Posted on 06/16/2007 11:32:29 PM PDT by Salvation
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Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Reading 1
2 Sm 12:7-10, 13
Nathan said to David:
“Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
‘I anointed you king of Israel.
I rescued you from the hand of Saul.
I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own.
I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah.
And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.
Why have you spurned the Lord and done evil in his sight?
You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword;
you took his wife as your own,
and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.
Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have despised me
and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’
Then David said to Nathan,
“I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan answered David:
“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11
R. (cf. 5c) Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Reading II
Gal 2:16, 19-21
Brothers and sisters:
We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Christ Jesus
that we may be justified by faith in Christ
and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law no one will be justified.
For through the law I died to the law,
that I might live for God.
I have been crucified with Christ;
yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God
who has loved me and given himself up for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God;
for if justification comes through the law,
then Christ died for nothing.
Gospel
Lk 7:36—8:3 or 7:36-50
A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher, ” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven
because she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others who provided for them
out of their resources.
or
A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher, ” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred day’s wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven
because she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
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The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.
INVOCATION
O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART
Devotion to the Sacred Heart was the characteristic note of the piety of Saint Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), Benedictine nun and renowned mystic. She was, in fact, the first great exponent of devotion to the Sacred Heart. In our efforts to honor the Heart of Jesus we have this prayer as a model for our own:
Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, 0 my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.
Saint Gertrude
FOR THE CHURCH
O most holy Heart of Jesus, shower Thy blessings in abundant measure upon Thy holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the holy souls in purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen.
A PRAYER OF TRUST
O God, who didst in wondrous manner reveal to the virgin, Margaret Mary, the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart, grant that loving Thee, after her example, in all things and above all things, we may in Thy Heart find our abiding home.
Roman Missal
ACT OF LOVE
Reveal Thy Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus, and show me Its attractions. Unite me to It for ever. Grant that all my aspirations and all the beats of my heart, which cease not even while I sleep, may be a testimonial to Thee of my love for Thee and may say to Thee: Yes, Lord, I am all Thine;
pledge of my allegiance to Thee rests ever in my heart will never cease to be there. Do Thou accept the slight amount of good that I do and be graciously pleased to repair all m] wrong-doing; so that I may be able to bless Thee in time and in eternity. Amen.
Cardinal Merry del Val
MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART
Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought it mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushes beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Hear. of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
June Devotion: The Sacred Heart
Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Heart of the World (On the Sacred Heart of Jesus) (Catholic Caucus)
From: 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13
David’s repentance (continued)
[13] David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to
David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”
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Commentary: None available.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Galatians 2:16, 19-21
Peter and Paul at Antioch (continued)
[19] For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. [20] I have been
crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the
life I know live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me. [21] I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification were
through the law, then Christ died to no purpose.
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Commentary:
16. “All that shadowy observance”, St Augustine comments, “had to cease in an
unnoticed way, gradually, as the pace grew of the wholesome preaching of the
grace of Christ […], during the lifetime of that generation of Jews who had
experienced the physical presence of our Lord and had lived through the
apostolic times. This sufficed to make it clear that those practices were not to be
deemed hateful or idolatrous. But neither were they to be kept up any longer than
that, in case people might hold them to be necessary, as if salvation came from
them or could not be obtained without them” (Letter 82, II, 15).
We might say that there are three periods in observance of the prescriptions of the
Law. In the first period, prior to Christ’s passion, the precepts of the Law were
“alive”, that is, it was obligatory to keep them. A second period was between the
Passion and the spread of apostolic preaching: the Law’s precepts were already
“dead”, no longer obligatory, but there were not “lethal”: Jewish converts could
keep them provided that they did not rely on them, for Christ was already the
basis of their hope. In the third stage, in which we find ourselves, observance of
Jewish precepts as a means of salvation amounts to denying the redemptive
power of Christ and therefore they could be termed “lethal” (cf. St Thomas
Aquinas, Commentary on Gal, ad loc.).
St Augustine uses a very interesting comparison: with the arrival of faith in
Christ the old “sacraments” of the Law come to resemble the dead – who merit
respect and honour. They should be interred with all the necessary ritual,
religiously, reverently. They should not be thrown out, to be devoured by
predators. But if a Christian now wants to keep them in force “disturbing the
ashes which lie at rest, he would not be a pious son or a relative who keeps
vigil at the grave, but an impious profaner of tombs” (Letter 82, ibid.).
19-20. Through the sacrament of Baptism we have been united to Christ in a
union which far exceeds mere solidarity of feeling: we have been crucified with
him, dying with him to sin, so as to rise reborn into a new life (cf. note on Rom 6:
3-8). This new life requires us to live in a new, supernatural way, which with the
help of grace gradually becomes stronger and stronger and acts to perfect man’s
behaviour: he is no longer living on a purely natural level. “That is why a
Christian should live as Christ lived, making the affections of Christ his own, so
that he can exclaim with St Paul: ‘It is now no longer I who live, but Christ lives
in me’ […] to such an extent that each Christian is not simply alter Christus:
another Christ, but ipse Christus: Christ himself!” (J. Escriva, Christ is Passing
By, 103 and 104).
