First Meeting of Bursars of the Asian Region, 11-15 October 2010
Written byFrom October 11 to 15 a meeting of bursars was held in St Joseph’s Retreat Centre in the hills outside Bali in Indonesia. The bursars from Indonesia and its commissariats and mission in China, from the Philippines and its mission in Papua New Guinea, from Australia and its mission in Timor Leste, from the St. Thomas province and Latin Delegation in India and from the mission of the St. Elias province, New York in Vietnam were joined by the General Councillor for Asia, Australia and Oceania, Fr Albertus Herwanta and the Bursar General, Fr Kevin Alban. Over the course of the four days information was exchanged regarding the financial situation in the various entities that make up the region. Several practical recommendations were made about communications, formation and fund raising which will be presented to the superiors of the region. The group agreed that the experience had been very positive and that there would be another meeting in October 2011 in the Philippines.
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On Friday 8th October the construction of 141 housing units was officially inaugurated and blessed in the Carmelite parish of St Isidore, Labrador, Philippines. This was one of the hardest hit regions of the Philippines coastline in the floods of 2009. Around 100 parishioners died in the flood and the parish church was turned into a refugee co-ordination centre under the direction of Fr Tony dela Cruz O. Carm., a former provincial commissary of the Philippines. The Carmelite Curia was able to make a donation of 10,000 euros towards the reconstruction project which was blessed by Fr Kevin Alban O. Carm., Bursar General, with the assistance of several Carmelites from Manila, as well as the bursar of the mission in Papua New Guinea. The donation was made possible through the generosity of the Society of the Little Flower and its donors in Britain, Ireland and several European countries. Money for this project was also raised by Third Order groups in the provinces of St Elias, New York, and PCM.
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Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father of heaven and earth,
hear our prayers,
and show us the way to Your peace in the world.
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 - Mark 16:15-18
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
3) Reflection
• The signs which accompany the proclamation or announcement of the Good News. Jesus appears to the eleven disciples and reproaches them because they had not believed the people who had seen Him risen. Once again, Mark refers to the resistance of the disciples to believe in the witness of those men and women who had had an experience of the resurrection of Jesus. Why would this be? Probably to teach two things. In the first place, that faith in Jesus goes through the faith of people who give witness. Second, that nobody should get discouraged when incredulity comes from the heart. Even the eleven disciples had doubts!
• Then Jesus gives them the mission of announcing the Good News to all creatures. The requirement which He gives is the following: to believe and to be baptized. To those who have the courage to believe in the Good News and who are baptized, He promises the followings signs: they will cast out devils, they will have the gift of tongues, they will pick up snakes in their hands and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison, and they will lay their hands on the sick who will recover. This happens even in our own day.
- To cast out devils is to fight against the force of evil which destroys life. The life of many people has improved for having entered a community and for having begun to live the Good News of the presence of God in their life.
- To have the gift of tongues is to begin to communicate with others in a new form. Sometimes, we find a person whom we never have seen before, but it seems to us that we have known her for a long time. This happens because we speak the same language, the language of love.
- They will be unharmed if they take deadly poison: there are many things which poison living together, e.g. gossip, which destroys the relationship between people. The one who lives in the presence of God goes beyond this and succeeds in not being bothered by this terrible poison.
- To cure the sick: wherever there is a clearer consciousness of the presence of God, there is also a special attention toward oppressed and marginalized people, especially the sick What helps the person to heal is to feel accepted and loved.
- Through the community, Jesus continues His mission: Jesus himself, who lived in Palestine where He accepted the poor of His time, revealed the love of the Father, this same Jesus continues alive in our midst, in the same way in our communities. Through us He continues His mission, revealing the Good News of the Love of God for the poor. Even today, the Resurrection takes place which urges us to sing, “Who will separate us, who will separate us from the love of Christ, who will separate us?” (cf. Rm 8: 38-39). No power of this world can counteract the force which comes from faith in the Resurrection (Rm 8: 35-39). A community which wants to witness to the Resurrection has to be a sign of life, should fight against the forces of death in a way that the world will be a favorable place for life, and should believe that a different world is possible. Above all in Latin America, where the life of the people is in danger because of the system of death which has been imposed, the communities have to be a living proof of the hope which overcomes the world without the fear of being happy!
4) Personal questions
• To cast out devils, to have the gift of new tongues, to be unharmed by deadly poison and by snakes, to impose the hands on the sick: Have you fulfilled any of these signs?
• Does Jesus continue His mission through us and through our community? Is He able to fulfill this mission in our community? In what way?
5) Concluding prayer
Praise Yahweh, all nations,
extol Him, all peoples,
for His faithful love is strong
and His constancy never-ending. (Ps 117:1-2)
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct Your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of Your Son
may bring the human race to unity and peace.
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 - Mark 3:22-30
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons." Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."
