DAILY READING and REFLECTIONS For Friday, September 12, 2014 23rd Week in Ordinary Time - Psalter 3 (Green/White) Readings: 1 Cor 9:16-27; Ps 84:3-12; Lk 6:39-42 Response: How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God. Rosary: Sorrowful Mysteries Verse Highlight: Can one blind person guide another? SAINT OF THE DAY: Saint Ailbhe Patron of wolves - Death: 528 Bishop and preacher, one of the saints whose life has been woven into the myths and legends of Ireland. He was a known disciple of St. Patrick, and is called Albeus in some records. What is known about Ailbhe is that he was a missionary in Ireland, perhaps sponsored by King Aengus of Munster. He was also the first bishop of Emily in Munster, Ireland. Legends and traditions abound about his life. One claims that he was left in the woods as an infant and suckled by a wolf. This legend is prompted in part by Ailbhes later life. An old she-wolf came to Ailbhe for protection from a hunting party, resting her head upon his breast. He is supposed to have been baptized by a priest in northern Ireland, possibly in a British settlement. The so called Acts of Ailbhe are filled with traditions that are not reliable. Ailbhe was noted for his charity and kindness, as well as his eloquent sermons. He is beloved in Ireland. READINGS FROM THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE: READING 1, First Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-27 16 In fact, preaching the gospel gives me nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion and I should be in trouble if I failed to do it. 17 If I did it on my own initiative I would deserve a reward; but if I do it under compulsion I am simply accepting a task entrusted to me. 18 What reward do I have, then? That in my preaching I offer the gospel free of charge to avoid using the rights which the gospel allows me. 19 So though I was not a slave to any human being, I put myself in slavery to all people, to win as many as I could. 22 To the weak, I made myself weak, to win the weak. I accommodated myself to people in all kinds of different situations, so that by all possible means I might bring some to salvation. 23 All this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may share its benefits with others. 24 Do you not realise that, though all the runners in the stadium take part in the race, only one of them gets the prize? Run like that -- to win. 25 Every athlete concentrates completely on training, and this is to win a wreath that will wither, whereas ours will never wither. 26 So that is how I run, not without a clear goal; and how I box, not wasting blows on air. 27 I punish my body and bring it under control, to avoid any risk that, having acted as herald for others, I myself may be disqualified. RESPONSORIAL PSALM, Psalms 84:3, 4, 5-6, 8, 12 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, the swallow a nest to place its young: your altars, Yahweh Sabaoth, my King and my God. 4 How blessed are those who live in your house; they shall praise you continually. Pause 5 Blessed those who find their strength in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of the Balsam, they make there a water-hole, and -- a further blessing -- early rain fills it. 8 Yahweh, God Sabaoth, hear my prayer, listen, God of Jacob. 12 Yahweh Sabaoth, blessed is he who trusts in you. GOSPEL, Luke 6:39-42 39 He also told them a parable, Can one blind person guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? 40 Disciple is not superior to teacher; but fully trained disciple will be like teacher. 41 Why do you observe the splinter in your brothers eye and never notice the great log in your own? 42 How can you say to your brother, Brother, let me take out that splinter in your eye, when you cannot see the great log in your own? Hypocrite! Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter in your brothers eyes. REFLECTIONS: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God) OPENING PRAYER: God our Father, you redeem us and make us your children in Christ. Look upon us, give us true freedom and bring us to the inheritance you promised. 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. ON READING 1: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b-23 (St. Paul Does Not Exercise This Right) As he already said in v. 12, St. Paul makes it clear that he has not exercised so far, nor does he envisage doing so, his right to be supported by the faithful. Conscious that his God-given calling obliges him to preach the Gospel, he prefers to carry out that mission without receiving anything in exchange. His attitude shows both his greatness and his humility: he faces every kind of suffering, privation and danger for the sake of the Gospel (cf. 2 Cor 11:23-33), and yet he considers that he is doing no more than his duty. His policy recalls our Lords teaching: When you have done all that is commanded you, say, We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty (Lk 17:10; cf. Mt 10:8 ). To keep to this self-imposed policy, St Paul had to add to all his work of evangelization the additional effort to earn his own living. In the Acts of the Apostles, for example, we learn of his manual work in Corinth (18:3) and Ephesus (20:34); and he himself tells the Thessalonians that we worked night and day, that we would not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God (1 Thess 2:9; 2 Thess 3:9). Only in the case of the Philippians for whom he had very particular affection, did he allow any exception to this rule (cf. Phil 4:15-16). However, at no time did he feel that others were doing wrong in acting differently, for the Lord had disposed that those who proclaim the Gospel be supported by it. But he [Paul] went further and chose not even to take what was his due (St Augustine, Sermon 46, 4). 