BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD
A LECTIO DIVINA Approach
to the Sunday Liturgy and Holy Days,
Year C
SUNDAYS IN ORDINARY TIME: Week 2-9
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 12)
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 13)
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 14)
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 15)
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 16)
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 17)
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 18)
9th Sunday in Ordinary Time (n. 19)
Prepared by
Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang, PDDM
*** Text of the Cover Page ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 12)
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Manifests Himself at Cana”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 62:1-5 // I Cor 12:4-11 // Jn 2:1-11
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Jn 2:1-11): “Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana
in Galilee.”
When I heard the news, I shuddered at the senselessness of what had happened. A
wedding feast was held in the town near our convent. The bridegroom’s family, which, in
the Filipino tradition, is usually the one responsible for the expenses of the wedding,
provided what was necessary for the feast. But there were so many guests (and uninvited
guests) that the food and drink ran out. The bride’s relatives taunted the bridegroom for
not having provided enough. The bridegroom “lost face” and was overwhelmed with
shame (“hiya”). In the evening, they found him hanging from a tree. The bridegroom
killed himself. What was meant to be a joyful event became a tragedy.
In light of this story, which took place in an Oriental context, it is easy to imagine
how unfortunate and critical the situation was at Cana when the wine was running out.
Harold Buetow comments: “To run out of wine at a wedding was more of a humiliation
for the couple than it would be today. For one thing, hospitality in the East was a sacred
duty; for another, running out of wine would show poor planning, or – worse - the
couple’s lack of prosperity, which would mean the absence of God’s blessing.” In this
distressing situation, Jesus Christ dramatically manifested the compassion and the saving
power of God by changing water into wine, thus prefiguring the abundant joy and intense
happiness of the messianic age that he would bring. At the wedding of Cana, there was a
renewed epiphany of God’s love and mercy through the miraculous intervention of his
beloved Servant - Son, fully consecrated to the realization of the divine redemptive plan.
The miracle performed by Jesus at the wedding in Cana has a profound paschal
and eucharistic significance. According to the evangelist John: “Jesus did this as the
beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples
began to believe in him” (Jn 2:11). In the biblical world, a “sign” is the initial
manifestation of the reality to which it points. The “sign” of water being changed into
wine at the Cana wedding feast foretells the way in which Jesus would fulfill his
messianic mission, namely, by shedding his blood on the cross, and the glory it would
bring.
Indeed, the victorious paschal sign of Cana continues in the sacrament of the
Eucharist. The 5th century musician, Romanus the Melodist, remarks: “When Christ
changed the water into wine by his power, the crowd rejoiced, delighting in the taste of
this wine. Today, it is at the banquet of the Church that we are all seated, for the wine is
changed into the blood of Christ, and we drink it with blessed joy, glorifying the great
bridegroom … for the true bridegroom is the son of Mary, the Word for all eternity, who
has taken the form of a slave and who created all in his wisdom.”
B. Old Testament Reading (Is 62:1-5): “The bridegroom rejoices in his bride.”
On November 18, 2006, I attended the wedding of Jennifer, the daughter of a dear
friend who is actively involved in the promotion of the Eucharistic-Marian movement in
the Diocese of Fresno. The wedding invitation sent by John and Jennifer carried a poem
of such tenderness and beauty that it evoked among us deep emotions of goodness and
love. John composed this remarkable poem when he proposed to Jennifer. Their nuptial
ceremony at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Fresno was very touching and inspiring.
When the two pronounced their marriage vows, I also renewed my nuptial bond to Jesus
Christ, my spiritual and eternal Spouse – the Bridegroom of my soul. The love
relationship of John and Jennifer as man and wife made me focus on my own love
relationship with Jesus and, on a broader level, on his intimate relationship with his
Bride, the Church.
Today’s Old Testament reading (Is 62:1-5) depicts the relationship between God
and his people in intimate terms of marriage. The prophet Isaiah resounds a love song
over messianic Jerusalem and speaks for God. In poetic imagery, the prophet foretells the
glorious restoration of Israel after the exile. God and his chosen people, represented here
by the city of Jerusalem, will be like newlyweds again. The poem extols the messianic
age when the successful covenant between God and his people will be celebrated by a
marriage. Jerusalem in her vindication will shine like a dawn and will receive a new
name, the “Espoused One” and God’s “Delight”, indicating her new status and her
glorious restoration as the beloved of God.
The nuptial imagery presented by the prophet Isaiah enhances the nuptialepiphany-eschatological motif of the evangelist John’s account of the wedding at Cana
(Jn 2:1-11), which prefigures the messianic banquet and contains the overwhelming
freshness of a new world … of a new people. Indeed, the theme of Christ’s epiphany or
manifestation of God’s glory is continued this Sunday. Since Jesus is truly the Word
made flesh – every single act of his is an act of “glory revealed”. The Infant King
revealed to the nations is JESUS – the Son of God and Servant of Yahweh, baptized at
the River Jordan and anointed by the Spirit for his mission as the Messiah-Savior. At the
wedding of Cana, Jesus reveals in anticipation the glory and power of his final act of
exaltation on the cross and in resurrection. At the wedding of Cana, Jesus already gives
us a glimpse of the glory of God that is truly his, and to which, all of us – the Church are called to share intimately as God’s beloved “espoused”.
C. Second Reading (I Cor 12:4-11): “One and the same Spirit distributing them
individually to each person as he wishes.”
Today’s Second Reading (I Cor 12:4-11) contains Saint Paul’s classic statement
of “unity in diversity”. All gifts are given for the good of the community. All are
important. All are needed for a thriving community. None can be dismissed as
insignificant. To remember that gifts are given in order to be shared will make for more
peaceful and loving communities. Spirit-laden and serving Christian communities,
composed of loving and peaceful members, are an “epiphany” or manifestation of God’s
glory in the “here and now”. In order to live in accord with our vocation to be the
radiance of divine glory, we must not pervert the purpose of the gifts given us by God
and his Holy Spirit. Moreover, we must avoid competition and divisions within our faith
community.
The following story about Chad and Angel illustrates how the lay mission couple
has used their spiritual gifts for the good of the Church (cf. Jospeh Fedora, “Love Grows
in the Time of Mission” in MARYKNOLL, March 2009, p. 18-23). Chad and Angel have
brought love, family and commitment to Brazil and manifested the saving power and the
compassion of God on behalf of the needy and the poor.
Love of adventure drew them to Guam; love for each other drew them together;
and love for God drew them to Maryknoll. Maryknoll Lay Missioner Angel Mortel
was looking for a “radical change” in her life in 1990, when, at age 21, she
applied for a teaching position at the Academy of Our Lady of Guam. “I guess I
was eager to go into the unknown and see where the Holy Spirit would lead me”,
she says. “It led me to Chad.” Chad is Maryknoll Lay Missioner Chad Ribordy
who arrived in Guam from Wichita, Kansas, a couple of year earlier. He was
teaching a course on peace and justice at the Academy when Mortel arrived. It
wasn’t long before they became more than just colleagues.
“Island life is pretty conducive to romance. The sensual tropical breezes, long hot
days and nowhere to go”, Mortel says, recalling her courtship with Ribordy.
“Come on! Who wouldn’t fall in love in such a setting?”
Their attraction for each other, insists Mortel, was as spiritual as it was physical.
“My mission vocation really began when I met Chad. In building my relationship
with him, I learned a lot about opening my heart in love”, says the missioner from
San Francisco. Ribordy was thinking about mission even before meeting Mortel.
Prior to going to Guam, he considered serving in Liberia with another mission
group, but just as he was about to ship out, civil war broke out in that African
nation. “I, being only 24 and a presumed full life ahead of me, decided that the
situation was too messy”, he says.
The couple returned to the United States and, in 1994, married. They moved to
Washington, D.C., where Ribordy continued teaching at a high school while
Mortel did graduate work in international development at American University.
