Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 07-11-10, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 07-11-10 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

July 11, 2010

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel

Reading 1

Dt 30:10-14

Moses said to the people:
"If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God,
and keep his commandments and statutes
that are written in this book of the law,
when you return to the LORD, your God,
with all your heart and all your soul.

"For this command that I enjoin on you today
is not too mysterious and remote for you.
It is not up in the sky, that you should say,
'Who will go up in the sky to get it for us
and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?'
Nor is it across the sea, that you should say,
'Who will cross the sea to get it for us
and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?'
No, it is something very near to you,
already in your mouths and in your hearts;
you have only to carry it out."

 

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Ps 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37

Responsorial Psalm

R. (cf. 33) Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness:
in your great mercy turn toward me.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
The descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.

or

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Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (9a) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

 

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Col1:15-20

Reading 2

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

 

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Lk 10:25-37

Gospel

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said,
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?
How do you read it?"
He said in reply,
You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live."

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied,
"A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
'Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.'
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."
Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

 

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

How to Read

How to Read

July 10th, 2010 by Fr. Paul Scalia

The scholar comes forward and, to test Jesus, asks Him an insincere question — or, rather, asks him a good question in an insincere manner: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25) Of course, our Lord knows the man’s heart. So He responds with two questions of His own: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” (Lk 10:26) It does not appear (at least in the English) that these questions are merely different ways of asking the same thing. The second question follows, not to reinforce the first but to get at a different issue altogether. Our Lord’s first question concerns the content of the law. His second concerns the disposition of the reader.

His two questions touch on the two poles of revelation. There is first the objective content of God’s truth: “What is written in the law?” Then there is the subjective reception by the individual: “How do you read it?” These two poles must go together. It is not enough to read the truth. We must read it with the proper disposition.

The scholar answers the first question correctly. He knows the content of the law. But he fumbles the second question because he does not read in the proper manner. He reads Scripture with a view to justifying himself. He uses the content of the law — God’s revealed Word — not to grow in holiness or advance in virtue or know God … but to show off, to prove himself before God.

The whole episode alerts us to the importance of being properly disposed to receive the truth, and in particular to read Scripture. For the content of God’s word (“What is written in the law?”) to benefit us, we must receive it with the proper disposition (“How do you read it?”). So, what characterizes this proper disposition? How do we read?

First, we should read Scripture with a view to being instructed, not just to master the material. The Bible is not a textbook. We do not simply study it, get the stories, facts, and figures and then close it up. We read Scripture so that we will discern the truth to which we should conform our lives. If we do not have a prior willingness to change and be changed, then many of Scripture’s truths will remain inaccessible to us. The scholar in the Gospel erred in that he had mastered the material — but he had not allowed the material to master him.

Second, we should read Scripture to encounter God’s proofs, not to prove ourselves. The scholar wanted to prove — to justify — himself by rattling off memorized verses. He was showing off and using Scripture to do so. As a result he missed the meaning of Scripture: It is a record of God’s faithfulness and saving deeds, a proof of His fidelity to sinful man. If our purpose is self-promotion, we will never penetrate this meaning of Scripture.

Third, we should read Scripture with confidence in its truth. Those who approach Scripture with a critical or suspicious eye will never benefit from it. They have set themselves up as the Bible’s judges (“Well, we know that in fact that miracle could not have happened … Jesus could not have said that … What St. Paul really means is … , etc.”). When we run across a difficult passage — perhaps hard to understand, more likely hard to accept — we should presume that the problem is not with God’s word but with our reading or understanding of it. The problem is not the content of what we read but how we read it.

God’s word seeks the proper recipient. It does not desire the mere intellectual who wants to conquer a challenging text, or the boastful reader who wants to exalt himself or the critic who reads with a jaundiced eye. Scripture seeks those who, as they open the pages, also open themselves to the word.

 

Fr. Scalia is pastor of St. John the Beloved parish in McLean, VA.

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

[Salvation]

The Work of God

Year C

 -  15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

And Jesus said to him: You go, and do in the same manner.

Luke 10:25-37

25 And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what must I do to possess eternal life?
26 But he said to him: What is written in the law? What do you read?
27 Answering, he said: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind: and your neighbour as yourself.
28 And he said to him: You have answered right: do this, and you shall live.
29 But willing to justify himself, he said to Jesus: And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering, said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who also stripped him, and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead.
31 And it chanced, that a certain priest went down the same way: and seeing him, passed by.
32 In the same manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by.
33 But a certain Samaritan being on his journey, came near him; and seeing him, was moved with compassion.
34 And going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And the next day he took out two pence, and gave to the host, and said: Take care of him; and whatever you shall spend over and above, I, at my return, will repay you.
36 Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbour to him that fell among the robbers?
37 But he said: He that showed mercy to him. And Jesus said to him: You go, and do in the same manner.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

As you become interested in possessing eternal life you become familiar with the great commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your mind, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And love your neighbour as yourself.”

Everyone has failed the holy commandment of loving God in a perfect way, except my mother. Man has used his mind, heart, soul and strength to love the perishable things of the world, to love himself more than God and to despise his neighbour.

How many thoughts cross the mind in one day, but how few are for God? How many times does the heart beat in one day for the things of the world, the vanities, the riches, the pleasures of life and neglects to desire God instead? And what about the soul, that breath of God in everyone that should be kept pure? How many things of this world tarnish it with sin because it gets blinded to the spiritual things? How many times does man use his strength to advance towards his own death instead of seeking life in the mysteries of God?

Not only does man fail loving God as he should, but to make things worse he adorns himself proudly with self-love, egoism and lack of charity for others. This provokes my anger since I have come to teach unconditional love, mercy and compassion. My lessons of love are continually despised and seem to be an unconquerable challenge for most people.

Surely life provides daily opportunities for everyone to amend his ways, to start loving God as he should and to care for his neighbour.

I am a patient God who has allowed the world to have a share of good and evil in order to let everyone make his decision for me. It is not too late for you to concentrate in the true love of God.

And remember, to love me is to obey my commandments. What I desire is that you love one another as I have loved you. Your charity for others touches my heart with love, because what you do for others you do indeed for me.

Love me as you love your neighbour.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

[Salvation]

Archdiocese of Washington

Going Deeper with the Parable of the Good Samaritan

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is often read by many in a rather single manner to mean that we ought to be more generous to those in need or that we ought to not neglect those who suffer. Perhaps too, that racial and ethnic boundaries must be overcome as we broaden what it means to consider some one a neighbor.  All of this is fine enough, there are plenty of social justice themes at work here to permit such a reading and they ought not be neglected. But as is always the case with scripture, there is more at work here than the merely obvious interpretation. In effect the whole passage before us goes a long way to show some of the deeper drives we have regarding the pride and self-righteousness, along with a stubborn tendency we have to reduce holiness to something “manageable” and merely human. Let’s take a look.

1. There was a scholar of the law  who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  (Luke 10:25) – On the face of it this question is absurd. It is rooted in self-justifying notions. What must I DO to obtain eternal life….The simple fact is that we cannot save ourselves. We do not have the resources to obtain eternal life. No amount of human flesh power could even come close to paying the debt we owe. We do not have a rocket ship powerful enough to fly to heaven. We have no ladder tall enough to climb there. The lawyer’s flawed question sets him up for a series of misunderstandings about salvation and the absolute need for grace. Because he thinks that eternal life is somehow in his power to obtain it he looks more and more foolish as the interaction goes on.

