Thursday
of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 446
Reading 1
I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,
of the Gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
Through it you are also being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once,
most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the Apostles.
Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
he appeared to me.
For I am the least of the Apostles,
not fit to be called an Apostle,
because I persecuted the Church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace to me has not been ineffective.
Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them;
not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
“The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord has struck with power.”
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
You are my God, and I give thanks to you;
O my God, I extol you.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091720.cfm
Meditation: Which
Will Love Him More?
What
fuels the love that surpasses all other loves? Unbounding gratitude for sure!
No one who met Jesus could do so with indifference. They were either attracted
to him or repelled by him. Why did a Pharisee invite Jesus to his house for
dinner and then treat him discourteously by neglecting to give him the
customary signs of respect and honor? [This account has some similarities to
the account of Simon the leper in Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3, as well as the
account in John 12:1-8.] Simon was very likely a collector of celebrities. He
patronized Jesus because of his popularity with the crowds. Why did he
criticize Jesus' compassionate treatment of a woman of ill repute - most likely
a prostitute? The Pharisees shunned the company of public sinners and in so
doing they neglected to give them the help they needed to find healing and
wholeness.
The power of extravagant love and gratitude
Why did a woman with a bad reputation approach Jesus and anoint him with her
tears and costly perfume at the risk of ridicule and abuse by others? The
woman's action was motivated by one thing, and one thing only, namely, her love
for Jesus - she loved greatly out of gratitude for the kindness and forgiveness
she had received from Jesus. She did something a Jewish woman would never do in
public. She loosened her hair and anointed Jesus with her tears. It was
customary for a woman on her wedding day to bind her hair. For a married woman
to loosen her hair in public was a sign of grave immodesty. This woman was
oblivious to all around her, except for Jesus.
Love gives all - the best we have
She also did something which only love can do. She took the most precious thing
she had and spent it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but extravagant.
In a spirit of humility and heart-felt repentance, she lavishly served the one
who showed her the mercy and kindness of God. Jesus, in his customary fashion,
never lost the opportunity to draw a lesson from such a deed.
The debt of gratitude for mercy and forgiveness
Why did Jesus put the parable of the two debtors before his learned host, a
religious Jew who was well versed in the Jewish Scriptures and who would have
rigorously followed the letter of the Law of Moses? This parable is similar to
the parable of the unforgiving
official (see Matthew 18:23-35) in which the man who was forgiven
much showed himself merciless and unforgiving. Jesus makes clear that great
love springs from a heart forgiven and cleansed. Peter the Apostle tells us
that "love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). It was love
that motivated the Father in heaven to send his only begotten Son, the Lord
Jesus, to offer up his life on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
The woman's lavish expression of love was an offering of gratitude for the
great forgiveness, kindness, and mercy Jesus had shown to her.
The stark contrast of attitudes between Simon and the woman of ill-repute
demonstrates how we can either accept or reject God's mercy and forgiveness.
Simon, who regarded himself as an upright Pharisee, did not feel any particular
need for pardon and mercy. His self-sufficiency kept him from acknowledging his
need for God's grace - his gracious gift of favor, help, and mercy. Are you
grateful for God's mercy and pardon?
Lord
Jesus, your grace is sufficient for me. Fill my heart with love and gratitude for
the mercy you have shown to me and give me joy and freedom to love and serve
others with kindness and respect.
Daily
Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Jesus the Physician brings miraculous
healing to the woman's sins, by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD)
"Healing
the sick is a physician's glory. Our Lord did this to increase the disgrace of
the Pharisee, who discredited the glory of our Physician. He worked signs in
the streets, worked even greater signs once he entered the Pharisee's house
than those that he had worked outside. In the streets, he healed sick bodies,
but inside, he healed sick souls. Outside, he had given life to the death of
Lazarus. Inside, he gave life to the death of the sinful woman. He restored the
living soul to a dead body that it had left, and he drove off the deadly sin
from a sinful woman in whom it dwelt. That blind Pharisee, for whom wonders
were not enough, discredited the common things he saw because of the wondrous
things he failed to see." (excerpt from HOMILY ON OUR LORD 42.2)
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=sep17
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, LUKE 7:36-50
Weekday
(1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Psalm 118)
KEY VERSE: "Her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love" (v. 47).
TO KNOW: As Jesus reclined at table in the home of a Pharisee (Simon the Leper in Mk 14:3-9), a woman entered the room and anointed him with oil. She was weeping in gratitude for the forgiveness she had received. The Pharisee was critical of Jesus for allowing this woman, a known sinner, to touch him. Jesus told his host a story of a money lender who forgave the debts of two people. The one who was most in debt was more grateful to his creditor than the one who owed less. Jesus reminded his self-righteous host that he had not provided the normal courtesies due a guest: giving a kiss of peace and bathing his feet. By contrast, the woman graciously kissed Jesus' feet and poured out her love by anointing him. Because her many sins had been pardoned, she was able to be generous in return. Her deed prefigured Jesus' role as God's "anointed one" (Greek, Christos, Hebrew, Mashiach). Her action can also be viewed as preparation for Jesus' death and burial.
