Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 364
Lectionary: 364
Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10,
11-12
R.(8a) The
Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
AlleluiaPS 119:36A, 29B
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
and favor me with your law.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
and favor me with your law.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 5:33-37
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God's throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'
Anything more is from the Evil One."
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God's throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'
Anything more is from the Evil One."
Meditation:
Let what you say be simply Yes or No
How
forceful are honest words! (Job 6:25) Jesus addressed the issue of honesty and
truthfulness in one's conduct and speech. What does it mean to be true to one's
word? To be true to oneself and to others requires character. Unfortunately
many people today miserably fail here. No wonder we don’t trust many in
positions of leadership and influence. God is the source of all truth and there
is nothing false or deceitful in him. His word is truth and his law is truth.
His truth liberates us from illusion, deceit, and hypocrisy. Jesus told
his disciples that the truth will make you free (John 8:32).
We
can count on God's word because he is faithful and true to his word and
promises
Why is it so hard to be true and to speak the truth? Truth demands commitment - that we live our lives according to it and be faithful witnesses of the truth. Jesus teaches his disciples the unconditional love of truth. He speaks against bearing false witness and all forms of untruthfulness and swearing unnecessary oaths to God. A disciple's word should be capable of being trusted without verbal rituals to give it validity. Christ's disciple must speak truthfully without "stretching" the truth by adding to it or by compromising the truth by speaking untruth or by leaving out what is necessary to convey what is truthful.
Why is it so hard to be true and to speak the truth? Truth demands commitment - that we live our lives according to it and be faithful witnesses of the truth. Jesus teaches his disciples the unconditional love of truth. He speaks against bearing false witness and all forms of untruthfulness and swearing unnecessary oaths to God. A disciple's word should be capable of being trusted without verbal rituals to give it validity. Christ's disciple must speak truthfully without "stretching" the truth by adding to it or by compromising the truth by speaking untruth or by leaving out what is necessary to convey what is truthful.
Do
you allow God's word of truth to rule your mind and heart?
Thomas Aquinas said: People could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one another... (In justice) as a matter of honor, one person owes it to another to manifest the truth. Are you true to God, to yourself, and to others? And do you allow God's word of truth to penetrate your mind and heart and to form your conscience - the way you think, judge, act, and speak?
Thomas Aquinas said: People could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one another... (In justice) as a matter of honor, one person owes it to another to manifest the truth. Are you true to God, to yourself, and to others? And do you allow God's word of truth to penetrate your mind and heart and to form your conscience - the way you think, judge, act, and speak?
"Set
a watch, Lord, upon my tongue, that I may never speak the cruel word which is
not true; or being true, is not the whole truth; or being wholly true, is
merciless; for the love of Jesus Christ our Lord."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The Light of Truth, by
Chromatius (died 406 AD)
"By
the grace of gospel teaching, the law given by Moses acquired an advantage. The
law prescribes that one must not swear falsely; but according to the gospel one
must not swear at all. The Holy Spirit had seen fit to order this through
Solomon when he said, 'Do not accustom your mouth to oaths' (Sirach 23:9). And
again: 'Even as a well-chastised servant is not deterred from envy, whoever
swears and does business will not be purged from sin' (Sirach 23:11). Therefore
it is absolutely inappropriate for us to swear. What need is there for us to
swear when we are not allowed to lie at all and our words must always be true
and trustworthy, so much so that they may be taken as an oath? On this, the
Lord not only forbids us to swear falsely but even to swear, lest we appear to
tell the truth only when we swear and lest (while we should be truthful in our
every word) we think it is all right to lie when we do not take an oath. For
this is the purpose of an oath: Everyone who swears, swears to the fact what he
is saying is true. Therefore the Lord does not want a gap between our oath and
our ordinary speech. Even as there must be no faithlessness in an oath, in our
words there must be no lie. For both false swearing and lying are punished with
divine judgment, as the Scripture says: 'The mouth that lies kills the soul'
(Wisdom 1:11). So whoever speaks the truth swears, for it is written: 'A
faithful witness will not lie' (Proverbs 14:5). (excerpt from TRACTATE
ON MATTHEW 24.2.2–4)
[Note:
Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was
a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome
describead him as a "most learned and most holy man."]