The life in Christ which the Apostle is speaking about here is not a matter of
feelings: it is something real which grace brings about: “Paul’s soul was in
between God and his body: his body was alive, and moved, thanks to the action
of Paul’s soul; but his soul drew its life from Christ’s action. Therefore, in referring
to the life of the flesh, which he was living, St Paul speaks of ‘the life I now live in
the flesh’; but as far as relationship with God was concerned, Christ it was who
was living in Paul, and therefore he says, ‘I live by faith in the Son of God’: it is
he who lives in me and makes me act” (St Thomas Aquinas Commentary on
Gal, ad loc.). This is why the Apostle goes as far as to say elsewhere, “to me to
live is Christ” (Phil 1:21).
All this is a consequence of Christ’s love: he freely gave himself up to death out
of love for each and every one of us. We, like St Paul, can come to appreciate,
through faith, that Christ’s passion affects us personally. Fro this faith will arise
that love which “has the power to effect union […], which inspires those who love
to leave where they are, and which does not allow them to stay the way they are,
but rather transforms them into the object of their love” (Pseudo-Dionysius, De
divinis nominibis, 4). People who are very keen on academic pursuits or on
sports often refer to these things as being “their life”. If someone pursues only
his own interest, he is living for himself. If, on the contrary, he seeks the good of
others, we say that he “lives for others”. Therefore, if we love Jesus and are
united to him, we will live “for” him, “by” him, “through” him. “Do you love the
earth?”, St Augustine exclaims. “You will be earth. Do you love God? What am
I to say? That you will be God? I almost don’t dare to say it, but Scripture says
it, ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High’ (Ps 82:6)” (In Epist. Ioann. ad Parthos,
II, 14).
This profound truth should move us to devote ourselves to an asceticism moti-
vated by love: “Let us hasten, therefore, full of spirit, to the fight, fixing our gaze
on the crucified Jesus, who from the Cross offers us his help and promises us
victory and laurels. If we happened to stumble in the past, it was because we did
not keep before our eyes the wounds and disgrace which our Redeemer suffered
and because we did not seek his help. For the future, let us not cease to keep
before our eyes him who suffered on our account and who is ever-ready to come
to our aid […]; if we do so, we shall surely emerge victorious over our enemies”
(St Alphonsus Mary Liguori, The Love of Jesus Christ, 3).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 7:36-8:3
Forgiveness for a sinful woman
The holy women
8 [1] Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages; preaching and bring-
ing the good news of God. And the twelve were with him, [2] and also some
women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities; Mary, called Magdal-
ene, from whom seven demons had gone out, [3] and Joanna, the wife of
Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them
out of their means.
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Commentary:
36-40. This woman, moved no doubt by grace, was attracted by Christ’s preach-
ing and by what people were saying about him. When dining, people reclined on
low divans leaning on their left arm with their legs tucked under them, away from
the table. A host was expected to give his guest a kiss of greeting and offer him
water for his feet, and perfumes.
41-50. In this short parable of the two debtors Christ teaches us three things –
his own divinity and his power to forgive sins; the merit the woman’s love
deserves; and the discourtesy implied in Simeon’s neglecting to receive Jesus in
the conventional way. Our Lord was not interested in these social niceties as
such but in the affection which they expressed; that was why he felt hurt at
Simeon’s neglect.
“Jesus notices the omission of the expression of human courtesy and refinement
which the Pharisee failed to show him. Christ is perfectus Deus, perfectus homo
(Athanasian Creed). He is perfect God, the Second Person of the Blessed
Trinity, and perfect man. He comes to save, not to destroy nature. It is from him
that we learn that it is unchristian to treat our fellow men badly, for they are crea-
tures of God, made in his image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26)” (Bl. J. Escriva,
Friends of God, 73).
Moreover, the Pharisee was wrong to think badly of this sinner and of Jesus:
reckoning that Christ did not know anything about her, he complained inwardly.
Our Lord, who could read the secret thoughts of men (which sowed his divinity),
intervened to point out to him his mistake. True righteousness, says St. Gregory
the Great (cf. In Evangelia homiliae, 33), is compassionate; whereas false
righteousness is indignant. There are many people like this Pharisee: forgetting
that they themselves were or are poor sinners, when they see other people’s sin
they immediately become indignant, instead of taking pity on them, or else they
rush to judge them or sneer at them. They forget what St Paul says: “Let any
one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12); “Brethren,
if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in
a spirit of gentleness […]. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of
Christ” (Gal 6:1-2).
We should strive to have charity govern all our judgments. Otherwise, we will
easily be unjust towards others. “Let us be slow to judge. Each one see things
from his own point of view, and with his own mind, with all its limitations, through
eyes that are often dimmed and clouded by passion . . . Of what little worth are
the judgments of men! Don’t judge without sifting your judgment in prayer (Bl. J.
