DAILY READING and REFLECTIONS For Tuesday, October 07, 2014 27th Week in Ordinary Time - Psalter 3 (White) Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary Readings: Gal 1:13-24; Ps 139:1-15; Lk 10:38-42 Response: Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way. Rosary: Sorrowful Mysteries Verse Highlight: It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her. SAINT OF THE DAY: Saint Artaldus Birth: 1101 - Death: 1206 Artaldus (also called Arthaud) was born in the castle of Sothonod in Savoy. At the age of eighteen, he went to the court of Duke Amadeus III, but a year or two after, he became a Carthusian at Portes. After many years, being a priest and an experienced and holy religious, he was sent by the prior of the Grande Chartreuse to found a charterhouse near his home, in a valley in the Valromey significantly called the cemetery. Here Artaldus established himself with six of his brethren from Portes. The community was no sooner well settled down, than there buildings were destroyed by fire, and St. Artaldus had to begin all over again. He chose a fresh site on the Arvieres River, and his second foundation was soon built and occupied. But a Carthusian cell could not contain the ever-increasing reputation of Artaldus: like his master St. Bruno, he was consulted by the Pope, and when he was well over eighty, he was called from his monastery to be bishop of Belley, in spite of his vehement and reasonable protest. However, after less than two years of episcopate, his resignation was accepted, and he thankfully returned to Arvieres, where he lived in peace for the rest of his days. During his last years, he was visited by St. Hugh of Lincoln, who had come into France, and who, while he was prior of the charterhouse of Witham, had induced Henry II to become a benefactor of Arvieres. The Magna vita of St. Hugh records a gentle rebuke administered by Hugh when Artaldus asked him for political news in the presence of the community who had turned their backs upon the world to give themselves entirely to God. The cultus of St. Artaldus, called simply Blessed by the Carthusians, was confirmed for the diocese of Belley in 1834. He was 105 years old when he died. READINGS FROM THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE: READING 1, Galatians 1:13-24 13 You have surely heard how I lived in the past, within Judaism, and how there was simply no limit to the way I persecuted the Church of God in my attempts to destroy it; 14 and how, in Judaism, I outstripped most of my Jewish contemporaries in my limitless enthusiasm for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who had set me apart from the time when I was in my mothers womb, called me through his grace and chose 16 to reveal his Son in me, so that I should preach him to the gentiles, I was in no hurry to confer with any human being, 17 or to go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me. Instead, I went off to Arabia, and later I came back to Damascus. 18 Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to meet Cephas. I stayed fifteen days with him 19 but did not set eyes on any of the rest of the apostles, only James, the Lords brother. 20 I swear before God that what I have written is the truth. 21 After that I went to places in Syria and Cilicia; 22 and was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judaea which are in Christ, 23 they simply kept hearing it said, The man once so eager to persecute us is now preaching the faith that he used to try to destroy, 24 and they gave glory to God for me. RESPONSORIAL PSALM, Psalms 139:1-3, 13-14, 14-15 1 [For the choirmaster Of David Psalm] Yahweh, you examine me and know me, 2 you know when I sit, when I rise, you understand my thoughts from afar. 3 You watch when I walk or lie down, you know every detail of my conduct. 13 You created my inmost self, knit me together in my mothers womb. 14 For so many marvels I thank you; a wonder am I, and all your works are wonders. You knew me through and through, 15 my being held no secrets from you, when I was being formed in secret, textured in the depths of the earth. GOSPEL, Luke 10:38-42 38 In the course of their journey he came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lords feet and listened to him speaking. 40 Now Martha, who was distracted with all the serving, came to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me. 41 But the Lord answered, Martha, Martha, he said, you worry and fret about so many things, 42 and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her. REFLECTIONS: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God) OPENING PRAYER: Father, your love for us surpasses all our hopes and desires. Forgive our failings, keep us in your peace and lead us in the way of salvation. 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: Galatians 1:13-24 (Gods Call - Continued) The Acts of the Apostles tell us about Pauls religious zeal; a Pharisee, he had studied under Gamaliel (cf. Acts 22:3; Phil 3:5) and had consented to and been present at the martyrdom of Stephen (cf. Acts 7:58; 8:1). Saul had stood out as a persecutor of Christians, so keen was he to seek them out and imprison them, even going beyond Judea to do so (cf. Acts 9:1-2). Clearly he had been a man convinced of his Jewish faith, a zealous keeper of the Law, and proud to be a Jew (cf. Rom 11:1 ; 2 Cor 11:22). Such was the fear the early Christians had of him that they could not bring themselves to believe in his conversion (cf. Acts 9:26). However, this same fervor and passion, to use St Augustines comparison (cf. Contra Faustum, XXII, 70) was like a dense jungle -- a serious obstacle and yet an indication of immensely fertile soil. Our Lord sowed the seed of the Gos- pel in that soil and it produced a very rich crop. Everyone, no matter how irregular his life may have been, can produce good results like this -- with the help of grace, which does not displace nature but heals and purifies it, and then raises and perfects it: Courage! You...can! Dont you see what Gods grace did with sleepy-headed Peter, the coward who had denied him ..., and with Paul, his fierce and relentless persecutor? (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 