Saturday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio
    Matthew 13:24–30

Meditatio

“Let them grow together until harvest …”

    In this parable we see our world’s reality. All around us are signs of the good seed that has been sown. So many kind and generous people have responded well to God’s invitations and dedicated themselves to helping others. Perhaps we can recognize some of these people in our own families or faith communities and among our friends and coworkers.

    Similarly we may notice others who seem to lack these motivations or goodness, whose actions and choices cause grief and do harm. Some slip into bad habits and evil ways for a time but turn again to the path of virtue. Others go from bad to worse, spiraling downward into a life of sin and vice.

The more impulsive among us might wish to rebuke, punish, and rid the world of “those evil-doers,” but today’s parable clearly indicates another approach. Letting the wheat and the weeds grow together for a time is a much gentler and more patient approach. Perhaps the weeds allow the wheat to grow stronger. Likewise, those among the weeds might benefit from the example and prayers of the virtuous.

    A profound look into our own hearts might also reveal that while we desire to be the good wheat, we may need to do some pruning right here in our own field. While we live we can always hope that both we and others may correspond to the graces offered by our patient, loving God.

The day of reckoning, however, will come for both the “weeds” and the “wheat.” While time is given for repentance and conversion, we will have to answer to God for the way we have lived. We must take seriously the call to reform and return with our whole heart to the Lord while we still have time.

Oratio

    Help me, Jesus, to be the “good soil” where the seeds of your word will take root and produce abundant fruit. May I give you glory by accepting your call to grow in virtue and grace. Give me a humble, contrite heart so that I might recognize my sins and turn again to accept your merciful forgiveness.

    May I remain strong in my Christian faith even if others around me oppose it. Let my life bear witness to you and become a sign of your saving presence at work in our world. May all who do not know you or live according to your teachings have the grace of repentance and conversion. Lord, give me wisdom to know when charity requires me to speak up on behalf of justice and truth.

Contemplatio
    Behold, such is the tender compassion of our God.
___
ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

St. Bridget of Sweden, Religious

St. Bridget, patron saint of Sweden, was born into an aristocratic family at Finstad about 1302 or 1303. Her father was the governor of the Province of Uppland. When she was about fourteen years of age, she was married (1316) to Ulf Gudmarsson, and of that union four sons and four daughters were born. In 1335, she was invited to the court of King Magnus II to serve as principal lady-in-waiting to Queen Blanche, and she remained there for two years. After her husband’s death in 1344, she lived as a penitent near the Cistercian monastery at Alvastra, and during this period her visions and revelations, which had begun in her youth, became more frequent, and she began to record them in writing. In about 1346, she made the first plans for a new religious congregation, the Order of the Most Holy Savior, more commonly known as Brigittines, after its founder. The new congregation was established to initiate reform in the monastic life and to promote devotion to Christ’s Passion. In 1349, Bridget went to Rome to seek approval of her order, and there she worked for the pope’s return from Avignon and cared for the poor and the pilgrims in the city. After a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she died in Rome on July 23, 1373, and in the following year her daughter, St. Catherine of Sweden, took her body to her homeland. Throughout her life, St. Bridget enjoyed mystical graces and revelations, many of which were connected with our Lord’s Passion. These were published in 1492 as Revelations and were held in great esteem during the Middle Ages. St. Bridget was canonized by Pope Boniface IX in 1391. The prayer of today’s Mass affirms that God revealed the secrets of Heaven to her while she meditated on the suffering and death of our Lord.

St. Mary Magdalene

St. Mary Magdalene was a native of Magdala, formerly a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Luke introduces her in his Gospel as the one “from whom seven devils had gone out” and as one of those who “were assisting [Jesus and the apostles] out of their means” (Luke 8:2). She witnessed our Lord’s crucifixion and valiantly stood beneath his cross (John 19:25), and as today’s Gospel reading (John 20:1–2, 11–18) narrates, she was the first to see the empty tomb and the resurrected Lord. Tradition sometimes identifies Mary Magdalene, though it is not absolutely clear in the Gospels nor universally held, with Mary, the sister of Martha (Luke 10:39), or the unnamed sinner who entered the house of Simon the Pharisee and wiped our Lord’s feet with her hair (Luke 7:37). Today’s Mass formula says nothing about Mary Magdalene having been a sinner (as the Mass formula before the 1969 liturgical changes had done), but it stresses that it was she who first saw the Risen Jesus and was given the commission to be the messenger of Paschal joy to the apostles. The tradition in the East is that she went to Ephesus (in modern Turkey) with St. John and there she died. By the tenth century, her feast was celebrated in Constantinople (modern Istanbul) on July 22. Two texts are proposed for the first reading: the one from the (Song of Songs 3:1–4) recalls Mary Magdalene’s search for Jesus at the sepulcher, and that from (2 Corinthians 5:14–17) recalls the love that burned within her.

