DAILY READING and REFLECTIONS For Monday, June 23, 2014 12th Week in Ordinary Time - Psalter 4 (Green) Vigil of Solemnity of Birth of John the Baptist Readings: 2 Kgs 17:5-18; Ps 60:3-13; Matt 7:1-5 Response: Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us. Rosary: Joyful Mysteries Key Verse: Do not judge, and you will not be judged. SAINT OF THE DAY: Saint Joseph Cafass, Patron of prison chaplains, captives, imprisoned people and prisoners Birth: 1811 - Death: 1860 Joseph Cafasso was born at Castelnuovo dA sti in the Piedmont, Italy, of peasant parents. He studied at the seminary at Turin, and was ordained in 1833. He continued his theological studies at the seminary and university at Turin and then at the Institute of St. Franics, and despite a deformed spine, became a brilliant lecturer in moral theology there. He was a popular teacher, actively opposed Jansenism, and fought state intrusion into Church affairs. He succeeded Luigi Guala as rector of the Institute in 1848 and made a deep impression on his young priest students with his holiness and insistence on discipline and high standards. He was a sought-after confessor and spiritual adviser, and ministered to prisoners, working to improve their terrible conditions. He met Don Bosco in 1827 and the two became close friends. It was through Josephs encouragement that Bosco decided his vocation was working with boys. Joseph was his adviser, worked closely with him in his foundations, and convinced others to fund and found religious institutes and charitable organizations. Joseph died on June 23 at Turin and was canonized in 1947. READINGS FOR THE DAY: READING 1: Second Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18 5 The king of Assyria invaded the whole country and, coming to Samaria, laid siege to it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah on the Habor, a river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 7 This happened because the Israelites had sinned against Yahweh their God who had brought them out of Egypt, out of the grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshipped other gods, 8 they followed the practices of the nations which Yahweh had dispossessed for them. 13 And yet through all the prophets and the seers, Yahweh had given Israel and Judah this warning, Turn from your wicked ways and keep my commandments and my laws in accordance with the entire Law which I laid down for your fathers and delivered to them through my servants the prophets. 14 But they would not listen, they were as stubborn as their ancestors, who had no faith in Yahweh their God. 15 They despised his laws and the covenant which he had made with their ancestors and the warnings which he had given them. Pursuing futility, they themselves became futile through copying the nations round them, although Yahweh had ordered them not to act as they did. 18 Because of which, Yahweh became enraged with Israel and thrust them away from him. The tribe of Judah was the only one left. RESPONSORIAL PSALM, Psalms 60:3, 4-5, 12-13 3 You have forced your people to drink a bitter draught, forced us to drink a wine that made us reel. 4 You gave a signal to those who fear you to let them escape out of range of the bow.Pause 5 To rescue those you love, save with your right hand and answer us. 12 With God we shall do deeds of valour, he will trample down our enemies. GOSPEL, Matthew 7:1-5 1 Do not judge, and you will not be judged; 2 because the judgements you give are the judgements you will get, and the standard you use will be the standard used for you. 3 Why do you observe the splinter in your brothers eye and never notice the great log in your own? 4 And how dare you say to your brother, Let me take that splinter out of your eye, when, look, there is a great log in your own? 5 Hypocrite! Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brothers eye. REFLECTIONS: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God) OPENING PRAYER: Father, guide and protector of your people, grant us an unfailing respect for your name, and keep us always in your love. 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. ON READING 1: 2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18 (Samaria is invaded and its capital falls and Thoughts on the fall of Samaria) The Northern kingdom comes to an end with the fall of Samaria. Undoubtedly that event was traumatic for the chosen people. But the sacred writer focuses mainly on the religious aspect of the drama. For one thing, he offers an explanation of it in terms of the overall relationship between God and his people: the events he describes are a lesson for Judah to learn (vv. 7-23). Also, he uses the situation created by the Assyrian takeover to show that the Samaritan population of his own time can no longer be regarded as part of the chosen people (vv. 24-41). Assyrian chronicles attribute the overrun of Samaria to Sargon II, who succeeded Shalmaneser V in December 722 BC, and they record that 27,290 Israelites were deported, which would have been ten per cent of the population.This would mean that the deportation