After her studies, she worked at Bread for the World. After living a couple of
years in a community with other lay Catholics called Assisi Community, Ribordy
and Mortel sent applications in 1997 to Maryknoll to become lay missionaries.
“I think mission is about moving out of your comfort zone, of feeling vulnerable,
because it is in that sense of vulnerability that we are forced to let go and let
God”, says Mortel. “I felt the need – and luckily Chad felt this too – to move even
farther out of my comfort zone and that’s when we decided to join Maryknoll and
go to Brazil.”
Moving to Sao Paulo entailed more for the couple than just letting go of the
familiar – family, country, culture and language – it called for a radical trust in
God and in each other. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it if Angel hadn’t been
my partner”, says Ribordy. “She has always challenged me to become more the
person God intended me to be.” Two years after arriving in Brazil, Mortel gave
birth to Cecilia, and two years after that, to another daughter, Elisa.
As their children grew, so did their comfort with the language, culture and the
city of Sao Paulo. So it was time to move out, once again, to unfamiliar terrain.
They migrated from the city to the countryside, to a small farming community two
hours southwest of Sao Paulo called Ibiuna. There Mortel participates in the
diocese’s outreach program to pregnant women and mothers with children up to
age 6. Ribordy gets his hands dirty with organic farming. (…)
“We go out in mission to spread the Good News that God is love”, says Mortel.
“Missioners have such an important role in moving people to open themselves up
to the love that is God.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
How does the “sign of Cana” impinge on our faith? Do we see in it the renewed
epiphany of God’s love and the revelation of the glory of Christ in the totality of his
death and exaltation? When we are experiencing the poverty of having “no more wine” of
gladness in our life, what do we do? Do we turn to Christ, the source of Eucharistic wine
and messianic joy?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus, Bridegroom of the Church,
at the wedding of Cana you changed water into wine
and gave us a “sign” of your paschal glory.
Look kindly on our poverty
and be mindful of our cry,
“We have no wine!”
Fill us with the sparkling wine of joy
that comes from your self-sacrificing love.
Increase in us the resolve
to share in the banquet of the kingdom
of a new world, a new wine, a new love.
We love you and adore you.
We thank you for the Eucharist
of joy-giving wine and life-giving bread.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine.” (Jn 2:9)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
When the priest elevates the consecrated wine at Mass, make a conscious act of
adoration and be mindful of what St. Ephraim proclaimed: “All earthly joys come
together in wine; all of salvation is joined in the mystery of his blood.” Pray for engaged
couples participating in pre-Cana formative activities and those who will be married
today.
*** Text of the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 13)
THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Fulfills the Saving Message in Our Hearing”
BIBLE READINGS
Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 // I Cor 12:12-30 // Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21): “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled.”
Following a one-year sabbatical at Santa Clara University, California, where I
enrolled in some courses at the Pastoral Ministry Program, I returned to the Philippines in
1996. Soon after that, I was invited to be a speaker at the Clergy Day of the Antipolo
Diocese where I belong. I presented to the priests, including our Bishop, some insights on
the Word of God proclaimed in the liturgy and encouraged them to read an important
pastoral document, “Fulfilled in Your Hearing: The Homily in the Sunday Assembly”
(Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 1982). I was awed by the interest
shown by the Antipolo clergy with regards to that document. The Diocesan Committee
on the Priestly Formation made sure that each of the priests would have a copy of that
document. I sensed in those priests the desire to be truly ministers of the Word and be
vital instruments of the fulfillment of God’s “day of salvation”. Through their prophetic
ministry, they desired to replicate the saving event in the synagogue of Nazareth, when
Jesus proclaimed to the assembly of worshippers, “Today this Scripture passage is
fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21).
Today’s Gospel passage tells us that Jesus goes to Nazareth, where he grew up,
and goes according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and participates
in the liturgy. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah is handed to him and, unrolling the scroll,
Jesus solemnly proclaims the messianic prophecy: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to
proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Lk 4:18-19). This passage is an excellent
summary of the messianic work of Jesus, “the anointed” of the Spirit.
Jesus’ pronouncement about Isaiah’s prophecy: “Today this Scripture passage is
fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21), is an astounding revelation and a challenging
moment of truth. Jesus of Nazareth declares himself to be the long-awaited Messiah and
the fulfillment of the messianic yearning through the ages. He radically avows that the
moment of salvation is already being achieved in his person. Moreover, the “today” of
salvation that he inaugurates is transcending. Indeed, the inaugural “today” of Jesus in the
synagogue at Nazareth continues to unfold in his public ministry until his death,
resurrection, and glorification when it would become for us the eternal “today” of
salvation. The continuous saving presence of the Risen Lord by the power of the Holy
Spirit enables his divine Word of salvation to be present to us through time and space.
B. Old Testament Reading (Neh 8:2-4a; 5-6, 8-10): “They read from the book of the
Law and they understood what was read.”
Two of our postulants who were teaching catechism at the San Jose Elementary
School in Antipolo (Philippines) prepared their class to celebrate the Rite of Penance.
They engaged the children actively and creatively. One little girl brought her family’s
tablecloth to cover the teacher’s desk that would serve as a makeshift altar. Some brought
flowers and candles. Others were trained to proclaim the bible readings and to offer the
prayer intentions. The whole class learned some easy and delightful sung responses. The
priest proclaimed the Parable of the Prodigal Son in the vernacular and, in simple terms,
explained to the children the meaning of the Gospel reading. During the celebration of
the Word, the class was unusually attentive and focused. Some were shedding tears.
When the catechists asked why they were weeping, they replied: “It is because we are
sorry for our sins!”
This Sunday’s Old Testament passage (Neh 8:2-41, 5-6, 8-10) describes a liturgy
of the Word where the Law “which the Lord had given to Israel” was proclaimed and
explained to the people, enabling them to understand what was read. When Ezra, the
priest-scribe, read from the book of the Law, the people wept from the sheer emotion of
hearing God’s Word. They had recognized the special character of the word proclaimed,
producing a remarkable effect in their lives. Indeed, the community that actively sought
the Law, not only heard it, but also understood its vital significance. The reading from the
Law, constituted by the Pentateuch or the first five books of the Bible, must have shed
light on their fragile and feckless inner core for the community responded with tears. The
liturgical reading from the Law was not meant, however, to condemn, but to be a font of
joy and strength for that assembly who hungered for the life-giving Word of God.
Moreover, the divine Word that they had heard intently with their hearts moved them to a
vital social action and impelled them to share compassionately their resources with the
needy.
Against the backdrop of Nehemiah’s account of an assembly receptively listening
to the Word of God and being effectively challenged by that Word, this Sunday’s Gospel
episode of Jesus unrolling the scroll and reading the Isaiah prophecy about the Servant of
Yahweh, anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to bring glad tidings to the poor and to fulfill
the Father’s saving plan, acquires greater impact. The episode in the synagogue at
Nazareth confronts us with a more vigorous challenge to listen, understand and respond
positively and willfully to the Word of the Lord that is proclaimed and ever actualized –
the all-powerful Word fulfilled in our hearing and in the here and now of our daily life.
The Word of God read and proclaimed in the liturgical assembly seeks a listening and an
understanding heart.
C. Second Reading (I Cor 12:4-12-30): “You are Christ’s body and individually parts
of it.”
In today’s Second Reading (I Cor 12:12-30), we glean that the messianic task of
restoration continues to challenge the Church through all ages. Paul himself has to come
to grips with various divisive issues that confront the early Christian community in
Corinth. Writing to the contentious Corinthians in 70 A.D., Paul asserts that in one Spirit
we were all baptized into one body and given to drink of one Spirit. He avows that we are
the body of Christ and individually parts of it.
