Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin
and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 456
Lectionary: 456
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
There shall yet come peoples,
the inhabitants of many cities;
and the inhabitants of one city shall approach those of another,
and say, "Come! let us go to implore the favor of the LORD";
and, "I too will go to seek the LORD."
Many peoples and strong nations shall come
to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem
and to implore the favor of the LORD.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
In those days ten men of every nationality,
speaking different tongues, shall take hold,
yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment and say,
"Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."
There shall yet come peoples,
the inhabitants of many cities;
and the inhabitants of one city shall approach those of another,
and say, "Come! let us go to implore the favor of the LORD";
and, "I too will go to seek the LORD."
Many peoples and strong nations shall come
to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem
and to implore the favor of the LORD.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
In those days ten men of every nationality,
speaking different tongues, shall take hold,
yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment and say,
"Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."
Responsorial
PsalmPS 87:1B-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (Zec 8:23) God is
with us.
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
R. God is with us.
I tell of Egypt and Babylon
among those that know the LORD;
Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia:
“This man was born there.”
And of Zion they shall say:
“One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”
R. God is with us.
They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
“This man was born there.”
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
“My home is within you.”
R. God is with us.
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
R. God is with us.
I tell of Egypt and Babylon
among those that know the LORD;
Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia:
“This man was born there.”
And of Zion they shall say:
“One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”
R. God is with us.
They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
“This man was born there.”
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
“My home is within you.”
R. God is with us.
AlleluiaMK 10:45
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 9:51-56
When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.
For the readings of the Memorial of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus,
please go here.
Meditation:
"Jesus'
face was set toward Jerusalem"
Are
you surprised to see two of Jesus' disciples praying for the destruction of a
Samaritan village? The Jews and Samaritans had been divided for centuries.
Jewish pilgrims who passed through Samaritan territory were often treated badly
and even assaulted. Jesus did the unthinkable for a Jew. He not only decided to
travel through Samaritan territory at personal risk, but he also asked for
hospitality in one of their villages!
Jesus
faced rejection and abuse in order to reconcile us with God and one another
Jesus' offer of friendship was rebuffed. Is there any wonder that the disciples were indignant and felt justified in wanting to see retribution done to this village? Wouldn't you respond the same way? Jesus, however, rebukes his disciples for their lack of toleration. Jesus had "set his face toward Jerusalem" to die on a cross that Jew, Samaritan and Gentile might be reconciled with God and be united as one people in Christ.
Jesus' offer of friendship was rebuffed. Is there any wonder that the disciples were indignant and felt justified in wanting to see retribution done to this village? Wouldn't you respond the same way? Jesus, however, rebukes his disciples for their lack of toleration. Jesus had "set his face toward Jerusalem" to die on a cross that Jew, Samaritan and Gentile might be reconciled with God and be united as one people in Christ.
Jesus
seeks our highest good - friend and enemy alike
Tolerance is a much needed virtue today. But aren't we often tolerant for the wrong thing or for the wrong motive? Christian love seeks the highest good of both one's neighbor and one's enemy. When Abraham Lincoln was criticized for his courtesy and tolerance towards his enemies during the American Civil War, he responded: "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" How do you treat those who cross you and cause you trouble? Do you seek their good rather than their harm?
Tolerance is a much needed virtue today. But aren't we often tolerant for the wrong thing or for the wrong motive? Christian love seeks the highest good of both one's neighbor and one's enemy. When Abraham Lincoln was criticized for his courtesy and tolerance towards his enemies during the American Civil War, he responded: "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" How do you treat those who cross you and cause you trouble? Do you seek their good rather than their harm?
