Lectionary for Sun. Sept 19th followed by meditations for Sept. 10, 11, and 12 year 2
2:1-8, Luke 16:1-13:
Two themes prevail in this Sunday's readings: the theme of concern for
poverty (social justice) and prayer. Luke's community needs to have a
concern for the poor and those who need the support of the community in its
spiritual dimensions. Luke has this theme throughout his gospel; it is one
of the primary concerns of the Evangelist who is also a pastoral theologian
for the churches familiar to him. Like Paul, he is an intinerant preacher
of the Good News, and his writing even covers more communities than his
travels. Today we are invited to look into these themes of poverty and
prayer and to embrace them as part of our discipleship and journeying with
Jesus.
Luke is the Evangelist of Prayer who returns to this theme some twenty-two
times in his twenty four chapters. Every form of prayer is addressed by
him: community prayer in the temple or the local church, vocal prayer on
the part of individuals, pondering over or contemplative prayer like Mary
does in Luke 2:19 and 51. There are also the hymn like prayers close to
the psalms in the Magnificat of Mary and the Nunc Dimittis of Simeon. It is
through such prayer that we are led to our own experience of Jesus through
the example of those who pray in the Gospel of Luke.
Amos helps us realize that social justice is important for those who
believe in God. There is to be no deception or bargaining in the
communities of faith dedicated to God. He corrects the sins of his own
people in this area where even the seasons of celebration and the weighing
of the scales for food, etc. were being tampered with against the ordinary
people and above al against the poor. Unjust practices such as these are
against the commandments of God and are explicit sins even though they are
deceptions for the buyer or the ones who have a right to being treated
justly. Greediness is to be punished by the Lord: Never will I forget a
thing they have done" is pronounced against the unjust ones.
The parable given by Luke is also a lesson parable. We cannot serve God and
money. We cannot have two masters in our lives. Only one is our Master and
that is God. Money can never be made a god-like priority in the life of a
Christian. We know well that money is at the root of most evils. Trust in
God and prudent use of the gifts and goods that God has given us are our
priority. We are to be mindful of the poor and the homeless. Luke's theme
of poverty stretches beyond the material and touches the spiritual realm as
well. Are we poor in our prayer life? Is our attitude during the day
toward others a poor one? Are we aware of those whom we can comfortably
help and yet do not? There are all sorts of poverty concerns and issues
that cross our lives. This parable summons us to do something about the
remedy of poverty. We start with prayer that ends in action. We are
trustworthy that God who has given us so much will never be outdone by
human generosity, particularly our own. Amen.
Scripture: Sept. 10th. Lectionary 441. I Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b-27. Psalm
84:3,4,5-6,12. Luke 6:39-42:
Wow! Jesus is really making us feel rather good about the call to
discipleship. He tells us that a disciple of his when fully trained will
be like his master! John confirms this with a startling assertion from
Jesus: "I solemnly assure you, the one who has faith in me will do the
works I do, and greater far than these. Why? Because I go to the Father,
and whatever you ask in my name I will do." (John 14:12). Luke's Gospel
will help us the most on how to follow Jesus and how to become a faithful
disciple. Already, in his early chapters the theme of discipleship is
apparent. Then in chapter nine and almost through chapter nineteen we will
be learning all of the things that a disciple must know and do. Jesus
instructs us throughout this long journey narrative. We are walking and
running with Jesus as we learn more and more about our discipleship.
We join the twelve apostles for whom Jesus prayed and then named them his
envoys. We are among the seventy-two disciples who also learned from him
the Good News and how to witness to it, to preach it, and to drive out evil
spirits in people--their bad habits or addictions. Jesus wants everyone of
us to be like he is and to become witnesses and teachers of the truth.
We begin each day by loving our neighbors, our sisters and brothers, our
friends and especially the young people and children we will meet this day.
We judge no one and lift no splinters from their eyes. We have gotten rid
of the beam of wood in our own eyes by being true disciples. We learn from
Jesus how to forgive and be forgiven; we forgive ourselves for our blunders
from the past and move on with Jesus on the journey.
Our prayer of quiet listening to Jesus is a good way of learning how to
avoid others by rash judgments or cruel or inappropriate language in their
presence. Silence and recollection help us to take the time to know
ourselves and how to relate like Jesus and the saints to others. Amen.