took place in 721 BC. Assyrias policy was to deport the upper classes, who would have been best placed to organized resistance. The date of the fall of Samaria connects with the last year of Hosheas reign: he ceased to be king in 724 BC. During the three-year siege Samaria had no king. The fall of Samaria is described very briefly, whereas the causes of its downfall are reported at length. The sacred writer wants to show that sin was the cause of the catastrophe -- a very grave sin when set against the generosity of Gods gifts. Now, only the tribe of Judah survives -- not that it has proven faithful to the Lord (vv. 18-19). For the sacred writer the fall of the Northern kingdom marks the end of a long process which began with Jeroboam and the making of the two golden calves (cf. 1 Kings 12:25-33). By turning their backs on the house of David, the Northerners became estranged from the presence of God. By explaining things in this way, the sacred writers message is that God has promised salvation and, specifically, continuity of the Davidic dynasty (2 Sam 7:14). The Northern king- dom cut itself off from the house of David, and now it has ceased to exist. But Judah endures; even though it, too, sinned, it puts its trust in God to keep his promise. The redactor of the books of the Kings is well aware that Jerusalem, too, will be destroyed and that the people of Judah will be sent into exile (cf. 1 Kings 9:7-9), yet God will still be present among them: the people of Judah will not disappear, for God is faithful to the promise he made to the house of David. The fall of the Northern kingdom was certainly a lesson for Judah, a lesson it failed to learn (cf. Jer 16:10-13). But it is also a lesson for all men, in all ages: abandoning God and distancing oneself from Christ, the Son of David, puts man in danger of eternal perdition. Commenting on the downfall of the two kingdoms, St. Macarius drew a spiritual lesson: Alas for the soul deprived of the loving care of Christ that causes it to bear the good fruits of the Spirit!; because, knowing itself to be abandoned, full of thorns and thistles, instead of producing fruit, it ends up on the bonfire. Alas for the soul in which Christ the Lord does not live!, because, feeling abandoned, it becomes the seed-bed for all vices (Homiliae spirituals, 28, 2). ON THE GOSPEL: Matthew 7:1-5 (Various Precepts: Do Not Judge) In today’s Gospel we continue to meditate on the Sermon on the Mountain found in chapters 5 to 7 of the Gospel of Matthew. During the 10th and 11th week we have seen chapters 5 and 6. Beginning today, we will see chapter 7. These three chapters, 5, 6, and 7 offer an idea of how the catechesis was done in the communities of the converted Jews in the second half of the first century in Galilee and in Syria. Matthew unites and organizes the words of Jesus to teach how the new way of living the Law of God should be. After having explained how to re-establish justice (Mt 5, 17 a 6, 18) and how to restore the order of creation (Mt 6, 19-34), Jesus teaches how the life in community should be (Mt 7, 1-12). At the end he presents some recommendations and final advice (Mt 7, 13-27). Then follows an outline of the entire Sermon on the Mountain: Matthew 5, 1-12: The Beatitudes: solemn openness of the New Law. Matthew 5, 13-16: The new presence in the world: Salt of the earth and light of the world. Matthew 5, 17-19: The new practice of justice: relationship with the ancient law. Matthew 5, 20-48: The new practice of justice: observing the new law. Matthew 6, 1-4: The new practice of the works of piety: alms giving. Matthew 6, 5-15: The new practice of the works of piety: prayer. Matthew 6, 16-18: The new practice of the works of piety: fasting. Matthew 6, 19-21: The new relationship to material goods: do not store up. Matthew 6, 22-23: The new relationship to material goods: a correct vision. Matthew 6, 24: The new relationship to material goods: God or money. Matthew 6, 25-34: The new relationship to material goods: trust in Providence Matthew 7, 1-5: The new community life together: do not judge. Matthew 7, 6: The new community life together: do not despise the community Matthew 7, 7-11: The new community life: trust in God produces sharing Matthew 7, 12: The new community life together: the Golden Rule Matthew 7, 13-14: Final recommendations to choose the sure way. Matthew 7, 15-20: Final recommendations, the prophet is known by his fruits. Matthew 7, 21-23: Final recommendations not only speak but also practice. Matthew 7, 24-27: Final recommendations, construct the house on rock The community lived experience of the Gospel (Mt 7, 1-12) is the touchstone. It is where the seriousness of the commitment is defined. The new proposal of life in community embraces diverse aspects: do not observe the sprinter in your brother’s eye (Mt 7, 1-5), do not throw your pearls in front of pigs (Mt 7,6), do not be afraid to ask God for things (Mt 7,7-11). These advices reach their summit in the Golden Rule: Always treat others as you would like them to treat you (Mt 7, 12). The Gospel of today presents