Lectio Divina (466)
"Lectio divina is an authentic source of Christian spirituality recommended by our Rule. We therefore practice it every day, so that we may develop a deep and genuine love for it, and so that we may grow in the surpassing knowledge of Christ. In this way we shall put into practice the Apostle Paul’s commandment, which is mentioned in our Rule: “Let the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, live abundantly in your mouth and in your hearts; and whatever you must do, do it in the name of the Lord.”
Carmelite Constitutions (No. 82)
Children categories
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector
Where do I base my security?
Luke 18:1-14
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the reading:
The Gospel of this Sunday places us before the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector (Lk 18:9-14). We have added the parable of the widow and the judge (Lk 18: 1-8), because both of these form a small unity, the purpose of which is to help us discover what our prayerful attitude should be before God. The two parables show us that Jesus had another way of seeing the things of life and prayer. He perceived a revelation of God where others saw only the ruins. He sees something positive in the tax collector, of whom everybody said, “He does not know how to pray!” And in the poor widow, of whom society said, “She disturbs and bothers even the judge!” Jesus lived so united to the Father through prayer, that for Him everything became an expression of prayer.
Today, the simple people of the town who say that they do not know how to pray, know how to speak with Jesus, they speak with God all the time. Do you know any such people? The people have many ways to express their devotion and their prayer.
During the reading let us try to pay attention to the two following things: What is the objective and who are those to whom the two parables are addressed? What are the attitudes of the people who are mentioned in the parables?
b) A division of the text to help in the reading:
Luke 18:1: The objective of the first parable.
Luke 18:2: Description of the attitude of the judge.
Luke 18:3: Attitude of the widow before the judge.
Luke 18:4-5: Reaction of the judge before the widow.
Luke 18:6-8: Jesus applies the parable.
Luke 18:9: Those to whom the second parable is addressed.
Luke 18:10: Introduction to the theme of the parable.
Luke 18:11-12: It describes how the Pharisee prays.
Luke 18:13: It describes how the Tax Collector prays.
Luke 18:14: Jesus gives His opinion on both.
c) Text:
Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) Which point pleased you the most in both of these parables? Why?
b) Which is the attitude of the widow and of the judge? What is it that strikes you most in the attitude of the each one of them? Why?
c) What are the attitudes of the Pharisee and of the Tax Collector? What strikes us the most in the attitude of each one of them? Why?
d) How does Jesus apply this parable?
e) What do these two parables teach us concerning prayer?
5. For those who wish to deepen more into the theme
a) The context of yesterday and of today
The context of the time of Jesus and of Luke is expressed in the two phrases of introduction which speak about the “need to pray continually and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1) and of “some who boasted of being just and despised others” (Lk 18:9). The context of today continues to be the same as before, because today it is necessary to pray always, while today there are also people who boast of being just and who despise others.
b) Comment on the text:
Luke 18:1: The objective of the first parable.
Luke introduces this parable with the phrase: “on the need to pray continually and never lose heart”. In other passages he insists in the same way on perseverance in prayer and on the need to believe that God hears our prayer and responds to our petitions. Faith in God which responds to our petitions is the red thread which pervades the whole bible, where, from Exodus it is ceaselessly repeated that “God hears the cry of His People” (Ex 2:24; 3:7).
Luke 18:2: Description of the attitude of the judge.
Jesus wishes to clarify for those who listen to Him, which is the attitude of God before our prayer. For this, in speaking of the judge, he thinks of God the Father who is the end of the comparison which he is making. If it were not Jesus, we would not have the courage to compare God with a judge “who neither has fear of God nor respect for anyone”. This audacious comparison, made by Jesus Himself, strengthens, on the one hand, the importance of perseverance in prayer and, on the other, the certainty of being heard by God the Father.
Luke 18:3: The attitude of the widow before the judge.
In the attitude of the widow before the judge we have the situation of the poor in society at the time of Jesus. Widows and orphans had no one to defend them and their rights were not respected. The fact that Jesus compares our attitude with that of the poor widow, without anyone to defend her, who seeks to claim her rights before a judge who has no human sensibility, shows Jesus’ sympathy for poor people, who insistently struggle to claim their rights.
Luke 18:4-5: The reaction of the judge before the widow.
The judge ends by giving in before the insistence of the widow. He does justice not out of love for justice, but in order to free himself from the widow who continually pesters him.
Luke 18:6-8: Jesus applies the parable.
Jesus draws the conclusion: If an atheistic and dishonest judge pays attention to a widow who insists on her petition, how much more will God, the Father, listen to those who pray to Him night and day, even if He makes them wait. This is the central point of the parable, confirmed by Jesus’ final question: “When the Son of man comes, will He find any faith on earth?” That is, will our faith be as persistent as that of the widow, who resists without losing heart, until she obtains God’s answer? Because, as Ecclesiasticus says, “It is difficult to resist the expectation of God!”
Luke 18:9: Those to whom the second parable is addressed.
This second parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is introduced in the second sentence: “He spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being upright and despised everyone else!” Luke’s sentence refers simultaneously to the time of Jesus and to the time of Luke. Then, in the communities of the years 80’s, to whom Luke addressed his Gospel, there were some holding fast to the ancient tradition of Judaism which despised those who lived in paganism (cf. Acts 15:1, 5).
Luke 18:10: This introduces the theme of the parable.
Two men went up to the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. There could be no greater contrast between these two. In the opinion of the people of that time, a tax collector was worth nothing and could not address himself to God, because he was an impure person, in so far as a tax collector, while the Pharisee was an honored person and a very religious one.
Luke 18:11-12: It describes how the Pharisee prays.
The Pharisee prays standing up and thanks God because he is not like others: thieves, dishonest, adulterous. His prayer is nothing else than praising himself and the things he does: he fasts and pays tithes on all he gets. It is an exaltation of his good qualities and the contempt of others, whom he despises, especially the tax collector who is together with him in the same place. He does not consider him as his brother.
Luke 18:13: It describes how the tax collector prays.
The tax collector does not dare to even raise his eyes, but he beats his heart and says, “My God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” He takes his place before God.
Luke 18:14: Jesus gives His opinion on both parables.
If Jesus had asked the people, who returned home justified, all would have answered, “The Pharisee!” But Jesus thinks differently. The one who returns justified (in a good relationship with God) is not the Pharisee, but rather the tax collector. Once again, Jesus turns everything the other way round. Perhaps this application made by Jesus of the parable did not please many people.
c) Extending the information:
i) The first Christians present us with an image of Jesus praying, who lived in permanent union with the Father. The breathing of the life of Jesus was to do God’s will (Jn 5:19). Jesus prayed very much and insisted so that the people and His disciples also pray. Because it is in our relation with God that truth emerges and that the person finds herself in all reality and humility.
ii) The two parables reveal something of the prayerful attitude of Jesus before the Father. They reveal that even for Him it was not always easy. Like the widow, you must insist very much, as it is also seen in the prayer made in the Garden of Olives (Lk 22:41-42). He insisted up until death, He did not lose heart and He was heard (Heb 5:7). The two parables also reveal His experience and intimacy with God as Father who accepts all and whose love has gratuity as a central mark. God’s love for us does not depend on what we do for Him. He has loved us first. He accepts the tax collector.
iii) Luke is the Evangelist who gives us more information about Jesus’ life of prayer. He presents Jesus in constant prayer. The following are some moments in which Jesus appears in prayer in the Gospel of Luke:
* When He is twelve years old, He goes to the Temple, to the house of the Father (Lk 2: 46-50).
* At the moment of being baptized and of assuming His mission, He prays (Lk 3:21).
* When He begins His mission, He spends forty days in the desert (Lk 4:1-2).
* In the hour of temptation, He faces the Devil with the texts from scripture (Lk 4:3-12).
* Jesus usually participates in the celebrations in the synagogue on Saturday (Lk 4: 16).
* He seeks solitude in the desert to pray (Lk 5:16; 9:18).
* Before choosing the twelve apostles, He spends the night in prayer (Lk 6:12).
* He prays before meals (Lk 9:16; 24: 30).
* Before speaking about reality and of His passion, He prays (Lk 9:18).
* In time of crisis, on the mountain to pray and He is transfigured while He prays (Lk 9, 28).
* In revealing the Gospel to the little ones, he says: “Father, I thank You!” (Lk 10:21).
* In praying, He awakens in the Apostles the will to pray (Lk 11:1).
* He prays for Peter so that he may be strong in faith (Lk 22:32).
* He celebrates the Passover Supper with His disciples (Lk 22:7-14).
* In the Garden of Olives, He prays, and sweat becomes drops of blood (Lk 22:41-42).
* In the anguish of the agony He asks His friends to pray with Him (Lk 22:40,46).
* At the hour of being nailed to the cross, He asks pardon for those who do not know what they are doing (Lk 23:34).
* In the hour of death, He says, “Into Your hands I commend My spirit!” (Lk 23:46; Ps 31:6).
iv) This long list indicates everything which follows. For Jesus, prayer was intimately united to life, to concrete facts, to the decisions which He had to make. In order to be faithful to the Father’s project, He tried to remain alone with Him. He listened to Him. In the difficult and decisive moments of His life, Jesus prayed the psalms. Just like any pious Jew, He knew them by heart. But the recitation of the psalms does not take away His creativity. Rather, Jesus Himself composed a psalm which He has transmitted to us. It is the Our Father. His life was a permanent prayer: “I always seek the will of the Father!” (Jn 5:19, 30). To Him is applied what the Psalm says, “I am in prayer!” (Ps 109:4).
6. Prayer of a Psalm
Psalm 146 (145): A Picture of our God
Alleluia! Praise Yahweh, my soul!
I will praise Yahweh all my life,
I will make music to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes, in any child of Adam,
who has no power to save.
When his spirit goes forth he returns to the earth,
on that very day all his plans come to nothing.
How blessed is he who has Jacob's God to help him,
his hope is in Yahweh his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.
He keeps faith for ever,
gives justice to the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry;
Yahweh sets prisoners free.
Yahweh gives sight to the blind,
lifts up those who are bowed down.
Yahweh protects the stranger,
He sustains the orphan and the widow.
Yahweh loves the upright,
but He frustrates the wicked.
Yahweh reigns forever, your God, Zion,
from age to age.
