Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 120
Lectionary: 120
In those days, the princes said to the king:
"Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,
and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
he is not interested in the welfare of our people,
but in their ruin."
King Zedekiah answered: "He is in your power";
for the king could do nothing with them.
And so they took Jeremiah
and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,
which was in the quarters of the guard,
letting him down with ropes.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud,
and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Ebed-melech, a court official,
went there from the palace and said to him:
"My lord king,
these men have been at fault
in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah,
casting him into the cistern.
He will die of famine on the spot,
for there is no more food in the city."
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite
to take three men along with him,
and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before
he should die.
"Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,
and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
he is not interested in the welfare of our people,
but in their ruin."
King Zedekiah answered: "He is in your power";
for the king could do nothing with them.
And so they took Jeremiah
and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,
which was in the quarters of the guard,
letting him down with ropes.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud,
and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Ebed-melech, a court official,
went there from the palace and said to him:
"My lord king,
these men have been at fault
in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah,
casting him into the cistern.
He will die of famine on the spot,
for there is no more food in the city."
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite
to take three men along with him,
and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before
he should die.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 40:2, 3, 4, 18
R. (14b) Lord, come to my aid!
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
The LORD heard my cry.
He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
he made firm my steps.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
and trust in the LORD.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Though I am afflicted and poor,
yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, hold not back!
R. Lord, come to my aid!
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
The LORD heard my cry.
He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
he made firm my steps.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
and trust in the LORD.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Though I am afflicted and poor,
yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, hold not back!
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Reading 2HEB 12:1-4
Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
AlleluiaJN 10:27
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
"I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
Meditation: "I came to cast fire upon the
earth"
Do
you want to be on fire for God? Jesus shocked his disciples when he declared
that he would cast fire and cause division rather than peace upon the earth.
What kind of fire did Jesus have in mind here?
The
fire of God's purifying love and cleansing word
The image of fire in biblical times was often associated with God and with his action in the world and in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as God's revelation to Moses through the burning bush in the wilderness which was not consumed by the flames (Exodus 3:2). God assured the Hebrew people of his continual presence, guidance, and protection for them through the wilderness for forty years with the pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13:21-22). The prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven to reveal God's presence and power and to purify the people of false idols (1 Kings 18:36-39). The image of fire was also used as a sign of God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13) and holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), and his righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9) and holy wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16).
The image of fire in biblical times was often associated with God and with his action in the world and in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as God's revelation to Moses through the burning bush in the wilderness which was not consumed by the flames (Exodus 3:2). God assured the Hebrew people of his continual presence, guidance, and protection for them through the wilderness for forty years with the pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13:21-22). The prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven to reveal God's presence and power and to purify the people of false idols (1 Kings 18:36-39). The image of fire was also used as a sign of God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13) and holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), and his righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9) and holy wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16).
Fire
is also a sign and symbol of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. John
the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire
(Matthew 3:11-12 and Luke 3:16-17). When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon
the disciples at Pentecost "tongues of fire" appeared above their
heads (Acts 2:3). We can see from both the Old and New Testament Scriptures
that God's fire purifies and cleanses to make us clean (sins washed away) and
holy (fit to offer him acceptable praise and worship), and it inspires a
reverent fear (awe in God's presence) and respect (obeying and giving God his
due) for God and for his holy word.
Loyalty
unites - division separates
Why did Jesus link fire from heaven with costly division on the earth? Did he expect his followers to take his statement of "father against son and son against father" and "mother against daughter and daughter against mother" literally? Or was he intentionally using a figure of speech to emphasize the choice and cost of following him above all else? Jesus used a typical Hebrew hyperbole (a figure of speech which uses strong language and exaggeration for emphasis) to drive home an important lesson. We often do the same when we want to emphasize something very strongly. Jesus' hyperbole, however, did contain a real warning that the Gospel message does have serious consequences for our lives.
Why did Jesus link fire from heaven with costly division on the earth? Did he expect his followers to take his statement of "father against son and son against father" and "mother against daughter and daughter against mother" literally? Or was he intentionally using a figure of speech to emphasize the choice and cost of following him above all else? Jesus used a typical Hebrew hyperbole (a figure of speech which uses strong language and exaggeration for emphasis) to drive home an important lesson. We often do the same when we want to emphasize something very strongly. Jesus' hyperbole, however, did contain a real warning that the Gospel message does have serious consequences for our lives.
