FEBRUARY 17, 2020 : MONDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 335

Reading 1JAS 1:1-11

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.

The brother in lowly circumstances  
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,  
for he will pass away “like the flower of the field.”
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Responsorial Psalm119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76

R.    (77a)  Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I hold to your promise.
R.    Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R.    Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R.    Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R.    Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R.    Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R.    Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.

AlleluiaJN 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMK 8:11-13

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.

For the readings of the Optional Memorial of the Seven Founders of the Order of Servites, please go here.

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Meditation: "No sign shall be given to this generation"

Are you good at reading signs? Signs tell us what is coming ahead. The people of Jesus' time expected that the coming of the Messiah would be accompanied by extraordinary signs and wonders. The religious leaders tested Jesus to see if he had a genuine sign from heaven to back his claim to be the Messiah. False messiahs in the past had made extraordinary claims to attract their followers, such as claiming that they could cleave the Jordan River in two or cause the walls of Jerusalem to fall.

What makes us blind-sighted to God's presence and power in our lives?
Jesus knew the hearts of those who came to test him. They were more interested in seeking signs to prove that they were right and Jesus was wrong. Jesus revealed the true intention of their heart - they came to argue with him and to test him (Mark 8:11) because they did not believe that he spoke in the name of his Father in heaven. They wanted to discredit his claim to be the true Messiah and Savior. They unfortunately were blind-sighted to the truth of Jesus' message that the Father had sent him, the only begotten Son, to set them free from sin, Satan, and death. No miracle of Jesus would convince them because their hearts were full of self-seeking pride and glory for themselves.

Simeon had prophesied at Jesus' birth that he was "destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that inner thoughts of many will be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35). Jesus gave the Pharisees no sign except himself and the ultimate proof of his divinity when he overcame death and rose victorious from the tomb on the third day.We also need no further proof than the witness of Jesus who fulfilled what Moses and the prophets had foretold would take place when the Messiah came to redeem his people.

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God who came from the Father in heaven to set us free from the power of sin, Satan, and death. His death on the cross atones for all of our sins and opens for us the floodgates of God's merciful love and healing forgiveness. He alone can set us free from guilt, condemnation, pride, and fear. He alone can give us abundant life, peace, and joy through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gives us "listening ears" and "eyes of faith" to recognize his presence in our lives
The Lord reveals himself and makes his presence known to us in many ways - in his "word" (the good news he came to give us) and in the "breaking of the bread" in the Eucharist (he is the Bread of Life), in his church - the Body of Christ, and in his creation (he is the Word who created all things). And even in the daily circumstances of our lives the Lord Jesus continues to speak to us and guide us. If we seek the Lord Jesus, we will surely find him. And we can be confident that he will give us whatever we need to carry out his will for our lives. Most of all the Lord Jesus assures us of his daily presence with us and the promise that he will never leave us. Theresa of Avila's prayer book contained a bookmark which she wrote: Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices. Is God enough for you?

"Lord Jesus, may I always recognize your saving presence in my life and never forget your promises when I encounter trials and difficulties. Give me a faith that never wavers, a hope that never fades, and a love that never grows cold."

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Why does this generation seek a sign, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)

"But for what sign from heaven were they asking? Maybe that he should hold back the sun, or curb the moon, or bring down thunderbolts, or change the direction of the wind, or something like that?... In Pharaoh's time there was an enemy from whom deliverance was needed (Exodus 3-15). But for one who comes among friends, there should be no need of such signs." (excerpt from GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW, HOMILY 53.3)

www.dailyscripture.net

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, MARK 8:11-13
Weekday
(James 1:1-11; Psalm 119)

KEY VERSE: "Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation" (v 12).
TO KNOW: After miraculously feeding 4,000 people in the Gentile territory, Jesus went to Dalmanutha (Mk 8:10, place unknown). Some Pharisees demanded Jesus to display some mighty work of God as a sign that God's reign had arrived. They refused to accept the miracles that Jesus had accomplished, missing the significance of these works as a manifestation of God's presence. Similarly, during the Exodus, when Israel was in the wilderness, God told Moses that the people refused to believe or heed his voice "despite all the signs" that were performed in their midst (Nm 14:11, 22). Jesus left this faithless place, without satisfying their desire for any “sign from heaven.”  Because of their blind lack of faith, they did not recognize Jesus as the “heavenly sign.”
TO LOVE: Do I identify with Jesus’ frustration with unbelieving people in my own day?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to your healing presence in my life.​