2.  Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”  He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”  (Luke 10:26-28) In way Jesus is humoring him and drawing him out. The man has suggested that salvation is in his power to accomplish. So, in effect Jesus says to him, “Since you think such a thing is possible, explain to me how you think so with your legal background.” The lawyer quotes the great Shema, the summary of the whole law contained in Deuteronomy 6. Now there is nothing wrong with the Law, and so Jesus says, “You have answered rightly.” But what IS wrong is thinking that this law is within my own unaided flesh power to keep. To love God with our whole heart, mind, being and strength is a remarkable call that should not be taken lightly or reduced a few ritual tokenary things. The honest truth is that most human beings do not love God this way and NO human being apart from grace even stands a chance of getting close. The human mind and heart apart from grace have been so wounded as to make such a law unattainable. The fact is not only do human beings (apart form grace) not love God with their whole heart, they barely give him leftovers. The usual human approach is to serve myself and the world and then, from whatever is left, I’ll throw a few scraps to God. I’ll pray, if I have time left over at the end of my busy worldly day. I’ll read scripture if it doesn’t interfere with my watching of the sports event or soap opera. I’ll put money in the collection plate after I pay my mortgage, Sears bill, magazine subscriptions and see what is left over. I’ll follow the teachings of God so long as they don’t interfere with my politics or worldview. So God barely gets leftovers from most people and that includes many who describe themselves as religious. For us to think we, by ourselves,  are really going to pull off loving God with our whole heart, mind, being and strength or even come close is absurd on the face of it. And we haven’t even considered loving our neighbor yet! Jesus answers the lawyer (probably with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek) “Do this and you will live.”   He might as well have told him to leap a tall building in a single bound or to define the universe and give three examples. Does the lawyer really have any idea what it means to “do this?!” Surely not, as we see next.

3.  But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29) And now we surely have reached the endgame of legalism and trying to be justified by our own flesh power. In effect the Lawyer says, “OK, if I have to love my neighbor as myself, let’s keep the meaning of neighbor as minimal and manageable as possible.” In other words if there are too many neighbors running around, with the requirement that I love them as myself, I might not be able to pull the thing off. So let’s dumb down and minimize what and who is meant by neighbor. This is what the flesh does. It salutes God’s law but doesn’t really take it seriously. The usual tactic of the flesh is to argue about meaning (e.g. the famous, “That depends on what the meaning of the word “is” is.”) and then to minimize the observance as much as possible by all sorts of legalistic minimalism. Hence the lawyer seeks to quibble over a precise definition of “neighbor” and keep that category as small and minimal as possible. He has to do this because he wants to accomplish the Shema on his own, by his own merit and power.

4. Jesus doesn’t take the bait and goes on to tell the well known parable of the Good Samaritan. With it he devastates the concept of a small manageable notion of neighbor. Neighbor cuts across national, ethnic, religious and political boundaries to encompass…..everyone. Jesus will not accept the reductionist demands of the flesh and its legalism.

5. He also sets aside another form of reductionism in the parable, that of religious reductionism. A priest and Levite pass also and refuse to help to victim by the roadside. Perhaps they were afraid, perhaps they had concerns about blood which would render them unclean and unfit for Temple duties. But whatever their reasons they also represent the human tendency to think we can buy God off by religious observances. If I go to Church, pay my tithes, and say a few prayers I can check off the “God box,” consider myself righteous and to have met all my duties. It becomes all too easy to walk past the needy, to walk past injustice, to tolerate evil, to remain silent and protect my hide and ego and all the while think God won’t mind because I sat in the pew last Sunday. This is just another form of reductionism and the Lord’s parable makes it clear that he is not impressed. We can’t buy God off. We ought to be in Church every Sunday, financially support the word of God, pray and so one. There is no excuse for not doing these things. But they are not the end of faith, they are the beginning of faith. If I really sat in the pew last Sunday to any real effect that I cannot walk on past the needy, ignore injustice, tolerate evil or remain silent in the face of error.

6. Thus in the end the love of God and neighbor are expansive loves that go beyond the ability of the unaided flesh to do. Without the healing of grace we are simply too selfish, greedy, egotistical, thin-skinned, resentful, envious, bitter, lustful and revengeful to even come close to loving God and our neighbor the way that is described. We have to stop playing games with God’s Word and stop trying to explain it in a way that makes it manageable. God’s word means what it says. And, with our unaided flesh it is impossible to fulfill it.

7. What then are we to do? Seek lots of grace and mercy. This parable is about more than caring for the poor. It is also about the absolute need for grace. Only with tons of grace and mercy do we even stand a chance in coming close to what the Shema sets forth. Only God can really give God the love he deserves. Only God can really love the poor as they ought to be loved. That is why we have to die to our self and allow Jesus Christ to live his life in us. He does this through the sacraments fruitfully received, through faith mediation on his Word and through prayer. Those who faithfully attend Mass and regularly receive communion worthily, those who confess their sins frequently and fruitfully receive the graces of that sacrament, those who faithfully and thoughtfully meditate on God’s Word, begin to experience a transformation that enables them to love. They receive a new heart and a new mind, the heart and mind of Christ. As Christ lives in them they see the Shema come alive, they begin to love God above all things and their neighbor as their very self. And it is not they who do it. It is Christ who does it in them.

8. What must I do to inherit eternal life? I must decrease and Christ must increase (Jn 3:30). I must die so that Christ may live in me (Gal 2:19-20).

The audio version of my homily is here: Going Deeper with the Good Samaritan

This song says, “When you see me trying to do good, It’s just Jesus in me….Loving my neighbor like a Christian should, It’s just Jesus in me.”

[Salvation]

Sunday Gospel Reflections

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Dt 30:10-14 II: Col 1:15-20

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Gospel
Luke 10:25-37

²⁵ And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
²⁶ He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?"
²⁷ And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
²⁸ And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live."
²⁹ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
³⁰ Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
³¹ Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
³² So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
³³ But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion,
³⁴ and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
³⁵ And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'
³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"
³⁷ He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

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Interesting Details

• (vv.25-28) A lawyer was a person who interpreted and taught the Jewish law. Instead answering the lawyer, Jesus turned the question back for the inquirer's own answer.
• (v.29) According to the Leviticus text, the neighbor is one's fellow Israelite. In this parable, 'neighbor' is the attitude a person has toward others rather than the blood or social bonding, or physical closeness in locality.
• (v.30) The route from Jerusalem to Jericho was a crooked trail descending over 3,000 feet from the green hills around Jerusalem to the desert wilderness below sea level at Jericho. The winding road surrounded by many huge boulders and nearby caves made it a likely place for ambushes by robbers.
• (v.32) A Levite assisted the priest in the place of service, taking care of the altarware and providing musical leadership, ushering, and teaching. Originally, the Levites were descendants of Levi, one of the sons of Jacob, and were charged with the care of the sanctuary.
• (v.33) The Samaritans were residents of the district of Samaria, located between Galilee and Judea. Because of intermarriages with other nationalities, they were not of pure Jewish blood. They also had a rival place of worship to the Temple in Jerusalem on Mount Gerizim. For these reasons, the Jewish had no dealings with the Samaritans.
• (vv.34-37) While the lawyer wants to know who was his neighbor before he loves that person, the Samaritan did just the opposite. Being a Samaritan in Judea, he is in the wrong place and might become the suspect if caught near a victim, and yet he did the unexpected.

