Saturday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

    Matthew 23:1–12

Meditatio

“They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.”

    In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges the attitude of heart of the Pharisees—and us, too. He asks them to look at the motivations behind what they do, and to seek a deeper interior consistency between their beliefs and their actions. Through the prophets, the God of the Hebrew Scriptures consistently teaches the importance of active love and compassion as a requirement for true faith and worship. In the same way, Jesus teaches the importance of loving our neighbors as ourselves as second only to loving God first, above all else. As Saint John reminds us, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20).

    It takes little effort to find people who need our kindness and compassion. Usually, we have no farther to look than our own homes and workplaces! Yet isn’t it true that sometimes it is far easier to love the God we don’t see than to love the neighbor we do? In these moments the challenge to love becomes concrete, and we come to recognize just how deeply we need God’s grace to transform our hearts and lives. Our challenges in living for and with others become the sacramental moments that drive us toward true conversion of heart in Christ. Jesus calls us beyond indifference to a love that shares in the joys, burdens, and sorrows of others. Like Christ, we are called to be attentive, lightening the load of our brothers and sisters through our kindness and love. Sometimes, we can offer only our sincere prayers. Nonetheless, it may be important to ask ourselves, “Is my prayer so sincere that I would be willing to be a part of God’s concrete answer to my prayers?” Ultimately, our belief in God has to go beyond external words and be grounded in a deep faith that leads to a readiness to act for the sake of others.

Oratio

    Jesus, you are the true Master whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. You give rest to our souls. I place myself under your yoke, asking you to teach me to walk in your ways. Teach me how to love, and how to cultivate a sincere desire to walk with those who are in need of your tender compassion. May my presence make you present—an offering of your tranquillity and rest in a restless, hurting world.

Contemplatio

    “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).

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ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

St. Bernard was born into a noble family at Fontaines, near Dijon, France, about 1090. In 1112, with thirty-one other young noblemen—some of whom were his brothers—he entered the Cistercian monastery at Cîteaux, and three years later (1115) the abbot, St. Stephen Harding (1134), appointed Bernard and twelve monks to establish a new monastery at Clairvaux. With Bernard as its abbot, Clairvaux eventually became one of the chief monastic centers in Europe, and he became one of the most influential ecclesiastics in the Church. In 1117, his father, now somewhat advanced in age, and his younger brother Nivard entered his community. During the period when there was both a pope and an antipope, Bernard persuaded the antipope Anacletus II (1130–38) to submit to Innocent II (1130–43) and, thus, he restored peace to the Church. With the election of Pope Eugene III (1145–53)—Bernard’s pupil, former monk at Clairvaux, and abbot of the Cistercian monastery of SS. Vincenzo and Anastasio outside Rome—Bernard’s influence increased. Eugene commissioned (1146) Bernard to preach the Second Crusade, and Bernard spent 1146 and 1147 traveling through France fulfilling that commission. Within his own Cistercian Order, he was known for his sermons, which were almost always commentaries on Scripture or the liturgy, for example, those on the Song of Songs. In the sphere of theology, there are his On Loving God and On Grace and Free Will. Bernard’s writings show a faith nurtured by a sublime mysticism. It was his saintliness and personality that made him so influential and popular. He died, worn out by austerities and illness, at Clairvaux on August 20, 1153, and was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1174. In 1830, Pope Pius VIII declared him a doctor of the Church. Each of the prayers in the Mass today has a reference to St. Bernard’s life: He is called a radiant light, who strove to bring harmony to the Church and whose teachings can help us to become wise.

Friday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

    Matthew 22:34–40

Meditatio

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

    The Pharisees have come to Jesus with a question, hoping to trip him up. Their question is not spontaneous, but is meant to pose a dilemma to the Teacher. The scholar of the law who crafted it thinks he has the perfect question, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus quotes to them the summary statement of the Decalogue from Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” He then adds what God said to Moses in the Book of Leviticus, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18). Although one is the First Commandment, the other is like it, which is to say they are equal in God’s eyes. Not only are all the commandments found in these two, but all the words of the prophets as well. This certainly shakes up the establishment.

