being united with him. The more we know of God the more we love him and the more we love him the greater we believe and hope in his promises. The Lord, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as he loves (Galatians 5:13). Do you allow anything to keep you from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous heart? Paul the Apostle says: hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:5). Do you know the love which conquers all?
What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us? Faith in God and hope in his promises strengthen us in the love of God. They are essential for a good relationship with God, for being united with him. The more we know of God the more we love him and the more we love him the greater we believe and hope in his promises. The Lord, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as he loves (Galatians 5:13). Do you allow anything to keep you from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous heart? Paul the Apostle says: hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:5). Do you know the love which conquers all?
"We
love you, O our God; and we desire to love you more and more. Grant to us that
we may love you as much as we desire, and as much as we ought. O dearest
friend, who has so loved and saved us, the thought of whom is so sweet and
always growing sweeter, come with Christ and dwell in our hearts; that you keep
a watch over our lips, our steps, our deeds, and we shall not need to be
anxious either for our souls or our bodies. Give us love, sweetest of all
gifts, which knows no enemy. Give us in our hearts pure love, born of your love
to us, that we may love others as you love us. O most loving Father of Jesus
Christ, from whom flows all love, let our hearts, frozen in sin, cold to you
and cold to others, be warmed by this divine fire. So help and bless us in your
Son." (Prayer of Anselm, 12th century)
A
Daily Quote for Lent: The
fire of God's love, by Augustine of Hippo,354-430 A.D.
"Gravity
keeps everything in its own place. Fire climbs up, while a stone goes down.
Elements that are not in their own place are restless until they find it. This
applies also to us. My weight is my love; wherever I go, I am driven by it. By
the love of God we catch fire ourselves and, by moving up, find our place and
our rest." (excerpt from Confessions 13,9)
FRIDAY, MARCH 29, MARK 12:28-34
Lenten Weekday
(Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 81)
Lenten Weekday
(Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 81)
KEY VERSE: "There is no other commandment greater than these" (v 31).
TO KNOW: The scribes were the learned interpreters of the Law of Moses. They expanded the Law into 613 greater and lesser rules and regulations. One scribe recognized Jesus' skill as a teacher, and asked him which one of the Mosaic Laws was the greatest. Jesus recognized the scribe's sincere search for truth, and summed up the entire Law with two basic decrees that he saw as inseparable. They were the laws upon which all the other commandments were based: to love God with one's entire being (Deut 6:2), and to love one's neighbor as oneself (Lev 19:18). The scribe saw how Jesus has combined two commands given to Israel by Moses, and he declared that the love of God and love of neighbor was worth more than any religious acts that one could perform. Because the scribe understood this principle, he moved a step closer to God's reign.
TO LOVE: Is my love of God demonstrated by the way I love my neighbor? Do I have a healthy self-love?
TO SERVE: Lord God, help me to serve you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
Friday 29 March 2019
Hosea 14:2-10. Psalm 80(81):6, 8-11, 14, 17. Mark 12:28-34
I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice – Psalm 80(81):6, 8-11,
14, 17.
‘If only my people would listen to me!’
How many times does God call us to listen? Listening is a thread
in the psalm and the Gospel today. The scribe had listened to the debate and
felt Jesus had given a good answer, but may have been surprised, when in answer
to his question, Jesus names two commandments and links them together as one.
He explains that love for God cannot be separated from love for
one another. He teaches us that we show our love for God in our practical love
for our neighbour. How many times in our day does our God plead with us? Can we
stop, set aside our busyness and hear those loving words from today’s psalm:
‘You have only to listen, my people, while I give you warning.’
Saint Ludovico of Casoria
Saint of the Day for March 29
(March 11, 1814 – March 30, 1885)
 |
| Statue of Father Ludovico da Casoria in the portico of the sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei | photo by Dario Crespi |
Saint Ludovico of Casoria’s Story
Born in Casoria, near Naples, Arcangelo Palmentieri was a
cabinet-maker before entering the Friars Minor in 1832, taking the name
Ludovico. After his ordination five years later, he taught chemistry, physics,
and mathematics to younger members of his province for several years.
In 1847, he had a mystical experience which he later described
as a cleansing. After that, he dedicated his life to the poor and the infirm,
establishing a dispensary for the poor, two schools for African children, an
institute for the children of nobility, as well as an institution for orphans,
the deaf, and the speechless, and other institutes for the blind, elderly, and
for travelers. In addition to an infirmary for friars of his province, he began
charitable institutes in Naples, Florence, and Assisi. He once said, “Christ’s
love has wounded my heart.” This love prompted him to great acts of charity.
To help continue these works of mercy, in 1859 he established
the Gray Brothers, a religious community composed of men who formerly belonged
to the Secular Franciscan Order. Three years later, he founded the Gray Sisters
of St. Elizabeth for the same purpose.
Toward the beginning of his final, nine-year illness, Ludovico
wrote a spiritual testament which described faith as “light in the darkness,
help in sickness, blessing in tribulations, paradise in the crucifixion, and
life amid death.” The local work for his beatification began within five months
of Ludovico’s death. He was beatified in 1993 and canonized in 2014.