When
Jesus spoke about division within families he likely had in mind the prophecy
of Micah: a man's enemies are the men of his own household (Micah
7:6). The essence of Christianity is loyalty to Jesus Christ - the Son of God
and Savior of the world - a loyalty that takes precedence over every other
relationship. The love of God compels us to choose who will be first in our
lives. To place any relationship (or anything else) above God is a form of
idolatry.
Who
do you love first and foremost?
Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?
Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?
The
Gospel message is good news for those who seek pardon, peace, and the abundant
life which God offers us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus offers true
freedom to those who believe in him - freedom from slavery to sin, Satan, and
the oppressive forces of hatred and evil that can destroy body, mind, and
spirit. Do you listen to the voice of your Savior and trust in his word? Commit
your ways to him, obey his word, and you will find true peace, joy, and
happiness in the Lord your God.
"Lord
Jesus, may the fire of your love consume me and transform my life that I may
truly desire nothing more than life with you. Fill me with the power of your
Holy Spirit that I may always seek to please you and do your will."
Daily Quote from the
early church fathers: The fire of the Gospel
and being baptized in the Holy Spirit, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"We
affirm that the fire that Christ sent out is for humanity's salvation and
profit. May God grant that all our hearts be full of this. The fire is the
saving message of the Gospel and the power of its commandments. We were cold
and dead because of sin and in ignorance of him who by nature is truly God. The
gospel ignites all of us on earth to a life of piety and makes us fervent in
spirit, according to the expression of blessed Paul (Romans 12:11). Besides
this, we are also made partakers of the Holy Spirit, who is like fire within us.
We have been baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit. We have learned the way
from what Christ says to us. Listen to his words: 'Truly I say to you, that
except a man be born of water and spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God'
(John 3:5). It is the divinely inspired Scripture's custom to give the name of
fire sometimes to the divine and sacred words and to the efficacy and power
which is by the Holy Spirit by which we are made fervent in spirit." (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 94)
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
For nearly three-fourths of a century after the death of Isaiah no great prophet arose in Judah. It seemed as though the work of the religious leaders in the 8th century B.C. had been in vain. During the long and wicked reign of Manasseh (693-639 B.C.) idolatrous worship was established more firmly than ever, and the morals of the people sank to the lowest ebb. The prophets of Yahweh who dared to raise their voices in protest and warning were either silenced or brutally murdered. It was only after a change for the better had been inaugurated under the successors of Manasseh, that “men of God” again came to the forefront, and a second golden age of Hebrew prophecy began. It is the age of Jeremiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The greatest of these, and at the same time the most Christlike of all the prophets, was Jeremiah.
As we join our first reading today it is 588 B.C., the armies of Nebuchadnezzar have laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. Jeremiah has counseled surrender, but at the instigation of the princes was thrown into prison. Set free, he attempted to retire to his native Anatoth (a Levitical town of Benjamin north of Jerusalem) only to be apprehended as a “deserter.”
4 “This man ought to be put to death,” the princes said to the king; “he demoralizes the soldiers who are left in this city,
The full expression is “he weakens the hands of the soldiers.”
and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.” 5 King Zedekiah answered:
After hearing the complaint of the princes, the king states his own criticism: The true power is not in his hands but those of the princes.
“He is in your power”; for the king could do nothing with them. 6 And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Their final intention was to bring about Jeremiah’s death without bloodshed [sort of like when Joseph was put into the cistern (Genesis 37:17-22)].
8 [ ] Ebed-melech
A Cushite (Ethiopian) eunuch in the court of Zedekiah. The Greek aithiopia (burnt face-dom) is derived from the same Egyptian phrase from which aigyptos (Egypt) is derived. The ancient Ethiopia was not the same region as the modern kingdom of Ethiopia; the name designated the ancient Nubia, the modern Sudan: the valley of the Nile from the 2nd cataract to the 6th cataract.
went there from the palace and said to him, 9 “My lord king, these men have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern. He will die of famine on the spot, for there is no more food in the city.” 10 Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die.