483). More than once in Scripture we read about God choosing certain people for special missions even when they were still in their mothers womb (cf. Jer 1:5; Is 49:1-5; Lk 1:15; etc.). This emphasizes the fact that God makes a gratuitous choice: there is no question of the persons previous merits contributing to Gods decision. Vocation is a supernatural divine gift, which God has planned from all eternity. When God made his will known on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:3-6), St. Paul did not confer with flesh and blood, that is, did not seek advice from anyone, because he was absolutely sure that God himself had called him. Nor did he consent to the prudence of the flesh, seeking to play safe: his self-surrender was immediate, total and unconditional. When the Apostles heard Jesus inviting them to follow him, they immediately left their nets (Mt 4:20, 22; Mk 1:18 ) and followed the Master, leaving everything behind (cf. Lk 5:11). We see the same thing happening in Sauls case: he responds immediately. If he makes his way to Ananias, he does so on the explicit instructions of Jesus -- in order to receive instruction and Baptism and to discover what his mission is to be (Acts 9:15-16). Gods call, therefore, should receive an immediate response. Consider the faith and obedience of the Apostles, St John Chrysostom says. They are in the midst of their work (and you know how attractive fishing is!). When they hear his command, they do not vacillate or lose any time: they do not say, Lets go home and say goodbye to our parents. No, they leave everything and follow him. That is the kind of obedience Christ asks of us -- not to delay even a minute, no matter how important the things that might keep us (Hom. on St Matthew, 14, 2). And St Cyril of Alexandria comments: For Jesus also said, No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God, and he looked back who asked permission to return home and speak to his parents. But we see that the holy Apostles did not act in that way; rather they followed Jesus, immediately leaving the boat and their parents behind. Paul also acted immediately. He did not confer with flesh and blood. That is how those who want to follow Christ must act (Commentarium in Lucam, 9). A person has a duty to follow Christ even if his relatives are opposed to his doing so or want him to delay making a final decision, perhaps because they feel that would be the more (humanly) prudent course: A person should honor his parents, but God he should obey. We should love the one who has begotten us, but the first place should be given to him who created us, St Augustine says, not min- cing words (Sermon 100). Even if we are unsure as to whether we are strong enough to persevere, this should not delay us or concern us: it should simply lead us to pray confidently for Gods help, because, as Vatican II teaches, when God calls a person, he must reply without taking counsel with flesh and blood and must give himself fully to the work of the Gospel. However, such an answer can only be given with the encouragement and help of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he must be prepared to remain faithful to his vocation for life, to renounce himself and everything that up to this he possessed as his own, and to make himself all things to all men (1 Cor 9:22) (Ad Gentes, 24). After a period of time devoted to penance and prayer, St. Paul made his way to Jerusalem (cf. Acts 9:26-30) to see Cephas, that is, Peter. His stay of two weeks is an important indication of Pauls recognition of and veneration for Peter, chosen as he had been as the foundation stone of the Church. In subsequent generations, right down the centuries, Christians have shown their love for Peter and his successors, traveling to Rome often at great personal effort and sometimes, even, risk. Catholic, apostolic, Roman! I want you to be very Roman. And to be anxious to make your path to Rome, videre Petrum -- to see Peter (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 520). Solidarity with and veneration for the Pope is, then, a clear, practical sign of good Christian spirit. James the Lords brother (cf. notes on Mt 12:46-47 and 13:55) is, most commentators think, James the Less (cf. Mk 15:40), also called the son of Alphaeus (cf. Lk 6:15) and author of the letter which bears his name (cf. Jas 1:1). ON THE GOSPEL: Luke 10:38-42 (Martha and Mary Welcome Our Lord) Todays Gospel presents the episode of Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus. Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus was listening to his word. Martha, in the kitchen was busy doing the domestic work. This family, friend of Jesus is frequently mentioned in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 10, 38-41) and of John (Jn 11, 1-39; 12, 2). Luke 10, 38: The friendly house in Bethany. At that time, Jesus came to a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. Jesus was going toward Jerusalem, where he would die. He arrived to Marthas house and she welcomes him. Luke does not say that Marthas house was in Bethany. John tells us that Marthas house was in Bethany, near Jerusalem. The word Bethany means House of Poverty. It was a village on the Mount of Olives, close to Jerusalem. When he was in Jerusalem, Jesus usually went to the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus (Jn 12, 2) It is impressing to see how Jesus entered and lived in the houses of the people: in Peters house (Mt 8, 14), of Matthew (Mt 9, 10), of Jarius (Mt 9, 23), of Simon the Pharisee (Lk 7, 36), of Simon the leper (Mk 14, 3), of Zacchaeus (Lk 19, 5). The official recognizes: I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof (Mt 8, 8). People looked for Jesus in his house (Mt 9, 28; Mk 1, 33; 2, 1; 3, 20). The four friends of the paralytic stripped the roof to lower the stretcher where the man was and put him before the place where Jesus was teaching the people (Mk 2, 4). When he went to Jerusalem, Jesus stopped in the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus (12, 2). In sending out the disciples, their mission was to enter in the houses of the people and take peace (Mt 10,12-14; Mk 6,10; Lk 