Escriva, The Way, 451).
Charity and humility will allow us to see in the sins of others our own weak and
helpless position, and will help our hearts go out to the sorrow of every sinner who
repents, for we too would fall into sins as serious or more serious if God in his
mercy did not say by our side.
“It was not the ointment that the Lord loved”, St. Ambrose comments, “but the
affection; it was the woman’s faith that pleased him, her humility. And you also,
if you desire grace, increase your love; pour over the body of Jesus Christ your
faith in the Resurrection, the perfume of the holy Church and the ointment of
charity towards others” (Expositio Evangelii sec. Lucam, in loc.).
47, Man cannot merit forgiveness for his sins because, since God is the offended
party, they are of infinite gravity. We need the sacrament of Penance, in which
God forgives us by virtue of the infinite merits of Jesus Christ; there is only one
indispensable condition for winning God’s forgiveness – our love, our repentance.
We are pardoned to the extent that we love; when our heart is full of love there is
no longer any room in it for sin because we have made room for Jesus, and he
says to us as he said to this woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” Repentance is a
sign that we love God. But it was God who first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:1:10). When
God forgives us he is expressing his love for us. Our love for God is, then, always
a response to his initiative. By forgiving us God helps us to be more grateful and
more loving towards him. “He loves little”, St Augustine comments, “who has little
forgiven. You say that you have not committed many sins: but why is that the
case? […] The reason is that God was guiding you […]. There is no sin that one
many commits, which another may not commit also unless God, man’s maker,
guides him” (Sermons, 99, 6). Therefore, we ought to fall ever more deeply in
love with our Lord, not only because he forgives us our sins but also because he
helps us by means of his grace not to commit them.
50. Jesus declares that it was faith that moved this woman to throw herself at his
feet and show her repentance; her repentance wins his forgiveness. Similarly,
when we approach the sacrament of Penance we should stir up our faith in the
fact that it is “not a human but a divine dialogue. It is a tribunal of divine justice
and especially of mercy, with a loving judge who ‘has no pleasure in the death of
the wicked; I desire that the wicked turn back from his way and live’ (Ezek 33:11)”
(Bl. J. Escriva, Christ is Passing By, 78).
1-3. The Gospel refers a number of times to women accompanying our Lord.
Here St Luke gives us the name of three of them – Mary, called Magdalene, to
whom the risen Christ appeared beside the holy sepulchre (Jn 20:11-18; Mk
16:9); Joanna, a lady of some position, whom we also meet among the women
who went to the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection (Lk 24:10), and Sus-
anna, whom the Gospel does not mention again. The role of these women con-
sisted in helping Jesus and his disciples out of their own resources, thereby show-
ing their gratitude for what Christ had done for them, and in cooperating his his
ministry.
Men and women enjoy equal dignity in the Church. Within the context of that
equality, women certainly have specific characteristics which must necessarily be
reflected in their role in the Church: “All the baptized, men and women alike,
share equally in the dignity, freedom and responsibility of the children of God….
Women are called to bring to the family, to society and to the Church, character-
istics which are their own and which they alone can give – their gentle warmth
and untiring generosity, their love for detail, their quick-wittedness and intuition,
their simple and deep piety, their constancy. . . . A woman’s femininity is
genuine only if she is aware of the beauty of this contribution for which there is no
substitute – and if she incorporates it into her own life” (Bl. J. Escriva, Conversa-
tions, 14 and 87).
The Gospel makes special reference to the generosity of these woman. It is nice
to know that our Lord availed himself of their charity, and that they responded to
him with such refined and generous detachment that Christian women feel filled
with a holy and fruitful envy (cf. Bl. J. Escriva, The Way, 981).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
**We] who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ,**
Waiting for the Vulgate translation. Someone had an old vulgate Bible and this was translated:
We] who know that a man is not justified by the observance of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ,
Now that makes sense to me! Where and who and when did this get changed from observance to ‘works’??