3) Reflection
• The conflict grows. In the Gospel of Mark there is a progressive sequence. By the measure in which the Good News advances and people accept it, in the same measure it grows resistance on the part of the religious authority. The conflict began to grow and to influence all groups of people. For example, the relatives of Jesus thought that He was out of His mind. (Mk 3:20-21), and the scribes who had come from Jerusalem thought that He was possessed, that Beelzebul was in Him (Mk 3:22).
• The conflict with authority. The scribes slandered against Him. They said that Beelzebul was in Him and that it was through the prince of devils that He drove out the devils. They had come from Jerusalem, about 120 kilometers away, to keep an eye on Jesus’ behavior. They wanted to defend tradition against the new ideas that Jesus taught to the people (Mk 7:1). They thought that His teaching was against good doctrine. The response given by Jesus had three parts.
- First Part: The comparison with a divided family. Jesus uses the comparison of the divided family and the divided kingdom to denounce the absurdity of the slander. To say that Jesus casts out or drives out the devils with the help of the prince of the devils is to deny what is evident. It is like saying that water is dry, and that the sun is darkness. The doctors of Jerusalem slandered because they did not know how to explain the benefits worked by Jesus on behalf of the people. They were afraid to lose their power.
- Second Part: The comparison of the strong man. Jesus compares the devil to a strong man. Nobody, unless he is a strong person, will be able to take away the house from a strong man to rob it. Jesus is the strongest of all. And this is why He succeeds in entering the house and in dominating and overcoming the strong man. He succeeds in driving out the devils. Jesus wins over the strong man and robs his house. He liberates the people who were under the power of the evil one. The Prophet Isaiah had already used the same comparison to describe the coming of the Messiah (Is 49:24-25). Luke adds that the expulsion of the devil is the evidence of the coming of the Kingdom (Lk 11:20).
- Third part: The sin against the Holy Spirit. All sins are forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Spirit. Which is the sin against the Holy Spirit? It is to say, “The spirit which impels Jesus to cast out or drive out the devil, comes precisely from the devil!” The one who speaks in this way is incapable of receiving pardon. Why? Can the one who covers his eyes guess? He cannot! The one who closes his mouth, can he eat? He cannot. The one who does not close the umbrella of slander, can he receive the rain of pardon? He cannot! Pardon would pass by his side but would not reach him. It is not that God does not want to forgive. God always wants to forgive. But it is the sinner who refuses to receive pardon!
4) Personal questions
• The religious authorities close themselves up in themselves and deny the evidence. Has this ever happened to me, that I close myself off before the evidence or facts?
• Slander is the arm or weapon of the weak. Have you experienced this?
5) Concluding prayer
The whole wide world has seen the saving power of our God.
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
burst into shouts of joy! (Ps 98:3-4)
Christmas Time
1) Opening prayer
Father, You make known the salvation of mankind
at the birth of Your Son.
Make us strong in faith
and bring us to the glory You promise.
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 - John 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel." John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."
3) Reflection
• In the Gospel of John, history and symbol join together. In today’s text, the symbolism consists in recalling texts of the Old Testament which reveal hints to the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. In these few verses (Jn 1:29-34) we find the following expressions which contain a symbolical description: 1) Lamb of God; 2) Who takes away the sins of the world; 3) He existed before me; 4) The descent of the Spirit in the form of a dove; 5) Son of God.
• Lamb of God. This title brings to mind the Exodus and the night of the first Passover. The blood of the Paschal Lamb, with which the doors of the houses were signed, was a sign of liberation (Ex 12:13-14). Jesus is the new Paschal Lamb who liberates His people (1 Co 5:7; 1 P 1:19; Rev 5:6-9).
• Who takes away the sins of the World. This recalls a very beautiful phrase of the prophecy of Jeremiah: “There will be no further need for everyone to teach neighbor or brother: “You will know the Lord, they will all know me, from the least to the greatest, says the Lord; since I shall forgive their guilt and never more call their sin to mind” (Jer 31:34).
• He existed before me. This recalls several texts of the Books of Wisdom, in which God’s Wisdom, which existed before all the other creatures and which was with God, fixed her dwelling among the people of God (Pro 8:22-31; Eccl 24:1-11).
• The descent of the Spirit in the form of a dove. It denotes creative action where it is said that the “Spirit of God sweeping over the waters” (Gen 1:2). The text of Genesis suggests the image of a bird which flies over its nest. An image of the new creation is thanks to the action of Jesus.
• Son of God. This is the title which summarizes all the others. The best comment on this title is the explanation from Jesus himself: “The Jews answered Him: ‘We are stoning You not for doing a good work, but for blasphemy: though You are only a man, You claim to be God”. Jesus answered: “Is it not written in your Law: I said: you are gods?” So the word ‘gods’ refers to those people to whom the word of God was addressed (and Scripture cannot be set aside). Yet to someone whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world you say, “You are blaspheming because I said, I am Son of God? If I am not doing My Father’s work there is no need to believe Me, but if I am doing it, then even if you refuse to believe in Me, at least believe in the work I do; then you will know for certain that the Father is in Me and I am in the Father” (Jn 10:33-38).
