Memorial of Saint Monica
Lectionary: 428
Reading 1
Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of
God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the Church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant,
whom the master has put in charge of his household
to distribute to them their food at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so.
Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.
But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’
and begins to beat his fellow servants,
and eat and drink with drunkards,
the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day
and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely
and assign him a place with the hypocrites,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082720.cfm
Meditation: Are
You Ready to Meet the Lord?
Has
your community or town ever participated in a grand homecoming party for a
celebrated hero or champion who courageously and selflessly risked all to serve
their people and nation - who risked great odds to protect people from harm and
who achieved great victory over an enemy bent on destroying their land and
freedom? The Lord Jesus promises us a great victory celebration when he returns
again to put down his enemies and to establish his everlasting kingdom of
peace, joy, and righteousness. That day when the Lord Jesus returns will be joy
and peace for those who are prepared to meet him - but grief and sorrow for
those who did not accept him as Lord and ruler of all.
Jesus will return to establish his everlasting kingdom
Jesus' first coming was a rescue mission - he was sent by the eternal Father in
heaven to save us from the tyranny of sin, Satan, and death. Jesus' sacrificial
death on the cross and his triumphant victory over the grave won pardon for us
and reconciliation with our heavenly Father, and the promise of everlasting
life and joy in his kingdom. The Lord Jesus told his disciples on a number of
occasions that he would return again at the end of this present age - not
simply to rescue us again from our enemies - but as a victor King and Lord who
will vindicate all who have believed in him - by releasing us from the curse of
death and condemnation and restoring for us the plan he had from the beginning
of creation - a new heavens and earth for a people perfectly united with God in
peace, joy, and harmony forever. This is the background to Jesus story
(parable) about the householder and the thief in the night (Matthew 24:42-51).
When the Lord Jesus returns, he doesn't want to find us flirting with the enemy
or worse joining forces with enemies who are opposed to God and his kingdom.
Don't let Satan rob you of your heavenly treasure
What does Jesus' parable of the thief in the night teach us about God's
kingdom? If you knew that a thief was prowling about and trying to strike your
home and threaten your life, wouldn't you seek to protect yourself from harm's
way? Jesus' parable of the thief in the night brings home the necessity for
watchfulness and being on guard to avert the danger of plunder and destruction,
especially under the cover of darkness and secrecy! While no thief would
announce his intention in advance, nor the time when he would strike, lack of
vigilance would nonetheless invite disaster for those who are unprepared to
keep their treasure and their lives secure at all times! The intruder strikes
when he is least expected!
Our adversary the devil seeks to rob us of the treasure which the Lord freely
offers us. What is the treasure which the Lord Jesus wants us to guard lest we
lose it? It is the treasure of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus
himself - who is our greatest gift and portion in this life. The Scriptures
remind us that there is no greater treasure on earth or in heaven than the Lord
himself (Psalm 16:5,11, Job 22:25-26, and Philippians 3:8):
"Whom
have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides
you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my
portion for ever" (Psalm 73:25-26).
The
Lord Jesus chooses to come and dwell in our hearts through the gift and working
of his Holy Spirit. He knocks at the door of our heart and invites us to let
him enter (Revelation 3:21). Are you ready to meet the Lord - each and every
day?
Be ready to give your account to the Lord Jesus
Jesus ends his teaching on watchfulness and vigilance with another parable about
a master and his servants (Matthew 24:.45-49). The storyline is similar. There
is an element of surprise - the master suddenly returns home unexpectedly,
probably from a long journey. He rewards the dutiful servant for his
faithfulness to his master. He has performed his service with diligence and has
done all that the master required of him. The master punishes the other servant
who behaved wickedly. This servant was not only irresponsible - he was
frequently absent from work and spent his master's money by throwing endless
parties with his friends. The wicked servant also abused his fellow workers
with physical force and violence - probably to make them do the work he was
supposed to do for his master. The master not only throws him out of his house,
he fires him from his job! He also throws him into the worst possible place - a
prison of no return where there is nothing but torment and misery.