| First reading | 2 Samuel 12:7 - 13 © |
|---|---|
| Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man. The Lord the God of Israel says this, “I anointed you king over Israel; I delivered you from the hands of Saul; I gave your master’s house to you, his wives into your arms; I gave you the House of Israel and of Judah; and if this were not enough, I would add as much again for you. Why have you shown contempt for the Lord, doing what displeases him? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, taken his wife for your own, and killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. So now the sword will never be far from your House, since you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”’ David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord’. Then Nathan said to David, ‘the Lord, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die.’ |
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| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 31 |
| Second reading | Galatians 2:16 - 21 © |
|---|---|
| We acknowledge that what makes a man righteous is not obedience to the Law, but faith in Jesus Christ. We had to become believers in Christ Jesus no less than you had, and now we hold that faith in Christ rather than fidelity to the Law is what justifies us, and that no one can be justified by keeping the Law. In other words, through the Law I am dead to the Law, so that now I can live for God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in this body I live in faith: faith in the Son of God who loved me and who sacrificed himself for my sake. I cannot bring myself to give up God’s gift: if the Law can justify us, there is no point in the death of Christ.’ | |
| Gospel | Luke 7:36 - 8:3 © |
|---|---|
| One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to a meal. When he arrived at the Pharisee’s house and took his place at table, a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town. She had heard he was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment. She waited behind him at his feet, weeping, and her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them away with her hair; then she covered his feet with kisses and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who this woman is that is touching him and what a bad name she has’. Then Jesus took him up and said, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you’. ‘Speak, Master’ was the reply. ‘There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed him five hundred denarii, the other fifty. They were unable to pay, so he pardoned them both. Which of them will love him more?’ ‘The one who was pardoned more, I suppose’ answered Simon. Jesus said, ‘You are right’. Then he turned to the woman. ‘Simon,’ he said ‘you see this woman? I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. For this reason I tell you that her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love. It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven’. Those who were with him at table began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man, that he even forgives sins?’ But he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace’. Now after this he made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources. |
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| Sunday, June 17, 2007 Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time |
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| Other Articles by Fr. Paul Scalia Printer Friendly Version |
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| Beware of ‘Gentlemen’ | ||
St. Josemaria Escriva once warned against "the man, the 'gentleman,' ready to compromise" — because he would, in the saint's estimation, "condemn Jesus to death again." In a similar vein, G.K. Chesterton imagined that "the devil is a gentleman." Of course, these writers do not mean to disparage the genuine gentleman — the well-mannered, considerate, courteous man. (May we all have such qualities!) Rather, they mean to warn us against the man who allows etiquette and appearances to muzzle his faith — the kind of man who makes social convention the measure of devotion.
Simon the Pharisee provides a good example of such a "gentleman" (cf. Lk 7:36-50). He invites our Lord to his house, but apparently not out of devotion. After all, he omits even the most basic acts of hospitality. More likely, he simply desires the prestige and honor of having a famous rabbi in his house. It is just the thing that he, a religious leader, should do. Such longing for the esteem of others blinds him to the truth of who Jesus is. The Creator and Redeemer of the world enters Simon's house and he is more concerned with appearances. So when the "sinful woman" enters and worships our Lord through tears of repentance and anointing with oil, poor Simon can only think of "what kind of woman this is" and how Christ should not have any contact with her. We can almost hear him gasp in horror at the violation of etiquette.
The Pharisee's attitude is alive and well. We fall into it every time we gloss over our faith or downplay our devotion for fear of appearing "too religious." How many times have we held our tongues and failed to witness because of what others might think — because it might create an "uncomfortable" situation at the cocktail party, in the carpool line, at the soccer field, etc. How many times have we allowed ourselves to be silenced because we do not want to seem out of place or out of keeping with the culture.
Such a tamed, domesticated faith is precisely what the world wants from us, because it does not threaten the world at all. Religion is acceptable, the world tells us, as long as you keep it to yourself. Do not let your devotion interfere with your need to fit in, and you can be as devout as you like. In a sense, the world constantly behaves like Simon the Pharisee: inviting Christ on its own terms and resenting any manifestation of faith. As another election year comes upon us, it is important to note how many Catholic politicians have behaved similarly, tailoring their faith to suit the world. They resemble the Pharisee, for he, too, invited our Lord into his home but drew back when our Lord's saving truth became socially awkward and more demanding than he wanted.
We should adopt, then, the attitude of the "sinful woman." She was willing to become, in St. Paul's words, a "fool for Christ's sake" (cf. 1 Cor 4:10). Now this does not mean that we must interrupt dinner parties with public displays of devotion. Nor does it mean that we become rude in our witness or unnecessarily disruptive. But it does mean that we not allow the culture's views to dictate the terms of our devotion. She understood what the Pharisee did not: the Lord's teaching is for our salvation, not for our comfort and status in society. Indeed, our devotion often does and should interfere with what our culture views as normal. We need not make a scene of things. But naturally, peacefully, calmly and without rancor we must live genuine Catholic lives — even when it makes others uncomfortable.
The woman's example becomes all the more compelling when we consider that her devotion to our Lord reflects His devotion to us. She can confidently humble — even humiliate — herself in the sight of men because our Lord had already done so in the sight of heaven. Imagine the gasp of the rebel angels as they saw the Son of God humbling Himself to take on our human nature, to dwell among us, and to be delivered into our sinful hands. Perhaps our Lord is so moved by the woman's profligate display because He sees in it a reflection of His own. May He find in us the same willingness to bear witness and even to be "fools for Christ's sake."
Yes, Father Paul Scalia is the son of Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia! He jokes that he calls one of his sons, “Father”.
