EIGHT
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - CYCLE A – February
26, 2017
ü The first reading and the Gospel
invite us to trust in God.
ü Both sacred authors choose images of
a tenderness and beauty
ü After listening during two Sundays
the demands of the Law, now Jesus invites us to rest trustfully in the hands of
the Father that, not only makes rain fall and sun rise on good and bad, but he
also takes care of all his creatures even the flowers and the birds.
FIRST READING Is 49:14-15
This text is taken from the Book of
the Second Isaiah, Deutero-Isaiah. In the ministry of the prophet we
distinguish two moments: the first one
cc. 40-48, the prophet speaks to the exiled in Babylon who will very
soon begin the return to their country.
The second moment 49-55 he speaks to those who have already
returned to their homeland, and some of them have not been welcomed as they
dreamed, but in spite of it they have remained faithful to the Lord.
This section of the book is called
the Book of Consolation. Consolation not only for the people who were exiled,
but also for those in Jerusalem, whose life changes with the fall of the
Babylonian power.
v Isaiah presents Zion, the holy city,
as a woman who complains that “her Lord” has forgotten her, has abandoned
her.
v And the Lord answers using an image so tender that she will not
doubt anymore about the love of her God.
v The tender love of a mother is what
almost all of us have for sure in the first years of our life and throughout of
our life.
v In her arms the baby feels secure and
at peace, these arms reassure him/her that
she/he is not abandoned.
v The author says that such is the love
of God for all of us.
v And he adds something else to give us
full peace and security, and in this way conquer our love: Even if a mother could
forget and abandon the baby she has conceived in her womb, I will never forget
you, never abandon you.
v We need to hear these words, but more
than hear we need to believe them and abandon ourselves in the arms of our God
like a baby in her mother’s arms.
v God is described in different ways in
the different books of Scripture, especially like a father, but also as a
mother. From him we, human beings, have learned to be father and mother, we
have received from him the capacity to have love and tenderness.
RESPONSORIAL
PSALM 62: 2-3. 6-7. 8-9
R. (6a) Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
With God is my safety and my glory,
he is the rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
With God is my safety and my glory,
he is the rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
This psalm has the same tone as the first reading and
the Gospel. God is hope, salvation, refuge, saving rock. There is an invitation to trust, to pour out our soul
before God We all are in need of pour out our heart in someone;
the sacred author says that we can do that with God since he is our
refuge.
GOSPEL , Mt 6:24-34
Ø
Today we will read
one of the most beautiful pages of Scripture
Ø
In the first
reading Isaiah invited us to trust, and he uses the tender image of a
mother.
Ø
Matthew takes us
by hand and invites us to look the creation who surrounds us with all its
beauty, and he helps us to realize what God is doing, and that maybe we have
given for granted.
Ø
In the past
Sundays Matthew presented Jesus teaching and unfolding the deep truth and demands of the Law
Ø
Today he says to
us that we cannot serve two masters God and money. Maybe we could rephrase this
saying that we cannot serve God in large case and, god in small case that is to
say a false god an idol,
Ø
After that an
invitation not to be worried and to trust
o
He invites us to
look at our life with all its needs, he mentions only some basic ones and then
he asks us, what is more important life or food o clothing….
o
The birds do not
sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, but the Father feeds them.
o
The flowers of
the field, he does not say the flowers that we use to decorate our churches,
banquets… no, but those flowers that we step on, those we do not pay attention
to, and are not object of our profit.
o
Jesus invites us
to look at them and see their beauty, he makes us realize that these flowers do
not weave but they dress up better than Solomon, because the Father clothes
them.
o
If God feeds the
birds and clothes the flowers, will he not do much more for us?
o
And Jesus, as he
asks us this question, says also “men
and women of little faith.
o
Do not worry for
tomorrow, when it comes it will bring its own worries but it will bring also the presence of God in our life.
Ø
This reading is
not an invitation to do nothing, but to trust.
Ø
Work is not only
to cover our needs, work is a right of the human being called to be co-creator
with his God.
Ø
Through our work
we are called to develop this gift that we have received, to be co-creators, to
transform the creation that God has begun and that now he continues creating
with our cooperation.
Ø
Thus this reading
is an invitation to work, to provide, to do whatever is needed, but knowing
that there is a Father who takes care of
us with the tender love of a mother.
Ø
There is another
theme, that probably we will share some other day, is the sin of those who
change the human being from co-creator
into an instrument of production, of profit, not respecting the dignity given
to them by God. The dignity to be the
image of the creator and thus with the capacity to transform creation, and not
to be used as an object.
