Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Almighty God,

every good thing comes from You.

Fill our hearts with love for You,

increase our faith,

and by Your constant care

protect the good You have given us.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel Reading - Luke 5:33-39

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink." Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days." And he also told them a parable. "No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"

3) Reflection

• In today’s Gospel we witness closely a conflict between Jesus and the religious authority of the time, the scribes and the Pharisees (Lk 5:3). This time the conflict concerns the practice of fasting. Luke narrates diverse conflicts concerning the religious practice of the time: forgiveness of sins (Lk 5:21-25), to eat with sinners (Lk 5:29-32), fasting (Lk 5:33-36), and two conflicts on the observance of Saturday, the Sabbath (Lk 6:1-5 and Lk 6:6-11).

• Luke 5:33: Jesus does not insist on the practice of fasting. The conflict here is concerning the practice of fasting. Fasting is a very ancient custom, practiced by almost all religions. Jesus Himself followed it for forty days (Mt 4:2). But He does not insist with the disciples that they do the same. He leaves them free. This is why the disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees, who were obliged to fast, want to know why Jesus does not insist on fasting.

• Luke 5:34-35: When the bridegroom is with them they are not obliged to fast. Jesus responds with a comparison. When the bridegroom is with the friends of the bridegroom, that is, during the wedding feast, they should not fast. Jesus considers Himself the bridegroom. During the time when Jesus is with the disciples, it is the wedding feast. The day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then, if they wish, they can fast. Jesus refers to His death. He knows and He is aware that if He wants to continue along this path of liberty, the authorities will want to kill Him.

Several times in the Old Testament, God presents Himself as the bridegroom of the people (Is 49:15; 54: 5,8; 62:4-5; Hos 2:16-25). In the New Testament, Jesus is considered the bridegroom of His people (Eph 5:25). The Apocalypses speaks of the celebration of the marriage of the Lamb with His spouse, the Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 19: 7-8; 21: 2,9).

• Luke 5:36-39: New Wine in new skins! These words pronounced concerning the new piece of cloth on an old cloak and about new wine in old skins should be understood like a light which gives clarity to diverse conflicts, narrated by Luke, first and after the discussions concerning fasting. They clarify the attitude of Jesus concerning all the conflicts with the religious authorities. Nowadays these would be conflicts such as these: marriage between divorced persons, friendship with prostitutes and homosexuals,  receiving communion without being married in the Church, not to go to Mass on Sunday, not to fast on Good Friday, etc.

A piece of new cloth is not sewn on an old cloak, because when it is washed the new piece of cloth shrinks and tears the old cloak more. Nobody puts new wine in old skins, because the new wine, when it is fermented, makes the old skins burst. New wine in new skins! The religion taught by the religious authorities was like an old cloak, like an old skin. It is not necessary to want to combine the novelty brought by Jesus with old customs or uses. Either one or the other! The new wine which Jesus brings bursts the old skins. It is necessary to know how to separate both of these things. Very probably, Luke provides these words of Jesus to give direction to the communities of the years 80. There was a group of Christian Jews who wanted to reduce the novelty of Jesus to the Judaism of the beginning. Jesus is not against what is “ancient.” But He does not want the ancient to be imposed on the new, preventing it from manifesting itself. It would be as if the Catholic Church reduced the message of Vatican Council II to the pre-Vatican II practices, as many people today seem to want to do.

4) Personal questions

• Which conflicts about religious practices  cause suffering to people  today and are the cause of much discussion and polemics? What is the underlying image of God in all these preconceptions, norms and prohibitions?

• How can we understand today Jesus’ statement: “do not put a new piece of cloth on an old cloak?”  What is the message which you can draw from this for your life and for the life of the community?

5) Concluding Prayer

Commit your destiny to Yahweh,

be confident in Him, and He will act,

making your uprightness clear as daylight,

and the justice of your cause as the noon. (Ps 37:5-6)

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Almighty God,

every good thing comes from You.

Fill our hearts with love for You,

increase our faith,

and by your constant care

protect the good You have given us.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel Reading - Luke 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

3) Reflection

• In today’s Gospel we have the call of Jesus to Peter. The Gospel of Mark places the call of the first disciples after the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus (Mk 1:16-20). Luke places it after the fame of Jesus was already extended across the whole region (Lk 4:14). Jesus had cured many people (Lk 4:40) and had preached in the synagogues of all Judea (Lk 4:44). The people looked for Him and the crowds pushed Him on all sides in order to hear the Word of God (Lk 5:1). Luke makes the call easier to understand. In the first place, Peter can listen to Jesus’ words to the people, and then he is a witness to the miraculous catch of fish. It is only after this double surprising experience that he understands the call of Jesus. Peter responds. He abandons everything and becomes a “fisher of men.”

