Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 488
Lectionary: 488
Brothers and
sisters:
None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.
For if we live, we live for the Lord,
and if we die, we die for the Lord;
so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
For this is why Christ died and came to life,
that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Why then do you judge your brother or sister?
Or you, why do you look down on your brother or sister?
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;
for it is written:
As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.
So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.
None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.
For if we live, we live for the Lord,
and if we die, we die for the Lord;
so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
For this is why Christ died and came to life,
that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Why then do you judge your brother or sister?
Or you, why do you look down on your brother or sister?
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;
for it is written:
As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.
So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.
R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of
the Lord in the land of the living.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The tax collectors
and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus addressed this parable to them.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus addressed this parable to them.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”
Meditation: Sinners
were drawn to Jesus
Do you ever feel
resentful or get upset when someone else gets treated better than you think
they deserve? The scribes and Pharisees took great offense at Jesus because he
went out of his way to meet with sinners and he treated them like they were his
friends. The Pharisees had strict regulations about how they were to keep away
from sinners, lest they incur ritual defilement. They were not to entrust money
to sinners or have any business dealings with them, nor trust them with a
secret, nor entrust orphans to their care, nor accompany them on a journey, nor
give their daughter in marriage to any of their sons, nor invite them as guests
or be their guests.
Do you judge
others with mercy or disdain - with kindness or harshness?
The Pharisees were shocked when they saw Jesus freely meeting with sinners and even going to their homes to eat with them. Many sinners and outcasts of society were drawn to Jesus to hear him speak about the mercy of God and the offer of new life and friendship in the kingdom of God. When the Pharisees began to question Jesus' motive and practice of associating with sinners and outcasts, Jesus responded by giving them two parables about a lost sheep and a lost coin to challenge their way of judging sinners and shunning contact with them.
The Pharisees were shocked when they saw Jesus freely meeting with sinners and even going to their homes to eat with them. Many sinners and outcasts of society were drawn to Jesus to hear him speak about the mercy of God and the offer of new life and friendship in the kingdom of God. When the Pharisees began to question Jesus' motive and practice of associating with sinners and outcasts, Jesus responded by giving them two parables about a lost sheep and a lost coin to challenge their way of judging sinners and shunning contact with them.
Finding and
restoring what has been lost
What is the point of Jesus' story about a lost sheep and a lost coin? In Jesus' time shepherds normally counted their sheep at the end of the day to make sure all were accounted for. Since sheep by their very nature are very social, an isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered and even neurotic. The shepherd's grief and anxiety is turned to joy when he finds the lost sheep and restores it to the fold.
What is the point of Jesus' story about a lost sheep and a lost coin? In Jesus' time shepherds normally counted their sheep at the end of the day to make sure all were accounted for. Since sheep by their very nature are very social, an isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered and even neurotic. The shepherd's grief and anxiety is turned to joy when he finds the lost sheep and restores it to the fold.
The housewife who
lost a coin faced something of an economic disaster, since the value of the
coin would be equivalent to her husband's daily wage. What would she say to her
husband when he returned home from work? They were poor and would suffer
greatly because of the loss. Her grief and anxiety turn to joy when she finds
the coin.
Bringing the lost
to the community of faith
Both the shepherd and the housewife "search until what they have lost is found." Their persistence pays off. They both instinctively share their joy with the whole community. The poor are particularly good at sharing in one another's sorrows and joys. What was new in Jesus' teaching was the insistence that sinners must be sought out and not merely mourned for. God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that all be saved and restored to fellowship with him. That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to friendship with God. Seekers of the lost are much needed today. Do you persistently pray and seek after those you know who have lost their way to God?
Both the shepherd and the housewife "search until what they have lost is found." Their persistence pays off. They both instinctively share their joy with the whole community. The poor are particularly good at sharing in one another's sorrows and joys. What was new in Jesus' teaching was the insistence that sinners must be sought out and not merely mourned for. God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that all be saved and restored to fellowship with him. That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to friendship with God. Seekers of the lost are much needed today. Do you persistently pray and seek after those you know who have lost their way to God?