SATURDAY, JUNE 15, MATTHEW 5:33-37
Weekday
(2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Psalm 103)
Weekday
(2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Psalm 103)
KEY VERSE: "Let your `Yes,' mean `Yes,' and your `No' mean `No'" (v. 37).
TO KNOW: God's name was often invoked in an oath as a guarantee of a person's truthfulness. The Law of Moses prohibited profaning God's name by swearing a false oath (Lv 19:12). Some tried to avoid speaking the name of God when taking an oath, appealing instead to heaven, earth, the Holy city, or even their own person. Jesus said that this amounted to speaking the divine name since God made all things. Jesus told his disciples that they should be straight-forward and sincere in their transactions. Paul said that a Christian should not be of two minds. For Christians who were honest in their dealings with others, a simple "Yes" or "No" made oaths unnecessary. Jesus Christ was always an emphatic "Yes" to God's will (2 Cor 1:17-20).
TO LOVE: Am I honest with others? With myself? With God?
TO SERVE: Holy Spirit, fill me the courage to speak the truth in all circumstances
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, in the Liturgy, and reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary.
Saturday 15 June 2019
2 Corinthians 5:14-21. Psalm 102(103):1-4, 4-8, 11-12. Matthew
5:33-37.
The Lord is kind and merciful – Psalm 102(103):1-4, 4-8, 11-12.
‘The love of Christ urges us on.’
The Lord is kind and merciful – Psalm 102(103):1-4, 4-8, 11-12.
‘The love of Christ urges us on.’
There is a theme of forgiveness and reconciliation in today’s
readings. Paul reminds us that we have been entrusted with the ministry of
reconciliation and he asks us to practise this in our everyday lives.
The psalm is beautiful, and it is worth reading all the verses.
How can we not be overwhelmed by a God who casts our faults ‘as far as east is
from west’?
Jesus was clear and open in his teaching. He called his
disciples – and calls us too – to be authentic, to say yes if we mean yes and
no if we mean no. Let us look into our hearts today and seek opportunities to
forgive those who have hurt us rather than wait for them to say sorry. May our
experience of God’s forgiveness send us out as ambassadors of reconciliation.
Ours is a God who loves us first, without any exacting calculations.
Saint Marguerite d’Youville
Saint of the Day for June 15
(October 15, 1701 – December 23, 1771)
 |
| Portrait of Mère Marguerite d’Youville (1701-1771) | James Duncan |
Saint Marguerite d’Youville’s Story
We learn compassion from allowing our lives to be influenced by
compassionate people, by seeing life from their perspectives, and reconsidering
our own values.
Born in Varennes, Canada, Marie Marguerite Dufrost de
Lajemmerais had to interrupt her schooling at the age of 12 to help her widowed
mother. Eight years later she married François d’Youville; they had six
children, four of whom died young. Despite the fact that her husband gambled,
sold liquor illegally to Native Americans, and treated her indifferently, she
cared for him compassionately until his death in 1730.
Even though she was caring for two small children and running a
store to help pay off her husband’s debts, Marguerite still helped the poor.
Once her children were grown, she and several companions rescued a Quebec
hospital that was in danger of failing. She called her community the Institute
of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal; the people called them the “Grey Nuns”
because of the color of their habits. In time, a proverb arose among the poor
people of Montreal, “Go to the Grey Nuns; they never refuse to serve.” In time,
five other religious communities traced their roots to the Grey Nuns.
The General Hospital in Montreal became known as the Hôtel Dieu
(House of God) and set a standard for medical care and Christian compassion.
When the hospital was destroyed by fire in 1766, Mère Marguerite knelt in the
ashes, led the Te Deum—a hymn to God’s providence in all
circumstances—and began the rebuilding process. She fought the attempts
of government officials to restrain her charity, and established the first
foundling home in North America.
Pope Saint John XXIII, who beatified Mère Marguerite in 1959,
called her the “Mother of Universal Charity.” She was canonized in 1990.
Her Liturgical Feast Day is October 16.