• Luke 5:1-3: Jesus teaches from the boat. People look for Jesus in order to listen to the Word of God. Many people get together around Jesus, making a throng around Him. Jesus seeks help from Simon Peter and from some of his companions who had just returned from fishing. He goes into the boat with them and responds to the expectation of the people, communicating  the Word of God to them. Sitting down, Jesus takes the attitude of a Teacher and speaks from a fisherman’s boat. The novelty consists in the fact that He teaches, not only in the synagogue for a choice public but in any place, where there are people who wish to listen, even on the seashore.

• Luke 5:4-5: “But if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When He had finished speaking, Jesus addresses Himself to Simon and encourages him to fish again. In Simon’s response there is frustration, fatigue and discouragement: “Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing!” But trustful in Jesus’ word, they throw in the nets again and continue the struggle. The word of Jesus has greater force for them than the experience of frustration of that night!

• Luke 5: 6-7: The result is surprising. The catch is so abundant that the nets are about to tear and the boat begins to sink. Simon needs the help of John and James, who are in the other boat. Nobody is complete in himself, alone. One community has to help the other. The conflict among the communities, both at the time of Luke as well as today, should be overcome in order to attain a common objective, which is the mission. The experience of the force of the transformative word of Jesus  is the axis around which the differences are embraced and overcome.

• Luke 5:8-11: “Be fishers of men.” The experience of the closeness of God in Jesus makes Peter understand who he is: “Leave me Lord, I am a sinful man!” Before God we are all sinners. Peter and his companions are afraid and, at the same time, they feel attracted to Jesus. Jesus drives away fear: “Do not be afraid!” He calls Peter and commits him to the mission, ordering him to be a fisher of men. Peter experiences, quite concretely, that the word of Jesus is like the word of God. It is capable of bringing about what it affirms. In Jesus those rough and tough laborers will have an experience of power, of courage, of trust. And so then, “they will abandon everything and follow Jesus!” Up until now it was only Jesus who announced the Good News of the Kingdom. Now other people will be called and involved in the mission. This way in which Jesus works,  in a team, is also Good News for the people.

• The episode of the catch of fish along the lake indicates the attraction and the force of the Word of Jesus. He attracts people (Lk 5:1). He urges Peter to offer his boat to Jesus to be able to speak (Lk 5:3). The word of Jesus is so strong that it overcomes the resistance in Peter. It convinces him to cast the nets into the sea again and there is the miraculous catch (Lk 5:4-6). It overcomes in him the urge to leave Jesus and attracts him to become a “fisher of men” (Lk 5, 10). This is the way the Word of God acts in us, even now!

4) Personal questions

• Where and how does the miraculous catch of fish take place today?

• And they leaving everything followed Jesus. What do I have to leave in order to follow Jesus?

• In joining with other communities to, to overcome conflict between communities, how do we work together when both communities have the same stated mission, but have competing or conflicting ways to attain it?

5) Concluding Prayer

Who shall go up to the mountain of Yahweh?

Who shall take a stand in His holy place?

The one with clean of hands and a pure heart,

who does not swear an oath in order to deceive. (Ps 24:3-4)

The visit of Mary to Elizabeth, Lk 1:39-56

1) Opening Prayer:

Holy Spirit, Spirit of Wisdom, of Science, of Intelligence, of Counsel, fill us, we pray, with the knowledge of the Word of God. Fill us with every kind of spiritual wisdom and intelligence, so as to be able to understand it in depth.

May we, under Your guidance, be able to understand the Gospel of this Marian solemnity. Holy Spirit, we need You, You, the only one who continually molds in us the figure and the form of Jesus. And we turn to you, Mary, Mother of Jesus and of the Church, you who have lived the inebriating and total presence of the Holy Spirit, you who have experienced the power of His force in you, who has seen it operating in your Son Jesus from the time when He was in the maternal womb. Open our heart and our mind, so that they may be docile to listen to the Word of God. 

2) Reading of the Gospel:

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

And Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever." Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. 

3) Moments of prayerful silence:

Silence is a quality of the one who knows how to listen to God. Try to create in yourself an atmosphere of peace and of silent adoration. If you are able to be in silence before God, you will be able to listen to His breath, which is Life.

4) Meditatio 

a) Key to the Reading:

Blessed are you among women

In the first part of today’s Gospel, Elizabeth’s words  resound: “Blessed are you among women”, preceded by a spatial movement. Mary leaves Nazareth, situated in the north of Palestine, to go to the south, approximately fifty kilometers, to a place which tradition has identified as the present day Ain Karem, not too far from Jerusalem. The physical movement shows the interior sensibility of Mary, who is not closed in on herself, to contemplate, in a private and intimate way, the mystery of the Divine Maternity, which is being accomplished in her, but she is impelled toward the path of charity. She moves in order to go and help her elderly cousin. Mary’s going to Elizabeth has the added connotation “in haste,” which Saint Ambrose interprets as follows: “Mary set out in haste to the hill country, not because she did not believe the prophecy or because she was uncertain of the announcement or looked for proof, but because she was pleased with the promise and desired to render a service with devotion, with the impulse that she received from her intimate joy… The grace of the Holy Spirit does not entail slowness”. The reader, though, knows that the true reason for the trip is not indicated, but can get it through information deduced from the context. The angel had told Mary that Elizabeth was pregnant, already in the sixth month (cf. v. 37). The fact that she remained there three months (cf. v. 56), just the time so that the child could be born, allows us to understand that Mary intended to help her cousin. Mary runs, and goes where there is an urgent need, the need for help, showing, in this way, a clear sensibility and concrete availability. 

