Tuesday of
the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 432
Reading 1
Brothers
and sisters:
The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
Among men, who knows what pertains to the man
except his spirit that is within?
Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.
We have not received the spirit of the world
but the Spirit who is from God,
so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.
And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom,
but with words taught by the Spirit,
describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.
Now
the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God,
for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it,
because it is judged spiritually.
The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything
but is not subject to judgment by anyone.
For
“who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?”
But we have the mind of Christ.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 145:8-9, 10-11,
12-13AB, 13CD-14
R.
(17) The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus
went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,
and he cried out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another,
“What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
and they come out.”
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090120.cfm
Meditation: His
Word Was with Authority and Power
When
you listen to the word of God in Scripture how do you respond to it? Do you
hear it with indifference, selective submission, or with the full assent of
faith and obedience? When Jesus taught he spoke with authority. He spoke the
word of God as no one had spoken it before. When the Rabbis taught they
supported their statements with quotes from other authorities. The prophets
spoke with delegated authority - Thus says the Lord. When Jesus
spoke he needed no authorities to back his statements. He was authority
incarnate - the Word of God made flesh. When he spoke, God spoke. When he
commanded even the demons obeyed.
God's Word is alive and active
Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD), in his commentary on this passage from the
Gospel of Luke, tells us that Jesus had all power and authority to heal every
sickness and expel every demonic power because he was the living and
active Word of God the Father (John 1:14 and Hebrews 4:12):
The
bystanders, witnesses of such great deeds, were astonished at the power of his
word. He performed his miracles, without offering up a prayer, asking no one
else at all for the power to accomplish them. Since he is the living and active
Word of God the Father, by whom all things exist, and in whom all things are,
in his own person he crushed Satan and closed the profane mouth of impure
demons. [Commentary on Luke, Homily 12].
God's Word has power to set us free
God's living and abiding Word is truth and life and it has power to set us free
from every sin and oppression and bring us healing of body, mind, and spirit.
If the demons, the fallen angels, were able to recognize the power and
authority of Jesus, the Son of God, how much more should we recognize and
believe in the power and authority of the Gospel - the good news of Jesus Christ,
and entrust our lives to the Lord Jesus?
God's Word produces life and freedom for us
The Lord Jesus speaks his life-giving Word to us each and every day so that we
may walk in the freedom of his love and truth. If we approach the Word of God
with meekness and humility, and with an eagerness to do everything the Lord
desires, we are in a much better position to learn what God wants to teach us
through his word. Are you ready to follow the Lord Jesus and to conform your
life according to his word?
Lord
Jesus, you have the words of everlasting life. May I never doubt your saving
love and mercy, and the power of your word to bring healing, restoration, and
freedom from every sin and oppression.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: New
creation begins on the Sabbath, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"He describes the works of divine healing begun on the
sabbath day, to show from the outset that the new creation began where the old
creation ceased. He showed us that the Son of God is not under the law but
above the law, and that the law will not be destroyed but fulfilled (Matthew
5:17). For the world was not made through the law but by the Word, as we read:
'By the Word of the Lord were the heavens established' (Psalm 33:6). Thus the
law is not destroyed but fulfilled, so that the renewal of humankind, already
in error, may occur. The apostle too says, 'Stripping yourselves of the old
man, put on the new, who was created according to Christ' (Colossians 3:9-10,
Ephesians 4:22,24). He fittingly began on the sabbath, that he may show himself
as Creator. He completed the work that he had already begun by weaving together
works with works. (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
4.58)
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=sep1
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, LUKE 4:31-37
Weekday
(1
Corinthians 2:10b-16; Psalm 145)
KEY VERSE: "For with authority and power he commands the
unclean spirits, and they come out" (v. 36).
TO KNOW: When a Jewish rabbi would speak, he would refer to his
teacher—another rabbi—who in turn had learned from another rabbi, and so on to
Moses. Jesus taught on his own authority. The Greek word here is exousia,
meaning “from his own being.” After Jesus was rejected by the people of
Nazareth, his hometown (Lk 4:29-30), he went to Capernaum on the northwest
coast of Lake Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee). Once again, Jesus taught in the
synagogue on the Sabbath, and this time the people were impressed by his
authoritative words. Jesus was suddenly interrupted by the demonic shriek of a
man possessed by an evil spirit. Although many did not recognize who Jesus
truly was, the demon knew that he was the "Holy One of God" who had
come to destroy evil and restore God's supremacy over humankind. With a
powerful command, Jesus exorcised the evil spirit and healed the man. The
people were in awe of the power of Jesus' words, and his fame spread throughout
the area.
TO LOVE: What is the evil that needs to be cast out of my life?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, heal me with your life-giving word.
http://www.togetherwithgodsword.com/commentaries-on-the-daily-gospel-of-the-mass.html
Tuesday 1 September 2020
1 Corinthians 2:10-16. The Lord is just in all his ways – Psalm
144(145):8-14. Luke 4:31-37.
His word carried authority
Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address with ‘all men are created
equal’ reverberates today. Martin Luther King Jr’s words ‘I have a dream’
inspires hope for equality and an end to systemic racism. John Kennedy
challenged, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for
your country”.
After Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, Robert Kennedy
quoted Aeschylus: ‘And in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by
drop upon the heart until, in our despair, against our will, comes wisdom by
the awful grace of God.’
Ben Chifley’s ‘A Light on the Hill’ speech celebrates values of
selflessness, compassion, social justice and a fair go Paul Keating’s
addressed Indigenous people, on our behalf, acknowledging, ‘We did the
dispossessing. We took the traditional lands and smashed the traditional way of
life.’ Kevin Rudd said, on our behalf, ‘I am sorry.’