16. The Church has often used these words of St Paul to remind the faithful that our Lord has called them to the apostolate through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. The Second Vatican Council explains what this apostolate involves: The witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers to draw them towards the faith, or to the faithful to instruct them, strengthen them, incite them to a more fervent life; for Christs love urges us on (2 Cor 5:14), and in the hearts of all should the Apostles words find echo: Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel (1 Cor 9:16) (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 6). St. John Chrysostom anticipates the kinds of excuse people might offer to avoid this duty: There is nothing colder than a Christian who is not concerned about the salvation of others. Do not say, I cannot help others: for, if you are truly a Christian it is impossible not to. Natural objects have properties that cannot be denied; the same is true of what I have just said, because it is the nature of a Christian to act in that way. Do not offend God by deception. If you said that the sun cannot shine, you would be committing an offense against God and making a liar of him. It is easier for the sinner to shine or give warmth than for a Christian to cease to give light: it is easier for that to happen than for light to become darkness. Do not say that that is impossible: what is impossible is the contrary. If we behave in the correct way, everything else will follow as a natural consequence. The light of Christians cannot be hidden, a lamp shining so brightly cannot be hidden (Hom. on Acts, 20). Because he is one with Christ (cf. Gal 2:20), who came not to be served but to serve, and to give us his life as a ransom for many (Mt 20:28), the Apostle makes himself all things to all men, so generous is he and so eager to save as many souls as possible, at the cost of whatever sacrifice and humiliation might be involved. A Christian has to be ready to share his life with everyone at all times, giving to everyone the chance to come nearer to Christ Jesus. He has to sacrifice his own desires willingly for the sake of others, without separating people into watertight compartments, without pigeonholing them or putting tags on them as though they were merchandise or insect specimens. A Christian cannot afford to separate himself from others, because, if he did that, his life would be miserably selfish. He must become all things to all men, in order to save all men (1 Cor 9:22) (St. J. Escriva, Christ Is Passing By, 124). Obviously this concern for others should not lead to diluting the truths of faith. Referring to this point, Pope Paul VI wrote: The apostles art is a risky one. The desire to come together as brothers must not lead to a watering down or subtracting from the truth. Our dialogue must not weaken our attachment to our faith. In our apostolate we cannot make vague compromises about the principles of faith and action on which our profession of Christianity is based. An immoderate desire to make peace and sink differences at all costs is, fundamentally, a kind of skepticism about the power and content of the Word of God which we desire to preach. Only one who is completely faithful to the teaching of Christ can be an apostle. And only he who lives his Christian life to the full can remain uncontaminated by the errors with which he comes into contact (Ecclesiam Suam, 33). These similes taken from athletics would have been appropriate for the Corinthians, for their city hosted the biennial Isthmus games. Often, when speaking about the Christian life, the Apostle uses metaphors taken from sport races (cf. Gal 5:7; Phil 3:12-14; 2 Tim 4:7), combats (1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7) and laurel crowns (2 Tim 4:8 ). A Christians life on earth must needs involve interior striving; he should approach this with in a competitive, sportive spirit, facing up to any sacrifices that prove necessary, and not letting obstacles, failures or personal limitation get him down: We should not be surprised to find, in our body and soul, the needle of pride, sensuality, envy, laziness and the desire to dominate others. This is a fact of life, proven by our personal experience. It is the point of departure and the normal context for winning in this intimate sport, this race toward our Fathers house. St. Paul says: I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified (1 Cor 9:26) [...]. In this adventure of love we should not be depressed by our falls, not even by serious falls, if we go to God in the sacrament of Penance contrite and resolved to improve. A Christian is not a neurotic collector of good behavior reports. Jesus Christ our Lord was moved as much by Peters repentance after his fall as by Johns innocence and faithfulness. Jesus understands our weakness and draws us to himself on an inclined plane. He wants us to make an effort to climb a little each day (Christ Is Passing By, 75). While we are in this present life, our perseverance can never be taken for granted: Let no one feel assured of this gift with an absolute certainty, although all ought to have most secure hope in the help of God. For unless we are unfaithful to his grace, God will bring the good work to perfection, just as he began it, working both the will, and the performance (cf. Phil 2:13) (Council of Trent, De Iustificatione, chap. 13). Therefore, the Apostle points out, the ascetical effort which every person must keep on making in this life includes physical mortification and self-control. Helped by Gods grace and confident of his mercy, a Christian who makes this effort will be able to say as St Paul did at the end of his life, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day (2 Tim 4:8 ). ON THE GOSPEL: Luke 6:39-42 (Integrity) Today’s Gospel gives us some passages of the discourse which Jesus pronounced on the plains after having spent the night in prayer (Lk 6, 12) and after he had called the twelve to be his apostles (Lk 6, 13-14). Many of the phrases in this discourse had already been pronounced on other occasions, but Luke, imitating Matthew, puts them together in this Discourse of the Plains. Jesus is condemning any rash judgments we make maliciously or carelessly about our brothers behavior or feelings or motives. Think badly and you will not be far wrong is completely at odds with Jesus teaching. In speaking of Christian charity St. Paul lists its main features: Love is patient and kind. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4, 5, 7). Therefore, Never think badly of anyone, not even if the words or conduct of the person in question give you good grounds for doing so (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 442). Let us be slow to judge. Each one sees things from his own point of view, as his mind, with all its limitations, tells him, and through eyes that are often dimmed and clouded by passion (ibid., 451). As elsewhere, the verbs in the passive voice (you will be judged, the measure you will be given) have God as their subject, even though He is not explicitly mentioned: Do not judge others, that you be not judged by God. Clearly the judgment referred to here is always a condemnatory judgment; therefore, if we do not want to be condemned by God, we should never condemn our neighbor. God measures out according as we measure out and forgives as we forgive, and comes to our rescue with the same tenderness as He sees us having towards others (Fray Luis de Leon, Exposicion Del Libro De Job, chapter 29). Luke 6, 39: The parable of the blind man who guides another blind man. Jesus tells a parable to the disciples: “Can a blind man guide another blind man? Will not both of them fall into a hole?” A parable of one line, quite similar to the warnings which, in Matthew’s Gospel, are addressed to the Pharisees: “Alas for you, blind guides!” (Mt 23, 16.17.19.24.26) Here in the context of the Gospel of Luke, this parable is addressed to the animators of the communities who consider themselves the masters of truth, superior to others. Because of this they are blind guides. Luke 6, 40: Disciple – Master. “The disciple is not greater than the teacher, but the well prepared disciple will be like the teacher” Jesus is the Master, not the professor. The professor in class teaches different subjects, but does not live with the pupils. The Master or Lord does not teach lessons, he lives with the pupils. His subject matter is himself, his life witness, his way of living the things that he teaches. Living together with the Master, the Lord has three aspects: (1) the Master is the model or example to be imitated (cf. Jn 13, 13-15). (2) The disciple not only contemplates and imitates, he commits himself to the same destiny of the Master, with his temptations (Lk 22, 28). His persecution (Mt 10, 24-25), his death (Jn 11, 16); (3) He not only imitates the model, he not only assumes the commitment, but arrives at identifying himself with him: “I live, but it is not I who live, but Christ lives in me!” (Ga 2, 20). This third aspect is the mystical dimension of the following of Jesus, fruit of the action of the Spirit. Luke 6,41-42: A person whose sight is distorted sees things as deformed, even though in fact they are not deformed. St. Augustine gives this advice: Try to acquire those virtues which you think your brothers lack, and you will no longer see their defects, because you will not have them yourselves (Enarrationes In Psalmos, 30, 2, 7). In this connection, the saying, A thief thinks that everyone else is a thief is in line with this teaching of Jesus. Besides: To criticize, to destroy, is not difficult; any unskilled laborer knows how to drive his pick into the noble and finely-hewn stone of a cathedral. To construct that is what requires the skill of a master (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 456). The splinter in the brother’s eye. “Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the great log in your own? How can you say to your brother: ‘Brother, let me take out that splinter in your eye, when you cannot see the great log in your own? Hypocrite! Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter in your brother’s eye”. In the Sermon on the Mountain, Matthew treats the same theme and explains a bit better the parable of the splinter in the eye. Jesus asks for a creative attitude which will make us capable to go and encounter the others without judging them, without preconceptions and rationalizing, but accepting the brother (Mt 7, 1-5). This total openness toward others considering them as brothers/sisters will arise in us only when we are capable of relating with God with total trust as his children (Mt 7, 7-11). FINAL PRAYERS: Lord, how blessed are those who live in your house; they shall praise you continually. Blessed those who find their strength in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. (Ps 84,4-5) It is by God’s mercy that we are saved. May we never tire of spreading this joyful message to the world. -- Pope Francis Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. -- St. Jerome The Father uttered one Word; that Word is His Son, and He utters Him forever in everlasting silence; and in silence the soul has to hear it. -- St. John of the Cross
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 20:10:15 +0000
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