the first part: Matthew 7, 1-5. Matthew 7, 1-2: Do not judge and you will not be judged. The first condition for a good life together in community is not to judge the brother or the sister, that is, to eliminate the preconceptions which prevent a transparent community life. What does this mean concretely? John’s Gospel gives an example of how Jesus lived in community with the disciples. Jesus says: “I shall no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know the master’s business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father” (Jn 15, 15). Jesus is an open book for his companions. This transparency comes from his total trust in the brothers and sisters and has its origin in his intimacy with the Father who gives him the force of opening himself up totally to others. Anyone who lives in this way with his brothers and sisters accepts others as they are, without any preconceptions, without previously imposing any conditions, without judging. Mutual acceptance without any pretension and with total transparency! This is the ideal of the new community life, which has come from the Good News which Jesus has brought to us: God is Father and Mother and, therefore, we are all brothers and sisters. It is a difficult ideal but a very beautiful and attractive as the other one: “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Jesus is condemning any rash judgments we make maliciously or carelessly about our brothers behavior or feelings or motives. Think badly and you will not be far wrong is completely at odds with Jesus teaching. In speaking of Christian charity St. Paul lists its main features: Love is patient and kind [...]. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4, 5, 7). Therefore, Never think badly of anyone, not even if the words or conduct of the person in question give you good grounds for doing so (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 442). Let us be slow to judge.--Each one sees things from his own point of view, as his mind, with all its limitations, tells him, and through eyes that are often dimmed and clouded by passion (ibid., 451). As elsewhere, the verbs in the passive voice (you will be judged, the measure you will be given) have God as their subject, even though He is not explily mentioned: Do not judge OTHERS, that you be not judged BY GOD. Clearly the judgment ref rred to here is always a condemnatory judgment; therefore, if we do not want to be condemned by God, we should never condemn our neighbor. God measures out according as we measure out and forgives as we forgive, and comes to our rescue with the same tenderness as He sees us having towards others (Fray Luis de Leon, Exposicion Del Libro De Job, chapter 29). Matthew 7. 3-5: You observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the great log in your own. Immediately Jesus gives an example: Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye, and never notice the great log in your own? And how dare you say to your brother, ‘Let me take that splinter out of your eye, when look, there is a great log in your own? Hypocrite! Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye”. When hearing this phrase we usually think of the Pharisees who despised the people, considering them ignorant and they considered themselves better than others (cf. Jn 7, 49; 9, 34). In reality, the phrase of Jesus serves for all of us. For example, today many of us Catholics are less faithful to the Gospel than the non-Catholics. We observe the splinter in the eye of our brothers and we do not see the big log of collective powerful pride in our own eyes. This log causes many persons today to have much difficulty to believe in the Good News of Jesus. A person whose sight is distorted sees things as deformed, even though in fact they are not deformed. St. Augustine gives this advice: Try to acquire those virtues which you think your brothers lack, and you will no longer see their defects, because you will not have them yourselves (Enarrationes In Psalmos, 30, 2, 7). In this connection, the saying, A thief thinks that everyone else is a thief is in line with this teaching of Jesus. Besides: To criticize, to destroy, is not difficult; any unskilled laborer knows how to drive his pick into the noble and finely-hewn stone of a cathedral. To construct: that is what requires the skill of a master (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 456). FINAL PRAYERS: Your kindnesses to me are countless, Yahweh; true to your judgements, give me life. (Ps 119,156) The living water that is the Holy Spirit quenches our lives because it tells us that we are loved by God and his children, that we can love God as his children, and that by his grace we can live as children of God, as did Jesus. -- Pope Francis Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. -- St. Jerome The Father uttered one Word; that Word is His Son, and He utters Him forever in everlasting silence; and in silence the soul has to hear it. -- St. John of the Cross
Posted on: Sun, 22 Jun 2014 23:23:53 +0000
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