Indeed, Christ is one, just as the human body is one, in spite of the diversity and
number of its members. By the sacrament of baptism we are incorporated into the risen,
glorified body of Christ. The Church, the assembly of Christian believers, is the
manifestation and extension of the Lord’s body in this world. The Church is the body of
Christ – head and members. We are all significant and important members of this
“mystical body” because we all share in the life of the Risen Lord, our head.
Baptized into one body, we are called to promote the unity of the members of
Christ’s body and to overcome the divisions that diminish its vitality. It is greatly
opportune to consider Saint Pope John XXIII and his effort to restore Christian unity (cf.
Jeanne Kun, “’They Are Our Brethren’: John XXIII and Christian Unity” in THE WORD
AMONG US, January 2008, p. 66-68).
Not long after his election as pope in 1959, Blessed John XXIII surprised the
whole world when he announced his intention to convene the Second Vatican
Council. Nobody expected this affable son of peasant farmers to take such a bold
move. He was supposed to be a “caretaker pope”, spending his remaining years
preparing for the next pope. But Angelo Roncalli had other plans.
Pope John XXIII caused an even greater stir when he stated that one of his
primary intentions for the council was Christian unity. Having served as a papal
representative in Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece, John XXIII experienced firsthand
the divisions between Eastern and Western Christians. In addition, during his
time as papal nuncio in France, he was appointed as the first permanent observer
of the Holy See at UNESCO. This international perspective made the new pope
keenly aware of the scandal of a divided church. He wanted Vatican II to put the
church on a new path toward reconciliation with all believers.
It was for this reason that John XXIII took the extraordinary step of inviting to the
Council representatives from every major Christian denomination. These
“observers” were treated with great respect, and were given the opportunity to
comment on the Council Fathers’ discussion throughout Vatican II’s four
sections.
Most significantly, the Council released its Decree on Ecumenism, which
expressed deep regard for Christians of all denominations. Among other things, it
stated that in the long history of divisions of the church, “men on both sides were
to blame”, not just those who separated from Rome and founded other churches
or denominations. This is why all believers must undergo conversion of sorts, a
“change of heart and holiness of life” that will bring us all together.
Throughout his pontificate, John XXIII instituted a number of innovations to help
foster unity and reconciliation among churches and cultures. For one, he
broadened the College of Cardinals, naming the first Indian and African
cardinals. He created a new Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity and
appointed the first-ever Catholic representative to the Assembly of the World
Council of Churches.
Pope John also welcomed the heads of any churches to the Vatican. For instance,
not since the fourteenth century had an archbishop of Canterbury set foot inside
the Vatican – until Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher’s visit in 1960. The pope
reminded those separated from the Catholic Church of the words of St. Augustine:
“Whether they wish it or not, they are our brethren. They cease to be our brethren
only when they stop saying ‘Our Father’.”
When once asked about the possibility of Christian unity, Pope John replied, “I
realize that it will take a long time. Neither you nor I will be there to celebrate the
great feast of reconciliation. Neither will my immediate successors. But someone
must begin to clear away the obstacles that stand in the way.” And that’s just
what John XXIII did. It is also what his successors have continued to do. In
December, 1965, Pope Paul VI joined Patriarch Athenagoras I in lifting the
mutual excommunications between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches that had
been in place since 1054. In 1995, Pope John Paul II dedicated an entire
encyclical to ecumenism (That They May Be One), and throughout his pontificate
went out of his way to meet with the leaders of other Christian denominations.
And Pope Benedict XVI has continued along this path, urging Catholics to pray
and work for unity, and is himself making contacts and moving forward dialogue
with a host of different Christian leaders.
As we observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 18-25, let’s
dedicate ourselves to unity. Even if we feel inadequate, we can take on Pope
John’s attitude: “Whenever I see a wall between Christians, I try to pull out a
brick.” Each in our own way, let’s pray and work for the day when the followers
of Jesus “may all be one” (John 17:21). We may not live to see full unity within
the body of Christ, but it is possible that we will see hopeful signs of the
reconciliation and healing God longs for!
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
When we listen to the Gospel according to St. Luke, do we respond with love and
faith to the proclamation of Christ and the saving events that bring to fulfillment God’s
plan of salvation? What is the personal significance of the following words of Jesus:
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing”? How do we respond to the
task and challenge to actualize the “today” of salvation?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
we believe that you are “the anointed” of the Spirit
to bring good news to the poor;
the one sent to proclaim liberty to the captives
and give sight to the blind;
the liberator of the captives and the oppressed;
and the inaugurator of the “today” of salvation.
Through your prophetic and paschal ministry,
the message of salvation is fulfilled in our hearing
and in the daily events of our life.
Consecrate us anew
and let your creative and all-powerful Word transform us
that we may become docile and efficacious instruments
of the “today” of salvation.
By our lives of charity and ministry to the poor,
let us be your limpid witnesses
and instruments of your saving Word.
We love you, serve you,
and give ourselves totally to you.
You are our saving Lord,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk 4:21)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for all Christians that they may carry out with joy their prophetic ministry to
proclaim the Good News. Offer special prayers for all those commissioned in the
Christian community to be ministers of the Word, e.g. homilists, lectors, etc. By your acts
of charity and by your kind and inspiring words, be an instrument of God’s healing word
for the poor, the needy, the grieving, and the lonely.
*** Text of the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 14)
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: His Salvation Is for All”
BIBLE READINGS
Jer 1:4-5, 17-19 // I Cor 12:31-13:13 // Lk 4:21-30
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 4:21-30): “Like Elijah and Elisha, Jesus was not sent only to
the Jews.”
An article in the October 2002 issue of National Geographic tells of Ken Franz’s
rebuilding project. He saw a photo of Ethiopians being hauled on a rope across the Blue
Nile and a gaping 360-year-old bridge that had been destroyed during the Italian
occupation of 1935-1941. After looking at the photo once, twice, three times, it dawned
on him that he could repair that bridge. Ken, a construction company owner, helped
launch Bridges to Prosperity, dedicated to building bridges to help create prosperity in
developing nations. The group went to survey the site, won backing from tribal elders and
chose a lightweight steel design. Donkeys carried in 25,000 pounds of supplies. With the
help of Ethiopian volunteers, they rebuilt the bridge in ten days at a cost of $108,000,
largely donated by the organization’s founders. Ken Franz remarked: “Half a million
people live near the bridge. Now they can trade, get to hospitals and schools on the other
side, and see family members they haven’t seen for years.” According to the National
Geographic report, Ken’s group has also built cableways in Nepal, a suspension bridge in
Indonesia, and a second Ethiopian bridge. Ken and his team are an example of people
who, like Jesus of Nazareth, are animated by humanitarian love and a universal spirit.
They are builders of peace for people of all races, and prophets of saving love to all
nations.
Jesus asserts that his messianic mission could not be limited to one people or to
one social or religious group, any more than God’s love could. Indeed, Jesus has been
anointed by the Spirit to proclaim and to effect salvation for all and not just for the Jews.
Indeed, parochialism and chauvinism are incompatible with the universal character of
God’s love and the cosmic expanse of his saving plan. Jesus’ revelation of the grandiosity
of the divine saving plan meets with resistance and rejection in his hometown, Nazareth.
The response of the indignant crowd is hysteric and violent. Their negative reaction
anticipates Jesus’ crucifixion outside the city limits. The power of evil, however, does not
have the ultimate word. Jesus passes through the seething mob and goes away safely. He
then continues his messianic journey in obedience to God’s plan, with a fidelity that no
opposition could quell. The near lynching incident in Nazareth is thus transformed into a
demonstration of spiritual power. Indeed, Jesus’ escape from the hostile crowd points
ahead to his Easter victory when the fullness and magnanimity of God’s love would be
radically manifested to all.
B. Old Testament Reading (Jer 1:4-5, 17-19): “A prophet to the nations I appointed
you.”