Reflection
Saintly people are not protected from suffering, but with God’s
help they learn how to develop compassion from it. In the face of great
suffering, we move either toward compassion or indifference. Saintly men and
women show us the path toward compassion.
Lectio Divina: Mark 12:28-34
Lectio Divina
Friday, March 29, 2019
Season of Lent
1) Opening prayer
God, we do not want to die;
we want to live.
We want to be happy
but without paying the price.
We belong to our times,
when sacrifice and suffering are out of fashion.
God, make life worth the pain of living it.
Give us back the age-old realization
that life means to be born
again and again in pain,
that it may become again
a journey of hope to You,
together with Christ Jesus our Lord.
we want to live.
We want to be happy
but without paying the price.
We belong to our times,
when sacrifice and suffering are out of fashion.
God, make life worth the pain of living it.
Give us back the age-old realization
that life means to be born
again and again in pain,
that it may become again
a journey of hope to You,
together with Christ Jesus our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is
the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is
this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with
all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as
yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." The scribe
said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and
there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your
understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is
worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw
that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from
the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel (Mk 12:28b-34), the scribes and the doctors
of the Law want to know from Jesus which is the greatest commandment of all.
Even today, many people want to know what is more important in religion. Some
say that it is to be baptized. Others say that it is to go to church and to
participate in the Sunday Mass. Others still say to love our neighbor and to
struggle for a more just world! Others are concerned only with appearances and
with tasks in the Church.
• Mark 12:28: The question of the doctor of the Law. Some time
before the question of the scribe, the discussion was with the Sadducees
concerning faith in the resurrection (Mk 12:23-27). The doctor who had
participated in the debate was pleased with Jesus’ answer. He perceived in it
His great intelligence and wished to take advantage of the occasion to ask a
question to clarify something: “Which is the greatest commandment of all?” At
that time, the Jews had many norms to regulate the observance of the Ten
Commandments of the Law. Some said, “All these norms have the same value,
because they all come from God. It is not up to us to introduce any distinction
in the things of God.” Others said, “Some laws are more important than others,
and for this reason, they oblige more!” The doctor wants to know what Jesus
thinks.
• Mark 12:29-31: Jesus’ response. Jesus responds quoting a
passage from the Bible which says that the greatest among the commandments is
“to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and
with all your strength!” (Dt 6:4-5). At the time of Jesus, pious Jews recited
this phrase three times a day: in the morning, at noon and in the evening. It
was so well known among them just as the Our Father is among us. The Pharisees
would even wear Tefillin (phylacteries) which were tiny scrolls with these
words written on them. And Jesus adds, quoting the Bible again, “The second one
is: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18). There is no other
greater commandment than these two.” A brief but very profound response! It is
the summary of everything that Jesus teaches on God and His life (Mt 7:12).
• Mark 12:32-33: The response of the doctor of the Law. The
doctor agrees with Jesus and concludes, “Well said, to love your neighbor as
yourself, this is far more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.”
That is, the commandment to love is more important than the commandments which
concern the worship and sacrifices of the Temple. The Prophets of the Old
Testament already had affirmed this (Hos 6:6; Ps 40:6-8; Ps 51:16-17).
Today we would say that the practice of love is more important than novenas,
promises, sermons and processions.
• Mark 12:34: The summary of the Kingdom. Jesus confirms the
doctor’s conclusion and says, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God!”
In fact, the Kingdom of God consists in the union of two loves: love toward God
and love toward neighbor. Because if God is Father/Mother, we are all brothers
and sisters, and we should show this in practice, living in community. “On
these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets!” (Mt 22:40). We,
disciples, should keep this law in our mind, in our intelligence, in our heart,
in our hands and feet, because one cannot reach God without giving oneself
totally to one’s neighbor!
• Jesus had said to the doctor of the law, “You are not far from
the Kingdom of God!”(Mk 12:34). The doctor was already close, but in order to
be able to enter the Kingdom he still had to go a step forward. In the Old
Testament the criterion of love toward neighbor was: “Love your neighbor
as yourself”. In the New Testament Jesus extends the sense of love: “This is My
commandment: love one another as I have loved you! (Jn 15:12-23). Then the
criterion will be “Love your neighbor as Jesus has loved us.” This is the sure
path to being able to live together in a more just and fraternal way.
4) Personal questions
• What is the most important priority for you in exercising your
religion?
• Are we (personally, our close community, our society) closer to the Kingdom of God nowadays or farther away from it than the doctor of the Law who was praised by Jesus?
• Are we (personally, our close community, our society) closer to the Kingdom of God nowadays or farther away from it than the doctor of the Law who was praised by Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
Among the gods there is none to compare with You,
for You are great and do marvellous deeds;
You, God, and none other. (Ps 86:8,10)
for You are great and do marvellous deeds;
You, God, and none other. (Ps 86:8,10)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét