Tuesday of the Eleventh
Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 366
Lectionary: 366
After the death of Naboth the LORD
said to Elijah the Tishbite:
“Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel,
who rules in Samaria.
He will be in the vineyard of Naboth,
of which he has come to take possession.
This is what you shall tell him,
‘The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession?
For this, the LORD says:
In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth,
the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.’”
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?”
“Yes,” he answered.
“Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD’s sight,
I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you
and will cut off every male in Ahab’s line,
whether slave or freeman, in Israel.
I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat,
and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah,
because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin.”
(Against Jezebel, too, the LORD declared,
“The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.”)
“When one of Ahab’s line dies in the city,
dogs will devour him;
when one of them dies in the field,
the birds of the sky will devour him.”
Indeed, no one gave himself up to the doing of evil
in the sight of the LORD as did Ahab,
urged on by his wife Jezebel.
He became completely abominable by following idols,
just as the Amorites had done,
whom the LORD drove out before the children of Israel.
“Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel,
who rules in Samaria.
He will be in the vineyard of Naboth,
of which he has come to take possession.
This is what you shall tell him,
‘The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession?
For this, the LORD says:
In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth,
the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.’”
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?”
“Yes,” he answered.
“Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD’s sight,
I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you
and will cut off every male in Ahab’s line,
whether slave or freeman, in Israel.
I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat,
and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah,
because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin.”
(Against Jezebel, too, the LORD declared,
“The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.”)
“When one of Ahab’s line dies in the city,
dogs will devour him;
when one of them dies in the field,
the birds of the sky will devour him.”
Indeed, no one gave himself up to the doing of evil
in the sight of the LORD as did Ahab,
urged on by his wife Jezebel.
He became completely abominable by following idols,
just as the Amorites had done,
whom the LORD drove out before the children of Israel.
When Ahab heard these words, he
tore his garments
and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh.
He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.
Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,
“Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me?
Since he has humbled himself before me,
I will not bring the evil in his time.
I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son.”
and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh.
He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.
Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,
“Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me?
Since he has humbled himself before me,
I will not bring the evil in his time.
I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son.”
Responsorial
Psalm51:3-4, 5-6AB, 11 AND 16
R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord,
for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
AlleluiaJN 13:34
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment;
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment;
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Meditation: Love
your enemies and pray for them
What
makes the disciples of Jesus different from others and what makes Christianity
distinct from any other religion? It is grace - treating
others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with
loving-kindness, forbearance, and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as
the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good
and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and
abuse us.
Overcome
evil with good
Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so. How much harder when we can expect nothing in return. Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil.
Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so. How much harder when we can expect nothing in return. Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil.
Christ's
redeeming love and mercy frees us from all hatred and malice towards others
How can we possibly love those who cause us harm or ill-will? With God all things are possible. He gives power and grace to those who believe and accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. His love conquers all, even our hurts, fears, prejudices and griefs. Only the cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and gives us the courage to return evil with good. Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. Do you know the power of Christ’s redeeming love and mercy?
How can we possibly love those who cause us harm or ill-will? With God all things are possible. He gives power and grace to those who believe and accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. His love conquers all, even our hurts, fears, prejudices and griefs. Only the cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and gives us the courage to return evil with good. Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. Do you know the power of Christ’s redeeming love and mercy?
Allow
the Holy Spirit to change and transform the way you think, judge, and treat
others
Was Jesus exaggerating when he said we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect? The original meaning of "perfect" in Aramaic is "completeness" or "wholeness - not lacking in what is essential." God gives us every good gift in Jesus Christ so that we may not lack anything we need to do his will and to live as his sons and daughters (2 Peter 1:3). He knows our weakness and sinfulness better than we do. And he assures us of his love, mercy, and grace to follow in his ways. Do you want to grow in your love for God and for your neighbor? Ask the Holy Spirit to change and transform you in the image of the Father that you may walk in the joy and freedom of the Gospel.
Was Jesus exaggerating when he said we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect? The original meaning of "perfect" in Aramaic is "completeness" or "wholeness - not lacking in what is essential." God gives us every good gift in Jesus Christ so that we may not lack anything we need to do his will and to live as his sons and daughters (2 Peter 1:3). He knows our weakness and sinfulness better than we do. And he assures us of his love, mercy, and grace to follow in his ways. Do you want to grow in your love for God and for your neighbor? Ask the Holy Spirit to change and transform you in the image of the Father that you may walk in the joy and freedom of the Gospel.
"Lord
Jesus, your love brings freedom and pardon. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and
set my heart ablaze with your love that nothing may make me lose my temper,
ruffle my peace, take away my joy, nor make me bitter towards anyone."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Pray for those who persecute you,
by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.
"For
neither did Christ simply command to love but to pray. Do you see how many
steps he has ascended and how he has set us on the very summit of virtue? Mark
it, numbering from the beginning. A first step is not to begin with injustice.