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word, You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
A real prayer:
the widow’s example
Luke 18:1-8
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the reading:
This Sunday’s liturgy presents us with a text from Luke’s Gospel concerning prayer, a theme dear to the heart of Luke. This is the second time that this Evangelist quotes the words of Jesus to teach us how to pray. The first time (Lk 11:1-13) introduces the text of the Our Father and, by means of comparisons and parables, teaches us that we must pray always and tirelessly. Now, the second time (Lk 18:1-4), Luke has recourse once more to parables taken from everyday life to teach us how to pray: the parable of the widow and the judge (18:1-8) and that of the Pharisee and the publican (Lk 18:9-14). Luke tells the parables in quite a didactic form. Each parable begins with a brief introduction as a key to its reading. There follows the parable, and lastly, Jesus Himself applies the parable to life. This Sunday’s text only narrates the first parable of the widow and the judge (Lk 18:1-8). While reading, it would be good to keep in mind the following: “What is the attitude of each person involved in this parable?”
b) A division of the text to help us in our reading:
Luke 18:1: A key given by Jesus for an understanding of the parable.
Luke 18:2-3: The contrast between the judge and the widow.
Luke 18:4-5: The change in the judge and the reason for this change.
Luke 18:6-8a: Jesus applies the parable.
Luke 18:8b: A final provocative statement.
c) The text:
Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) What did you like most in this text?
b) What is the attitude of the widow? Or what strikes you most in what she does and says?
c) What strikes you most in the attitude and words of the judge? Why?
d) How does Jesus apply this parable?
e) What does this parable teach us concerning our manner of looking at life and people?
f) What does this parable teach us about our prayer life?
5. A key to the reading
for a deeper understanding of the theme.
a) The historical context:
When analyzing the historical context of Luke’s Gospel, we must always keep in mind this dual dimension: the time of Jesus in the 30’s, and the time of those for whom the Gospel is written in the 80’s. These two times influence, each in its own way, the writing of the text and must be present as we try to discover the meaning Jesus’ parables have for us today.
b) The literary context:
The immediate literary context presents us two parables on prayer: praying insistently and perseveringly (the widow and the judge) (Lk 18:1-8); praying humbly and realistically (the Pharisee and the publican) (Lk 18:9-14). Although they are different, these two parables have something in common. They tell us that Jesus saw the things of life in a different way. Jesus saw God’s revelation where others saw something negative. For instance, He saw something positive in the publican, when all said, “He does not know how to pray!” And in the poor widow of whom it was said, “She is so insistent that she even troubles the judge!” Jesus was so united to the Father that for Him everything was transformed into a source of prayer. Many are the ways we can express ourselves in prayer. There are those who say, “I do not know how to pray”, yet they speak to God all day. Have you come across anyone like this?
c) A commentary on the text:
Luke 18:1: The key to an understanding of the parable.
Luke introduces the parable thus: “Then He told them a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart”. The words “to pray and not lose heart” appear frequently in the New Testament (1 Thess 5:17; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; etc.). This was a feature of the spirituality of the early Christian communities. It is also a point on which Luke insists both in the Gospel and in Acts. If you are interested in discovering this dimension in Luke’s writings, carry out this exercise: read the Gospel and Acts and write down all the verses where Jesus or others are praying. You will be surprised!
Luke 18:2-3: The contrast between the widow and the judge.
Jesus presents us with two persons from real life: a judge who neither respects God nor persons, and a widow who will not stop fighting for her rights before the judge. The simple fact that Jesus presents these two persons reveals that He knows well the society of His time. Not only does the parable present poor people fighting in court to have their rights recognized, but it also shows us the violent contrast among social groups. On the one hand, an insensitive and irreligious judge, and on the other, the widow who knows which door to knock on to get what is owed to her.
Luke 18:4-5: The change in the judge and the reason for the change.
For a long time, asking the same thing every day, the widow gets nothing from the insensitive judge. Finally, the judge, even though “he had neither fear of God nor respect for man,” decided to pay attention to the widow and give her justice. The reason is: to be free of this constant nuisance, a rather self-interested reason! However, the widow gets what she wants! This is a fact of daily life and Jesus uses it to teach us how to pray.
Luke 18:6-8: An application of the parable.
Jesus applies the parable: “You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to His chosen who cry to Him day and night even when He delays to help them?” Then He adds that God will see justice done speedily. Were it not Jesus speaking, we would not have the courage to compare God to a judge with this moral attitude. What is important in the comparison is the widow, who, thanks to her insistence, finally gets what she wants.
Luke 18:8b: A statement on faith.
At the end, Jesus expresses some doubt: “But when the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on earth?” Will we have the courage to wait, to be patient, even if God takes time to answer us? We need much faith to go on insisting and acting when we see no result. Anyone who expects immediate results will be disappointed. Many of the psalms speak of this hard and difficult insistence before God until He sees fit to respond (Ps 71:14; 37:7; 69:4; Lam 3:26). When quoting Psalm 80, Saint Peter says that one day for God is like a thousand years (2Pt 3:8; Ps 90:4).
d) A deepening: Prayer in Luke’s writings
i. Jesus prays in the Gospel
The Gospels present us with a Jesus who prays, who lives in continuous contact with the Father. Jesus’ only wish is to do the will of the Father (Jn 5:19). Luke is the one who speaks most of the prayer life of Jesus. He shows us a Jesus who prays always. Jesus prayed much and insistently, so that people and His disciples would do the same. It is when facing God in truth that the person sees him/herself in its reality and humility. Here are some of the moments when Jesus is praying in Luke’s Gospel:
Lk 2:46-50: When He is twelve, He goes to the temple, His Father’s house.
Lk 3:21: He prays at His baptism and when He takes on His mission.
Lk 4:1-2: At the beginning of His mission He spends forty days in the desert.
Lk 4:3-12: When He is tempted, He faces the devil with texts from scripture.
Lk 4:16: On Saturdays, Jesus goes to celebrate in the synagogue.
Lk 5:16; 9:18: He seeks solitude in the desert to pray.
Lk 6:12: He spends the night in prayer before choosing the Apostles.
Lk 9:16; 24:30: He prays before meals.
Lk 9:18: He prays before speaking of His passion.
Lk 9:28: In a crisis, on the mountain to pray, He is transfigured during prayer.
Lk 10:21: When the Gospel is revealed to little ones He says, “Thank You, Father...”.
Lk 11:1: As He prays, He inspires the apostles the desire to pray.
Lk 22:32: He prays for Peter, that he may have faith.
Lk 22:7-14: He celebrates the Paschal meal with His disciples.
Lk 22:41-42: He prays and sweats blood in the Garden of Olives.
Lk 22:40.46: In His agony, He asks His friends to pray with Him.
Lk 23:34: When He was being nailed to the cross, He asked pardon for His torturers.
Lk 23:46; Ps 31:6: At the moment of death He says, “Into Your hands I commend My spirit”.
Lk 23:46: Jesus dies with the cry of the poor on His lips.
This list of quotations shows us that for Jesus prayer was intimately connected with life, with concrete fact, with decisions to be taken. To be faithful to the Father’s plan, He sought to be alone with Him, to listen to Him. In difficult and decisive moments of His life, Jesus prayed the Psalms. Like every other devout Jew, He knew them by heart. Saying the Psalms did not quench His creative spirit. Rather, Jesus invented a psalm, that is, the Our Father. His life was a constant prayer: “At all times I do what the Father asks Me to do!” (Jn 5:19, 30). What the Psalm says applies to Jesus: “... all I had done was pray for them!” (Ps 109:4)
ii. The praying communities in the Acts of the Apostles
As in the Gospel, so also in the Acts, Luke often speaks of prayer. The first Christians are those who continue the prayer of Jesus. Here is a list, which in one way or another, speak of prayer. If you look carefully, you will find other texts again:
Act 1:14: The community perseveres in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Act 1:24: The community prays so as to know who will take the place of Judas.
Act 2:25-35: Peter quotes from the Psalms in his homily.
Act 2:42: The first Christians are faithful in prayer.
Act 2:46-47: They go to the temple to praise God.
Act 3:1: Peter and John go to the temple to pray at the ninth hour.
Act 3:8: The healed lame man praises God.
Act 4:23-31: The community prays under persecution.
Act 5:12: The first Christians stay at Solomon’s gate (temple).
Act 6:4: The apostles devote themselves to prayer and the service of the word.
Act 6:6: They pray before imposing hands on the deacons.
Act 7:59: When he is dying, Stephen prays: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”.
Act 7:60: Then Stephen prays: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”.
Act 8:15: Peter and John pray that the converts may receive the Holy Spirit.
Act 8:22: The sinner is told, “Repent and pray that you may be forgiven”.
Act 8:24: Simon says, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves so that none of the things you have spoken about may happen to me”
Act 9:11: Paul is praying.
Act 9:40: Peter prays for the healing of Tabitha.
Act 10:2: Cornelius prayed constantly to God.
Act 10:4: Cornelius’ prayers are heard in heaven.
Act 10:9: At the sixth hour, Peter prays on the roof of the house.
Act 10:30-31: Cornelius prays at the ninth hour, and his prayer is heard.
Act 11:5: Peter tells the people of Jerusalem: “I was praying”!
Act 12:5: The community prays when Peter is in jail.
Act 12:12: Many people are gathered in prayer in Mary’s house.
Act 13:2-3: The community prays and fasts before sending Paul and Barnabas.
Act 13:48: The pagans rejoice and glorify the Word of God.
Act 14:23: The missionaries pray to appoint the coordinators of the communities.
Act 16:13: At Philippi, near the river, there is a place of prayer.
Act 16:16: Paul and Silas were going to prayer.
Act 16:25: At night, Paul and Silas sing and pray in prison.
Act 18:9: Paul has a vision of the Lord at night.
Act 19:18: Many confess their sins.
Act 20:7: They met to break bread (the Eucharist).
Act 20:32: Paul commends to God the coordinators of the communities.
Act 20:36: Paul prays on his knees with the coordinators of the communities.
Act 21:5: They kneel on the shore to pray.
Act 21:14: Before the inevitable, the people say, God’s will be done!
Act 21:20: They glorify God for all that Paul has done.
Act 21:26: Paul goes to the temple to fulfill a promise.
Act 22:17-21: Paul prays in the temple, he has a vision and speaks with God.
Act 23:11: In the prison in Jerusalem, Paul has a vision of Jesus.
Act 27:23ff: Paul has a vision of Jesus during the storm at sea.
Act 27:35: Paul takes the bread, gives thanks to God before arriving in Malta.
Act 28:8: Paul prays over Publius’ father, who had a fever.
Act 28:15: Paul gives thanks to God on seeing the brethren in Pozzuoli.
