Monday of the Twenty-first Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 425
Lectionary: 425
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.
For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.
In every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, Jesus,
who delivers us from the coming wrath.
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.
For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.
In every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, Jesus,
who delivers us from the coming wrath.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 149:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6A
AND 9B
R. (see 4a) The
Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
GospelMT 23:13-22
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.'
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it."
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.'
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it."
Meditation:
Do not close the door to God's kingdom
When
the Lord Jesus knocks on the door of your heart are you ready to answer and
receive him (Revelations 3:20)? The Lord offers each one of us an open door to
the kingdom of God, but we can shut ourselves out if we ignore or reject his
offer. What is the door to the kingdom of heaven? When Jacob fled from his
brother Essau, who wanted to kill him for stealing his birthright (Genesis
27:41), Jacob sought refuge in the wilderness. There God pursued him and gave
him a vision that both changed his life and the life of his people. As Jacob
slept on a star-lit hillside God showed him a great ladder or stairway that
extended from earth to heaven. This stairway was filled with a multitude of
angels ascending and descending before the throne of God.
An
open door to the throne of God
God opened heaven to Jacob, not only to give him a place of refuge and peace, but to offer him the blessing of dwelling in intimate friendship with the living God. God spoke to Jacob and renewed the promises which he had made to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, and now to Jacob and his descendants. God promised not only to bless and protect Jacob, but to make him and his descendants a blessing to all the nations as well. When Jacob awoke he exclaimed: "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:17). God opened a door for Jacob that brought him and his people into a new relationship with the living God.
God opened heaven to Jacob, not only to give him a place of refuge and peace, but to offer him the blessing of dwelling in intimate friendship with the living God. God spoke to Jacob and renewed the promises which he had made to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, and now to Jacob and his descendants. God promised not only to bless and protect Jacob, but to make him and his descendants a blessing to all the nations as well. When Jacob awoke he exclaimed: "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:17). God opened a door for Jacob that brought him and his people into a new relationship with the living God.
Jesus
is the door to God's kingdom
Jesus proclaimed to his disciples that he came to fulfill the prophetic dream of Jacob in his very own person: "You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (John 1:51). Jesus proclaimed that he is the door (John 10:8-9) and the way (John 14:6) that makes it possible for us to access heaven and God's very throne. But Jesus woefully warned the religious leaders and successors of Jacob that they were shutting the door of God's kingdom not only on themselves but on others as well. The word woeexpresses sorrowful pity as well as grief and sadness.Why did Jesus lament and issue such a stern rebuke?
Jesus proclaimed to his disciples that he came to fulfill the prophetic dream of Jacob in his very own person: "You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (John 1:51). Jesus proclaimed that he is the door (John 10:8-9) and the way (John 14:6) that makes it possible for us to access heaven and God's very throne. But Jesus woefully warned the religious leaders and successors of Jacob that they were shutting the door of God's kingdom not only on themselves but on others as well. The word woeexpresses sorrowful pity as well as grief and sadness.Why did Jesus lament and issue such a stern rebuke?
Don't
be misled by wrong-headed teachers
Jesus was angry with the religious leaders because they failed to listen to God's word and they misled the people they were supposed to teach and lead in the ways of God. They were blindly leading people to "pharisaism"- to their own ideas, rules, and practices which God did not intend or require - rather than to God's intention and way of life for his people. Jesus also chastised them for their hyprocisy - a hypocrite is an actor or imposter who says one thing but does the opposite. Jesus gave some examples to show how misguided they were in their thinking and practices.
Jesus was angry with the religious leaders because they failed to listen to God's word and they misled the people they were supposed to teach and lead in the ways of God. They were blindly leading people to "pharisaism"- to their own ideas, rules, and practices which God did not intend or require - rather than to God's intention and way of life for his people. Jesus also chastised them for their hyprocisy - a hypocrite is an actor or imposter who says one thing but does the opposite. Jesus gave some examples to show how misguided they were in their thinking and practices.
