Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: 4:1-21

Mass: 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7; Resp. Psalm 56; Mark 3: 7-12

Saul was jealous of David.

We’ve been gathering for these blog posts since September 2017. Today begins our second journey through St Benedict’s chapter, ‘The Tools for Good Works’. As we continue to reflect upon the First Book of Samuel, we might recognize some of ourselves in the behavior of our friends, David and Saul. If that is the case, St Benedict’s ‘Tools’ may help guide us along our spiritual journey and help us grow closer to God and to our brothers and sisters: Love the Lord God with your whole heart, your whole soul and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself; You are not to kill; You must honor everyone, and never do to another what you do not want done to yourself; harbor neither hatred nor jealousy of anyone, and do nothing out of envy.

As the Lord lives, David shall not be killed.

David served Saul as before.

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time: Saint Anthony (d. 356)

 Readings of the day: RB 3:67-13

Mass: 1 Samuel 17:32-33; Resp. Psalm 144; Mark 3:1-6

With plenty to say about today’s readings, I offer instead two items, not unrelated, I read this morning. First, the Holy Father’s Tweet:

We pray to God for the courage to ask forgiveness and

to learn how to listen to what he is saying to us.

Second, from the Life of Saint Anthony by Saint Athanasius:

Having learned that we should always be praying, even when we are by ourselves, [Anthony] prayed without ceasing. Indeed, he was so attentive when Scripture was read that nothing escaped him and because he retained all he heard, 

his memory served him in place of books.

Today we might pray for the grace to pray without ceasing; to ask forgiveness from God; for the courage to ask forgiveness from someone we have offended or hurt; to be better listeners by opening our ears and hearts to the WORD and to those with whom we live and work. We might memorize one verse of our favorite psalm and hold it in our hearts while keeping it on our lips throughout the day—only one way to assist in praying without ceasing. Are you in?

Forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

O God, come to my assistance.

O, Lord, make haste to help me.

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: RB 3:1-6

Mass: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Resp. Psalm 89; Mark 2:23-28

The Lord looks into the heart

I include here something a friend wrote recently. His words serve as a link between the Lord’s words to Samuel above, and today’s Gospel Acclamation (Ep 1:17-18) below: ‘It still makes me smile and shake my head at the manner in which our Father worked this all out for you. He is paying attention, isn’t He?’ Yes, God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is paying attention. He counts every hair on our heads. He knows when we sit and when we stand. He knows our thoughts from afar. He probes the depths of our hearts and knows exactly what each one of us needs. If we are patient, trust, and believe in the LOVE our Father has for us, our lives can be transformed. LOVE is expressed to us in ways small and big each and every day. Will I allow myself to be vulnerable and take notice? It is my experience that LOVE is worth the risk. LOVE looks; LOVE sees. If we are open and let LOVE pierce us, the eyes of our hearts will be enlightened. We will see. No need to be anxious or troubled; LOVE works it all out. LOVE never fails.

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts,

that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call.

ALLELUIA

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time: Martin Luther King Jr Day

Maur and Placid, Disciples of Benedict 

Readings of the day: RB 2:33-40

Mass: 1 Samuel 15:16-23; Resp. Psalm 50; Mark 2:18-22

The word of God is living and effective,

to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.

ALLELUIA

Listening poses challenges. United with Samuel, we can say, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ Doing what God asks of us, in full rather than in part, poses other challenges. If and when we say with the psalmist, ‘Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will’, will we be united with Saul or might there be another way?

What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips?

For you hate discipline and cast my words behind you.

Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me;

to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God.

FOR POPE FRANCIS DURING HIS APOSTOLIC VISIT TO CHILE AND PERU.

FOR UNITY AMONG ALL CHRISTIANS.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: World Day of Migrants and Refugees

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

World Day of Migrants and Refugees

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Readings of the day: RB 2:30-32

Mass: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; Resp. Psalm 40; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42

Glorify God in your body

John standing. Two disciples too.

He watched

JESUS walk by

The two heard

They followed

HE turned

HE saw

What are you looking for?

Where are you staying?

Come you will see

They went

They saw

They stayed

Andrew heard

He followed

He found Simon

He brought him

JESUS looked

HE said.

The body is for the Lord

The Lord is for the body

Saturday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor (d. 367)

Blessed Virgin Mary

Readings of the day: RB 2:23-29

Mass: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1a; Resp. Psalm 21; Mark 2:13-17

Follow me.

While studying in Rome, one of my favorite walkabouts included the area of Via della Scrofa. Things were happening there, not unlike most places in the eternal city, yet I used to stop now and again at San Luigi dei Francesi to look at Caravaggio paintings. Caravaggio is one of my favorite artists; an artist whose work I seek out.

Not unrelated, I include here part of an interview with Pope Francis, conducted by A. Spadaro, SJ, published in America magazine, September 30, 2013. What follows are the Holy Father’s comments about not knowing Rome very well.

‘I know St. Mary Major, St. Peter’s...but when I had to come to Rome, I always stayed in [the neighborhood of] Via della Scrofa. From there I often visited the Church of St. Louis of France, and I went there to contemplate the painting of “The Calling of St. Matthew” by Caravaggio.’

‘That finger of Jesus, pointing at Matthew. That’s me. I feel like him. Like Matthew.’ Here the pope becomes determined, as if he had finally found the image he was looking for: ‘It is the gesture of Matthew that strikes me: he holds on to his money as if to say, “No, not me! No, this money is mine.” Here, this is me, a sinner on whom the Lord has turned his gaze. And this is what I said when they asked me if I would accept my election as pontiff.’ Then the pope whispers in Latin: ‘I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I accept in a spirit of penance.’

I reflect now on whether I think Jesus is pointing at me, or am I so full of myself and ‘well’ to think that Jesus is pointing at others, namely, all the sinners and sick people.

Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.

Friday of the First Week of Ordinary Time Aelred of Rievaulx, Cistercian monk, Abbot of Rievaulx (d. 1167)

Readings of the day: RB 2:16-22

Mass: 1 Samuel 8: 4-7, 10-22a; Resp. Psalm 89; Mark 2:1-12

 

Aelred of Rievaulx, Cistercian Abbot, writer and historian

The encounter with God and our brothers and sisters cannot wait just because we are slow or lazy. We are called to do that encounter today!

(Pope Francis, Tweet, January 12, 2018)

Some days the Pope’s tweets are priceless. Relating his words to today’s Gospel, the four men who carried the paralytic and broke through the roof of the house were anything but slow and lazy. It may be their encounter with the brothers and sisters gathered was not so pleasant: ‘Hey, what do you think you are doing?’ Can’t you see this room is full? We were here before you!’ Still, the men went for it. They were determined. They were going to encounter Jesus no matter what. The paralytic followed suit; he was neither slow nor lazy. Not wasting time after being healed, he rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. What faith. What courage. What witness. 

WHEN JESUS SAW THEIR FAITH, HE SAID TO HIM,

‘CHILD, YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.’