Greetings on this the Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings: Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12; Psalm 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; Matthew 10:1-7
Summary
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
Making a comment on modern culture is always risky. But here goes.
Two fairly recent movies that illustrate that moral sense is far from dead but rather rises up from the ashes of our social nightmare. Writers and artists can bring the illumination we all seek even we are distracted by ordinary burdens.
One combined summary is the triumph by living beings over mistakes, differences, challenges and the common good. Ordinary people/beings each with unique gifts subordinate to the needs of the Others even unto self sacrifice. I wonder if so many can see this why do religious people struggle with the ame question?
Reflection
Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
It’s time to take the message of Jesus from words to action, its proper end.
GMC – Olga assisted immigrants from every nation. She was an asset to the Palm Beach Sheriff Office for translations of victim testimony (multiple lnguages0. She helped many young women find themselves and their destiny.
CCC 1869 Thus sin makes men accomplices of one another and causes concupiscence, violence, and injustice to reign among them. Sins give rise to social situations and institutions that are contrary to the divine goodness. “Structures of sin” are the expression and effect of personal sins. They lead their victims to do evil in their turn. In an analogous sense, they constitute a “social sin.”144
We do not possess God. We invite Him to possess us.
THIS IS MY SONG
This is my song, O God of all the nations, A song of peace for lands afar and mine. This is my home, the country where my heart is; Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine; But other hearts in other lands are beating With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean, And sunlight beams on clover- leaf and pine. But other lands have sunlight too and clover, And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh, hear my song, O God of all the nations, A song of peace for their land and for mine.
*To the melody of Finlandia *Lyrics by Lloyd Stone
Greetings on this the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings: Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30
Summary
In our first reading today our sacred scripture describes the ways of peace.
True Kingship is not of self-engrandizement.
Rather, See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass…and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
True Stewardship is not the amassing of wealth, power and land.
Rather, peaceful pursuits. He shall banish the chariot… instruments of economic domanance…. [banish] the horse… symbol of power, and [banish] the warrior’s bow… instruments of war to acquire lands.
In our second reading, the most forgotten strategy! Brothers and sisters:You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit.
Our problems internally and internationally are not solvable by programs and projects. Nor are they solved by projections of power, but by the Spirit comes the divine illumination of pathway forward.
It is in the Spirit of God that we discover pathways and solutions not even imagined by even our best trained politicians, diplomats, military, and alliances.
Reflection
Can not we then understand Jesus’ promise now?
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,for I am meek and humble of heart;and you will find rest for yourselves.
In the life of our families, community, nations… put down the burdens – take off the yoke – the chariots, horse, and warrior’s bow.
We spend enormous effort polishing our chariots, strengthening our horses, and crafting better bows. Christ asks us first to lay them down.
Instead, put on the yoke of friendship, humility and share what you have.
This way of life, this yoke is easy, and my burden becomes light.
Keeping in mind not our solutions but those of the Spirit.
Personal Reflection
Life in the Spirit opens us to paths of reconciliation and wisdom that we could not discover by ourselves. Today, celebrating 250 years, requires new thinking. The Way of Christ.
Salt, Pepper, Herbs and Spices make for a delicious life! (Seasoned Person)
Drainage ditch to the left. Open field to the right. Pathway in the center. (God does the heavy lifting)
Reflection
The name Barnabas stems from Aramaic and Greek roots, literally translating to “son of encouragement” or “son of consolation”
Or if you are a movie buff, (Saint) Lenore, played by actress Marla Sucharetza. She is one of the women who celebrates New Year’s Eve in Times Square with Lieutenant Dan. She tells Forrest, “Don’t you just love New Year’s? You get to start all over. Everybody gets a second chance.”
Personal Reflection
I guess I am in an uber reflective mode today. So I wish to gift you… Barnabas. A seasoned person who can help us rely on God to do the heavy lifting so that we (all of us) can go from Broken to Beautiful.