4) Personal questions
• Jesus offered himself completely for the whole of humanity. What can I offer to help my neighbor?
• We have also received the Holy Spirit. How conscious or aware am I that I am His temple?
5) Concluding prayer
Sing a new song to Yahweh,
for He has performed wonders,
His saving power is in His right hand
and His holy arm. (Ps 98:1)
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
your love for us
surpasses all our hopes and desires.
Forgive our failings,
keep us in your peace
and lead us in the way of salvation.
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 11:1-4
Now it happened that Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when He had finished, one of his disciples said, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.'
He said to them, 'When you pray, this is what to say: Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come;
give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test.'
3) Reflection
● In yesterday's Gospel, we saw Mary sitting at the foot of Jesus, listening to his word. Anyone who listens to the Word of God has to give a response in prayer. In this way, today's Gospel continues with yesterday’s Gospel . This is the account in which Jesus, because of his way of prayer, communicates to the disciples the desire to pray, to learn to pray from him.
● Luke 11, 1: Jesus, example of prayer. "One day, Jesus was in a certain place praying and when He had finished one of his disciples said to him: ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples'". This petition of the disciples is strange, because at that time people learned to pray since they were children. Everyone prayed three times a day: in the morning, at noon and in the evening. They prayed often using the Psalms. They had their devotional practices, they had the Psalms, they had weekly meetings in the Synagogue and daily encounters at home. It seemed that this was not enough however. The disciple wanted more: "Teach us to pray!" In the attitude of Jesus he discovers that he could still advance more, and for this he needed some initiation. The desire to pray was in all of them, but the way of praying needs help. The way of praying attains maturity throughout life and changes through the centuries. Jesus was a good teacher: He taught how to pray with words and with witness.
● Luke 11, 2-4: The prayer of the Our Father. "Jesus answers: "When you pray this is what you have to say: Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt with us. And do not put us to the test". In the Gospel of Matthew, in quite a didactic way, Jesus summarizes all of his teaching in seven petitions addressed to the Father. Here in Luke's Gospel their are five petitions. In these five requests, Jesus repeats the great promises of the Old Testament and asks that the Father help us to fulfill them. The first three (or two) speak to us about our relationship with God. The other four (or three) speak to us about the relationships among us.
Mt - Lc: Introduction: Our Father who are in heaven
Mt - Lc: 1st request: Hallowed be your Name
Mt - Lc: 2nd request: Your Kingdom come
Mt: 3rd request: Your will be done
Mt - Lc: 4th request: Our daily bread
Mt - Lc: 5th request: Forgive our offences
Mt - Lc: 6th request: Lead us not into temptation
Mt: 7th request: Deliver us from evil
● Father (Our): The title expresses the new relationship with God (Father). It is the basis of fraternity.
a) To sanctify the Name: the Name of Yahweh I am with you! God with us. God made himself known with this name (Ex 3: 11-15). The Name of God is sanctified when it is used with faith and not with magic; when it is used according to its true objective, and not for oppression, but for the liberation of the people and for the construction of the Kingdom.
b) Your Kingdom come: The only Lord and King of human life is God (Is 45: 21; 46: 9). The arrival of the Kingdom is the realization of all hopes and promises. It is the fullness of life, the overcoming of frustration suffered with the kings and human governments. This Kingdom will come when the will of God is completely fulfilled.
c) The daily bread: In Exodus, the people every day received manna in the desert (Ex 16: 35). Divine Providence passed for fraternal organization as well as for sharing. Jesus invites us to fulfill a new Exodus, a new way of sharing in a fraternal spirit which will guarantee bread for all (Mt 6: 34-44; Jn 6: 48-51).
d) Forgiveness of debts: Every 50 years, the Jubilee Year obliged everybody to forgive their debts. It was a new beginning (Lev 25: 8-55). Jesus announces a new Jubilee Year, "a year of grace from the Lord" (Lk 4: 19). The Gospel wants to begin everything new! Today, the external debt is not forgiven! Luke changes "debts" for "sins".
e) Not to fall into temptation: In Exodus the people were tempted and fell (Deut 9: 6-12). They complained and wanted to go back. (Ex 16: 3; 17: 3). In the new Exodus, the temptation was overcome thanks to the grace and strength that people received from God (1Co 10: 12-13).
● The witness of the prayer of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke:
- At twelve years old, He goes to the Temple, in the House of the Father (Lk 2: 46-50).
- When He was baptized and He assumes his mission, He prays (Lk 3: 21).
- When He begins his mission, He spends forty days in the desert (Lk 4: 1-2).
- At the hour of temptation, He faces the Devil with texts from Scripture (Lk 4: 3-12).
- Jesus usually participated in the celebrations in the Synagogues on Saturday (Lk 4: 16)
- He looks for the solitude of the desert to pray (Lk 5: 16; 9: 18).
- On the day before He chose the twelve Apostles, He spent the night in prayer (Lk 6: 12).
- He prays before meals (Lk 9: 16; 24: 30).