    Many subsidiary laws that were in effect mitigated the equal status of the command to love one’s neighbor wholeheartedly. We know some of these from other Gospel readings we frequently hear, but we read Scripture for our own sake, in order to apply it to our own life. It comes naturally to have a certain focus on ourselves. It’s hard to avoid self-love, and in fact, it is critically important to cultivate proper self-love because it sustains us in being: we care for our health, our well-being, our relationships, our education, our jobs, and our families basically because we love ourselves correctly. It is our duty to protect, nourish, and promote ourselves. Jesus says that we should love our neighbors in just the same way, to the same extent, for the same reasons. Would we dare to ask the other famous question here, “Who is my neighbor?” According to Jesus, it is everyone, especially the less desirable. He was himself the exemplar of this command, giving himself completely for all of us on the cross.

Oratio

    Dear Lord, you have taught us to be aware of your unconditional love. You have shown us how to focus our own love on you and on our neighbor, your image. Help us to see you in everyone, especially in those who are hardest to accept and most difficult to appreciate. Let us reflect your love on everyone through our kindness and concern. Amen.

Contemplatio

    I see and serve you in my neighbor.

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ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

Thursday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

    Matthew 22:1–14

Meditatio

“Come to the feast.”

    The most obvious application of this Gospel passage is that the grace of salvation is offered to many, but few choose to accept it. The focus is on those who receive an invitation to the wedding celebration. However, as I reflected on this passage, I began to think about it from a different perspective. What about the son of the king whose wedding is the center of this parable? How did he feel that the invited guests rejected the request for their presence at such a memorable occasion? How would I feel? I would feel bewildered, distressed, anguished. It’s like the feeling you had in the fifth grade when you gave a valentine to a special friend and didn’t receive one back. Or it’s like the feeling you have when you are not selected to travel with your boss to a special event but all of your colleagues are. And most difficult of all, it’s like the feeling you have when the person you love chooses someone else over you.

    Rejection is one of the most devastating experiences of life. Can you imagine what Jesus must feel when we reject his invitations to new life and grace, or when we completely ignore his inspirations? He deeply desires our love, but he leaves us free to accept his invitation to intimacy with him—or not. He would never force us to his wedding banquet; yet he longs for our presence and offers us daily invitations to come to his feast. What if we chose to spend at least fifteen minutes with the Lord each day, speaking to him of our lives, our hopes, our desires, our difficulties, our pains—and listening to his invitations and inspirations? He wants us with him in his presence always. Can we reject such an invitation from the Lord of our lives?

Oratio

    Jesus Master, how often have I ignored your invitations, or not even noticed that I was being offered the opportunity to come closer to you. Help me to not reject your invitations to love, but rather to pay attention to your call each day. I also want to encourage the other invited guests—all those I meet—to listen to your invitation and respond to your summons, so that we may celebrate the grace you offer so gratuitously.

Contemplatio

    I want to be with you always, Jesus.

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ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious

St. Jane Frances de Chantal was the founder of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary. She was born Jane Frances Frémyot, in Dijon, France, on January 23, 1572. When she was twenty-one years of age, she married Baron Christophe de Rabutin-Chantal, and the couple had six children (three of whom died at an early age). After seven years of marriage, her husband died as a result of a hunting accident and, consequently, she took it upon herself to raise and educate her remaining son and two daughters. In 1604, she met Bishop Francis de Sales (see January 24), and she soon placed herself under his spiritual direction. Since she had become a widow, she had thought of entering the religious life. In the meantime, however, she continued caring for her children, while following a strict rule of life and visiting the sick and the dying. In 1610, she and Francis founded the Order of the Visitation, whose members would not be cloistered but would be free to assist others in need. Because no one at the time heard of unenclosed sisters, their plan met with such opposition that in the end St. Francis had to agree to enclosure. Under Jane Frances’s guidance, the order prospered, and the number of convents grew. At the time of her death in Moulins, France, on December 13, 1641, there were eighty monasteries. St. Jane Frances was canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1767. The prayer in her Mass today recalls that she fulfilled a double vocation: marriage and religious life.