Friday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio
    Matthew 13:18–23

Meditatio

“… the seed sown …”

    In today’s reading Jesus explains the parable of the sower, found in all three Synoptic Gospels. Speaking to people who till the soil, Jesus uses images familiar to his hearers. A sower goes out to plant seeds and some of them yield a good crop, but others do not. It all depends on the type of soil where the seeds fall.

    Biblical scholars explain that in this parable the sower represents Christ, and the seed is the word of God, or the preaching of the kingdom. The evil one is Satan. The soil symbolizes the heart of each person with its receptivity to the word. Some hearts will accept it, while others will suffocate or even reject the word.

    Which kind of soil am I?

    Some people do not respond to the preaching of the word. They make no effort to understand and practice what they hear. The seed is plucked away and does not yield any fruit. Am I this shallow soil?

    Other individuals are easily won over when they hear the word. But when problems come, or when they are persecuted because of their beliefs, they close their hearts and the seed dies. Am I this hardened, rocky soil?

    Still others let themselves become so entwined with wealth, worldly distractions, and the desire to make a name for themselves, that the seed is suffocated. Am I this matted, entangled field?

    But others hear the word and respond to it with all their hearts. They joyfully accept the word and the challenges of God’s kingdom. The seed produces an abundant harvest in their lives. Am I this moist, rich, productive soil?

Oratio

    Lord Jesus, may the ground of my life be well tilled and prepared to receive your word. I want to welcome you into a heart that is open, receptive, loving. In this way, my life will bear a plentiful, bounteous harvest, with your help, and for your glory.

Contemplatio

    I welcome your word in my heart.

___
ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor of the Church

St. Lawrence’s true name was Julius Caesar Russo. He was born in Brindisi, southern Italy, on July 22, 1559. After his parents’ death, he went to Venice and later entered (1575) the Capuchin Order, in which he received the name Lawrence. He studied at Padua and Venice, and during those years his remarkable ability for languages became evident. He was able to speak and preach in at least a half dozen languages. After ordination (1582), he was assigned to preaching, his most characteristic apostolate, and he traveled throughout northern Italy and beyond the Alps evangelizing the people. He likewise spent time (1599–1602, 1606–13) in Bohemia, Germany, Austria, and Hungary working to win back those who had gone over to the Reformation. Within the Capuchin Order, he held many positions of authority, and in 1602 he was chosen superior general. He also engaged in diplomacy; he served as special papal emissary and effected (1614) a peace between Spain and Savoy. Late in his life, the city of Naples, suffering under the oppressive measures of its viceroy, asked him to represent its case before King Philip III of Spain. He met the king in Lisbon and won not only a hearing but also a favorable reply. While in Lisbon, Lawrence fell ill, and he died there on July 22, 1619. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1881, and Pope John XXIII named him a doctor of the Church in 1959. When today’s prayer says that God gave St. Lawrence courage and right judgment, the courage refers to his fearlessness during many years of preaching in non-Catholic lands, and the judgment to his years as a religious superior and his diplomatic missions.

Thursday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio
    Matthew 13:10–17

Meditatio

“They … hear but do not listen or understand.… But blessed are … your ears.”

    The disciples have asked Jesus why he often speaks in parables. His answer seems to suggest that he doesn’t want the crowd to grasp the meaning of his words and be saved. But Scripture is a unity; its parts are harmonious. Elsewhere Scripture says: “God … wills everyone to be saved” (1 Tim 2:3–4). So, whatever Jesus’ meaning was, his parables must have been meant for the good of the people of his time and place. Perhaps he spoke in parables so that some people could mull over his words before making a decision, and others could ignore the message until they were ready to respond to it later on.