"Lord Jesus,
let your light dispel the darkness that what is lost may be found and restored.
Let your light shine through me that others may see your love and truth and
find hope and peace in you. May I never doubt your love nor take for granted
the mercy you have shown to me. Fill me with your transforming love that I may
be merciful as you are merciful."
Daily Quote from
the early church fathers: Joy over the fallen sinner restored in God's image, by Cyril
of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"This second
parable compares what was lost to a drachma (Luke 15:8-9). It is as one out of
ten, a perfect number and of a sum complete in the accounting. The number ten
also is perfect, being the close of the series from the unit upwards. This
parable clearly shows that we are in the royal likeness and image, even that of
God over all. I suppose the drachma is the denarius on which is stamped the
royal likeness. We, who had fallen and had been lost, have been found by Christ
and transformed by holiness and righteousness into his image... A search was
made for that which had fallen, so the woman lighted a lamp... By the light,
what was lost is saved, and there is joy for the powers above. They rejoice
even in one sinner that repents, as he who knows all things has taught us. They
keep a festival over one who is saved, united with the divine purpose, and
never cease to praise the Savior's gentleness. What great joy must fill them
when all beneath heaven is saved and Christ calls them by faith to acknowledge
the truth? They put off the pollution of sin and freed their necks from the
bonds of death. They have escaped from the blame of their wandering and fall!
We gain all these things in Christ." (excerpt from COMMENTARY
ON LUKE, HOMILY 106)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, LUKE 15:1-10
Weekday
(Romans 14:7-12; Psalm 27)
Weekday
(Romans 14:7-12; Psalm 27)
KEY VERSE: "There will be great rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (v. 10).
TO KNOW: The Pharisees and scribes charged Jesus with welcoming sinners and eating with them (Lk 15:2). The Pharisees refused to dine in such persons’ homes or to have them as guests, nor, as far as possible, to have any business dealings with them. It was to these self-righteous leaders that Jesus directed his parables on the merciful love of God. The compassionate God was compared to a shepherd who hunted for his lost sheep and to a woman who searched for her lost coin, and their joy in finding what was lost. These parables have been called "the gospel within the gospel" as they contain the very essence of the good news that Jesus came to preach. The joy of a homemaker or a shepherd who lost their most precious possessions and then found them again, is the joy of God and of all the angels when one sinner returns home,
TO LOVE: Do I avail myself of God's mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
TO SERVE: Lord, Jesus thank you for forgiving me my sins and welcoming me back to the community.
Thursday 7 November 2019
Romans 14:7-12. Psalm 26(27):1-4, 13-14.
Luke 15:1-10.
I believe that I shall see the good things
of the Lord in the land of the living – Psalm 26(27):1-4, 13-14
‘There will be more joy in heaven over one
sinner who repents’
I remember reading a child’s version of
today’s Gospel and feeling comforted because I was far from perfect, but if God
was going to rejoice when I repented, I would be ok. It was also about this
time that I made the revelation that I didn’t need to ‘fear God’.
I went to Mum and told her that I thought
what I needed to do was have a healthy respect for God, just like I did for her
and Dad. She wasn’t as excited by my revelation as I was. A few years ago I
told her about how disappointed I was by her reaction and she was surprised.
Sometimes we forget that these ideas are new for children.
We should try to hear the bible like them.
So today, let us be excited that God will rejoice in our repentance. May this
lead us to praise.
Saint Didacus
Saint of the Day for November 7
(c. 1400 – November 12, 1463)
 |
| San Diego (Didacus) de Alcalá | Francisco de Zurbarán |
Saint Didacus’ Story
Didacus is living proof that God “chose
what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the
world to shame the strong.”
As a young man in Spain, Didacus joined the
Secular Franciscan Order and lived for some time as a hermit. After Didacus
became a Franciscan brother, he developed a reputation for great insight into
God’s ways. His penances were heroic. He was so generous with the poor that the
friars sometimes grew uneasy about his charity.
Didacus volunteered for the missions in the
Canary Islands and labored there energetically and profitably. He was also the
superior of a friary there.