Together with Mary, Jesus, in His mother’s womb, moves with her. From here it is easy to deduce the Christological value of the episode of Mary’s visit to her cousin: above all, the attention is for Jesus. At first sight, it could seem to be a scene concentrated on the two women.  In reality, what is important for the Evangelist is the prodigious fact of their conceptions. Mary’s movement leads, in the final analysis, to the encounter between the two women.

As soon as Mary enters into the house and greets Elizabeth,  John leaps in Elizabeth’s womb. According to some, this leap is not comparable to the changing place of the fetus, which is experienced by every pregnant woman. Luke uses a particular Greek verb which precisely means “jumping”. Wishing to interpret the verb a bit literally, it could connote “danced”, thus excluding a physical phenomenon only. Someone has thought that this “dance” could be considered as a form of “homage” which John renders to Jesus, inaugurating, though not yet born, that attitude of respect and of subjection which will characterize his life: “After me is coming someone who is more powerful than I, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of His sandals” (Mk 1:7). One day, John himself will give witness: “it is the bridegroom who has the bride; and yet the bridegroom’s friend, who stands there and listens to him, is filled with joy at the bridegroom’s voice. This is the joy that I feel and it is complete. He must grow greater, I must grow less” (Jn 3:29-30). Thus Saint Ambrose comments: “Elizabeth was the first one to hear the voice, but John is first to perceive the grace”. We find a confirmation of this interpretation in Elizabeth’s words, which, repeating the same Greek verb in v. 44 already employed in v. 41, when she says, “The child in my womb leapt for joy”. Luke, with these particular details, has wished to recall the wonders which took place in the intimacy of Nazareth. It is only now, thanks to this dialogue, that the mystery of the divine maternity leaves aside its secrecy and its individual dimension, to become a notable fact, and an object of appreciation and of praise.

Elizabeth’s words, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord?” (vv. 42-43). With a Semitic expression which is equivalent to a superlative (“among women”), the Evangelist wishes to attract the attention of the reader on Mary’s role: to be the “Mother of the Lord”. And, then, a blessing is reserved for her (“Blessed are you”) and a beatitude. In what does this consist? It expresses Mary’s obedience to the Divine Will. Mary is not only the receiver of a mystery which makes her blessed, but also a person who knows how to accept and adhere to God’s will. Mary is a creature who believes, because she trusts in a simple word and which she has answered with her “yes” of love. And Elizabeth acknowledges this service of love, identifying her as “blessed as mother and blessed as believer”.

In the meantime, John perceives the presence of his Lord and exults, expressing with that interior movement the joy which springs from that contact of salvation. Mary will be the interpreter of that event in the Magnificat. 

b) A song of love:

In this song Mary considers herself part of the anawim, of the “poor of God”, of those who “fear God” placing in Him all their trust and hope and who, on the human level, do not enjoy any right or prestige. The spirituality of the anawim can be synthesized in the words of Psalm 37:9: “In silence he is before God and hopes in Him”, because “those who hope in the Lord will possess the earth”.

In Psalm 86:6 the one who prays, turning to God says, “Give Your servant Your force.” Here the term “servant” expresses his being subjected, as well as the sentiment of belonging to God, of feeling secure with Him.

The poor, in the Biblical sense, are those who place their trust unconditionally in God; this is why they are to be considered, qualitatively, the best part of the people of Israel.

The proud, on the other hand, are those who place all their trust in themselves.

Now, according to the Magnificat, the poor have a thousand reasons to rejoice, because God glorifies the anawim (Psalm 149:4) and humbles the proud. An image taken from the New Testament, which expresses very well the attitude of the poor of the Old Testament, is that of the Publican who with humility beats his breast, while the Pharisee, boastful of his merits, is being consumed by his pride (Lk 19:9-14). Definitively, Mary celebrates all that God has done in her and all that He works in every creature. Joy and gratitude characterize this hymn of salvation which recognizes the greatness of God, but which also makes great the one who sings it. 

5) Some questions for meditation:

- Is my prayer, above all, the expression of a sentiment or celebration and acknowledgment of God’s action?

- Mary is presented as the believer in the Word of the Lord. How much time do I dedicate to listening to the Word of God?

