Saturday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

   Luke 6:43–49

Meditatio

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?”

   This question is as piercing today as it was two thousand years ago. With all our advances in science, technology, and psychology, human nature is still the same. We can still hear the truth, know what is good for us—and not do it. Jesus is questioning those who call him “Lord,” acknowledging his authority and even his divinity, but still don’t practice his teachings. At best, they hear the words but don’t reflect on their meaning or apply it to their own life situations. At worst, they think they know better and refuse to obey. Jesus seems to be chiding them, saying, “You call on me for help when things go wrong, but you don’t do what I tell you. Yet I show you how to avoid these troubles, how to be truly happy. I offer you life and you choose death instead. Do you believe I am Lord or not?” Jesus warns them that they are like a person who built a house without a foundation, and the floods came and totally destroyed it.

   The person who listens to the Word of God and acts on it, instead, is like a person who digs a foundation and builds a house on rock. It can withstand the floodwaters. Many temptations and storms will arise in our lives. Jesus is asking us to listen to his words and take them to heart, to meditate and pray over them, to make them our own and live them out. He is the Eternal Word of the Father. He wants to live in us. Opening ourselves to his word can make this happen. God is love, and when we open ourselves to him he pours his love into our hearts. Then we in turn can share his love with others; we can love with his heart. Jesus tells us, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (Jn 14:23).

Oratio

   Dear Lord, I thank you for the great gift of your holy Scriptures. Give me the grace to keep your word in my heart, to meditate on it and to live it in my daily life. Live and act in me. Don’t let me place any obstacles in your way. Strengthen me against temptation, against my weakness and fear. I know that with you I have strength for everything. I place all my trust in you.

Contemplatio

   “I love you, Lord, my strength, Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer” (Ps. 18:2–3).

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

St. Nicholas of Tolentino

BORN in answer to the prayer of a holy mother, and vowed before his birth to the service of God, Nicholas never lost his baptismal innocence. His austerities were conspicuous even in the austere Order—the Hermits of St. Augustine—to which he belonged, and to the remonstrances which were made by his superiors, he only replied, “How can I be said to fast, while every morning at the altar I receive my God?” He conceived an ardent charity for the Holy Souls, so near and yet so far from their Saviour; and often after his Mass, it was revealed to him that the souls for whom he had offered the Holy Sacrifice had been admitted to the presence of God. Amidst his loving labors for God and man, he was haunted by fear of his own sinfulness. “The heavens,” said he, “are not pure in the sight of Him whom I serve; how then shall I, a sinful man, stand before Him?” As he pondered on these things, Mary, the Queen of all Saints, appeared before him. “Fear not, Nicholas,” she said, “all is well with you: my Son bears you in His Heart, and I am your protection.” Then his soul was at rest; and he heard, we are told, the songs which the angels sing in the presence of their Lord. He died September 10th, 1310.

Reflection.—Would you die the death of the just? there is only one way to secure the fulfilment of your wish. Live the life of the just. For it is impossible that one who has been faithful to God in life should make a bad or an unhappy end.

Bl. Francis Gárate, Religious

Bl. Francis Gárate was born on February 3, 1857, in Spain’s Basque country, in a tiny hamlet near the castle where St. Ignatius of Loyola (see July 31) was born. Francis left home when he was fourteen years of age (1871) and began working as a domestic at the Jesuit college in Orduña, and three years later he entered (1874) the Society of Jesus as a coadjutor brother. He was then appointed (1877) infirmarian at the college at La Guardia, near the Portuguese border—he had some 200 young boys under his care. He thought nothing of spending an entire night at the bedside of a sick student and then doing a full day’s work the following day. After ten years, the strain on his health began to show, and in 1888 he was transferred to the University of Deusto, in Bilbao, to be doorkeeper. He filled that post for forty-one years. There is nothing remarkable in Francis’s life, except that everyone took note of his limitless kindness, goodness, humility, and prayerfulness. He prayed while he worked, and he worked while he prayed. He became holy through his unfailing dedication in serving God, as today’s prayer reminds us. He was practically never without a rosary in his hand. He died on September 9, 1929, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1985.

