Readings for Sunday October 30 2011                        

         

There’s Only One Perfect Authority

                

                  Jesus sums up His disapproval of the religious teachers of His day with clear language to the people.  Those in leadership positions have been put there by God, and despite their personal wickedness, God continues to work through them and their leadership is still valid. (Note how Jesus describes them as having the ‘seat of Moses’.  Remember we understand the Pope as having the ‘chair of Peter’.) Wouldn’t you think that, in light of all the negative Jesus said about them, that He would have told the people to just start their own religion and ignore the religious leaders?  

                  The opposite is true: Christ tells the people to ‘do and observe all things, whatsoever they tell you’.  What they should not do, however, is imitate their example.  The religious leaders are all talk, and Jesus makes it clear to us that we need to live life in both word and deed, avoiding hypocrisy.  The key to our words and actions being together is the attitude of humility. Humility is nothing more than ‘calling’ things as God sees them.  It means giving credit to God over anyone else, and striving to please Him over pleasing anyone else, no matter how ‘important’ they may seem. When it gets down to it, humility is about doing good at all times, especially when only God is watching. This kind of courageous good takes a heart that is in love with Jesus.  

                If we fall in love with Jesus above everything else, we will then see Jesus in everyone and will be ready to serve Him with our whole lives.  If Jesus’ words do anything for us, they challenge us to see our vocation as one of service, not of greed and gain.  Our society tells us that ‘he who dies with the most toys wins’.  Jesus has a different message.  May God grant us the grace to put aside every bit of pride so that we can become people of humility and service, building God’s kingdom through the everyday ‘little things’ of life. Summary of the Gospel by YM Central

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think that Jesus told the crowds to ‘do and observe all things, whatsoever they tell you’?  What would have happened if Jesus told them, ‘hey, guys, dump ‘em and start your own religion’?

2. How can Jesus’ advice to the crowds help us deal with the recent moral failings of Church leaders?  Describe.

3.  How would you answer an anti-Catholic who said that, “we shouldn’t call priests ‘father’”? How is that kind of an argument an out-of-context interpretation of this Sunday’s Gospel?

4. Do you have unrealistic expectations of the authority figures in your life?

Reading 1                   Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10

A great King am I, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. And now, O priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen, if you do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts, I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse.
You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction; you have made void the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts. I, therefore, have made you contemptible and base before all the people, since you do not keep my ways, but show partiality in your decisions.
Have we not all the one father? Has not the one God created us? Why then do we break faith with one another, violating the covenant of our fathers?

Reading 2                   1 Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13

Brothers and sisters: We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us. You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery.  Working night and day in order not to burden any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe.

Gospel                        Matthew 23:1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.' As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.  Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ.  The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Readings for Sunday October 23 2011                                          

Love and Rules

               Ever wonder what it took the religious leaders to get so worked up that they wanted to kill Jesus, the only Son of God?  It was obviously more than just a couple of ‘bad days’.  This Sunday’s Gospel shows us the persistence of the Pharisees, a group of those leaders, in trying to trap Jesus.  Not only do they fail in their attempts, but ironically they gave rise to some of the greatest teachings of the Lord.  This time the Pharisees get one of their ‘prized fighters’, a scholar of the law, to trap Jesus.  They are obviously thinking, ‘let’s bring in the big guns’ by having one of their most educated men test Jesus.  (Incidentally, St. Paul, then known as Saul, was one of the best educated and brightest of all Pharisees.  Would that not have been ironic if it was Saul who was asking Jesus this question?)  Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest.  The Ten Commandments are the ‘commandments’ to which this scholar refers.  Our Faith teaches us today that all Ten are important, each essential for living a proper Christian life.  The trap that the scholars are laying for Jesus is to get Him to imply that there are some commandments that are not important.  Of course, if He says that the First commandment is the greatest, the Pharisees could say that Jesus is ignoring the Fifth Commandment (or any of the other commandments).  So how does Jesus respond?  He quotes the Old Testament’s own language about the heart of the commandments.  He goes right past the question of the Pharisees and does what He does best, getting to the heart of the matter.  The purpose of the Ten Commandments is to help learn how to love God and love each other.  This is the heart of what they are talking about, and therefore each commandment is equally important.  While Jesus’ answer is essential for us to realize, and while it is always necessary to understand why we are to obey the commandments (as well as know what those commandments are), the primary point of this Gospel is not the content of Christ’s teaching: St. Matthew is getting across to us the insidious plan of the Pharisees to trap Jesus and eventually condemned Him to death.  While they continually focus on ways to snare Him, Jesus always comes through with the Truth.  The Pharisees show that they are against the Truth: If they were really for it, then they would stop questioning Him and would start living His teachings.  You and I are called to be disciples of the Truth, not letting the attacks of the world get us down, but calmly relying on God’s help, even when we are tested in our faith.  Let us ask God in prayer for the grace to respond to the Truth with conviction, without fear or apologies.    Summary  by YM Central