10,1-9). Luke 10, 39-40: The attitude of the two sisters. Mary sat at the Lords feet and listened to him speaking; Martha was distracted with all the serving. Two important attitudes, always present in the life of Christians: to be attentive to the Word of God and to be attentive to the needs of persons. Each one of these attitudes demands total attention. For this reason, both live in continuous tension which is expressed in Marthas reaction: Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me. This is also expressed in the reaction of the Apostles before the problem which arose in the community of Jerusalem. The service at the tables took up all their time and they could not dedicate themselves completely to the announcement of the Word. This is why the community met together and they said: It would not be right for us to neglect the Word of God so as to give out food (Ac 6, 2). Luke 10, 41-42: Jesus answer. Martha, Martha! You worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her. Martha wanted Mary to sacrifice her attention to the Word and to go and help her in the service of the table. But one attitude cannot be sacrificed in favour of another one. What is necessary is to attain a balance. It is not a question of choosing between contemplative and active life, as if the first one was better than the latter. It is a question of finding a just distribution of the apostolic tasks and the ministries in the community. Basing oneself on this word of Jesus, the Apostles asked the community to choose seven deacons (servants). The service at the tables was entrusted to the deacons and in this way the Apostles would be able to continue their pastoral activity: to dedicate themselves completely to prayer and to the service of the Word (Ac 6, 4). It is not a question of trying to find in this word of Jesus an argument to say that contemplative life in the monasteries is superior to the active life of those who do pastoral work. Both of these activities have something to do with the proclamation of the Word of God. Martha cannot oblige Mary to sacrifice the attention to the Word. The interpretation of the mystic of the Middle Ages is beautiful. The Dominican friar Mestre Eckart who said: Martha already knew how to work and serve at table without compromising or impairing in any way, her attention to the presence and the word of God. Mary, he says, was still learning at the feet of Jesus. This is why she could not be interrupted. Mary chooses that which for her was the better part. The description of the attitude of Mary before Jesus recalls the other Mary. Of whom Jesus said: Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it (Lk 11, 27). Our Lord was heading for Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) and His journey took Him through Bethany, the village where Lazarus, Martha and Mary lived -- a family for whom He had a special affection, as we see in other passages of the Gospel (cf. John 11:1-14; 12:1-9). St. Augustine comments on this scene as follows: Martha, who was arranging and preparing the Lords meal, was busy doing many things, whereas Mary preferred to find her meal in what the Lord was saying. In a way she deserted her sister, who was very busy, and sat herself down at Jesus feet and just listened to His words. She was faithfully obeying what the Psalm said: Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). Martha was getting annoyed, Mary was feasting; the former coping with many things, the latter concentrating on one. Both occupations were good (Sermon, 103). Martha has come to be, as it were, the symbol of the active life, and Mary that of the contemplative life. However, for most Christians, called as they are to sanctify themselves in the middle of the world, action and contemplation cannot be regarded as two opposite ways of practising the Christian faith: an active life forgetful of union with God is useless and barren; but an apparent life of prayer which shows no concern for apostolate and the sanctification of ordinary things also fails to please God. The key lies in being able to combine these two lives, without either harming the other. Close union between action and contemplation can be achieved in very different ways, depending on the specific vocation each person is given by God. Far from being an obstacle, work should be a means and an occasion for a close relationship with our Lord, which is the most important thing in our life. Following this teaching of the Lord, the ordinary Christian should strive to attain an integrated life -- an intense life of piety and external activity, orientated towards God, practised out of love for Him and with an upright intention, which expresses itself in apostate, in everyday work, in doing the duties of ones state in life. You must understand now more clearly that God is calling you to serve Him in and from the ordinary, material and secular activities of human life. He waits for us every day, in the laboratory, in the operating room, in the army barracks, in the university chair, in the factory, in the workshop, in the fields, in the home and in all the immense panorama of work. Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each of you to discover it. There is no other way. Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find Him. That is why I can tell you that our age needs to give back to matter and to the most trivial occurrences and situations their noble and original meaning. It needs to restore them to the service of the Kingdom of God, to spiritualize them, turning them into a means and an occasion for a continuous meeting with Jesus Christ (St. J. Escriva,Conversations, 114). FINAL PRAYERS: The works of his hands are fidelity and justice, all his precepts are trustworthy, established for ever and ever, accomplished in fidelity and honesty. (Ps 111,7-8) Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life -- St. Francis of Assisi It is by God’s mercy that we are saved. May we never tire of spreading this joyful message to the world. -- 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: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 10:22:29 +0000
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