Bl. Albert Hurtado Cruchaga, Priest

Bl. Albert Hurtado Cruchaga is esteemed throughout his native Chile as the founder of El Hogar de Cristo, shelters that offer, in the name of Christ, assistance to the homeless and the poor. Albert was born in Viña del Mar on January 22, 1901, and he knew poverty from his youth. It was only because of a scholarship that he was able to attend the Jesuit High School in Santiago. During those early years of study, he regularly spent his Sunday afternoons in the city’s slum district, helping the poor in any way he could. Upon graduation, he thought of becoming a Jesuit, but his mother and brother needed his assistance, so he found afternoon and evening employment while reserving the mornings to study law at Santiago’s Catholic University. Busy as he was, he still spent his Sunday afternoons with the poor. This he would not give up. Then, in 1923, with his law degree in hand, he entered the Jesuit novitiate. In 1927, he was sent to Spain for his philosophical studies, and he completed his theological course at Louvain, where he was ordained (1933).

He returned to Chile in 1936. While teaching pedagogy at the Catholic University, he involved his sodality students in various apostolic endeavors; for example, working with the poor, visiting the sick, and teaching catechism to children. The poor were continually on Fr. Hurtado’s mind, especially the homeless. With help from benefactors, he opened his first shelter, which he named El Hogar de Cristo, where he welcomed them as into Christ’s home. In time, there were shelters for men, boys, and then for women and girls. While offering assistance, Fr. Hurtado rehabilitated the adults, trained the young in various skills, and instilled Christian values in all. Similar residences were opened in other Chilean cities, and from there they passed to other South American countries. Ever eager to teach and explain the Church’s social teaching to the working laity, Fr. Hurtado wrote several books and started the periodical Mensaje (Message). In 1951, his health began to fail, and he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died in Santiago on August 18, 1952, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1994.

Wednesday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

    Matthew 20:1–16

Meditatio

“… my own money.…”

    God doesn’t have money, and he certainly doesn’t need it, so this parable must be about something else. Most people would say, “This parable is about rewarding the work we do for God. The people who go into the vineyard early are like good Christians, who support their parish, donate to the food pantry, make honest decisions in their businesses, protect life, and take their kids to church on Sunday.” Well, if that’s so, I ask, then who are the latecomers who were hired throughout the day? At this point people begin to squirm a bit. It’s hard to point the finger at others and identify them as the latecomers who don’t deserve a full day’s wages. We might name those whom everyone would agree are either sinners or scoundrels: murderers, terrorists, those involved in child slave traffic or pornography rings. These people make us feel more secure in our place among the laborers who have worked all day in the sun. We, after all, haven’t done such awful things. We have a right to heaven and glory.

    But somehow we know deep inside that when we point our finger at another, three fingers still point at ourselves. Regardless of how good or bad we feel ourselves or others to be, we are all laborers, “useless servants.” If we were wise, we would take on the attitude of the truly evangelical image of the tax collector in the temple: “Forgive me, Lord, I am a sinner.” At some moment in our lives God will convict us of our sin, and in the same moment, he will wrap us in an unexpected, incredibly powerful embrace of love. At that moment we will realize that grace is “his own money.” He gives it as a gift to everyone, even to me. I will discover then that I am the last laborer hired, and I am still paid for a full day, because there are no wages. There is only the gift of God’s love and the merits of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, which belong to all the sinners he came to save.

Oratio

    Jesus, it’s easy to convince myself that I’m very good, or despair that I’m very bad. Today I simply want to be who I am: a loved sinner, the lost sheep you searched for and found. It’s good to be here.

Contemplatio

    Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.