This list tells us two important things. On the one hand, the early Christians kept the traditional liturgy of the people. Like Jesus, they pray at home among the family, in community and in the synagogue and together with the people of the temple. On the other hand, apart from the traditional liturgy, there appears a new way of praying among them in community and with a new content. The root of this new prayer comes from the new experience of “God in Jesus and from a clear and deep awareness of the presence of God in midst of the community: “In Him we live, move and are!” (Acts 17:28)
6. Prayer: Psalm 63 (62)
A longing for God expressed in prayer
God, You are my God, I pine for You;
my heart thirsts for You, my body longs for You,
as a land parched, dreary and waterless.
Thus I have gazed on You in the sanctuary,
seeing Your power and Your glory.
Better Your faithful love than life itself;
my lips will praise You.
Thus I will bless You all my life,
in Your name lift up my hands.
All my longings fulfilled as with fat and rich foods,
a song of joy on my lips and praise in my mouth.
On my bed when I think of You,
I muse on You in the watches of the night,
for You have always been my help;
in the shadow of Your wings I rejoice;
my heart clings to You,
Your right hand supports me.
May those who are hounding me to death
go down to the depths of the earth,
given over to the blade of the sword,
and left as food for jackals.
Then the king shall rejoice in God,
all who swear by Him shall gain recognition,
for the mouths of liars shall be silenced.
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word, You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
The ten lepers:
Gratitude for the gratuitous gift of salvation
Luke 17:11-19
Opening prayer
Lord, while You are still crossing our land, today You have stopped here and have entered in my village, into my house, in my life. You have not been afraid, You have not disdained the profound illness of my sin; rather, You have even loved me more.
Oh Master, I stop at a distance, together with my brothers and sisters who are walking together with me in this world. I raise my voice and I call You; I show You the wound of my soul. I beg You, heal me with the good ointment of Your Holy Spirit, give me the true medicine of Your Word; there is nothing else which can cure me, but only You, who are Love…
1. I read the Word
a) Text:
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."
b) The context
This passage places us within the third stage of the road which Jesus is following toward Jerusalem; by now the goal is close at hand and the Master calls His disciples with even greater intensity, that is, us, to follow Him to the holy city, in the mystery of salvation, of love. The passage is fulfilled only through faith, nourished by an intense, unceasing, insistent, trusting prayer; we see this when we go over the chapters which precede and follow this account (17:6; 17:19; 18:7-8; 42). These words invite us to identify ourselves with the lepers, who become children (cf. Lk 18:15-17) and with the rich man who is converted and accepts salvation in his home (Lk 18:18 ff); if we truly accept them and guard them in such a way as to put them into practice, we will finally be able also to arrive in Jericho (19:1) and from there to begin to go up with Jesus (19:28), up to the joyful embrace with the Father.
c) The structure:
v. 11: Jesus is traveling and crossed Samaria and Galilee; little by little, He is getting close to Jerusalem, there is nothing which He does not visit, does not touch with His look of love and of mercy.
vv. 12 – 14a: Jesus enters one of the villages, which does not have a name, because it is the place, it is the life of all, and here He encounters the ten lepers, sick men, already eaten up by death, excluded and at a distance, marginalized and despised. Immediately He accepts their prayer, which is a cry coming from the heart and invites them to enter into Jerusalem and no longer to be at a distance, but to join the heart of the Holy City, the temple, the priests. He invites them to go back to the Father’s house.
v. 14b: The lepers had just begun the holy trip to Jerusalem, and they were healed. They become new men.
vv. 15-16: But only one of them turned back to thank Jesus: it seems that we can almost see him running and jumping with joy. He praises the Lord in a loud voice, and throws himself prostrate in adoration.
vv. 17-19: Jesus sees that of ten men, only one turns back, a Samaritan, one who does not belong to the chosen people: salvation, in fact, is for all, also for those who are far away, the strangers. No one is excluded from the love of the Father, who saves thanks to faith.
2. Meditate on the Word
a) I enter into silence:
This invitation is already clear to my heart: The love of the Father is waiting for me, like that only Samaritan who turned back, full of joy and of gratitude. The Eucharist of my healing is ready; the room in the upper room is already adorned, the table is set, the calf has been killed, the wine has been poured… my place is already prepared. I reread the passage attentively, slowly, stopping on the words, on the verbs; I look at the movement of the lepers, I repeat them, make them my own, I also move, toward the encounter with the Lord Jesus. I allow myself to be guided by Him, I listen to His voice, to His command. I also go toward Jerusalem, toward the temple, which is my heart and I in making this holy trip I think over all the love that the Father has had for me. I allow myself to be wrapped in His embrace, I feel the healing of my soul… And because of this, full of joy, I rise, turn back, run toward the source of true happiness which is the Lord. I prepare myself to thank Him, to sing to Him the new canticle of my love for Him. What will I give to the Lord for all He has given me?) I consider more deeply some terms:
During the traveling: Using his beautiful Greek, Luke tells us that Jesus is continuing His way toward Jerusalem and uses a very beautiful and intense verb, even if very common and very much used. In this pericope or passage alone, it appears three times:
v. 11: in the traveling
v. 14: go
v. 19. going
It is a verb of very strong movement, which fully expresses all the dynamic proper of the traveling; it can be translated with all these different nuances or tones: I go, I go to, I leave, I go from one part to the other, I go through, I follow. And even more, within it has the meaning of crossing over, of wading, of going beyond, overcoming the obstacles. And Jesus, the great traveler, the tireless pilgrim: He was the first one to leave His dwelling in the bosom of the Father, and descended down to us, fulfilling the eternal exodus of our salvation and liberation. He knows every path, every route of human experience; no part of the road remains hidden or impassable for Him. This is why He can invite us also to walk, to move ourselves, to cross, to place ourselves in a continuous situation of exodus. So that finally, we can also come back, together to Him, and in this way go to the Father.
Entering one of the villages: Jesus passes by, crosses, walks through, moves and reaches us; some times, then, He decides to enter, to stop for a longer time. As it happens in the account, Luke stops on some details and writes that Jesus entered a village. To enter, in the biblical sense, is to penetrate. It is the entrance into the depth, which implies sharing and participation. Once more, we find ourselves before a very common and very much used verb; in the Gospel of Luke alone it appears very many times and indicates clearly Jesus’ intention to get close to us, to become a friend and to show His love. He does not despise or spurn any entrance, any communion. He enters the house of Simon the leper (4:38), goes into the house of the Pharisee (7:36 and 11:37), then into the house of the president of the Synagogue (8:51) and of Zacchaeus the publican (19:7). He continually enters into the history of humanity and participates, eats together, suffers, weeps and rejoices, sharing everything. As He Himself says, it is sufficient to open the door to let Him in (Rev 3:20), for Him to remain (Lk 24:29)
Ten lepers: I ask myself what this human condition really means, this sickness which is called leprosy. I begin with the text itself of scripture which describes the stature of the leper in Israel. It says, “Anyone with a contagious skin disease will wear torn clothing and disordered hair; and will cover the upper lip and shout: ‘Unclean, unclean!’ As long as the disease lasts, such a person will be unclean and, being unclean, will live alone and live outside the camp”. (Lev 13:45-46). Therefore, I understand that the leper is a person struck, wounded, beaten: something has struck him with violence, with force and has left in him a sign of pain, a wound. He is a person in mourning, in great pain, as shown by his torn clothing and disordered hair; he is one who has to cover his mouth, because he has no right to speak, neither almost to breathe in the midst of others: he is like a dead person. He is one who cannot worship God. He cannot enter the Temple, nor touch the holy things. He is a person profoundly wounded, a marginalized person, excluded, one left aside, in solitude. Because of all this, the ten lepers who go to meet Jesus, stop at a distance and speak to Him from afar, shouting out their pain, their despair.
Jesus, the Master: This exclamation, this prayer of the lepers is beautiful. Above all, they call the Lord by name, as it is done with friends. It seems that they have known one another for some time, that they know about one another, that they have met before at the level of the heart. These lepers have already been admitted into the banquet of Jesus’ intimacy, to the wedding feast of salvation. After them, only the blind man of Jericho (Lk 18:38) and the thief on the Cross (Lk 23:42) will repeat this invocation with the same familiarity, the same love: Jesus! Only the one who recognizes himself to be sick, in need, poor, evil-doer, becomes favorite of God. Then they call Him “Master”, using a term which means more properly “the one who is on high” and which Peter also used, when on the boat, he was called by Jesus to follow Him (Lk 5:8) and he recognizes himself a sinner. Here we find ourselves in the very heart of truth. Here the mystery of leprosy is revealed as a sickness of the soul: that is sin, it is to live far away from God, the lack of friendship, of communion with Him. This dries up our soul and makes it die little by little.
He turned back: It is not a simple physical movement, a change of direction and of walking, but rather a true interior, profound upheaval or revolution. “To turn back” is the verb of conversion, of going back to God. It is to change something into something else (Rev 11:6); it is returning home (Lk 1:56; 2:43), after having gone away, as the prodigal son did, lost in sin. This is what this leper does: he changes his sickness into a blessing, his being a stranger, a foreigner, being far away from God into friendship, into a relationship of intimacy, like between father and son. He changes, because he allows himself to be changed by Jesus Himself, he allows himself to be reached by His love.
To thank Him: This verb is beautiful, in all languages, but in a particular way in Greek, because it bears within the meaning of Eucharist. Yes, it is exactly like that: the leper “does Eucharist”! He sits at the table of mercy, where Jesus allowed Himself to be hurt, wounded even before him; where He became the cursed one, the excluded, the one thrown out of the camp in order to gather us all together in His Heart. He receives the bread and the wine of love gratuitously, of salvation, of forgiveness, of the new life; finally he can once again enter into the temple and participate in the liturgy, in the worship. Finally, he can pray, getting close to God with full trust. He no longer wears torn clothing, but festive dress, the wedding dress; now he wears sandals on his feet, is shod and wears a ring on his finger. He no longer has to cover his mouth, but from now he can sing and praise God, he can smile and speak openly; he can get close to Jesus and kiss Him, like a friend does with a friend. The feast is complete, the joy overflowing.
Rise and go! This is Jesus’ invitation, the invitation of the Lord. Rise, that is, ”Resurrect” come back to life! It is the new life after death, the day after the night. For Saul also, on the road to Damascus, this same invitation was heard, this commandment of love: “Rise!” (Acts 22:10,16) and he was born anew, from the womb of the Holy Spirit; he recovered his sight and could see once again, he began to eat, he received Baptism and a new name. His leprosy had disappeared.