St. Peter Claver, Priest and Religious

St. Peter Claver, the future saint of the slave trade, was born at Verdú, Catalonia, Spain, probably on June 25, 1580, and he entered the Society of Jesus in 1602. After studies in Barcelona, he went (1605) to the College of Montesión in Palma de Mallorca to study philosophy, and there he met the aged brother, Alphonsus Rodríguez (see October 31), who encouraged him to be a missionary in the New World. In 1610, Peter sailed for the missions in South America and was ordained (1616) in Cartagena, Colombia—the first Jesuit to be ordained in that city. Cartagena was a prosperous city teeming with merchants; it was also a port of entry for slaves from Western Africa. It is estimated that during Fr. Claver’s years there, about 10,000 slaves passed through the port annually. The journey sometimes lasted months, and the slaves spent their days and nights chained to one another. Peter waited for the slave ships to arrive with their human cargo, and when they did, he and his interpreters, all carrying baskets of fruits, biscuits, and sweets, went aboard to greet the slaves. After comforting those on deck, Peter went down into the stench-filled holds to minister to the sick and dying. When the slaves were brought ashore, he visited them daily and gave them religious instruction, until they were sold and taken to other parts of South America. During his years working among the slaves, Peter said that he must have baptized 300,000 of them. After a lingering illness, he died in Cartagena on September 8, 1654. Pope Leo XIII canonized him in 1888, and in 1896 the same pontiff declared him special patron of missions to the black nations. In today’s prayer we ask, in imitation of St. Peter Claver, for the strength to overcome all racial hatred and to love one another as brothers and sisters.

Friday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

   Luke 6:39–42

Meditatio

“… then you will see clearly …”

   I first encountered a blind person when I was eleven years old. He was an entertainer, and my brother and I were invited to meet him. When we were introduced, the blind man reached out and took my hand. To this day I wonder how he knew where my hand was.

   In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses images and short parables of blindness to warn his disciples, and us, against deliberate blindness of heart. The description of the two blind persons leading each other and ending up in a ditch would be funny if it wasn’t so pitiful. Jesus is warning his disciples and us not to get lost in little things to the point that we fail to see God acting in our daily lives and become spiritually blind, just like the two people in the parable.

   Jesus challenges the disciples to apply his teaching not only intellectually, but also with their hearts and wills. He challenges us as well. If we take time for prayer, reflective reading of the Scriptures, and a daily examination on our relationships, we discover how today’s lesson applies to our lives. Jesus develops his teaching almost as if he anticipates our reasoning. How much clearer could he be with us? “Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.” First, we need to make sure we are on the right path, or at least admit we need to change directions before trying to set someone else straight. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be Christ in the world. Our Christian faith demands that we remove whatever blocks or blurs our vision of Jesus, because each of us is to be a light in a world of darkness. All we have to do is take the plank out of our own eye so we can see Jesus clearly and follow him.

Oratio

   Jesus, you challenge me to reflect on how I am living your word. Give me the courage to face those areas of my life that I am afraid to look at. I know you are with me so I won’t be walking alone. Remove the blindness that hinders me from seeing your action in my life. Lord, take away the planks that block me from receiving your love and mercy. May the light of your love shine in and through me. May I see with your eyes.

Contemplatio

   Jesus, I want to see you.

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

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The few historical details known about Mary’s life are those found in the Gospels, but there is nothing there about Mary’s birth or childhood. Mary’s first appearance in the Gospels is the scene where the Archangel Gabriel announces that she is to be the Mother of God. Tradition claims that Mary was born in Jerusalem, and as early as the fifth century the Jerusalem Church commemorated Mary’s birth on September 8. It seems that the commemoration arose in association with the church that was built near the Pool of Bethsaida and dedicated to the Birth of Mary. Tradition also claims that that church had been built on the site of the dwelling of SS. Joachim and Anne (see July 26), the parents of Mary. Years later, the name of the church was changed, and since the time of the crusaders it has been known as the Church of St. Anne. The final prayer in today’s Mass gives the reason why we are filled with joy at Mary’s birth, for it was she who brought the dawn of hope and salvation to the world in giving birth to Christ, our Savior.

Wednesday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

   Luke 6:20–26

Meditatio

“Raising his eyes toward his disciples [Jesus] said.…”

   The Beatitudes as related by Luke sound different from the more familiar ones in the Gospel of Matthew. Luke’s are explicitly directed at the disciples. Matthew’s seem less personal, although the context shows that there, too, the disciples are the primary audience. In Luke’s list, the disciples are praised for the sacrifices they’re making and are called to sacrifice even more, sharing in the sufferings of the Master. This Lucan version of the Beatitudes must be consoling to anyone who has been marginalized. People who are better off, on the other hand, may justifiably squirm when confronted with the woes. (It’s helpful to note that the woes are warnings, not predictions or curses.)