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ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

Tuesday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

    Matthew 19:23–30

Meditatio

“… for God all things are possible.…”

    The disciples are clearly startled when Jesus tells them that the rich have such a difficult time entering the kingdom of God. It was commonly believed that riches were a sign of God’s blessing or favor on the person—“Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in God’s commands … Wealth and riches shall be in their homes; their prosperity shall endure forever” (Ps 112:1, 3). Jesus’ saying contradicts a culturally accepted belief. When the disciples hear it, they are probably thinking, “If it’s that difficult for someone whom we believe enjoys God’s blessing to enter God’s kingdom, then we don’t have a prayer.”

    It is more difficult for those who are wealthy to trust in God. Their money, or the possessions that their wealth can afford, can become their idol. This idol can easily become the source of their ethics; they are driven to hoard instead of to give, to treat people as a means to increase their wealth, and so forth. Jesus, however, states that the economy of the kingdom of heaven is different. Those who are able to give up material possessions, land, or loved ones for the sake of the kingdom of God will inherit eternal life. They are the ones who populate the kingdom of God. The economy of the kingdom is inverted—those who give away will receive what cannot be purchased: salvation. Therefore, a person’s net worth is valued not by what is earned, but by what is given away. This is the economy of the kingdom of God because this is how God acts. The kingdom itself is a gift—given by God. It cannot be purchased; it has no price tag attached. It is impossible for anyone to attain it on one’s own because the kingdom of God is unattainable. It is a pure gift that, in order to be possessed, must be given and received.

Oratio

    Jesus, I am so used to getting what I need by hard work, by setting goals and pursuing them. It is difficult for me to understand any other way of achieving what I desire. Help me to understand, by the gift of your Spirit, that you invite me to accept your kingdom as a gift, not to achieve it as a prize or possession. Enlighten me to know what you are inviting me to give up for the sake of the kingdom. For that act of giving up may open to me the possibility of understanding the economy of your kingdom. Amen.

Contemplatio

    Jesus, what is impossible for me is possible for you.

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ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

St. Stephen of Hungary

St. Stephen was the first King of Hungary. He was born at Esztergom in about 975, the son of Géza, Duke of Hungary, and he was given the name Vajk. Sometime during his early years (perhaps 985), he and his father converted to Christianity and were baptized; it was then that he received the name Stephen. In 995, he married Gisela, sister of St. Henry II (see July 13). Upon the death of Stephen’s father in 997, he succeeded to the throne, and on Christmas 1000, he was crowned king with a crown that Pope Sylvester II (999–1003) had sent him. Since his conversion, Stephen had been a fervent Christian, and as king he set about Christianizing his country. He abolished all pagan customs and ordered severe punishments for theft, murder, and adultery. He built many churches and gradually established ten dioceses throughout his land; he likewise promoted the spread of Benedictine monasteries. During his rule, the people lived in harmony and the nation prospered. He died at Esztergom on August 15, 1038, and was buried in Székesfehérvár in the basilica he had built and had dedicated to Mary. It was in that church that the kings who succeeded him were crowned and buried. Stephen was canonized by Pope Gregory VII in 1083. Hungarian Catholics look upon St. Stephen as the founder of the Hungarian Church and of the Hungarian state.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

First reading: The Woman Robed with the Sun (Revelation 11:19a, 12:1–6, 10ab)

This vision of the woman giving birth and of the huge red dragon is bewilderingly rich in biblical symbolism. The context of the Book of Revelation is the struggle between the Church and the demands of Roman paganism, particularly the demand that all should worship the emperor as God. The purpose of Revelation is to reassure the faithful of victory, despite the threat of martyrdom. The woman represents Israel, the people of God, who gives birth to a son, the true ruler of the universe. The dragon, of great sagacity and immense power, is the Roman Empire. The son is unhesitatingly whipped up to heaven in triumph, frustrating the evil dragon of its prey and issuing immediately in the hymn of triumph. The perspective is, of course, foreshortened, omitting the details of Christ’s earthly life, to show the certainty of the son’s triumph. Secondarily, tradition sees in the woman the earthly mother of the Saviour, Mary, mother of Jesus and mother of the Church, who triumphs over all the powers of evil. The secondary symbolism, therefore, is that Mary is the great sign in heaven of triumph over evil. Evil has no hold on Mary, and her children are sure of victory.

