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  

 

 

   XXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – B – 2021   

Last Sunday’s readings   

Ø  said that it is not enough to listen to or to read the Law, we have to practice it. 

Ø  And it described also what is the true Law that God has given us:    

o   To love and to serve those in need    

o   To love one another as Jesus has commanded us    

o   To even love our enemies.   

This Sunday the liturgy offers readings that speak to us about  

Ø  Opening ears and mouth (EPHETAH = OPEN). To be free, to live and to proclaim the Law, the Good News of Jesus Christ.  

Ø  Allow God, Jesus, to liberate us from everything that prevents us to be free.  

FIRST READING: Is 35:4-7

      The section of the book of Isaiah from chapter 34:1 to 35:10 has the same style that the part of the book called Second Isaiah (Deutero-Isaiah), thus it seems that these chapters have been written by the same author, poet and cantor of Israel’s return to the promised land. 

      Tell those who fear, do not fear your God; he comes to liberate and save you. 

      This liberation is described in a poetic, beautiful and graphic language.    

o   The eyes of the blind will be opened, as if they had been closed, and that was the reason they could not see. 

o   The ears of the deaf will be opened too, thus the sound will be able to go through and thus  

o   The tongue of the mute will sing    

o   The lame will jump around as does the most agile animal the deer.   

o   What will the tongue, that was mute until then, sing? It will sing the wonders that God has made, makes and will make in the desert.    

o   Not only in the natural desert, but also in the desert of the human heart, that lives closed to the beauty of our God.   

o   On God’s path, everything will recover its original beauty, and even more.  

      This reading is in the liturgy for us, men, and women, from the XXI century.  

o   Regardless of our deafness, muteness, paralysis, regardless of what we are lacking, our God will transform it into freedom, into joy, if we allow him.    

o   Our job will be to allow him to make us able to walk on his ways.    

RESPONSORIAL PSALM : Ps  146

This psalm is a hymn of praise to God creator and protector of the poor.     

 Praise the Lord, my soul!
 The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
 The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
 The fatherless and the widow the LORD sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!

      The God of Jacob keeps his fidelity forever.

       He does justice to the oppressed, give food to the hungry, frees the captive and protects the foreigner.   

      He gives sight to the blind; he lifts up those who are bowed down.    

      He protects the widow and the orphan.   

      However, he removes from him the wicked who goes through crooked ways.  

      Here we found the same theme as in the first reading; our God is not only Creator and Liberator, but King as well.  

GOSPEL Mark 7:7.31-37

ü  Jesus leaves the region of Tyre goes through  Sidon toward Galilee, and from there to the Decapolis

The Decapolis = Ten cities: [deka=ten and polis=city] was formed by a group of cities in the Eastern border between the Roman Empire, Judea and Syria. They did not constitute a unity among themselves, but they were considered together for their language, culture, geographical and political situation.  All of them are situated now in what are Jordan, Syria, and Israel.   

ü  Jesus is ministering in these pagan cities.     

ü  He adapts himself to the traditions and beliefs of the inhabitants of the region. They need the miracle worker to touch the place that hurts or to touch the sick person, and that he be alone with the one that need to be healed.  

ü  Jesus answering to this need of the people of the region, takes the man apart from the crowd, puts his fingers in the ears of the man, and touches his tongue with his saliva. There was a common belief that the saliva had medicinal properties.  

ü  Afterwards he pronounces the Word “EPHPHATHA” BE OPENED.”

ü  And immediately the man could hear and speak.    

ü  Jesus gives them the order not to say anything about that. We are again confronted with Mark’s “messianic secret.” 

ü  This secret is now necessary because this miracle cannot be understood, in due form, until after the resurrection of Jesus. 

ü  The Church has introduced at the end of the celebration of the sacrament of baptism an optional rite, in which the celebrant says “EPHPHAHA” BE OPENED!

ü  Why? To listen to the Word and to proclaim it.  

SECOND READING . James  2:1-5

«  Brethren do not show any preferences or distinctions or discrimination, if you have accepted the faith in Christ Jesus. 

«  Because if, someone comes to your assembly well dressed and wearing rings, while another comes with dirty and old clothes. If you believe in Christ, you cannot treat them differently. 

«  You cannot give to the rich a place of honor and forget about the poor. 

«  Is it not this, what you have done, says James? You have allowed yourselves to judge between those two persons.  

«  Listen and reflect my dear brethren, does not God choose the poor of this world to make them rich in faith and heirs of his Kingdom, Kingdom promised to those who love him?   

«  This reflection of James challenges us Catholic Christians from the XXI century, on our behavior and on our heart.  