   After presenting the four woes, which are unique to his Gospel, Luke offers an antidote—the same challenge to “go beyond” that we find in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Jesus’ followers are not to cling to the letter of the law but to live by its spirit, the twofold commandment to love God and neighbor. Both Luke and Matthew tell us that Jesus urged his followers to be impartially generous toward both the good and the bad, in imitation of the Father in heaven.

   They fit together well—the Beatitudes and the twofold Great Commandment of love, lived in the freedom of God’s responsible children. Since the Lord doesn’t let himself be outdone in generosity, his people often begin to enjoy the reward of the Beatitudes even on this earth. I once heard of a teenager who took the motto JOY—Jesus, Others, Yourself. It seems that he picked up on this very point. Both the Beatitudes and the woes lead to a moment of decision. Are we resolved to live the Beatitudes as Jesus did, and love God and neighbor with generous hearts? If so, let’s prepare for joy!

Oratio

   Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so often I find in the teachings of Jesus that you’ve turned everything upside down! You say joy comes from poverty, hunger, sorrow, and persecution! How can it be? Yet, I do recall times of privation when I was strangely happy. This had to be your grace, my God. Where else can such consolations have come from? Help me to learn the logic of the Gospel, which stands the world on its head.

Contemplatio

   JOY—Jesus, Others, Yourself.

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

SS. Stephen Pongrácz and Melchior Grodziecki, Priests and Martyrs, and St. Mark Križevčanin, Canon of Estergom, Martyr

SS. Stephen Pongrácz, Melchior Grodziecki, and Mark Križevčanin met their martyrdom at the hands of Hungarian Calvinists in Košice (in today’s Slovakia). Stephen was born about 1582 in the family’s Alvincz Castle in Transylvania (now in Romania), and he entered (1602) the Society of Jesus in Moravia (part of today’s Czech Republic). After ordination (1615), he taught for a while at Humenné, Slovakia, and in 1619 was sent to Košice to minister to the Catholics there and in the outlying areas, who had not seen a priest for many a year.

Melchior was born in the family castle of Grodiec in Silesia, Poland, about 1584, and also entered (1603) the Society in Moravia, where Stephen was already a novice. After ordination (1616), he taught for a while in Prague, and then in 1619 he was likewise assigned to Košice. At this time, the city was a Calvinist stronghold. The two Jesuits set about their work within and outside the city. Fr. Pongrácz ministered to the Hungarians, while Fr. Grodziecki saw to the needs of those who spoke Polish and German. When the Calvinists saw that the priests’ work prospered and the number of Catholics increased, so did their hatred of them.

When news arrived that the army of the Calvinist prince of Transylvania was approaching Košice (this was the time of the Thirty Years’ War), both Frs. Pongrácz and Grodziecki returned to the city to be with the Catholics living there. At the same time, Fr. Mark Križevčanin (b. 1589) left Estergom to be with the Jesuits. The army easily gained control of the city on September 5, 1519, and when the military general learned that three Catholic priests were in the city, he had them placed (September 6) under house arrest. Anticipating what was before them, the priests spent the night in prayer. On the morning of September 7, the soldiers—unable to get the priests to apostatize—beat them mercilessly. Fr. Križevčanin was their first victim—they stabbed him numerous times, then rubbed flaming torches over his body and finally beheaded him. They next tortured Fr. Pongrácz in similar fashion, then suspended him from a beam and proceeded to carve his body. Fr. Grodziecki suffered the same torment as Fr. Križevčanin, and he too was beheaded. Although two of the priests died on September 7, Fr. Pongrácz was only released from his sufferings on September 8. These martyrs of Košice were canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1995.

Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

   Luke 6:12–19

Meditatio

“… he spent the night in prayer.…”

   The image of Jesus alone on the mountain, praying through the night, has filled the consciousness of the Church from apostolic times. In imitation of Jesus, many have spent the night or some part of it in sincere and fervent prayer. What is it about prayer at night that seems so special and intense? Perhaps just the fact that this time is usually spent in a very different way—sleeping—makes keeping vigil in prayer at night seem more serious and determined.

