Wednesday
of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 433
Reading 1
Brothers and sisters,
I could not talk to you as spiritual people,
but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.
I fed you milk, not solid food,
because you were unable to take it.
Indeed, you are still not able, even now,
for you are still of the flesh.
While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,
are you not of the flesh, and walking
according to the manner of man?
Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another,
“I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men?
What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul?
Ministers through whom you became believers,
just as the Lord assigned each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who causes the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one,
and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.
For we are God’s co-workers;
you are God’s field, God’s building.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his
own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
From his fixed throne he beholds
all who dwell on the earth,
He who fashioned the heart of each,
he who knows all their works.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.
At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases
brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.”
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak
because they knew that he was the Christ.
At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.
The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,
they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, “To the other towns also
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent.”
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090220.cfm
Meditation: He
Laid His Hands on Every One and Healed Them
Who
do you take your troubles to? Jesus' disciples freely brought their troubles to
him because they found him ready and able to deal with any difficulty,
affliction, or sickness which they encountered. When Simon Peter brought Jesus
to his home for the Sabbath meal (right after Jesus preached in the synagogue
in Capernaum), his mother-in-law was instantly healed because Jesus heard
Simon's prayer. Jesus could not avoid drawing a crowd wherever he went.
Jesus wants to set us free today
No one who asked Jesus for help was left disappointed. Jesus' numerous healings
and exorcisms demonstrated the power and authority of his word, the "good
news of the kingdom of God." When he rebuked the fever, it immediately
left. When he rebuked the demons, they left as well. Why did the demons shudder
at Jesus' presence? They recognized that he was the Christ,
the Son of God and that he had power to destroy their kingdom
by releasing those bound by it. Jesus came to set us free from bondage to sin
and evil. Do you seek freedom in Christ and trust in his power to set you free?
When Jesus and the disciples sought a lonely place to regroup and rest, they
found instead a crowd waiting for them! Did they resent this intrusion on their
hard-earned need for privacy and refreshment? Jesus certainly didn't but
welcomed them with open-arms. Jesus put human need ahead of everything else.
His compassion showed the depths of God's love and concern for all who are
truly needy. Jesus gave the people the word of God and he healed them
physically as well as spiritually.
Jesus never tires of hearing and answering our pleas
We can never intrude upon God nor exhaust his generosity and kindness. He is
ever ready to give to those who earnestly seek him out. Do you allow Jesus to
be the Lord and Healer in your personal life, family, and community? Approach
him with expectant faith. God's healing power restores us not only to health
but to active service and care of others. There is no trouble he does not want
to help us with and there is no bondage he can't set us free from. Do you take
your troubles to him with expectant faith that he will help you?
Lord
Jesus Christ, you have all power to heal and to deliver. There is no trouble
nor bondage you cannot overcome. Set me free to serve you joyfully and to love
and serve others generously. May nothing hinder me from giving myself wholly to
you and to your service.
Daily
Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Jesus the Chief Physician, by
Jerome (347-420 AD)
"'Now
Simon's mother-in-law was kept in her bed sick with a fever.' May Christ come
to our house and enter in and by his command cure the fever of our sins. Each
one of us is sick with a fever. Whenever I give way to anger, I have a fever.
There are as many fevers as there are faults and vices. Let us beg the apostles
to intercede for us with Jesus, that he may come to us and touch our hand. If
he does so, at once our fever is gone. He is an excellent physician and truly
the chief Physician. Moses is a physician. Isaiah is a physician. All the
saints are physicians, but he is the chief Physician." (excerpt
from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MARK 75.1)
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=sep2
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, LUKE 4:38-44
Weekday
(1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Psalm 33)
KEY VERSE: "To other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent" (v. 43).
TO KNOW: Jesus is a healer of both body and spirit --Soter, which means “the bearer of salus” or health. God's power — exousia — was at work in Jesus whose divine authority over all forms of evil came from within his very being. After curing the demoniac in the synagogue at Capernaum (Lk 4:33-35), he went to the home of Simon Peter. With a powerful word he cured Simon's mother-in-law who lay ill with a severe fever. As a true servant of God, she arose and waited on Jesus and his disciples. At sunset, the Sabbath ended and the people were free to bring their sick to Jesus. He laid hands on them, curing those who were ill and driving out evil spirits. In the morning, Jesus retired to a deserted place, but the people came in search of him, beseeching him to remain with them. Jesus told them that he must proclaim the gospel to others because that was why he had been sent.
TO LOVE: Who do I know who needs Jesus' healing touch?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, I pray for all those in need of your healing word.
http://www.togetherwithgodsword.com/commentaries-on-the-daily-gospel-of-the-mass.html
Wednesday 2 September 2020
1 Corinthians 3:1-9. Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be
his own – Psalm 32(33):12-15, 20-21. Luke 4:38-44.
Our true identities can only be found in God
Our readings today speak of purpose, identity and the link between
them. They speak to the joy that comes with knowing these rightly, and warn of
the pitfalls. As the Corinthians fall into factionalism, something I am sure no
modern Catholics know anything about, Paul reminds us that our figureheads and
leaders are nothing, and that our true identity can only be found in God.
Clinging to anyone else only stunts our spiritual development.
The Psalmist rejoices in this same knowledge of belonging to
God. Jesus’s prayer, carved out of a hectic scene, allows him to discern
between two goods to which his compassion calls him. He is a healer to be sure,
but knows that the healing that he has to offer those before him and indeed all
humanity goes far deeper than physical restoration. He must go on preaching in
order to live out his mission as the Divine Physician.
http://www.pray.com.au/gospel_reflection/wednesday-2-september-2020/
Blessed John Francis Burté and Companions
Saint of the Day for September 2
(d. September 2, 1792 and January 21, 1794)
Massacre à la Salpêtrière, 3 septembre 1792 | anonymous (Unrelated, but similar incident during the French Revolution.)