Year C- 11th Sunday in ordinary time
"Your sins are forgiven." Luke 7:36-50 - 8:1-336 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. |
I had great delight in forgiving the sins of that woman who repented, cared for me, anointed my feet with her tears and kissed them. She came to me because she knew that I was a prophet and came to proclaim salvation; she understood the meaning of repentance and came to see me even though she did not confess her sins verbally. She was acknowledging her guilt in public and before me, she was risking a lot, but she understood that I was the One with the power to forgive sins. Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 144 (145) |
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| The greatness and goodness of God |
| I will praise you to the heights, O God, my king – I will bless your name for ever and for all time. I will bless you, O God, day after day – I will praise your name for ever and all time. The Lord is great, to him all praise is due – he is great beyond measuring. Generation will pass to generation the praise of your deeds, and tell the wonders you have done. They will tell of your overwhelming power, and pass on the tale of your greatness. They will cry out the story of your great kindness, they will celebrate your judgements. The Lord takes pity, his heart is merciful, he is patient and endlessly kind. The Lord is gentle to all – he shows his kindness to all his creation. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Psalm 144 (145) |
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| Let all your creatures proclaim you, O Lord, let your chosen ones bless you. Let them tell of the glory of your reign, let them speak of your power – so that the children of men may know what you can do, see the glory of your kingdom and its greatness. Your kingdom stands firm for all ages, your rule lasts for ever and ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Psalm 144 (145) |
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| The Lord is faithful in all his words, the Lord is holy in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who are falling, the Lord lifts up all who are oppressed. All look to you for help, and you give them their food in due season. In your goodness you open your hand, and give every creature its fill. The Lord is just in all his ways, the Lord is kind in all that he does. The Lord is near to those who call on him, to all those who call on him in truth. For those that honour him, he does what they ask, he hears all their prayers, and he keeps them safe. The Lord keeps safe all who love him, but he dooms all the wicked to destruction. My mouth shall tell the praises of the Lord. Let all flesh bless his holy name, for ever and ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Reading | Judges 2:6 - 3:4 © |
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| Then Joshua told the people to go, and the Israelites went away, each to his own possession, to occupy the land. The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the lifetime of those elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the great deeds that the Lord had done for the sake of Israel. Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was a hundred and ten years old. They buried him on the estate he had received for inheritance, at Timnath-heres in the highlands of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. And when that generation too had been gathered to its fathers, another generation followed it which knew neither the Lord nor the deeds that he had done for the sake of Israel. Then the sons of Israel did what displeases the Lord and served the Baals. They deserted the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from the gods of the peoples round them. They bowed down to these; they provoked the Lord; they deserted the Lord to serve Baal and Astarte. Then the Lord’s anger flamed out against Israel. He handed them over to pillagers who plundered them; he delivered them to the enemies surrounding them, and they were not able to resist them. In every warlike venture, the hand of the Lord was there to foil them, as the Lord had warned, as the Lord had sworn to them. Thus he reduced them to dire distress. Then the Lord appointed judges for them, and rescued the men of Israel from the hands of their plunderers. But they would not listen to their judges. They prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed down before these. Very quickly they left the path their ancestors had trodden in obedience to the orders of the Lord; they did not follow their example. When the Lord appointed judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and rescued them from the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived, for the Lord felt pity for them as they groaned under the iron grip of their oppressors. But once the judge was dead, they relapsed and behaved even worse than their ancestors. They followed other gods; they served them and bowed before them, and would not give up the practices and stubborn ways of their ancestors at all. Then the Lord’s anger flamed out against Israel, and he said, ‘Since this people has broken the covenant I laid down for their ancestors, since they have not listened to my voice, in future I will not evict any of the nations that Joshua left in the land when he died’; this was to test them by means of these nations, to see whether Israel would or would not tread the paths of the Lord as once their ancestors had trodden them. So the Lord allowed these nations to remain; he did not hurry to drive them out, and did not deliver them into the hands of Joshua. These are the nations that the Lord let remain, to use them to test all those in Israel who had never known war in Canaan (this was only in the interest of the generations of the sons of Israel, to teach them the art of war, those at least who had never known the former wars): the five chiefs of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hittites who lived in the range of Lebanon, from the uplands of Baal-hermon to the Pass of Hamath. They were used to put Israel to the test and see if they would keep the orders that the Lord had given their fathers through Moses. |
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| Reading | St Cyprian's treatise on the Lord's Prayer |
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| Prayer comes from a humble heart | |