Optional Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order

Seven wealthy laymen in Florence felt a call to a deeper religious life, and on the Feast of the Assumption, 1233, they decided to form a new society devoted to prayer and solitude. As word of their holiness spread, they attracted followers, and they withdrew to the hills around Monte Sennario where they built a church and hermitage. On Good Friday, 13 April 1240, the hermits received a vision of Our Lady. She held in her hand the black habit, and an angel carried a scroll reading “Servants of Mary.” They accepted the wisdom of Our Lady, wrote a Rule based on Saint Augustine and the Dominican Constitutions, adopted the black habit of an Augustinian monk, and lived as mendicant (begging) friars. The men became known as the Servites, and fostered the devotion known as the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The Servites were solemnly approved by Blessed Pope Benedict XI in 1304, and have since spread around the world. 

PRESIDENTS' DAY, USA

George Washington's Birthday was originally implemented by the federal government in 1880 in the District of Columbia. The holiday was celebrated on Washington's actual birthday, February 22. Abraham Lincoln, another revered president, was born on the 12th of February. The first formal observance of his birthday took place in 1865, the year after his assassination, when both houses of Congress gathered for a memorial address. While Lincoln's Birthday did not become a federal holiday like George Washington's, it did become a legal holiday in several states. In 1968, legislation shifted the observance of Washington's Birthday to the third Monday in February. After the act took effect in 1971, Presidents’ Day became the commonly accepted name as a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. presidents.

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Monday 17 February 2020

James 1:1-11. Psalm 118(119):67-68, 71-72, 75-76. Mark 8:11-13
Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live – Psalm 118(119):67-68, 71-72, 75-76.
‘Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.’

Today’s psalm offers us words of yearning: ‘Let your kindness comfort me according to your promise to your servants.’ In calling upon the mercy and kindness of God in our days, we experience a greater openness to the Spirit. A few years ago Pope Francis called an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. On the year’s conclusion he wrote: ‘Mercy renews and redeems because it is an encounter between two hearts: the heart of God who comes to meet us and a human heart. The latter is warmed and healed by the former. Our hearts of stone become hearts of flesh (cf. Ezek 36:26) capable of love despite our sinfulness. I come to realise that I am truly a “new creation” (Gal 6:15). I am loved, therefore I exist; I am forgiven, therefore I am reborn; I have been shown mercy, therefore I have become a vessel of mercy.’ Amen.

www.pray.com.au

Seven Founders of the Servite Order

Saint of the Day for February 17

The Story of the Seven Founders of the Servite Order

Can you imagine seven prominent men of Boston or Denver banding together, leaving their homes and professions, and going into solitude for a life directly given to God? That is what happened in the cultured and prosperous city of Florence in the middle of the 13th century. The city was torn with political strife as well as the heresy of the Cathari, who believed that physical reality was inherently evil. Morals were low and religion seemed meaningless.

In 1240, seven noblemen of Florence mutually decided to withdraw from the city to a solitary place for prayer and direct service of God. Their initial difficulty was providing for their dependents, since two were still married and two were widowers.

Their aim was to lead a life of penance and prayer, but they soon found themselves disturbed by constant visitors from Florence. They next withdrew to the deserted slopes of Monte Senario.

In 1244, under the direction of Saint Peter of Verona, O.P., this small group adopted a religious habit similar to the Dominican habit, choosing to live under the Rule of St. Augustine and adopting the name of the Servants of Mary. The new Order took a form more like that of the mendicant friars than that of the older monastic Orders.

Members of the community came to the United States from Austria in 1852 and settled in New York and later in Philadelphia. The two American provinces developed from the foundation made by Father Austin Morini in 1870 in Wisconsin.

Community members combined monastic life and active ministry. In the monastery, they led a life of prayer, work and silence while in the active apostolate they engaged in parochial work, teaching, preaching, and other ministerial activities.

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Reflection

The time in which the seven Servite founders lived is very easily comparable to the situation in which we find ourselves today. It is “the best of times and the worst of times,” as Dickens once wrote. Some, perhaps many, feel called to a countercultural life, even in religion. All of us are faced in a new and urgent way with the challenge to make our lives decisively centered in Christ.