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One Main Point

Jesus uses this parable to send His powerful message: love all and serve anyone who is in need. This action should not exclude those we are not normally associated with, it may appear to be against the law and we might be blamed for instead of being praised.

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Reflections

1. There are certain people that I would normally avoid being in contact with (people with different political viewpoints, other races, drug users, unkind leaders, unfriendly people, etc.)? Is it because of my fear of being rejected or defeated, or taken advantage of by them, or fear of being misjudged and disrespected by others when I am around these people?
2. Am I ready to have courage in trying to reach out to everyone and care for those who need help?

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[Salvation]

Sunday, July 11, 2010
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Deuteronomy 30:10-14 Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37 or Psalm 19:8-11 Colossians 1:15-20 Luke 10:25-37 Forth to the Paschal Victim, Christians, bring -- Victimae paschali laudes

[Salvation]

The Angelus 

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

Office of Readings and Invitatory Psalm

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

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Introduction

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.

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Hymn

Hail, day! whereon the One in Three

First formed the earth by sure decree,

The day its Maker rose again,

And vanquished death, and burst our chain.

Away with sleep and slothful ease!

We raise our hearts and bend our knees,

And early seek the Lord of all,

Obedient to the Prophet’s call:

That he may hearken to our prayer,

Stretch forth his strong right arm to spare,

And, every past offense forgiven,

Restore us to our home in heaven.

Assembled here this holy day,

This holiest hour we raise the lay;

And, O, that he to whom we sing,

May now reward our offering!

Most Holy Father, hear our cry,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord most High

Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee

Doth live and reign eternally.

Psalm 144 (145)
The greatness and goodness of God

I will bless you, O God, day after day. Alleluia.

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.

I will bless you, O God, day after day. Alleluia.

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Psalm 144 (145)

Lord, your kingdom stands firm for all ages. Alleluia.

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.

Lord, your kingdom stands firm for all ages. Alleluia.

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Psalm 144 (145)

The Lord is faithful in all his words, he is holy in all his deeds. Alleluia.

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.

The Lord is faithful in all his words, he is holy in all his deeds. Alleluia.

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My son, listen to my words.

–  Turn your ear to what I am saying.

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Reading	1 Kings 16:29-17:16 ©

Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel for twenty-two years in Samaria. Ahab son of Omri did what is displeasing to the Lord, and was worse than all his predecessors. The least that he did was to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam son of Nebat: he married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and then proceeded to serve Baal and worship him. He erected an altar to him in the temple of Baal which he built in Samaria. Ahab also put up a sacred pole and committed other crimes as well, provoking the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, more than all the kings of Israel who were his predecessors. It was in his time that Kiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho; he laid its foundations at the price of Abiram, his first-born; its gates he erected at the price of his youngest son Segub, just as the Lord had foretold through Joshua son of Nun.

  Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord lives, the God of Israel whom I serve, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except at my order.’

  The word of the Lord came to him, ‘Go away from here, go eastwards, and hide yourself in the wadi Cherith which lies east of Jordan. You can drink from the stream, and I have ordered the ravens to bring you food there.’ He did as the Lord had said; he went and stayed in the wadi Cherith which lies east of Jordan. The ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening, and he quenched his thirst at the stream.

  But after a while the stream dried up, for the country had no rain. And then the word of the Lord came to him, ‘Up and go to Zarephath, a Sidonian town, and stay there. I have ordered a widow there to give you food.’ So he went off to Sidon. And when he reached the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks; addressing her he said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a vessel for me to drink.’ She was setting off to bring it when he called after her. ‘Please’ he said ‘bring me a scrap of bread in your hand.’ ‘As the Lord your God lives,’ she replied ‘I have no baked bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am just gathering a stick or two to go and prepare this for myself and my son to eat, and then we shall die.’ But Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, go and do as you have said; but first make a little scone of it for me and bring it to me, and then make some for yourself and for your son. For thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel:

“Jar of meal shall not be spent,

jug of oil shall not be emptied,

before the day when the Lord sends

rain on the face of the earth.”’

The woman went and did as Elijah told her and they ate the food, she, himself and her son. The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.

Responsory

Elijah prayed that it might not rain, and there was no rain; then he prayed again, and rain fell from heaven.

Elijah appeared, a prophet like fire, whose word flamed like a torch. By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens; then he prayed again, and rain fell from heaven.

---

Reading	From the beginning of the treatise On the Mysteries by Saint Ambrose, bishop

Catechesis on the rites preceding baptism

We gave a daily instruction on right conduct when the readings were taken from the history of the patriarchs or the maxims of Proverbs. These readings were intended to instruct and train you, so that you might grow accustomed to the ways of our forefathers, entering into their paths and walking in their footsteps, in obedience to God’s commands.

  Now the season reminds us that we must speak of the mysteries, setting forth the meaning of the sacraments. If we had thought fit to teach these things to those not yet initiated through baptism, we should be considered traitors rather than teachers. Then, too, the light of the mysteries is of itself more effective where people do not know what to expect than where some instruction has been given beforehand.

  Open then your ears. Enjoy the fragrance of eternal life, breathed on you by means of the sacraments. We explained this to you as we celebrated the mystery of “the opening” when we said: Effetha, that is, be opened. Everyone who was to come for the grace of baptism had to understand what he was to be asked, and must remember what he was to answer. This mystery was celebrated by Christ when he healed the man who was deaf and dumb, in the Gospel which we proclaimed to you.

  After this, the holy of holies was opened up for you; you entered into the sacred place of regeneration. Recall what you were asked; remember what you answered. You renounced the devil and his works, the world and its dissipation and sensuality. Your words are recorded, not on a monument to the dead but in the book of the living.

  There you saw the levite, you saw the priest, you saw the high priest. Do not consider their outward form but the grace given by their ministries. You spoke in the presence of angels, as it is written: The lips of a priest guard knowledge, and men seek the law from his mouth, for he is the angel of the Lord almighty. There is no room for deception, no room for denial. He is an angel whose message is the kingdom of Christ and eternal life. You must judge him, not by his appearance but by his office. Remember what he handed on to you, weigh up his value, and so acknowledge his standing.

  You entered to confront your enemy, for you intended to renounce him to his face. You turned toward the east, for one who renounces the devil turns toward Christ and fixes his gaze directly on him.

Responsory

We ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray; we passed our days in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another; but God, in his mercy, saved us through the water of rebirth and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit.

All of us lived according to our natural desires, and we too were naturally bound to suffer God’s wrath, but God, in his mercy, saved us through the water of rebirth and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit.

---

Hymn	Te Deum

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.

The final part of the hymn may be omitted:

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.

---

O God, your light guides those who have strayed and helps them back to the right path.

  Grant to all who are called Christians

  that they may reject whatever contradicts that name

  but hold fast to whatever is right for it.

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.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: July 11, 2010
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Father, through the obedience of Jesus, your servant and your Son, you raised a fallen world. Free us from sin and bring us the joy that lasts for ever. 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.

RECIPES

• Breakfast Burritos

ACTIVITIES

• The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

PRAYERS

• Blessing of Bees on the Feast of St. Benedict
• Blessing of the Medal of St. Benedict
• Childlike Recommendation to the Patronage of St. Benedict

11th

  Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Old Calendar: Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him (Luke 10:33-34).

Today is the feast of St. Benedict which has been superseded by the Sunday liturgy.

