Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 370/573
Lectionary: 370/573
After the death of Jehoiada,
the princes of Judah came and paid homage to King Joash,
and the king then listened to them.
They forsook the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers,
and began to serve the sacred poles and the idols;
and because of this crime of theirs,
wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Although prophets were sent to them to convert them to the LORD,
the people would not listen to their warnings.
Then the Spirit of God possessed Zechariah,
son of Jehoiada the priest.
He took his stand above the people and said to them:
“God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the LORD’s commands,
so that you cannot prosper?
Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.’”
But they conspired against him,
and at the king’s order they stoned him to death
in the court of the LORD’s temple.
Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him
by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and slew his son.
And as Zechariah was dying, he said, “May the LORD see and avenge.”
the princes of Judah came and paid homage to King Joash,
and the king then listened to them.
They forsook the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers,
and began to serve the sacred poles and the idols;
and because of this crime of theirs,
wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Although prophets were sent to them to convert them to the LORD,
the people would not listen to their warnings.
Then the Spirit of God possessed Zechariah,
son of Jehoiada the priest.
He took his stand above the people and said to them:
“God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the LORD’s commands,
so that you cannot prosper?
Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.’”
But they conspired against him,
and at the king’s order they stoned him to death
in the court of the LORD’s temple.
Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him
by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and slew his son.
And as Zechariah was dying, he said, “May the LORD see and avenge.”
At the turn of the year a force of
Arameans came up against Joash.
They invaded Judah and Jerusalem,
did away with all the princes of the people,
and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.
Though the Aramean force came with few men,
the LORD surrendered a very large force into their power,
because Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers.
So punishment was meted out to Joash.
After the Arameans had departed from him,
leaving him in grievous suffering,
his servants conspired against him
because of the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest.
He was buried in the City of David,
but not in the tombs of the kings.
They invaded Judah and Jerusalem,
did away with all the princes of the people,
and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.
Though the Aramean force came with few men,
the LORD surrendered a very large force into their power,
because Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers.
So punishment was meted out to Joash.
After the Arameans had departed from him,
leaving him in grievous suffering,
his servants conspired against him
because of the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest.
He was buried in the City of David,
but not in the tombs of the kings.
Responsorial
Psalm89:4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34
R. (29a) For ever I will
maintain my love for my servant.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
I will make his posterity endure forever
and his throne as the days of heaven.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“If his sons forsake my law
and walk not according to my ordinances,
If they violate my statutes
and keep not my commands.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“I will punish their crime with a rod
and their guilt with stripes.
Yet my mercy I will not take from him,
nor will I belie my faithfulness.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
I will make his posterity endure forever
and his throne as the days of heaven.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“If his sons forsake my law
and walk not according to my ordinances,
If they violate my statutes
and keep not my commands.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“I will punish their crime with a rod
and their guilt with stripes.
Yet my mercy I will not take from him,
nor will I belie my faithfulness.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
AlleluiaLK 2:19
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God
and pondered it in her heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God
and pondered it in her heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 2:41-51
Each year Jesus’ parents went to
Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
For the
readings of the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
please go here.
Meditation: “His mother
kept all these things in her heart”
Do
you know the pain and grief of losing someone close to you? Mary and Joseph
must have felt anxious and helpless when the boy Jesus disappeared. Nonetheless
they returned to Jerusalem with confident trust that God would guide them in
their hour of trial.
Why
did Jesus stay back in Jerusalem when his parents left for home? Just as the
prophet Samuel heard the call of the Lord at a very young age, Jesus in his
youth recognized that he has been given a call by his heavenly Father. His
answer to his mother's anxious inquiry reveals his trusting faith and confident
determination to pursue his heavenly Father's will. Did you not know
that I must be in my Father's house? Our Heavenly Father calls each of
us. With the call God gives grace - grace to say "yes" to his will
and grace to persevere through obstacles and trials. Do you recognize God's
call on your life and do you trust in his grace?
"Lord
Jesus, in love you have called me to live for your praise and glory. May I
always find joy in your presence and trust in your wise and loving plan for my
life."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Mary dwelt in meditation on Jesus'
words and actions, by Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.
"Consider
the most prudent woman Mary, mother of true Wisdom, as the pupil of her Son.
For she learned from him, not as from a child or man but as from God. Yes, she
dwelt in meditation on his words and actions. Nothing of what was said or done
by him fell idly on her mind. As before, when she conceived the Word itself in
her womb, so now does she hold within her his ways and words, cherishing them
as it were in her heart. That which she now beholds in the present, she waits
to have revealed with greater clarity in the future. This practice she followed
as a rule and law through all her life." (excerpt from EXPOSITION
OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 2.51.20)
SATURDAY, JUNE 20, LUKE 2:41-51
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(2 Chronicles 24:17-25; Psalm 89)
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(2 Chronicles 24:17-25; Psalm 89)
KEY VERSE: "His mother meanwhile kept all these things in her heart" (v. 51).