| Let our speech and our petition be kept under discipline when we pray, and let us preserve quietness and modesty – for, remember, we are standing in God’s sight. We must please God’s eyes both with the movements of our body and with the way we use our voices. For just as a shameless man will be noisy with his cries, so it it fitting for the modest to pray in a moderate way. Furthermore, the Lord has taught us to pray in secret, in hidden and remote places, in our own bed-chambers – and this is most suitable for faith, since it shows us that God is everywhere and hears and sees everything, and in the fulness of his majesty is present even in hidden and secret places, as it is written I am a God close at hand and not a God far off. If a man hides himself in secret places, will I not see him? Do I not fill the whole of heaven and earth?, and, again, The eyes of God are everywhere, they see good and evil alike. When we meet together with the brethren in one place, and celebrate divine sacrifices with God’s priest, we should remember our modesty and discipline, not to broadcast our prayers at the tops of our voices, nor to throw before God, with undisciplined long-windedness, a petition that would be better made with more modesty: for after all God does not listen to the voice but to the heart, and he who sees our thoughts should not be pestered by our voices, as the Lord proves when he says: Why do you think evil in your hearts? – or again, All the churches shall know that it is I who test your motives and your thoughts. In the first book of the Kings, Hannah, who is a type of the Church, observes that she prays to God not with loud petitions but silently and modestly within the very recesses of her heart. She spoke with hidden prayer but with manifest faith. She spoke not with her voice but with her heart, because she knew that that is how God hears, and she received what she sought because she asked for it with belief. The divine Scripture asserts this when it says: She spoke in her heart, and her lips moved, and her voice was not audible; and God listened to her. And we read in the Psalms: Speak in your hearts and in your beds, and be pierced. Again, the Holy Spirit teaches the same things through Jeremiah, saying: But it is in the heart that you should be worshipped, O Lord. Beloved brethren, let the worshipper not forget how the publican prayed with the Pharisee in the temple – not with his eyes boldly raised up to heaven, nor with hands held up in pride; but beating his breast and confessing the sins within, he implored the help of the divine mercy. While the Pharisee was pleased with himself, it was the publican who deserved to be sanctified, since he placed his hope of salvation not in his confidence of innocence – since no-one is innocent – but he prayed, humbly confessing his sins, and he who pardons the humble heard his prayer. |
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| Hymn | Te Deum |
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| God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you! You, the Father, the eternal – all the earth venerates you. All the angels, all the heavens, every power – The cherubim, the seraphim – unceasingly, they cry: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts: heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!” The glorious choir of Apostles – The noble ranks of prophets – The shining army of martyrs – all praise you. Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you. – Father of immeasurable majesty, – True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship, – Holy Spirit, our Advocate. You, Christ: – You are the king of glory. – You are the Father’s eternal Son. – You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb. – You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you. – You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father. – You will come, so we believe, as our Judge. And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood. Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory. Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance. Rule them and lift them high for ever. Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever. Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us. Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you. In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Concluding Prayer |
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| O God, you are the strength of those who hope in you: in your kindness, attend to our prayers. Weak and mortal, we can achieve nothing without you: always give us your support, so that we carry out your commandments, pleasing you in both intention and action. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
The Story of Champions [Father's Day]
The 10 Paradoxes of Fatherhood, There is a certain immediacy about motherhood that cannot
Collect: Almighty God, our hope and our strength, without you we falter. Help us to follow Christ and to live according to your will. 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. Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time; Father's Day (USA)
Daily Readings (on USCCB site):
Not yet available from USCCB.org — will appear as soon as available.
June 17, 2007
Gratitude to God
While the mercy of God for sinners and the willingness, even eagerness, with which He welcomes back the sinner is the principal teaching in this gospel story, most if not all of us, can be cheered by that teaching. But there are two other lessons in it for us. The first lesson is that the pardoned sinner should show gratitude to God. One of the greatest proofs of gratitude is the firm resolution to avoid offending our good God anymore. Do we really mean it when we solemnly promise in our act of contrition in confession "never more to offend you and to amend my life"?
There is great danger that we may make this promise out of habit of routine, without seriously intending or meaning what we say. Non-Catholics often accuse us of hypocrisy in this. "You Catholics can sin and just tell it in confession, be forgiven, and go back and sin again." This is not so. The priest's power to forgive sin, given by Christ himself, has effect only on a repentant sinner. If one goes to confession with serious sins and has no intention of avoiding those sins and the occasions which cause them, that person is not only not forgiven, but is adding a further sin by abusing and insulting God in that great gift of His mercy, the Sacrament of Penance. Such cases are rare, thank God. We are repentant and we mean to avoid such sins in future. However, the fact that one may fall again is always possible. This does not prove the previous confession to be invalid. But the person's attempts to avoid the occasions will be proof of sincere repentance. It will also be a sign of gratitude to the merciful God who forgave the sins.
The second reading is for those amongst us who succeed, thanks to God's grace, in avoiding serious sins. We must avoid the sin of the Pharisees. They were, on the whole, devout men and did many a good deed. However, they gave all the credit, not to God, but to themselves. They grew proud of their good works and despised all others who did not do as they did.
The good Christian must avoid any such temptation. We must never say, as the Pharisee did, "thank God I am not like the rest of men, tax-gatherers and sinners," but rather say what the saints said when they saw or heard of some great sinner: "there would be St. Francis only for the grace of God."
Yes, the avoidance of serious sin is something for which we must thank God. We should never praise ourselves because of this, and never, never should we despise the neighbor who is not so fortunate. Instead, we must help that neighbor by every means in our power to return to God's friendship through sincere repentance. This will prove our love for God and neighbor, and our sincere appreciation of the great graces given us by our merciful Lord to keep us free from grave sins.
Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
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A Woman’s Love and Sorrow
Father Walter Schu, LC Luke 7: 36 – 8:3 1. Tears of Love and Sorrow How could the woman who was a sinner — and such a sinner — dare to enter the house of Simon the Pharisee, filled with distinguished guests? Two things moved her: She trusted Jesus and she was overwhelmed by the guilt of her sins. She already knew Jesus, how he preached, how he had treated other sinners, others who were suffering inner anguish like she was. All her years of guilt, self-accusation, and near despair are released in a flood of silent tears that bathe Christ’s feet — tears of love and trusting sorrow. In an exquisitely feminine gesture, she wipes Christ’s feet with her hair and pours out all of her most precious ointment upon them. What heart could fail to be moved by the scene? What heart has not experienced Christ’s silent acceptance of its own poor tears of repentance, wrenched from a conscience laden down by sin? 2. “If This Man Were a Prophet” Simon the Pharisee is not moved. He considers himself righteous before God and men. The woman’s display merely causes him to doubt Jesus’ identity: “If this man were a prophet….” True righteousness, says St. Gregory the Great, is compassionate; whereas false righteousness is indignant. Simon feels no need for forgiveness. “The one thing which shuts a man off from God is self-sufficiency…. The better a man is, the more he feels his sin…. It is true to say that the greatest of sins is to be conscious of no sin; but a sense of need will open the door to the forgiveness of God, because God is love, and love’s greatest glory is to be needed” (The Gospel of Luke, William Barclay, p. 95). Christ’s love is not satisfied with having gained back the sinful woman. He also seeks to win Simon to himself. And so he begins a gentle rebuke of Simon for his lack of hospitality, to try and make him aware that he too is in need of God’s forgiveness — a forgiveness that brings forth love.
Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for your goodness of heart, for your insatiable zeal to reach every soul and win them over to you. Thank you for allowing me to express my love and sorrow to you in this meditation. Resolution: I will strive to bring someone I know into contact with Christ’s mercy. |
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 92 (93) |
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| The magnificence of the Creator |
| The Lord reigns! He is robed in splendour, clothed in glory and wrapped round in might. He set the earth on its foundations: it will not be shaken. Your throne is secure from the beginning; from the beginning of time, Lord, you are. The rivers have raised, O Lord, the rivers have raised their voices. The rivers have raised their clamour. Over the voices of many waters, over the powerful swell of the sea, you are the Lord, powerful on high. All your promises are to be trusted: and holy is your habitation, O Lord, to the end of time. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Canticle | Daniel 3 |
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| All creatures, bless the Lord | |
| Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, you heavens; all his angels, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens; all his powers, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, sun and moon; all stars of the sky, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, rain and dew; all you winds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, dew and frost; ice and cold, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, ice and snow; day and night, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; all growing things, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; springs and fountains, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, whales and fish; birds of the air, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame; sons of men, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, O Israel, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, his priests; all his servants, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, spirits of the just; all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord. Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him for ever. Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit, praise and exalt them for ever. Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven, praise and glorify him for ever. |
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| Psalm 148 |
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| An anthem to the Lord, the Creator |
| Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the highest heavens. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his powers. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all stars that shine. Praise him, waters of the heavens, and all the waters above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were made. He set them firm for all ages, he made a decree that will last for ever. Praise the Lord from the earth, sea-serpents and depths of the sea, fire, hail, snow and fog, storms and gales that obey his word, mountains and hills, fruit-trees and cedars, wild beasts and tame, serpents and birds. Kings of the earth, all peoples, all leaders and judges of the earth, young men and women, old people with the young – praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted. His splendour is above heaven and earth, he has raised up the strength of his people. This song is for all his chosen ones, the children of Israel, the people close to him. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Short reading | Ezekiel 37:12 - 14 © |
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| The Lord says this: I am now going to open your graves; I mean to raise you from your graves, my people, and lead you back to the soil of Israel. And you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people. And I shall put my spirit in you, and you will live, and I shall resettle you on your own soil; and you will know that I, the Lord, have said and done this – it is the Lord who speaks. | |
| Canticle | Benedictus |
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| The Messiah and his forerunner | |
| Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
| O God, you are the strength of those who hope in you: in your kindness, attend to our prayers. Weak and mortal, we can achieve nothing without you: always give us your support, so that we carry out your commandments, pleasing you in both intention and action. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
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| Other Articles by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph. D. Printer Friendly Version |
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| Do You Really Want to Be Healed? | ||
2 Sm 12:7-10, 13 / Gal 2:16, 19-21 / Lk 7:36-50
There’s a tale by H.G. Wells about an elegant, white-maned old bishop who could always be counted on for a pious platitude. When faced with an angry or troubled person, he'd assume his most pious pose and speak in his best stained-glass voice, "Have you prayed about it, my child?" If spoken in just the right way, this all-purpose question silenced the visitor, and the bishop was home free!