In
their zeal to win converts, the religious leaders required unnecessary and
burdensome rules and practices which obscured the more important matters of
religion, such as love of God and love of neighbor. And at the same time
they made exceptions for themselves by devising clever ways to evade binding
oaths and solemn promises which they had made to God. The Jews treated an oath
made to God as a binding obligation that must not be broken under any
circumstance, but the Pharisees found clever ways to evade their obligations
when inconvenience got in the way. They forgot that God hears every word we
utter (especially our oaths and promises) and he sees the intentions of our heart
even before we speak or act.
God's
ways and thoughts are different from ours
The scribes and Pharisees preferred their idea of religion to God's idea. They failed to lead others to God because they listened to their own ideas of what is true religion and they failed to understand the true meaning and intention of God's word. Through their own pride and prejudice they blindly shut the door of their own hearts and minds to the truth of God's kingdom.
The scribes and Pharisees preferred their idea of religion to God's idea. They failed to lead others to God because they listened to their own ideas of what is true religion and they failed to understand the true meaning and intention of God's word. Through their own pride and prejudice they blindly shut the door of their own hearts and minds to the truth of God's kingdom.
The
prophets of the Old Testament had repeatedly warned God's people to seek the
Lord and to put aside their own thoughts and ideas of religion in order to hear
and understand God's mind and intentions for his people. The prophet Isaiah
wrote,
"Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts... For my thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts
than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:6-9).
Seek
God's kingdom first
How can we shut the door of God's kingdom in our own personal lives? We close it through stubborn pride, disobedience, and ignorance. Do you submit your mind to God's word or do you cling to your own thoughts and ideas of what is right, true, and good for you? Do you allow the world's way of thinking to form the way you think, act, and speak - or do you allow God's word of truth to form the way you think, act, and speak? Do you ignore God's word through indifference or lack of reflection on his word?
The Lord Jesus wants to speak to us each and every day - to help us grow in our knowledge and understanding of his love and truth. The Lord is knocking at the door of your heart - are you receptive and ready to listen to his voice as he speaks through his life-giving Word? God's kingdom is always present to those who seek him with a humble mind and a willing heart. The Lord invites us to pray daily, "May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).
How can we shut the door of God's kingdom in our own personal lives? We close it through stubborn pride, disobedience, and ignorance. Do you submit your mind to God's word or do you cling to your own thoughts and ideas of what is right, true, and good for you? Do you allow the world's way of thinking to form the way you think, act, and speak - or do you allow God's word of truth to form the way you think, act, and speak? Do you ignore God's word through indifference or lack of reflection on his word?
The Lord Jesus wants to speak to us each and every day - to help us grow in our knowledge and understanding of his love and truth. The Lord is knocking at the door of your heart - are you receptive and ready to listen to his voice as he speaks through his life-giving Word? God's kingdom is always present to those who seek him with a humble mind and a willing heart. The Lord invites us to pray daily, "May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).
"Lord
Jesus, your word is life for me. May I never shut the door to your heavenly
kingdom through my stubborn pride or disbelief. Help me to listen to your voice
attentively and to conform my life more fully to your word."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Shutting the Kingdom of Heaven, by
Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"There
are those who dare to say that God is not good because of the curses in his law
that he places against their sin. And yet the one who is truly the Son of God
who gave that same law is also the same one who put blessings into the law. The
same God who provides blessings for those who are saved in a similar way
applies curses which he placed in the law against sinners. 'Woe,' he says. Woe
to you and to those hearing these things who plead the God of the law and yet
do not understand that these words were spoken by God in a kindly way. So we understand
why Jesus said, 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees.' They believe that it is in
fact a good thing to pronounce these curses against sinners. They consider the
arrangement of the law’s curses to be a part of God’s design. The chiding
father frequently urges his advice on his son for his improvement - advice that
may seem to be a curse. He does not wish the curses to be actualized, however,
but rather he desires to avert him from even more such curses." (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13)
MONDAY, AUGUST 26, MATTHEW 23:13-22
Weekday
(1 Thessalonians 1:2-5, 8b-10; Psalm 149)
Weekday
(1 Thessalonians 1:2-5, 8b-10; Psalm 149)
KEY VERSE: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites" (v. 13).