Saint Barnabas, Apostle, (fictional) Lenore, & Mother Mary – pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Greetings on this the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Readings: Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 10; 1 John 4:7-16; Matthew 11:25-30
Summary
Cycle A – The Praise of the Father & The Gentle Mastery of Christ (Mt 11:25-30) Cycle B – The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Lk 15:3-7) Cycle C – The Blood and Water (Jn 19:31-37)
Here is a grid of the readings from the 3 year cycle with an interpretive lens.
The second reading does the heavy theological lifting binding the first and gospel portions together in the Theological Virtues.
a. Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
b. Prayer … that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love
c. Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.
The transformations.
Love as Jesus loves.
Pray as Jesus prayed (faith).
Hope because God can be trusted.
Personal Reflection
While this Solemnity is primarily devotional the liturgy is grounded in theology with specific patterns emerging. It is tempting to boil the ocean in reason or to lose oneself in the poetry of Sacred Heart love. I also note the readings are relational, coventual, with a transformational intention with .shades of Call-to-Action.
In a Franciscan context, we would explore the mystery of the convergence of divine-meeting-human, in Jesus and for us (Sacramental, Relational, Eucharistic). That would be worthwhile.
Allow me to retreat to the two headings of our gospel portion for this Solemnity Cycle A:
The Praise of the Father – Let us praise the Father for his love revealed.
The Gentle Mastery of Christ – Let us allow his relief. The question is: how long endure such bitter thirst?
Leo said that Eucharistic processions are “not merely a matter of bringing out the monstrance, but of allowing ourselves to be brought out of our selfishness and indifference, of a comfortable, private faith, so as to respond to his invitation to conversion, to change our perspective, and to welcome his presence which transforms us and makes us builders of a new world.”
Greetings on this the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Readings: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a; Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58
Summary
If we use the metaphor of a photographer’s camera in thinking about the liturgy as we have experienced it through these past few Sundays. We could say…
Pentecost opened the lens wide to the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Trinity focused us on the deepest truth that: God loves.
Corpus Christi brings that focus to a single point: Jesus gives Himself to us.
Because we are a Franciscan community, perhaps we can be more specific about the spirituality of Saint Francis and his deep love of the Eucharist.
This is from a Letter of Francis of Assisi:
O wonderful loftiness and stupendous dignity! O sublime humility! O humble sublimity! The Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God, so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under an ordinary piece of bread! – from his Letter to the Entire Order, St. Francis of Assisi.
He hides Himself under an ordinary piece of bread!
The Lord of the universe making Himself small enough to be received.
A divine humility so deep as to defy description – although we must try. A sublimity so amazing that we are left in awe at the depth of the gifting of his Divine Self. This awe deeply formed Francis’ reverence for the priesthood through which Christ continues to give Himself to His people.
So, what are we to make of our participation in the Divine Life?
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
The witness of Francis can be found in our Responsorial Psalm today – a manifestation of the Law of Love.
He brings peace to your borders, and satisfies you with finest wheat. He sends his command to earth; his word runs swiftly! (PS 147:15-16)
If Christ humbles Himself to come to us, how can we refuse to humble ourselves before one another?
To wit:
Francis was driven to share the finest Wheat of Jesus.
Francis was moved to help us share and embody Jesus’ command to love so as to run swiftly throughout the world.
We have been given the gift of Reverence. For more than twenty years this parish has been blessed by Franciscan priests who taught us, above all, reverence for the Eucharistic Lord. Said another way, the Franciscan contribution may be less about what to do, or how we do it, and more about how to see.
Personal Reflection
Let us then “see” and accept the gift of Jesus, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, given with Incarnate humility… that we might respond…
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
Next Friday is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.is celebrated on the Friday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost and also the Friday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood.of Christ. These are so arranged as to allow us to contemplate and adore the Gift and the Gift Giver, the exterior and the interior in sequence. If I am able to, I will write on that day as well.