- He prays before presenting the reality and before speaking about his Passion (Lk 9: 18).
- In time of crisis, He goes up to the mountain to pray, is transfigured while He prays (Lk 9: 28).
- When the Gospel is revealed to the little ones, He says: "Father I thank you!" (Lk 10: 21)
- By praying He awakens in the Apostles the desire to pray (Lk 11: 1).
- He prays for Peter so that his faith will not fail (Lk 22: 32).
- He celebrates the Paschal Supper with his disciples (Lk 22: 7-14).
- In the Garden of Olives, He prays while his sweat fell like drops of blood (Lk 22: 41-42).
- In his anguish He asks his friends to pray with Him (Lk 22: 40.46).
- When He was nailed to the cross, He asks for pardon for the bandits (Lk 23: 34).
- At the hour of his death, He says: "Into your hands I commit my spirit!" (Lk 23: 46; Ps 31: 6)
- Jesus dies sending out the cry of the poor (Lk 23: 46).
4) Personal questions
● Do I pray? How do I pray? What does prayer mean for me?
● Our Father: I go over the five petitions and examine how I live them in my life
5) Concluding prayer
Praise Yahweh, all nations,
extol him, all peoples,
for his faithful love is strong
and his constancy never-ending. (Ps 117:1-2)
More...
Always be ready
God can come to us at any moment
Matthew 24:37-44
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) Key for reading:
In the Liturgy of the first Sunday of Advent, the Church gives us an extract of the discourse of Jesus on the end of the world. Advent means Coming. It is the time of preparation for the coming of the Son of Man into our life. Jesus exhorts us to be vigilant. He asks us to be attentive to the events in order to discover in them the hour of the coming of the Son of Man.At the beginning of Advent, it is important to purify our look and to learn anew how to read the events in the light of the Word of God. And this in order not to be surprised, because God comes without telling us, when we less expect Him. To show how we should be attentive to the events, Jesus goes back to the episode of the deluge in the time of Noah.During the reading of the text, let us pay attention to the comparisons which Jesus uses to transmit His message.
b) A division of the text to help in the reading:
Matthew 24:37-39: The coming of the Son of Man will arrive as in the days of NoahMatthew 24:40-41: Jesus applies the comparison to those who listenMatthew 24:42: The conclusion: “Stay awake”; be “Vigilant”.Matthew 24:43-44: A comparison to recommend vigilance.
c) The text:
37 'As it was in Noah's day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. 38 For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, 39 and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept them all away. This is what it will be like when the Son of Man comes. 40 Then of two men in the fields, one is taken, one left; 41 of two women grinding at the mill, one is taken, one left.42 'So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. 43 You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. 44 Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
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.
i) Which part of the text struck you most? Why?ii) Where, when, and why did Jesus pronounce this discourse?iii) In what exactly does this vigilance, to which Jesus exhorts us, consist?iv) “One is taken, one left”. What does Jesus want to teach with this affirmation?v) At the time of Matthew, the Christian community, in a certain sense, expected the coming of the Son of Man. And today, what is our way of waiting for the coming of Jesus?vi) In your opinion, what is the center or origin of this teaching of Jesus?
5. For those who desire to go deeper into the theme
a) Context of the discourse of Jesus:
The Gospel of Matthew -
In the Gospel of Matthew there are five great discourses, as if it were a new edition of the five books of the Law of Moses. The text on which we are meditating this Sunday forms part of the fifth Discourse of this New Law. Each one of the preceding four discourses enlightens a determinate aspect of the Kingdom of God announced by Jesus. The first one: the justice of the Kingdom and the conditions for entering the Kingdom (Mt from 5 to 7). The second one: the mission of the citizens of the Kingdom (Mt 10). The third one: the mysterious presence of the Kingdom in the life of the people (Mt 13). The fourth one: to live the Kingdom in community (Mt 18). The fifth Sermon speaks of vigilance in view of the definitive coming of the Kingdom. In this last discourse, Matthew continues the outline of Mark (cf. Mk 13:5-37), but adds some parables which speak about the need of vigilance and of service, of solidarity and of fraternity.
Waiting for the coming of the Son of Man -
At the end of the first century, the communities lived expecting the immediate coming of Jesus (I Thess 5:1-11). Basing themselves on some words of Paul (I Thess 4:15-18), there were some people who had ceased to work, thinking that Jesus was about to arrive (2 Thess 2:1-2; 3:11-12). They asked themselves, “When Jesus comes, will we be taken up to Heaven as He was?” (cf. I Thess 4:17). Will we be taken or left behind? (cf. Mt 24:40-41). There was an atmosphere similar to that of today, in which many ask themselves, “Is this terrorism a sign that the end of the world is close at hand? What should we do in order not to be surprised?” An answer to this question and concern comes to us from the words of Jesus which Matthew transmits to us in the Gospel of this Sunday.
b) Comment on the text:
Matthew 24:37-39: Jesus compares the coming of the Son of Man to the days of the deluge“As it was in Noah’s day, so it will be when the Son of Man comes”. Here, in order to clarify the call to vigilance, Jesus refers to two episodes of the Old Testament: Noah and the Son of Man. The “days of Noah” refer to the description of the deluge (Gen 6:5 to 8:14).The image of the “Son of Man” comes from a vision of the prophet Daniel (Dan 7: 13). In the days of Noah most people lived without any concern, without being aware that in the events the hour of God was getting near. Life continued “and they were not aware of anything until the deluge came and drowned them all”. And Jesus concludes, “Thus it will be when the Son of Man comes”. In the vision of Daniel, the Son of Man will come on the clouds unexpectedly and His coming will decree the end of oppressive empires, which will have no future.