Should we be surprised to see the master acting with such swift judgment? After
all he is only giving back what they have given to him. The master rewards the
faithful servant with honor, promotion, and friendship, and he punishes the
unfaithful servant - who stole from his master and used his position to abuse
others - by removing him from his position of trust with the master and by
throwing him into prison for robbing the master and mistreating his fellow
servants. The Lord has entrusted each of us with his gifts and grace - the
grace to love God with faithfulness, trust, and obedience - and the grace to
love our neighbor as our self. Do you love faithfulness?
Always be prepared for your homecoming
The Lord Jesus calls us to be vigilant in watching for his return and to be
ready to meet him when he calls us to himself. The Lord gives us his Holy
Spirit so that we may have the wisdom, help, and strength we need to turn away
from sin to embrace God's way of love, justice, and holiness. The Lord's
warning of judgment causes dismay for those who are unprepared, but it brings
joyful hope to those who eagerly wait for his return in glory. God's judgment
is good news for those who are ready to meet him. Their reward is God himself,
the source of all truth, beauty, goodness, love and everlasting life.
Lord
Jesus, you have captured my heart and it is yours. Take my life and all that I
possess that I may have you alone as my treasure and joy. Make me strong in
faith, steadfast in hope, and generous in love that I may seek to please you in
all things and bring you glory.
Daily
Quote from the Early Church Fathers: You do not know the day, by John
Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"But
his meaning is like this: If ordinary persons knew when they were going to die,
they would surely be striving earnestly at that hour. In order therefore that
they may strive, not at that hour only, he does not tell them the hour or day.
He wants to keep them on their toes looking for it, that they may be always
striving. This is why he made the end of each person's life so uncertain. In
this passage he openly implies that he himself is Lord. Nowhere before has he
spoken of this so distinctly. But here he seems to me also to be putting to
shame those who remain careless about his lordship. They take much more care
about a thief taking their money than about their own soul. Those who care
about their house and do not want their possessions stolen take measures
against the thief. They watch; they are prepared for the thief. So it is with
you. You do not know when he will come. But you know assuredly that he will
come. If you do not continue to watch, you will not be ready on that day. You
will be unprepared. Destruction will come in your sleep. If the person had
known when the thief was coming, he would have been prepared. So be like the
one who is prepared at all times, so you will escape free. Having then
mentioned the judgment, he directs his thoughts next to teachers, speaking of
honorable and dishonorable actions. His discourse closes with that which is
alarming, for he speaks first of those who do right, then of those who continue
in sin." (excerpt from the THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY
77.2-3)
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=aug27
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, MATTHEW 24:42-51
Memorial of Saint Monica
(1 Corinthians 1:1-9; Psalm 96)
KEY VERSE: "Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come" (v. 42).
TO KNOW: Jesus' parable of the unfaithful servant was an indictment against Israel's religious leaders, but it also served as a warning to his disciples. As future leaders of the Church, these servants would be responsible for the Christian community during Christ's physical absence. They were instructed to be vigilant and to be prepared for his sudden return. The prudent servant must faithfully perform the task of caring for the Church, the members of God's household. By contrast, the wicked servant took advantage of his master's absence and acted shamefully toward his fellow servants. The slothful, sinful servants would be punished severely for their infidelity, whereas, the reliable, trustworthy servants would be rewarded for their faithfulness.
TO LOVE: Can others depend on me in performing my ministry?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be your faithful servant in all I do.
Memorial of Saint Monica
Monica, a Christian from birth, was married by arrangement to a pagan official in North Africa who was much older than she. Although generous, he had a violent temper, which proved a constant challenge to Monica. She had three children; Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. Through her patience and prayers, she was able to convert her husband to the Catholic faith in 370. He died a year later. Perpetua and Navigius entered the religious life. Augustine was much more difficult. Monica had to pray for him for 17 years, begging the prayers of priests. One priest consoled her by saying, "it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish." This thought, coupled with a vision that she had, strengthened her. Augustine was baptized by Saint Ambrose in 387, whose preaching greatly influenced him. Monica died later that same year. She is the patron of alcoholics, abuse victims, difficult marriages, disappointing children, victims of adultery, of unfaithfulness, of verbal abuse, and of mothers and widows.
http://www.togetherwithgodsword.com/commentaries-on-the-daily-gospel-of-the-mass.html
Thursday 27 August 2020
St Monica
1 Corinthians 1:1-9. I will praise your name for ever, Lord –
Psalm 144(145):2-7. Matthew 24:42-51.
