DAILY READING and REFLECTIONS For Wednesday, June 10, 2014 11th Week in Ordinary Time - Psalter 3 (Green) Vigil of Solemnity of Corpus Christi. Readings: 2 Kgs 2:1-14; Ps 31:20-24; John 14:23; Matt 6:1-18 Response: Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord. Rosary: Glorious Mysteries Key Verse: Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. SAINT OF THE DAY: Saint Gregory Barbarigo Birth: 1625 - Death: 1697 St. Gregory Barbarigo was born in 1625, of a very old and distinguished Venetian family. A brilliant student, he embraced a diplomatic career and accompanied the Venetian Ambassador, Contarini, to the Congress of Munster in 1648. Then he became a priest and was soon thereafter consecrated as the first Bishop of Bergamo by Pope Alexander VII. Later on he was elevated to the rank of Cardinal and also given authority over the diocese of Padua. He guided his flock with pastoral wisdom and deep understanding. St. Gregory Barbarigo worked unceasingly in carrying out the reforms set forth by the Council of Trent. Through his efforts the seminaries of both Bergamo and Padua were substantially enlarged. At Padua he also added a library and a printing press. He died in 1697. READINGS FOR THE DAY: READING 1: Second Kings 2:1, 6-14 1 This is what happened when Yahweh took Elijah up to heaven in the whirlwind: Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal, 6 Elijah said, Elisha, you stay here, Yahweh is only sending me to the Jordan. But he replied, As Yahweh lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you! And they went on together. 7 Fifty of the brotherhood of prophets followed them, halting some distance away as the two of them stood beside the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water; and the water divided to left and right, and the two of them crossed over dry-shod. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, Make your request. What can I do for you before I am snatched away from you? Elisha answered, Let me inherit a double share of your spirit. 10 Your request is difficult, Elijah said. If you see me while I am being snatched away from you, it will be as you ask; if not, it will not be so. 11 Now as they walked on, talking as they went, a chariot of fire appeared and horses of fire coming between the two of them; and Elijah went up to heaven in the whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw it, and shouted, My father! My father! Chariot of Israel and its chargers! Then he lost sight of him, and taking hold of his own clothes he tore them in half. 13 He picked up Elijahs cloak which had fallen, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took Elijahs cloak and struck the water. Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah? he cried. As he struck the water it divided to right and left, and Elisha crossed over. RESPONSORIAL PSALM, Psalms 31:20, 21, 24 20 Safe in your presence you hide them, far from human plotting, shielding them in your tent, far from contentious tongues. 21 Blessed be Yahweh who works for me miracles of his faithful love (in a fortified city)! 24 Be brave, take heart, all who put your hope in Yahweh. GOSPEL, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 1 Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win human admiration. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. 3 But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; 4 your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. 5 And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. 6 But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. 16 When you are fasting, do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let people know they are fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. 17 But when you fast, put scent on your head and wash your face, 18 so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. REFLECTIONS: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God) OPENING PRAYER: Almighty God, our hope and our strength, without you we falter. Help us to follow Christ and to live according to your will. Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. ON READING 1: 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14 (Elijah is taken up into the sky and Elisha, Elijahs successor) Having concluded the section dealing with kings in the time of Elijah (cf. 1 Kings 17:1-2 Kings 1:18), the biblical narrative now focuses on Elisha. First it tells how he succeeded Elijah (chap. 2) and then it goes on to cover his wonderworking and prophetical activity, up to his death (chap. 13). The account of his death, which occurred at the beginning of the eighth century BC, brings to a close a period of the history of Israel spanning the careers of two great prophets, Elijah and Elisha. Elishas activity is different from Elijahs in many ways: firstly, Elishas miracles are designed to resolve difficulties of his contemporaries, whereas Elijahs were performed to demonstrate the sovereignty of the one God; secondly, Elisha is much more involved than his predecessor in political affairs and is much closer to the kings, too; finally, Elisha has more contact with the groups of prophets than Elijah had. Elisha is, then, a prophet much closer to the people, showing them the love God has for them. Elisha becomes the heir of his masters spirit when he sees Elijah being taken up to heaven (vv. 9-12). The signs which Elisha goes on