"Lord
Jesus, you are gracious, merciful, and kind. Set me free from my prejudice and
intolerance towards those I find disagreeable, and widen my heart to love and
to do good even to those who wish me harm or evil."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus gave power and authority to his
apostles, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"It
would be false to affirm that our Savior did not know what was about to happen,
because he knows all things. He knew, of course, that the Samaritans would not
receive his messengers. There can be no doubt of this. Why then did he command
them to go before him? It was his custom to benefit diligently the holy
apostles in every possible way, and because of this, it was his practice
sometimes to test them... What was the purpose of this occurrence? He was going
up to Jerusalem, as the time of his passion was already drawing near. He was
about to endure the scorn of the Jews. He was about to be destroyed by the scribes
and Pharisees and to suffer those things that they inflicted upon him when they
went to accomplish all of violence and wicked boldness. He did not want them to
be offended when they saw him suffering. He also wanted them to be patient and
not to complain greatly, although people would treat them rudely. He, so to
speak, made the Samaritans’ hatred a preparatory exercise in the matter. They
had not received the messengers... For their benefit, he rebuked the disciples
and gently restrained the sharpness of their wrath, not permitting them to
grumble violently against those who sinned. He rather persuaded them to be
patient and to cherish a mind that is unmovable by anything like
this." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 56)
October is the Month of the Rosary
October has been traditionally known as the month of the Rosary. The feast of "Our Lady of the Rosary" is attributed to a vision of the Blessed Mother to Saint Dominic. The Rosary ("rose garden") is called the "Psalter of Mary" because its 150 "Aves" (all 15 decades) correspond to the number of psalms. The Rosary has been called the "Jesus Prayer" of Western Catholicism. While saying the prayers of each decade, the person meditates on the mysteries of our Lord and Lady's life. In addition to the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries, Pope John Paul II recommended that the Luminous Mysteries be recited on Thursdays. These "Mysteries of Light" are drawn from the life of Christ, and the public revelation of his divine nature and mission.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, LUKE 9:51-56
(Zechariah 8:20-23; Psalm 87)
(Zechariah 8:20-23; Psalm 87)
KEY VERSE: "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" (v. 54).
TO KNOW: The hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans arose in the eighth century BC when the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Samaria and deported most of the citizens. The land was resettled with pagan foreigners who intermarried with the remaining Jews (2 Kings 17:6, 24). This mixed ethnic and religious group was looked down upon by the Jews. When Jesus began his journey to Jerusalem, where he would face suffering and death, he sent messengers ahead to prepare for his arrival at a Samaritan village. Samaritans often refused hospitality to Jews who were on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and they refused to welcome Jesus. James and John responded angrily, such as Elijah did to the prophets of Baal--to "call down fire from heaven to consume them" (v. 54; 1 Kgs 18:38). Jesus reprimanded his disciples for their narrow-mindedness. He had come to save all people, regardless of race or religion.
TO LOVE: Do I support racial and religious tolerance?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, open my mind and heart to all your people.
Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor
of the Church
Thérèse was born to a middle-class French family. Her father was a watchmaker. Her mother, a lace maker, died of breast cancer when Thérèse was only four. Thérèse became a Carmelite nun at age 15, taking the name of Thérèse of the Child Jesus. She defined her path to God as "The Little Way," which consisted of love and trust in God. She is called the "Little Flower" because she saw herself as a common blossom whose simple beauty offers praise to God. At the direction of her spiritual director, and against her wishes, she dictated her famed autobiography “Story of a Soul.” Thérèse died from tuberculosis when she was 24, after living as a cloistered Carmelite for less than ten years. She never went on missions, never founded a religious order, never performed great works, but within 28 years of her death, the public demand was so great that she was canonized a saint. Thérèse was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997 by Pope John Paul II. Her parents, Louis and Zelie Martin, were canonized making them the first married couple in the history of the Church to be declared saints at the same time.
"For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." - Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
Tuesday 1 October 2019
St Teresa of the Child Jesus
Zechariah 8:20-23. Psalm 86(87). Luke 9:51-56.
God is with us – Psalm 86(87)
‘He turned his face towards Jerusalem’
The late Marie Colvin was a war correspondent, legendary for her
courage and selflessness. In 2012 she was again the voice of helpless people.
This time it was Baba Amr, a neighbourhood under siege in the city of Homs in
Syria. Marie described a baby dying on the operating table after being hit by shrapnel,
reporting on CNN because it would be seen by the State Department and White
House. She could counter the Syrian regime’s claim that they were just going
after terrorists. They were shelling a city full of cold, starving civilians.
She knew the signal could be tracked and it was. Artillery targeted the media
building. A shell hit Marie and a friend as they ran to shelter. Only death
could silence her.