Matthew 24: 40-41: Jesus applies the comparison to those who listen to Him.“Two men will be in the fields: one is taken, one left”. These phrases should not be taken literally. It is a way to indicate the diverse destiny that people will receive according to the justice of the works they did. Some will be taken, that is, will receive salvation, and others will not receive it. This is what happened in the deluge: “You alone of your contemporaries do I see before me as an upright man” (Gen 7:1). And Noah and his family were saved.
Matthew 24:42: Jesus draws the conclusion: “So stay awake”, be vigilant.God is the one who determines the hour of the coming of the Son. But God’s time is not measured by our clock or calendar. For God one day can be equal to a thousand years, and a thousand years equal to one day (Ps 90; 2 Pet 3:8). God’s time (kairos) is independent from our time (kronos). We cannot interfere in God’s time, but we should be prepared for the moment in which God’s hour becomes present in our time. It can be today; it can be a thousand years from now.
Matthew 24: 43-44: comparison: the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.God comes when we least expect Him. It can also happen that He comes and people are not aware of the hour of His arrival. Jesus asks for two things: an always attentive vigilance and at the same time, a peaceful dedication of the one who is in peace. This attitude is a sign of much maturity, in which are mixed vigilant concern and the serene tranquility: maturity which combines the seriousness of the moment with the awareness that everything is relative.
c) Broadening the information in order to better understand the text:
How should we be vigilant to prepare ourselves? - Our text is preceded by the parable of the fig tree (Mt 24:32-33). The fig tree was a symbol of the people of Israel (Hos 9:10; Mt 21:18). In asking to look at the fig tree, Jesus asks to look and to analyze the facts that are taking place. It is as if Jesus were to say to us, “You should learn from the fig tree to read the signs of the times, and in this way you would discover where and when God breaks into our history!”
The certainty communicated to us by Jesus - Jesus leaves us a twofold certainty to orientate our journey in life: (1) surely the end will come; (2) certainly, nobody knows anything about the day or hour of the end of the world. “But as for that day and hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels in Heaven nor the Son, no one but the Father alone!” (Mt 24:36). In spite of all the estimates or calculations that men can do on the date of the end of the world, nobody can calculate with certainty. What gives security is not the knowledge of the hour of the end, but the Word of Jesus present in life. The world will pass but His Word will never pass. (cf. Isa 40:7-8).
When will the end of the world come? - When the bible speaks about the “end of the World”, it refers not to the end of the world, but to the end of a world. It refers to the end of this world, where injustice and the power of evil reign: those things which embitter life. This world of injustice will come to an end and in its place there will be “a new heaven and a new earth”, announced by Isaiah (Isa 65:15–17) and foreseen in the Apocalypse (Rev 21:1). Nobody knows when nor how the end of this world will be (Mt 24:36), because nobody can imagine what God has prepared for those who love Him (I Cor 2:9). The new world of life without death exceeds everything, just like the tree exceeds the seed (I Cor 15:35-38). The first Christians were anxious to be present at this end (2 Thess 2:2). They continued to look up at heaven, waiting for the coming of Christ (Acts 1:11). Some no longer worked (2 Thess 3:11). But “It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). The only way to contribute to the coming of the end, “in order that the Lord may send the time of comfort” (Acts 3: 20), is to give witness of the Gospel everywhere, to the earth’s remotest end (Acts 1:8).
6. Prayer: Psalm 46 (45)
“God is our refuge! We shall not be afraid!”
God is both refuge and strength for us,a help always ready in trouble;so we shall not be afraid though the earth be in turmoil,though mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,and its waters roar and seethe,and the mountains totter as it heaves.
There is a river whose streams bring joy to God's city,it sanctifies the dwelling of the Most High.God is in the city, it cannot fall;at break of day God comes to its rescue.Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are tumbling,when He raises His voice the earth crumbles away.Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel,the God of Jacob.
Come, consider the wonders of Yahweh,the astounding deeds He has done on the earth;He puts an end to wars over the whole wide world,He breaks the bow,He snaps the spear,shields He burns in the fire.'Be still and acknowledge that I am God,supreme over nations, supreme over the world.'
Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel, the God of Jacob.
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 that which 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.
Christmas Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord God, You are Love itself.
We know that You loved us first
before we could ever love You.