to work win him recognition as Elijahs successor – first, from the other prophets, once they are convinced that Elijah is indeed no longer in this world (vv. 13-18), and then from all the people, who witness extraordinary prodigies worked by Elisha (vv. 19-25). This passage deals with one of the most mysterious, and also the most popular, episodes in the Old Testament – Elijah being taken up to heaven by a whirlwind. God wants to show the special destiny reserved for Elijah on account of his fidelity, a destiny similar to Enochs for having walked with God (cf. Gen 5:21-24). In recounting this ancient tradition about Elijah, the sacred writer highlights aspects of Elijahs connexion with groups of prophets and particularly with Elisha, whom he had already designated as his successor (cf. 1 Kings 19:19-21). Elishas request for a double share of Elijahs spirit is reminiscent of the double portion of the paternal estate due to the first-born in Israel (cf. Deut 21:17). The condition that Elijah lays down shows that divine gifts can be passed on only to those able to receive them (cf. vv. 10-12). The function of the chariot and horses of fire is to separate the two prophets when Elijah is being swept up. The book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), in its time, will interpret them as a sign that God has brought him up into heaven (cf. Sir 48 : 8-9). Chariots of fire are also a symbol of Gods presence and of his glory, as in Psalm 68:17, for example. The fact that Elijah had not died is the reason why he is assigned a role in the future, at the messianic restoration of the twelve tribes (cf. Sir 48:10) and before the coming of the day of the Lord (Mal 4:5). The figure of Elijah is also to be found in the New Testament where he is identified with John the Baptist, Christs precursor (cf. Mt 11:14, 17:10-12), in the sense that the Baptist is inspired by the same spirit as inspired Elijah. The last wonder worked by Elijah, over the waters of the Jordan ( cf. v. 8 ), again likens him to Moses (cf. Ex 14:16-21 and notes on 1 Kings 19:1-18 ). Even the place where Elijah is taken up into heaven is not far from where Moses died (cf. Deut 34:4-6) before the people entered the promised land. These similarities between Moses and Elijah suggest certain parallels: Moses represents the Law which God gave Israel through his mediation; Elijah represents the prophetical spirit which God manifested through the prophets life and through his being taken up into heaven. So, it is not surprising that when our Lord chose to reveal his glory to the disciples by his transformation on Mount Tabor, he should have chosen to appear alongside Moses and Elijah, because the Law and the Prophets find their fulfilment in Christ (cf. Mt 17:3 and par.). The mantle symbolizes the authority of its owner and, in this case, the fact that he possesses the prophetical spirit (cf. 1 Kings 19:19-21). Elisha uses it to repeat the prodigy previously worked by Elijah; but now he does so to cross towards the land of Israel, as the people once did on the orders of Joshua (cf. Josh 3:14-17). On witnessing the prodigy worked by Elisha, the prophets acknowledge him as Elijahs true heir (v. 15); but they want to make sure that it was not to some other place on earth that Elijah was taken, as popular thinking had it (cf. 1 Kings 18:12). ON THE GOSPEL: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 (An Upright Intention in Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting) The Gospel of today continues the meditation on the Sermon on the Mountain. In the previous days we have reflected at length on the message of chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel. In today’s Gospel and the following days we meditate on the message of chapter 6 of this Gospel. The sequence of chapters 5 and 6 can help us to understand it. The passages in italics indicate the text of today’s Gospel. The following is the schema: Matthew 5, 1-12: The Beatitudes: solemn opening 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 piety: alms 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: New relationship to material goods: do not accumulate Matthew 6, 22-23: New relationship to material goods: correct vision Matthew 6, 24: New relationship to material goods: God and money Matthew 6, 25-34: New relationship to material goods: abandonment in Providence. Today’s Gospel treats three themes: alms giving (6, 1-4), prayer (6, 5-6) and fasting (6, 16-18). These are three works of piety of the Jews. Piety, here, means good works (cf. note on Matthew 5:6). Our Lord is indicating the kind of spirit in which we should do acts of personal piety. Almsgiving, fasting and prayer were the basic forms taken by personal piety among the chosen people--which is why Jesus refers to these three subjects. With complete authority He teaches that true piety must be practiced with an upright intention, in the presence of God and without any ostentation. Piety practiced in this way implies exercising our faith in God who sees us--and also in the safe knowledge that He will reward those who are sincerely devout. Following the teaching of Jesus, the Church has always taught us to pray even when we were infants. By saying you (singular) our Lord is stating quite unequivocally the need for personal prayer--relating as child to Father, alone with God. Public prayer, for which Christs faithful