2nd Reading - Hebrews 12:1-4
Last week we began our study of the book of Hebrews from where we had left off in Cycle B. Last week we heard of the faith of Abraham as an example of the theological faith that we all should possess – a faith of hope and trust. We now hear how we are to live out our faith.
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
Like the glory cloud of God’s presence.
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader
The context is the running of a race in which those who run must free themselves from anything which would impede their progress and keep their eyes on the final destination, Jesus.
and perfecter of faith.
The one who consecrates us
For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Jesus is the model for endurance and hardship.
3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
It is difficult to know the nature of the hardships and the persecution the addressees suffered after being baptized and becoming Christians, but it appears that none of the community has undergone martyrdom. We are called to be like Christ and He did this. “Christ bore our corruption only in His flesh, in which truly He bore also our death. In His soul, however, He preserved a perfect incorruptibility, as He had no sin by inheritance nor did He contract any through contagion. Whence also Christ bore without any corruption the weaknesses of our souls, which He bore in His rational soul. For no deficiency of power could be present where the perfection of love held strong in the unflagging acceptance of weakness, a perfection of love which brought the Only-begotten God to march straight to death for us, and, despising shame, to bear the disgrace of the cross. On that account did Christ have the sorrow and grief of our souls; and if He had the weaknesses of our souls, He had them truly, but voluntarily. Truly, of course, so that He might manifestly display in Himself the feeling of a rational soul; and voluntarily, so that He could demonstrate that the assistance of His strength was ready to help our weaknesses.” [Saint Fulgence of Ruspe (A.D. 512-527), Letter to Count Reginus 18,9]
4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
Gospel - Luke 12:49-53
Continuing our discussion of last week where Jesus told the disciples of internal problems caused by selfish Church officials, Jesus now goes on to tell them that He has not come to give peace, but discord.
[Jesus said to His disciples:] 49 “I have come to set the earth on fire,
Fire is usually a figure of judgment (see Luke 3:16-17); here it seems to be the fire that will separate and purify those who are meant for the kingdom (purgatorial fire?). It will work through Jesus’ word and His Spirit. The Gospel of Thomas (an apocryphal Gnostic gospel), saying 10: “Jesus said, ‘I have thrown fire on the world and, behold, I am guarding it until it is ablaze’.”
and how I wish it were already blazing! 50 There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Jesus refers to His coming passion, into which He will be “plunged.” The image is derived from Psalm 124:4-5 and indicates the depths of sorrow and suffering that await Him in His human condition. In the case of infants or adults, martyrdom can take the place of actual baptism in water.
“We have, indeed, a second font, one with the former: namely, that of blood, of which the Lord says: ‘There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,’ when He had already been baptized. For he had come through water and blood (1 John 5:6), as John wrote, so that He might be baptized with water and glorified with blood. He sent out these two baptisms from the wound in His pierced side, that we might in like manner be called by water and chosen by blood, and so that they who believed in His blood might be washed in the water. If they might be washed in water, they must necessarily be so by blood (see Matthew 22:14). This is the baptism which replaces that of the fountain, when it has not been received, and restores it when it has been lost.” [Tertullian (A.D. 200-206), Baptism 16,1]
51 Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
This doesn’t contradict Luke 1:79 or 7:50. Jesus will not tolerate peace at any cost. He will not bring the sobriety of the status quo, but the sword that will divide the eager from the contented. By resisting, through sin, the redeeming work of Christ, we become His opponents.
52 From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
For nearly three-fourths of a century after the death of Isaiah no great prophet arose in Judah. It seemed as though the work of the religious leaders in the 8th century B.C. had been in vain. During the long and wicked reign of Manasseh (693-639 B.C.) idolatrous worship was established more firmly than ever, and the morals of the people sank to the lowest ebb. The prophets of Yahweh who dared to raise their voices in protest and warning were either silenced or brutally murdered. It was only after a change for the better had been inaugurated under the successors of Manasseh, that “men of God” again came to the forefront, and a second golden age of Hebrew prophecy began. It is the age of Jeremiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The greatest of these, and at the same time the most Christlike of all the prophets, was Jeremiah.