«  We, like those members of the community of Jerusalem, make differences, but we do not bend over those that God has bend himself over, but we bend ourselves toward our selfishness and our sins.   

«  Let us not forget that:   

o   We have all been created by the same God   

o   All redeemed, by the same Christ Jesus.    

o   All brethren, by creation and by redemption.  

o   All called to the Church by the same baptism and sealed by the same Spirit.   

o   All sent to the same mission: to proclaim the Good News of Salvation.   

o   Each one of us according to his/her way of life must accomplish the mission of the followers of Jesus, of the Church. The responsibilities in the Church are services and not honors, for which they had to treat us differently, better than the rest.   

  J.M.J

 

 M. Antonia París de S. Pedro

 

Madrid, March 20 1868

 

My dear Mother in J.C., I have received your letter from the 10th of the present month, and after reading it I say that I feel as the sister nurse does; but what can we do? God has arranged it so, for our greatest good, let his most holy will be done. 

I am very glad that, with what Rev. Dionisio says, the construction works can continue. Everything will come at its proper time. Experience has taught me that in God’s works, we need much patience, interior peace, humility, resignation and conformity with God’s will.    

We are in Lent, time to think more and more in the Lord’s Passion, for this reason I have composed this holy card, so that the girls of the schools and the other Christian persons could remember Jesus every hour.  

I have delivered the letter to the Archbishop of Cuba and we have spoken about the Constitutions. Have trust in the Lord. My kind regards to all.                                                                 

 Antonio María Archbishop of Trajanópolis

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PAGOLA, José A. Following in the Footsteps of Jesus.  Convivium Press 2011.

RAVASSI, Gianfranco. Según las Escrituras. Año B. Bogotá Colombia 2005

RR. DE MARÍA INMACULADA MISIONERAS CLARETIANAS, Cartas de los Orígenes  (Letters from the Origins), 2009.

SCHÖKEL, Luis Alonso. LA BIBLIA DE NUESTRO PUEBLO. Misioneros Claretianos. China 2008.

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 XXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – B - 2021 

The theme for the  22^nd  Sunday in Ordinary time is the law given by our God and Father, the law of life and liberty, which requires from us to abide it in freedom, which is the only way to live in the law of love.   

The three readings speak to us about this same theme. It is not enough to hear and to know intellectually, we need to care for the needs of our sisters and brothers.   

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY

Ø  In the Hebrew Scriptures this book is called “These are the words” and in the Greek translation it has been given the name of Deuteronomy: deuterons [second] nomos [law]  

Ø  We find this book after the Book of Numbers and it is the fifth book of the Pentateuch (5 books) which is the name we give to the 5 first books of the Bible, and our Jewish brothers call it the Torah or the Law.  

Ø  “These words” are the words of Moses to the people before the entrance into the promised land, words written in different literary styles, especially in legal vocabulary.  

Ø  The book is organized in 4 speeches pronounced by Moses, who is introduced to us as leader, prophet, and legislator.   

Ø  The biblical tradition likes to have important characters say the teachings the author wants to convey in his work, these characters are not necessarily the authors of these teachings. This is the case of the Book of Deuteronomy.     

Ø  The reformation found in the Book of Deuteronomy 

o   Centralization of worship which brings the   

o   Centralization of justice and of

o   Other religious and social measures.       

FIRST READING : Dt 4:1-2.6-8

«  In the previous chapters, Moses makes a synthesis of the history of the people.  

«  In truth it is not Moses who makes either the synthesis or the speech, but the different authors of the book. 

«  Israel is asked to listen to the commandments and decrees which Moses teaches them in the name of God

«  On fulfilling the precepts and decrees, they will be able to enter and live in the land that God promised their fathers.   

«  Israel cannot take from or add to the law that Moses has taught them in the name of God.    

o   Nothing can be taken from the Law because God is the LAW, which He has given them for their wellbeing, only God knows what is good for us.  

o   Nothing can be added to the law, because whatever we add is the fruit of our pride, which inclines us to be willing “to be like gods.”   

o   The Law is God’s and not ours. We cannot make it either easier or more difficult.  

«  Our wisdom and prudence are found in acting according to the precepts of God.   

«  The author of this part of the book asks a question: what people, what nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us?

Yes, anyone who follows the law, which God has put in the heart of every human being, realizes that he or she is very close to God who guides and protects him or her.  

Responsorial Psalm Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

  The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
shall never be disturbed.
The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord 

      The psalmist asks himself LORD WHO CAN ABIDE IN YOUR TENT?  That is, who can be near you abiding in your home, living with you?    

And he answers to his question mentioning a list of behaviors who respond to what God has prescribed in his Law.   This means that those who abide in God and God in them are those who live their lives according to the will of God revealed in the Law.      