Scripture: Sept.11. Lectionary # 442. I Cor. 10:14-22. Psalm
116:12-13,17-18. Luke 6:43-49:
Paul relates to us what he has received and learned in the living tradition
about the Eucharist. He hands that on to us and is the first to do so
through his writings. The Eucharist is what brings us together as the Body
of Christ and helps us to bring peace and unity to a troubled society and
world. Paul calls the chalice or cup used in the institution of the Lord's
Supper the "cup of blessing." This signifies the redemptive act of love
seen in the giving of his source of life, Jesus' own blood shed on the
Cross. Paul tells us that the Bread that we break in this reality-memorial
or sacrament that is a participation on our part in the very life of the
Savior. This instruction of Paul is thus a foundational text for the
doctrine of the precious blood of Jesus and the bread of life in the
elements chosen from the Passover that Jesus hands on to us in a real way
that becomes a reality in our own time within the context of the Church and
its teachings on the sacrament of our encounter with Christ, the Eucharist.
It is our great thanksgiving given to the Father for having loved us so
much that we have his only begotten Son within our hearts and souls.
By Paul's sharing with us his received tradition we learn that the early
house churches already were accepting the Eucharist and celebrating it in
their communities. They learned this from the apostles, Christ's agents of
redemption. We see that the early Christian communities had believers who
listened to what the apostles handed on to them. They became active
participants in the mysteries of salvation through the total self-giving of
the Lord Jesus. The repeated the actions of Jesus at his last Passover meal
with his apostles and were nourished by the precious blood and sacred body
of the Lord. "Though we are many, we are all one body, for we all partake
of the one loaf."
Psalm 116 is appropriated and directed to the celebration of the Eucharist.
It is one of the most beautiful of the psalms and these verses are precious
remembrances for the Christian believers of the Body and Blood of the Lord
given to us at Communion: "How shall I make a return to the Lord for all
the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up and I will
call upon the name of the Lord." (Psalm 116: 12-13). Amen.
Scripture: Sept.12 Lectionary # 133, 24th Sunday, C cycle. Exodus:
32:7-11.13-14. Psalm 51: 3-4,12-13.17.19. I Timothy 1:12-17, Luke 15:1-32:
One of the Brothers tells us that each morning he looks into a mirror and
asks himself, "Who shall I be today."
His sense of humor about his own limitations and also his very fertile and
creative teaching skills makes this an interesting thought about how to
look at ourselves in a mirror and ask the question " Am I true to the image
and likeness of God" in the face that I see in the mirror? We should be
able to say yes to ourselves as we recall the foundation verse for being
made in the image and likeness of God springing from chapter one of the
great book of Genesis. One rabbi has made a remark about this verse that
is very worthwhile. The two words for image and likeness are very
different in their meaning both in Hebrew, Greek, and any other language.
The rabbi goes on to interpret them in a very down to earth and practical
way. The image is the God-given person who we are through the creative
love of God while what we do with that image is the "likeness." We are to
become who we really are--sons and daughters of God.
Through the readings of this Sunday we have an invitation to trust in God
so strongly that we look God in the face not as peering into a mirror but
in the center of our very being. Facing God in this way is a sure way of
conquering sin and overcoming temptation. We are the temples of the Holy
Spirit made into the image and likeness of God.
In the lengthy and beautiful parable of the prodigal son or the indulgent
and forgiving father we see that the younger son who squandered the
possessions given to him and who departed for lands of freedom and pleasure
has to come back and face his father. The father sees him from a distance
and has already forgiven him and is exhuberant about his coming back. He
will throw a party for him. The father loves the other son with as much
love, but there is a different lesson for him to be learned from his
father. Both sons were forgetful of who their father is in his love for
them and either took it for granted or just went about one's own business
without thinking about the father. The father looked at both of them each
day of his life. He felt great sorrow as he saw the younger one leaving and
followed his departure till that son was just a shadow that disappeared on
the horizon. During the day, the father certainly saw and cherished the
elder son who worked with such focus that his work actually consumeed him.
Both sons were wrapped up in their own self and actually forgot their
father in these different behaviors. It is only after the elder son hears
the din and the music from a party that he begins to wrestle with his anger
toward the father instead of "facing the music." Eventually, he, too, faces
his father with his selfish questions and his small mindedness. Only after
the father speaks and shares his compassion and love does the latter son
come to his senses. Both finally looked upon the face of their father and
they then began to live. The moral of the story and readings is "Watch out
for what you see of yourself as you look into the mirror that God has put
on your wall. Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 11:46 AM
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