Jesus, you went to Jerusalem, knowing that your enemies had
targeted you. Give courage to those who follow your example.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Saint of the Day for October 1
(January 2, 1873 – September 30, 1897)
 |
| Saint Thérèse of Lisieux as a novice at age 16. | Carmelite Archives of Lisieux |
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux’s Story
“I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To
pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.”
These are the words of Thérèse of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun
called the “Little Flower,” who lived a cloistered life of obscurity in the
convent of Lisieux, France. And her preference for hidden sacrifice did indeed
convert souls. Few saints of God are more popular than this young nun. Her
autobiography, The Story of a Soul, is read and loved throughout
the world. Thérèse Martin entered the convent at the age of 15 and died in 1897
at the age of 24.
Life in a Carmelite convent is indeed uneventful and consists
mainly of prayer and hard domestic work. But Thérèse possessed that holy
insight that redeems the time, however dull that time may be. She saw in quiet
suffering a redemptive suffering, suffering that was indeed her apostolate.
Thérèse said she came to the Carmel convent “to save souls and pray for
priests.” And shortly before she died, she wrote: “I want to spend my heaven
doing good on earth.”
Thérèse was canonized in 1925. On October 19, 1997, Pope
John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church, the third woman to be so
recognized in light of her holiness and the influence of her teaching on
spirituality in the Church.
Her parents, Louis and Zélie, were beatified in 2008, and canonized in
2015.
Reflection
Thérèse has much to teach our age of the image, the appearance,
the “self.” We have become a dangerously self-conscious people, painfully aware
of the need to be fulfilled, yet knowing we are not. Thérèse, like so many
saints, sought to serve others, to do something outside herself, to forget
herself in quiet acts of love. She is one of the great examples of the gospel
paradox that we gain our life by losing it, and that the seed that falls to the
ground must die in order to live.
Preoccupation with self separates modern men and women from God,
from their fellow human beings, and ultimately from themselves. We must
re-learn to forget ourselves, to contemplate a God who draws us out of
ourselves, and to serve others as the ultimate expression of selfhood. These
are the insights of Saint Thérèse, and they are more valid today than ever.
Saint Thérèse is the Patron Saint of:
Florists
Missionaries
Pilots
Priests
Missionaries
Pilots
Priests
Lectio Divina: Luke 9:51-56
Lectio Divina
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
You show Your almighty power
in Your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with Your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life You promise
and come to share in the joys of Your kingdom.
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.
You show Your almighty power
in Your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with Your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life You promise
and come to share in the joys of Your kingdom.
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 - Luke 9:51-56
When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he
resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of
him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception
there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey
was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do
you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and
rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today narrates and tells us how Jesus decides to go
to Jerusalem. It also describes the first difficulties which He finds along
this road. He presents us the beginning of the long and hard way along the
periphery toward the capital city. Jesus leaves Galilee and goes toward
Jerusalem. Not all can understand Him. Many abandon Him because the demands are
enormous. Today, the same thing happens. Along the way in our community there
are misunderstandings and abandonment.
• “Jesus decides to go to Jerusalem”. This decision marks the hard and long way of Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, from the periphery to the capital city. This journey occupies more than one third part of the Gospel of Luke (Lk 9:51 to 19:28). This is a sign that the journey to Jerusalem was of great importance in the life of Jesus. The long walk is also the symbol of the journey that the community is making. They seek to go through a difficult passage from the Jewish world toward the world of the Greek culture. This also symbolizes the tension between the new and the ancient which was closing more and more in on itself. It also symbolizes the conversion which each one of us has to undergo in trying to follow Jesus. During the journey, the disciples try to follow Jesus, without returning back; but they do not always succeed. Jesus dedicates much time to instructing those who follow Him closely. We have a concrete example of this instruction in today’s Gospel. At the beginning of the journey, Jesus leaves Galilee and takes the disciples with Him to the territory of the Samaritans. He tries to form them so that they will be ready to understand the openness to the new, toward the other, toward what is different.