Reading 1                   Exodus 22:20-26

Thus says the LORD: "You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry. My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.
"If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people, you shall not act like an extortioner toward him by demanding interest from him. If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him before sunset; for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body. What else has he to sleep in? If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate."

Reading 2                   1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10

Brothers and sisters: You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit, so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

Gospel             Matthew 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Discussion Questions

1. Describe the evil that motivated the Pharisees to constantly try to trap Jesus.  Why were they so persistent in trying to trap and eventually kill Jesus?  Of what are they afraid?

2. Scripture Search: Find the Old Testament reference to Jesus’ answer (‘You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all you mind’).  Use a concordance or a Bible software program if you have one.  (Hint: Moses was traditionally understood as the author of this verse’s book.)

3. Can I see Christ by the way that I behave?

4.  How do I live out the commandments in my daily life? Give examples.

What Our Nation Really Deserves  by Fr. Corey Brost

 A few years ago, an Illinois pharmacist gave up his $100,000-a-year job, because he insisted on giving God what belongs to God - his conscience.

Here’s what happened. A state law required all pharmacists to offer a pill that terminates pregnancy. The pharmacist who believed the pill was a form of abortion, refused to offer it because of his Catholic faith. That cost him his job.    

                But it saved his conscience-and made other people think.

When is loyalty to Christ more important than loyalty to human laws or even your country? Always, Jesus says in this week’s Gospel.

Jesus’ enemies question him about his willingness to pay a tax. They hope to trap him. If he opposes the tax, he’s liable to arrest. If he supports the tax, he loses support from the Jews who hate the Romans. But Jesus’ answer makes them take a stand: Give the government what it deserves, and give God what the Lord deserves.

His response has inspired Christians ever since. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took his stand in the 1960s by peacefully violating racist laws. U.S. Bishop Thomas Gumbleton took his stand by peacefully protesting our war against Iraq.

Scripture scholars say the writing on the coin that Jesus examines in this week’s Gospel called the Roman emperor “son” of God. But our “Son of God” calls each person to build a worldwide Kingdom where divine laws, not national laws or flags, demand our allegiance.

You might not be old enough to vote. But you still have to pledge your allegiance daily. Our nation deserves citizens who first pledge allegiance to God - and then let that allegiance help shape our nation.

If a word or phrase from the Gospel grabs your heart, sit quietly for several minutes, repeating it to yourself and asking God to show you how it applies to your life. Or, reflect on the following question:

What U.S. laws or policies do you think Jesus would change? Why?

Readings for Sunday 10-16-2011                                      Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Reading 1                            Isaiah 45:1, 4-6

Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I grasp, subduing nations before him, and making kings run in his service, opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred: For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not. I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me. It is I who arm you, though you know me not, so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun people may know that there is none besides me. I am the LORD, there is no other.

Question for Discussion:

The first reading today describes how God uses (anoints) the pagan King Cyrus as a vehicle for caring for his people.  Do we see ourselves, God's people, as the only ones he blesses and uses?  Are we open to seeing that God can use anyone with a heart open to him to further his purposes?

Reading 2                            1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen. For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. 

Question for Discussion:

 St. Paul tells the Thessalonians that they are constantly in his thoughts and prayers.  How often do you pray for others, particularly those who labor in faith, hope, and love for God's kingdom? What steps can take to increase your prayers for your pastor and other priests? What are some additional ways you can practically assist your pastor and parish?

Gospel                  Matthew 22:15-21

The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status. Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?  Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

Question for Discussion:

 In the Gospel reading, the Herodians tried to test Jesus. In what ways do you test God with your words: “if God really cared for me then …”; “if God will do this for me then...”?  Are there times when you try to manipulate God for you own purposes? Did it work? What can you do to make your relationship with God more one of faith and trust then of trying to get God to do what you want him to do?