TO KNOW: Jesus pronounced seven “woes” to the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocritical behavior. He expressed grief for their sorry state and warned them of the serious consequences to follow. He accused them of keeping people from the kingdom of heaven by their opposition to Jesus as the Messiah of God. These religious leaders considered human rules to be more important than God's Word. They went to great lengths to win Gentile converts to Judaism; however, they required them to submit to all the demands of the Mosaic Law (the early Church struggled with the same issue). These religious leaders constructed an elaborate system of oaths, a way of making a promise while keeping their fingers crossed behind their back. Those who took oaths, swearing by the gold of the temple or the gifts on the altar, did not realize that the greater importance was the sanctity of the one who dwelt in the temple and the one whom they worshiped at the altar.
TO LOVE: Have I examined my behavior to see if it conforms to Jesus’ gospel?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be consistent in all I say and do.
Monday 26 August 2019
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8-10. Psalm 149:1-6, 9. Matthew 23:13-22.
The Lord takes delight in his people – Psalm 149:1-6, 9.
‘We always give thanks to God for all of you.’
Paul celebrates his dear companions in faith at Thessalonica,
bringing to mind the many people who are a part of our growing and with whom
God blesses us. We have many ‘brothers and sisters beloved by God’, chosen by
him to receive the Holy Spirit and bear fruit. Their gifts and abilities can
sometimes daunt us, but they grace us with their vision and energy –
God’s touch.
Our growing in wisdom – a lifelong series of beginnings – has
God constantly reminding us about deliverance and reawakening. God loves us,
through death, to the fullness of life. God brings us to cherish those we see
as walking in the valley of the shadow of death, and God inspires us by the
heroes who walk with them. Lord, may we recognise you in all your saints as
they live your love. Give us a disposition to ‘receive the word with joy’.
Saint Joseph Calasanz
Saint of the Day for August 26
(September 11, 1556 – August 25, 1648)
 |
| San José de Calasanz | Francisco Jover y Casanova |
Saint Joseph Calasanz’ Story
From Aragon, where he was born in 1556, to Rome, where he died
92 years later, fortune alternately smiled and frowned on the work of Joseph
Calasanz. A priest with university training in canon law and theology,
respected for his wisdom and administrative expertise, he put aside his career
because he was deeply concerned with the need for education of poor children.
When he was unable to get other institutes to undertake this
apostolate at Rome, Joseph and several companions personally provided a free
school for deprived children. So overwhelming was the response that there was a
constant need for larger facilities to house their effort. Soon, Pope Clement
VIII gave support to the school, and this aid continued under Pope Paul V.
Other schools were opened; other men were attracted to the work, and in 1621
the community—for so the teachers lived—was recognized as a religious
community, the Clerks Regular of Religious Schools—Piarists or Scolopi. Not
long after, Joseph was appointed superior for life.
A combination of various prejudices and political ambition and
maneuvering caused the institute much turmoil. Some did not favor educating the
poor, for education would leave the poor dissatisfied with their lowly tasks
for society! Others were shocked that some of the Piarists were sent for
instruction to Galileo—a friend of Joseph—as superior, thus dividing the
members into opposite camps. Repeatedly investigated by papal commissions,
Joseph was demoted; when the struggle within the institute persisted, the
Piarists were suppressed. Only after Joseph’s death were they formally
recognized as a religious community. His Liturgical Feast Day is August 25.
Reflection
No one knew better than Joseph the need for the work he was
doing; no one knew better than he how baseless were the charges brought against
him. Yet if he were to work within the Church, he realized that he must submit
to its authority, that he must accept a setback if he was unable to convince
authorized investigators. While the prejudice, the scheming and the ignorance
of men often keep the truth from emerging for a long period of time, Joseph was
convinced, even under suppression, that his institute would again be recognized
and authorized. With this trust he joined exceptional patience and a genuine
spirit of forgiveness.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 23:13-22
Lectio Divina
Monday, August 26, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
help us to seek the values
that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.
In our desire for what You promise
make us one in mind and heart.
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.
help us to seek the values
that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.
In our desire for what You promise
make us one in mind and heart.
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 23:13-22
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before
men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to
enter. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse
sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of
Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. "Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold
of the temple, one is obligated.' Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or
the temple that made the gold sacred? And you say, 'If one swears by the altar,
it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is
obligated.' You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes
the gift sacred? One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon
it; one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one
who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on
it."