Do I speak with authority?
http://www.pray.com.au/gospel_reflection/tuesday-1-september-2020/
Saint Giles
Saint of the Day for September 1
(c. 650 – 710)
Saint Giles and the Hind | Master of St. Giles
Saint Giles’ Story
Despite the fact that much about Saint Giles is shrouded in
mystery, we can say that he was one of the most popular saints in the Middle
Ages. Likely, he was born in the first half of the seventh century in
southeastern France. That is where he built a monastery that became a popular
stopping-off point for pilgrims making their way to Compostela in Spain, and
the Holy Land.
In England, many ancient churches and hospitals were dedicated
to Giles. One of the sections of the city of Brussels is named after him. In
Germany, Giles was included among the so-called 14 Holy Helpers, a popular
group of saints to whom people prayed, especially for recovery from disease,
and for strength at the hour of death. Also among the 14 were
Saints Christopher, Barbara, and Blaise. Interestingly, Giles was the only
non-martyr among them. Devotion to the “Holy Helpers” was especially strong in
parts of Germany and in Hungary and Sweden. Such devotion made his popularity
spread. Giles was soon invoked as the patron of the poor and the disabled.
The pilgrimage center that once drew so many fell into disrepair
some centuries after Giles’ death.
Reflection
Saint Giles may not have been a martyr but, as the word martyr means,
he was a true witness to the faith. This is attested to by the faith of the
People of God in the Middle Ages. He became one of the “holy helpers” and can
still function in that role for us today.
Saint Giles is the Patron Saint of:
Beggars
The Disabled
Disasters
The Poor
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-giles/
Lectio Divina: Luke 4:31-37
Lectio Divina
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
every good thing comes from You.
Fill our hearts with love for You,
increase our faith,
and by Your constant care
protect the good You have given us.
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.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 4:31-37
Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them
on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with
authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean
demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with us,
Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One
of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of
him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of
him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another,
"What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands
the unclean spirits, and they come out." And news of him spread everywhere
in the surrounding region.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we can see the facts more closely: the
admiration of the people because of the way Jesus taught and the cure of a man
who was possessed by an unclean spirit. Not all the Evangelists give this
account in the same way. For Luke, the first miracle is the peace with which
Jesus liberates Himself from the threat of death on the part of the people of
Nazareth (Lk 4:29-30) and the cure of the possessed man (Lk 4:33-35). For
Matthew, the first miracle is the cure of the sick and of the possessed (Mt
4:23) or, more specifically, the cure of a leper (Mt 8:1-4). For Mark, the
first miracle was the expulsion of the devil (Mk 1: 23-26). For John, the first
miracle was Cana, where Jesus changed the water into wine (Jn 2:1-11). Thus, in
the way of narrating things, each Evangelist indicates which was Jesus’
greatest concern.
• Luke 4:31: Jesus’ change in direction toward Capernaum: “Jesus went down to
Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and on Saturday He taught the people.” Matthew
says that Jesus went to live in Capernaum (Mt 4:13). He changed His residence.
Capernaum was a small city on the crossroad between two important routes: the
one coming from Asia Minor and leading to Petra on the south of Transjordan,
and the other one coming from the region of the two rivers, the Tigris and the
Euphrates, and leading down toward Egypt. The change toward Capernaum
facilitated contact with the people and the spreading of the Good News.
• Luke 4:32: Amazement of the people at the teaching of Jesus. The first thing
that people perceive is that Jesus teaches in a different way. It is not so
much the content that strikes them, but rather His way of teaching: “Jesus
speaks with authority.” Mark adds that because of His different way of
teaching, Jesus created a critical conscience among the people in regard to the
religious authority of His time. The people perceived and compared: “He teaches
with authority, unlike the Scribes” (Mk 1:22,27). The Scribes taught quoting
authority. Jesus does not quote any authority; rather He speaks from His
experience of God and of His life.
• Luke 4:33-35: Jesus fights against the power of evil. The first miracle is
the expulsion of the devil. The power of evil took possession of people,
alienating them. Jesus restores the people to be themselves again, giving them
back consciousness and liberty. He does this thanks to the force of His word:
“Be quiet! Come out of him!” And on another occasion He says: “But if it is
through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the Kingdom of God has
indeed caught you unawares” (Lk 11:20). Today, also, many people live alienated
from themselves, subjugated by means of communication, by the propaganda of the
government and of business. They live as slaves of consumerism, oppressed by
debts and threatened by creditors. People think that they do not live well if
they do not have everything which the propaganda announces. It is not easy to
expel this power, which today alienates many people.
• Luke 4:36-37: The reaction of the people: He gives orders to the unclean
spirits. Jesus not only has a different way of teaching the things of God, but
another aspect which evokes admiration in the people is His power over unclean
spirits: “What is it in His words? He gives orders to unclean spirits with
authority and power and they come out.” Jesus opens a new path so that the
people can place themselves before God to pray and to receive the blessings
promised to Abraham. Before, they had to purify themselves. There were many
laws and norms which made the life of the people difficult and marginalized
many people who were considered impure. But now, purified by faith in Jesus,
people could once again place themselves before God and pray to Him, without
needing to have recourse to the complicated norms of purity, which were
frequently expensive.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus brings about admiration and astonishment among the
people. Does the way of acting of our community draw admiration from the people
of the neighborhood? What type of admiration? Are my personal actions also
worthy of admiration?
• Jesus drives out the power of evil and restores people to be themselves
again. Today many people live alienated from everything . How can we help them
to recover and be themselves again?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh is tenderness and pity,
slow to anger, full of faithful love.
Yahweh is generous to all.
His tenderness embraces all His creatures. (Ps 145:8-9)
https://ocarm.org/en/content/lectio/lectio-divina-luke-431-37