A second, after one has begun, is not to vindicate oneself by retaliating in
kind. A third, to refuse to respond in kind to the one who is injuring us but
to remain tranquil. A fourth, even to offer up one's self to suffer wrongfully.
A fifth, to give up even more than the wrongdoer wishes to take. A sixth, to
refuse to hate one who has wronged us. A seventh, even to love such a one. An
eighth, even to do good to that one. A ninth, to entreat God himself on our
enemy's behalf. Do you perceive how elevated is a Christian disposition? Hence
its reward is also glorious. (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW,
HOMILY 18.4)
TUESDAY, JUNE 16, MATTHEW 5:43-48
Weekday
(1 Kings 21:17-29; Psalm 51)
Weekday
(1 Kings 21:17-29; Psalm 51)
KEY VERSE: "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you" (v. 44).
TO KNOW: Israel believed that their enemies were also the enemies of God (Ps 139:21), but God did not command Israel to hate their enemies (Lev 19:17-18). Neither were they allowed to mistreat a resident alien, that is, someone who dwelt in the land but was not a member of the nation or religion of the Jews (Lev 19:33-34). Israel ought to remember that they too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. But Jesus took the law further. He said that it was no virtue to love only those who loved them; nonbelievers could do as much. His disciples should imitate their loving God who gave gifts of sun and rain to the just and unjust alike. Christians must never seek retaliation for any insult no matter how hostile. They must strive to love even those who persecuted them (Mt 5:11). Jesus showed us the supreme example of enemy love when he asked God to forgive those who were putting him to death (Lk 23:34).
TO LOVE: Do I measure up to Jesus' command to forgive those who have injured me and to pray for their welfare?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to strive to imitate your perfect love.
Tuesday 16 June 2020
1 Kings 21:17-29. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned –
Psalm 50(51):3-6, 11, 16. Matthew 5:43-48.
‘Love your neighbour – I say love your enemies’
Alan: ‘Jesus, I suppose I must give you credit for not asking us
to do difficult things. Instead you tell us to do what is absolutely
impossible. How on earth can we be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect?’
Jesus: ‘I didn’t mean that you have to get 105 marks out of 100,
Alan, or that you must never make mistakes. Being perfect means being
completely rounded. The perfect shape is the sphere because it is the same
whichever way you look at it. So, when it comes to loving people, you must love
your friends, enemies and casual acquaintances equally. That’s what God our
Father does. And it’s just as well for you that God does, isn’t it?’
Alan: ‘Yes, but God is God. It’s impossible for us.’
Jesus: ‘That’s certainly true, if you’re left to yourself, Alan.
But isn’t it worth trying with my help?’
Saint John Francis Regis
Saint of the Day for June 16
(January 31, 1597 – December 30, 1640)
 |
| The Glory of Saint John Francis Regis | Church of Our Lady of Andance, Ardèche, France | Camillo Rusconi |
Saint John Francis Regis’ Story
Born into a family of some wealth, John Francis was so impressed
by his Jesuit educators that he himself wished to enter the Society of Jesus.
He did so at age 18. Despite his rigorous academic schedule, he spent many
hours in chapel, often to the dismay of fellow seminarians who were concerned
about his health. Following his ordination to the priesthood, John Francis
undertook missionary work in various French towns. While the formal sermons of
the day tended toward the poetic, his discourses were plain. But they revealed
the fervor within him and attracted people of all classes. Father Regis
especially made himself available to the poor. Many mornings were spent in the
confessional or at the altar celebrating Mass; afternoons were reserved for
visits to prisons and hospitals.
The bishop of Viviers, observing the success of Father Regis in
communicating with people, sought to draw on his many gifts, especially needed
during the prolonged civil and religious strife then rampant throughout France.
With many prelates absent and priests negligent, the people had been deprived
of the sacraments for 20 years or more. Various forms of Protestantism were
thriving in some cases while a general indifference toward religion was evident
in other instances. For three years, Father Regis traveled throughout the
diocese, conducting missions in advance of a visit by the bishop. He succeeded
in converting many people and in bringing many others back to religious
observances.
Though Father Regis longed to work as a missionary among the
Native Americans in Canada, he was to live out his days working for the Lord in
the wildest and most desolate part of his native France. There he encountered
rigorous winters, snowdrifts and other deprivations. Meanwhile he continued
preaching missions and earned a reputation as a saint. Upon entering the town
of Saint-Andé, one man came upon a large crowd in front of a church and was
told that people were waiting for “the saint” who was coming to preach a
mission.
The last four years of his life were spent preaching and
organizing social services, especially for prisoners, the sick and the poor. In
the autumn of 1640, Father Regis sensed that his days were coming to a
conclusion. He settled some of his affairs and prepared for the end by continuing
to do what he did so well: speaking to the people about the God who loved them.