Your faith has saved you: I reread this expression of Jesus, I listen to it in His dialogues with the people whom He meets, with the sinner woman, the woman with the hemorrhage, the blind man…
• Jesus, turning around, saw her and said, “Courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you”. And from that moment the woman was saved (Mt 9:22; Lk 8:48).
• And Jesus said, “Go, your faith has saved you” and immediately he regained his sight and he followed Him along the road (Mk 10:52).
• He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace” (Lk 7:50).
• And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you” (Lk 18:42).
Now I pray together with the apostles and I also say, “Lord, increase my faith!” (cf. Lk 17:6); “Help my lack of faith!” (Mk 9:24).
3. I pray with the Word
a) Confronting life:
Lord, I have gathered the good honey of Your Words from the divine scripture; You have given me light. You have nourished my heart. You have shown me the truth. I know that in the number of those lepers, of those sick persons, I am also there and I know that You are waiting for me, so that I come back, full of joy, to make the Eucharist with You, in Your merciful love. I also ask You for the light of Your Spirit in order to be able to see well, to know and to allow You to change me. Behold, Lord, I open my heart, my life, before You… look at me, question me, heal me.
b) Some questions:
• If at this moment, Jesus, passing by and crossing my life, stopped to enter my village, would I be ready to welcome, to accept Him? Would I be happy to let Him come in? Would I invite Him, would I insist, like the disciples of Emmaus? Behold, He is at the door and knocks… Will I get up to open the door to my Beloved? (Song 5: 5)
• How is my relationship with Him? Am I able to call Him by name, as the lepers have done, even if from a distance, but with all the strength of their faith? Does the invocation of the name of Jesus always spring from my heart, from my lips? When I am in danger, in suffering, weeping, which exclamation comes spontaneously from me? Could I not try to be more attentive to this aspect, which seems to be secondary, worth little, but which, instead reveals a very strong and profound reality? Why do I not begin to repeat the name of Jesus in my heart, even if only with my lips, like a prayer, or like a hymn? This could be my companion while I go to work, while I walk, while I do this or that…
• Do I have the courage to present my evil sincerely, my sin, which is the true sickness? Jesus invites the ten lepers to go to the priests, according to the Hebrew law, but also for me, today, it is important, indispensable to live this passage: to tell myself, to bring out to light what hurts me inside and prevents me from being serene, happy, in peace. If it is not before the priest, at least it is necessary that I place myself before the Lord, face to face with Him, without any masks, without hiding anything and to tell Him all the truth about me. It is only in this way that it will really be possible to heal.
• The salvation of the Lord is for all; He loves all with an immense love. But few are those who open themselves to accept His presence in their life. One out of ten. On which side do I place myself? Am I able to recognize all the good that the Lord has done to me in my life? Or do I continue only to complain, always to expect something more, to reproach and accuse, to protest and to threaten? Do I really know how to say thank you, sincerely, with gratitude, convinced that I have received everything, that the Lord always gives me a surplus? It would really be very nice to take some time to thank the Lord for all the benefits which He has showered in my life since I can remember up until now. I think that I would never be able to finish, because something else would always come to my mind, Then, the only thing I can do is like the leper, the only one among the ten: to turn back, to run up to the Lord and to throw myself at His feet, and praise Him in a loud voice. I can do it by singing a hymn, or only repeating my thanksgiving, or perhaps weeping for joy.
• And now I listen to Jesus’ invitation: “Rise and set out on the road” After this experience I cannot remain without moving, closing myself in my own world, in my peaceful beatitude and forget everything. I must rise, go out, and set out on the road. If the Lord has blessed me, it is in order that I may take His love to my brothers. The joy of the encounter with Him and of having been healed in my soul will never be true, if it is not shared and placed at the service of others. An instance is sufficient to bring to my mind so many friends, so many individuals, more or less close to me, who need some joy and hope. Then, why do I not start moving immediately? I can make a phone call, send a message, write if even just a brief note, or perhaps I can go and visit someone, keep him company and find the courage to announce the beauty and the joy of having Jesus as my friend, as doctor, as Savior. Now is the moment to do it.
c) I pray with a Psalm
I called out to You, Lord, and You healed me.
How blessed are those to whom
Yahweh imputes no guilt,
whose spirit harbors no deceit.
I said not a word,
but my bones wasted away from groaning all the day;
I made my sin known to You,
did not conceal my guilt. I said,
“I shall confess my offense to Yahweh.”
And You, for Your part,
took away my guilt, forgave my sin.
That is why each of Your faithful ones
prays to You in time of distress.
Even if great floods overflow,
they will never reach Your faithful.
You are a refuge for me;
You guard me in trouble;
with songs of deliverance You surround me.
I (Yahweh) shall instruct you and teach you the way to go;
I shall not take my eyes off you.
Rejoice in Yahweh, exult all you upright,
shout for joy, you honest of heart.
4. I contemplate and I praise
Lord, I have come to You from solitude and isolation, with all the weight and the shame of my sin, of my sickness. I have cried out, I have confessed, I have asked You for mercy, You, who are Love. You have heard me even before I could finish my poor prayer; even from far You have known me and listened to me. You know everything about me, but You are not scandalized, You do not despise, You do not draw back. You have told me only not to fear, not to hide myself. And it has been sufficient to trust You, to open the heart and Your salvation has already reached me. I have already felt the balm of Your presence. I have understood that You have healed me. Then, Lord, I could not do any other thing than to turn back to You, to tell You at least thank You, to weep with joy at Your feet. I thought I did not have anyone, not to be able to bear it, not to come out any more and, instead, You have saved me, You have given me another possibility to begin anew.
Lord, thanks to You I am no longer a leper! I have thrown away my torn clothing and I have put on my festive dress. I have broken the isolation of shame, of harshness and I have begun to get out from myself, leaving behind my prison. I have risen, I have resurrected. Today, with You, I begin to live again.
The Lord increases our faith,
so that our lives may be
at the free service of God and of neighbor.
Luke 17:5-10
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the reading:
The text of this Sunday’s liturgy is part of a long section typical of Luke (Lk 9:51 to 19:28), which describes the slow ascent of Jesus towards Jerusalem, where He will be made prisoner, sentenced and die. A large part of this section is given to instructing the disciples. Our text is part of this instruction to the disciples. Jesus teaches them how to live in community (Lk 17:1).
b) A division of the text as a help to its reading:
Luke 17:5: The apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith.
Luke 17:6: Living one’s faith the size of a mustard seed.
Luke 17:7-9: Living one’s life at the free service of God and neighbor.
Luke 17:10: Application of the comparison with the useless servant.
c) The text:
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
3. A moment of prayerful silence
that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) What part of this text did I like best or struck me most?
b) Faith in whom? In God? In the other? In oneself?
c) Faith the size of a mustard seed: is my faith like this?
d) To give one’s life in service without expecting any return: am I capable of living thus?
e) What does it mean: “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.”?
5. A key to the reading
in order to delve deeper into the theme.
a) The historical context of our text:
The historical context of Luke’s Gospel always has two dimensions: the time of Jesus in the 30’s, when the things described in the text took place, and the time of the communities to whom Luke addresses his Gospel, more than 50 years after the events. When Luke reports the words and actions of Jesus, he is not only thinking of what happened in the 30’s, but rather of the life of the communities of the 80’s with all their problems and concerns, and he tries to offer them some light and possible solutions (Lk 1:1-4).
b) A key to the reading: the literary context:
The literary context (Lk 17:1-21) within which is our text (Lk 17:5-10) helps us better understand Jesus’ words. In this text Luke brings together the words Jesus used to teach how one should live in community. Firstly (Lk 17:1-2), Jesus draws the attention of the disciples to the little ones, that is, those excluded from society. The communities must hold these dear. Second (Lk 17:3-4), He draws attention to the weak members of the communities. In their regard, Jesus wants the disciples to feel responsible for them and to take an attitude of understanding and reconciliation towards them. Third (Lk 17:5-6) (and here begins our text), Jesus speaks of faith in God that must be the driving force of the life of the communities. Fourth (Lk 17:7-10), Jesus says that the disciples must serve others with the greatest degree of self-denial and selflessness, considering themselves to be useless servants. Fifth (Lk 17:11-19), Jesus teaches them how to accept the service of others. They must show gratitude. Sixth (Lk 17:20-21), Jesus teaches them to look at reality around them. He tells them not to run after the deceitful propaganda of those who teach that the Kingdom of God, when it comes, will be able to be seen by all. Jesus says the opposite. The coming of the Kingdom, unlike that of earthly rulers, will not be able to be seen. For Jesus, the Kingdom of God is already here! It is already in our midst, independently of our efforts and merits. It is pure grace and only faith can perceive it.
c) A commentary on the text:
Luke 17:5: The apostles ask Jesus for an increase in faith.
The disciples are aware that it is not easy to possess the qualities that Jesus has just asked of them: care for the little ones (Lk 17:1-2) and reconciliation with the weakest of the brothers and sisters of the community (Lk 17:3-4), and to do so with much faith! Not just faith in God, but also faith in the possibility of regaining the brother and sister. That is why they go to Jesus and ask Him, “Increase our faith!”
Luke 17:5-6: ‘Living with faith the size of a mustard seed.
Jesus replies, “Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’, and it would obey you”.’ This statement of Jesus raises two questions: (1) Is He suggesting that the apostles do not have faith the size of a mustard seed? The comparison used by Jesus is strong and insinuating. A grain of mustard seed is very small, as small as the smallness of the disciples, but with faith, they can become strong, stronger than the mountain or the sea! If Jesus was speaking today, He might say, “Were your faith the size of an atom, you could blow up this mountain.” That is, in spite of the inherent difficulty, reconciliation among brothers and sisters is possible, since faith can make what seems impossible come true. Without the central axle of faith, a broken relationship cannot be healed and the community desired by Jesus cannot be realized. Our faith must bring us to the point where we are able to move within ourselves the mountain of our preconceived ideas and throw it in the sea. (2) With this statement, was Jesus referring to faith in God or faith in the possibility of bringing back the weakest of the brothers and sisters? Most probably it refers to both. As the love of God is made concrete in the love of neighbor, so also faith in God must be made concrete in faith in the brothers and sisters, in reconciliation and in forgiving even up to seventy times seven! (Mt 18:22) Faith is the remote control of the power of God who acts and reveals Himself in the renewed human relationship lived in community!
Luke 17:7-9: Jesus points out how we must fulfill our obligations towards the community.
To teach that in the life of a community all must deny and be detached from their own selves, Jesus uses the example of the slave. In those days, a slave could not merit anything. The master, hard and demanding, wanted only their service. It was unusual to thank a slave. For God we are like a slave before his master.