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/

Lectio Divina: Mark 8:11-13

Lectio Divina

Monday, February 17, 2020

1) Opening prayer

Lord God,
forgive us that in our weak faith
we ask sometimes for signs and wonders.
We know that You are our Father,
but it is not always easy for us
to recognize Your loving presence.
Give us eyes of faith to see the sign
that You are with us in Jesus and His message.
We say so reluctantly, for it is painful.
Purify our trust in You and in Jesus
that we may become more mature Christians,
who love You through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

2) Gospel Reading - Mark 8:11-13

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore.

3) Reflection

Mark 8: 11-13: The Pharisees ask for a sign from Heaven. Today’s Gospel narrates a discussion of the Pharisees with Jesus. Jesus also, as it happened with Moses in the Old Testament, had fed hungry people in the desert, by multiplying the bread (Mk 8: 1-10). This is a sign that He presented himself before the people as a new Moses. But the Pharisees were not capable of perceiving the meaning of the multiplication of the loaves. They continued to discuss with Jesus  and ask for a sign from Heaven . They had understood nothing of all that Jesus had done. Jesus sighed profoundly, probably feeling disgust and sadness before so much blindness. He concludes by saying, “No sign will be given to this generation.” He left them and went toward the other side of the lake. It is useless to show a beautiful picture to one who does not want to open his eyes. People who close their eyes cannot see!

The danger of dominating ideology. Here we can clearly perceive how the yeast of Herod and the Pharisees (Mk 8: 15), the dominating ideology of the time, made people lose their capacity to analyze events objectively. This yeast came from afar and had sunk profound roots in the life of the people. It went so far as to contaminate the disciples’ mentality and manifested itself in many ways. With the formation which Jesus gave them, He tried to uproot this yeast.

The following are some examples of this fraternal help which Jesus gave to His disciples:

a) The mentality of a closed group. On a certain day a person not belonging to the community used the name of Jesus to drive out devils. John saw this and forbade it: “We tried to stop him because he was not one of ours” (Mk 9: 38). John thought he had the monopoly on Jesus and wanted to prevent others from using the name of Jesus to do good. John wanted a community closed in upon itself. It was the yeast of the Elected People, the separated People! Jesus responds, “Do not stop him! Anyone who is not against us is for us!” (Mk 9: 39-40).

b) The mentality of a group which considers itself superior to others. At times, the Samaritans did not want to offer hospitality to Jesus. The reaction of some of the disciples was immediate: “May fire descend from heaven and burn them up!” (Lk 9:54). They thought that because they were with Jesus, everyone had to welcome Him, to accept Him. They thought they had God on their side to defend Him. It was the yeast of the Chosen People, the Privileged People! Jesus reproaches them: “Jesus turned and rebuked them” (Lk 9: 55).

c) The mentality of competition and prestige. The disciples discussed among themselves about the first place (Mk 9: 33-34). It was the yeast of class and of competitiveness, which characterized the official religion and the society of the Roman Empire. It was already getting into the small community around Jesus. Jesus reacts and orders them to have a contrary mentality: “If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last” (Mk 9: 35).

d) The mentality of those who marginalize the little ones. The disciples scolded little children. It was the yeast of the mentality of that time, according to which children did not count and should be disciplined by adults. Jesus rebukes the disciples: “Let the little children come to me!”(Mk 10:14). The children become the teachers of the adults: Anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it . (Lk 18:17).

As it happened in the time of Jesus, today also the  dominating ideology arises once again and appears even in the life of the community and of the family. The prayerful reading of the Gospel, done in community, can help to change our view of things and to deepen in us conversion and the fidelity which Jesus asks from us.

4) For Personal Confrontation

Faced with the alternative either to have faith in Jesus or to ask for a sign from heaven, the Pharisees want a sign from heaven. They were not able to believe in Jesus. The same thing happens to me. What have I chosen?

The yeast of the Pharisees prevented the disciples from perceiving the presence of the Kingdom in Jesus. Has some residue of this yeast of the Pharisees remained in me?

5) Concluding Prayer

Lord, You are generous and act generously;
teach me Your will. (Ps 119:68)

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