Julio Arambulo was my classmate in high school at U.P. Prep (University of the
Philippines Preparatory School). Our classes were held in the third floor of an old U.P.
building that is adjacent to the Philippine Supreme Court. One afternoon, while the high
school boys were doing some military drills in the schoolyard, there was a shooting at the
adjacent parking lot. A henchman pulled the trigger pointblank at a Supreme Court
official and murdered him in broad daylight. The 15-year old Julio witnessed the coldblooded crime and courageously testified to the police and in the court about it. He was in
the national news for days and days, and month and months. As the star witness, Julio
was given a bodyguard to accompany him wherever he went, but his real strength and
protection came from the Lord God. Conscious that the only thing needed for evil to
triumph is for good people to do nothing about it, he dared to be a prophet of truth. The
henchman was incarcerated on account of Julio’s testimony and prophetic stance.
Although the mastermind of the crime, probably a powerful and untouchable “politico”
had not been apprehended, the courage of Julio became an inspiration for us on how to be
strong witnesses for the truth – on how to be prophets of truth.
This Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Jer 1:4-5, 17-19) presents the vocation of
young Jeremiah and how God consecrated and strengthened him for his task as “a
prophet to the nations”. The word of the Lord addressed to Jeremiah is couched in a
military metaphor to indicate the intense challenge of his prophetic ministry: “But do you
gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you. Be not crushed on their
account, as though I would leave you crushed before them … They will fight against you
but not prevail over you, for I am with you, says the Lord.” God insists that Jeremiah
should not back off from his prophetic stance for God would strengthen him, making him
as strong as a walled city, a pillar of iron or a wall of brass.
Jeremiah prefigures Jesus Christ. In the light of Jeremiah’s challenging vocation
as “prophet to the nations”, we understand more deeply the rejection and anguish that
Jesus, the supreme Prophet, experienced in his difficult mission to bring the good news to
all and to integrate God’s beloved creation. In his mission to the nations and in his task of
universal salvation, Jesus draws his strength from God the Father, the author of the allembracing saving plan. The assurance of divine power strengthens Jesus for his
messianic task as Servant of Yahweh and as Savior of all. Like the prophet Jeremiah, the
ultimate prophet, Jesus Christ, would experience intense sufferings and violent resistance,
but with the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit would eventually triumph.
C. Second Reading (I Cor 12:31-13:13): “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but
the greatest of these is love.”
The Second Reading (I Cor 12:31-13:13) is one of the most beautiful and sublime
passages in the Bible. Paul’s “Hymn to Love” delineates the life-giving qualities of
“love” that ought to animate the Christian community in their baptismal consecration and
prophetic mission. God’s gift of love enables the believers to endure all things. Love is
the ultimate gift – the one that endures and surpasses all. Love is what characterizes a
person and community worthy of being called “Christian”. The biblical scholar Mary
Ann Getty remarks: “In understanding this very famous passage, we need to bear in mind
Paul’s description of charity as the gift of the community. It is the more excellent way,
the way for all … Any gift without love is really nothing.”
I read with great interest the following article on the ministry of a Catholic sister
and physician – Mary Christine Reyelt – for hers was a life truly given. The life-giving
qualities of love celebrated by Saint Paul in his “Hymn to Love” seemed to take flesh in
her (cf. Patricia Talone, “A Life Freely Given” in AMERICA, October 5, 2009, p. 22-23,
26). In Mary Christine Reyelt we see a love that endures all things – a love that
blossomed in fullness.
Mary Christine Reyelt died on June 1, 2008 because she was fully committed to
her beliefs. A Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth (Convent Station, N.J.), she
graduated from Georgetown Medical School and completed a residency at
Bellevue/Veterans’ Administration, specializing in infectious diseases just as
AIDS, a terrifying and then-unnamed disease, was being reported by physicians
on both coasts. Once I asked her why she chose this specialty. She fixed me with
her direct gaze, looking at me as if I had asked a really strange question:
“Because the poor are disproportionately affected by infectious disease”, she
said. “That is where a Sister of Charity should be.” That was her primary
motivation, her passion.
As a scientist and scholar, Reyelt approached each person living with H.I.V. as a
fellow human traveler; she also welcomed the intellectual and scientific challenge
to understand, address and beat this devastating disease. She brought her
considerable spiritual, social and scientific skills to bear upon the medical reality
of each patient she met.
In the early 1990s Reyelt’s fear was realized when she received a needle stick
while treating a patient, an IV-drug user. Although she followed all the medically
prescribed precautions, Reyelt ultimately became so sick with hepatitis that her
liver function failed. Facing certain death without a new liver and convinced that
her work for the sick and dying was not finished, Reyelt underwent a transplant.
The transplantation process was not smooth, and Reyelt faced disheartening
challenges. Yet she was back at her practice as soon as she was able. She never
missed a Catholic AIDS Network Meeting. Over the years the AIDS network met
in many American cities, always on a shoe-string budget, sometimes in less than
desirable venues. Never did I hear her complain of the medication she had to take
or the edema she frequently experienced. She joked about “moving slowly”,
especially in the morning. But that did not stop her from attending every
international AIDS conference over a 20-year period. She traveled to
Russia, Thailand and Africa to seek the best combinations of medicine to treat her
patients. She took pride in the fact that some of her poorest patients lived with the
disease for many years. And she thrilled in the knowledge that her female patients
gave birth to healthy babies and were able to provide for their beloved children.
Caring for poor persons living with H.I.V. and ministering to patients who
ultimately die of AIDS is a heavy burden for any doctor. Yet Reyelt never seemed
overwhelmed or depressed. She was sustained by a deep faith in the Gospel
message and a new sense of humor that gave her a light grasp on life. She did not
take herself too seriously, nor was she impressed with pedantic pomposity in
other professionals. Reyelt’s eyes would often dance with glee as she silently
made note of some humorous remark or a situation ripe with irony. Careful not to
give offense, she would hold her wry remarks for a private moment, allowing
herself to indulge in mirth and embraced the whole human family.
While Reyelt was a physician par excellence, she was first and foremost a Sister
of Charity. Her mother got it right when she would introduce her only child,
saying, “I’d like you to meet my daughter, Sister Christine, Doctor Reyelt.”
Reyelt’s loving religious community gave her the support to work in often trying
circumstances. Her sisters provided the grounding, balance and impetus she
needed to meet daily challenges. She relished her time apart with them – times of
retreat and celebration.
Reyelt’s transplanted liver, the gift of a generous, anonymous donor, served her
well for 14 years. It permitted her to treat countless patients, to rack up thousands
of frequent flyer miles, to pray and laugh and to be present to her fellow religious.
In February 2008, we met for the last time. Reyelt had a troubling, persistent
cough. As a physician she knew that her immune system was severely
compromised and that a common cold could lead to systemic illness. Ultimately,
infection was the immediate cause of her death, yet her life was not taken from
her because of a needle stick. Rather, she gave it fully and freely because of her
commitment to Jesus and to the poor and the sick he inspired her to love.
On a misty June afternoon, Christine Reyelt’s worlds – medicine, the state and
national boards on which she served, and her religious community – came
together in the chapel at Convent Station. Her sisters came to celebrate and thank
God for her vocation and dedication; for her prayerfulness, playfulness and
humor; and for the way she lived out St. Vincent de Paul’s instruction that “you
are the servant of the poor, always smiling and good humored”. Most touching to
see was the steady stream of persons, many living with AIDS, and others, family
members of those who had died of the disease, who processed up the center aisle,
one by one, to offer their thanks for this extraordinary woman.
Not all of us are called to be martyrs, but each one of us is called to give our lives
for others. Christine Reyelt was a model of such selfless love, a physician and a
devoted servant of God who lay down her life not with pomp and circumstance,
but with grace, humility and humor.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
Are we receptive to Christ’s universal message of salvation? Are we ready to
undergo sacrifices to spread the Good News abroad? How do we react when our humble
efforts to evangelize meet with opposition and rejection? Like Jesus, do we have the
courage to be peaceful when opposed and rejected?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus,
we pray in reparation for the violent rejection
that you experienced in your hometown of Nazareth.