It may seem strange that Jesus should use such a harsh example taken from an unjust social institution of His times, to describe our relationship with the community. He does this on another occasion when He compares the life of the Kingdom to that of a thief. What matters is the aim of the comparison: God comes like a thief, without any previous notice, when we least expect Him; like a slave before his master, so also we cannot and must not obtain merits before our brothers and sisters in the community.
Luke 17:10: Application of the comparison of the useless servant
Jesus applies this example to life in community: as a slave before his master, so also must our attitude be in community: we must not do things in order to earn support, approval, promotion or praise, but only to show that we belong to God! “So with you, when you have done all you have been told to do, say ‘We are merely servants; we have done no more than our duty’. Before God, we do not merit anything. Whatever we have received we have not merited. We give thanks to the gratuitous love of God.
d) A deepening on faith and service:
i) Faith in God is made concrete in bringing back brothers and sisters
First fact: During the Second World War in Germany, it happened that two Jews, Samuel and John were in a concentration camp. They were very badly treated and often tortured. John, the younger, was angry. He vented his anger by cursing and using bad language towards the German soldier who treated them badly and beat them. Samuel, the older one, kept calm. One day, in a distracted moment, John said to Samuel, “How can you keep calm when you are treated so brutally? Why is it that you have so much courage? You should react and show your opposition to this absurd regime!” Samuel replied, “It is more difficult to stay calm than to be courageous. I do not seek courage, because I am afraid that, due to my anger, he may switch off the last spark of humanity that lies hidden in this brutalized soldier”.
Second fact: During the Roman occupation of Palestine, Jesus was condemned to death by the Sanhedrin. Because of His faith in God the Father, Jesus welcomes all as brothers and sisters, and in acting thus, He challenges the system, which in the name of God, keeps so many people marginalized. The sentence of the Sanhedrin is ratified by the Roman Empire and Jesus is led to be tortured on Mount Calvary. The soldiers carry out the sentence. One of them pierces Jesus’ hands with nails. Jesus’ reaction is, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do!” (Lk 23:34). Faith in God reveals itself in the pardon offered to those who are killing Him.
ii) The service to be offered to the people of God and to humanity
In Jesus’ time, there was a great variety of messianic expectations. According to the many interpretations of the prophecies, there were those who expected a Messiah King (Lk 15:9, 32), a Holy Messiah or High Priest (Mk 1:24), a Warrior Messiah (Lk 23:5; Mk 15:6; 13:6-8), a Doctor Messiah (Jn 4:25; Mk 1:22, 27), a Judge Messiah (Lk 3:5-9; Mk 1:8), a Prophet Messiah (Mk 6:4; 14:65). All, according to their own interests or social class, expected the Messiah according to their wishes and expectations. But it seems that no one, except The anawim, the poor of Yahweh, expected a Servant Messiah, proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 42:1; 49:3; 52:13). The poor often recalled the messianic promise considered as a service offered to humanity by the people of God. Mary, the poor of Yahweh, said to the angel, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord!” It was from her that Jesus learned the way of service. “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45).
The figure of the servant described in the four canticles of Isaiah (Isa 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13 to 53:12), did not point to an isolated individual, but to the people of the captivity (Isa 41:8-9; 42:18-20; 43:10; 44:1-2; 44:21; 45:4; 48:20; 54:17), described by Isaiah as a people “oppressed, disfigured, without the appearance of a person and without the least human condition, a people exploited, ill treated, reduced to silence, without grace or beauty, full of suffering, avoided by all like a leper, condemned like a criminal, without recourse or defense” (Cf. Isa 53:2-8). This is a perfect image of one third of humanity today! This servant people “does not cry out, does not raise its voice, will not be heard in the streets, will not break the crushed reed” (Isa 42:2). Persecuted but does not persecute; oppressed but will not oppress; trodden under foot but will not tread on others. This people will not enter into the abyss of violence of the empire that oppresses. This attitude of resistance of the Servant of Yahweh is the root of justice that God wishes to see planted in the whole world. That is why God asks the people to be His Servant with the mission of making such justice shine brightly throughout the world (Isa 42:2,6; 49:6).
Jesus knows these canticles and in fulfilling His mission He lets Himself be guided by them. At the time of His baptism in the Jordan, the Father entrusts Him with the mission of Servant (Mk 1:11). When, in the synagogue of Nazareth, He explains His program to His own people, Jesus publicly assumes this mission (Lk 4:16-21). It is in this attitude of service that Jesus reveals the face of God that attracts us and shows us the way back to God.
6. Prayer: Psalm 72 (71)
Hope for all that the Messiah Savior may come
God, endow the king with Your own fair judgment,
the son of the king with Your own saving justice,
that he may rule Your people with justice,
and Your poor with fair judgement.
Mountains and hills, bring peace to the people!
With justice He will judge the poor of the people,
He will save the children of the needy
and crush their oppressors.
In the sight of the sun and the moon He will endure,
age after age.
He will come down like rain on mown grass,
like showers moistening the land.
In His days uprightness shall flourish,
and peace in plenty till the moon is no more.
His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,
from the river to the limits of the earth.
The Beast will cower before Him,
His enemies lick the dust;
the kings of Tarshish and the islands will pay Him tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Saba will offer gifts;
all kings will do Him homage,
all nations become His servants.
For He rescues the needy who call to Him,
and the poor who have no one to help.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the needy from death.
From oppression and violence He redeems their lives,
their blood is precious in His sight.
Long may He live; may the gold of Sheba be given Him!
Prayer will be offered for Him constantly,
and blessings invoked on Him all day.
May wheat abound in the land,
waving on the heights of the hills,
like Lebanon with its fruits and flowers at their best,
like the grasses of the earth.
May His name be blessed for ever,
and endure in the sight of the sun.
In Him shall be blessed every race in the world,
and all nations call Him blessed.
Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel,
who alone works wonders;
blessed for ever His glorious name.
May the whole world be filled with His glory! Amen! Amen!
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
our creator and guide,
may we serve You with all our hearts
and know Your forgiveness in our lives.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 7:36-50
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner." Jesus said to him in reply, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?" Simon said in reply, "The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven." He said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." The others at table said to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel presents the episode of the woman with the perfume who was accepted by Jesus during a feast in house of Simon the Pharisee. One of the aspects of the novelty of the Good News of Jesus is the surprising attitude of Jesus toward women. At the time of the New Testament women lived marginalized. In the Synagogue they could not participate in the public life and they could not be witnesses. Many women, though, resisted this exclusion. From the time of Ezra, the marginalization of women had been increasing on the part of the religious authority (Ezr 9:1 to 10:44), and the resistance of women against their exclusion, also increased, as we can see in the stories of Judith, Esther, Ruth, Noemi, Suzanne, and the Sulamite and others. This resistance found echo and acceptance in Jesus. In the episode of the woman with the perfume there is inconformity which springs up and the resistance of the women in the life of every day and the acceptance of Jesus.
• Luke 7:36-38: The situation which breaks out the debate. Three completely different persons meet with one another: Jesus, Simon, the Pharisee, a practicing Jew, and the woman, whom they said that she was a sinner. Jesus is in the house of Simon who has invited Him to dinner with him. The woman enters, and she places herself at the feet of Jesus, and begins to cry, bathing Jesus’ feet with her tears, and dries them with her loose hair. She kisses His feet and anoints them with perfume. To get the hair loose in public was a gesture of independence. Jesus does not draw back, nor does He send the woman away, rather He accepts her gesture.
• Luke 7:39-40: The reaction of the Pharisee and the response of Jesus. Jesus was accepting a person, who, according to the custom of the time, could not be accepted, because she was a sinner. The Pharisee, observing everything, criticizes Jesus and condemns the woman: “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this woman is and what sort of person it is who is touching Him and what a bad name she has”. Jesus uses a parable to respond to the provocation of the Pharisee.
• Luke 7:41-43: The parable of the two debtors. One owed 500 denarii, the other 50. Neither one was able to pay, both of them were forgiven. Which of them will love their master more? Response of the Pharisee: “The one who was let off more, I suppose!” The parable presupposes that both, the Pharisee and the woman, had received some favor from Jesus. By the attitude that both take before Jesus they indicate how much they appreciate the favor received. The Pharisee shows his love, his gratitude, by inviting Jesus to eat with him. The woman shows her love, her gratitude, by her tears, the kisses and the perfume.
• Luke 7:44-47: The message of Jesus for the Pharisee. After having received the response of the Pharisee, Jesus applies the parable. Even if He was in the house of the Pharisee, invited by him, Jesus does not lose the freedom to speak and to act. He defends the woman against the criticism of the practicing Jew. The message of Jesus for the Pharisees of all times is this one: “The one who is forgiven little, loves little!” A Pharisee thinks that he is not a sinner because he observes the law in everything. The personal assurance that I, a Pharisee, create for myself many times, in the observance of the Law of God and of the Church, prevents me from experiencing the gratuity of the love of God. What is important is not the observance of the law in itself, but the love with which I observe the law. And using the symbols of the love of the woman, Jesus responds to the Pharisee who considered himself to be in peace with God: “you poured no water over My feet; you gave Me no kiss, you did not anoint My head with perfumed oil! Simon, in spite of the banquet that you have offered Me, you have loved very little!”
• Luke 7:48-50: The word of Jesus to the woman. Jesus declares that the woman is forgiven and then adds: “Your faith has saved you, go in peace!” Here we have the novelty of the attitude of Jesus. He does not condemn but He accepts. It is faith which helps the woman to encounter herself and to encounter God. In the relationship with Jesus, a new force springs up in her and makes her be born again.
4) Personal questions
• Where, when, and how are women despised or rejected by the Pharisee of today?
• The woman certainly would not have done what she did if she was not absolutely certain that Jesus would accept her. Do the marginalized and migrant persons have the same certainty today?
5) Concluding Prayer
For Yahweh is good,
His faithful love is everlasting,
His constancy from age to age. (Ps 100: 5)
Lectio Divina: The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - John 3:13-17
Written byAnyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life.