Question: Is this a fair picture of the history of the Church?

Second reading: Christ, Firstborn from the Dead (1 Corinthians 15:20–26)

On the Festival of the Assumption of Mary it is important to get things in the right order. Christ is the firstborn from the dead. In him, all will be brought to life, but all in their proper order. Mary is the first after her Son, and raised by her Son because she is part of his Body, the Church. The perfection of the Mother of the Saviour is won for her by her Son. He draws her after him in his retinue. In this chapter, Paul is teaching about bodily Resurrection. This is not merely immortality of the soul, but the Resurrection of the whole person, an animated body, not a soul hidden in a body. It is particularly fitting with regard to Mary, the physical mother of Jesus, who gave to him her genes, her personality, her features and her talents. If any son takes after his mother physically, it must have been Jesus. The declaration by the Church of the Assumption of Mary is an assertion of the saving value of all our activity, the healing touch, the conquest of pain, exhaustion, moodiness and physical temptation in all its forms. That is why Mary goes ahead of us all and leads the way to full Resurrection.

Question: What is the best way to honour Mary?

Gospel: Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth (Luke 1:39–56)

The core of this gospel reading is Mary’s canticle of thanksgiving for God’s gifts to her. It is, however, fitting that, on the Feast of the bodily Assumption of Mary, it should begin with her bodily attention to the bodily needs of her elderly relative. With her own baby on the way, she would have plenty of other priorities, making her long journey an act of real kindness. Her canticle, sung daily in the liturgy of Evening Prayer, sums up God’s faithfulness to his promises, focused on his gifts to this simple peasant girl. It combines a wonderful sense of the holiness of God with warmth of gratitude, showing the thoughts that revolved constantly in her mind. As is fitting in the mouth of a girl whose only knowledge of books was the Bible, Mary’s song is a texture of scriptural phrases. We cannot assume that Luke wrote it down at Mary’s dictation, for putting words in the mouth of his characters is a feature of Luke the historian; but it must reflect her thinking. If any theme resounds again and again throughout the Bible, it is God’s care for the poor, the simple and those in need. It is this that sets the Hebraeo-Christian tradition apart from the ways of the world

Question: Why is the Assumption an important doctrine of the Church?

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The Sunday Word: A Commentary on the Sunday Readings (Wansbrough, Henry)

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary August 15

Lectio

    Luke 1:39–56

Meditatio

“And Mary said.…”

    With the quick steps of youth, Mary approaches the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah. I picture a plain, mud-brick wall with a doorway in the middle. The door is open because it’s daytime. As Mary approaches, clucking chickens scatter. She enters, stepping into a dirt-floored courtyard that has rooms on three sides. When she calls out the traditional greeting, Zechariah, who has been dozing against the shaded wall, straightens up, startled. And Elizabeth emerges from the storeroom, her face alight with joy.

    What Luke relates next is very interesting. He tells us that as Elizabeth began to utter those well-known prophetic words, “Blessed are you,” she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Farther on, Luke will tell us that both Simeon and Anna were filled with the Spirit on the day of Jesus’ presentation. However, when Mary breaks into her Magnificat, Luke simply states: “And Mary said.…”

This was pointed out to me years ago, and I still marvel at it. The Spirit, who, like the wind, usually “blows where it wills” (see Jn 3:8), was inspiring Mary all the time, so Luke does not state: “And, filled with the Holy Spirit, Mary said.…”

    Hers was a special grace, of course. We could never hope to attain a union with the Holy Spirit as close as Mary’s. Yet each of us can grow in holiness. Through Mary’s intercession, let us ask the Spirit for an increase of faith, hope, love, and the gifts that will make us receptive to his inspirations. We can ask for the graces we need in order to correct what we know needs correction. And, because we never know ourselves fully, we can also ask for those unknown graces by which God wants to realize the dream he has for us.