Blessed John Francis Burté and Companions’ Story
These priests were victims of the French Revolution. Though
their martyrdom spans a period of several years, they stand together in the
Church’s memory because they all gave their lives for the same principle. In
1791, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy required all priests to take an oath
which amounted to a denial of the faith. Each of these men refused and was
executed.
John Francis Burté became a Franciscan at 16 and after
ordination taught theology to the young friars. Later he was guardian of the
large Conventual friary in Paris until he was arrested and held in the convent
of the Carmelites.
Appolinaris of Posat was born in 1739 in Switzerland. He joined
the Capuchins and acquired a reputation as an excellent preacher, confessor,
and instructor of clerics. Preparing for his assignment to the East as a
missionary, he was in Paris studying Oriental languages when the French
Revolution began. Refusing the oath, he was swiftly arrested and detained in
the Carmelite convent.
Severin Girault, a member of the Third Order Regular, was a
chaplain for a group of sisters in Paris. Imprisoned with the others, he was
the first to die in the slaughter at the convent.
These three plus 182 others—including several bishops and many
religious and diocesan priests—were massacred at the Carmelite house in Paris
on September 2, 1792. They were beatified in 1926.
Born in 1737, John Baptist Triquerie became a Conventual
Franciscan. He was the chaplain and confessor of Poor
Clare monasteries in three cities before he was arrested for refusing
to take the oath. He and 13 diocesan priests were martyred in Laval on January
21, 1794. He was beatified in 1955.
Reflection
“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” was the motto of the French
Revolution. If individuals have “inalienable rights,” as the Declaration of
Independence states, these must come not from the agreement of society—which
can be very fragile—but directly from God. Do we believe that? Do we act on it?
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/blessed-john-francis-burt-eacute-and-companions/
Lectio Divina: Luke 4:38-44
Lectio Divina
Wednesday, September 2, 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 4:38-44
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded
with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She
got up immediately and waited on them. At sunset, all who had people sick with
various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and
cured them. And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son
of God." But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they
knew that he was the Christ. At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted
place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried
to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, "To the other towns
also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this
purpose I have been sent." And he was preaching in the synagogues of
Judea.
3) Reflection
● The Gospel today narrates four different events: the cure
of Peter’s mother-in-law (Lk 4:38-39), the cure of many sick people at night,
after Saturday (Lk 4:40-41), the prayer of Jesus in a deserted place (Lk 4:42)
and His insistence on the mission (Lk 4: 43-44). With small differences Luke
follows and adapts the information taken from the Gospel of Mark.
● Luke 4:38-39: Jesus restores life for service. After having
participated in the celebration of Saturday in the synagogue, Jesus goes to
Peter’s house and cures his mother-in-law. The cure causes her to render
service immediately. Having recovered her health and dignity, she places
herself at the service of the people. Jesus not only cures, but He cures in
such a way that the person places herself at the service of life.
● Luke 4:40-41: Jesus accepts and cures the marginalized. At
night, when the first stars appear in the sky, after Saturday is over, Jesus
accepts and cures the sick and those possessed whom the people bring to Him.
The sick and the possessed were the most marginalized people at that time. They
had no one to whom to go. They were at the mercy of public charity; besides,
religion considered them impure. They could not participate in the community.
It was as if God rejected and excluded them. Jesus accepts and cures them,
placing His hands on each one of them. Thus, it is clear in what the Good News
of God consists and what He wants to do in people’s lives: to accept the marginalized
and the excluded and to integrate them into the community, to live with others.
“Devils came out of many people shouting: “You are the Son of God!” But He
warned them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was
the Christ.” At that time the title Son of God did not have as yet the density
and depth that it has for us today. Jesus did not allow the devils to speak. He
did not want an easy propaganda based on spectacular expulsions.
● Luke 4:42a: To remain united to the Father by means of
prayer. “When daylight came He left the house and made His way to a lonely
place. The crowds went to look for Him, and when they had caught up with Him
they wanted to prevent Him from leaving them.” Here we see Jesus praying. He
has to make an enormous effort to have time available and a place suitable for
prayer. He goes to a deserted place to be able to stay alone with God. Many
times the Gospels speak about Jesus’ prayer, in silence (Lk 3:21-22; 4: 1-2,
3-12; 5:15-16; 6:12; 9:18; 10:21; 11:1; 23:34; Mt 14:22-23; 26:38; Jn 11:41-42;
17:1-26; Mk1:35;). Through prayer, He maintains His consciousness of His
mission.
● Luke 4:42b-44: To maintain consciousness of one’s own mission and
not think about the result. Jesus becomes known. People follow Him and they
do not want Him to leave them. Jesus does not grant this petition and says, “I
must proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the other towns too,
because that is what I was sent to do.” Jesus was very clear about His mission.
He does not stop at the result that He has already obtained, but He wishes to
sustain His awareness of His mission. It is the mission received from the
Father which directs Him when He has to make a decision. “I have been sent for
this!” And here in this text this consciousness which is so alive springs up as
the fruit of His prayer.
4) Personal questions
● Jesus spent much time in prayer and being alone with the
Father, and He looked for this time. Do I dedicate time for prayer and solitude
with God?
● Jesus had a clear awareness of His mission. As a Christian, am I
conscious that I have a mission, or do I live without a mission?
5) Concluding Prayer
We are waiting for Yahweh;
he is our help and our shield,
for in Him our heart rejoices;
in His holy name we trust. (Ps 33:20-21)
https://ocarm.org/en/content/lectio/lectio-divina-luke-438-44
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