---

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the book of Deuteronomy 30:10-14 and is the final discourse of Moses, just prior to the selection of Joshua to lead the people into the promised land. It is the conclusion of the covenant making ceremony.

The second reading is from the letter of Paul to the Colossians 1:15-20 in which he uses the occasion to instruct the Colossians and to restate for them the truth about the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ, as beginning and end of all creation. He was imprisoned in Rome when he wrote this letter but had learned about dangerous doctrines which had recently made their way into the church, threatening both faith and morals. False teachers were introducing a series of outdated Mosaic practices and an exaggerated emphasis on the role of angels as intermediaries between God and men, which threatened to undermine the true doctrine of Christ as the only mediator.

The Gospel is from St. Luke 10:25-37 and tells the parable of the good Samaritan. This passage is two-pronged. While providing a powerful lesson about mercy toward those in need, it also proclaims that non-Jews can observe the Law and thus enter into eternal life. Following other Fathers, St Augustine (De verbis Domini sermones, 37) identifies the good Samaritan with our Lord, and the waylaid man with Adam, the source and symbol of all fallen mankind. Moved by compassion and piety, he comes down to earth to cure man's wounds, making them his own (Is 53:4; Mt 8:17; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 3:5). In fact, we often see Jesus being moved by man's suffering (cf. Mt 9:36; Mk 1:41; Lk 7:13). And St John says: "in this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 Jn 4:9-11).

This parable leaves no doubt about who our neighbor is — anyone (without distinction of race or relationship) who needs our help; nor about how we should love him — by taking pity on him, being compassionate towards his spiritual or corporal needs; and it is not just a matter of having the right feelings towards him: we must do something, we must generously serve him.

Christians, who should be disciples of Christ, should share his love and compassion, never distancing themselves from others' needs. One way to express love for one's neighbor is to perform the "works of mercy," which get their name from the fact that they are not duties in justice. There are fourteen such works, seven spiritual and seven corporal. The spiritual are: To convert the sinner; To instruct the ignorant; To counsel the doubtful; To comfort the sorrowful; To bear wrongs patiently; To forgive injuries; To pray for the living and the dead. The corporal works are: To feed the hungry; To give drink to the thirsty; To clothe the naked; To shelter the homeless; To visit the sick; To visit the imprisoned; To bury the dead.

Excerpted from The Navarre Bible - St. Luke

[Salvation]

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

---

Introduction

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.

---

Hymn

Father, we praise thee, now the night is over,

Active and watchful, stand we all before thee;

Singing we offer prayer and meditation:

  Thus we adore thee.

Monarch of all things, fit us for thy mansions;

Banish our weakness, health and wholeness sending;

Bring us to heaven, where thy saints united

  Joy without ending.

All-holy Father, Son and Equal Spirit,

Trinity blessed, send us thy salvation;

Thine is the glory, gleaming and resounding

  Through all creation.

Psalm 92 (93)
The magnificence of the Creator

The Lord is wonderful on high. Alleluia.

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.

The Lord is wonderful on high. Alleluia.

---

Canticle	Daniel 3

All creatures, bless the Lord

Lord, we praise and exalt you for ever. Alleluia.

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 and souls 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.

Lord, we praise and exalt you for ever. Alleluia.

---

Psalm 148
An anthem to the Lord, the Creator

Praise the Lord from the heavens. Alleluia.

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.

Praise the Lord from the heavens. Alleluia.

---

Short reading	Ezekiel 37:12-14 ©

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.

---

Short Responsory

Christ, Son of the living God, take pity on us.

– Christ, Son of the living God, take pity on us.

You are seated at the right hand of the Father.

– Christ, Son of the living God, take pity on us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Christ, Son of the living God, take pity on us.

---

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

A Samaritan traveller came upon the man who had been robbed and was moved with compassion and bandaged his wounds.

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.

A Samaritan traveller came upon the man who had been robbed and was moved with compassion and bandaged his wounds.

---

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us pray to God, who sent the Holy Spirit to be a light shining in every heart:

– Lord, be our light.

Blessed are you, God our light:

  for the sake of your glory you have brought us to this new day.

– Lord, be our light.

By the incarnation of your Son you sent light into this world:

  through your Church, spread that light to all mankind.

– Lord, be our light.

You enlightened your Son’s disciples by your Spirit:

  send your Spirit into the Church and keep her faithful to you.

– Lord, be our light.

Light of the nations, remember those who dawdle in the shadows:

  open their eyes and their hearts, so that they see you are the one true God.

– Lord, be our light.

---

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 who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil.

---

O God, your light guides those who have strayed and helps them back to the right path.

  Grant to all who are called Christians

  that they may reject whatever contradicts that name

  but hold fast to whatever is right for it.

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.

AMEN

[Salvation]

Sunday Scripture Study

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C

July 11, 2010

Opening Prayer  

First Reading: Deuteronomy 30:10-14

Psalm:  69:14,17,30-37

Second Reading: Colossians 1:15-20

Gospel Reading: Luke 10:25-37

• In this Sunday’s Gospel Reading, as he makes his way to Jerusalem Jesus is questioned by a “scholar of the law” about how to inherit eternal life. These scholars, also called lawyers (RSV-CE) or scribes (Luke 5:21) were considered to be experts of the Jewish Law.

• Jesus asks him what his understanding of the Law is. The lawyer answers by citing Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:4, which is a summary of the Ten Commandments stated in positive terms (i.e., as opposed to “thou shalt not…”).

• Even though Jesus approves of his answer, the lawyer, who seems satisfied that he knows what it means to love God, wishes to define more precisely who can be considered one’s neighbor. Jesus answers with a parable that is found only in Luke’s gospel, the story of the Good Samaritan.

• The characters in this parable include: a traveler on the perilous road from Jerusalem to Jericho; a priest and a Levite who, given their important religious roles in the Temple, were considered role models to other Jews; and a Samaritan, a member of a despised people who were traditional enemies of the Jews (John 4:9).

 

QUESTIONS:

• The setting for the First Reading is the discourse of Moses to the Israelites instructing them how they are to follow God’s law in the Promised Land which they are about to enter. What do his words tell us about how God wants us to obey his commandments?

• Who is testing whom in this Sunday’s Gospel Reading? Does the scholar of the Law seem to think he has passed Jesus’ test in verse 28? How so? Why does Jesus answer with a story instead of with a straight answer? Does Jesus answer his actual question?

• How might the priest and the Levite justify their behavior (see Leviticus 21:1-3; Numbers 19:11-22)? Why or why not was this a valid excuse?

• Given the animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans (see John 4:9, 8:48), what is unusual about the plot twists in this story? What is Jesus’ point here?

• What attitude or behavior does God want you to have that is most difficult to accept? After reading this parable, who would you say is your neighbor?

• Who have been the Good Samaritans in your life? What makes a Good Samaritan really good? To whom will you be a Good Samaritan this week?

Closing Prayer

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 2822, 1825, 2083, 2447, 1458, 2842

 

When we serve the poor and the sick, we serve Jesus. We must not fail to help our neighbors, because in them we serve Jesus. 

 –St. Rose of Lima

[Salvation]

Finding God in Our Lives

Pastor’s Column

15^th Sunday Ordinary Time

July 11, 2010

 

"For this commandment which I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky that you should say, ‘Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it so that we might carry it out? Nor is it across the sea …. No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out."