Oratio

    Mary, Mother of Jesus and my mother, obtain for me a strong devotion to the Holy Spirit. Intercede for me with the Spirit, that I may develop a firmer faith, a brighter hope, a more ardent love for God and others. Ask the Spirit to make me more sensitive—more receptive—to the light and strength he wants to give me day by day. I know I need these graces (name them), and I also ask for the graces the Spirit is ready to give that I’m unaware of needing. I want to be a better witness to Jesus, your Son and my Brother. Amen.

Contemplatio

    Hail, Mary.…

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ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time—Year C

Lectio
    Luke 12:49–53

Meditatio

“Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

    At first glance, Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel might startle us. Is Jesus really saying that he came to establish division? I thought he was a man of peace, of communion, and of union, certainly not one of division. So what can he possibly mean? Let’s take a closer look.
    Jesus begins this discourse by saying to his disciples and to us that he has come to set a fire upon the earth. He ignites this fire through the preaching of his word. When accepted, his word refines and purifies us. Ultimately it transforms us into the persons we are called to be by virtue of our Baptism, that is, other Christs. If this word, however, is rejected, then division, separation, and alienation result, first within ourselves and then even within families. “… a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother.…”
    Yes, the word of God is a point of division. Either we are for Christ or against him; either we are with him or we are apart from him and we take others away from him. The only sure way to peace and communion within ourselves and with one another is through acceptance of this Word who is Christ, the Prince of Peace. We do this in and through faith. So I ask myself: where do I stand? Do I stand with Christ or against him? Do I accept his word that is at times difficult to live, with its many and varied challenges, or do I reject it? My daily actions will show where I stand.

Oratio
    Jesus, your word is difficult to live. It constantly challenges me to come out of myself and to direct myself to others, to their needs rather than my own. Your word at times may even separate me from friends and loved ones. Yet I know that ultimately that same word will be a source of communion, union, and peace. Help me to accept your word always. Help me to live it in such a way that I will allow it to transform and change me.

Contemplatio
    Jesus, Word of the Father, make me one in you!

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ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe was born at Zdunska-Wola, Poland, on January 8, 1894. His baptismal name was Raymond; Maximilian was the name he received when he entered (1910) the Conventual Franciscan Friars. He did his studies for the priesthood (1912–19) in Rome, where he organized (1917) the Militia of Mary Immaculate, an association dedicated to promoting devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. After earning doctorates in theology and philosophy, he returned to Poland in 1919 to teach Church history at the seminary, and there in 1922 he started Knights of the Immaculata, a periodical for militia members. Years later, in 1927, he founded the City of the Immaculate (Niepokalanów) on the outskirts of Warsaw. Upon being sent (1930) to Japan, he founded a similar community in Nagasaki, and he planned on establishing others throughout the world. In 1936, he returned to Poland and became superior of Niepokalanów. With the German invasion of Poland in early September 1939, World War II began. Fr. Kolbe was first arrested on September 19 of that year and was transferred to three different concentration camps. After several months, he was unexpectedly released and, thus, he returned to Niepokalanów, where he continued, as best he could, his former apostolate. His second arrest came on February 17, 1941, and having been given No. 16670, he was sent on May 28, without trial or sentencing, to the concentration camp at Oswiecim (more commonly known by its German name, Auschwitz). When he arrived, there were already tens of thousands of prisoners there, and though forbidden, he managed clandestinely to minister to Catholics and at times spent the entire night hearing confessions. Then, one day toward the end of July, because a prisoner had escaped from Fr. Kolbe’s block, ten individuals were chosen at random to die in the starvation bunker. Fr. Kolbe was not among the ten. However, when one of the chosen ten sighed: “My poor wife, my poor children!” Fr. Kolbe offered to take his place. The offer was accepted. Two weeks later, when the Germans needed the cell for more victims, the officer in charge opened (August 14, 1941) the bunker and found four victims still alive. Fr. Kolbe was the only one still conscious. The officer then ordered an injection to be given to Fr. Kolbe and the other men, thus hastening their death. On the following day, Fr. Kolbe’s body was burned. He was canonized as a martyr of charity by Pope John Paul II in 1982. Today’s Mass prayer mentions St. Maximilian’s love for Mary Immaculate and his heroic love of neighbor, a love that inspired him to give his life for another.