As we join our first reading today it is 588 B.C., the armies of Nebuchadnezzar have laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. Jeremiah has counseled surrender, but at the instigation of the princes was thrown into prison. Set free, he attempted to retire to his native Anatoth (a Levitical town of Benjamin north of Jerusalem) only to be apprehended as a “deserter.”
4 “This man ought to be put to death,” the princes said to the king; “he demoralizes the soldiers who are left in this city,
The full expression is “he weakens the hands of the soldiers.”
and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.” 5 King Zedekiah answered:
After hearing the complaint of the princes, the king states his own criticism: The true power is not in his hands but those of the princes.
“He is in your power”; for the king could do nothing with them. 6 And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Their final intention was to bring about Jeremiah’s death without bloodshed [sort of like when Joseph was put into the cistern (Genesis 37:17-22)].
8 [ ] Ebed-melech
A Cushite (Ethiopian) eunuch in the court of Zedekiah. The Greek aithiopia (burnt face-dom) is derived from the same Egyptian phrase from which aigyptos (Egypt) is derived. The ancient Ethiopia was not the same region as the modern kingdom of Ethiopia; the name designated the ancient Nubia, the modern Sudan: the valley of the Nile from the 2nd cataract to the 6th cataract.
went there from the palace and said to him, 9 “My lord king, these men have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern. He will die of famine on the spot, for there is no more food in the city.” 10 Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die.
2nd Reading - Hebrews 12:1-4
Last week we began our study of the book of Hebrews from where we had left off in Cycle B. Last week we heard of the faith of Abraham as an example of the theological faith that we all should possess – a faith of hope and trust. We now hear how we are to live out our faith.
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
Like the glory cloud of God’s presence.
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader
The context is the running of a race in which those who run must free themselves from anything which would impede their progress and keep their eyes on the final destination, Jesus.
and perfecter of faith.
The one who consecrates us
For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Jesus is the model for endurance and hardship.
3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
It is difficult to know the nature of the hardships and the persecution the addressees suffered after being baptized and becoming Christians, but it appears that none of the community has undergone martyrdom. We are called to be like Christ and He did this. “Christ bore our corruption only in His flesh, in which truly He bore also our death. In His soul, however, He preserved a perfect incorruptibility, as He had no sin by inheritance nor did He contract any through contagion. Whence also Christ bore without any corruption the weaknesses of our souls, which He bore in His rational soul. For no deficiency of power could be present where the perfection of love held strong in the unflagging acceptance of weakness, a perfection of love which brought the Only-begotten God to march straight to death for us, and, despising shame, to bear the disgrace of the cross. On that account did Christ have the sorrow and grief of our souls; and if He had the weaknesses of our souls, He had them truly, but voluntarily. Truly, of course, so that He might manifestly display in Himself the feeling of a rational soul; and voluntarily, so that He could demonstrate that the assistance of His strength was ready to help our weaknesses.” [Saint Fulgence of Ruspe (A.D. 512-527), Letter to Count Reginus 18,9]
4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
Gospel - Luke 12:49-53
Continuing our discussion of last week where Jesus told the disciples of internal problems caused by selfish Church officials, Jesus now goes on to tell them that He has not come to give peace, but discord.
[Jesus said to His disciples:] 49 “I have come to set the earth on fire,
Fire is usually a figure of judgment (see Luke 3:16-17); here it seems to be the fire that will separate and purify those who are meant for the kingdom (purgatorial fire?). It will work through Jesus’ word and His Spirit. The Gospel of Thomas (an apocryphal Gnostic gospel), saying 10: “Jesus said, ‘I have thrown fire on the world and, behold, I am guarding it until it is ablaze’.”
and how I wish it were already blazing! 50 There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Jesus refers to His coming passion, into which He will be “plunged.” The image is derived from Psalm 124:4-5 and indicates the depths of sorrow and suffering that await Him in His human condition. In the case of infants or adults, martyrdom can take the place of actual baptism in water.
