Friday of the Third Week of Lent
Lectionary: 241
Lectionary: 241
Thus says the LORD:
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.”
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.”
I will heal their defection, says
the LORD,
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim! What more has he to do
with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
“I am like a verdant cypress tree”–
Because of me you bear fruit!
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
“I am like a verdant cypress tree”–
Because of me you bear fruit!
Let him who is wise understand
these things;
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.
Responsorial
Psalm81:6C-8A, 8BC-9, 10-11AB, 14 AND 17
R. (see 11 and
9a) I am
the Lord your God: hear my voice.
An unfamiliar speech I hear:
“I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
“Unseen, I answered you in thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, will you not hear me?”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
“There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
“If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
An unfamiliar speech I hear:
“I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
“Unseen, I answered you in thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, will you not hear me?”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
“There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
“If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
Verse Before
The GospelMT 4:17
Repent, says the Lord;
the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
GospelMK 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and
asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Meditation:
"You
are not far from the kingdom of God"
What
is the best and sure way to peace, happiness, and abundant life? The prophet
Hosea addressed this question with his religious community - the people of
Israel. Hosea's people lived in a time of economic anxiety and fear among the
nations. They were tempted to put their security in their own possessions and
in their political alliances with other nations rather than in God. Hosea
called his people to return to God to receive pardon, healing, and restoration.
He reminded them that God would "heal their faithlessness and love them
freely" (Hosea 14:4). God's ways are right and his wisdom brings strength
and blessing to those who obey him.
The
grace and power of love and obedience
How does love and obedience to God's law go together? The Pharisees prided themselves in the knowledge of the law and their ritual requirements. They made it a life-time practice to study the 613 precepts of the Old Testament along with the numerous rabbinic commentaries. They tested Jesus to see if he correctly understood the law as they did. Jesus startled them with his profound simplicity and mastery of the law of God and its purpose.
How does love and obedience to God's law go together? The Pharisees prided themselves in the knowledge of the law and their ritual requirements. They made it a life-time practice to study the 613 precepts of the Old Testament along with the numerous rabbinic commentaries. They tested Jesus to see if he correctly understood the law as they did. Jesus startled them with his profound simplicity and mastery of the law of God and its purpose.
What
does God require of us? Simply that we love as he loves! God is love and
everything he does flows from his love for us. God loved us first and our love
for him is a response to his exceeding grace and kindness towards us. The love
of God comes first and the love of neighbor is firmly grounded in the love of
God. The more we know of God's love and truth the more we love what he loves
and reject what is hateful and contrary to his will.
The
love which conquers all
What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us? Faith in God and hope in his promises strengthen us in the love of God. They are essential for a good relationship with God, for being united with him. The more we know of God the more we love him and the more we love him the greater we believe and hope in his promises. The Lord, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as he loves (Galatians 5:13). Do you allow anything to keep you from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous heart? Paul the Apostle says: hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:5). Do you know the love which conquers all?
What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us? Faith in God and hope in his promises strengthen us in the love of God. They are essential for a good relationship with God, for being united with him. The more we know of God the more we love him and the more we love him the greater we believe and hope in his promises. The Lord, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as he loves (Galatians 5:13). Do you allow anything to keep you from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous heart? Paul the Apostle says: hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:5). Do you know the love which conquers all?
"We
love you, O our God; and we desire to love you more and more. Grant to us that
we may love you as much as we desire, and as much as we ought. O dearest
friend, who has so loved and saved us, the thought of whom is so sweet and
always growing sweeter, come with Christ and dwell in our hearts; that you keep
a watch over our lips, our steps, our deeds, and we shall not need to be
anxious either for our souls or our bodies. Give us love, sweetest of all
gifts, which knows no enemy. Give us in our hearts pure love, born of your love
to us, that we may love others as you love us. O most loving Father of Jesus
Christ, from whom flows all love, let our hearts, frozen in sin, cold to you
and cold to others, be warmed by this divine fire. So help and bless us in your
Son." (Prayer of Anselm, 12th century)
A
Daily Quote for Lent: The
fire of God's love, by Augustine of Hippo,354-430 A.D.
"Gravity
keeps everything in its own place. Fire climbs up, while a stone goes down.
Elements that are not in their own place are restless until they find it. This
applies also to us. My weight is my love; wherever I go, I am driven by it. By
the love of God we catch fire ourselves and, by moving up, find our place and
our rest." (excerpt from Confessions 13,9)
FRIDAY, MARCH 20, MARK 12:28-34
Lenten Weekday: Day of Abstinence
(Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 81)
KEY VERSE: "There is no other commandment greater than these" (v 31).