Twentieth Sunday

First reading: Jeremiah in the Well (Jeremiah 38:4–6, 8–10)

The prophet Jeremiah was a peaceable person, whose mission was to threaten the people of Jerusalem with destruction by the might of the approaching Babylonian armies. Their only hope lay not in military efficiency and power or in alliance with foreign nations, but in fidelity to the Lord. This was not the only message he had to give, for he also foretold that the Exile would bring a new covenant and forgiveness of sin as they repented their infidelities in exile and returned to the Lord. In any case, he tried to escape this mission by pretending to God that he had a stutter, but the Lord told him to quit pretending and get on with the job. The King systematically tore up his prophecies as they were read out, sheet by sheet, but at the same time he had a nasty, sinking feeling that Jeremiah was right. However, his military personnel overruled him and silenced Jeremiah by dumping him in the mud at the bottom of an underground water storage tank. This reading is chosen to pair with the gospel reading, and so to teach that the message of fidelity to the Lord and to Christ is bound to be a sign of contradiction and to provoke opposition.

Question: Jeremiah promised that the Lord would write his Law on their hearts (31:33). What did he mean?

Second reading: Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (Hebrews 12:1–4)

Last Sunday’s reading from Hebrews celebrated a long procession of figures from the Old Testament who had been sustained by their faith through difficulties and disappointments. This ‘great crowd of witnesses’ had kept their faith alive heroically on their pilgrimage towards the goal. The supreme figure, of course, is Jesus, who disregarded the shame of the Cross, and so has taken his seat on the throne of God. With Jesus, a whole new dimension of faith begins. The two words translated ‘pioneer’ and ‘perfecter’ are carefully chosen to express the beginning and the completion of our faith. The former means that he set it in motion and led from the front, not merely a leader but an initiator, without whom it would never have happened. What is meant by ‘perfecter’? Jesus brought it all to completion. It is the same word stem as occurs in Jesus’ last word on the Cross in John: ‘It is complete.’ What is complete? The life of Jesus? Jesus’ own work? The first Christian community, formed from Mary and the Beloved Disciple? The plan of God? The promises of scripture? None of these can be excluded, for in each of these senses Jesus is the completion.

Question: In what way is our faith different from that of the Old Testament figures?

Gospel: Fire to the Earth (Luke 12:49–53)

What is this? Jesus came to bring peace and harmony, to perfect the fond unity of society and families. How is it then that he can here say exactly the opposite? And without apology! There is no, ‘I am afraid there may sometimes be disagreements in the family.’ Rather, ‘I have come to bring disagreements in the family.’ To make things worse, in Judaism, the family is the basic unit that sticks together through thick and thin. Any Jew will be thoroughly shocked by this passage. We have seen repeatedly that Jesus’ statements are often fierce and extreme: ‘If your hand causes you to fall, cut it off’; ‘Let the dead bury their dead.’ Elsewhere he says ‘It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven’—and the traditional let-out clause that he is talking about a small gate in Jerusalem is simply wrong; there was no such gate! Jesus is teaching that the most sacred earthly ties are less important than loyalty to him. He chooses the family deliberately because it is so sacred and important, but even so, less important than following him.

Question: What are the hardest circumstances in which you have to make decisions for or against the demands of Jesus?

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The Sunday Word: A Commentary on the Sunday Readings (Wansbrough, Henry)