The messianic mission that you received
from the anointing of the Holy Spirit at the Jordan
became a source of scandal to their blinded hearts.
Jesus, Savior of all nations,
we believe in you.
We welcome you
as the fulfillment of God’s universal plan of salvation.
Enable us to experience inner joy
as we share your Word of life with all.
Lord,
make us instruments of your peace
and channels of your kingdom.
We praise and adore you,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” (Lk 4:24)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for all Christian missionaries and humanitarian workers throughout the
world who suffered and are suffering death, violence and persecution in their efforts to
promote the kingdom of God. Make a resolution to be peaceable and pray for the courage
to be peaceful in the midst of rejection and opposition.
*** Text of the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 15)
FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Made Them Fishers of Men”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 6:1-2a, 3-8 // I Cor 15:1-11 // Lk 5:1-11
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 5:1-11): “They left everything and followed Jesus.”
One moonlit evening our class at Maryhill School of Theology celebrated the
“Misa ng Bayang Pilipino”, the Filipino inculturated form of the Roman Mass, with the
barrio folks of Talim, a lake island in the Philippines. The following day, we went to the
beach to pray the Morning Prayer. We sat on the sand, enchanted by the beauty of that
fishing village. The gentle sound of the water lapping against the shore gave us a sense of
harmony and peace. Small boats, called “bancas”, were lying upturned on the sand.
Fishing nets were draped on bamboo poles and fences to dry. Indeed, the “bancas” and
the nets were the life-blood of the fishermen and their families in that village. In light of
this experience, I can easily understand the meaning of Simon Peter and the other
fishermen leaving their boats and nets to follow Jesus.
The mission of Jesus is to save us all, according to God the Father’s
compassionate plan. Today’s Gospel episode begins with a description of Jesus, standing
by the lake of Gennesaret, proclaiming the word of God. Eager to listen, the people press
around him. In order to minister more effectively to the enthusiastic crowd, Jesus gets
into Simon’s boat and asks him to put out a little distance from the shore. Jesus then
teaches them from the boat. Seated on that improvised pulpit, his voice, as a true Teacher,
resounds. The people listen attentively to the saving word. Jesus is the Divine Master
who imparts truth with authority and integrity. He is the origin of our prophetic mission
to share the word of God with all.
The next scene portrays the power of the word. Jesus commands the fisherman
Simon to put out into the deep water and to lower his nets for a catch. If the night fishing
for Simon was so unprofitable, the daytime fishing would be even more so. Hence, the
command of the carpenter-turned-prophet to a professional fisherman seems
preposterous. Simon, however, acts upon Jesus’ word. In doing so, he and his
companions catch such a great number of fish that the nets begin to tear. They have to
signal to their partners in the other boat to help them. All are astonished by the
“awesome” catch. Simon falls to his knees. Overwhelmed by his unworthiness, he asks
Jesus to depart from him. The Lord, however, does not let him go but encourages him not
to be afraid. Jesus then gives him the great commission to be fishers of men. Peter will be
catching men and women with the bait of God’s word and will be bringing them to the
ark of salvation.
Today’s Gospel passage concludes with an inspiring image of radical
commitment: “When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and
followed him.” The radical response of Peter and his companions is a paradigm of our
own total commitment to Christ. We must launch into the deep waters of his paschal
destiny and renounce whatever impedes God’s plan of salvation. We must leave
everything behind and follow Jesus.
B. Old Testament Reading (Is 6:1-2a, 3-8): “Here I am! Send me.”
I made my annual retreat in January 2005 at our convent in peaceful Monrovia,
which is in the foothills of the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains. The topic of my
meditation was part 2 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church entitled “The Celebration
of the Christian Mystery”, one of the richest and most comprehensive documents we have
on Christian worship. One of the themes I focused on was the reality of the Eucharist as a
foretaste of heavenly glory. On the Sunday Mass that I attended in our parish in
Monrovia during my retreat, I received a special gift – a tremendous experience of the
nearness of the all-holy God and the community of the angels and saints in heaven. While
the choir and the assembly were singing the Sanctus, at one moment I felt the
overwhelming presence of the heavenly court, the saints and the faithful departed. The
liturgy of the Eucharist celebrated right there and then at the Parish of Immaculate
Conception gave me an intimate foretaste of the heavenly liturgy and an incredible
glimpse of cosmic worship. As I continued my prayerful contemplation after that Mass, I
realized that I had often taken things for granted with regards to the tremendous gift of
Christian sacraments, especially the Eucharist. I became greatly cognizant of my
mediocre response to the grace that I have received as a disciple and apostle of the
Eucharist. I was deeply sorry for not having lived to the full my religious vocation as a
Pious Disciple of the Divine Master called to the service of the Eucharist, the Priesthood
and the Liturgy. I therefore begged God to purify my motivations and to help me in my
resolve to commit myself more totally to his love and the service of my neighbors. That
profound religious experience challenged me to recommit myself more deeply to my
apostolic mission. My experience of the sacred replicated to some degree that of prophet
Isaiah in this Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Is 6:1-2a, 3-8).
Isaiah is confronted by God’s holiness. Holiness, as God’s essential quality,
indicates his utter transcendence, his complete apartness from anything sinful, and his
utter power and grandeur. The triple-holy God initiates his love-service relationship with
Isaiah by giving him a sacred experience of his glory, which is the radiation of his
holiness upon the world, especially his own people. The experience of God’s holiness
and awesome grandeur entails an invitation to mission, Whom shall I send? Who will go
for us? (cf. Is 6:8). It involves an appeal to total surrender and a submission to his
baffling, mysterious command: Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch
(Lk 5:4). Like prophet Isaiah, the experience of the sacred and divine power calls us to
plunge more deeply into the awesome mystery of his divine life. It purges us of our
unworthiness and fickleness, making us partners in his mission to save and bring back
humankind and the entire creation to his kingdom of love, beauty and grace. Indeed,
God’s holiness cleanses and makes us partners in the saving mission.
C. Second Reading (I Cor 15:1-11): “So we preached and so you believe.”
Each of the readings of this Sunday’s liturgy depicts a profound religious
experience and the conversion-transformation it brings about in the person. The three
personages - Isaiah, Simon Peter and Paul – have experienced the mysterium tremendum
et fascinans – a terrifying and fascinating mystery, wholly other, yet compassionate and
generous. All have encountered deeply the awe-some grandeur of God and his loving
mercy. And all have received a call to divine service and mission.
In today’s Second Reading (I Cor 1:1-11), we realize that by the grace of God,
Paul becomes what God intended him to be – totally conformed to Christ. Through divine
encounter, Paul becomes a zealous, faithful apostle and preacher of the Good News to the
nations. Animated by the power of God, Paul preaches and the people believe. God’s
favor at work in Saint Paul makes the latter’s apostolic ministry to the Gentiles fruitful.
People from many nations and cultures are brought to the love of God, enabling them to
participate in the passion, death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. Paul’s
intense religious experience and his unconditional response to the grace of God make him
a true and efficacious apostle.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
What is our personal response to the Master’s command to put out into the deep
water and lower our nets for a catch? Do we ever allow our human unworthiness and
insufficiency to daunt us? Do we imitate the radical faith-response of Peter and his
companions? Are we ready to let go of “everything” in order to follow our Lord and
Master in his destiny? Are we committed to our Christian vocation of being “fishers of
men”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Master,
you proclaimed the word of God to the eager crowd
by the peaceful lake of Gennesaret.
You also challenged Simon Peter
to put out into the deep water
and lower his nets for a catch.
The hard-working fisherman
responded with faith and trust.