- Is your prayer nourished from the Bible, as was  Mary’s?  Or rather are you dedicated to devotions which produce a continuous tasteless and dull prayer? Are you convinced that to return to Biblical prayer is the assurance of finding solid nourishment, chosen by Mary herself ?

- Do you accept the logic of the Magnificat,  which exalts the joy of giving, of losing in order to find, of accepting, the happiness of gratuity, of donation?

6) Oratio

 a) Psalm 44 (45)

The Psalm in this second part, glorifies the Queen. In today’s Liturgy these verses are applied to Mary and celebrate her greatness and beauty. 

In your retinue are daughters of kings,

the consort at your right hand in gold of Ophir.

Listen, my daughter,

attend to my words and hear;

forget your own nation

and your ancestral home,

then the king will fall in love with your beauty;

He is your lord, bow down before Him.

Her companions are brought to her,

they enter the king's palace with joy and gladness.

b) Final Prayer:

The prayer which follows is a brief meditation on the maternal role of Mary in the life of the believer: “Mary, woman who knows how to rejoice, who knows how to exult, who allows herself  to be visited by the full consolation of the Holy Spirit, teach us to pray so that we may also discover the source of joy. In the house of Elizabeth,  your cousin, feeling accepted and understood in your most intimate secret, you burst out in a hymn of exultation of the heart, speaking of God, of you, about your relationship with Him, and of the unprecedented adventure of being the Mother of Christ and of all of us, holy people of God. Teach us to give our prayer a rhythm of hope and tremors of joy. The Gospel speaks to us about you, Mary, and of Elizabeth: both of you kept something in your heart which you did not dare or you did not wish to manifest to anyone. But each one of you felt understood by the other, on that prophetic day of the Visitation, and you pronounced words of prayer and of feast. Your encounter becomes a liturgy of thanksgiving and of praise to your ineffable God. You, woman of  profound joy, you sang the Magnificat, in rapture and amazed at all that the Lord was accomplishing in His humble servant. Magnificat is the cry, the explosion of joy, which explodes within each one of us, when one feels accepted and understood.”

7) Contemplatio 

The Virgin Mary, the temple of the Holy Spirit, accepted with faith the Word and surrendered herself completely to the power of Love. Because of this she became the icon of interiority, that is, completely recollected under the gaze of God and abandoned to the power of the Most High. Mary keeps silence about herself, because everything in her can speak about the wonders of the Lord in her life.

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Almighty God,

every good thing comes from You.

Fill our hearts with love for You,

increase our faith,

and by Your constant care

protect the good You have given us.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel Reading - Luke 4:31-37

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

3) Reflection

• In today’s Gospel we can see the facts more closely: the admiration of the people because of the way Jesus taught and the cure of a man who was possessed by an unclean spirit. Not all the Evangelists give this account in the same way. For Luke, the first miracle is the peace with which Jesus liberates Himself from the threat of death on the part of the people of Nazareth (Lk 4:29-30) and the cure of the possessed man (Lk 4:33-35). For Matthew, the first miracle is the cure of the sick and of the possessed (Mt 4:23) or, more specifically, the cure of a leper (Mt 8:1-4). For Mark, the first miracle was the expulsion of the devil (Mk 1: 23-26). For John, the first miracle was Cana, where Jesus changed the water into wine (Jn 2:1-11). Thus, in the way of narrating things, each Evangelist indicates which was Jesus’ greatest concern.

• Luke 4:31: Jesus’ change in direction toward Capernaum: “Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and on Saturday He taught the people.” Matthew says that Jesus went to live in Capernaum (Mt 4:13). He changed His residence. Capernaum was a small city on the crossroad between two important routes: the one coming from Asia Minor and leading to Petra on the south of Transjordan, and the other one coming from the region of the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, and leading down toward Egypt. The change toward Capernaum facilitated contact with the people and the spreading of the Good News.

• Luke 4:32: Amazement of the people at the teaching of Jesus. The first thing that people perceive is that Jesus teaches in a different way. It is not so much the content that strikes them, but rather His way of teaching: “Jesus speaks with authority.” Mark adds that because of His different way of teaching, Jesus created a critical conscience among the people in regard to the religious authority of His time. The people perceived and compared: “He teaches with authority, unlike the Scribes” (Mk 1:22,27). The Scribes taught quoting authority. Jesus does not quote any authority; rather He speaks  from His experience of God and of His life.

• Luke 4:33-35: Jesus fights against the power of evil. The first miracle is the expulsion of the devil. The power of evil took possession of people, alienating them. Jesus restores the people to be themselves again, giving them back consciousness and liberty. He does this thanks to the force of His word: “Be quiet! Come out of him!” And on another occasion He says: “But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the Kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares” (Lk 11:20). Today, also, many people live alienated from themselves, subjugated by means of communication, by the propaganda of the government and of business. They live as slaves of consumerism, oppressed by debts and threatened by creditors. People think that they do not live well if they do not have everything which the propaganda announces. It is not easy to expel this power, which today alienates many people.