    In any case, how does this passage relate to us?

Recently I was struck by the contrast between the two groups of hearers, those who ponder the words and those who set aside the message for later. And I was startled by this insight: Which group do I belong to?

    It could be that in searching for the original meaning of Jesus’ words, I’m not hearing what he’s saying to me here and now. Perhaps I’m only trying to discover the literal meaning grasped by the original hearers or the evangelist. Pope Benedict and others point out that even though it’s important to search for the original, literal meaning, Scripture also has other dimensions.

    God’s word is alive today. Whether I attend Mass in person, watch it on TV, or simply read Scripture at home, God wants to speak to me personally through his word.

    Commentaries are certainly helpful, as are books of prayerful reflections on Scripture. They can stimulate my own pondering—and that’s what they’re meant to do. They can help me prepare to receive the Lord’s here-and-now word for me at this time and in this place. But I have to be open to receive that word, giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to communicate the message he wants me to hear.

    May my ears be “blessed.”

Oratio

    Jesus, Word of the Father, help me to open myself to your message. May I not close my ears too soon, thinking I’ve already heard what you want to tell me through a particular passage. Teach me to give the Spirit time for his inspirations to stir my heart.

Contemplatio

    Holy Spirit, teach me how to really listen.

___

ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr

Very little is known with certainty about the life of St. Apollinaris, the first Bishop of Ravenna. St. Peter Chrysologus (see July 30), who was Bishop of Ravenna from 431 to 450, once preached a sermon (No. 128) about his predecessor. From this sermon, we learn that Apollinaris was the first bishop of that see, that he had labored there for many years, and on different occasions had suffered much and had often shed his blood, and though his was not a violent death, nevertheless, he should be considered a martyr. There is also the witness of St. Severus, who, as bishop of Ravenna, attended the Council of Sardica (342–43), and at which he mentioned that the first bishop of his see flourished around the middle of the second century.

When historical details are lacking, legend easily fills them in. In the seventh century, there appeared a Passion of St. Apollinaris, and according to this historically unreliable document, we are told that Apollinaris came from Antioch (today’s Antakya, Turkey), and arrived in Rome with St. Peter (see June 29), who then sent him to evangelize Ravenna. Because of his success in making converts, Apollinaris twice suffered mistreatment at the hands of nonbelievers and was forced to leave the city. He traveled to Corinth, Greece, and then preached in Thrace (part of today’s Balkan Peninsula). He once again suffered violence and was forced to leave. He returned to Ravenna at the time when Vespasian’s (emperor 69–79) persecution against the Christians was in effect. Apollinaris was subsequently arrested and placed under the care of a centurion. Because that centurion happened to be a Christian, he permitted the bishop to escape. He was then pursued by the raging populace, who attacked and severely wounded him and left him for dead. The bishop was later found by Christians and died seven days later (July 23) as a result of his wounds. Apollinaris had been bishop of Ravenna for about twenty years, and the year of his death is sometimes given as 70. However, the latest edition of the Martyrologium Romanum (2001) agrees with St. Severus and gives his death as occurring sometime in the second century. Ursicinus, the Bishop of Ravenna (532–36), began a church in his honor, which was later dedicated by his successor Maximian in 549. It was then that the saint’s body was translated there. That church, now known as San Apollinare in Classe, still stands and because of its magnificent sixth-century mosaics is one of the wonders of Ravenna.

Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio
    Matthew 13:1–9

Meditatio

“And [Jesus] spoke to them at length in parables …”

    I picture the day in my mind’s eye: the blue sky, the rocky shore, the waves bobbing the boat that holds Jesus, the crowd of people hanging on his words. Jesus speaks, and his words float out over the crowd like a soft breeze of the Spirit.

    What refreshment the teaching of Jesus gives these people, whose lives are burdened with cares, sickness, financial worries, even the tragedies that can stop a person cold with heartbreak.… They feel as if Jesus is addressing them individually, and really, he is. Jesus’ Good News is miraculous in many ways. But the way it has penetrated to the hearts of people all over the world through the ages is a miracle that goes on continually.

    I think of the way my life was changed as I heard or read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount or his seven last words from the cross. For a moment, I feel a sense of connection with Jesus’ audience on that shore in Palestine.