                                                      Deuteronomy 30:10-14 (1^st reading at Mass)

 

 

         When I was discerning the priesthood, I used my travel benefits with the airline I worked for at the time to go all over the country on retreats at various religious houses and monasteries, and I did this for several years.   One day, while in Massachusetts on a vocation discernment week with a religious community, I called my father (who was nothing if not an agnostic), and told him where I was this time in the pursuit of my illusive vocation, and he said to me, “So, tell me, why do you have to fly 3000 miles to find the will of God?” Well, that comment really opened my eyes! In fact, I did find my vocation – nearby --in the parish church across the street from my house!     

 

God really does not ask extraordinary things of us. If that were so, very few of us would ever get into heaven. St Theresa of Lisieux, (in her autobiography The Story of a Soul), at the beginning of her spiritual life, was put off by some of the stories of the saints and the rigorous penances and austerities they went through. She asked God to show her an “elevator” to live a life pleasing to God.

 

What is that elevator? We show our love for God by doing well the simple tasks we have to do each day. We do not need to seek God by striking out on long and arduous pilgrimages, climbing the heavens on our own or getting a doctorate in theology! God’s will for us is expressed in the circumstances we now live in, the people in our lives, the situations in which we find ourselves. The present moment is the only place where we can actually show God that we really love him, by showing love to the person we meet in the here and now; by being faithful to God in this concrete situation right here.

 

Actually, everything we need is in the scriptures and in the faith community we have here at Saint Edward, and by making use of the opportunities presented to us each day in the people we live, work and go to school with, however flawed they or we might be. He is in our mouths in the prayers we say at Mass and in our hearts when we get home: our task is only to carry it out.

                                                        Father Gary

[Salvation]

Blessed Mother Theresa - "Who is my neighbor?"

Saturday, July 10, 2010

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Love over Legalism

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft Corporation and the inventor of the personal computer has revolutionized society to the point that technology has forever changed the way human beings communicate and conduct business with each other. Mr. Gates is a wealthy man – a very wealthy, some might say obscenely wealthy man. His net worth is marked in the billions. With that kind of wealth, power, and influence, one could do anything they desire.

Yet, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation now has a significant role in shaping the world’s thinking about how best to combat social problems. This past January, Mr. Gates now full time philanthropist and his friend Warren Buffett, a man of equal worth and influence, offered public comments on the state of the world’s economy and its effects on the poor. Gates was quoted as saying: “The people who suffer the most from the economic crisis are the poorest.”

In order to follow words with actions, both Gates and Buffett increased the amount of their giving from $3.3 billion to $3.8 billion in 2009. Buffett pledged in 2006 to give 83% of his fortune to the foundation. He has already contributed $5 billion. The numbers are impressive and success has been made. But, much more needs to be done. While money is needed, the real sign of success is a marked and lasting change in the direction of people’s lives. It isn’t just about the money. It’s about the people who are touched by that advantage. While I don't believe Mr. Gates is now living in a shack one cannot help but laud such generosity and good example to the super rich.

This Sunday’s readings speak to us of making a difference in the life of another. From the Book of Deuteronomy 30: 10-14 writes about the natural law that God has established within each of our hearts. That law is, “. . . not too mysterious and remote for you. . . it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” It seems God has written upon the heart of every human person a natural sense of good. An inherit realization that in the sight of injustice a wrong must be made right. Obviously, though, what determines a “wrong” and what describes “injustice” may be viewed differently. Who is harmed by whom, the right response to that harm, and who receives assistance is often selective according to resources available. Even the Gates Foundation among others, have only a limited amount of resources and want to spend that money in the best way possible. But, who determines what is the “best way?”

The Gospel of Luke 10: 25-37, brings to us a parable that looks beyond the law of limits. The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most loved and well known. It is right up there in genius story telling with another parable of Jesus: the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.

Here, there is another law beyond the minimum which Jesus encounters. He is asked by a “scholar of the law . . . what must I do to inherit eternal life?” It strikes with a kind of minimalist flavor. What is the minimum I have to do? What does the law tell me? Most law offers us a line to not cross. The minimum requirement. These are the boundaries within which we must behave. If we walk outside these boundaries we are going beyond what the law allows or in the case of this scholar, what the law expects of every faithful Jew.

So, he quotes the law upon Jesus’ question, “What is written in the law?” The scholar quotes the first and second law of the Ten Commandments. What we are minimally expected to do: Love God and love your neighbor.

Yet, like all applications of the law, it demands a certain interpretation. “Who is my neighbor?” the scholar asks Jesus. He wants to be sure he understands the requirement.

Then, Jesus answers his query with a parable that demands far more than the minimum requirement. He is given an example of love over legalism; love beyond the minimum which becomes heroic and Christ-like. The story of the Good Samaritan touches the very nature of our relationship with one another and is consistent with the Christian Gospel after the profound example lived out in the life of our Lord. “Your neighbor is the stranger in need and your enemy will show you how it is done.” I imagine that at the end of this story, which envisions an entirely new social order, the scholar and all gathered with him stood there speechless. The Samaritan? The priest, the Levite were expected to have shown some compassion. But, maybe it was fear, disgust, indifference or a combination of all three that prevented them from attending to the physical need of the injured man. The point may be, those who should or could have, didn’t. The least likely one, did. Over and above what was reasonable: “Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.”

The Samaritan, a sworn enemy of the ancient Jews, modeled for his “enemies” a love which transcends culture, prejudice, creeds, and forms a neighbor out of a complete stranger. The moral of the story is crystal clear. As Jesus says, “. . . God and do likewise.”

I believe we are all capable of doing more but we so often, either through fear, laziness, ignorance, selfishness, or prejudice, settle for much less. The minimum sometimes becomes the norm of our behavior. What is the least I can do and still be considered a Catholic? What is the least I can do to improve my appearance or my behavior to still have people think well of me? I don’t have time right now, someone else will surely take care of that. We can often be creatures of excuses.

The parable of the Good Samaritan, the concrete example of Jesus who is the sign of God’s overwhelming generosity, demands a life-time of meditation. It can be a measure of the quality of my Christian life, an examination of conscience before Confession, a benchmark for parish outreach ministry, a model for family life and relationships within that family and one’s extended family, a measure between the super rich and the painfully poor.

Generosity is not giving me that which I need more than you do, but it is giving me that which you need more than I do. ~Kahlil Gibran

Let us go and do the same for one another.

Father Tim

[Salvation]

Insight Scoop

"Who Is My Neighbor?"

"Who Is My Neighbor?" | A Scriptural Reflection for Sunday, July 11, 2010 | Carl E. Olson

Readings:
• Deut. 30:10-14
• Psa. 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37, or Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
• Col. 1:15-20
• Lk. 10:25-37

Teachers sometimes say, “There is no such thing as a stupid question.” Their point is that if a student really wants to learn, he won’t mind asking questions that might appear silly to others, but are essential for him to comprehend the topic at hand. Having taught classes in various contexts, I know that I’ve never minded a “stupid” question, especially coming from someone who wants to know.

But one type of question that quickly gets under a teacher’s skin is the insincere question, which pushes an agenda based on the pursuit of power.

When the scholar of the law described in today’s Gospel reading addressed Jesus, it was not to seek truth, but to test the One who was—and is—Truth. Of course, the lawyer didn’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God; he saw Jesus as an opponent and a threat. His question about what must be done to inherit eternal life was not innocent; St. Luke’s choice of words clearly indicates hostility. And so the One who gave the Law (prior to becoming man) and who would fulfill the Law perfectly (after becoming man), was questioned by a lawyer who had scant interest in living the Law.