“We have, indeed, a second font, one with the former: namely, that of blood, of which the Lord says: ‘There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,’ when He had already been baptized. For he had come through water and blood (1 John 5:6), as John wrote, so that He might be baptized with water and glorified with blood. He sent out these two baptisms from the wound in His pierced side, that we might in like manner be called by water and chosen by blood, and so that they who believed in His blood might be washed in the water. If they might be washed in water, they must necessarily be so by blood (see Matthew 22:14). This is the baptism which replaces that of the fountain, when it has not been received, and restores it when it has been lost.” [Tertullian (A.D. 200-206), Baptism 16,1]
51 Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
This doesn’t contradict Luke 1:79 or 7:50. Jesus will not tolerate peace at any cost. He will not bring the sobriety of the status quo, but the sword that will divide the eager from the contented. By resisting, through sin, the redeeming work of Christ, we become His opponents.
52 From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, LUKE 12:49-53
(Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Psalm 40; Hebrews 12:1-4)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, LUKE 12:49-53
(Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Psalm 40; Hebrews 12:1-4)
KEY VERSE: "There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!" (v. 49).
TO KNOW: As Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem, he was consumed with a passion to redeem humanity from its sins. He was in anguish until it could be accomplished. John the Baptist had foretold that Jesus would baptize with the purifying fire of the Spirit (Lk 3:16). This "baptism of fire" would be set ablaze on the cross at Calvary when Jesus was plunged into his death and resurrection. His proclamation of the kingdom was a refining fire that required total commitment from his disciples -- no one could remain neutral (Rv. 3:15-16). Like the prophet Jeremiah, Jesus was prepared to face the consequences as he spoke God's truth to those who refused to hear it (Jer 38:4-10). Jesus' message was a two-edged sword (Hb 4:12), which would cause dissension, even among members of the same family who were either for or against him (Lk 2:34). This dissension was described by the prophet Micah who said that a person's enemies might be those of one’s own household (Micah 7:6).
TO LOVE: Do I share my faith with my family even though I might face rejection?
TO SERVE: Holy Spirit, help me to live my baptismal call in everything I do.
Sunday 18 August 2019
20th Week in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10. Psalm 39(40):2-4, 18. Hebrews 12:1-4.
Luke 12:49-53.
Lord, come to our aid! – Psalm 39(40):2-4, 18.
‘I have come to cast fire on the earth, how I wish it were
blazing already!’
Celebrated composer Christopher Willcock SJ’s uplifting
commissioning hymn ‘Whence Comes This Fire?’ takes as its chorus the opening
line from today’s Gospel: ‘I have come to cast fire on the earth, how I wish it
were blazing already!’
The lyrics of the first two verses embed the title question in
scriptural references: ‘whence comes this fire in the land of Judea? whence
comes this fire in the sky in the East?’ In verse two we ask ‘whence comes this
fire?’ on the roads to Emmaus and Damascus, places of life-changing encounters
with the risen Christ.
A repeated question ‘whence comes this fire which preserves life
in us?’ ends both the second and fourth verses, giving us pause to consider the
sustaining fire at the heart of our lives: God’s Holy Spirit. It is a beautiful
hymn making us aware of Jesus’ desire that his fire ‘take hold of our hearts’.
Saint Louis of Toulouse
Saint of the Day for August 18
(February 9, 1274 – August 19, 1297)
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| Saint Louis of Toulouse | Carlo Crivelli | Church of Santa Lucia, Montefiore dell’Aso, Italy |
Saint Louis of Toulouse’s Story
When he died at the age of 23, Louis was already a Franciscan, a
bishop, and a saint!
Louis’s parents were Charles II of Naples and Sicily, and Mary,
daughter of the King of Hungary. Louis was related to Saint Louis IX on
his father’s side and to Elizabeth of Hungary on his mother’s side.
Louis showed early signs of attachment to prayer and to the
corporal works of mercy. As a child he used to take food from the castle to
feed the poor. When he was 14, Louis and two of his brothers were taken as
hostages to the king of Aragon’s court as part of a political deal involving
Louis’s father. At the court, Louis was tutored by Franciscan friars under whom
he made great progress both in his studies and in the spiritual life. Like
Saint Francis he developed a special love for those afflicted with
leprosy.