• Luke 4:36-37: The reaction of the people: He gives orders to the unclean spirits. Jesus not only has a different way of teaching the things of God, but another aspect which evokes admiration in the people is His power over unclean spirits: “What is it in His words? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.” Jesus opens a new path so that the people can place themselves before God to pray and to receive the blessings promised to Abraham. Before, they had to purify themselves. There were many laws and norms which made the life of the people difficult and marginalized many people who were considered impure. But now, purified by faith in Jesus, people could once again place themselves before God and pray to Him, without needing to have recourse to the complicated norms of purity, which were frequently expensive.

4) Personal questions

• Jesus brings about admiration and astonishment among the people. Does the way of acting of our community draw admiration from the people of the neighborhood? What type of admiration? Are my personal actions also worthy of admiration?

• Jesus drives out the power of evil and restores people to be themselves again. Today many people live alienated from everything . How can we help them to recover and be themselves again?

5) Concluding Prayer

Yahweh is tenderness and pity,

slow to anger, full of faithful love.

Yahweh is generous to all.

His tenderness embraces all His creatures. (Ps 145:8-9)

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Almighty God,

every good thing comes from You.

Fill our hearts with love for You,

increase our faith,

and by Your constant care

protect the good you have given us.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel Reading - Luke 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'" And he said, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

3) Reflection

• Today we begin the meditation on the Gospel of Luke, which will extend three months until the end of the liturgical year. Today’s Gospel speaks about Jesus’ visit to Nazareth and the presentation of His program to the people of the synagogue. At first  the people were amazed. But immediately, when they became aware that Jesus wanted to accept all, without excluding anyone, people rebelled and wanted to kill Him.

• Luke 4:16-19: The proposal of Jesus. Urged by the Holy Spirit, Jesus returns to Galilee (Lk 4:14) and begins to announce the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He goes to the community, teaches in the Synagogue and arrives in Nazareth, where He had grown up. He was returning to the community in which He had participated since He was small and for thirty years. The following Saturday, as was the custom, Jesus went to the synagogue to participate in the celebration, and He stands up to read. He chooses the text of Isaiah which speaks about the poor, of prisoners, of the blind and the oppressed (Is 61:1-2). This text is an image of the situation of the people of Galilee at the time of Jesus. The experience which Jesus had of God, the Father of Love, gave Him a new perspective to evaluate the reality. In the name of God, Jesus takes a stand to defend the life of His people and, with the words of Isaiah, He defines His mission: (1) to announce the Good News to the poor, (2) to proclaim liberty to captives, (3) to give sight to the blind; (4) to release the oppressed, and taking the ancient tradition of the prophets, (5) to proclaim “a year of grace from the Lord.” He proclaims the Jubilee Year!

• In the Bible, the "Jubilee Year” was an important law. Every seven years, at the beginning (Dt 15:1; Lev 25:3) it was necessary to restore the land to the clan of origin. All had to be able to return to their own property; and this way they prevented the formation of large estates, and families were guaranteed their livelihood. It was also necessary to forgive their debts and to redeem the people who were slaves. (Dt 15:1-18). It was not easy to have the Jubilee Year every seven years (cf. Jer 34:8-16). After the exile, it was decided to have it every fifty years (Lev 25:8-12). The objective of the Jubilee was and continues to be to re-establish the rights of the poor, to accept the excluded and to re-integrate them into the society to live together with others. The Jubilee was a legal instrument to return to the original sense of the Law of God. This was an occasion offered by God to make a revision of the path being followed, to discover and to correct the errors and to start again from the beginning. Jesus begins His preaching proclaiming a Jubilee: “A year of grace from the Lord.”.

• Luke 4:20-22: To unite the Bible and Life. Having finished the reading, Jesus comments on the text of Isaiah and says, “This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening!” Taking the words of Isaiah as His own, Jesus gives them a full and definitive sense and He declares Himself Messiah who comes to fulfill the prophecy. This way of interpreting the text provokes a reaction of disbelief on the part of those who were in the synagogue. They were scandalized and did not want to know anything about Him. They did not accept that Jesus was the Messiah announced by Isaiah. They said, “Is He not the son of Joseph?” They were scandalized because Jesus spoke about accepting the poor, the blind and the oppressed. The people do not accept Jesus’ proposal. And, thus when He presents the idea of accepting the excluded, He Himself is excluded.

• Luke 4:23-30: To overcome the limits of race. In order to help the community to overcome the scandal and to help them understand that His proposal formed part of tradition. Jesus tells two stories known in the Bible, the story of Elijah and the one of Elisha. Both stories criticize the narrow-mindedness of the people of Nazareth. Elijah was sent to the widow of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:7-16). Elisha was sent to take care of the Syrian (2 Kgs 5:14). Here arises Luke’s concern, who wants to show that openness stems from Jesus. Jesus had the same difficulty which the communities at the time of Luke were having. But the call of Jesus did not calm people down. Quite the contrary! The stories of Elijah and Elisha produced even greater anger. The community of Nazareth reaches the point of wanting to kill Jesus. But He remains calm. The anger of others does not succeed in drawing Him away from His own path. Luke tells us that it is difficult to overcome the mentality of privilege and of narrow-mindedness.

