Monday, September 6, 2021

 

24 - SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME –  B – 2021   

§  Last Sunday, the readings were about hearing- listening and speaking-proclaiming the Word we have heard.  

§  Today,  the Lord

o   Invites us to discover that in Jesus’ school the greatest is the one who serves more his/her brothers and sisters, not the one who abuses them to satisfy his ambitions of being the greatest.   

o   At the same time Jesus makes a estrange invitation, to take our cross and follow him.  

FIRST READING : Is 50:5-9a

*      This text is taken from the second part of the book of Isaiah, called Deutero-Isaiah or Second Isaiah. The author can be either an Israelite who has come back from exile, or someone who has never left the country. 

*      It is the poet who sings the wonders of the return from exile with exodus imaginary, where God repeats again the marvels he had done, who goes before his people in this joyful return so much waited for.  

*      In the Second Isaiah, we find four poems that have been called the Servant poems or songs. 

*      This servant is considered to be, either Israel-Jacob who represents the people, or another person faithful to God. 

*      These texts, referred to an anonymous servant, open a completely new perspective in the Old Testament and in the religious world in general:

o   Suffering is a road to God  

o   It is not only a reality from which we ask God to be freed, as we find in the psalms. 

o   This suffering may be of value, not only for the person who experiences  it  but, also for other persons

o   That is why, the Church has seen in these Servant Songs, the description of the mission of Jesus, the faithful and suffering Servant who gives his life for his people and for the glory of God. 

Let us see the message of this Sunday reading,    

§  The Servant tells us that, God has open his ears, and that, he has not turned back  

o   I gave my back to those who beat me,

o   my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;

o   my face from buffets and spitting.

·         This Servant tells us of his great trust in the Lord, and He has been able to do all of these because he knows that the Lord is with him, and that He will not abandon him, and thus he will not be deceived in his hope, in his faith. 

§  The confidence in the presence of the Lord is what makes him able to challenge his enemies, what enemies? 

§  We suffer also during our life, each one in his/her own way, with a different sensibility, but are we confident like the Servant  in the love that God has for us?

§  Confidence which will make us able to challenge all the enemies which are: the suffering we inflict to one another, the poor health, the broken relationships, the lack of work, the chattered dreams, the failures, the abandonments… 

§  Yes, indeed the Lord, the God of Israel is with us through his Son Jesus, the God-with-us.   

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Ps 116: 1-2. 3-4. 5-6. 8-9 

I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
 I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.
I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
 The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
and I called upon the name of the LORD,
"O LORD, save my life!"
I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
.Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.
I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
 For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.

I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living. 

v  The care the Lord has for me is what makes me love Him   

v  When I am in anguish, in danger, I invoke Him and He saves me. 

v  The Lord is gracious, just, compassionate and He protects the little ones.  

v  The Lord has freed me from death, mi feet from stumbling, my eyes from tears.  

v  For this, I continue to walk in the presence of the Lord, because He is my God and He helps me.  

GOSPEL   Mc 8: 27-35

·         In our reading from the Gospel of Mark, we have reached the end of the first part, and Jesus challenges us with a question.  

·         Let us imagine the scene, Jesus is with his own, those who live with Him, his closest friends, those He has chosen to be sent. At the same time through the context, we realize that there are also other followers, other disciples and even some curious by-standers. 

·         Jesus asks an estrange question which, probably surprised those men who knew Him to be humble, simple, not worried about himself. Who do people say that I am? Why do you want to know that Jesus?  

·         The apostles, like we do when we are taking a class and the teacher asks a question about something we do not know, gave some superficial answers to make believe that they knew what people felt about Jesus.  

·         But Jesus has a surprise for those simple men, and also for us the followers of the XXI century in 2021. And you who do you say?  

·         Now we are in real trouble, because Jesus does not want any response, he does not want an answer from what the Catechism says, or the priest that gave a retreat said or a theologian has said. No, he is not interested in those answers; he wants to know who is he for you?  

·         If we are sincere, we will say that this is the hardest question to answer, and that we need our entire life to get closer to the truth.  

·         Who am I for you: John, Peter, George, Louis, Angel, Sonia, Olga, Sandy, Nancy, Guadalupe….? Do I mean anything for you? Do I make you as happy as you make me happy? 

Think and meditate, and you will see how the answer takes shape little by little through the years. 

·         After that, Jesus, you will   explain  to them and to the crowd what does it mean to be the Suffering Servant, and you invite me to be like that Servant,   to collaborate with you in the transformation of our world into your Kingdom “to take my cross and follow you.” The accent is not in taking the cross but in “follow you” because the cross without you has no meaning at all.   

SECOND READING – Jas  2: 14-18

*      It would seem that James is discussing with someone about faith and works.  

*      For James faith can be seen only through works, born from love: to clothe the naked, feed the hungry… 

*      James makes us reflect on the truth of our faith, an invitation to live in truth our life of followers of the Suffering Servant, Jesus, our Teacher.   

*      Let us allow this reflection of James challenge our faith and our works.   

CLARETIAN CORNER   -

   

 J.M.J 

M. Antonia París de S. Pedro

Madrid, July 20 1868

Very dear Mother in J. C.: I have received you letter from the 15th of the current month and after reading it I tell you that I am so busy, right now , with other very important businesses  that I  do not feel like using my time in writing letters.   

Because I think you will rejoice in the Lord, I will explain a little one of these works in which I am really busy. It is a Plan of the Church which I already have in embryo. I have proposed it to the Queen and the King, the Minister of Grace and Justice, the new Nuncio and it seems good to all of them.  It has four parts: the first is on succeeding in nominating bishops. The second looks at the canons, how they have to be chosen, they will be chosen from among the pastors who had served well during 20 years, from professors of the seminary who had taught for 10 years and third from   employees of the Palace who will have served for 5 years as provisor, secretary, fiscal et … and also if a priest excels in knowledge, virtue or special services, according to the judgement of the Prelate.   

There is also another part about the fulfillment of their duties by the pastors. The fourth and last part, how to instruct the mind and form and educate the heart of the children that God calls to religious life, so that they become good friars.  When the gardener wants to plant the vegetable garden, he prepares beforehand the plants, and when they are ready he transplants them  to its place within the garden, and thus he has a   planted and beautiful garden.    May God grant that the corporal warmth of time communicates to them the warmth of the spiritual love.   May, all of you, love God and his Most Blessed Mother. I send these two holy cards, one for you and the other for Rev. Bofarull and tell him I have received his letter.   

 My kind regards to all.

Anthony Mary Archbishop of Trajanópolis

Letters from the Origins. Letter 273.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

RR. OF MARY IMMACULATE CLARETIAN MISSIONARY SISTERS. Cartas de los Orígenes (Letters from the Origins), 2009.

CONFERENCIA DE OBISPOS DE ESPAÑA, Sagrada Biblia, versión oficial. 2010  

 

 

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