In 1450, he was sent to Rome to attend the
canonization of Saint Bernardine of Siena. When many of the friars
gathered for that celebration fell ill, Didacus stayed in Rome for three months
to nurse them. After he returned to Spain, he pursued a life of contemplation
full-time. He showed the friars the wisdom of God’s ways.
As he was dying, Didacus looked at a
crucifix and said: “O faithful wood, O precious nails! You have borne an
exceedingly sweet burden, for you have been judged worthy to bear the Lord and
King of heaven” (Marion A. Habig, OFM, The Franciscan Book of Saints,
p. 834).
San Diego, California, is named for this
Franciscan, who was canonized in 1588.
Reflection
We cannot be neutral about genuinely holy
people. We either admire them or we consider them foolish. Didacus is a saint
because he used his life to serve God and God’s people. Can we say the same for
ourselves?
Lectio Divina: Luke 15:1-10
Lectio Divina
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
only with Your help
can we offer You fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust Your promise of eternal life.
only with Your help
can we offer You fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust Your promise of eternal life.
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.
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 15:1-10
The tax collectors and sinners were all
drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to
complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So
Jesus addressed this parable to them. "What man among you having a hundred
sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and
go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it
on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together
his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have
found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy
in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance. "Or what woman having ten coins and losing
one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she
finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and
neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that
I lost.' In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the
angels of God over one sinner who repents."
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today presents the first one
of three parables united by the same word. It is a question of three things
which were lost: the lost sheep (Lk 15:3-7), the lost drachma (Lk 15:8-10), and
the lost son (Lk 15:11-32). The three parables are addressed to the Pharisees
and to the doctors of the law who criticized Jesus (Lk 15:1-3). That is, they
are addressed to the Pharisee and to the scribe or doctor of the law which is
in each one of us.
• Luke 15:1-3: Those to whom the parables are addressed. The first three verses describe the context in which the three parables were pronounced: “At that time, the tax collectors and sinners were all crowding round to listen to Him. The Pharisees and scribes complained”. On one side there were the tax collectors and the sinners; on the other the Pharisees and the doctors of the law. Luke speaks, exaggerating somewhat: “The tax collectors and the sinners were all crowding round to listen to Jesus”. There was something in Jesus which attracted them. It is the word of Jesus which attracts them (cf. Isa 50:4). They want to listen to Him. This is a sign that they do not feel condemned, but rather they feel accepted by Him. The criticism of the Pharisees and the scribes is the following: "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!” When sending out the seventy-two disciples (Lk 10:1-9), Jesus had ordered them to accept the excluded, the sick, the possessed (Mt 10:8; Lk 10:9) and to gather them for the banquet (Lk 10:8).
• Luke 15:4: The Parable of the lost sheep. The parable of the lost sheep begins with a question: “Which one of you, with a hundred sheep, if he lost one, would fail to leave the ninety-nine and go after the missing one until he found it?” Before giving a response, Jesus must have looked around to see who was listening to Him to see how they would have answered. The question is formulated in such a way that the response can only be a positive one: “Yes, he will go after the lost sheep!” And you, how would you answer? Would you leave the ninety-nine in the field to go and look for the only one which got lost? Who would do this? Probably, the majority would have answered, “Jesus, who among us? Nobody would do such an absurd thing. The proverb says: “Better one bird in the hand than one hundred flying around!”
• Luke 15:5-7: Jesus interprets the parable of the lost sheep. Now, in the parable, the shepherd does what nobody would do: to leave everything and to go and look for the lost sheep. God alone can assume such an attitude! Jesus wants us to become aware, conscious of the Pharisee or the scribe which is in each one of us. The Pharisees and the scribes abandoned the sinners and excluded them. They would have never gone to look for the lost sheep. They would have allowed it to get lost in the desert. They preferred the ninety-nine. But Jesus places Himself in the place of the sheep which got lost, which in the context of the official religion, would fall into despair without the hope of being accepted. Jesus makes them and us know: “If you feel that you are a lost sinner, remember that for God you are worth more than the other ninety-nine sheep. And in the case that you are converted, know that there will be “greater joy in heaven for a sinner who is converted, than for ninety-nine just who do not need conversion.”