TO LOVE: What acts of kindness is the Lord asking me to do today?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be grateful for the mercy you have shown to me.
Optional Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine, bishop and doctor of the Church
Robert Bellarmine became a Jesuit in 1560. He taught Greek, Hebrew and theology at Louvain, Florence. Robert became college rector in 1592, Provincial of Naples in 1594, Cardinal in 1598, and Archbishop of Capua in1602. He lived an austere life in Rome, giving most of his money to the poor. He wrote exhaustive works against heresies of the day. Robert took a fundamentally democratic position – the authority that originated with God was vested in the people, who entrusted it to rulers, a concept that brought him trouble with the kings of both England and France. Robert was the spiritual father of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga. He helped Saint Francis de Sales obtain formal approval of the Visitation Order. He opposed severe action against Galileo. He revised Bible translations and wrote two catechisms. He was theological advisor to Pope Clement VIII and Pope Paul V, and taught catechism to children. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1931.
http://www.togetherwithgodsword.com/commentaries-on-the-daily-gospel-of-the-mass.html
Thursday 17 September 2020
St Robert Bellarmine
1 Corinthians 15:1-11. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good –
Psalm 117(118):1-2, 15-17, 28. Luke 7:36-50.
To give and receive love
In my workplace with children aged 5 – 18, I frequently use the
concept of honour – ‘Let us honour each other in this sacred space, for each
of us is worthy of love and respect.’ No matter the faith and cultural
backgrounds of the children, they get this idea – what it is to honour another
person, not to label, to accept, include and show positive regard.
In this Gospel passage, a woman who courageously enters the home
of a Pharisee, is openly labelled as having a ‘bad name’ and Jesus is
questioned for allowing her near him. She honours him with her tears, her
ointment, her hair, not asking him for anything, simply expressing her love.
She must sense that she is safe in his presence. Jesus, in return, stands up
for her. This is a simple, yet challenging, example of how to give and receive
love and how to honour this ultimate gift.
http://www.pray.com.au/gospel_reflection/thursday-17-september-2020/
Saint Robert Bellarmine
Saint of the Day for September 17
(October 4, 1542 – September 17, 1621)
Detail | Stained glass window in Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Dayton, Ohio | photo by Nheyob
Saint Robert Bellarmine’s Story
When Robert Bellarmine was ordained in 1570, the study of Church
history and the fathers of the Church was in a sad state of neglect. A
promising scholar from his youth in Tuscany, he devoted his energy to these two
subjects, as well as to Scripture, in order to systematize Church doctrine
against the attacks of the Protestant Reformers. He was the first Jesuit to
become a professor at Louvain.
His most famous work is his three-volume Disputations on
the Controversies of the Christian Faith. Particularly noteworthy are the
sections on the temporal power of the pope and the role of the laity.
Bellarmine incurred the anger of monarchists in England and France by showing
the divine-right-of-kings theory untenable. He developed the theory of the
indirect power of the pope in temporal affairs; although he was defending the
pope against the Scottish philosopher Barclay, he also incurred the ire of Pope
Sixtus V.
Bellarmine was made a cardinal by Pope Clement VIII on the
grounds that “he had not his equal for learning.” While he occupied apartments
in the Vatican, Bellarmine relaxed none of his former austerities. He limited
his household expenses to what was barely essential, eating only the food available
to the poor. He was known to have ransomed a soldier who had deserted from the
army and he used the hangings of his rooms to clothe poor people, remarking,
“The walls won’t catch cold.”
Among many activities, Bellarmine became theologian to Pope
Clement VIII, preparing two catechisms which have had great influence in the
Church.
The last major controversy of Bellarmine’s life came in 1616
when he had to admonish his friend Galileo, whom he admired. He delivered the
admonition on behalf of the Holy Office, which had decided that the
heliocentric theory of Copernicus was contrary to Scripture. The admonition
amounted to a caution against putting forward—other than as a
hypothesis—theories not yet fully proven. This shows that saints are not
infallible.
Robert Bellarmine died on September 17, 1621. The process for
his canonization was begun in 1627, but was delayed until 1930 for political
reasons, stemming from his writings. In 1930, Pope Pius XI canonized him, and
the next year declared him a doctor of the Church.
Reflection
The renewal in the Church sought by Vatican II was difficult for
many Catholics. In the course of change, many felt a lack of firm guidance from
those in authority. They yearned for the stone columns of orthodoxy and an iron
command with clearly defined lines of authority. Vatican II assures us in The
Church in the Modern World, “There are many realities which do not change
and which have their ultimate foundation in Christ, who is the same yesterday
and today, yes, and forever” (#10, quoting Hebrews 13:8).
Robert Bellarmine devoted his life to the study of Scripture and
Catholic doctrine. His writings help us understand that the real source of our
faith is not merely a set of doctrines, but rather the person of Jesus still
living in the Church today.