Help us to imitate his obedient response
and experience the marvel of the miraculous catch.
Do not let poverty and insufficiency ever daunt us.
May we follow you unreservedly
and never balk at any sacrifice.
Bless us in our ministry as “fishers of men”.
We love and serve you,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“From now on you will be catching men.” (Lk 5:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray for all Christians that we may realize the greatness of our vocation as
“fishers of men”. Offer special prayers for the holiness and perseverance of the
ministerial priests and for an increase of priestly vocations.
*** Text of the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 16)
SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Proclaims the Beatitude of the Poor”
BIBLE READINGS
Jer 17:5-8 // I Cor 15:12, 16-20 // Lk 6:17, 20-26
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 6:17, 20-16): “Blessed are the poor. Woe to you who are rich”
I read with great amusement and interest the following story of Fr. Jerry Orbos,
the Mission Director of the Mission Office of the Society of Divine Word, an
international congregation of priests and brothers serving in more than fifty countries all
over the world (cf. Jerry Orbos, Light Moments, Book IV, Manila: Logos Publications,
2002, p. 39). It is an example of what it means to be truly blessed by the Lord. The Orbos
family may not have money, but in choosing to live the spirit of the Gospel, the family
members experience the deep joy and the immense treasures of God’s kingdom.
My father was a lawyer, but he didn’t have money. Maybe because he was a good
man and didn’t charge his poor clients. I remember how he helped many people
from the barrios with their legal needs. He himself would do the typing on his old
Underwood typewriter, and he would often ask me to get coffee for him and his
clients. On different occasions, the people he helped would give him rice, fruits,
poultry or livestock as tokens of gratitude. One time, he received two goats which
he wanted to be butchered because no one could take care of them. I pleaded that
I will take care of them, which I did. I would gather grass, give them water, and
let them out in the fields every afternoon after classes. Soon the two goats
multiplied, till I had about twelve, and felt like I was some goat magnate at the
age of twelve.
Today’s Gospel passage (Lk 6:17, 20-26) depicts Jesus as coming down the
mountain together with the chosen Twelve and meeting a large group of disciples and a
great crowd of people from Judea, Jerusalem, and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.
To these people who needed healing and were hungering for the word of God, Jesus
addressed the inaugural discourse of God’s kingdom (cf. Lk 6:17-49). Instead of staying
on the mountain, the evangelist Luke portrays Jesus as coming down from the mountain.
Like Moses who descended to the plain to deliver the law to the people (cf. Ex 34:15),
Jesus went down the mountain to speak his saving word to his people. The inaugural
discourse of Jesus begins by proclaiming the beatitudes of the poor, the hungry, the
weeping, and the persecuted on account of the Son of Man (Lk 6:20-23). As a
counterpoint to the beatitudes are the maledictions directed to the rich, the satiated, the
happy, and the popular (Lk 6:24-26).
Against the backdrop of last Sunday’s Gospel reading with its climactic final
sentence: “When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed
him” (Lk 5:11), today’s liturgical assembly is being invited to focus its attention on the
contrasting pair: “Blessed are you who are poor … But woe to you who are rich” (Lk
6:20, 24). These strong words, however, should be situated in their proper context, which
is that of Jesus’ consciousness of the radical eruption of the Reign of God in the here and
now.
We must take seriously the exigent appeal and challenge addressed to us by Jesus
as he proclaims anew in the liturgical assembly the beatitude of the poor and the woe of
the rich. Indeed, the Kingdom of God is the ultimate value and in this perspective, we
realize that material wealth has only a relative value and must be used to promote the
Kingdom value. The Christian disciples who have made the Kingdom of God their
fundamental option and absolute treasure are truly rich.
B. Old Testament Reading (Jer 17:5-8): “Cursed is the one who trusts in human
beings; blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”
In our Christian challenge to alleviate the lot of the poor and in the proclamation
of the Good News of salvation, the message of today’s Old Testament (Jer 17:5-8)
reading is very encouraging: God is our sole refuge. The Jeremiah text is a word of
wisdom inviting us to trust God in our work for the Kingdom: “Unhappy is he who trusts
in man; happy the man who trusts in the Lord.” There is a dramatic contrast between the
person who trusts in God and the one who trusts in merely human power. The person
who turns away from God and puts his trust in man is like a desert bush that futilely
struggles to stay alive. The person who puts his trust in God is like a tree growing near a
flowing stream whose source of nourishment is abundant and unfailing. The vivid images
prompt us to make a choice.
In our fundamental choice for the Kingdom value and in making the beatitudes a
reality, the following words of Archbishop Oscar Romero, the martyr of El Salvador,
remind us not to rely on our efforts and inspire us anew to trust humbly in the power of
the Lord God, the Master Builder of his Kingdom.
It helps now and then to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only
beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime
only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is the Lord’s work. Nothing
we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies
beyond us. No statement says all that should be said. No prayer fully expresses
our faith. No confession brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness. No
program accomplishes the Church mission. No set of goals and objectives
includes everything.
This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water
seeds already planted knowing that they will need further development. We
provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do
everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to
do something and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a
step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the Master
Builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders, ministers not
messiahs. We are prophets of a future that is not our own.
C. Second Reading (I Cor 15:12, 16-20): “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is
in vain.”
The contrasting image of the blessed and the unfortunate could also be gleaned
from today’s Second Reading (I Cor 15:12, 16-20). Those who believe in the resurrection
of Christ are blessed. Pitiable instead are those who deny the resurrection of the dead for
they ultimately negate the Lord’s resurrection and our very own redemption. The
resurrection of Jesus proves that life is stronger than death. It is also a sign of the harvest
of resurrection of all believers to come.
Faith in the Risen Lord Jesus and belief in the resurrection of the dead go hand in
hand. Trust in God enables us to feel tremendous comfort in the death of our loved ones.
The loving God fills the weeping hearts of bereaved family members and friends with the
beatitude of consolation. This was my experience when I attended on January 26, 2010
the Annual Memorial Mass at St. Christopher’s Parish in San Jose, California where we
gathered together to pray for our loved ones who died in the year 2009. Hope in the
blessed resurrection was likewise strengthened by the following text so kindly prepared
by St. Christopher Grief Ministry.
To My Dearest Family
Some things I’d like to say, but first of all to let you know that I arrived okay. I’m
writing this from heaven where I dwell with God above where there are no more
tears or sadness. There is just eternal love.
Please do not be unhappy just because I’m out of sight. Remember that I’m with
you every morning, noon and night. That day I had to leave you when my life on
earth was through, God picked me up and hugged me and he said, “I welcome
you. It’s good to have you back again. You were missed while you were gone. As
for your dearest family, they’ll be here later on.” When you are walking down the
street and have me on your mind, I’m walking in your footsteps only half a step
behind. When you feel that gentle breeze or the wind upon your face, it is me
giving you a great big hug or just a soft embrace.
And when it’s time for you to go from that body to be free, remember you’re not
going alone. You are coming here to me. And I will always love you from that
land way up above. We’ll be in touch again soon.
P.S. God sends his love.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
Do we take time to join the crowd of disciples, the afflicted and the poor who
hunger for the Word of God? Do we listen with receptive hearts to the challenging
discourse of Jesus on the beatitude of the poor and the woe of the rich? How do we make
use of the blessings given to us by the Lord? How do we use the “riches” we have
received to alleviate the plight of the poor?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Leader: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.” (Lk 6:20)
Assembly: We possess nothing because we are masters of nothing in our possession. All
we possess is a gift. The Kingdom value possesses us. God alone suffices. We totally
depend on you, O God; you are our only treasure.