    Jesus preferred parables when teaching the people, who could easily learn to use the book of nature as a springboard to the deep realities that he presented. I can do this, too. The Holy Spirit’s gift of understanding helps me to go in faith from created realities to their Creator.

    Then the “soil” of my soul will be fertile ground for the seed of the Good News that the Lord sows in my life.

Oratio

    Jesus, enlighten me with the wisdom of your Gospel, you who alone have the words of everlasting life. Help me to be good soil for the seed of your teaching. Nourish that seed with your grace, so that it will grow and flourish as I resolve to live for your kingdom.

Contemplatio

    “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

___
ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio
    Matthew 12:46–50

Meditatio

“… whoever does the will of my heavenly Father …”

    Have you ever found yourself admiring other persons for their strength, patience, noble character, or goodness of heart? “Wow, they are truly blessed,” we might think. “They certainly have it all together.” Admiration is appropriate when we witness the best in others, but looked at from another perspective, admiration lets us off the hook. The others are admirable for what they have chosen to do or be. Admiration often implies that others are far above us, doing something we could never aspire to. We might think we live in another realm, one that is mediocre and humdrum. So we can’t expect ourselves to be as great as the ones we admire.

    Like the woman in today’s Gospel who admired the mother of Jesus, we too might be tempted to only worship, adore, and admire the Son of this mother. While there is nothing wrong with that, Jesus quickly calls us to something deeper:

    I, Jesus says, am the yes of God. Spoken by the Father as the Word, I am one with the Father in obedience and complete, responsive love. Mary is the highest model in the human race of yes. Without hesitation, consideration, calculation of what it would cost or how she would perform, she simply surrendered her entire life, her body, her future to the Father, desiring that the will of God be completely fulfilled in her. You are most truly yourself when you become yes. And you can make this choice for yes.

    Jesus says, don’t admire those who had physical contact with me during my life on earth. That physical proximity does not give them an edge over you. You have the same possibility as they did to be yes. Open your heart, your life, your mind, your desires, your words, your actions to the Father, becoming an empty canvas upon which he draws. Become the “handmaiden of the Lord.” Allow the story of salvation to be accomplished in you and through you. Without hesitation, say yes to all that God wills in your life.

Oratio

    Jesus, yes of the Father, it is not as easy as it sounds to say yes. I’m afraid of the unknown. I want to control my life. I like adventures but not those that put my career or dreams at risk. Still, that is what makes this yes so powerful. The writings of the saints are full of this invitation to complete surrender to your Father … and mine. From this moment on, my Lord, I say yes.

Contemplatio

    From this moment on, my Lord, I say yes.

___

ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

St. Camillus de Lellis, Priest

St. Camillus de Lellis was born at Bucchianico, Italy, on May 25, 1550. As a young man, he thought of enrolling in the military, but an ulcer on his right foot kept him from fulfilling that desire. He went (1571) to Rome’s Hospital of San Giacomo for treatment, and after the wound healed, he found employment at the hospital as a servant. His service, however, did not last long because he was dismissed for gambling. He then served in the Venetian army for four years (1571–74), and when he gambled away all that he owned he got a job as a laborer at a Capuchin monastery in Manfredonia. Repenting his past life and undergoing a conversion, he joined (1575) the Capuchins as a coadjutor brother. Because the wound on his foot again became ulcerated, he left the Capuchins and returned to the hospital in Rome. Once healed, he remained at the hospital for almost three years working with the sick. He then reentered (1579) the Capuchins, but again his wound opened and he was forced to leave.

Camillus now decided to dedicate his life to the sick. He returned to San Giacomo, and there they asked him to serve as the hospital’s superintendent. Coming under the influence of St. Philip Neri (see May 26), Camillus began studies for the priesthood and was ordained in 1584. He gathered others about him who also wanted to share his work; they called themselves Servants of the Sick. They daily visited Rome’s Santo Spirito Hospital, and there they nursed the sick, offering them both physical and spiritual assistance, especially in cases near death. Camillus, who was renowned for his charity, died in Rome on July 14, 1614, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746. The congregation he founded is called the Order of the Servants of the Sick, but its members are more commonly known as Camillians. In 1886, Pope Leo XIII named St. Camillus de Lellis and St. John of God (see March 8) patrons of the sick and of hospitals; and in 1930, Pope Pius XI named St. Camillus patron of nurses. Today’s Mass prayer also mentions St. Camillus’s special love for the sick.