• Luke 9:51: Jesus decides to go to Jerusalem. The Greek text literally says “Now it happened that as the time drew near for Him to be taken up, He resolutely turned His face towards Jerusalem”. The expression “assumption” or “being snatched” recalls the prophet Elijah snatched to heaven (2 Kings 2:9-11). The expression “turned His face” recalls the Servant of Yahweh, who said, “I have set my face like flint and I know I shall not be put to shame” (Isa 50:7). It also recalls an order which the prophet Ezekiel received from God: “Turn your face toward Jerusalem!” (Ezek 21:7). To face something is to address it. One can meet someone face-to-face, which implies a gravity to the meeting. It is an expression that means there is seriousness, and not just a casual stroll. In using these expressions Luke suggests that while they were walking toward Jerusalem, the most open opposition to Jesus began with the official expectations and ideology of the Temple of Jerusalem. Those expectations wanted a glorious and nationalistic Messiah. Jesus wants to be a Servant Messiah. During the long journey, this opposition will increase and will finally end in the arrest of Jesus. The snatching of Jesus is His death on the cross, followed by His resurrection.
• Luke 9:52-53: The mission in Samaria failed. During the journey, the horizon of the mission is extended. After the beginning, Jesus goes beyond the frontiers of the territory and of race. He sends His disciples to go and prepare for His arrival in a town of Samaria, but the mission, together with the Samaritans, fails. Luke says that the Samaritans did not receive Jesus because He was going to Jerusalem. But if the disciples had said to the Samaritans, “Jesus is going to Jerusalem to criticize the project of the Temple and to demand a greater openness”, Jesus would have been accepted, because the Samaritans were of the same opinion. The failure of the mission is probably due to the disciples. They did not understand why Jesus “turned His face toward Jerusalem”. The official propaganda of the glorious and nationalistic Messiah prevented them from seeing this. The disciples did not understand the openness of Jesus and therefore the mission failed!
• Luke 9:54-55: Jesus does not accept the request of vengeance. James and John do not want to take home this defeat. They do not accept that someone is not in agreement with their ideas. They want to imitate Elijah and use fire for revenge (2 Kings 1:10). Jesus rejects the proposal. He does not want the fire. Some bibles add, “You do not know what spirit is moving you!” This means that the reaction of the disciples was not according to the Spirit of Jesus. When Peter suggests to Jesus not to follow the path of the Servant Messiah, Jesus turns to Peter calling him Satan (Mk 8: 33). Satan is the evil spirit who wants to change the course of Jesus’ mission. The message of Luke for the communities: those who want to hinder the mission among the pagans are moved by an evil spirit!
• In the ten chapters which describe the journey up to Jerusalem (Lk 9:51 to 19:28), Luke constantly reminds us that Jesus is on the way toward Jerusalem (Lk 9:51,53,57; 10:1,38; 11:1; 13:22,33; 14:25; 17:11; 18:31; 18:37; 19:1,11,28). He rarely says where Jesus passed. Only at the beginning of the journey (Lk 9:51), in the middle (Lk 17: 11), and at the end (Lk 18:35; 19:1), is something known about the place where Jesus was passing. This refers to the communities of Luke and for all of us. The only thing that is sure is that we have to continue to walk. We cannot stop. The place where we have to pass by is not always clear and definite. What is sure is the objective: Jerusalem.
• “Jesus decides to go to Jerusalem”. This decision marks the hard and long way of Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, from the periphery to the capital city. This journey occupies more than one third part of the Gospel of Luke (Lk 9:51 to 19:28). This is a sign that the journey to Jerusalem was of great importance in the life of Jesus. The long walk is also the symbol of the journey that the community is making. They seek to go through a difficult passage from the Jewish world toward the world of the Greek culture. This also symbolizes the tension between the new and the ancient which was closing more and more in on itself. It also symbolizes the conversion which each one of us has to undergo in trying to follow Jesus. During the journey, the disciples try to follow Jesus, without returning back; but they do not always succeed. Jesus dedicates much time to instructing those who follow Him closely. We have a concrete example of this instruction in today’s Gospel. At the beginning of the journey, Jesus leaves Galilee and takes the disciples with Him to the territory of the Samaritans. He tries to form them so that they will be ready to understand the openness to the new, toward the other, toward what is different.