Opening prayer
Oh Father who wanted to save man
by the Cross of Christ, Your Son,
grant to us who have known on earth
His mystery of love,
to enjoy in Heaven the fruits of His redemption.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
1. LECTIO
Reading:
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
2. MEDITATIO
a) Key for the reading:
The text for today’s Liturgy has been taken from the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It should not surprise us that the passage chosen for this celebration forms part of the fourth Gospel, because, it is precisely this Gospel which presents the mystery of the cross of the Lord as the exaltation. This is clear from the beginning of the Gospel: “as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up” (Jn 3:14; Dan 7:13). John explains the mystery of the Incarnate Word in the paradoxical movement of the descent-ascent (Jn 1:14,18; 3:13). In fact, it is this mystery which offers the key for the reading in order to understand the evolution of the identity and of the mission of the passus et gloriosus (suffering and glorious) of Jesus Christ, and that we may well say that this is not only valid for the text of John. The Letter to the Ephesians, for example, uses this paradoxical movement to explain the mystery of Christ: “Now, when it says, ‘He went up’, it must mean that He had gone down to the deepest levels of the earth” (Eph 4:9).
Jesus is the Son of God who becoming Son of man (Jn 3:13) makes known to us the mysteries of God (Jn 1:18). He alone can do this, in so far as He alone has seen the Father (Jn 6:46). We can say that the mystery of the Word who descends from Heaven responds to the yearning of the prophets: who will go up to heaven to reveal this mystery to us? (cf. Deut 30:12; Prov 30:4). The fourth Gospel is full of references to the mystery of He who “is from Heaven” (1 Cor 15:47). The following are some quotations or references: Jn 6:33, 38,51, 62; 8:42; 16:28-30; 17:5.
The exaltation of Jesus is precisely in His descent to come to us, unto death, and death on the Cross, on which He was lifted up like the serpent in the desert, which, “anybody… who looked at it would survive” (Num 21:7-9; Zech 12:10). John reminds us in the scene of the death of Jesus Christ being lifted up: “They will look to the one whom they have pierced” (Jn 19:37). In the context of the fourth Gospel, “to turn and look” means “to know,” “to understand,” “to see.”
Frequently, in John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about His being lifted up: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He” (Jn 8:28); “when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all peoples to Myself. By these words He indicated the kind of death He would die” (Jn 12: 32-33). In the synoptics also Jesus announces to His disciples the mystery of His condemnation to death on the cross (see Mt 20:27-29; Mk 10:32-34; Lk 18:31-33). In fact, Christ had “to suffer all that to enter into His glory” (Lk 24:26).
This mystery reveals the great love which God has for us. He is the Son given to us, “so that anyone who believes in Him will not be lost, but will have eternal life,” this Son whom we have rejected and crucified. But precisely in this rejection on our part, God has manifested Himself to us His fidelity and His love which does not stop before the hardness of our heart. And even in spite of our rejection and our contempt He gives us salvation (cf. Acts 4:27-28), remaining firm in fulfilling His plan of mercy: God, in fact, has not sent His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world may be saved through Him.”
b) A few questions:
i) What struck you in the Gospel?
ii) What does the exaltation of Christ and of His cross mean for you?
iii) What consequences does this paradoxical movement of descent-ascent imply in the living out of faith?
3. ORATIO
Psalm 77 (1-2, 34-38)
My people, listen to My teaching,
pay attention to what I say.
I will speak to you in a parable,
unfold the mysteries of the past.
Whenever He slaughtered them,
they began to seek Him;
they turned back and looked eagerly for Him,
recalling that God was their rock,
God the Most High, their redeemer.
They tried to flatter Him with their mouths;
their tongues were deceitful towards Him.
Their hearts were not loyal to Him;
they were not faithful to His covenant.
But in His compassion He forgave their guilt
instead of killing them,
time and again repressing His anger
instead of rousing His full wrath.
4. CONTEMPLATIO
"Jesus Christ as Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2:11)
Ordinary Time
1) 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.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 6,43-49
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. Every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles.
Good people draw what is good from the store of goodness in their hearts; bad people draw what is bad from the store of badness. For the words of the mouth flow out of what fills the heart. ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and not do what I say?
‘Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them—I will show you what such a person is like. Such a person is like the man who, when he built a house, dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But someone who listens and does nothing is like the man who built a house on soil, with no foundations; as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!’
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we have the last part of the Discourse of the Plains that is, the version which Luke presents in the Sermon on the Mountain of the Gospel of Matthew. And Luke puts together what follows:
• Luke 6, 43-45: The parable of the tree that bears good fruit. “There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. Every tree can be known by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, or gather grapes from brambles”. The letter of James the Apostle serves as a comment to this parable of Jesus: “Does any water supply give a flow of fresh water and salt water out of the same pipe? Can a fig tree yield olives, my brothers, or a vine yield figs? No more can sea water yield fresh water” (James 3, 11-12). A person who is well formed in the tradition of living together in community develops within self a good nature which leads him/her to do good. “The good of the treasure of his/her heart is brought out”, but the person who does not pay attention to his/her formation will have difficulty in producing good deeds. Rather, “from his/her evil treasure evil will come out evil, because the mouth speaks of the fullness of the heart”. Concerning the “good treasure of the heart” it is worthwhile to remember what the Book of Ecclesiasticus’ says on the heart, the source of good counsel: “Stick to the advice your own heart gives you, no one can be truer to you than that; since a person’s soul often gives a clearer warning than seven watchmen perched on a watchtower. And besides all this beg the Most High to guide your steps into the truth” (Si 37, 13-15).
• Luke 6, 46: It is not sufficient to say, Lord, Lord. What is important is not to say beautiful things about God, but rather to do the will of the Father and in this way be a revelation of his face and of his presence in the world.
• Luke 6, 47-49: To construct the house on rock. To listen and to put into practice, this is the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mountain. Many people sought security and religious power in the extraordinary heads (gifts) or in the observance. But true security does not come from power; it does not come from any of those things. It comes from God! And God becomes the source of security, when we seek to do his will. And in this way he will be the rock which will support us, in the difficult hours and in the storms.
God is the rock of our life. In the Book of Psalms, we frequently find the expression: “God is my rock, my fortress... My God, my Rock, my refuge, my shield, the force which saves me...” (Ps 18, 3). He is the defence and the force of those who believe in him and who seek justice (Ps 18, 21-24). The persons, who trust in this God, become, in turn, a rock for others. Thus the prophet Isaiah invites the people who were in exile: “Listen to me, you who pursue saving justice, you who seek Yahweh. Consider the rock from which you were hewn, the quarry from which you were dug. Consider Abraham your father and Sarah who gave you birth” (Is 51, 1-2). The prophet asks the people not to forget the past and to remember Abraham and Sarah who because of their faith in God became a rock, the beginning of the People of God. Looking toward this rock, the people should draw courage to fight and get out of the exile. And thus Matthew exhorts the communities to have as an incentive or encouragement this same rock (Mt 7, 24-25) and in this way be themselves rocks to strengthen their brothers in the faith. This is also the significance which Jesus gives to Peter: “You are Peter and on this Rock I will build my Church” (Mt 16, 18). This is the vocation of the first communities called to unite themselves to Jesus, the living Rock, so as to become themselves living rocks, listening and putting into practice the Word (P 2, 4-10; 2, 5; Ep 2,19-22).
4) Personal questions
• Which is the quality of my heart?
• Is my house built on rock?
5) Concluding Prayer
Lord, you created my inmost self,
knit me together in my mother’s womb.
For so many marvels I thank you; a wonder am I,
and all your works are wonders. (Ps 139,13-14)
Ordinary Time
1) 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.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 6:39-42
Jesus told his disciples a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye."
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel gives us some of the passages of the discourse which Jesus pronounced on the plain 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 sayings in this discourse had already been pronounced on other occasions, but Luke, imitating Matthew, puts them together in this Sermon on the Plain.
• 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 and 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!” (Gal 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: 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 Mount, 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 of going and encountering 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 to God with total trust as His children (Mt 7:7-11).
4) Personal questions
• Splinter and log in the eye. How do I relate with others at home and in my family, in work and with my colleagues, in community and with the brothers and sisters?
• Master and disciple. How am I a disciple of Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
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)
Ordinary Time
1) 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.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 6:27-38
Jesus said to his disciples: "To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we have the second part of the “discourse on the plain.” In the first part (Lk 6:20-26), Jesus addresses Himself to the disciples (Lk 6:20). In the second part (Lk 6: 27-49), He addresses Himself “to you who listen to Me,” that is, the great crowds of poor and sick people, who had come from all parts (Lk 6:17-19).
• Luke 6:27-30: Love your enemies! The words that Jesus addresses to these people are demanding and difficult: to love your enemies, not to curse them, to present the other cheek to anyone who slaps you on one cheek, and do not protest or complain when somebody takes what is yours. Taken literally, these commands seem to favor the rich who rob,but not even Jesus observes them literally. When the soldier struck Him on the face, He did not offer the other cheek but rather reacted firmly: “If there is some offense in what I said, point it out, but if not why do you strike Me?” (Jn 18: 22-23). Then, how are these words to be understood? The following verses help us to understand what Jesus wants to teach us.
• Luke 6:31-36: The Golden Rule! to imitate God. Two sayings of Jesus help us to understand what He wants to teach. The first saying is the so called Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would like people to treat you!” (Lk 6:31). The second saying is “Be merciful as your Father in Heaven is merciful!” (Lk 6:36). These two directives indicate that Jesus does not want simply to change the situation, because nothing would change. He wants to change the system. The novelty which He wants to construct comes from the new experience of God the Father, full of tenderness who accepts all! The words of threat against the rich cannot be the occasion of revenge on the part of the poor! Jesus demands the contrary attitude: “Love your enemies!” Love cannot depend on what I receive from others. True love should want the good of others, independently of what he or she does for me. Love should be creative, because that is how God’s love is for us: “Be merciful, as your Heavenly Father is merciful!” Matthew says the same thing with other words: “Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Never will anyone be able to say, “Today I have been perfect as the Father in Heaven is perfect! I have been merciful as the Father in Heaven is merciful.” We will always be below the measure which Jesus has placed before us.
In Luke’s Gospel, the Golden Rule says, “Treat others as you would like people to treat you!” (Lk 6:31). Matthew, in his Gospel, gives a different formulation: “Treat others as you would like others to treat you.” And he adds, “That is the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 7,12). Practically, all religions in the whole world have the same Golden Rule with a diverse formulation. This is a sign that a universal intuition or desire is expressed which comes from God and is part of our being in the image of God.
• Luke 6:37-38: “Do not judge and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and there will be gifts for you; a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you.” These are four counsels: two in a negative form, do not judge and do not condemn; and two in positive form: to forgive and to give an abundant measure. When He says, “there will be gifts for you,” Jesus refers to the treatment which God wants to bestow on us. But when our way of treating others is mean, God cannot use with us the abundant and overflowing measure that He would want to use.