TO KNOW: The angel Gabriel told Mary that she was to conceive and bear the Son of God. Mary's "blessedness" as the Mother of God came from her willingness to submit to God's will. Throughout her life she was continually challenged by her son who was "a sign of contradiction" (Lk 2:34). When Jesus' gifts of teaching and healing were revealed, many opposed him and finally killed him. As Mary stood at the foot of the cross, did she remember the angel's promise that her son's "kingdom would last forever"? Did she recall the words of Simeon that "a sword" would pierce her heart? Though Mary's life was full of perplexities, she never lost faith in God or her son. Full of grace and full of sorrow, Mary's answer to God was always the same as her son’s response -- "Yes."
TO LOVE: Am I able to say "Yes" to God as Mary did?
TO SERVE: Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for the healing of our broken hearts.
The summer solstice marks the first day of the season of summer
(on June 20th or 21st). In the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year
is when the Sun is farthest north. The declination of the Sun on the (northern)
summer solstice is known as the tropic of cancer. In the southern hemisphere,
winter and summer solstices are exchanged. The solstice is an astronomical event,
caused by Earth’s tilt on its axis, and its motion in orbit around the sun. The
summer solstice is the longest day of the year, since the length of time
elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is a maximum for the year.
Saturday 20 June 2020
Immaculate Heart of Mary
2 Chronicles 24:17-25. For ever I will keep my love for him –
Psalm 88(89):4-5, 29-34. Matthew 6:24-34.
‘Do not worry’
Much of what Jesus says in this Gospel is familiar. He tells us
not to be worried about what is happening in our lives. Not to be overly
anxious about what we eat, drink or wear. Jesus does not look down on our
concerns for money, clothes and the things we need every day, even telling us
to pray for our daily bread! Instead, what he does do is to warn us of the
futility of worry and anxiety which can take our mind and heart off what is
really essential in our lives. He gives us a wonderful example of God’s loving
care for his people and his great desire to bring us closer to him.
We, in turn, must then try to respond as fully as we can to
Jesus’ call to ‘lay up our treasure in heaven, for that is where our hearts
will be also.
Saint Paulinus of Nola
Saint of the Day for June 20
(354 – June 22, 431)
 |
| Stained glass window of Saint Paulinus | photo by Tiroler Glasmalerei |
Saint Paulinus of Nola’s Story
Anyone who is praised in the letters of six or seven saints
undoubtedly must be of extraordinary character. Such a person was Paulinus of
Nola, correspondent and friend of Saints Augustine, Jerome, Melania, Martin,
Gregory the Great, and Ambrose.
Born near Bordeaux, he was the son of the Roman prefect of Gaul,
who had extensive property in both Gaul and Italy. Paulinus became a
distinguished lawyer, holding several public offices in the Roman Empire. With
his Spanish wife, Therasia, he retired at an early age to a life of cultured
leisure.
The two were baptized by the saintly bishop of Bordeaux and
moved to Therasia’s estate in Spain. After many childless years, they had a son
who died a week after birth. This occasioned their beginning a life of great
austerity and charity, giving away most of their Spanish property. Possibly as
a result of this great example, Paulinus was rather unexpectedly ordained a
priest at Christmas by the bishop of Barcelona.
He and his wife then moved to Nola, near Naples. He had a great
love for Saint Felix of Nola, and spent much effort in promoting devotion
to this saint. Paulinus gave away most of his remaining property—to the
consternation of his relatives—and continued his work for the poor. Supporting
a host of debtors, the homeless and other needy people, he lived a monastic
life in another part of his home. By popular demand he was made bishop of Nola
and guided that diocese for 21 years.
Paulinus’ last years were saddened by the invasion of the Huns.
Among his few writings is the earliest extant Christian wedding song. His
Liturgical Feast Day is June 22.
Reflection
Many of us are tempted to “retire” early in life, after an
initial burst of energy. Devotion to Christ and his work is waiting to be done
all around us. Paulinus’ life had scarcely begun when he thought it was over,
as he took his ease on that estate in Spain. “Man proposes, but God disposes.”
Divina Lectio: The Immaculate Heart of The Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectio Divina
Saturday, June 20, 2020
1. Opening Prayer
O God, who has prepared a worthy dwelling place of the Holy
Spirit in the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, through her intercession grant
that we, your faithful,may be a living temple of Your glory. We ask this,
through Christ our Lord ...
2. Reading
Luke 2:41-51
Each year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
Each year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
3. Meditation
* "Every year the feast of Passover." These words
help us to define the spiritual context in which the passage takes place
and thus become, for us, the gateway to enter the mystery of His encounter with
the Lord and His work of grace and mercy upon us.
Together with Mary and Joseph, with Jesus, we too can live the
gift of a new Passover, a "crossing," an excess, a spiritual movement
that takes us "beyond.” The passage is clear and strong. What the Virgin
Mary intuits in this experience with her son Jesus is the step from the street
to the heart of the dispersion to interiority, from anguish to peace.
