God's Word for the weekdays from 19th Sept.

Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.

Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Sept 24^th 2011

Reading 1 Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a

I, Zechariah, raised my eyes and looked:
there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I asked, "Where are you going?"
He answered, "To measure Jerusalem,
to see how great is its width and how great its length."

Then the angel who spoke with me advanced,
and another angel came out to meet him and said to him,
"Run, tell this to that young man:
People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country,
because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst.
But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD,
and I will be the glory in her midst."

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you.

Zechariah is a prophet in the post exilic period when the new Temple has been built. He encourages the Jews promising that the Lord will dwell among them. This prophecy was fulfilled in a way people did not expect. Jesus the Son of God lived among the people. They did not recognise him. He lives today in the Church. He is also unrecognized now by many.

Responsorial Psalm Jer 31:10, 11-12ab, 13

R. (see 10d)  The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd guards his flock.

Gospel Lk 9:43b-45

While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men."
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

People may have been amazed at the miracles that Jesus did but Jesus was always aware of the fate that awaited him in Jerusalem. His only intention was to do the will of the Father and that was to preach the truth and offer his life out of love for God and man for the truth. Suffering was part of the mystery of the life of Jesus. The disciples couldn’t understand. They were still thinking in the way of the world and the way of success. Jesus too thought in terms of success. But success for him was not in worldly terms but in fulfilling the will of God at whatever cost. It would cost him everything and he would die in ignominy and pain but his Father would vindicate him and give all authority in heaven and on earth. Success is the same for us too. Do you see it as fulfilling God’s plan for you?

Memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, priest 

Friday 23rd Sept 2011
Reading 1 Hg 2:1-9

In the second year of King Darius,
on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,
the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:
Tell this to the governor of Judah,
Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak,
and to the remnant of the people:

Who is left among you
that saw this house in its former glory?
And how do you see it now?
Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes?
But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the LORD,
and take courage, Joshua, high priest, son of Jehozadak,
And take courage, all you people of the land,
says the LORD, and work!
For I am with you, says the LORD of hosts.
This is the pact that I made with you
when you came out of Egypt,
And my spirit continues in your midst;
do not fear!
For thus says the LORD of hosts:
One moment yet, a little while,
and I will shake the heavens and the earth,
the sea and the dry land.
I will shake all the nations,
and the treasures of all the nations will come in,
And I will fill this house with glory,
says the LORD of hosts.
Mine is the silver and mine the gold,
says the LORD of hosts.
Greater will be the future glory of this house
than the former, says the LORD of hosts;
And in this place I will give you peace,
says the LORD of hosts!

When the Jews went into exile in Babylon everything was destroyed in Jerusalem (587 BC). Suddenly under Cyrus they were allowed to go back in 837. However even by 520 the Temple was not built. The Jews who returned had met with great difficulties. In 522 Darius had given permission for the Temple work to go ahead eve in face of Samaritan objections. Haggai encouraged them to complete the task and in today’s reading futher encourages them with promises of God’s blessing on the new Temple.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 43:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (5) Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
Do me justice, O God, and fight my fight
against a faithless people;
from the deceitful and impious man rescue me.

 
Gospel Lk 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen.""
Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God."
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised."

The Passion was always on the mind of Jesus. He knew the fate that awaited him. He needed all the strength he could get. In prayer his Father gave him the inner strength to go forwards freely to face the ordeal of torture, humiliation and death. Unfortunately he received no strength from his disciples. He tried to tell them, but their minds could not accept it. He was left alone to walk on ahead. They knew he was from God, but imagined him as a worldly hero. They were afraid to face the truth and preferred to live with their illusions. What would have happened if they had been strong and loyal disciples who gave their lives then for Christ? God can also use our weakness but only if we stay close to Jesus. Is Jesus your daily companion? Or do you prefer the illusions of your life?

Thursday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Hg 1:1-8

On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius,
The word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai
to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
This people says:
"The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD."
(Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet:)
Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses,
while this house lies in ruins?

Now thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
You have sown much, but have brought in little;
you have eaten, but have not been satisfied;
You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated;
have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed;
And whoever earned wages
earned them for a bag with holes in it.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
Go up into the hill country;
bring timber, and build the house
That I may take pleasure in it
and receive my glory, says the LORD.

This is a new situation. It is the postexilic period. The Jewish people have now to rebuild the Temple which was destroyed. They have to fulfil the Law and only then can they cal on God to help them in their needs. It is only when we seek first the kingdom of heaven and his righteousness that God will provide for our needs as a Father.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

Gospel Lk 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
"John has been raised from the dead;
others were saying, "Elijah has appeared;
still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."
But Herod said, "John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?"
And he kept trying to see him.

There is confusion in everyone’s mind as to who Jesus is. They think he is someone from the past. No one sees him as the awaited Messiah. But Jesus comes from the future not the past. Herod wants to see him but when at last he does he only makes fun of him. Jesus will not speak to him. Herod meets Jesus, but never comes to know him Jesus is greatly affected by a person’s response. Because his heart was stifled by ‘the worries and the riches and pleasures of this life’ Herod missed the opportunity of his lifetime.  At this time the apostles too had not discovered who Jesus really was. Coming to know Jesus is for us all a gradual process, a lifetime task. Each day calls for growth. Eternity even will be insufficient. Have you come to the point where Jesus is the Love of your life?