TO KNOW: The scribes were the learned interpreters of the Law of Moses. They expanded the Law into 613 greater and lesser rules and regulations. One scribe recognized Jesus' skill as a teacher, and asked him which one of the Mosaic Laws was the greatest. Jesus recognized the scribe's sincere search for truth, and summed up the entire Law with two basic decrees that he saw as inseparable. They were the laws upon which all the other commandments were based: to love God with one's entire being (Deut 6:2), and to love one's neighbor as oneself (Lev 19:18). The scribe saw how Jesus has combined two commands given to Israel by Moses, and he declared that the love of God and love of neighbor was worth more than any religious acts that one could perform. Because the scribe understood this principle, he moved a step closer to God's reign.
TO LOVE: Is my love of God demonstrated by the way I love my neighbor? Do I have a healthy self-love?
TO SERVE: Lord God, help me to serve you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
Lenten Weekday: Day of Abstinence
(Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 81)
KEY VERSE: "There is no other commandment greater than these" (v 31).
TO KNOW: The scribes were the learned interpreters of the Law of Moses. They expanded the Law into 613 greater and lesser rules and regulations. One scribe recognized Jesus' skill as a teacher, and asked him which one of the Mosaic Laws was the greatest. Jesus recognized the scribe's sincere search for truth, and summed up the entire Law with two basic decrees that he saw as inseparable. They were the laws upon which all the other commandments were based: to love God with one's entire being (Deut 6:2), and to love one's neighbor as oneself (Lev 19:18). The scribe saw how Jesus has combined two commands given to Israel by Moses, and he declared that the love of God and love of neighbor was worth more than any religious acts that one could perform. Because the scribe understood this principle, he moved a step closer to God's reign.
TO LOVE: Is my love of God demonstrated by the way I love my neighbor? Do I have a healthy self-love?
TO SERVE: Lord God, help me to serve you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
Friday 20 March 2020
Hosea 14:2-10. I am the Lord, your God: hear my
voice – Psalm 80(81):6, 8-11, 14, 17. Mark 12:28-34.
You ae not far from the kingdom of God
As Jeremiah tells us: ‘If today, you hear his voice, harden not
your hearts.’ Yet how many times does God entreat us to listen to his voice?
The scribe who listened so intently when Jesus answered his question: ‘Which
commandment is the greatest’, expected to receive only one answer. He was
surprised when Jesus offered him two: ‘Love God with all your heart and love
your neighbour as yourself.’ These two commandments are inseparable. One cannot
be kept without keeping the other! How can we say we love God and then refuse
to love and reach out to our neighbour? And by ‘neighbour’, Jesus means the
inclusion of everyone. Not just those of our own family, friends, race or
religion. Are we able to respond as did the scribe? ‘You are right Teacher.’
Saint Salvator of Horta
Saint of the Day for March 20
(1520 – March 18, 1567)
 |
| The blessed Salvator à Horta of the Franciscan order | Etching | Wellcome Images |
Saint Salvator of Horta’s Story
A reputation for holiness does have some drawbacks. Public
recognition can be a nuisance at times—as the confreres of Salvator found out.
Salvator was born during Spain’s Golden Age. Art, politics, and
wealth were flourishing. So was religion. Ignatius of Loyola founded the
Society of Jesus in 1540.
Salvator’s parents were poor. At the age of 21, he entered the
Franciscans as a brother and was soon known for his asceticism, humility, and
simplicity. As cook, porter, and later the official beggar for the friars in
Tortosa, he became well known for his charity. He healed the sick with the Sign
of the Cross. When crowds of sick people began coming to the friary to see
Salvator, the friars transferred him to Horta. Again, the sick flocked to ask
his intercession; one person estimated that 2,000 people a week came to
see Salvator. He told them to examine their consciences, go to confession, and
to receive Holy Communion worthily. He refused to pray for those who would not
receive those sacraments.
The public attention given to Salvator was relentless. The
crowds would sometimes tear off pieces of his habit as relics. Two years before
his death, Salvator was moved again, this time to Cagliari on the island of
Sardinia. He died at Cagliari saying, “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my
spirit.” He was canonized in 1938.
Reflection
Medical science is now seeing more clearly the relation of some
diseases to one’s emotional and spiritual life. In Healing Life’s Hurts,
Matthew and Dennis Linn report that sometimes people experience relief from
illness only when they have decided to forgive others. Salvator prayed that
people might be healed, and many were. Surely not all diseases can be treated
this way; medical help should not be abandoned. But notice that Salvator urged
his petitioners to reestablish their priorities in life before they asked
for healing.