Jesus did what the greatest teachers do: He recognized the questioner’s intentions and forced him to play his hand by asking questions in return: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” The lawyer, quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, answered correctly. But, again, he was not interested in the answer; instead he attempted “to justify himself.” Rather than love his neighbor—who, in that moment, was Jesus—he sought to test and trap Him.

The arrogance of the lawyer must have been readily apparent in his next, and final, insincere question: “And who is my neighbor?” That was a debated question among first-century Jews, with some accepting certain strangers and sojourners while many others showed no care and had no concern for those who were not a member of the Jewish community.

The parable of the Good Samaritan, which is found only in Luke’s Gospel, leaves such separatism in shambles. Jesus did not offer an abstract or technical argument, but presented a stunning, even scandalous, narrative that rendered the lawyer’s attempted trap useless. The victim in the parable was most likely understood to be a Jew, assaulted by some of the many highway robbers who often made travel perilous in Palestine. The priest and the Levite represented the leadership of the Jewish people. Because of their esteemed position and purity regulations—such as avoiding contact with a corpse—they severely limited their physical contact with others.

One shocking truth shown by the parable is that those who had a position of stature because of their relationship with the Law would go out of their way—by passing “on the opposite side”—to avoid helping a fellow Jew who was in severe distress. The other surprise is the response of the Samaritan, who, although having no obligation toward the victim, was “moved with compassion” and, in direct contrast to the priest and Levite, “approached the victim” and cared for him. The enemy and stranger, because of his compassionate response toward a fellow man, becomes a friend and true neighbor—as the lawyer admits.

In contemplating the allegorical meaning of the parable, St. Ambrose wrote that Jesus was the Good Samaritan. Just as the Samaritan went down from the heights of Jerusalem to the valley of Jericho, the Son of God “descended from heaven and became man; He became a neighbor by acceptance of our common feeling and kin by the gift of mercy.”

He came, as St. Paul wrote in today’s Epistle, “to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross.” In this way, He demonstrated that true power comes from humility, while true love is shown when we give ourselves for others, regardless of the cost.

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in a slightly different form in the July 15, 2007, edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

Posted by Carl Olson on Sunday, July 11, 2010 at 12:04 AM |

[Salvation]

Secret Harbor ~ Portus Secretioris

10 July 2010

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading, Deuteronomy 30:10-14

What Moses is saying to the Israelites is that there is no excuse to plead ignorance of the commandments and statutes of the Lord. This sounds harsh but it is actually a loving plea from Moses. God’s will for them is not ambiguous -- it is clearly written in the book of the Law, therefore, Moses pleads with the people of Israel to return to the Lord with all their heart and soul. This message is timeless. Today, there’s really no reason to be in the fog when it comes to understanding what our Faith teaches. It’s in Sacred Scripture; it’s in the Catechism. Church documents, papal encyclicals, writings of the saints and early Fathers are all over the internet. All that is required is the same that was required of the Israelites -- returning to the Lord with the full extent of heart and soul. What would Moses say of our age of political correctness? Can you even begin to imagine him saying something like: 'It's a good idea to return to the Lord with all your heart and soul, assuming that’s what you really want and it doesn’t interfere with your schedule, and it’s not going to agitate your family or offend your friends'? While this sort of diplomacy will not likely pluck anyone’s nerves, in reality it is a disservice to the hearer. If truth is to be offered with a sincere expression of love it can never be watered down. Truth is not always popular, but it will set us free.

Second Reading, Colossians 1:15-20

'Christ Jesus is the Image of the invisible God'. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reads: 'By His revelation, the invisible God, from the fullness of His love, addresses men as His friends, and moves among them, in order to invite and receive them into His own company' (CCC 142). Saint Thomas Aquinas relates 'Image' with 'prototype' and says that Image has three qualities at the same time:
It must have a likeness with the original prototype.
It must be derived from the prototype.
It must belong to the same species as the prototype.
This explanation of 'Image' delineates that mere likeness alone would not be sufficient. A photograph, for example, is a likeness but it is not an image in the sense that is applied here. By Saint Paul writing that 'Jesus is the Image of the invisible God', he most certainly means God the Father. Therefore, Christ is the Image of God the Father because He exemplifies the Father. Saint John Damascene explains that image in itself does not demand equality with the original model, but we know that Christ, the Image, is identical and equal to the Father in every way. The only difference is that Jesus is begotten. Saint Paul continues this letter by writing that Christ is 'the firstborn of all creation'. This is not a reference to being born of the Virgin Mary. Paul’s meaning is that Jesus was before all creatures, proceeding from all eternity from the Father. Firstborn, then, as it is applied here is a metaphor for pre-existence before creation. Christ is Supreme, Eternal and the final revelation of God because 'all things were created through Him and for Him'. He is the reason and cause of all things and yet as our Creator He does not distance Himself from us, but instead, He thirsts for intimacy with His brothers and sisters by means of His boundless love. Christ is 'the Head of the Body, the Church', and yet His Sovereignty over the members does not deter Him from a close and intense union with them. He is 'the firstborn from the dead' in the sense that He is the first to rise to a new life and in His glorious triumph He is the cause of our resurrection. 'For in Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell'. Generally, 'fullness' is synonymous with 'totality'. In this case, however, fullness more appropriately means 'all existence'. Being reconciled to God through Christ with those on earth primarily means the human race; but what does Paul mean by reconciliation with those in heaven? Saint John Chrysostom defines those in heaven as angels. This doesn't mean, however, that Christ sacrificed Himself for angels. Angels in heaven are totally and unequivocally devoted to the cause and glory of Almighty God. This suggests, then, that before Christ’s redeeming Sacrifice the angels were at enmity with the human race because our sins separated us from God. Christ put an end to this division by restoring us to God’s favor through the Blood of His Cross.

Gospel, Luke 10:25-37

A scholar asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus refers him to the Law, of which this man, because he is a scholar, would know like the back of his hand. The scholar quotes the part of the Law that is found in Deuteronomy (6:5). Most likely, any Jew of Christ's day would have answered the same way since these words of the Law are the beginning of what is known as the 'Shema'. This is the ritual prayer that was required to be said by every Jew twice a day. What’s interesting about the scholar’s answer, though, is that he added the words 'and your neighbor as yourself'. This is not part of the Deuteronomy text or the Shema but is found in the Book of Leviticus (19:18). The Law did require neighborly love but was almost never referenced by the doctors of the Law. The combination of the two biblical texts is found nowhere in the rabbinical writings. It would seem that Saint Luke is presenting this scholar to us as a man who is not committed to the Law in the traditional sense, but who was able to discern the spirit of the old Law and thus surmised that Jesus was a kindred Soul. Jesus, Who knows what’s in the heart of every human being obviously saw that this man was indeed a scholar beyond the traditional sense because the parable that Jesus tells involves a Samaritan; and the relationship between Jews and Samaritans was not pleasant as Saint John's Gospel makes note of: 'Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans' (John 4:9). Keep in mind, though, Samaritans also followed the Pentateuch and regarded Moses as their teacher.