On December 31, he spent most of the day with his eyes on the crucifix. That
evening, he died. His final words were: “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
John Francis Regis was canonized in 1737.
Reflection
John longed to travel to the New World and become a missionary
to the Native Americans, but he was called instead to work among his own
compatriots. Unlike many famous preachers, he isn’t remembered for
golden-tongued oratory. What people who listened to him heard was his own
fervent faith, and it had a powerful effect on them. We can recall homilists
who impressed us for the same reason. More importantly for us, we can also
remember ordinary people, neighbors and friends, whose faith and goodness
touched us and brought us to deeper faith. That is the calling most of us must
follow.
Lectio
Divina: Matthew 5:43-48
Lectio Divina
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
1) OPENING PRAYER
Lord God, from You comes the initiative of love.
You seek us out and You tell us:
I am your God; you are my people.
You love us in Jesus Christ, Your Son.
God, may our response of love
go far beyond the demands of any law.
May we seek You and commune with You
in the deepest of our being
and may we express our gratitude to You
by going to our neighbor
with a love that is spontaneous like Yours.
We ask You this through Christ our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was
said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love
your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of
your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and
causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love
you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And
if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not
the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is
perfect."
3) REFLECTION
In today’s Gospel we see how Jesus has interpreted the
commandment “You shall not kill” in such a way that its observance leads to the
practice of love. Besides saying “You shall not kill” (Mt 5:21), Jesus quoted
four other commandments of the ancient law: you shall not commit adultery (Mt
5:27), you shall not bear false witness (Mt 5:33), eye for eye, and tooth for
tooth (Mt 5:38) and, in today s Gospel, you shall love your neighbor and will
hate your enemy (Mt 5:43), five times, Jesus criticizes and completes the
ancient way of observing these commandments and indicates the new way to attain
the objective of the law, which is the practice of love (Mt 5:22-26; 5:28-32;
5:34-37; 5:39-42; 5:44-48).
Love your enemies. In today's Gospel Jesus quotes the ancient
law which says: You will love your neighbor and hate your enemy . This text is
not found like this in the Old Testament. It is more a question of the
mentality of the time, according to which there was no problem if a person
hated his enemy. Jesus was not in agreement and says: But I tell you: if you
love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax
collectors do as much? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are
you doing anything exceptional? Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must,
therefore, set no bounds to your love, just as your heavenly Father sets none to
His . And Jesus gives us the proof. At the hour of His death He observed that
which He preached.
Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing. A
soldier takes the wrist of Jesus and places it on the arm of the cross, places
a nail and begins to hammer it in. Several times. The blood was flowing down.
The body of Jesus contorted with pain. The soldier, a mercenary, ignorant, far
from knowing what he was doing, and of what was happening around him, continued
to hammer as if it were a piece of the wall of his house and he had to put up a
picture. At that moment Jesus prays for the soldier who tortures Him and
addresses His prayer to the Father: Father, forgive them! They know not what
they are doing! He loved the soldier who killed Him. Even wanting it with all
their strength, the lack of humanity did not succeed to kill in Jesus His
humanity and love! He will be imprisoned, they will spit on Him, will laugh and
make fun of Him, they will make of Him a false king crowning Him with a crown
of thorns, they will torture Him, will oblige Him to go through the streets
like a criminal hearing the insults of the religious authority. On Calvary they
will leave Him completely naked in the sight of all. But the poison of this
lack of humanity did not succeed in suppressing the source of love and humanity
which sprang from within Jesus. The water of the love which sprang from within
was stronger than the poison of hatred which was coming from without. Looking
at that soldier, Jesus felt sorrow and prayed for him and for all: Father,
forgive them! They know not what they are doing! Jesus, in solidarity, almost
excuses those who were ill treating and torturing Him. He was like a brother
who goes with his murderous brothers before the judge and he, the victim of his
own brothers, says to the judge: They are my brothers, you know they are
ignorant. Forgive them! They will become better! He loved the enemy!
Be perfect as is your Father who is in Heaven. Jesus does not
want to frighten, because this would be useless. He wants to change the system
of human living altogether. The notion which He constructs comes from the new
experience He has from God the Father, full of tenderness and who accepts all!
The words of threat against the rich cannot be an occasion of revenge on the
part of the poor. Jesus orders that we have a contrary attitude: Love your
enemies! True love cannot depend on what one receives from others. Love should
want the good of others independently of what they do for me. This is the way
God s love is for us.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
Am I capable to love my enemies?
Contemplate Jesus, in silence, who at the hour of His death, loved the enemy who killed Him.
Contemplate Jesus, in silence, who at the hour of His death, loved the enemy who killed Him.
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the Law of Yahweh!
Blessed are those who observe His instructions,
who seek Him with all their hearts (Ps 119,1-2)
who walk in the Law of Yahweh!
Blessed are those who observe His instructions,
who seek Him with all their hearts (Ps 119,1-2)
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