I will praise your name forever, Lord.
Paul made a practice of praising the people in the early
Christian communities, thanking God for their gifts. But some, like the
Corinthians, failed to measure up to his high expectations. Even though he was
not impressed with their charity and their unity, he thanked God for them and
praised them for the good things he did see, especially their speech and
knowledge evidenced in their teachers and preachers.
Perhaps we sometimes are disappointed when our high expectations
of others can prevent us from seeing the gifts that they do have. May we, like
Paul, train ourselves to thank God for their good qualities, and to praise
those concerned as often as we can. Let us consider who they might be – maybe
our children, our spouses, our students, our friends …
Paul finishes this reading saying, ‘and God is faithful’. Since
God is faithful, he will complete his work in us in spite of our seeming
imperfections.
http://www.pray.com.au/gospel_reflection/thursday-27-august-2020/
Saint Monica
Saint of the Day for August 27
(c. 330 – 387)
Detail | Stained glass window in the Church of Saint James the Greater in Bouxwiller | photo by GFreihalter
Saint Monica’s Story
The circumstances of Saint Monica’s life could have made her a
nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law, and a despairing parent, yet she did
not give way to any of these temptations. Although she was a Christian, her
parents gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived in her hometown
of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features, but he had a
violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous
mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius criticized his wife because of
her charity and piety, but always respected her. Monica’s prayers and example
finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in
371, one year after his baptism.
Monica had at least three children who survived infancy. The
oldest, Augustine, is the most famous. At the time of his father’s death,
Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was distressed to
learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy—”all flesh is evil”—and
was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in
her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would
return to the faith. From that time on, she stayed close to her son, praying
and fasting for him. In fact she often stayed much closer than Augustine
wanted.
When he was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach
rhetoric. Monica was determined to go along. One night he told his mother that
he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend. Instead he set sail for
Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine’s trick, but she
still followed him. She arrived in Rome only to find that he had left for
Milan. Although travel was difficult, Monica pursued him to Milan.
In Milan, Augustine came under the influence of the bishop,
Saint Ambrose, who also became Monica’s spiritual director. She accepted his
advice in everything and had the humility to give up some practices that had
become second nature to her. Monica became a leader of the devout women in
Milan as she had been in Tagaste.
She continued her prayers for Augustine during his years of
instruction. At Easter 387, Saint Ambrose baptized Augustine and several of his
friends. Soon after, his party left for Africa. Although no one else was aware
of it, Monica knew her life was near the end. She told Augustine, “Son, nothing
in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for
me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now
fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered severely for nine days
before her death.
Almost all we know about St. Monica is in the writings of Saint
Augustine, especially his Confessions.
Reflection
Today, with Google searches, online shopping, text messages,
tweets, and instant credit, we have little patience for things that take time.
Likewise, we want instant answers to our prayers. Monica is a model of
patience. Her long years of prayer, coupled with a strong, well-disciplined
character, finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband, her
cantankerous mother-in-law and her brilliant but wayward son, Augustine.
Saint Monica is the Patron Saint of:
Alcoholics
Conversion
Married Women
Mothers
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-monica/
Lectio Divina: Matthew 24:42-51
Lectio Divina
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
help us to seek the values
that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.
In our desire for what You promise
make us one in mind and heart.
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 - Matthew 24:42-51
Jesus said to his disciples: "Stay awake! For you do not
know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the
house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have
stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be
prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
"Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put
in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I
say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked
servant says to himself, 'My master is long delayed,' and begins to beat his
fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant's master will
come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely
and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and
grinding of teeth."
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today speaks about the coming of the Lord at the
end of time and exhorts us to be watchful. At the time of the first Christians,
many people thought that the end of this world was close at hand and that Jesus
would return afterwards. Today many think that the end of the world is
close at hand. Therefore, it is well to reflect on the meaning of vigilance, of
watchfulness.
• Matthew 24:42: Watch. “So stay awake! Watch, because you do not know the day
when your master is coming.” Concerning the day and the hour of the end of the
world, Jesus had said, “But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither
the angels in heaven, nor the Son, no one but the Father!" (Mk 13:32).