3) Reflection
• During the next three days, we will meditate on the discourse
in which Jesus criticizes the doctors of the law and the Pharisees, calling
them hypocrites. In today’s Gospel (Mt 23:13-22), Jesus uses the expression
“Alas for you...” (Mt 23:23-26) four times, and in the Gospel of the day after
tomorrow, He uses this same expression twice more (Mt 23: 27-32). These are
condemnatory words, very hard words, against the religious leaders of the
times. In pondering them, I should not only think of the doctors and the
Pharisees of the time of Jesus, but also, and above all, of the hypocrisy found
in me, in us, in our family, in the community, in our Church, in today’s
society. Let us look into the mirror of the text to discover the errors in
ourselves.
• Matthew 23:13: The first “Alas for you...” against those
who close the door of the Kingdom because in this way you will not enter and,
you do not even let those who want to enter. How do they lock people out
of the Kingdom? They do it by presenting God as a severe judge, leaving very
little space for the mercy of God; by imposing, in the name of God, laws and
norms which have nothing to do with the commandments of God, by presenting a
false image of the Kingdom and by killing the desire to serve God and the
Kingdom. A community which organizes itself around this false god “does not
enter into the Kingdom,” and it is not even an expression of the Kingdom and
prevents its members from entering into the Kingdom.
• Matthew 23:14: The second “Alas for you...” is against
those who use religion to enrich themselves. You devour the property of widows,
though you make a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence
you receive because of this.” Jesus allows the disciples to live the
Gospel, because He says that the laborer has the right to his salary (Lk 10:7;
cf. 1 Cor 9:13-14), but to use prayer and religion as a means to enrich
themselves, that is hypocrisy and does not reveal the Good News of God. It
transforms religion into a market. Jesus drives out the merchants from the
Temple (Mk 11:15-19) quoting the prophet Jeremiah: “My house will be
called a House of Prayer for all people; but you have turned it into a bandits’
den!” (Mk 11: 17; cf. Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11). When Simon the magician wanted
to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit, Peter curses him (Acts 8:18-24). Simon
received the “most severe condemnation” which Jesus speaks about in the Gospel
today.
• Matthew 23:15: The third expression of “Alas for you...”
is against those who proselytize. “You travel over sea and land to make a
single convert, and anyone who becomes one you make twice as fit for hell as
you are.” There are people who become missionaries and proclaim the Gospel not
to radiate the Good News, but to attract people for their group and their
church. John once prohibited a person from using the name of Jesus because he
was not part of His group. Jesus answered, “Do not stop him, because
anyone who is not against us is for us (Mk 9:39). The document of the
Plenary Assembly of the Bishops of Latin America, which was held in March 2008
in Aparecida, Brazil, bears the title: “Disciples and Missionaries of
Jesus Christ, so that our people may have life in Him”. That is to say,, the
purpose of the mission is not to work in such a way that people become
Catholic, but rather that people may have life, and life in abundance.
• Matthew 23:16-22: The fourth “Alas for you...” is aimed
at those who swear. “You say, ‘if anyone swears by the Temple, it has no
force, but anyone who swears by the gold of the Temple is bound’. Jesus
makes a long disquisition to show the flaws in so many oaths that people made
or that the official religion ordered people to take: to swear by the gold of
the Temple or by the offering which was on the altar. The teaching of Jesus
given in the Sermon on the Mount is the best commentary on today’s Gospel: “But
I tell 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 say is ‘Yes’ if you mean ‘yes’, ‘No’
if you mean ‘No’; anything more than this comes from the Evil One” (Mt
5:34-37).
4) Personal questions
• “Alas for you...” is said four times: four reasons to receive
severe criticism from Jesus. Which of these four criticisms refers to me?
• Does our Church today deserve these “Alas for you...” from Jesus?
• Does our Church today deserve these “Alas for you...” from Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
Sing a new song to Yahweh!
Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!
Sing to Yahweh, bless His name!
Proclaim His salvation day after day. (Ps 96:1-2)
Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!
Sing to Yahweh, bless His name!
Proclaim His salvation day after day. (Ps 96:1-2)
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