• Luke 9:51: Jesus decides to go to Jerusalem. The Greek text literally says “Now it happened that as the time drew near for Him to be taken up, He resolutely turned His face towards Jerusalem”. The expression “assumption” or “being snatched” recalls the prophet Elijah snatched to heaven (2 Kings 2:9-11). The expression “turned His face” recalls the Servant of Yahweh, who said, “I have set my face like flint and I know I shall not be put to shame” (Isa 50:7). It also recalls an order which the prophet Ezekiel received from God: “Turn your face toward Jerusalem!” (Ezek 21:7). To face something is to address it. One can meet someone face-to-face, which implies a gravity to the meeting. It is an expression that means there is seriousness, and not just a casual stroll. In using these expressions Luke suggests that while they were walking toward Jerusalem, the most open opposition to Jesus began with the official expectations and ideology of the Temple of Jerusalem. Those expectations wanted a glorious and nationalistic Messiah. Jesus wants to be a Servant Messiah. During the long journey, this opposition will increase and will finally end in the arrest of Jesus. The snatching of Jesus is His death on the cross, followed by His resurrection.
• Luke 9:52-53: The mission in Samaria failed. During the journey, the horizon of the mission is extended. After the beginning, Jesus goes beyond the frontiers of the territory and of race. He sends His disciples to go and prepare for His arrival in a town of Samaria, but the mission, together with the Samaritans, fails. Luke says that the Samaritans did not receive Jesus because He was going to Jerusalem. But if the disciples had said to the Samaritans, “Jesus is going to Jerusalem to criticize the project of the Temple and to demand a greater openness”, Jesus would have been accepted, because the Samaritans were of the same opinion. The failure of the mission is probably due to the disciples. They did not understand why Jesus “turned His face toward Jerusalem”. The official propaganda of the glorious and nationalistic Messiah prevented them from seeing this. The disciples did not understand the openness of Jesus and therefore the mission failed!
• Luke 9:54-55: Jesus does not accept the request of vengeance. James and John do not want to take home this defeat. They do not accept that someone is not in agreement with their ideas. They want to imitate Elijah and use fire for revenge (2 Kings 1:10). Jesus rejects the proposal. He does not want the fire. Some bibles add, “You do not know what spirit is moving you!” This means that the reaction of the disciples was not according to the Spirit of Jesus. When Peter suggests to Jesus not to follow the path of the Servant Messiah, Jesus turns to Peter calling him Satan (Mk 8: 33). Satan is the evil spirit who wants to change the course of Jesus’ mission. The message of Luke for the communities: those who want to hinder the mission among the pagans are moved by an evil spirit!
• In the ten chapters which describe the journey up to Jerusalem (Lk 9:51 to 19:28), Luke constantly reminds us that Jesus is on the way toward Jerusalem (Lk 9:51,53,57; 10:1,38; 11:1; 13:22,33; 14:25; 17:11; 18:31; 18:37; 19:1,11,28). He rarely says where Jesus passed. Only at the beginning of the journey (Lk 9:51), in the middle (Lk 17: 11), and at the end (Lk 18:35; 19:1), is something known about the place where Jesus was passing. This refers to the communities of Luke and for all of us. The only thing that is sure is that we have to continue to walk. We cannot stop. The place where we have to pass by is not always clear and definite. What is sure is the objective: Jerusalem.
4) Personal questions
• What are the problems which you have to face in your life
because of the decision which you have made to follow Jesus?
• What can we learn from the pedagogy of Jesus with His disciples who wanted to take revenge on the Samaritans?
• How often do we ask for revenge or “getting even” in prayer - in not so many words, but in intent, in an Old Testament way of viewing God, rather than always in a humble and forgiving way in response to challenge or adversity? We see this lack of understanding today from those that preach “pray and you will get your way (and your opponents will lose).”
• What can we learn from the pedagogy of Jesus with His disciples who wanted to take revenge on the Samaritans?
• How often do we ask for revenge or “getting even” in prayer - in not so many words, but in intent, in an Old Testament way of viewing God, rather than always in a humble and forgiving way in response to challenge or adversity? We see this lack of understanding today from those that preach “pray and you will get your way (and your opponents will lose).”
5) Concluding Prayer
All the kings of the earth give thanks to You, Yahweh,
when they hear the promises You make;
they sing of Yahweh’s ways,
‘Great is the glory of Yahweh!’ (Ps 138:4-5)
when they hear the promises You make;
they sing of Yahweh’s ways,
‘Great is the glory of Yahweh!’ (Ps 138:4-5)