 

The contrast in Christ’s story is vivid. On one hand, there is a wounded man, presumably a Jew. He was stripped, beaten and left for dead. A priest and a Levite, both of whom earn their living from the offerings of the people, at least by human standards and conscience would be more obligated to the command of neighborly love and concern. Both, however, ignore the wounded man and pass him by. On the other hand, a Samaritan who is not well-liked as it is, and who is also walking in unfriendly territory, shows compassion to the wounded man. This story makes it abundantly clear that our neighbor is anyone and everyone in need.

 

Upon further review, which has already been done for us by many of the early Church Fathers, this reveals that there’s more to this Gospel passage than meets the eye. The Fathers teach us that Jesus is also speaking allegorically and this story has a much deeper meaning.

 

1.    The Samaritan is actually a representation of Christ.

2.    The wounded man represents the condition of the human race before our Lord's Supreme Sacrifice on the Cross.

3.    The robbers represent the devil that stripped the human race of their supernatural gifts and wounded our relationship with our heavenly Father.

4.    The priest and Levite represent the Old Covenant.

5.    The oil and wine represents the Sacraments

6.    while the inn where the wounded man was taken to receive care represents the Church. 7.    Finally, the innkeeper represents Saint Peter, his successors, the bishops and priests.

 

Saint Jerome, Saint Ambrose, Origen and many others are all in agreement on this. The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes this Gospel with the following: 'Our Father desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. His commandment is that you love one another. This commandment summarizes all the others and expresses His entire will' (CCC 2822).

 

Posted by Jeffrey S. J. Allan at 20:59

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

Men Who Hold Their Gaze Directly Towards God

By

Father Mark

 on July 10, 2010 11:00 PM |

What the World Needs

On April 1, 2005, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger gave a conference at Subiaco, the cradle of Benedictine life. Nineteen days later, as bishop of Rome, he assumed the name of Saint Benedict. Pope Benedict's message at Subiaco identifies what the world needs above all else. "We need," he said, "men who hold their gaze directly towards God."

Vocation

Given that our monastery here in Tulsa professes a Benedictine life marked by the particular charism of adoration of the Eucharistic Face of Christ, these words of Pope Benedict XVI are, for me, very compelling. What does one do in Eucharistic adoration if not hold one's gaze directly towards God? The other component of this particular charism is that if I seek to hold my gaze fixed on the Eucharistic Face of God, it is, first of all, for my brother priests, and especially for those whose gaze has, for one reason or another, been distracted -- literally, pulled away from -- the One Thing Necessary. This is where adoration and reparation meet.

With Unveiled Face

People are drawn to Saint Benedict because in him they see a man who "held his gaze directly towards God." People are drawn to Benedictine monasteries because in them they expect to find men and women who "with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another" (2 Cor 3:18). People come to monasteries in search of a place where there is evidence of a divine inbreaking: traces of the Kingdom of Heaven, glimmers of the glory of God shining on the Face of Christ.

Those Who Seek God

More often than not the search for God begins with a search for those who seek God. It has always been thus in the life of the Church in both East and West. The faithful come to monasteries looking for fathers and mothers for their souls. People seek out monks and nuns hoping to see on their faces a reflection of the brightness of God. By virtue of monastic profession, we are called to hold our faces directly toward God. "For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor 4:6).

The Man of God

In Saint Benedict we monks and nuns and oblates venerate a man who held his face directly toward God and who teaches us to do the same. We call him our father: Holy Father Benedict. There is, in this custom of reverent affection, a certain sweetness. We affirm, beyond any doubt, that, by a mysterious design of Providence, we are children of Benedict, the vir Dei, the man of God.

A Holy Father

Saint Benedict's fatherhood over us is a gift of the Holy Spirit, a gift not only for a limited space, a single lifetime, and a small number of disciples. When we call Saint Benedict our Holy Father, we are not giving mere lip service to a formula of conventional piety; we are expressing a mysterious and abiding reality. Saint Benedict cares for each of us with the solicitude of a spiritual father. Even in heaven, he "bears in mind what he is and what he is called" (RB 2:30-31). From his place in glory, "he adapts and fits himself to all, so that not only will he not lose any of the flock entrusted to him, but he will rejoice as his good flock increases" (RB 2:32). About thirty-five years ago, precisely on a July 11th, while taking my place in the refectory for the evening meal, I was absolutely smitten by a profound personal awareness of the real paternity of Saint Benedict over my soul. It so affected me that, being young and impressionable, I salted my soup that evening with tears. It is something that I have never forgotten.

The Care of Sick Souls

Saint Benedict has not forgotten in heaven what he taught on earth: that an abbot undertakes "the care of sick souls, not a despotic rule over healthy ones" (RB 27:6). He continues in heaven to search "for the sheep gone astray" (RB 27:8), and he has such pity for its weakness that he is ready to carry it back to the flock on his own shoulders.

Subiaco

It is as important for us to read and re-read Saint Gregory's Life of our holy father Saint Benedict as it is for us to read and re-read his Rule. Saint Gregory allows us to see a young man, blessed by grace and by name, disillusioned by the empty pursuits he saw all around him, and moved by the Holy Spirit to seek the habit of monastic conversion. The young Benedict goes to live alone in the savage beauty of Subiaco, far from the disquiet and turmoil of Rome.

Solitude

Saint Benedict of the Sacro Speco, the sacred grotto of Subiaco, is the model of all who, by choice or circumstances, live alone. His solitude was by no means absolute; he related to the rustic shepherds of the locality and, by his teaching, restored their human dignity. Saint Gregory says that many, having known Benedict, passed from a life that was beastly to the life of grace. By offering a spiritual hospitality, the solitary Benedict refreshed all who sought him out with nourishment drawn from his heart.

Temptation

Saint Benedict was tempted in his solitude. He was no stranger to struggles of the mind, heart, and flesh. This makes him very close to us. The devil seeks, by means of temptations, to drag us into the pit of bitterness, dejection, despair. God, for his part, permits temptation, because temptation makes the saints compassionate, humble, and wise. The seeds of Holy Father Benedict's compassion, humility, and wisdom were planted in the temptations he endured at Subiaco.

The Tools of the Spiritual Craft

The second period of Saint Benedict’s life is characterized by his foundations at Subiaco. These monasteries were outposts of the Kingdom of God in the wilderness. Their very presence threatened the kingdom of darkness. It was at Subiaco that he began to wield masterfully the tools of the spiritual craft that he passed on to us in the Rule: "Not to give way to anger. Not to abandon charity. To rest one's hope in God. To fall often to prayer. To love chastity. Not to cherish bitterness, And never to despair of God's mercy" (RB 4: 22, 26, 41, 56, 64, 66, 74).

Conversion

Listening carefully to circumstances, and seeing the will of God in events, Saint Benedict discerned a call to depart from Subiaco, to move on. He obeyed a call to uproot himself and his monks. He embraced change. While requiring stability of his monks, Holy Father Benedict was remarkably supple, ever ready to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the paradoxes of Benedictine life: the vow of stability dovetails with that of conversatio morum. By the one, we commit ourselves to persevere in a given context, to put down roots, and endure in spiritual combat; by the other, we commit ourselves to change, always to begin afresh, and to move on in obedience to the Holy Spirit. These are not conflicting vows, but complementary ones. Stability without conversion is a kind of spiritual fossilization. Change without stability is superficial and sterile. Saint Benedict can help us, will help us, to integrate stability into change, change into stability, always in obedience to the Spirit speaking to us through the wisdom of the Rule and in the counsel of the Abbot.