Let this unforgettable experience
of Your “beloved disciple” John
become also our deep and lasting experience.
May the love You have shown us
in Your Son Jesus Christ
move us to love You very deeply in return
and overflow to all those we meet in life.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading – John 20: 2-8
It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,” she said, “and we don't know where they have put Him.”
So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in.
Simon Peter, following him, also came up, went into the tomb, saw the linen cloths lying on the ground and also the cloth that had been over His head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.
Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed.
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel presents to us the passage of the Gospel of John which speaks about the Beloved Disciple. This text was probably chosen to read and meditate on today, the feast of Saint John the Evangelist, because of the identification that we all make of the Beloved Disciple with the apostle John. But the strange thing is, in no passage of the Gospel of John is it said that the beloved disciple is John. From the earliest times of the Church, the identification of the two has always been assumed. This is why, in insisting that the two (John and the Beloved Disciple) are the same, we run the risk of losing a very important aspect of the message of the Gospel in regard to the Beloved Disciple.
• In the Gospel of John, the Beloved Disciple represents the new community which is born around Jesus. We find the Beloved Disciple at the foot of the cross, together with Mary, the mother of Jesus (Jn 19:26). Mary represents the people of the Old Covenant. At the end of the first century, the time in which the final version of the Gospel of John was compiled, there was a growing conflict between the Synagogue and the Church. Some Christians wanted to abandon the Old Testament and keep only the New Testament. At the foot of the Cross, Jesus says: “Woman, behold your son!” and to the Beloved Disciple: “Son, behold your mother!” Both must remain together as mother and son. To separate the Old Testament from the New in that time was what we would call today a separation between faith (NT) and life (OT).
• In the Gospel today, Peter and the Beloved Disciple, informed by the witness of Mary Magdalene, ran together toward the Holy Sepulcher. The young one runs faster than the elderly one and reaches the tomb first. He looks inside the tomb, observes everything, but does not enter. He allows Peter to enter first. Here is the way in which the Gospel describes the reaction of the two men to what both of them see: “He entered and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, he saw and he believed”. Both of them saw the same thing, but this is said only of the Beloved Disciple that he believed: “Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, he saw and he believed”. Why? Is it that Peter did not believe? Or is it to juxtapose Peter’s belief with the other’s new-found awareness?
• The Beloved Disciple looks and sees in a different way. He has a loving look which recognizes the presence of the uniqueness of Jesus. The morning after that night of working, looking for fish and then the miraculous catch of fish, it is he, the Beloved Disciple, who recognizes the presence of Jesus and says: “It is the Lord!” (Jn 21:7). On that occasion, Peter, informed by the assertion of the Beloved Disciple, also recognizes and begins to understand. Peter learns from the Beloved Disciple. Then Jesus asks three times: “Peter, do you love Me?” (Jn 21:15, 16, 17). Three times Peter answers: “You know that I love You!” After the third time, Jesus entrusts the flock to the care of Peter, and in that moment Peter also becomes a “beloved disciple.”
4) Personal questions
• All of us who believe in Jesus are today beloved disciples. Do I have the same loving look to perceive the presence of God and to believe in his Resurrection?
• To separate the Old Testament from the New is the same thing as to separate faith and life. How do I live this today?
5) Concluding Prayer
The mountains melt like wax,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim His saving justice,
all nations see His glory. (Ps 97:5-6)
The justice of Joseph saved Mary’s life
Matthew 1:18-24
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) Key for reading:
The majority of the members of the Christian communities in Palestine and in Syria, for whom Matthew wrote his Gospel, were converted Jews. They accepted Jesus as Messiah and believed in Him. They were persecuted because of their faith. Their brother Jews said to them, “You Christians are deceived! Jesus is not, nor can He be the Messiah!” In the text which we are meditating on this Sunday, Matthew’s concern is evident. He wants to confirm the faith of the communities. It is as if he wished to tell us, “You do not live deceived! Jesus is truly the Messiah! “The intention of Matthew in chapters one and two of his Gospel is to inform the readers concerning Jesus, whose activity will be described beginning in chapter three. In the first two chapters, Matthew presents the credentials of Jesus, the new Legislator, the new Moses. In the genealogy (Mt 1:1-17), he had already shown that Jesus belongs to the race of David and of Abraham (Mt 1: 1). In these verses (Mt 1:18-25) Matthew continues to present Jesus to us describing His birth. He says how Joseph received the news that Mary was with child and, the prophecies which will be realized with the birth of Jesus, showing that He is the expected Messiah. During the reading, it is well to pay attention to what the text tells us on the person of Jesus, especially in what concerns the significance of the two names that He receives.
b) A division of the text to help the reading:
Matthew 1:18: A legal irregularity in Mary
Matthew 1:19: The justice of Joseph
Matthew 1:20-21: The explanation or elucidation by the Angel
Matthew 1:21-23: The melody in Matthew’s Gospel
Matthew 1:24-25: The obedience of Joseph.
c) The text:
18 This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. 20 He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because He is the one who is to save His people from their sins.'