• It is important to notice the details used in the Old Testament. Jesus quotes the text of Isaiah up to the point where it says, “to proclaim a year of grace from the Lord.” He does not quote the rest of the sentence which says, “and a day of vengeance from our God.” The people of Nazareth throw stones at Jesus because He pretends to be the Messiah, because He wants to accept the excluded and because He has omitted the sentence about vengeance. They wanted the day of Yahweh to be a day of vengeance against the oppressors of the people. In this case, the coming of the Kingdom would not have been a true change or conversion of the system. Jesus does not accept this way of thinking; He does not accept vengeance (cf. Mt 5:44-48) His new experience of God the Father helped Him to understand better the meaning of the prophecies.

4) Personal questions

• Jesus’ objective is to accept the excluded. Do we accept everybody or do we exclude some? What are the reasons which lead us to exclude certain people?

• Is the mission of Jesus truly our mission, my mission? Who are the excluded whom we should accept better in our community? Who or what thing gives us the strength to carry out the mission entrusted to us by Jesus?

5) Concluding Prayer

How I love Your Law, Lord!

I ponder it all day long.

You make me wiser than my enemies

by Your commandment which is mine for ever. (Ps 119:97-78)

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Father,

help us to seek the values

that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.

In our desire for what You promise

make us one in mind and heart.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel Reading - Mark 6:17-29

Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias' own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you." He even swore many things to her, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the Baptist." The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request, "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

3) Reflection

• Today we commemorate the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist. The Gospel gives a description of how John the Baptist was killed, without due process, during a banquet, a victim of the corruption and arrogance of Herod and his court.

• Mark 6:17-20. The cause of the imprisonment and the beheading of John. Herod was an employee of the Roman Empire, who ruled in Palestine beginning in the year 63 BC. Caesar was the Emperor of Rome. He insisted above all in an efficient administration which would provide revenue for the Empire and for him.  Herod’s concern was his own advancement and his security. This is why he suppressed any type of corruption. He liked to be called the benefactor of the people, but in reality he was a tyrant (cf. Lk 22:25). Flavius Josephus, a writer of that time, claims that the reason for the imprisonment of John the Baptist was the fear that Herod had of a popular uprising or revolt.  John the Baptist’s denunciation of the depraved morality of Herod (Mk 6:18) was “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” and John was imprisoned.

• Mark 6:21-29: The plot of the murderer. The anniversary and banquet of the feast, with dancing and orgy, were the occasion for the beheading of John. It was an environment in which the powerful of the kingdom met together and in which  alliances were formed. “The great of the court,” two officials and two important people from Galilee, participated in the feast. This was the environment in which the beheading of John the Baptist was decided. John, the prophet, was a living denunciation of that corrupt system, and this is why he was eliminated under the pretext of a personal obligation. All this reveals the moral weakness of Herod. So much power had accumulated in the hands of one man who had no self-control. In the enthusiasm of the feast, of the celebration and of wine, Herod makes a promise by oath to a young girl, a dancer. Superstitious as he was, he thought that he had to keep the promise. For Herod, the lives of his subjects were worthless. Mark gives an account of how the beheading happened and leaves the communities the task of drawing the conclusion.

• Between the lines, the Gospel today gives much information on the time in which Jesus lived and on the way in which power was exercised by the powerful of that time. Galilee, the land of Jesus, was governed by Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod, the Great, from the year 4 BC until the year 39 AD - 43 years! During the whole time of  Jesus’ life on earth there was no change of government in Galilee! Herod was absolute lord of everything and did not render an account to anyone. He did as he pleased. In him there was arrogance, lack of ethics, absolute power, without any control on the part of the people!

• Herod constructed a new capital, called Tiberiades. Seffori, the ancient capital, was destroyed by the Romans in retaliation for a popular revolt. This happened when Jesus was about seven years old. Tiberiades, the new capital, was inaugurated thirteen years later, when Jesus was approximately 20 years old. The capital was given that name in order to please Tiberius, the Emperor of Rome. Tiberiades was a strange place in Galilee. That was the place where the king, “the great of the court”, the officials, the important people of Galilee lived (Mk 6:21). The landowners, the soldiers, the policemen lived there and also the judges, who were often insensitive and indifferent (Lk 18:1-4). The taxes and tributes and the products of the people were channeled there. It was there that Herod held his orgies of death (Mk 6:21-29). The Gospel does not say that Jesus entered the city.