Saint Robert Bellarmine is the Patron Saint of:
Catechists
Catechumens
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-robert-bellarmine/
Lectio Divina: Luke 7:36-50
Lectio Divina
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
our creator and guide,
may we serve You with all our hearts
and know Your forgiveness in our lives.
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 7:36-50
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he
entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful
woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the
Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his
feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them
with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the
Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, "If this man
were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is
touching him, that she is a sinner." Jesus said to him in reply,
"Simon, I have something to say to you." "Tell me,
teacher," he said. "Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were
unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him
more?" Simon said in reply, "The one, I suppose, whose larger debt
was forgiven." He said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then
he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I
entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed
them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not
anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you,
her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one
to whom little is forgiven, loves little." He said to her, "Your sins
are forgiven." The others at table said to themselves, "Who is this
who even forgives sins?" But he said to the woman, "Your faith has
saved you; go in peace."
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel presents the episode of the woman with the
perfume who was accepted by Jesus during a feast in house of Simon the
Pharisee. One of the aspects of the novelty of the Good News of Jesus is the
surprising attitude of Jesus toward women. At the time of the New Testament
women lived marginalized. In the Synagogue they could not participate in the
public life and they could not be witnesses. Many women, though, resisted this
exclusion. From the time of Ezra, the marginalization of women had been increasing
on the part of the religious authority (Ezr 9:1 to 10:44), and the resistance
of women against their exclusion, also increased, as we can see in the stories
of Judith, Esther, Ruth, Noemi, Suzanne, and the Sulamite and others. This
resistance found echo and acceptance in Jesus. In the episode of the woman with
the perfume there is inconformity which springs up and the resistance of the
women in the life of every day and the acceptance of Jesus.
• Luke 7:36-38: The situation which breaks out the debate. Three completely
different persons meet with one another: Jesus, Simon, the Pharisee, a
practicing Jew, and the woman, whom they said that she was a sinner. Jesus is
in the house of Simon who has invited Him to dinner with him. The woman enters,
and she places herself at the feet of Jesus, and begins to cry, bathing Jesus’
feet with her tears, and dries them with her loose hair. She kisses His feet
and anoints them with perfume. To get the hair loose in public was a gesture of
independence. Jesus does not draw back, nor does He send the woman away, rather
He accepts her gesture.
• Luke 7:39-40: The reaction of the Pharisee and the response of Jesus. Jesus
was accepting a person, who, according to the custom of the time, could not be
accepted, because she was a sinner. The Pharisee, observing everything,
criticizes Jesus and condemns the woman: “If this man were a prophet, He would
know who this woman is and what sort of person it is who is touching Him and
what a bad name she has”. Jesus uses a parable to respond to the provocation of
the Pharisee.
• Luke 7:41-43: The parable of the two debtors. One owed 500 denarii, the other
50. Neither one was able to pay, both of them were forgiven. Which of them will
love their master more? Response of the Pharisee: “The one who was let off
more, I suppose!” The parable presupposes that both, the Pharisee and the
woman, had received some favor from Jesus. By the attitude that both take
before Jesus they indicate how much they appreciate the favor received. The Pharisee
shows his love, his gratitude, by inviting Jesus to eat with him. The woman
shows her love, her gratitude, by her tears, the kisses and the perfume.
• Luke 7:44-47: The message of Jesus for the Pharisee. After having received
the response of the Pharisee, Jesus applies the parable. Even if He was in the
house of the Pharisee, invited by him, Jesus does not lose the freedom to speak
and to act. He defends the woman against the criticism of the practicing Jew.
The message of Jesus for the Pharisees of all times is this one: “The one who
is forgiven little, loves little!” A Pharisee thinks that he is not a sinner
because he observes the law in everything. The personal assurance that I, a
Pharisee, create for myself many times, in the observance of the Law of God and
of the Church, prevents me from experiencing the gratuity of the love of God.
What is important is not the observance of the law in itself, but the love with
which I observe the law. And using the symbols of the love of the woman, Jesus
responds to the Pharisee who considered himself to be in peace with God: “you
poured no water over My feet; you gave Me no kiss, you did not anoint My head
with perfumed oil! Simon, in spite of the banquet that you have offered Me, you
have loved very little!”
• Luke 7:48-50: The word of Jesus to the woman. Jesus declares that the woman
is forgiven and then adds: “Your faith has saved you, go in peace!” Here we
have the novelty of the attitude of Jesus. He does not condemn but He accepts.
It is faith which helps the woman to encounter herself and to encounter God. In
the relationship with Jesus, a new force springs up in her and makes her be
born again.
4) Personal questions
• Where, when, and how are women despised or rejected by the
Pharisee of today?
• The woman certainly would not have done what she did if she was not
absolutely certain that Jesus would accept her. Do the marginalized and migrant
persons have the same certainty today?
5) Concluding Prayer
For Yahweh is good,
His faithful love is everlasting,
His constancy from age to age. (Ps 100: 5)
https://ocarm.org/en/content/lectio/lectio-divina-luke-736-50
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