Today, many people are concerned about the end of the world. Have you seen,
when walking through the streets of the city, that it is written on walls:
“Jesus will return!” And how will this coming be? After the year 1000, basing
themselves on the Gospel of John, people began to say (Rev 20:7): “1000 years
have gone by, but 2000 will not pass by!” This is why, as the year 2000
approached, many were worried. There were even some people who were anguished
because of the proximity of the end of the world, so much so that they
committed suicide. Others, reading the Apocalypse of John, were even able to
foretell the exact hour of the end. But the year 2000 came and nothing
happened. The end of the world did not arrive! The declaration “Jesus will
return” is often used to frighten people and oblige them to belong to a given
church! Others, because they have waited so long and have speculated so much
concerning the coming of Jesus, are not aware of His presence among us, in the
most common things of life, in the facts of every day.
• The same problems existed in the Christian communities of the first
centuries. Many people of the communities said that the end of this world was
close at hand and that Jesus would return. Some of the community of
Thessalonica in Greece, basing themselves on the preaching of Paul, said:
“Jesus will return!” (1 Thess 4:13-18; 2 Thess 2:2). And this is why
there were even people who no longer worked because they thought that the
coming of the end was so close at hand, within a few days or a few weeks, so,
“Why work, if Jesus will return soon?” (cf. 2 Thess 3:11). Paul responded that
it was not as simple as they imagined. And to those who had stopped working he
said, “Anyone who does not want to work, has no right to eat!” Others remained
looking up at the sky, waiting for the return of Jesus in the clouds (cf. Acts
1:11). Others rebelled because He delayed coming back (2 Pet 3:4-9). In general
the Christians lived in the expectation of the imminent coming of Jesus. Jesus
was coming to carry out the Final Judgment to end the history of this world and
to inaugurate a new phase of history, the new Heaven and the new Earth. They
believed that this would take place within one or two generations. Many people
would still be alive when Jesus appeared again, glorious in Heaven (1Thess
4:16-17; Mk 9:1). Others, tired of waiting, would say: “He will never come
back!” (2 Pet 3).
• Up until now the coming of Jesus has not happened! How can this delay be
understood? It is because they are not aware that Jesus has already returned
and lives in our midst: “I am with you always, till the end of time.” (Mt
28:20). He is already at our side, in the struggle for justice, for peace, for
life. The fullness has not as yet been attained, but a guarantee of the Kingdom
is already in our midst. This is why we expect with a firm hope the full
liberation of humanity and of nature (Rm 8:22-25). While we wait and struggle,
we say with certainty, “He is already in our midst” (Mt 25:40).
• Matthew 24:43-51: The example of the householder and his servants. “Consider
this: if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would
come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break
through the wall of his house.” Jesus says this very clearly. Nobody knows
anything regarding the hour: "Concerning this day and this hour, nobody
knows anything, neither the angels, or the Son, but only the Father.”
What is important is not to know the hour of the end of this world, but rather
to be able to perceive the coming of Jesus, who is already present in our midst
in the person of the poor (cf. Mt 25:40) and in so many other ways and events
of our daily life. What is important is to open our eyes and to keep in mind
the commitment of the good servant of whom Jesus speaks in the parable.
4) Personal questions
• On which signs do people base their belief that the end of the
world is close at hand? Do you believe that the end of the world is close at
hand?
• How should we respond to those who say that the end of the world is close at
hand? What is the force which impels you to resist and to have hope?
• Our Creed says “He will come again to judge...” yet Jesus says He “is in our
midst”. How do you reconcile these two statements?
• In English, and perhaps in many languages, the phrase “my world” means my
life and what is in it. By using this more personal interpretation of the word
“world”, can greater meaning be found in the use of the idea of “end of the
world” than just thinking about the entire planet?
5) Concluding Prayer
Day after day I shall bless You, Lord,
I shall praise Your name for ever and ever.
Great is Yahweh and worthy of all praise,
His greatness beyond all reckoning. (Ps 145:2-3)
https://ocarm.org/en/content/lectio/lectio-divina-matthew-2442-51
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