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
           21st Sept. 2011

Reading 1 Eph 4:1-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ's gift.

And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ

Each one is given a vocation in the Church which is the Body of Christ. We are to discover the vocation that God has given us for the building up of the members of the Church. Whatever it is it is important and fail to fulfil it is to cause suffering to his Body. 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5)  Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.

Gospel Mt 9:9-13

As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

Jesus and his disciples were different. Their community didn’t fit in with current religious ideas. Jesus calls everyone, like the net catching good and bad fish alike. He sits and eats with them, hoping that his goodness will be contagious. In life, ‘bad fish’ can become good, even excellent, saints. Jesus knew this. Saints are humble. They know that what they are is due to God’s mercy and grace. They cannot be self-righteous Pharisees. Matthew is one of these. He was no better than a robber for ‘good Jews’. Jesus calls, he surrenders. That is the cost of discipleship. Jesus is here to heal. Doctors work in hospitals, Jesus among sinners. He is the human face of God’s mercy. Like Jesus we are to call sinners. We are to search for the lost. Like him we do this by love, mercy and goodness. Are you concerned for those considered sinners?

Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegõn, priest and martyr and  Saint Paul Chõng Hasang, martyr and their companions, martyrs

20th Sept 2011

Reading 1 Ez 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20

King Darius issued an order to the officials
of West-of-Euphrates:
"Let the governor and the elders of the Jews
continue the work on that house of God;
they are to rebuild it on its former site.
I also issue this decree
concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews
in the rebuilding of that house of God:
From the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates,
let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay.
I, Darius, have issued this decree;
let it be carefully executed."

The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building,
supported by the message of the prophets,
Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo.
They finished the building according to the command
of the God of Israel
and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius
and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
They completed this house on the third day of the month Adar,
in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
The children of Israel'priests, Levites,
and the other returned exiles?
celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
For the dedication of this house of God,
they offered one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs,
together with twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel,
in keeping with the number of the tribes of Israel.
Finally, they set up the priests in their classes
and the Levites in their divisions
for the service of God in Jerusalem,
as is prescribed in the book of Moses.

The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion,
sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles,
for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

This is the Second Temple. The prophet Haggai is the one responsible for getting the Temple completed.  The Jews are re-established as people of the Law. God is working out Salvation History in view of Chris Jesus his son who will be born as Messiah and establish the final and eternal Covenant in his Blood.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R. (1)  Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Gospel Lk 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

Jesus makes a distinction between his blood relations and the new Family which he is founding. Although he kept his family ties -  the ‘brother of the Lord’ is the leader in Jerusalem after the Ascension, nonetheless they must join his new family. "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it." To be a member of God’s family and this is the only family which is worthy of the name, one must listen to God’s Word and Jesus is the Word and then one must live according to it. Mary is then the true Mother of God and of all believers because she listened to the Word of God and acted upon it: “I am the handmaid of the Lord”  She is our model. If we believe and act as she did we are the brothers and sisters of Jesus.

Monday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Ez 1:1-6

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia,
in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah,
the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia
to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom,
both by word of mouth and in writing:
"Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia:
'All the kingdoms of the earth
the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me,
and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem,
which is in Judah.
Therefore, whoever among you belongs to any part of his people,
let him go up, and may his God be with him!
Let everyone who has survived, in whatever place he may have dwelt,
be assisted by the people of that place
with silver, gold, goods, and cattle,
together with free-will offerings
for the house of God in Jerusalem.'"

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin
and the priests and Levites-
everyone, that is, whom God had inspired to do so-
prepared to go up to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
All their neighbors gave them help in every way,
with silver, gold, goods, and cattle,
and with many precious gifts
besides all their free-will offerings.

The Jews were exiles in Babylon. Cyrus the new Emperor unexpectedly decreed that the Jews could go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. Those who were full of the Spirit would return to Jerusalem and begin to build the Temple. It would be a hard task. We are invited to go to the New Jerusalem. How many want to make their way towards it? It will be as hard for us as for the Jews who returned. If we are lead by Christ then we will make it and successfully.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 126:1b-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

R. (3) The Lord has done marvels for us.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.

Gospel Lk 8:16-18

Jesus said to the crowd:
"No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away

Luke writes for Greeks. Unlike in Palestine their houses had a portico. The lamp was put there to show people the way in. The wick or filament is transformed by its source of power. Likewise when we listen to God’s Word we are to meet Jesus and be transformed. This demands prayerful, careful listening.  How we listen is a secret. The fruits of the listening are for everyone to see. Jesus spent forty days alone and secretly in prayer and battle with Satan. The fruits were manifested in his glorious ministry to people. It is the same with us. By our listening we become a light to guide people to Jesus. We can minister like Jesus and do even greater things than he did. God’s Word is alive and active and full of His power. Is the prayerful listening and obedience to God’s Word the priority in your life?