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: 23 Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'. 24 When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home; 25 he had not had intercourse with her when she gave birth to a son; and he named Him Jesus.
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
i) Which point of this text struck you the most? Why?
ii) According to the words of the Angel, who is the Son who will be born of Mary?
iii) According to the words of Matthew, which prophecy of the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus?
iv) What are the two names which the Child receives and what is God’s plan hidden in these names?
v) How is Joseph’s attitude to be understood? What does this attitude teach us?
vi) In what exactly does Joseph’s “justice” consist?
vii) What is our justice, compared with that of Joseph?
5. For those who desire to go deeper into the theme
a) Context of the evangelic text:
The genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:1-17) leaves us with a question. Next to the names of the forty-two paternal ancestors of Jesus (Mt 1:17), Matthew gives the names of four maternal ancestors only: Tamar (Mt 1:3), Rahab, Ruth (Mt 1:4) and the wife of Uriah (Mt 1:6). The four women conceived their sons outside the parameters of purity or of the legal justice of that time. Therefore, the state of these four women is irregular before the Law. The irregularity of these four ancestors is evident. It is sufficient to read the texts of the Old Testament where their story is described. And thus, at the end of the genealogy a question arises: “And Mary, the spouse of Joseph, from whom Jesus is born (Mt 1:16), does she also incur some irregularity of a legal type? The text on which we are meditating this Sunday speaks about this.
b) Commentary on the text:
Matthew 1:18: A legal irregularity in Mary
Mary is with child before going to live with Joseph, her promised spouse. The one who looks at things from outside is aware of an irregularity and will say, “Mary, how horrible!” According to the law of Moses, these errors merited a death penalty (Deut 22:20). To avoid this mistaken interpretation of facts, Matthew helps the reader to see the other aspect of Mary’s pregnancy: “She conceived by the Holy Spirit”. To human eyes this may seem a transgression of the Law, but in God’s eyes this was exactly the contrary!
Matthew 1:19: The justice of Joseph
The pregnancy of Mary takes place before she went to live with Joseph, not because of a human deviation, but because of the divine will. God himself made fun of the law of legal purity in such a way as to make the Messiah be born among us! If Joseph had acted according to the requirements of the law of that time, he would have had to denounce Mary and possibly she would have been stoned. Pregnancy before marriage is irregular and according to the law of legal purity, she should be punished with the death penalty (Deut 22:20). But Joseph, because he is just, does not obey the requirements of the law of purity. His justice is greater. Instead of denouncing, he prefers to respect the mystery which he does not understand and decides to abandon Mary in secret. The greatest justice of Joseph saves both the life of Mary and that of Jesus.
Thus, Matthew sends an important message to the communities of Palestine and Syria. It is as if he said, “Behold, what would happen if the rigorous observance were followed, which certain Pharisees demand from you! They would put the Messiah to death!” Later Jesus will say, “If your justice is not greater than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:20).
Matthew 1:20-21: The explanation or elucidation of the Angel and the two names of the Son of Mary: Jesus and Immanuel
“The Angel of the Lord” helps to discover the deepest dimension of life and of events. He helps to make an X-Ray of events and to perceive God’s call which with our human eyes alone we cannot perceive. The Angel makes Joseph understand that Mary’s pregnancy is the fruit of the action of the Holy Spirit. God Himself, the day of creation, blew over the waters and filled with force the creating Word of God (Gen 1: 2). The new creation takes place in Mary. It is the beginning of the new heaven and the new earth, announced by Isaiah (Isa 65:17). The Son of Mary receives two names: Jesus and Immanuel. Jesus means “Yahweh saves”. Salvation does not come from what we do but from God, rather from what God does for us. Immanuel means “God with us”. In the Exodus, when getting out of Egypt, God goes down to be with the oppressed people (Ex 3:8) and tells Moses: “I will be with you” (Ex 3:12) and from that moment on God never abandons His people. The two names, Jesus and Immanuel, render concrete and even go beyond the hope of the people.
Matthew 1:22-23: The melody of Matthew’s Gospel
“All this took place in order that what had been said of the Lord by the prophet could be fulfilled”. This sentence or other similar ones are like a melody, words which are repeated many times in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 1:23; 2:5, 15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14, 35; etc.). This reveals the purpose which the author had in mind: to confirm for his readers of Jewish origin the fact that Jesus is truly the promised Messiah. In Him the promises of the prophets are fulfilled.
Here Matthew quotes the text of Isaiah: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, whom she will call Immanuel” (Isa 7:14). The title Immanuel more than a name reveals the meaning of Jesus for us. Jesus is the proof that God continues to be with us. The name itself of the Child is Jesus (Mt 1:25).