While he was still a hostage, Louis decided to renounce his
royal title and become a priest. When he was 20, he was allowed to leave the
king of Aragon’s court. He renounced his title in favor of his brother Robert
and was ordained the next year. Very shortly after, he was appointed bishop of
Toulouse, but the pope agreed to Louis’s request to become a Franciscan first.
The Franciscan spirit pervaded Louis. “Jesus Christ is all my
riches; he alone is sufficient for me,” Louis kept repeating. Even as a bishop
he wore the Franciscan habit and sometimes begged. He assigned a friar to offer
him correction—in public if necessary—and the friar did his job.
Louis’s service to the Diocese of Toulouse was richly blessed.
In no time he was considered a saint. Louis set aside 75 percent of his income
as bishop to feed the poor and maintain churches. Each day he fed 25 poor
people at his table.
Louis was canonized in 1317 by Pope
John XXII, one of his former teachers. His Liturgical Feast Day is
August 19.
Reflection
When Cardinal Hugolino, the future Pope Gregory IX, suggested to
Francis that some of the friars would make fine bishops, Francis protested that
they might lose some of their humility and simplicity if appointed to those
positions. Those two virtues are needed everywhere in the Church, and Louis
shows us how they can be lived out by bishops.
Lectio
Divina: 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time (C)
Lectio Divina
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Attentive to the events.
Jesus teaches to read the signs of the times
Luke 12, 49-59
Jesus teaches to read the signs of the times
Luke 12, 49-59
Opening prayer
Shaddai, God of the mountain,
You who make of our fragile life
the rock of Your dwelling place,
lead our mind
to strike the rock of the desert,
so that water may gush to quench our thirst.
You who make of our fragile life
the rock of Your dwelling place,
lead our mind
to strike the rock of the desert,
so that water may gush to quench our thirst.
May the poverty of our feelings
cover us as with a mantle in the darkness of the night
and may it open our heart to hear the echo of silence
until the dawn,
wrapping us with the light of the new morning,
may bring us,
with the spent embers of the fire of the shepherds of the Absolute
who have kept vigil for us close to the divine Master,
the flavor of the holy memory.
cover us as with a mantle in the darkness of the night
and may it open our heart to hear the echo of silence
until the dawn,
wrapping us with the light of the new morning,
may bring us,
with the spent embers of the fire of the shepherds of the Absolute
who have kept vigil for us close to the divine Master,
the flavor of the holy memory.
1. LECTIO
a) The text:
Jesus said to his disciples: "I have come to set the earth
on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which
I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do
you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but
rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against
two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son
against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her
mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law." He also said to the crowds, "When you see
(a) cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain - and
so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say
that it is going to be hot - and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to
interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to
interpret the present time? "Why do you not judge for yourselves what is
right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort
to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to
the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable
throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have
paid the last penny."
b) A moment of silence:
Let us allow the voice of the Word to resonate within us.
2. MEDITATIO
a) Some questions:
- I have come to bring fire to the earth: Fire
presupposes a vehemence of sentiment and a center of life because where there
is light, heat, force, movement, there is life, and not a life which is
stagnant, but a life which is continuously nourished. Does the fire of the life
of God burn in me?
- Why not judge for yourselves what is upright? The
invitation to discern personally is even more urgent in a world in which
opinions run after each other and form a “mass”… How much do I allow myself to
be conditioned by the judgments and criteria chosen by others?
- Make an effort to settle with him on the way… You are
walking to go to the tribunal because you think you are right, but the opponent
also has the same certainty. How do I feel before the one who I feel is hostile
toward me? Do I feel sure of myself to the point of going to the tribunal or
rather do I try to agree with my opponent on the way?
b) Detailed Analysis of the Text:
v. 49. I have come to bring fire to the earth; and how I
wish it were blazing already! The fire which is not extinguished
comes from Heaven, it is the fire of the Spirit which makes of all things that
exist, the luminous and warm expression of the divine Presence among us. The
Baptism of love. The light is born, the bread is born, the water is born, God
is born! The cross, a new Bethlehem, house of the perfect bread, a new Emmaus,
the hostel of the broken bread, a new Bethany, house of the perfumed bread
offered to men forever.