Celebrate the visit of God. The Discourse on the Plains or the Sermon on the Mount, from the beginning, leads the listeners to make a choice, to opt, in favor of the poor. In the Old Testament, several times, God placed before people this same choice, blessing or curse. People were given the freedom to choose: “Today I call heaven and earth to witness against you: I am offering you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live” (Deut 30:19).It is not God who condemns, but the people themselves according to the choice that they make between life and death, good or evil. These moments of choosing are moments of the visit of God to His people (Gen 21:1; 50:24-25); Ex 3:16; 32:34; Jr 20:10; Ps 65:10; Ps 80:15; Ps 106: 4). Luke is the only Evangelist who uses this image of the visit of God (Lk 1:68, 78; 7:16; 19:44; Acts 15:16). For Luke it is the visit of God which places the choice between blessing or curse before people: “Blessed are you who are poor” and “Alas for you, the rich!” But people do not recognize the visit of God (Lk 19:44).
4) Personal questions
• Do we look at life and at people with the same viewpoint as Jesus?
• What does it mean today “be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful”?
• Am I as literal as Jesus in love and mercy, or do I rationalize it away and compartmentalize it so it doesn’t apply to situations in my life?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh, You examine me and know me,
You know when I sit,
when I rise,
You understand my thoughts from afar.
You watch when I walk or lie down,
You know every detail of my conduct. (Ps 139:1-3)
Ordinary Time
1) 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.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”
3) Reflection
• Today, September 8th, Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, the Gospel gives us the genealogy, or birth certificate, of Jesus. By means of the list of His ancestors, the Evangelist tells the communities who Jesus is and how God acts in a surprising way in order to fulfill His promise. On our birth certificate there is our name and the name of our parents. Some people, to say who they are, also recall the names of the grandparents. Others are ashamed of their ancestors, of their families, and hide behind appearances which deceive. The birth certificate of Jesus has many names. On the list of names there is a great novelty. At that time, the genealogy indicated only the names of the men. This is why it is surprising that Matthew also mentions five women among the ancestors of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, the wife of Uriah and Mary. Why does he choose precisely these five women and not others? This is the question which the Gospel of Matthew leaves for us.
• Matthew 1:1-17: The long list of names – the beginning and the end of the genealogy. At the beginning and at the end of the genealogy, Matthew clearly makes us understand Jesus’ identity: He is the Messiah, son of David and son of Abraham. As descendant of David, Jesus is the response of God to the expectations of the Jewish people (2 Sam 7, 12, and 16). As descendant of Abraham, He is source of blessings and of hope for all nations of the earth (Gen 12-13). Therefore, in this way, both the Jews and the pagans who formed part of the communities of Syria and of Palestine at the time of Matthew could see that their hope was fulfilled in Jesus. .
Drawing up the list of the ancestors of Jesus, Matthew adopts a plan of 3 X 14 generations (Mt 1:17). The number two is the number of the divinity. Number 14 is two times 7, which is the number of perfection. At that time, it was something common to interpret or calculate God’s action by using numbers and dates. By means of these symbolic calculations, Matthew reveals the presence of God throughout the generations and expresses the conviction of the communities who said that Jesus appeared at the time established by God. With His coming history reaches its fulfillment.
The message of the five women mentioned in the genealogy. Jesus is the response of God to the expectation both of the Jews and of the pagans, but it is in a completely surprising way. In the stories of the four women of the Old Testament, mentioned in the genealogy, there is something abnormal. The four of them were foreigners, and they will conceive their sons outside the normal schema of the behavior of that time and they do not keep the requirements of the laws of purity of the time of Jesus. Tamar, a Canaanite, a widow, dresses as a prostitute of Jericho to oblige Judah to be faithful to her and to give her a son (Gen 38:1-30). Rahab, a prostitute from Jericho, makes an alliance with the Israelites. She helped them to enter the Promised Land and professed faith in a God who liberates from the Exodus. (Judg 2:1-21). Bathsheba, a Hittite, wife of Uriah, was seduced, abused and made pregnant by King David, who in addition to that, ordered her husband to be killed (2 Sam 11:1-27). Ruth, a Moabite, a poor widow, chose to remain with Naomi and adhere to the people of God (Rt 1, 16-18). Advised by her mother-in-law Naomi, Ruth imitates Tamar and spends the night together with Boaz, obliging him to observe the law and to give her a son. From their relation Obed was born, the grandfather of King David (Ruth 3:1-15; 4:13-17). These four women question the models of behavior imposed by the patriarchal society. And thus, their conventional initiative will give continuity to the descendants of Jesus and will bring salvation to all the people. Through them, God realizes His plan and sends the promised Messiah. Truly, God’s way of acting surprises and makes one think! At the end the reader will ask, “And Mary? Is there something irregular in her? What is it? We get the response from the story of Saint Joseph which follows in (Mt 1:18-23).
• Mathew 1:18-23: Saint Joseph was just. What was irregular in Mary is that she became pregnant before living together with Joseph, her betrothed, who was a just man. Jesus says, “If your justice is not greater than the justice of the Pharisees and the scribes, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” If Joseph had been just according to the justice of the Pharisees, he would have denounced Mary and she would have been stoned. Jesus would have died. Thanks to the true justice of Joseph, Jesus was able to be born.
4) Personal questions
• When I present myself to others, what do I say about myself and about my family?
• If the Evangelist mentions only these five women together with over forty men, no doubt, he wants to communicate a message. What is this message? What does all this tell us about the identity of Jesus? And what does this say about us?
5) Concluding Prayer
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingship
and tell of Your might,
making known Your mighty deeds to the children of Adam,
the glory and majesty of Your kingship. (Ps 145:10-11)
More...
Ordinary Time
1) 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.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 6:12-19
Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today presents two facts: the choice of the twelve apostles (Lk 6:12-16) and the enormous crowds who want to meet Jesus (Lk 6:17-19). The Gospel today invites us to reflect on the twelve who were chosen to live with Jesus, being apostles. The first Christians remembered and registered the name of these twelve and of some other men and women, who followed Jesus and who, after His Resurrection, began to create the communities for the world outside. Today, also, we remember some catechists or people significant for our own Christian formation.
• Luke 6:12-13: The choice of the 12 apostles. Before choosing the twelve apostles definitively, Jesus spent a whole night in prayer. He prays in order to know whom to choose and then chooses the twelve, whose names are in the Gospels and they will receive the name of apostles. Apostle means sent, missionary. They were called to carry out a mission, the same mission that Jesus received from the Father (Jn 20:21). Mark is more concrete and says that God called them to be with Him and He sends them on mission (Mk 3: 14).
• Luke 6:14-16: The names of the 12 Apostles. With small differences the names of the twelve are the same in the Gospels of Matthew (Mt 10:2-4), Mark (Mk 3:16-19) and Luke (Lk 6:14-16). The majority of these names come from the Old Testament. For example, Simeon is the name of one of the sons of the patriarch Jacob (Gen 29: 33). James (Giacomo) is the same name of Jacob (Gen 25:26), Judah is the name of the other son of Jacob (Gen 35:23). Matthew also had the name of Levi (Mk 2:14), the other son of Jacob (Gen 35:23) Of the twelve apostles, seven have a name that comes from the time of the patriarchs: two times Simon, two times, James, two times Judah, and one time Levi! That reveals the wisdom and the pedagogy of the people. Through the names of the patriarchs and the matriarchs, which were given to the sons and daughters, people maintained alive the tradition of the ancestors and helped their own children not to lose their identity. What are the names which we give our children today?
• Luke 6:17-19: Jesus goes down from the mountain and people are looking for Him. Coming down from the mountain with the twelve, Jesus found an immense crowd of people who were trying to hear His words and to touch Him, because people knew that a life force came out of Him. In this crowd there were Jews and foreigners, people from Judaea and also from Tyre and Sidon. There were people who were abandoned, disoriented. Jesus accepts all those who look for Him, Jews and pagans! This is one of the themes preferred by Luke!
These twelve men, called by Jesus to form the first community, were not saints. They were common people, like all of us. They had their virtues and their defects. The Gospels tell us very little on the temperament and the character of each one of them. But what they say, even if not much, is for us a reason for consolation.
- Peter was a generous person and full of enthusiasm (Mk 14:29,31; Mt 14:28-29), but at the moment of danger and of making a decision, his heart becomes small and cannot go ahead (Mt 14:30; Mk 14:66-72). He was even Satan for Jesus (Mk 8:33). Jesus calls him Rock (Peter). Peter of himself was not ‘Pietra’ - Rock, he becomes Rock (Pietra) because Jesus prays for him (Lk 22:31-32).
- James and John are ready to suffer with and for Jesus (Mk 10:39), but they were very violent (Lk 9:54), Jesus calls them “sons of thunder” (Mk 3:17). John seemed to have some sort of envy. He wanted Jesus only for his group (Mk 9:38).
- Philip had a nice welcoming way. He knew how to put others in contact with Jesus (Jn 1:45-46), but he was not too practical in solving the problems (Jn 12:20-22; 6:7). Sometimes he was very naïve. There was a moment when Jesus lost His patience with him: Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know Me? (Jn 14: 8-9).
- Andrew, the brother of Peter and friend of Philip, was more practical. Philip goes to him to solve the problems (Jn 12:21-22). Andrew calls Peter (Jn 1:40-41), and Andrew found the boy who had five loaves of bread and two fish (Jn 6:8-9).
- Bartholomew seems to be the same as Nathanael. This one was from there and could not admit that anything good could come from Nazareth (Jn 1:46).
- Thomas was capable of sustaining his own opinion, for a whole week, against the witness of all the others (Jn 20:24-25). But when he saw that he was mistaken, he was not afraid to acknowledge his error (Jn 20:26-28). He was generous, ready to die with Jesus (Jn 11: 16).
- Matthew or Levi was a Publican, a tax collector, like Zaccheus (Mt 9:9; Lk 19:2). They were people who held to the system of oppression of that time.
- Simon, instead, seems to have belonged to the movement which radically opposed the system which the Roman Empire imposed on the Jewish people. This is why he was also called Zealot (Lk 6:15). The group of the Zealots even succeeded in bringing about an armed revolt against the Romans.
- Judah was the one who was in charge of the money in the group (Jn 13:29). He betrayed Jesus.
- James, son of Alphaeus, and Judas Thaddeus. The Gospels say nothing of these two; they only mention their name.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus spends the whole night in prayer to know whom to choose, and then He chooses those twelve. What conclusions can you draw? Do you do the same when making an important choice in your life?
• Do you recall the people who began the community to which you belong? What do you remember about them: the content of what they taught or the witness they gave?