Matthew 1:24-25: The obedience of Joseph
Waking up from sleep, Joseph does what the Angel told him and took Mary to his house. And he continues to say that he had no relation with Mary, to confirm that Jesus is born from the Holy Spirit.
c) Extending the information:
A key for the Gospel of Matthew - The Gospel of Matthew is addressed to a community of converted Jews, who live a deep crisis of identity in relation to their Jewish past. When in the year 65 AD the revolt broke out against Rome, the Jewish-Christians did not participate and they abandoned Jerusalem. The Pharisees did the same thing. After the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70, the Pharisees reorganized the people who had remained and they lined up, always in a more decisive way, against the Christians, who at the end were excommunicated. This excommunication made the problem of identity even worse. Now, officially excommunicated, they could no longer go to their Synagogue, to their rabbi. And the question arose among them: To whom do the promises belong: to the Synagogue or to the Church? Who is the true People of God, they or we? Is Jesus truly the Messiah? Matthew writes his Gospel for this community. The Gospel of Matthew can be defined by the following three words:
i) The Gospel of consolation for those excommunicated and persecuted by their brother Jews who do not accept Jesus as the Messiah (Christ); it helps to overcome the trauma or shock of the breaking.
ii) The Gospel of revelation: It shows Jesus as the true Messiah, the new Messiah, in Whom is the summit of all the history of the Old Testament with its promises.
iii) The Gospel of the new practice: It describes the practice of Jesus, and shows how to attain a new justice, greater than that of the Pharisees.
This happened in order that it could be realized - by means of this phrase repeated many times in his Gospel, Matthew touches on the point of greatest tension between Christians and Jews. Starting from the Bible, they said, “Jesus is not and cannot be the Messiah!” Starting from the Bible itself, Matthew responds and affirms, “Jesus is truly the Messiah!”
The pregnancy of Mary - Matthew as well as Luke quote the text of Isaiah “A virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, whom she will call Immanuel” (Isa 7:14). But there is a difference. Luke places Mary in the center and gives more importance to the sign of virginity (Lk 1:31). Matthew places Joseph in the center and gives more importance to the significance of the name Immanuel.
Joseph’s dream - the Angel appeared to Joseph in his sleep and helps him to understand. With the help of the Angel, Joseph succeeded in discovering God’s action in this event, which according to the opinion of the time, seemed to be only the fruit of deviation and of sin. Angel means messenger. He brings a message and a help to perceive God’s action in life. Today there are many Angels who guide us in life. Some times they act while we sleep, in our dreams, other times in our meetings, in conversations and in Biblical encounters, in facts, etc. So many Angels, so many Angels!
6. Prayer: Psalm 72 (71)
His Name endures for ever!
God, endow the king with Your own fair judgement,
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.
2nd Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
You are near to us
in Jesus Christ Your Son.
When we go astray,
You look for us until You find us.
Bring us back to You,
show us the way to You
and to one another
through Him who is our way,
Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Lord,
who lives with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 18: 12-14
Jesus said to his disciples: "What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost."
3) Reflection
• A parable is not a teaching to be received in a passive way or just to be kept in the memory. Rather, it is an invitation to participate in the discovery of truth. Jesus begins by asking, “What do you think?” A parable is a question with a response which is not defined. The response depends on the reaction and participation of the listeners. Let us then seek the answer to this parable of the lost sheep.
• Jesus tells a very brief story and in a very simple way: a shepherd had 100 sheep, he lost one, and leaves the 99 on the mountain and goes to look for the lost sheep. And Jesus asks, “What do you think?” that is, “Would you do the same?” What would have been the response of the shepherds and of the other persons who were listening to Jesus tell this story? Would they do the same thing? What is my answer to Jesus’ question? Let us think well before answering.
• If you had 100 sheep and you lost one, what would you do? We should not forget that mountains are places which are very difficult to climb, with deep precipices, where dangerous animals live and where robbers hide. And you cannot forget that you have lost only one sheep, and therefore, you still have 99! You have lost very little. Would you abandon the other 99 on those mountains? Perhaps, would not only a person with little common sense do what the shepherd of the parable of Jesus did? Think about it!
• The shepherds who heard Jesus’ story perhaps thought and commented, “Only a shepherd without judgment would act that way!” Surely, they would have asked Jesus, “Jesus, excuse us, but who is that shepherd whom You are speaking about? To do what he did is foolish!”
• Jesus answers, “This Shepherd is God, our Father, and the lost sheep is you!” In other words, the one who does this action is God moved by great love for the little ones, for the poor, the excluded! Only a very great love is able to do something so foolish. The love with which God loves us exceeds prudence and good human sense. The love of God commits foolish things. Thank God! If it were not like this, we would be lost!
4) Personal questions
• Place yourself in the place of the little lost sheep and enliven your faith and your hope. You are that sheep!
• Take the place of the shepherd and consider whether your love for the little ones is true.
• How can we be instruments in God’s effort to return the lost sheep? In this season of harvest celebrations, thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas, with family all around, do we leave to try to help and welcome those that are lost, poor, and without, as this shepherd would?
5) Concluding Prayer
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all you lands.
Sing to the Lord; bless His name;
announce His salvation, day after day. (Ps 96)
