Thursday, November 1, 2012

XXXI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE B – NOVEMBER 4, 2012


«  During several Sundays Jesus has been teaching his disciples the difficult lesson about service, not only doing things, but  giving our own life for the sake of our neighbor. 

«  Last Sunday the lesson was about faith, Jesus restores the sight to a blind man.    

«  On this XXXI Sunday Jesus will teach us that the love of God and love of neighbor cannot be separated.   

«  Israel knew and taught the love of neighbor as an essential part of their faith, but  

«  Jesus, who has reveals to us the real meaning of the Law, says that both commandments are equal, and that there is no other commandment greater than this.    

FIRST READING : Dt 6:2-6

Ø  Moses speaks to his people and reminds them the fear of God and the need to be faithful in keeping the commandments if we want to have a long life. For Israel a long life and the abundance of goods are a  blessing.  Both things are considered to be the recompense for a good life, and it is symbolized in the land that flows milk and honey.  This way of understanding  life is different from the teaching of Jesus, who has said: blessed are you poor…    

Ø  Listen Israel… keep the commandments that I give to you today, teach them to the next generations. 

Ø  “Listen” means “obey”; this obedient listening has to be present in all the different aspects of the believer’s life. 

Ø  After this introduction, the author of the Deuteronomy presents the creed of Israel “Shema” :  The Lord is the only lord. 

o   Israel knows that each country has its own divinities.  As we know the revelation from God is progressive, in the stage they are they know that their God is different from all the other gods, He is unique and that He does not allow any competition with the false gods. 

o   Only two centuries later Israel will confess and know that there is only one God, that there is no other God besides the God of Israel who is the God of all.  (Is 41,4;43,11-13;44,6)

Ø  The Shema continues to say

o    You shall love the Lord your God with:

§  all your heart,

§  all your soul,

§  all your mind, and

§  all your strength. 

o   Nothing can remain outside the Law of the love of God. 

Ø  Every faithful Israelite recited this creed every day more than once, so he would not forget the wonderful works God had done for them. The law of love was Israel’s answer to the unconditional love of God for them.    

RESPONSORIAL PSALM – Ps  18  I LOVE YOU, O LORD, MY STRENGTH      

ü   This psalm sings the wonderful works that God has done  for Israel during the Exodus from Egypt and in other times of trouble,

ü   The wonderful works he does in the life of those who love him.   

ü  And our response   will be “I love you Lord.” 

o   You are my rock, my deliverer, my refuge

o   Your are worthy of praise 

GOSPEL  Mk 12:28b-34
«  This passage comes after the discussion of Jesus with the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection.  

«  A teacher of the Law, a Pharisee, is listening to the discussion. He is confused about the law. Over the years Israel had multiplied the precepts of the law to the point that they had about 630.  

«  He approaches Jesus and asks which one is the most important of all the commandments.   

«  Jesus answers him with the “Shema” that he had recited that same morning, 

o   You shall love the Lord your God with   

§  all your heart,

§  all your soul,

§  all your mind, and

§  all your strength.

«  But Jesus does not end here his answer to the Pharisee he continues to say: there is another commandment which constitutes with this one a commandment with two directions: God and neighbor. There is no greater commandment than this; and the two parts of it cannot be separated.     

«  The Pharisee says that this is so, that love of God and love of neighbor is greater than any offering or holocaust.   

«  And Jesus answers him you are not far from the Kingdom of God, that is,  from the community of the disciples of Jesus.

«  Jesus has come to reveal to us the truth of the Law as it is in the heart of God: LOVE, which is God himself.     

SECOND READING : Heb 7:23-28
ü  We continue the Reading of this letter which is a meditation on the priesthood of Christ, the high priest of the new law.   

ü  The priests of the old law, being human limited by their sins and by death, had to offer the sacrifice over and over. 

ü  Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them.

ü  He is the High priest that we needed: holy, innocent.   

ü  The Law appoints priest who are weak, 

ü  But the oath of God, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.  
 
CLARETIAN CORNER
 
At many other times our Lord has given me the grace to follow him with great detachment from all things and much trust in His Divine Providence. The Lord always does this with a great feeling of gratitude and tells me with great love: “My daughter, if one could be detached from oneself, then he would know what I do for him.  Venerable Maria Antonia París, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters,  Autobiography 91 

My God, give me a zeal that is discreet and prudent so that I may do everything strongly yet sweetly, meekly yet thoroughly. I hope to act in all things with a holy prudence, and to this end I shall try to remember that prudence is born in man along with his natural reason, is nurtured by study, strengthened by age, clarified by consulting those who are wise, and perfected in daily experience. Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography 383.  

BIBLIOGRAFÍA

CLARET, Antonio María. Autobiography.

PAGOLA, José A.  Following in the Footsteps of Jesus. Meditation on the Gospels of Year B. Convivium, Bogotá 2011.

PARIS, María Antonia. Autobiography.

Ravassi, Gianfranco. Según las Escrituras- Año B. San Pablo  Bogotá 2005.

Schokel, Luis Alonso, La Biblia de nuestro Pueblo.

  

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