Monday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary

Lectio
    Matthew 12:38–42

Meditatio

“… and there is something greater … here.”

    As we follow Jesus’ ministry in Matthew’s Gospel, it may seem strange to us that the scribes and Pharisees are asking for a sign. In chapter 12 alone, Jesus has healed the man with the withered hand and cured a demoniac. He has been working many miracles. So why are they asking again for a sign?

    Based on the Pharisees’ assertion in Matthew 12:24 that Jesus is casting out demons through allegiance with the prince of demons, it seems likely that the Pharisees are asking Jesus to offer proof, or a sign, that he is really from God. In substance, they are saying, “Where does your power really come from? And if from God, then prove it.” Imagine the consternation of Jesus, who so deeply longs to reach each person’s heart. Here he is, preaching a Gospel of love and repentance, healing the sick, and casting out demons. If the reality of what he is doing doesn’t offer his audience proof that the power of God is in their midst, then what will?

    Yet aren’t our own hearts at times just as impregnable to God’s presence around us as those of the Pharisees? I know I can be blind to a God who defies my expectations, revealing himself in hidden, sometimes paradoxical ways. Yet God did not cease to dwell with us when Jesus died on the cross. That was only the beginning. The resurrected Lord continues to dwell with us and within us today. Do we believe this?

    “There is something greater … here.” Right here, today, we have access to something greater than the preaching of the prophets or the wisdom of the legendary King Solomon. There is something greater here, and that something is a Someone—it is the Christ, our Lord and our God!

Oratio

    Jesus, help me to grow ever more aware of your presence within and around me. Help me to see the ways that the power of God continues to work today, weaving a thread of the divine through every situation and person I encounter. You are rarely what I expect, yet you are more than I can imagine. Allow me to remain open to the mystery of who you are, and to the manifold and mysterious ways you choose to reveal yourself—especially those ways that may defy my expectations and hopes.

Contemplatio

    “My Lord and my God!”

___

ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time—Year C

Lectio
    Luke 10:38–42

Meditatio

“… you are anxious and worried about many things.”

    Let’s imagine the scene: in one room Jesus is speaking to his disciples. One of his dearest friends, Mary, the sister of Martha, sits at his feet listening attentively. Martha, who had welcomed Jesus to her home, is working in the next room that serves as a kitchen, busily preparing the meal. As she works, she keeps looking over at the circle of disciples, and becomes more and more agitated. She’s alone doing all the serving. Martha goes from one pot to another, fussing and growing more angry and resentful. Mary is just sitting there, unconcerned about all the work that needs to be done. Martha’s resentment fuels her frantic work. Finally, she bursts into the room to speak her mind to Jesus and ask him to do something. Instead of telling Mary to get up and help, Jesus points out to Martha that she is “anxious and worried about many things.” He knows she loves him too, but in her service for him she is focusing on the burden she is carrying, rather than on what is really important. Mary has chosen to listen with love and humility to the word of Jesus. Martha’s frenetic activity has, for the moment, sapped her of her love and her peace of mind and heart.

    We, too, are often plagued by worry and anxiety in our family setting, workplace, and even our prayer life. How can we escape from our worries and endless activity and find peace of mind and heart? Jesus invites us to pause and make our priorities clear, to seek first his will for us, and to spend some time with him. The word of God gently yet powerfully penetrates our minds and hearts, and keeps us focused on our relationship with God. We all do so many things, but our motives can make us feel anxious—or they can help us feel at peace with ourselves and God. It all depends on where we have set our priorities. Martha was serving the Lord, but other “things” distracted her from the “better part” that could also be hers.

Oratio
    Lord, I want to take today as an opportunity to reassess my priorities. I want to take time today for spiritual and physical renewal. Sunday is a day for the “better part,” but I so often spend it like any other day. I want my relationship with you to grow and deepen. May it be a balm or spiritual ointment to lessen my anxieties and build up my trust in your care for me. Bless and complete what I have begun. Amen.

Contemplatio
    Lord, your kingdom come, your will be done.
___

ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)