Readings for Sunday October 9, 2011                                                                  

Don’t Miss the Invite

I remember how much it hurt.

I was in High School and a friend told me that I was not invited to hang out with him because another person, who didn’t like me, didn’t want me there.

Rejection!! We’ve all faced it. We’ve been the last person chosen for a team at recess. We’ve been ignored at a party. We’ve sat alone at lunch. A friend has turned on us.

That’s why this week’s Gospel is such good news. God invites all people to a life full of friendship. Jesus told this parable to criticize religious leaders of his time who rejected his message. Sadly for them, they missed a feast.

Jesus’ parable has two more important points. Nothing stops God’s party, and he tries to get everyone there.

That’s important to remember if life isn’t much of a party for you at times, because you’re lonely or sad. During those times keep an eye out for God’s invitation. It might come through a parent who wants to listen and help. It might come through another teen who invites you to hang out with a different group of people. It might come during prayer, when warmth, peace, and hope soothe the pain that troubles your heart. It might come during that time you spend reading God’s word.

But the party is going on. Millions of people worldwide have lives filled with friendship. Millions celebrate daily as they make a difference in the world. Though I struggled with loneliness as a teen, I’ve found the party now. During those lonely times, don’t miss God’s invitation.

Enjoy the readings and pass them on!!

Your friend

Tommy

Acts 2:42-47

Reading 1                 Isaiah 25:6-10a

6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; 8 he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. 9 On that day it will be said: "Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!" 10a For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.

Explanation: The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 25:6-10a. In today's reading Isaiah describes under the image of a great banquet, the blessings, the contentment, and happiness that the messianic kingdom will bring.

Reading II                 Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20

12 Brothers and sisters:
I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. 13 I can do all things in him who strengthens me. 14 Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.
19 My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen. 

Explanation: The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20. The Philippians were the only converts from whom St. Paul accepted any financial help. He is thanking them here for some such assistance which he must surely have needed for he was in prison when he wrote this letter. He assures them that God will reward them for the charitable aid given him.

Question for Discussion:      St. Paul speaks of his contentment. What outside force is likely to upset your contentment?

Gospel                        Matthew 22:1-14 or 22:1-10

1 Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying,
2 "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.  3 He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. 4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.” 5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
 8 Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.  9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ 10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.  11 But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, 12 'My friend how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. 13 Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ 14 Many are invited, but few are chosen."

Questions for Discussion:

1. Why is this banquet held?
2. Who did the King eventually invite?
3. When did Jesus first call you to his Banquet? How did you respond initially?
4. How would you respond now?

Summary:  The Gospel is Matthew 22:1-14. How foolish the Pharisees were in not listening to our Lord's warnings. He gave them every opportunity to turn away from the false path which their pride had chosen for them. His divine heart was ever ready to embrace them if only they would say "mea culpa." "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets, and stone them that are sent to you, how often would I have gathered together your children, as the hen does her chickens under her wings, and you would not" (Mt. 23:37)? "God created us without our cooperation," says St. Augustine. "But he cannot save us unless we cooperate."

We too could make the Pharisees' mistake. We have the invitation to the wedding feast; in fact, we are already in the banquet hall, since our baptism; but are we wearing the wedding garment of virtue and grace? If not, we are no better off than those who rejected the invitation. The king may come in at any moment and cast out those who are not properly dressed. Being a member of the Church on earth is a wonderful privilege, and a sure guarantee that we will reach heaven, if we do what is expected of us. But the same obstacles which prevented the Pharisees from entering the kingdom—love of this world, its wealth and its pleasures—can impede us too, unless we are on our guard. The world with its allurements is very close to us; heaven seems very far away. Thus we must be prepared to do violence to our ordinary inclinations, to go against them whenever and wherever "the things that are Caesar's" tend to blot out or make us forget "the things that are God's."

This implies a daily carrying of the cross, a daily struggle against our evil inclinations, a daily endeavor to acquire true love of God and neighbor. This may sound superhuman, but Christ did not ask anyone to do the impossible. He led the way, and millions have followed him to eternal glory. He has called us too and has placed within our easy reach in his Church all the grace we need. If we fail to use these divine helps, if we are found without the wedding garment, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. We have been called with the many. We can be among the "chosen."

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.