v. 50. There is a baptism I must still receive; and what
constraint I am under until it is completed! Anguish,
the symptom of those fears which from within get hold of one and disfigure,
distort and leave without breath, Jesus also experienced this. What can one do
against anguish? Nothing can be done but only wait so that what is good is
fulfilled and that the fears be involved in the event itself. Anguish clasps
tightly and can demolish every possibility of interior movement. The anguish of
the one who trusts and accepts life, even if it clasps the person tightly in a
terrible vice like grip, does not demolish, but rather fortifies in so far as
it renders the waiting free or devoid of illusions and of easy hopes.
v, 51. Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on
earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. Man seeks
peace. But what peace? The peace of “do not disturb me”, the peace of “let us
not make problems”, the peace of “everything is fine”, a superficial peace.
This peace is the earthly peace. Jesus has come to bring us the true peace, the
fullness of the gifts of God. This peace then, is no longer called peace, but
in so far as it is against the apparent peace, it is called, in the eyes of man
“division”. It can well be said that the peace of Christ elects or
chooses and in so far as it elects, it distinguishes, like a magnet which with its
magnetic field attracts to itself what is of the same “nature”, but it does not
attract anything which is not of a similar nature.
vv. 52-53. For from now on, a household of five will be
divided: three against two and two against three; father opposed to son, son to
father, mother to daughter, daughter to mother, mother-in-law to
daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law to mother-in-law. Everything which
divides does not come from God, because in God there is unity. But, in His name
it is possible to go beyond the natural commandment. Honor your father and
mother, says the ancient law, and the new law, which is that of love
without limit, even says: He who loves father and mother more than Me is
not worthy of Me. Division in this case can be understood as the priority of
love, a hierarchy of values. To God, the source of life corresponds to the
first place. To the father and the mother who have accepted, welcomed life,
goes the second place… Such an order is in the logical nature of that order. It
is not an honor to the father and the mother to disobey God or to love Christ
less, because the love for father and mother is a love of response, the love of
God is generating love.
vv. 54-55. He said again to the crowds, “When you see a
cloud looming up in the west you say at once that rain is coming, and so it
does. When the wind is from the south you say it is going to be hot, and it
is. Before reproaching the crowds, Jesus appreciates the good that they
are capable of doing. If a cloud comes from the west, it is rain that comes.
Man has this certainty as a result that he has been observing the natural
phenomena up to the point of formulating laws. If the wind comes from the
south, it will be hot. Confirmed and reflected upon, it regulates the
consequences for us.
v. 56. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the face of
the earth and the sky. How is it you do not know how to interpret these
times? Why not use the same criteria for the events of the present moment?
History speaks for itself. Why not evaluate it on the basis of experience? The
logic which binds premises and consequences is the same one on human events and
on supernatural ones. The world of relationships, the world of religious
convictions, the world of human expectations… everything is subject to the same
law. Then, if Christ has been expected for centuries as the fulfillment
of the promises of God, and if this Jesus of Nazareth fulfills the works of
faith with the finger of God, why doubt that the Kingdom of God has arrived?
This is hypocrisy. It is not to want to admit God’s fidelity and to insist and
persist in waiting for the fulfillment of what we have seen.
v. 57. Why not judge for yourselves what is upright? What
is upright can always be judged. It does not serve to wait for the judgment of
others, and just the same, we are always bound to the thought, and the words,
of others, to what happens and to what is projected, to perspectives of success
and to thousands of hesitations. To trust one’s correct judgment is wise!
v. 58. When you are going to court with your opponent,
make an effort to settle with him on the way, or he may drag you before the
judge and the judge hand you over to the officer and the officer have you
thrown into prison. The wisdom and the judgment of Jesus are directed
toward something truly useful. Do not expect to receive justice, because no one
is just to the point of being able to avoid being condemned to prison. We are
all sinners! Therefore, instead of appealing to a false justice, that for which
you consider yourself worthy to be absolved, it is better to appeal to harmony.