Leader: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” (Lk
6:24)
Assembly: The moment we try to be rich by keeping something safely in our hands we
become losers, for love is lost. May we use the bounty of blessings we have received
from you to alleviate the plight of the poor and to promote the Kingdom value. We totally
depend on you, O God; you are our only treasure.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.” (Lk 6:20)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray that the beatitude invoked on the poor, on those who hunger and weep, on
those who are excluded and marginalized in society may truly be realized in them.
Endeavor to make this beatitude a reality by being an instrument of God’s compassion on
their behalf. In your work for social justice and ministry to the poor, do not rely on
human power and strength but on God alone.
*** Text of the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy & Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 17)
SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Loving and Forgiving”
BIBLE READINGS
I Sm 26:2, 7-9 // I Cor 15:45-49 // Lk 6:27-38
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 6:27-38): “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
I read this story in GUIDEPOSTS magazine many years ago, and I simply cannot
forget the message of forgiveness and mercy that it communicates. It is about a mother
who was filled with rage and vindictiveness against the drunk driver who killed her son
in a senseless car accident. No doubt she wanted him dead. Hatred began to eat her up.
She pleaded: “Oh, dear Lord, help me. I don’t want to hate like this. Please help me get
rid of it.” The words of the Gospel about forgiveness and mercy began to weigh on her
conscience almost daily after that. In her heart she knew that God was asking her to
forgive the young man who killed her son. Circumstances brought her to see him, not as a
murderer, but as a person in need of love and guidance. She forgave him and helped him
rebuild his life. Her torment faded away and the lady testified: “How good it was to laugh
again! To forgive and love and go on living.”
Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 6:27-38), which is part of Christ’s Sermon on the
Plain, is composed of two sections: “love of enemies” (v. 27-35) and “compassion and
generosity” (v. 36-38). This Gospel passage carries the tremendous Christian challenge
that we must be radically God-like in extending forgiveness, love and mercy to all. Jesus’
exigent demands resound: “Love your enemies … Do good to them … Be merciful, just as
your Father is merciful.”
The words of Jesus on forgiveness and compassion, however, should not be
falsely interpreted and taken out of their messianic context. His words on non-retaliation
and forgiveness do not call us to passivity nor allow us to succumb to evil and injustice.
Indeed, rather than an authorization to negative passivity, the words of Jesus in the
Gospel of Luke should be interpreted as a challenge to radicality: to be radically loving,
to be radically generous, to be radically God-like. If there is no difference between how
Christians behave and how non-Christians behave, where’s the evidence that Christianity
is different?
The radical call to forgiveness, love and mercy points to the extraordinary
character of Jesus who addresses this challenge to us anew, in the here and now. He who
invites us to this radical expression of God’s benevolence and compassion will also give
us the grace and inner strength to be radically loving and forgiving. Trusting in the grace
of God, the Christian disciple who is called to be radically loving, radically generous and
radically God-like is able to say: “In him who is the source of my strength, I have
strength for everything” (Phil 4:13).
B. Old Testament Reading (I Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23): “Though the Lord delivered
you into my grasp, I would not harm you.”
When I returned to the Philippines in 1990 after my assignment in Italy, I
received the news that Nelson, the director of SONOLUX ASIA, was stabbed at his
office by his enraged driver. He died while being rushed to the hospital. In the 1970s
Nelson was part of Fr. Paul Brunner’s staff at the Audio-Visual service of the East Asian
Pastoral Institute. Nelson helped prepare some of our sound-slide productions on
vocation ministry. With a debt of gratitude for all the good he had done, we attended
Nelson’s funeral, which was very emotional and touching. At the Responsorial Psalm,
instead of a lector, we heard the taped voice of the deceased Nelson praying Psalm 23. It
was haunting! At the concluding rites and with great dignity and inner strength, the
young widow Ditas spoke the following powerful words of forgiveness to the assailant
who was still at large: “I forgive you. I am praying for you.”
The widow’s merciful and heroic forgiveness gives us a glimpse of the ideals of
Christian discipleship. Love, compassion and forgiveness are the marks of Christian
discipleship. Today’s Old Testament reading provides us with a fitting background on
Jesus’ teachings on how to model our behavior on God. The merciful and compassionate
David, strengthened by his faith in the Lord, spared the life of Saul who was cruelly and
unjustly persecuting him. David’s magnanimity and his respect for the one God has
anointed as king of Israel is a forceful example of one who strives to imitate the allinclusive and tremendous love of God for all, including those who seem undeserving.
David’s action seemed incomprehensible and was definitely beyond mere human logic.
But the grace of God made forgiveness of his enemy possible.
C. Second Reading (I Cor 15:45-49): “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly
one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.”
In today’s Second reading (I Cor 15:45-49), Saint Paul deals with the concept of
the two Adams. The first man was created a living being from the earth; he was to bring
sin and death into the world. The second Adam came from heaven; he is the life-giving
Spirit. The last Adam is so fully alive, so fully spiritual, that he passes on life. Earthly
people are like the mortal Adam who was made of earth. But spiritual people become
more and more like the image of God. Through spiritual transformation, we become more
and more like the likeness of the ultimate Adam, Jesus Christ.
By forgiving we become more and more similar to God and his Son Jesus Christ,
the perfect Adam. The following story of forgiveness gives insight into this (cf. Joshua
Sundquist in Daily Guideposts 2015, p. 373).
I entered high school after eight years of homeschooling. I knew very few people
and had just lost a leg to cancer, so I was worried about how the other students
would treat me. As if to confirm my worst fears, an upperclassman deliberately
tripped me as I walked down the hall on my artificial leg and then made fun of
me. When I told my mom what had happened, she cried.
Years have passed, and a few weeks ago I got an unexpected message online. It
was from the upperclassman. He tracked me down to say how guilty he has felt
about that day and wanted to know if I would forgive him.
I wasn’t sure. Would forgiving him be tantamount to condoning his actions?
Wasn’t bullying wrong? I talked it over with a few friends, and the advice was
split.
But then I remembered that God forgives and loves me despite much greater
shortcomings than those displayed by that bully. So it was not my place to
withhold forgiveness. It was not my job to evaluate the merits of his apology or
decide whether he deserved forgiveness. I wrote him back and told him it was no
big deal. Because really, it wasn’t. And I’m certainly not going to let a bully trip
me up in my relationship with God.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
MEDITATIO
How does this Sunday’s Gospel on forgiveness and mercy provoke me? What is
my response to the command of Jesus: “Love your enemies and do good to them … Be
merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:35-36)? Do I use Christ’s teaching on
forgiveness and compassion as an excuse to hide the absence of justice and to acquiesce
to the onslaught of injustice and evil?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
(Cf. Responsorial Psalm of the Sunday Liturgy – Psalm 103)
(R.) THE LORD IS KIND AND MERCIFUL.
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits. (R.)
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion. (R.)
Merciful and gracious is the Lord,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes. (R.)
As far the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. (R.)
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“Love your enemies and do good to them … Be merciful, just as your Father is
merciful.” (Lk 6:35-36)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Name someone who has hurt you. Pray for that person for a period of time and
offer him/her your gift of forgiveness even from afar. Pray for all priests and ministers of
reconciliation in the Christian community.
*** Text of the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy and Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 18)
EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Shows How to Put Faith into Practice”
BIBLICAL READINGS
Sir 27:4-7 // I Cor 15:54-58 // Lk 6:39-45
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
I was praying the rosary in the spacious and beautifully tended grounds of our
Fresno convent. But I was perplexed when I saw a few trash items on the ground – a
styrofoam cup, candy wrapper, empty bag of potato chips, etc. Who could have trashed
this place of prayer? I picked them up and disposed of them in the garbage bin. Day after
day, I would see trashed things here and there, not many, but enough to upset me. I
complained how irresponsible and irreverent the “litterbugs” were. I fumed that some
“pious” people coming to our convent for Mass were actually “litterbugs”. But the
“evidence” was there – right? One morning, I took notice of a flock of crows – busy and
noisy. One powerfully swept down from the sky. His beak was clutching an empty snack
bag that he promptly trashed on the ground. An inner voice pierced my conscience:
“Rash judgment! Rash judgment! You have been making a rash judgment!”