5) Concluding Prayer
They shall dance in praise of His name,
play to Him on tambourines and harp!
For Yahweh loves His people,
He will crown the humble with salvation. (Ps 149:3-4)
Ordinary Time
1) 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.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 6:6-11
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up and stand before us." And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" Looking around at them all, he then said to him, "Stretch out your hand." He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
3) Reflection
• Context: This passage presents Jesus who cures a man with a withered hand. Different from the context of chapters 3 and 4 in which Jesus is alone, now here He is surrounded by His disciples and the women who go around with Him. Therefore, here we have Jesus always moving. In the first stages of this journey the reader finds different ways of listening to the Word of Jesus on the part of those who follow Him and which, definitively, could be summarized in two experiences, which recall, in turn, two types of approaches: that of Peter (5:1-11) and that of the centurion (7:1-10). The first one encounters Jesus who invites Him after the miraculous catch to become a fisher of men; then he falls on his knees before Jesus: “Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man” (5:8). The second one does not have any direct communication with Jesus: he has heard people speak very well about Jesus and he sends his envoys to ask for the cure of one of his servants who is dying; he is asking for something not for himself, but for a person who was a favorite of his. The figure of Peter expresses the attitude of the one who, discovering himself a sinner, places all his acts under the influence of the Word of Jesus. The centurion, showing solicitude for the servant, learns to listen to God. Well, between these itineraries or attitudes which characterize the itinerant journey of Jesus, is placed the cure of the man who presents the withered hand. This event of the miracle takes place in a context of debate or controversy: the ears of corn picked on the Sabbath and on the act of curing on a Saturday, precisely the withered hand. Between the two discussions there is the crucial role played by the Word of Jesus: “The Son of man is master of the Sabbath” (6:5). Continuing with this passage we ask ourselves what is the meaning of this withered hand? It is a symbol of the salvation of man who is taken back to the original moment, that of creation. The right hand, then, expresses human acting. Jesus then, gives back to this day of the week, Saturday, the deepest significance: it is the day of joy, of the restoration and not of limitation. What Jesus shows is the Messianic Saturday and not the legalistic one: the cures that He does are signs of the Messianic times, of restoration, of the liberation of man.
• The dynamic of the miracle. Luke places before Jesus a man who has a withered –------ hand, dry, paralyzed. Nobody is interested in asking for his cure, much less the one concerned. And just the same, the sickness was not only an individual problem but its effects had repercussion on the whole community. But in our account we do not have so much the problem of the sickness as that of the aspect that it was done on Saturday. Jesus is criticized because He cured on Saturday. The difference with the Pharisees is that they on Saturday do not act on the basis of the commandment of love,which is the essence of the Law. Jesus, after having ordered the man to get in the middle of the assembly, formulates a decisive question: “Is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?” The space for the answer is restricted: to cure or not to cure, or rather, to cure or to destroy (v.9). Let us imagine the difficulty of the Pharisees: it is forbidden that evil be done on Saturday or lead man to damnation, and even less to cure, because help was permitted only in case of extreme need. The Pharisees feel provoked and this causes aggressiveness in them. But it is evident that Jesus’ intention in curing on Saturday is for the good of man and in the first place, for the one who is sick. This motivation of love invites us to reflect on our behavior and to found it on that of Jesus who saves. Jesus is not only attentive to cure the sick person but is interested also in the cure of His enemies: to cure them from their distorted attitude in their observance of the Law; to observe Saturday without freeing their neighbor from their misery and sickness is not in accordance with the will of God. According to the Evangelist, the purpose of the Sabbath is to do good, to save, like Jesus has done during His earthly life.
4) Personal questions
• Do you feel involved in the words of Jesus: how do you commit yourself in your service to life? Do you know how to create the necessary conditions so that others may live better?
• Do you know how to place at the center of your attention and of your commitment every person and all their requirements?
• Reflect on times you had a choice (big or small) to help another person, to do good, versus fulfill a requirement or rule. Did you choose rightly? Did you choose as Jesus would have?
5) Concluding Prayer
Joy for all who take refuge in You,
endless songs of gladness!
You shelter them, they rejoice in You,
those who love Your name. (Ps 5:11)
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
every good thing comes from You.
Fill our hearts with love for You,
increase our faith,
and by Your constant care
protect the good You have given us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 6:1-5
While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today speaks about the conflict concerning the observance of the Sabbath – Saturday. The observance of the Sabbath was a central law, one of the Ten Commandments. This was a very ancient Law, the value of which was stressed after the Exile. During the Exile, the people had to work seven days a week from morning until evening, without any provisions to meet and meditate on the Word of God, to pray together and to share faith, their problems and their hopes. Therefore, there was an urgent need to stop at least one day a week to get together and encourage one another during the very difficult time of the exile. Otherwise they would have lost their faith. It was then that faith was reborn and the observance of Saturday was re-established.
• Luke 6:1-2: The cause of the conflict. On Saturday the disciples were walking across the cornfields and they were picking ears of corn. Matthew 12:1 says that they were hungry (Mt 12:1). The Pharisees invoke the bible to say it was a transgression of the law of the Sabbath: Why do you do what is not permitted on the Sabbath?” (cf. Ex 20:8-11).
• Luke 6:3-4: Jesus’ response. Immediately Jesus responds recalling that David himself also did things which were prohibited, because he took the sacred bread from the temple and gave it to the soldiers to eat because they were hungry (I Sam 21:2-7). Jesus knew the bible and referred to it to show that the arguments of others had no foundation. In Matthew, Jesus’ response is more complete. He not only recalls the story of David, but also quotes the legislation which permits the priests to work on Saturday, and He quotes the prophet Hosea: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. He quotes a biblical text or a historical text, a legislative text, and a prophetic text (cf. Mt 12:1-18). At that time there was no printed bible as we have today. In each community there was only one bible, hand written, which remained in the synagogue. If Jesus knew the bible so well, it means that in the 30 years of his life in Nazareth He participated intensely in the life of the community, where every Saturday the scriptures were read. We still lack the same familiarity with the bible and the same participation in community that other had then.
• Luke 6:5: The conclusion for all of us. Jesus ends with the following statement: The Son of Man is master of the Sabbath! The Lord of Saturday! Jesus, Son of Man, who lives in intimacy with God, discovers the meaning of the bible not from outside, but from inside. He discovers the meaning starting at the roots, beginning with His intimacy with the author of the bible, who is God Himself. Because of this, He calls Himself Master of the Sabbath . In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus revitalizes the law of Saturday, saying, “Saturday was instituted for man and not man for Saturday”.
4) Personal questions
• How do you spend Sunday, which is our “Sabbath”? Do you go to Mass because it is an obligation in order to avoid sin, or to be with God?
• Jesus knew the bible almost by heart. What does the bible represent for me?
5) Concluding Prayer
My mouth shall always praise Yahweh,
let every creature bless His holy name
for ever and ever. (Ps 145:21)
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
every good thing comes from You.
Fill our hearts with love for You,
increase our faith,
and by Your constant care
protect the good You have given us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 5:33-39
The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink." Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days." And he also told them a parable. "No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we witness closely a conflict between Jesus and the religious authority of the time, the scribes and the Pharisees (Lk 5:3). This time the conflict concerns the practice of fasting. Luke narrates diverse conflicts concerning the religious practice of the time: forgiveness of sins (Lk 5:21-25), to eat with sinners (Lk 5:29-32), fasting (Lk 5:33-36), and two conflicts on the observance of Saturday, the Sabbath (Lk 6:1-5 and Lk 6:6-11).
• Luke 5:33: Jesus does not insist on the practice of fasting. The conflict here is concerning the practice of fasting. Fasting is a very ancient custom, practiced by almost all religions. Jesus Himself followed it for forty days (Mt 4:2). But He does not insist with the disciples that they do the same. He leaves them free. This is why the disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees, who were obliged to fast, want to know why Jesus does not insist on fasting.
• Luke 5:34-35: When the bridegroom is with them they are not obliged to fast. Jesus responds with a comparison. When the bridegroom is with the friends of the bridegroom, that is, during the wedding feast, they should not fast. Jesus considers Himself the bridegroom. During the time when Jesus is with the disciples, it is the wedding feast. The day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then, if they wish, they can fast. Jesus refers to His death. He knows and He is aware that if He wants to continue along this path of liberty, the authorities will want to kill Him.
Several times in the Old Testament, God presents Himself as the bridegroom of the people (Is 49:15; 54: 5,8; 62:4-5; Hos 2:16-25). In the New Testament, Jesus is considered the bridegroom of His people (Eph 5:25). The Apocalypses speaks of the celebration of the marriage of the Lamb with His spouse, the Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 19: 7-8; 21: 2,9).
• Luke 5:36-39: New Wine in new skins! These words pronounced concerning the new piece of cloth on an old cloak and about new wine in old skins should be understood like a light which gives clarity to diverse conflicts, narrated by Luke, first and after the discussions concerning fasting. They clarify the attitude of Jesus concerning all the conflicts with the religious authorities. Nowadays these would be conflicts such as these: marriage between divorced persons, friendship with prostitutes and homosexuals, receiving communion without being married in the Church, not to go to Mass on Sunday, not to fast on Good Friday, etc.
A piece of new cloth is not sewn on an old cloak, because when it is washed the new piece of cloth shrinks and tears the old cloak more. Nobody puts new wine in old skins, because the new wine, when it is fermented, makes the old skins burst. New wine in new skins! The religion taught by the religious authorities was like an old cloak, like an old skin. It is not necessary to want to combine the novelty brought by Jesus with old customs or uses. Either one or the other! The new wine which Jesus brings bursts the old skins. It is necessary to know how to separate both of these things. Very probably, Luke provides these words of Jesus to give direction to the communities of the years 80. There was a group of Christian Jews who wanted to reduce the novelty of Jesus to the Judaism of the beginning. Jesus is not against what is “ancient.” But He does not want the ancient to be imposed on the new, preventing it from manifesting itself. It would be as if the Catholic Church reduced the message of Vatican Council II to the pre-Vatican II practices, as many people today seem to want to do.
4) Personal questions
• Which conflicts about religious practices cause suffering to people today and are the cause of much discussion and polemics? What is the underlying image of God in all these preconceptions, norms and prohibitions?
• How can we understand today Jesus’ statement: “do not put a new piece of cloth on an old cloak?” What is the message which you can draw from this for your life and for the life of the community?
5) Concluding Prayer
Commit your destiny to Yahweh,
be confident in Him, and He will act,
making your uprightness clear as daylight,
and the justice of your cause as the noon. (Ps 37:5-6)