assemble together, is something necessary and holy; but it should never displace obedience to this clear commandment of our Lord: When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father. The Second Vatican Council reminds us of the teaching and practice of the Church in its liturgy, which is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the fount from which all her power flows. The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. The Christian is indeed called to pray with others, but he must also enter into his bedroom to pray to his Father in secret; furthermore, according to the teaching of the Apostle, he must pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10 and 12). A soul who really puts his Christian faith into practice realizes that he needs frequently to get away and pray alone to his Father, God. Jesus, who gives us this teaching about prayer, practiced it during His own life on earth: the holy Gospel reports that He often went apart to pray on His own: At times He spent the whole night in an intimate conversation with His Father. The Apostles were filled with love when they saw Christ pray (St. J. Escriva, Christ Is Passing By, 119; cf. Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; etc.). The Apostles followed the Masters example, and so we see Peter going up to the rooftop of the house to pray in private, and receiving a revelation (cf. Acts 10:9-16). Our life of prayer should also be based on some moments that are dedicated exclusively to our conversation with God, moments of silent dialogue (ibid, 119). Matthew 6,1: Be careful not to parade your uprightness to attract attention. Jesus criticises those who do the good works to be seen by men (Mt 6,1). Jesus asks to build up interior security not in what we do for God, but in what God does for us. From the advise that he gives there results a new type of relationship with God: “Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you” (Mt 6,4). Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Mt 6, 8). If you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive your failings” (Mt 6, 14). It is a new way which opens itself now to have access to the Heart of God our Father. Jesus does not allow that the practice of justice and of piety be used as a means for self promotion before God and before the community (Mt 6, 2.5.16). Matthew 6, 2-4: How to practice almsgiving. To give alms is a way of sharing, very recommended by the first Christians (Ac 2, 44-45; 4, 32-35). The person who practices alms giving and sharing to promote herself before others merits to be excluded from the community, as it happened to Ananias and Saphira (Ac 5, 1-11). Today, in society as well as in the Church, there are persons who make great publicity of the good that they do to others. Jesus asks the contrary: to do good in such a way that the left hand does not know what the right hand does. It is the total detachment and the total gift in total gratuity of the love which believes in God the Father and imitates all that he does. Matthew 6, 5-6: How to practice prayer. Prayer places the person in direct relationship with God. Some Pharisees transformed prayer into an occasion to show themselves before others. At that time, when the trumpet sounded in the three moments of prayer, morning, noon and evening, they should stop in the place where they were to pray. There were people who sought to be in the corners in public places, in such a way that everybody would see that they were praying. Well then, such an attitude perverts our relationship with God. This is false and has no sense. This is why, Jesus says that it is better to close up oneself in our room to pray in secret, maintaining the authenticity of the relationship. God sees you even in secret, and he always listens to you. It is a question of a personal prayer, not of a community prayer. Matthew 6, 16-18: How to practice fasting. At that time the practice of fasting was accompanied by some very visible external gestures: not to wash one’s face, not to comb one’s hair, use sober dresses. These were visible signs of fasting. Jesus criticises this form of fasting and orders to do the contrary, and thus others cannot become aware that you are fasting: bathe, use perfume, and comb your hair well. In this way, only your Father who sees in secret knows that you are fasting and he will reward you. Starting from the traditional practice of fasting, our Lord tells us the spirit in which we should exercise mortification of our senses: we should do so without ostentation, avoiding praise, discreetly; that way Jesus words will not apply to us: they have their reward; it would have been a very bad deal. The world admires only spectacular sacrifice, because it does not realize the value of sacrifice that is hidden and silent (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 185). FINAL PRAYERS: Yahweh, what quantities of good things you have in store for those who fear you, and bestow on those who make you their refuge, for all humanity to see. (Ps 31,19) Lord, when we have been so hurt, how are we to forgive? When we have been treated with deceit, abandonment, or broken promises how are we to forgive? Lead us toward forgiveness and toward well-being as we take this journey. Amen. 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, 17 Jun 2014 21:49:34 +0000
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