Jesus tells us to stop judging that we may not be judged. Against the backdrop of
the hypercriticism of the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus cautions against passing harsh
judgment on others and denying them entry to the kingdom of God. To condemn others is
not our prerogative. God alone is the true judge. We must leave judgment to the final
judge. Instead of “judging” we must imitate the Divine Master’s compassionate stance
and his work of healing and salvation. The measure we use to deal with others will be
measured out to us. We will be judged on the basis of our own attitude – whether
hypercritical or compassionate. Jesus, the son of a carpenter, uses carpentry images to
deliver the irony of hypocrisy and false condemnation: the righteous with a wooden beam
in the eye wants to remove the sawdust in another’s eye. In the biblical world, the “eye”
represents a person’s attitude and understanding. Indeed, our pride obstructs the light of
compassionate understanding and blinds us to our own faults and the duty of charity.
Jesus warns against exaggerating our neighbor’s faults and minimizing our own. He
wants us to remove the “wooden beam” of our hypocrisy and pride that we may be able
to remove charitably the “splinter” that hurts our neighbor’s eyes. He does not condemn
fraternal correction, but false condemnation. Jesus Master counsels true compassion in
dealing with our brothers and sisters.
In today’s Gospel, moreover, Jesus uses fruit-tree images to underline the source
of a person’s actions. Just as the fruit tells us whether or not the tree is healthy and from
what variety of tree it comes from, so the words and deeds of those who claim to be his
disciples manifest the quality and reality of their relationship with Jesus. They can be true
disciples of Jesus if they will be able to hear his words and put them into practice. We
must not simply proclaim in words that Jesus is Lord and call upon him as our Lord
Savior. We must act in a way that corresponds to the inner strength of our word. Our
actions must give witness to the faith we profess. Our worship of God must be
incarnated in the life we live.
The following story of Jo Dee Baker from Slidell, Louisiana, whose lovely house
and beautiful garden were devastated by Hurricane Katrina, tells of a community of
believers whose efficacious faith bears the “good fruit” of charity (cf. “Angels on the
Move” in Guideposts, Large Print Edition, March 2006, p. 5-9). Both Jo, the victim of a
natural calamity, and the caregivers from the Baptist Church illustrate how wonderful and
marvelous is a faith that is put into practice.
My beautiful yard was a mess of uprooted trees and debris; the salt water had
burned the grass a sickly brown. My lovely white picket fence lay on its side, and
shingles from my roof littered the ground like fallen leaves. Inside, slimy mud
covered the floors, and water from the storm surge had tossed all my furniture
upside down. The walls were caked black with mildew. Practically everything I
owned was ruined. How could I ever come back from this? How could anyone?
(…)
So many people needed help, and help was spread thin. “Lord”, I prayed, “I need
some divine intervention here.” The next day, I pulled up to my house just as a
man with a pickup truck was slowly passing by. He stopped, rolled down the
window and leaned out. “Do you need any help?” he shouted. I laughed
halfheartedly. “Help? I need an army,” I said. “I’m Brother Johnny from First
Baptist Church of Pontchatoula.” He wrote down my name, address and number.
“We’ll be in touch, Ma’am.” Then he drove off. But after two weeks I still hadn’t
heard from him.
One Monday morning, lugging another bag of my ruined treasures to the curb, I
stared down the street at the mountains of trash and destroyed homes. “So many
people have lost so much,” I thought. Just then, my cell phone rang. Service was
still spotty, but the voice on the other end was loud and clear. “Hello, it’s Brother
Johnny. I’ve got some people who want to volunteer to help you. They’ll be
calling you.” That was it. He hung up. Then the phone rang again. “Jo Dee? This
is Jimmy Brown. I’m from the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Rives, Tennessee.
We need to know what you need, exactly.” Where to begin? I told him about the
mildewed floors, the torn up roof. “Don’t worry, Ma’am. We’ll be there. See you
next Tuesday morning.” (…)
Nineteen people had traveled all the way from Tennessee just to help little old me.
They spent three days cleaning the rot and grime and putting on my new roof.
Two weeks after they left, about 40 more, from an association of 45 churches,
came to finish the job! They ripped out and replaced the flooring, repainted the
house, put in new shelves and cabinets, installed a stove and a water heater. By
the time they were done, the house looked better than ever!
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
LECTIO
Do I give in to a righteous tendency to judge my neighbors and condemn their
“faults”? Do I endeavor to remove the “wooden beam” in my eye in order to help my
brother remove the “sawdust” in his eye? Do our words and actions manifest the
fruitfulness of the seed of the Gospel in us? How do we translate our faith into action?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord,
you are God’s compassion and righteousness.
Help us to stop judging harshly that we may not be judged.
Help us to be compassionate.
Deal kindly with us.
With true seeing “eye”,
may we perceive the beauty of charity
and embrace our duty to care for our brothers and sisters.
May our faith be true and shown by our actions.
By the strength of the same Spirit help us to pursue what is good
that we may bear abundant fruits of holiness and good works.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good.” (Lk
6:45)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Before making a judgmental remark, hold your tongue and pray to God for the
spirit of compassion and the grace not to make false judgments. To help you experience
the fruitfulness of God’s living word, make an effort to spend some quiet moments of
prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
*** Text of the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, ends here. ***
A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy and Holy Days
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 19)
NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Heals the Centurion’s Servant”
BIBLICAL READINGS
I Kgs 8:41-43 // Gal 1:1-2, 6-10 // Lk 7:1-10
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
This is a true story. A small Jewish boy realized that his teenage nanny, a
Catholic, wills him well. She even accompanies him to the synagogue when his daddy is
not around. There she would encourage him to get into the serious business of praying.
One day his dear nanny became seriously ill. She was in the hospital dying of pneumonia.
The boy requested his dad to accompany him to her parish church so that he could pray
there for her healing. The Jewish dad shook his finger at him, but finally relented. They
went to the Catholic parish church. The boy knelt in a pew and poured out his heart to
God in prayer. The beloved nanny recovered. She continued to serve at that Jewish
household for many, many years.
Today’s reading (Lk 7:1-10) depicts one of the most lovable figures in the
Gospel: the Roman centurion who pleads long distance to Jesus for the healing of his ill
and dying slave. The centurion, a person of immense compassion, cares deeply for his
suffering slave. Though mighty in military power, he is humble and gentle of heart.
Though a foreigner, he is sympathetic to the Jews. He is likewise respectful of the Jewish
culture. He does not wish Jesus to be defiled by going into his house – the house of a
Gentile. Great is the centurion’s faith in Jesus’ healing power as could be gleaned from
his message sent through friend emissaries: “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not
worthy to have you under my roof; but say the word and let my servant be healed.” Jesus
is surprised and delighted by his request. The Lord heals the dying slave and praises the
centurion’s faith: “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” Indeed, Jesus
wants to impress on his listeners the centurion’s mighty faith in his very person – a
wholesome faith manifested in good works and appreciated by his Jewish friends.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the
LECTIO
Do I manifest the same faith, compassion and virtues as the Roman centurion who
cares for an ill and dying slave?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Master,
we thank you for the sterling character of the Roman centurion.
He is a special model
of compassion, goodness, humility and faith in you.
With him, we cry out to you:
“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word,
and my soul shall be healed.”
We give you glory and praise,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION
CONTEMPLATIO
OF
THE
WORD:
A
Pastoral
Tool
for
the
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the
day. Please memorize it.
“I am not worthy to have you under my roof … Say the word and let my servant
be healed.” (Lk 7:6-7)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Show compassion, respect and caring love for the people around you, especially
the people under your charge, and uphold their dignity.
*** Text of the 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, ends here. ***