Monte Cassino

The third period of Saint Benedict's life took place on the heights of Monte Cassino. There, he reached a fullness of maturity in Christ that was revealed when, lifted out of himself, he saw the entire world gathered into a single ray of light before his eyes (cf. Life XXXV). This signifies, of course, that Saint Benedict had come to see all things as God sees them; he had passed into the light of God while yet in the shadows of this world.

Death and Life

Saint Benedict died standing, surrounded by his disciples, with his hands raised to heaven in the gesture of the Suscipe, becoming in that hour an icon of Love Crucified in the mystery of His Passover to the Father. Benedictine life is, in the end, a mysterious and life-long configuration to the obedient, humble, and silent Christ, a ceaseless passage out of darkness into light, out of death into life, out of time into eternity. "Yearn for eternal life," he says, “with all possible spiritual desire" (RB 4:46).

Desire

Our Holy Father Benedict is attentive to each of us in the struggles and questions that invite us to turn, again and again, from the darkness to live facing the "deifying Light" (RB Pro:9). And should this be too difficult, it is enough that we should have the desire of the Light. Every good work begins in holy desire and in humble prayer to God, a prayer of few words and of "repentance with tears" (RB 20:4). He who inspires the desire for continual conversion is alone capable of bringing that desire to completion.

Even Today

Seek the prayer of Holy Father Benedict today. Claim his fatherhood over you. Ask him to intervene in all the "hard and repugnant things" (RB 63:8) by which we go to God. Saint Gregory says at the end of his Life of Saint Benedict that "even today, when the faith of the faithful asks for it, he works miracles" (Life XXXVIII). I believe that.

And Forever

I am confident that Holy Father Benedict will not forsake us in our needs. Rejoice, then, that we have been given so compassionate, so wise, so loving a father in God, and desiring nothing so much as to pass over with him, already here and now, into the everlasting liturgy of heaven where the praise of all the saints is perfect and without end.

[Salvation]

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

---

Introduction

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.

---

Hymn

O blest Creator of the light,

Who mak’st the day with radiance bright,

And o’er the forming world didst call

The light from chaos first of all.

Whose wisdom joined in meet array

The morn and eve, and named them day;

Night comes with all its darkling fears;

Regard thy people’s prayers and tears.

Lest, sunk in sin and ’whelmed with strife

They lose the gift of endless life;

While thinking but the thoughts of time,

They weave new chains of woe and crime.

But grant them grace that they may strain

The heavenly gate and prize to gain;

Each harmful lure aside to cast,

And purge away each error past.

O Father, that we ask be done

Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son,

Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,

Doth live and reign eternally.

Psalm 109 (110)
The Messiah, king and priest

The Lord said to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand.’ Alleluia.

The Lord has said to my lord:

  “Sit at my right hand

  while I make your enemies your footstool.”

From Zion 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,

  among the sacred splendours.

  Before the dawn, I begot you from the womb.

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 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.

The Lord said to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand.’ Alleluia.

---

Psalm 110 (111)
Great are the works of the Lord

The compassionate Lord keeps alive the memory of the wonders he has worked. Alleluia.

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.

The compassionate Lord keeps alive the memory of the wonders he has worked. Alleluia.

---

Canticle	(Apocalypse 19)

The wedding of the Lamb

God reigns: our Lord, the Almighty. Alleluia.

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.

God reigns: our Lord, the Almighty. Alleluia.

---

Short reading	1 Peter 1:3-5 ©

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.

---

Short Responsory

Blessed are you, Lord, in the vault of heaven.

– Blessed are you, Lord, in the vault of heaven.

Praise and glory are yours for ever.

– Blessed are you, Lord, in the vault of heaven.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Blessed are you, Lord, in the vault of heaven.

---

Canticle	Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

‘Who do you think proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him,’ the lawyer replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’

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.

‘Who do you think proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him,’ the lawyer replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’

---

Prayers and Intercessions

God, creator of the world, re-created it through the Redemption and renews it daily through his love. With joy we pray:

– Lord, renew the wonders of your love.

O God, we thank you for your power, revealed in the whole of your creation;

  and for your providence, revealed day by day in the world.

– Lord, renew the wonders of your love.

Through your Son, proclaimer of peace and victor on the Cross,

  free us from pointless fears and from despair.

– Lord, renew the wonders of your love.

To all who love and work for justice,

  give the gift of working together in openness and trust, building up the world in true peace.

– Lord, renew the wonders of your love.

Support the oppressed, give freedom to captives, console those who mourn:

  let the victory of the Cross transform everything.

– Lord, renew the wonders of your love.

After your Son was dead and buried you miraculously raised him into glory:

  grant that all the dead may come to share eternal life with him.

– Lord, renew the wonders of your love.

---

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 who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil.

---

O God, your light guides those who have strayed and helps them back to the right path.

  Grant to all who are called Christians

  that they may reject whatever contradicts that name

  but hold fast to whatever is right for it.

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.

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May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

AMEN

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Love of Neighbor

INTERNATIONAL | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Sunday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time

July 11, 2010
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Shawn Aaron, LC

Luke 10: 25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live." But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ´Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.´ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers´ victim?" He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Introductory Prayer: Almighty and ever-living God, I seek new strength from the courage of Christ our shepherd. I believe in you, I hope in you, and I seek to love you with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind and all my strength. I want to be led one day to join the saints in heaven, where your Son Jesus Christ lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Petition: Jesus, may I love as you have loved me.

1. Search for the Fountain of Life   Since the human soul is spiritual, its longings are infinite in scope, and so we naturally want to live an eternity of happiness, an eternity full of life. Yet this scholar of the law has keenly perceived that eternal life is more that just the next step after death. I must do something in order to inherit it. My existence and my redemption are totally unmerited gifts from God: I never asked him for the gift of life nor did I ask him to die for me, yet here I am, alive and redeemed. What is more, I can never earn either existence or God´s free love. Yet there is at least an aspect of eternal life that derives from my merit. The quality of my eternal life corresponds to the quality of my love and the goodness of my deeds on this side of eternity.

2. Laws and Lawyers  The response of Jesus verifies a profoundly Catholic understanding of reality. The scholar´s question could be put in another way: "What must I do to be saved?" One would expect the response to be: "Believe, have faith!" Yet Jesus already knows that this man has faith. He confirms that faith is certainly necessary for salvation, but that faith must be translated into love if we are to have eternal life. When Jesus says, "What is written in the law," he presupposes faith in God, the author of the moral law. But in addition, he is inviting him to apply his faith to living the law in love. Faith and works are inseparable. "Whoever says, ´I know him,´ but does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever keeps his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection" (1 John 2:4-5).

3. Simple, Not Complicated  With these words Jesus brings the lesson to a full conclusion. By loving as the Good Samaritan loves, we are on the path to a life that is never-ending, a life that we naturally long to experience and possess. We must always trust Jesus when we find that he places us in situations that stretch our love and generosity to limits that often hurt. He knows that we long for eternal life, but he also knows that the path to that life is a love that purifies, stretches, and demands our all. Therefore, Jesus invites us to follow him down the road of life-giving love. Every crucifix reminds us of this self-giving love that leads to life.

Conversation with Christ:  Blessed Lord, increase my faith so that I may see you in every person I meet. Strengthen my hope that I may trust firmly that you will give me all I need to love as you ask. Deepen my love that I may experience the joy that comes from giving and not counting the cost. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.

Resolution: Today I will do three hidden acts of charity.