   In some communities of contemplative religious, members get up during the night for prayer. And in churches that have perpetual adoration, some people prefer the nighttime hours. When you have to make an important decision or have a special prayer need, you may find it beneficial to pray at night. Jesus’ prayer before his choice of the twelve apostles is also an example for us.

   But if it isn’t feasible to pray in the late hours, you can find other ways to unite with Jesus in his prayer at night. Instead of reading a novel at bedtime, or falling asleep watching TV, consider taking that time for prayer instead. You can read and reflect on Scripture, pray the rosary, or simply talk to Jesus about your day. These activities may help you fall asleep more peacefully. Or, if you suffer from chronic or occasional insomnia, perhaps you can take some of the time you lie awake to pray for yourself and for others. As the psalmist prayed, “When I think of you upon my bed, through the night watches I will recall / That you indeed are my help, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy” (Ps 63:7–8).

Oratio

   At night, so many people need prayer. Jesus, be with all those who lie awake at night in fear, grief, worry, or hunger. Be with those who work at night. Be with those who sin at night—call them back to you. Be with mothers and fathers who get up during the night to take care of their children.

Jesus, you felt the need for prolonged prayer with your Father the night before you chose your twelve apostles. Help me remember to follow your example and to pray before making decisions—big or little—so that I open myself to your guidance. At this time, I ask in particular that you help me with.

Contemplatio

   Bless the Lord through the night.

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

Monday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

   Luke 6:6–11

Meditatio

“But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.”

   This Gospel selection is a microcosm of Luke’s message in his Gospel and Acts of the Apostles. A man with a withered hand needs healing. The Pharisees are watching Jesus closely, seeking a reason to report him to the authorities. For Luke, to be full of grace, to be favored with the gracious acts of God’s kindness, requires listening, trust, and obedience.

   Mary, the first to be addressed as “full of grace,” is the fullest example of listening and trusting obedience. She bows before a mystery that she could not have completely comprehended, but to which she gives her whole life. Zechariah is punished for not trusting. Simeon and Anna are praised for their trusting prayers. The poor, the sick, the sinners who have nothing of their own in which to trust and who entirely depend on God’s mercy are called blessed. But woe is spoken to those who are popular, praised, and wealthy, those who trust in their own ideas, self-sufficiency, and righteousness.

   In these six verses of Luke we see a poor man with a withered hand simply sitting in the assembly in the synagogue. He is probably minding his own business, possibly wondering if he has the courage to ask Jesus to heal him. The Pharisees, however, have closed their minds and hearts to Jesus well before this meeting in the synagogue. They cannot hear him because his message contradicts everything they have felt to be true about how their lives should be lived. They cannot trust this dangerous young rabbi because the threat of the occupying power destroying their nation is too much for them. They cannot obey him because they have made up their minds to stop him from preaching and healing. In this passage we must face ourselves: what inspirations or invitations are we shutting out of our lives because of fear of what that change would mean? What we defend ourselves against could very well be the remedy offered to us for our salvation.

Oratio

   Father, so often I’ve discovered that precisely what I feared the most and fought against turned out to be just what I needed. Eventually I came to my senses. Every day you speak to me and invite me to change, to move from reacting, to deeply intentional ways of living and being. Help me to hear the hard word, to trust you, and to obey.

Contemplatio

   Father, I am listening.

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

Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time—Year C

Lectio

    Luke 14:25–33

Meditatio

“… be my disciple.”

    In today’s Gospel, Saint Luke tells us that great crowds were traveling with Jesus. His teaching, demeanor, and miracles attracted them. This, however, did not make them his disciples. Jesus wants to clarify for them what it means to be his disciple. He warns that his disciples “hate” their families and even their own lives. This sounds harsh to our ears, but in Jesus’ culture, overstatement was a way to get the point across. Jesus’ disciples must love him more than they love their families and even their lives. They must renounce their possessions and carry their cross. His disciples must be ready to choose Jesus over anyone or anything.