• Luke 15:1-3: Those to whom the parables are addressed. The first three verses describe the context in which the three parables were pronounced: “At that time, the tax collectors and sinners were all crowding round to listen to Him. The Pharisees and scribes complained”. On one side there were the tax collectors and the sinners; on the other the Pharisees and the doctors of the law. Luke speaks, exaggerating somewhat: “The tax collectors and the sinners were all crowding round to listen to Jesus”. There was something in Jesus which attracted them. It is the word of Jesus which attracts them (cf. Isa 50:4). They want to listen to Him. This is a sign that they do not feel condemned, but rather they feel accepted by Him. The criticism of the Pharisees and the scribes is the following: "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!” When sending out the seventy-two disciples (Lk 10:1-9), Jesus had ordered them to accept the excluded, the sick, the possessed (Mt 10:8; Lk 10:9) and to gather them for the banquet (Lk 10:8).
• Luke 15:4: The Parable of the lost sheep. The parable of the lost sheep begins with a question: “Which one of you, with a hundred sheep, if he lost one, would fail to leave the ninety-nine and go after the missing one until he found it?” Before giving a response, Jesus must have looked around to see who was listening to Him to see how they would have answered. The question is formulated in such a way that the response can only be a positive one: “Yes, he will go after the lost sheep!” And you, how would you answer? Would you leave the ninety-nine in the field to go and look for the only one which got lost? Who would do this? Probably, the majority would have answered, “Jesus, who among us? Nobody would do such an absurd thing. The proverb says: “Better one bird in the hand than one hundred flying around!”
• Luke 15:5-7: Jesus interprets the parable of the lost sheep. Now, in the parable, the shepherd does what nobody would do: to leave everything and to go and look for the lost sheep. God alone can assume such an attitude! Jesus wants us to become aware, conscious of the Pharisee or the scribe which is in each one of us. The Pharisees and the scribes abandoned the sinners and excluded them. They would have never gone to look for the lost sheep. They would have allowed it to get lost in the desert. They preferred the ninety-nine. But Jesus places Himself in the place of the sheep which got lost, which in the context of the official religion, would fall into despair without the hope of being accepted. Jesus makes them and us know: “If you feel that you are a lost sinner, remember that for God you are worth more than the other ninety-nine sheep. And in the case that you are converted, know that there will be “greater joy in heaven for a sinner who is converted, than for ninety-nine just who do not need conversion.”
• Luke 15:8-10: Parable of the lost
drachma. The second Parable: "Or again, what woman with ten drachmas would
not, if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep out the house and search
thoroughly until she found it? Then, when she had found it, call together her
friends and neighbors saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, I have found the
drachma I lost. In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the
angels of God over one repentant sinner’”. God rejoices with us. The angels
rejoice with us. The parable serves to communicate hope to those who were
threatened with despair because of the official religion. This message recalls
what God tells us in the book of the prophet Isaiah: "Look, I have
engraved you on the palms of My hands!” (Isa 49: 16). “Since, I regard you as
precious, since you are honored and I love you!” (Isa 43: 4).
4) Personal questions
• Would you go out to look for the lost
sheep?
• Do you think that today the Church is faithful to this parable of Jesus?
• Who are the lost sheep today? Are they sinners? Are they non-believers? Are they those who are misled in their beliefs?
• Is there a person responsibility in looking for and finding lost sheep, or is it just an institutional one – just for the Church and bishops and pastors?
• Do you think that today the Church is faithful to this parable of Jesus?
• Who are the lost sheep today? Are they sinners? Are they non-believers? Are they those who are misled in their beliefs?
• Is there a person responsibility in looking for and finding lost sheep, or is it just an institutional one – just for the Church and bishops and pastors?
5) Concluding prayer
Seek Yahweh and His strength,
tirelessly seek His presence!
Remember the marvels He has done,
His wonders, the judgments He has spoken. (Ps 105:4-5)
tirelessly seek His presence!
Remember the marvels He has done,
His wonders, the judgments He has spoken. (Ps 105:4-5)
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