ü
And the first part of today’s Reading “to
serve God and to serve the god money” awakens in me a question to which I do
not have an answer. My worries are addressed not only to society, but to all of
us the followers of Jesus . How can we called ourselves followers of Jesus
without embracing all his values? He has explained the Law saying “but I say to
you…’’ How can we have luxury in some of our temples, homes… when the true
temples of our Father, the human beings, continue to die from hunger, I we know
they are many, too many, how is that possible? Some of them are not far from
us, they are close to us, in our same neighborhood.
SECOND READING 1 Co 4:1-5
Paul asks us to behave as true followers of Christ, as
stewards of God’s mysteries. The word we proclaim, that we share, which we try to
interpret is not ours, it is the Lord’s. Thus in all I do and say I have to be faithful, this
is what is expected from a steward. Paul is not worried about what people say about him,
not even that his conscience be at peace, because who judges us is the Lord. And he continues inviting us not to judge , because we do not know the
true reality of any one, only the Lord knows it and, He will reveal it in due
time. Let us live according to the Lord’s precept “love…”
and let us stop passing judgement.
CLARETIAN CORNER
Oh my Lord and my God! How great is your goodness! How infinite your mercy!...Who Lord, if not
your burning charity, would suffer so much contempt?...so many
indignities?...so many profanities? Oh
my Redeemer, by whom are you so offended? Ah!!!!! Your sons, my God, the Holy Church’s
preferred children! The Priests of the
Lord have trampled the most sacred laws, putting our Holy Mother the Church
under their feet!!! Because of this,
there is no faith! There is no charity
on earth!...Oh my Jesus! Send a ray of
your divine light and illuminate the earth.
My Lord, especially enlighten all of the Church’s Prelates; my Lord,
break this veil of mundane vanity, and make them see with impartial eyes the
duties of their position according to Your Most Holy Law.
During the holy visit, the Bishop should
distribute the bread of the Divine Word; do not avoid confessing, engrave in
the hearts of all the Lord’s Holy Law; teach through words and deeds the
fulfillment of the Divine Commandments. Venerable Maria Antonia
Paris, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Plan for the Renewal of
the Church 32-33.
Foundation of a Good Governance
The
governance of a good Prelate must be based on the following virtues: 1st
Humility, because with this virtue we please God, a he gives his grace, and the
gift of good governance to the humble.
2nd Meekness, with this virtue we please men, as did Moses
and this is the way to win someone else’s. 3rd Patience, with this virtue we
possess our own soul, and the soul of the faithful; sometimes overlooking,
according to the proverb that says: “who does not know to dissimulate, does not
know how to govern.” 4th Listening to people in their difficulties
and wishes, even when they are imprudent; if we can console them we give to
them what they ask for, and if not possible, with good manners we try to
explain to them, but never let them go with anger.
Means to obtain the gift of governance.
To
reach the gift of governance, the Prelate has to use the following means:
1st Prayer, as Solomon did… This is the first and most efficacious means to get from God the grace of good governance. 2nd The imitation of Jesus Christ, Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, as Peter calls him; the imitation of the Holy Apostles and of the Holy Prelates, taking one as a special patron or model in the episcopate, as Saint Francis of Sales, Saint Charles Boromeo, St. Thomas of Villanueva, the Blessed John of Ribera, St. Liguori and the Venerable Peter of Castro; and to read their written lives at length. 3rd The advice from wise, prudent and benevolent men. 4th To learn and to be informed about the situations, and never rush in making decisions; and to give corrections on due time and in an appropriate way. Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Notes of a Plan to Restore the Beauty of the Church: “On the Good Governance.”
1st Prayer, as Solomon did… This is the first and most efficacious means to get from God the grace of good governance. 2nd The imitation of Jesus Christ, Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, as Peter calls him; the imitation of the Holy Apostles and of the Holy Prelates, taking one as a special patron or model in the episcopate, as Saint Francis of Sales, Saint Charles Boromeo, St. Thomas of Villanueva, the Blessed John of Ribera, St. Liguori and the Venerable Peter of Castro; and to read their written lives at length. 3rd The advice from wise, prudent and benevolent men. 4th To learn and to be informed about the situations, and never rush in making decisions; and to give corrections on due time and in an appropriate way. Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Notes of a Plan to Restore the Beauty of the Church: “On the Good Governance.”