    It is true that we are Jesus’ disciples. However, his words can challenge us to consider how committed we are to him. Following Jesus is not a matter of routine, nor is it a dry following of rules. It is not even suffering for the sake of suffering. It is loving Jesus more than we love everyone and everything else. This might seem like a tall order, almost impossible for us to fill. Yes, we love Jesus, but can we love Jesus more than we love all else? Yes we can, with God’s help … and God longs to do this! We learn to love Jesus gradually. The Holy Spirit accompanies us and bestows on us the graces we need for this journey in love. We only love someone whom we know … not just know about. It is wonderful to get to know Jesus more intimately. Simple things can help us love Jesus more: prayerful pondering of the New Testament, honest conversations with him, even just quietly being together. We grow in loving intimacy with Jesus every time we share our joys and sorrows with him, every time we make choices, even difficult ones, based on our love for him. Gradually we are transformed so that we love everyone and everything in him. Jesus has become the center of our hearts. We are truly his disciples.

Oratio

    Jesus, your description of a disciple causes me to be afraid. Will I ever be able to love you more than I love anyone or anything else? I want to! I do love you! You are so lovable! But I am sometimes weak, selfish, preoccupied with unimportant things. Please help me! I want to spend quality time with you, my dearest Friend, conversing openly and confidently—speaking and listening to you. Send the Holy Spirit to transform my heart so that gradually I will love you as you deserve and love everyone and everything in you.

Contemplatio

    I love you, Jesus; increase my love for you.

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

Twenty-third Sunday

First reading: In Praise of Divine Wisdom (Wisdom 9:13–18)
This lovely passage is the conclusion of Solomon’s prayer for heavenly Wisdom, saying that heavenly Wisdom and the true knowledge of the things of God are beyond human grasp. If we cannot penetrate to an understanding of the visible world around us, how can we hope to reach an understanding of the divinity beyond the grasp of all our senses? The prayer is put in the mouth of King Solomon, who in the Old Testament is almost the personification of human wisdom, but artificially, for the Book of Wisdom was composed at Alexandria only shortly before the birth of Christ. The recognition at this moment that Divine Wisdom lies well beyond the reach of all human faculties is all the more impressive in view of the achievements of the great philosophical schools of Alexandria. Such occasional poems, scattered through the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament, are a valuable reminder that God is beyond all human comprehension in wisdom, strength and beauty. Perhaps the most beautiful and overwhelming of all is the experience of God conveyed in the poems of Job 38–41. These poems may also be seen as praise of the Wisdom of God which will become flesh and be manifest to us in Christ Jesus.

Question: ‘Of what we cannot speak, it is better to keep silent.’ Is this true of God?

Second reading: Paul and Philemon (Philemon 9b–10, 12–17)
Paul’s letter to Philemon—and this reading makes up about half the letter—is a friendly little note from Paul to Philemon about a slave of Philemon’s called Onesimus, who has been serving Paul in his imprisonment, and has become a Christian. There are two theories as to why Onesimus was with Paul: either Onesimus ran away from his master and took refuge with Paul, or Philemon lent Onesimus to Paul for a limited period. In either case, Paul is now sending Onesimus back, and, at the same time, pressurizing Philemon to send him Onesimus for a further period. The most important and attractive element in the Letter is Paul’s affectionate brotherhood with the slave, now a Christian. After long centuries of the toleration of slavery within Christianity, Christians will realize that the affection and brotherhood here expressed make slavery among Christians intolerable. A further step taken later will be that any enslavement of human beings is incompatible with Christianity, and that all human beings must be treated as brothers and sisters, equal before the Lord. It is a classic case of the slow deepening of the understanding of Christian morality.

Question: And what about the position of women in Christianity?

Gospel: The Cost of Discipleship (Luke 14:25–33)
Jesus does not pull his punches, and here delivers a series of devastating body blows to anyone who is looking for easy discipleship. All through this journey up to Jesus’ own death at Jerusalem the cost of discipleship has been a recurrent theme: ‘Let the dead bury their dead’ (thirteenth Sunday), the Parable of the Rich Fool (eighteenth Sunday), ‘From one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded’ (nineteentht Sunday), ‘Father against son, son against father’ (twentieth Sunday), and now ‘Hate father and mother’ and ‘Give up all your possessions’. A certain amount of the vigour of these demands may be attributed to a Semitic mode of expression, ease of superlatives and lack of comparatives, but there is no doubt about the absolute demands made on the disciple. When Jesus made these demands he knew what lay ahead of him, and was only asking his disciples to follow his own course. We must count the cost before beginning to build the tower. Most of us have, of course, already started to build the tower. There is no turning back from the plough (thirteenth Sunday), only prayer for a courage and loyalty which exceed our own powers.

Question: Does Jesus really mean we must hate father and mother?

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