Try to reach an agreement so as not to be led before the judge. You judge the
facts and conclude that it is always better not to feel oneself free from
guilt. Saint Paul says it: Neither do I judge myself… my judge is the
Lord.
v. 59. I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid
the very last penny. Who has no debts? Why do we want to live our
life in a court to constantly decide who is guilty and who is innocent? Would
it not be better to live simply, in agreement and harmony with everyone, since
all seek to want what is good and all have fragility and weakness as the coin
with which to pay?
c) Reflection:
If we too could bring fire to the earth of our heart! A fire
capable of extending itself without causing a great fire, but creating cordial
bonds of union and a lively exchange… The one who plays with fire will
certainly have his hands burnt, but what a great benefit for all. Fire divides,
it creates circles of encounter and barriers of inaccessible passages. Like in
all divine things we find ourselves in at a crossroads: with Christ or against
Him. Yes, because we must never forget that He is a sign of contradiction for
all times, a stumbling stone for those who look to the top expecting miracles
and prodigies and a corner stone for the one who looks at His tired hands and
grasps tightly the hands of a carpenter trying to construct the house of
hope, the Church. A time of grace: How not recognize it? If you go by a
lighted fire, you feel the heat. Christ is the lighted fire or flame! If you
cross a torrent flowing with water, on a suffocating hot day of summer, you
feel the freshness and feel attracted by the movement of the water which comes
toward you to quench your thirst and to give you moments of relief. Christ
is the water which gushes out for eternal life! If at night you listen to the
silence, you cannot but feel anxious waiting for the light of the new day which
will rise. Christ is the Sun who rises! It is the word which at night is
silence and in the East it becomes a syllable of a new dialogue. Why not become
aware that it is just that all hostility falls and walk with anyone recognizing
him as a brother? If you consider him an enemy, you are going to seek justice…
If you consider him as a brother, the thought comes to your mind to take care
of him and to walk together on a part of the road, to share with him your
anguishes and your anxieties, and to listen to him about his difficulties.
3. ORATIO
Psalm 32
How blessed are those whose offense is forgiven,
whose sin blotted out.
How blessed are those to whom Yahweh imputes no guilt,
whose spirit harbors no deceit.
whose sin blotted out.
How blessed are those to whom Yahweh imputes no guilt,
whose spirit harbors no deceit.
I said not a word,
but my bones wasted away from groaning all the day;
day and night Your hand lay heavy upon me;
my heart grew parched as stubble in summer drought.
but my bones wasted away from groaning all the day;
day and night Your hand lay heavy upon me;
my heart grew parched as stubble in summer drought.
I made my sin known to You,
did not conceal my guilt.
I said, "I shall confess my offense to Yahweh."
And You, for Your part,
took away my guilt,
forgave my sin.
did not conceal my guilt.
I said, "I shall confess my offense to Yahweh."
And You, for Your part,
took away my guilt,
forgave my sin.
That is why each of Your faithful ones
prays to You in time of distress.
Even if great floods overflow,
they will never reach Your faithful.
prays to You in time of distress.
Even if great floods overflow,
they will never reach Your faithful.
You are a refuge for me,
You guard me in trouble,
with songs of deliverance You surround me.
You guard me in trouble,
with songs of deliverance You surround me.
I shall instruct you
and teach you the way to go;
I shall not take my eyes off you.
and teach you the way to go;
I shall not take my eyes off you.
Be not like a horse or a mule;
that does not understand bridle or bit;
if you advance to master them,
there is no means of bringing them near.
that does not understand bridle or bit;
if you advance to master them,
there is no means of bringing them near.
Countless troubles are in store for the wicked,
but one who trusts in Yahweh
is enfolded in His faithful love.
but one who trusts in Yahweh
is enfolded in His faithful love.
Rejoice in Yahweh,
exult all you upright,
shout for joy,
you honest of heart.
exult all you upright,
shout for joy,
you honest of heart.
4. CONTEMPLATIO
Lord, You who search into my heart and make of my fears the
paths to create the newness of gifts, enter into my anguish. There where I lose
my hope and where the tremor devours me, there where every spark of grace burns
my securities and makes of me a pile of ashes, there enkindle anew the fire of
Your love. Give a look or gaze capable of penetrating reality and of fixing it
on Your gaze which waits for me beyond the veil of all appearances. Do not
allow that I be driven away from my desire of communion. And also there where
in Your name I would find opposition, resistance, adversity, may be able to
enter into the anguish of division to maintain alive the flame of the encounter
with You!
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