All that remains is to journey down the street and join
the feast, the feast of pilgrims on their way up to Jerusalem for the
celebration of Passover.
* "Their way" This is only the first of a series
of verbs of motion, which follow one another along the verses of this
passage: "they went", "return to the path",
"group" (from the Latin cum-ire, "walking together");
"journey"; "back"; "went down with them, " "
arrive .”
In parallel with this great physical movement, there is also a
deep spiritual movement characterized by the verb "look", expressed
over and over again: "they began to look for," "returned in
search of Him," "looking for You anxiously,” " why you sought
Me?”
This tells us that the journey, the true path to which the
Lord's word calls us, is not a physical journey, but a journey in search of
Jesus, of His presence in our lives. And this is the direction in which we
move, together with Mary and Joseph.
* "They began to look for Him" Here we can
identify the core of the text, its fundamental message. It is important that we
open ourselves to a deeper understanding of this reality. Also because Luke
uses two different verbs to express the "search,” the first
indicating accurate, repeated, careful, as some of those who browse, from
bottom to top, and second which indicates the search for something that is lost
and you want to find. Jesus is the object of all this movement and deep inner
being, is the object of desire, the longing of the heart.
* "Distressed" It is great to see how Mary
opens her heart to Jesus, telling Him what she felt within herself. She is not
afraid to tell the truth to her Son, to tell Him the feelings and experiences
that they felt deeply. But what is this anguish, this pain that you saw in Mary
and Joseph in search of Jesus, who went missing?
These 3 days of looking, the journey to Jerusalem, and not
understanding His words afterward, may also be considered a prefiguring the
narrative of His death and Resurrection.
* "Kept all these sayings in her heart" Mary does
not understand the words of Jesus, the mystery of His life and His mission and
for this remains silent, accepts, makes space, keeps them in her heart. This is
the true path of growth in faith and relationship with the Lord.
Once again, Luke gives us a very beautiful and meaningful word
which means literally "keeping through.” That is the spiritual operation
that Mary carries within herself and that give us as a precious gift, a legacy
for our good relationship with the Lord, so that it can take us into a
journey deep, deep, that does not stop at the surface, or half, which is not
coming back, but it goes deep down. Mary takes us by the hand and guides us
through all her heart, all her feelings, her experiences. And there, in the
secrecy of ourselves, in our hearts, we can learn to find the Lord Jesus, whom
perhaps we had lost.
There is also a loss for Mary and Joseph. Up until now, Joseph
was identified with “my father”. Now it is changed. He is not just her son, or
their son, but son of our Heavenly Father. In all this is another sorrow, one
of parents, that they do not understand their child: “But they did not
understand what He said to them.”
4. Some questions
* There are many foreshadows of the Passion in this passage. Can
I identify the depth of things symbolized here?
* Do I feel like I am seeking the Lord? Or does it not seem important? Is it an active part of my life every day?
* Has anxiety, spoken by Mary, ever been my companion on the journey of my life? Maybe, thanks to this passage, I discover that the anxiety is caused by the absence of the Lord, the loss of God. Does this passage help me, give me a light and a key for my life?
* As a parent (past, future, or present), do I see a relationship and partnership with God the Father in raising my children, and do I give room for God to be an active participant in this? Am I a wall between God and them, or am I translator, or do I allow them to build their relationship at the same time?
* Do I feel like I am seeking the Lord? Or does it not seem important? Is it an active part of my life every day?
* Has anxiety, spoken by Mary, ever been my companion on the journey of my life? Maybe, thanks to this passage, I discover that the anxiety is caused by the absence of the Lord, the loss of God. Does this passage help me, give me a light and a key for my life?
* As a parent (past, future, or present), do I see a relationship and partnership with God the Father in raising my children, and do I give room for God to be an active participant in this? Am I a wall between God and them, or am I translator, or do I allow them to build their relationship at the same time?
5. Closing Prayer
And as she worshiped the LORD, she said:
"My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.
There is no Holy One like the LORD;
there in no Rock like our God.
"Speak boastfully no longer,
nor let arrogance issue from your mouths.
For an all-knowing God is the LORD,
a God who judges deeds.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.
The LORD puts to death and gives life;
He casts down to the nether world; He raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
He humbles, He also exalts.
He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap He lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S,
and He has set the world upon them.
1 Samuel 2:1-8
"My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.
There is no Holy One like the LORD;
there in no Rock like our God.
"Speak boastfully no longer,
nor let arrogance issue from your mouths.
For an all-knowing God is the LORD,
a God who judges deeds.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.
The LORD puts to death and gives life;
He casts down to the nether world; He raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
He humbles, He also exalts.
He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap He lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S,
and He has set the world upon them.
1 Samuel 2:1-8
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