24th SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME -CICLE A – 2023
ü
Last Sunday we
were invited to correct one another with respect and love and, to pray together
ü
The central theme
of this Sunday’s liturgy is the fraternal love under the aspect of forgiveness.
Forgiveness that we are called to share among ourselves, like the Father
forgives us in Christ Jesus, who has died for all of us, without exception.
ü
Paul says that
none of us lives for himself and that we belong to the Lord.
BOOK OF BEN SIRA - ECCLESIASTICUS
o
The designation
“Liber Ecclesiasticus” meaning Church Book is probably due to the extensive use
the Church made of this book.
o
It
belongs to the group of Wisdom Books. Books that reflect on fundamental issues
related to our human life. Issues that worry all of us, questions we try to
answer no matter who we are and where we life. Life, death, suffering, sin,
justice… God or some other superior being.
o
It is
the only book of the Old Testament that bears the signature of its author
(50,27).
o
The
book was written originally in Hebrew in 197 B.C in Jerusalem.
o
It
was translated into Greek by the grandson Ben Sira of the author in 132 B.C.
o
For many centuries it was believed that the
book was written in Greek and thus was not accepted as revealed. In the 19th and
20th centuries fragments of the original manuscript were found written in
Hebrew.
o
Though
not included in the Jewish Bible after the first century A.D. not therefore
accepted by the Protestants, the Wisdom of Ben Sira has been recognized by the
Catholic Church as inspired and canonical.
o
The contents of the Wisdom of Ben Sira are if
a discursive nature, not easily divided into separate parts.
FIRST READING Sir 27:30—28:7
Ø Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet
the sinner hugs them tight.
Ø The author invites us to forgive and thus
when we pray, we will be heard.
Ø How can we expect to be forgiven if we do
not forgive?
Ø What do I answer to this question?
Ø If we harbor wrath in our heart, who will
be able to forgive us? Because when our heart is filled with wrath there is no
more room to anything else, thus we are unable to accept the light of God, to
hear his voice that invites us to forgive, to love.
Ø El author invites us to think about our
last moments, are we going to be at peace with that wrath in our heart when we
face our Creator and Redeemer?
Ø Jesus has invited or called us to love one
another as He has loved us.
Ø The reading ends saying: Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High's covenant. In so doing we will be happy
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 103:1-2, 3-4,
9-10, 11-12
The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in
compassion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The
Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The
Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The
Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R.
The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion. .
GOSPEL Mt 18:21-35
Ø
We continue reading
the same chapter we began last week, chapter in which Matthew speaks to the
community about the requirements of being a community.
Ø The Gospel was written for a given community, with its
own needs and shortcomings.
Ø
The community of
Matthew needed to forgive those who persecuted them, those who killed their
loved ones…
Ø
And the evangelist tells them what Jesus had
told Peter long time before: Peter you have to forgive always, without getting
tired of forgiving.
Ø
And to help us to understand the evangelist
tells us one of the parables of Jesus on forgiveness and on the lack of
forgiveness.
Ø
For us to forgive
is very difficult, because the offense is an attack on our own being, thus is
like being deprived of our life.
Ø
But Jesus who has
died for us, who have offended him more than anyone can offend us, asks us to
forgive as He did.
Ø
I think that if
we learn the lesson on forgiveness, we will experience such happiness that we
will never want to go back.
Ø Lord transform our heart and make it like yours.
SECOND READING: Rom 14:7-9
ü
God invites his
community to understand and accept one another, especially those weaker in
their faith,
ü
And Paul says
very comforting words:
o
None of us lives or
dies for oneself.
o
But we live and
die for the Lord.
o
Because he has
rescued us and in life and in death we belong to Him.
ü Do I truly believe that I belong to the Lord? And if
there is any doubt in our heart let us ask the Lord to change our heart and
make is like his.
ü In our prayer let us meditate and ask ourselves : from what has the Lord recued me?
CLARETIAN CORNER
Year 1842, one night while I was at prayer
pleading to Christ crucified to remedy the necessities of the church, which in
that time were many, that had cost him so much, I offered him my life in
sacrifice as I have done before many times, well aware that my life was not of
much value to sacrifice for so many evils, but as I had no virtues to offer
him, I begged him to deign to teach me what should I do in order to give him
pleasure and glory accomplishing his most holy will. Venerable María Antonia París, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary
Sisters. Autobiography 2.
I was born in the village of Sallent, deanery of Manresa,
diocese of Vich, province of Barcelona.
My parents, whose
names were John Claret and Josephine Clara,
were married, upright, and God-fearing people, very devoted to the
Blessed Sacrament and Mary Most Holy.
I was baptized in St. Mary's Parish, Sallent, on December 25, Christmas Day, 1807, although the parish books say 1808. The reason for this is that they counted the year as beginning on December 25, and so it is that mine is the first entry in the books for the year 1808. Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Autobiography 3-4.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CLARET, Antonio María Claret, Autobiografía.
PAGOLA, José A. El camino abierto
por Jesús. PPC 2012
PARIS, María Antonia, Autobiografía
STOCK, Klemens. La Liturgia de la Palabra. Ciclo A (Mateo) 2007
SAGRADA BIBLIA. Versión oficial de la Conferencia Episcopal Española.
No comments:
Post a Comment