Now the bishop himself didn't pray much. After all, his life was quiet and uneventful, and he felt himself quite in charge of things. But one day the roof fell in, and he found himself, quite overwhelmed. It occurred to him that perhaps he ought to take his own advice and pray. So late on Saturday evening, he walked down the center aisle of the cathedral, knelt in the first pew, folded his hands, and couldn't help thinking to himself how wonderfully childlike and prayerful he must look. Then he began to pray, "O God, look down upon thy humble servant, bring me healing in this hour of my need..."
Suddenly there was a voice, strong and firm, "Yes, my son, what do you wish?"
When the cathedral parishioners arrived for early mass the next morning, they found their bishop still in that first pew, with an incredible look of surprise on his face, stone cold dead of shock! The bishop had said the words all his life, but he'd never really expected an answer.
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Sunday's Gospel is about the healing of hearts: Our need for it, and Jesus' power to make it happen. The gospel says that Jesus cured the sick and healed those who were possessed by evil spirits. It isn't talking about people being tormented by little red fellows with horns and pitchforks. It's talking about people whose spirits were troubled, people whose insides were out of control. Jesus was healing them.
That brings us to a very practical question: What do we have to do for our spirits to get healed? The answer is that we have to start by admitting our need for healing, admitting we're not whole, not finished, and that there are missing parts and broken places in us. That seems easy enough. Don't we admit that all the time? "I'm only human," we say. But that's a cheap admission, because it really has no content and thus no real value except as an escape hatch. What we have to admit are the ugly specifics of our wounds: Our own special jealousy, hatred, cruelty, treachery, or whatever. Our wounds are not pretty, but they must be named, by us, if they are ever to be healed.
But even that isn't enough, for there's yet another admission we have to make: We cannot heal ourselves. So are we stuck where we are, wounded and unfinished? Our faith says “no”! There is no wound too large or too deep to be healed by God, if we ask. And there's the rub, for too often our asking isn't asking at all. Remember the prayer of St Augustine in his wild youth, "Lord, make me chaste and pure, but not yet." Our asking has to be confident, but more than that, it has to be honest and without ambivalence. It has to be committed to receiving and taking inside the healing grace the Lord will surely send. How often is our asking like that?
Every time we gather at mass, every time we say the Our Father, and lots of other times as well, we pray for God's healing of our inner wounds, and we do this year after year. Do we in fact really want an answer to our prayer? Or are we like that self-deceiving bishop who'd grown comfortable as he was?
If we do want an answer, if we do want healing, our course is clear:
We all need God's healing, and God desires to give it. Only one question remains: Have we made ourselves ready to receive it?
Don't answer too fast!
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 109 (110) |
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| The Messiah, king and priest |
| The Lord has said to my lord: “Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies into your footstool”. From Sion the Lord will give you a sceptre, and you will rule in the midst of your foes. Royal power is yours in the day of your strength, glorious and holy; from the time of your birth, before the dawn. The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: “You are a priest for ever, a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech”. The Lord is at your right hand, and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings. He will judge the nations, he will pile high their skulls; he will drink from the stream as he goes – he will hold his head high. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Psalm 110 (111) |
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| Great are the works of the Lord |
| I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord, to be studied by all who delight in them. His works are splendour and majesty, his righteousness lasts for ever and ever. He gives us a record of the wonders he has worked, the Lord, the kind and compassionate. He gives food to those who fear him: for all ages he will remember his covenant. He has shown to his people the power of his deeds, he has given them the inheritance of the nations. Steadfastness and justice are the works of the Lord. All his precepts are to be trusted, they stand firm for ever and ever: they were laid down in faithfulness and justice. He has sent deliverance to his people; he has set up his covenant for ever. Holy is his name, and much to be feared. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To those who fear him comes true understanding, and his praise endures for ever and ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Canticle | (Apocalypse 19) |
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| The wedding of the Lamb | |
| Alleluia. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, because his judgements are true and just. Alleluia. Alleluia. Praise our God, all his servants, and you who fear him, small and great. Alleluia. Alleluia. For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty: let us rejoice and exult and give him glory. Alleluia. Alleluia. The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his spouse has made herself ready. Alleluia. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Short reading | 1 Peter 1:3 - 5 © |
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| Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth as his sons, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away, because it is being kept for you in the heavens. Through your faith, God’s power will guard you until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the end of time. | |
| Canticle | Magnificat |
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| My soul rejoices in the Lord | |
| My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour – me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed, because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy, his mercy lasts for generation after generation for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength: he has scattered the proud and conceited, torn princes from their thrones; but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
| O God, you are the strength of those who hope in you: in your kindness, attend to our prayers. Weak and mortal, we can achieve nothing without you: always give us your support, so that we carry out your commandments, pleasing you in both intention and action. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
Day 6 June 17 -- Czesochowa
What a glorious church and experience that was!
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