GOSPEL OF MARK  7:1-8.14-15.21-23

ü  In this reading, we witness a discussion between the Teachers of the Law and Jesus. 

ü  The Teachers of the law are scandalized, angry, worried because the disciples eat without having previously washed their hand. In truth, they are questioning the behavior of Jesus, but they only mention his disciples.   

ü  Jesus answers with vehemence quoting Isaiah 29:13.   

ü  Jesus attacks the worship that man/woman have invented ignoring what God has said.   

ü  We may discover this same passion against the worship invented to falsely quiet down our hearts, not worshiping our Father, in Is 1:10-20.   

ü  We follow very carefully the liturgical laws, which we have invented ourselves; but at the same time, we forget about the fraternal love, in justice and respect for our brothers and sisters who suffer, are exploited, and humiliated.  

ü  We recite prayers, which is a good thing to do, but at the same time we do not question the many discriminations that we have inside our heart, the pride and self-contentment when we judge ourselves better than the rest because we are in the church; how we ignore those whom we do not like or who are difficult for us.   

ü  But Jesus invites us day after day to be like Him, to act like Him who gave his life for his friends and for his enemies, for all. Jesus loves all of us, those I like and those I do not like.        

ü  To live as Jesus invites us to, we need to allow him to free us to be free, only then we will be able to live according to the commandments.   

LETTER FROM JAMES

§  The seven letters which are not from Paul: James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1,2,3 John and Judas, are called Catholic Letters since the second century.    

§  Apparently, there is no specific reason to call them with this name apart from considering them universal letters addressed to the Church in general.   

§  In the New Testament we find several characters called James:   

o   James the son of Zebedee and brother of John (Mk 1:17; 3,17; Hch 1:22)

o   James the son of Alpheus (Mk 3:18; Hch 1:13

o   James the brother of the Lord (Gal 1:19; 2:9)  

SECOND READING Jas 1:17-18;21-27

o   James reminds all those who have been baptized, that everything that we have, has  been given by God, the giver of all that is good.   

o   God has chosen us as the first fruits of his creatures.  

o   He invites us also to accept with docility, that is with pleasure and thanksgiving, the word that the same God has sowed in us.  Word, which is the Gospel of Jesus.   

o   The Word is not only to be heard, but also to be put into action, this means, according to love (to visit the orphans, the widows in their tribulations…) We may do a list of all those who wait for our love, in our society, in our faith community, in our family, at our work. 

o   God does not need our plans, our programs, our courses, etc. we are the ones who need them. God needs that I love every human being, and this will lead me to do good to everyone, according to what every person needs from me.    

    

Beginning with the day of my profession (August 27 1855)  I say to Your Most Illustrious Lordship   [Caixal] that when His Illustrious Excellency  [Claret] put the crown  I felt a weight so extraordinary on my head that it make bend, and naturally the crown weighed very little since it was formed by very fine flowers.  As I wondered about the great weight, Our Lord told me “This is my daughter, the burden that you carry of the Reformation of my Church; and His Divine Majesty called me three times “my spouse” with great love making me understand that the Eternal Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit loved me much: And Our Lord said to me “My daughter: from now on I want to be in the midst of your heart as on my own throne…  Venerable  María Antonia París, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Report to Caixal 9. 

His Holiness grants faculty to His Most Illustrious Excellency who through his discretion and conscience may admit to the Religious Profession the supplicant Virgins, on the twenty seventh day of August of the present year 1855, infra Missam (within the Mass), that His Most Illustrious Excellency celebrated having been especially authorized; being forty one years old she made the solemn perpetual vows of Poverty, Obedience, Cloister and Chastity.  And she received the veil of the Order of St. Benedict, adopted as the most appropriate for this Institute, being present the already mentioned Presbyters Rev.  José Manuel Díaz Hevia and Rv.Paladio Curríus. And being the truth, and for the record, the new and first Professed Sister of the Institute signs, with the His Most Illustrious Excellency Archbishop already mentioned.

Anthony Mary Claret, Archbishop of Cuba.     María Antonia de San Pedro   (from the Act of the Profession of María Antonia) 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ALVAREZ, GOMEZ. History of the Religious of Mary Immaculate Claretian Missionary Sisters, ch 6.

DESCLÉES DE BROUWER. Biblia de Jerusalén, nueva edición totalmente renovada

PARIS, María Antonia. “Report to Caixa”l

RAVASSI, Gianfranco. Según las Escrituras. Año B. Bogotá Colombia 2005

SAGRADA BIBLIA, versión oficial de la Conferencia Episcopal Española. Madrid 2011

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