Lectio Divina: Mark 12:28-34
Lectio Divina
Friday, March 20, 2020
Season of Lent
1) Opening prayer
God, we do not want to die;
we want to live.
We want to be happy
but without paying the price.
We belong to our times,
when sacrifice and suffering are out of fashion.
God, make life worth the pain of living it.
Give us back the age-old realization
that life means to be born
again and again in pain,
that it may become again
a journey of hope to You,
together with Christ Jesus our Lord.
we want to live.
We want to be happy
but without paying the price.
We belong to our times,
when sacrifice and suffering are out of fashion.
God, make life worth the pain of living it.
Give us back the age-old realization
that life means to be born
again and again in pain,
that it may become again
a journey of hope to You,
together with Christ Jesus our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is
the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is
this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with
all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as
yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." The scribe
said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and
there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your
understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is
worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw
that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from
the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel (Mk 12:28b-34), the scribes and the doctors
of the Law want to know from Jesus which is the greatest commandment of all.
Even today, many people want to know what is more important in religion. Some
say that it is to be baptized. Others say that it is to go to church and to
participate in the Sunday Mass. Others still say to love our neighbor and to
struggle for a more just world! Others are concerned only with appearances and
with tasks in the Church.
• Mark 12:28: The question of the doctor of the Law. Some time
before the question of the scribe, the discussion was with the Sadducees
concerning faith in the resurrection (Mk 12:23-27). The doctor who had
participated in the debate was pleased with Jesus’ answer. He perceived in it
His great intelligence and wished to take advantage of the occasion to ask a
question to clarify something: “Which is the greatest commandment of all?” At
that time, the Jews had many norms to regulate the observance of the Ten
Commandments of the Law. Some said, “All these norms have the same value,
because they all come from God. It is not up to us to introduce any distinction
in the things of God.” Others said, “Some laws are more important than others,
and for this reason, they oblige more!” The doctor wants to know what Jesus
thinks.
• Mark 12:29-31: Jesus’ response. Jesus responds quoting a
passage from the Bible which says that the greatest among the commandments is
“to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and
with all your strength!” (Dt 6:4-5). At the time of Jesus, pious Jews recited
this phrase three times a day: in the morning, at noon and in the evening. It
was so well known among them just as the Our Father is among us. The Pharisees
would even wear Tefillin (phylacteries) which were tiny scrolls with these
words written on them. And Jesus adds, quoting the Bible again, “The second one
is: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18). There is no other
greater commandment than these two.” A brief but very profound response! It is
the summary of everything that Jesus teaches on God and His life (Mt 7:12).
• Mark 12:32-33: The response of the doctor of the Law. The
doctor agrees with Jesus and concludes, “Well said, to love your neighbor as
yourself, this is far more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.”
That is, the commandment to love is more important than the commandments which
concern the worship and sacrifices of the Temple. The Prophets of the Old
Testament already had affirmed this (Hos 6:6; Ps 40:6-8; Ps 51:16-17).
Today we would say that the practice of love is more important than novenas,
promises, sermons and processions.
• Mark 12:34: The summary of the Kingdom. Jesus confirms the
doctor’s conclusion and says, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God!”
In fact, the Kingdom of God consists in the union of two loves: love toward God
and love toward neighbor. Because if God is Father/Mother, we are all brothers
and sisters, and we should show this in practice, living in community. “On
these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets!” (Mt 22:40). We,
disciples, should keep this law in our mind, in our intelligence, in our heart,
in our hands and feet, because one cannot reach God without giving oneself
totally to one’s neighbor!
• Jesus had said to the doctor of the law, “You are not far from
the Kingdom of God!”(Mk 12:34). The doctor was already close, but in order to
be able to enter the Kingdom he still had to go a step forward. In the Old
Testament the criterion of love toward neighbor was: “Love your neighbor
as yourself”. In the New Testament Jesus extends the sense of love: “This is My
commandment: love one another as I have loved you! (Jn 15:12-23). Then the
criterion will be “Love your neighbor as Jesus has loved us.” This is the sure
path to being able to live together in a more just and fraternal way.
4) Personal questions
• What is the most important priority for you in exercising your
religion?
• Are we (personally, our close community, our society) closer to the Kingdom of God nowadays or farther away from it than the doctor of the Law who was praised by Jesus?
• Are we (personally, our close community, our society) closer to the Kingdom of God nowadays or farther away from it than the doctor of the Law who was praised by Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
Among the gods there is none to compare with You,
for You are great and do marvellous deeds;
You, God, and none other. (Ps 86:8,10)
for You are great and do marvellous deeds;
You, God, and none other. (Ps 86:8,10)
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