During the 43 years of the government of Herod, a class of officials, faithful to the plans of the king, was created: the scribes, the merchants, the landowners, the tax collectors on the market, the tax collectors or publicans, the militia, policemen, judges, promoters, local heads. The majority of these people lived in the capital and enjoyed the privileges which Herod offered, for example, exemption from taxes. Others lived in the villages. In every village or city there was a group of people who supported the government. Several scribes and Pharisees were bound to the system and to the politics of the government. In the Gospels, the Pharisees appear together with the Herodians (Mk 3:6; 8:15; 12:13), and this shows the existing alliance between the religious and the civil powers. The life of the people in the villages of Galilee was very controlled, both by the government and by religion. It took much courage to begin something new, as John and Jesus did! It was the same thing as  attracting to oneself the anger of the privileged ones, both those of the religious power as those of the civil power, both at local and state levels.

4) Personal questions

• Do you know any people who died as victims of corruption and the dominion of the powerful? And here, among us, in our community and in the Church, are there some victims of authoritarianism or of the excess of power? Give an example.

• Superstition, corruption, cowardice marked the exercise of Herod’s power. Compare this with the exercise of religious and civil power today, in the various levels both of society and of the Church.

5) Concluding Prayer

In You, Yahweh, I take refuge,

I shall never be put to shame.

In Your saving justice rescue me,

deliver me, listen to me and save me. (Ps 71:1-2)

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Father of everlasting goodness,

our origin and guide,

be close to us

and hear the prayers of all who praise You.

Forgive our sins and restore us to life.

Keep us safe in Your love.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel Reading – Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise ones replied, 'No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.' While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!' But he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.' Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

3) Reflection

• Matthew 25:1ª: The beginning: “At that time”. The parable begins with these  words: “At that time”. It is a question of the coming of the Son of Man (cf. Mt 24:37). Nobody knows when this day, this time will come, “not even the angels in Heaven nor the Son himself, but only the Father” (Mt 24:36). The fortune tellers will not succeed in giving an estimate. The Son of Man will come as a surprise, when people least expect Him (Mt 24:44). It can be today, or it can be tomorrow. That is why the last warning of the parable of the ten Virgins is: “Keep watch!” The ten bridesmaids should be prepared for anything that might happen. When the Nazi policemen knocked at the door of the Monastery of the Carmelite Sisters of Echt in the Province of Limburgia, in the Netherlands, Edith Stein, Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was prepared. She took on the Cross and followed the way to martyrdom in the extermination camp out of love for God and for her people. She was one of the prudent virgins of the parable.

• Matthew 25:1b-4: The ten virgins ready to wait for the bridegroom. The parable begins like this: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like this: ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.” It is an issue of the bridesmaids who have to accompany the bridegroom to the wedding feast. Because of this, they have to take the lamps with them, to light the way, as well as render the feast more joyful with more light. Five of them were prudent, and five were foolish. This difference is seen in the way in which they prepare themselves for the role that they have to carry out. Together with the lighted lamps, the prudent ones had taken some oil in reserve, preparing themselves in this way for anything which could happen. The foolish ones took only the lamps and they did not think to take some oil in reserve with them.

• Matthew 25:5-7: The unforeseen delay of the arrival of the bridegroom. The bridegroom was late. He had not indicated precisely the hour of his arrival. While waiting, the bridesmaids went to sleep. But the lamps continue to burn and use oil until gradually they burn out. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, there was a cry: “Look! The bridegroom! Go out and meet him!” All the bridesmaids woke up and began to prepare their lamps, which were burning out. They had to put in some of the oil they had brought in reserve so that the lamps would not burn out.

• Matthew 25:8-9: The different reactions to the delay of the bridegroom. It is only now that the foolish bridesmaids become aware that they should have brought some oil in reserve with them. They go to ask the prudent ones, “Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.” The prudent ones are unable to respond to this request, because at that moment what was important was not for the prudent ones to share their oil with the foolish ones, but that they be ready to accompany the bridegroom to the place of the feast. For this reason they advised them, “You had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.”

• Matthew 25:10-12: The fate of the prudent bridesmaids and that of the foolish ones. The foolish ones followed the advice of the prudent ones and went to buy some oil. During their brief absence the bridegroom arrived. The prudent ones were able to accompany him and to enter the wedding feast with him. But the door was closed behind them. When the others arrived, they knocked at the door and said, “Lord, Lord, open the door for us!” and they received the reply, “In truth I tell you, I do not know you.”

• Matthew 25:13: Jesus final recommendation to all of us. The story of this parable is very simple, and the lesson is obvious: “So stay awake and watch, because you do not know either the day or the hour.” The moral of the story: do not be superficial. Look beyond the present moment, and try to discover the call of God even in the smallest things of life, even the oil which may be lacking in the small light or lamp.

4) Personal questions

• Have you had to think about having oil in reserve for your lamp in your life?

• What does it mean to be prepared? Is it acceptance of God’s will, or interiority, or sacramental, or in/through virtue, or something else, or all of that?