Reflection
Saints deal with plenty of discouragement, plenty of reasons to
say, “Life isn’t fair” and wonder where God is in the rubble of their lives. We
honor saints like Marguerite because they show us that with God’s grace and our
cooperation, suffering can lead to compassion rather than bitterness.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 5:33-37
Lectio Divina
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God of wisdom and love,
source of all good,
send Your Spirit to teach us Your truth
and guide our actions
in Your way of peace.
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.
source of all good,
send Your Spirit to teach us Your truth
and guide our actions
in Your way of peace.
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 - Matthew 5:33-37
Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was
said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all
that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is
God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for
it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot
make a single hair white or black. Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No'
mean 'No.' Anything more is from the Evil One."
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel, Jesus rereads the commandment: “Do not
commit perjury.” And here also He surpasses the letter, concerning the spirit
of the law, and seeks to indicate the ultimate goal of this commandment: to
attain total transparency in relationships among people. Here we can apply what
we said concerning the two commandments “Do not kill” and “Do not commit
adultery.” It is a question of a new way of interpreting and setting into
practice the law of Moses, starting from the new experience of God the Father
which Jesus has brought to us. He rereads the law beginning with the intention
that God had in proclaiming it centuries ago on Mount Sinai.
• Matthew 5:33: It was said to our ancestors: you must not
swear. The Law of the Old Testament said, “Do not commit perjury” and it
added that the person should swear for the Lord. In the Psalms it is said that
“one can go up to the Mountain of Yahweh and reach the holy place, if he
has innocent hands and a pure heart, and does not confide in idols, nor swear
in order to deceive”(Ps 24:4). The same thing is said in other parts of the Old
Testament (Eccl 5:3-4), because one must be able to trust the words of others.
In order to promote this reciprocal trust, tradition had invented the help of
the oath. In order to strengthen one’s own word, the person would swear on
someone or on something which was greater than he and who could punish him if
he did not do what he had promised. Things continue to be like this up to the
present time. Whether in the Church or in society, there are some moments and
occasions which demand a solemn oath from people. In the final analysis, the
oath is the expression of the conviction that nobody can completely trust the
word of another.
• Matthew 5:34-36: But I say to you: do not
swear. Jesus wants to heal this defect. It is not enough “not to swear.”
He goes beyond and affirms: “But I say to you: do not swear at
all: either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by earth, since that
is His footstool, or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great King. Do
not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or
black. All you need to say is ‘Yes’ if you mean yes, and ‘No’ if you mean no.
Anything more than this comes from the Evil One.”
They would swear on heaven and on earth, on the city of
Jerusalem, on their own head. Jesus shows that all that does not cure the pain
and suffering from the lack of transparency and trust among people. What is the
solution which He proposes?
• Matthew 5:37: Let your speech be yes, yes; no,
no. The solution which God proposes is the following: Let your speech
be yes, yes; no, no; anything more than this comes from the Evil One. He
proposes a radical and total honesty. Nothing more. Anything more that you say
comes from the Evil One. Here again, we are confronted with an objective which
will always remain in our mind and which we will never succeed in fulfilling
completely. It is another expression of the new ideal of justice which Jesus
proposes: “to be perfect like the Heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Jesus
uproots any attempt to create the conviction that I am saved because I observe
the law. Nobody can merit God’s grace, because otherwise it would not be a
grace. We observe the Law, not in order to merit salvation, but in order
to thank with all our heart for the immense gratuitous goodness of
God, who accepts us and saves us without any merit on our part.
4) Personal questions
• How honest is my speech? How honest am I with myself as I
answer that?
• Is Jesus addressing intent in this instruction, to be trustworthy without external aids?
• Or is He addressing the hypocrisy of having one truth when speaking and another when under oath?
• Or is He giving instructions to not do a physical act, as one might be asked to do in a modern courtroom?
• Is Jesus addressing intent in this instruction, to be trustworthy without external aids?
• Or is He addressing the hypocrisy of having one truth when speaking and another when under oath?
• Or is He giving instructions to not do a physical act, as one might be asked to do in a modern courtroom?
5) Concluding Prayer
I bless Yahweh who is my counselor,
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep Yahweh before me always,
for with Him at my right hand, nothing can shake me.
(Ps 16:7-8)
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep Yahweh before me always,
for with Him at my right hand, nothing can shake me.
(Ps 16:7-8)
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