• It is easy with lamps – you either have extra oil or not. How do you evaluate whether you are prepared, or what else there is to do?

• Do you know the life of Saint Edith Stein, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross?

5) Concluding Prayer

I will bless Yahweh at all times,

His praise continually on my lips.

I will praise Yahweh from my heart.

Let the humble hear and rejoice. (Ps 34:1-2)

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Father,

help us to seek the values

that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.

In our desire for what You promise

make us one in mind and heart.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 24:42-51

Jesus said to his disciples: "Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is long delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."

3) Reflection

• The Gospel today speaks about the coming of the Lord at the end of time and exhorts us to be watchful. At the time of the first Christians, many people thought that the end of this world was close at hand and that Jesus would return afterwards. Today many  think that the end of the world is close at hand. Therefore, it is well to reflect on the meaning of vigilance, of watchfulness.

• Matthew 24:42: Watch. “So stay awake! Watch, because you do not know the day when your master is coming.” Concerning the day and the hour of the end of the world, Jesus had said, “But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, no one but the Father!" (Mk 13:32). Today, many people are concerned about the end of the world. Have you seen, when walking through the streets of the city, that it is written on walls: “Jesus will return!” And how will this coming be? After the year 1000, basing themselves on the Gospel of John, people began to say (Rev 20:7): “1000 years have gone by, but 2000 will not pass by!” This is why, as the year 2000 approached, many were worried. There were even some people who were anguished because of the proximity of the end of the world, so much so that they committed suicide. Others, reading the Apocalypse of John, were even able to foretell the exact hour of the end. But the year 2000 came and nothing happened. The end of the world did not arrive! The declaration “Jesus will return” is often used to frighten people and oblige them to belong to a given church! Others, because they have waited so long and have speculated so much concerning the coming of Jesus, are not aware of His presence among us, in the most common things of life, in the facts of every day.

• The same problems existed in the Christian communities of the first centuries. Many people of the communities said that the end of this world was close at hand and that Jesus would return. Some of the community of Thessalonica in Greece, basing themselves on the preaching of Paul, said: “Jesus will return!” (1 Thess 4:13-18; 2 Thess  2:2). And this is why there were even people who no longer worked because they thought that the coming of the end was so close at hand, within a few days or a few weeks, so, “Why work, if Jesus will return soon?” (cf. 2 Thess 3:11). Paul responded that it was not as simple as they imagined. And to those who had stopped working he said, “Anyone who does not want to work, has no right to eat!” Others remained looking up at the sky, waiting for the return of Jesus in the clouds (cf. Acts 1:11). Others rebelled because He delayed coming back (2 Pet 3:4-9). In general the Christians lived in the expectation of the imminent coming of Jesus. Jesus was coming to carry out the Final Judgment to end the history of this world and to inaugurate a new phase of history, the new Heaven and the new Earth. They believed that this would take place within one or two generations. Many people would still be alive when Jesus appeared again, glorious in Heaven (1Thess 4:16-17; Mk 9:1). Others, tired of waiting, would say: “He will never come back!” (2 Pet 3).

• Up until now the coming of Jesus has not happened! How can this delay be understood? It is because they are not aware that Jesus has already returned and lives in our midst: “I am with you always, till the end of time.” (Mt 28:20). He is already at our side, in the struggle for justice, for peace, for life. The fullness has not as yet been attained, but a guarantee of the Kingdom is already in our midst. This is why we expect with a firm hope the full liberation of humanity and of nature (Rm 8:22-25). While we wait and struggle, we say with certainty, “He is already in our midst” (Mt 25:40).

• Matthew 24:43-51: The example of the householder and his servants. “Consider this: if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house.” Jesus says this very clearly. Nobody knows anything regarding the hour: "Concerning this day and this hour, nobody knows anything, neither the angels, or the Son, but only the Father.”

What is important is not to know the hour of the end of this world, but rather to be able to perceive the coming of Jesus, who is already present in our midst in the person of the poor (cf. Mt 25:40) and in so many other ways and events of our daily life. What is important is to open our eyes and to keep in mind the commitment of the good servant of whom Jesus speaks in the parable.

4) Personal questions

• On which signs do people base their belief that the end of the world is close at hand? Do you believe that the end of the world is close at hand?

• How should we respond to those who say that the end of the world is close at hand? What is the force which impels you to resist and to have hope?

• Our Creed says “He will come again to judge...” yet Jesus says He “is in our midst”. How do you reconcile these two statements?

• In English, and perhaps in many languages, the phrase “my world” means my life and what is in it. By using this more personal interpretation of the word “world”, can greater meaning be found in the use of the idea of “end of the world” than just thinking about the entire planet?

5) Concluding Prayer

Day after day I shall bless You, Lord,

I shall praise Your name for ever and ever.

Great is Yahweh and worthy of all praise,

His greatness beyond all reckoning. (Ps 145:2-3)