October 8, 2014: Wednesday, 27th week, Ordinary Time
Listen
Pope Francis
Audience: Many of us have resigned ourselves to division among Christians that's caused conflict, suffering and war. Have you, or do you believe we can walk together towards reconciliation and communion? Divisions are contrary to God's will (Jn 17:21) and wound the Church and Christ who wanted his disciples to remain united in love. Join Jesus' prayer; implore openness to dialogue and appreciation of others' gifts. In loving the Lord and sharing the riches of his love, we'll better see what unites us. By dwelling in truth, forgiving, and practicing charity, we'll be more conformed to Christ’s will, reconciled, and closer to full unity. Help one another, and walk, pray, and do works of charity together; we'll achieve communion along the way. It's "spiritual ecumenism": walking together in our faith in Christ. I received 1st Communion 70 years ago today; to take 1st Communion is to enter into communion with all who believe in Christ. God listens to his Son’s prayer that all Christians be one!
To Catholic Charities: As people followed Jesus who said "whatever you did for the least of mine, you did for me" (Mt 25:40), their lives changed. The joy his disciples encounter leads to acts that turn heads and hearts. A "throwaway" culture is spreading; people are excluded and "leftovers," no longer part of society, but no one is to be a “leftover,” excluded from God’s love and our care. Like the Good Samaritan and Innkeeper, we're called to be in the streets inviting and serving those left out; on the streets you can have an accident, but staying in will make you ill. When you gather, transform, and serve in Jesus' name, you're following the one who came not to be served but to serve. Your work allows the poor, the lonely, the elderly, the homeless, the hungry, shut-ins, refugees, immigrants, young families, and others to know and experience God's love. You're Jesus' hands in the world; you bring his joy with every encounter and help change the lives of so many, and your own hearts. We're called to be a church, a people, of and for the poor. The poor will precede us into heaven and open the gates for us.
Read
- For gospel (see also last year):
- "Echo Our Father," from Communion Muse/ Garza
- Our Father/ Malotte
- Russian Orthodox chant
- Familiar chant (but we usually sing it faster and more in rhythm with the spoken word)
- For psalm:
- Go out in the world/ Bolduc (psalm)
- I send you out/ Angotti (psalm)
- For 1st reading
- One Bread, one Body/ Foley ("Gentile or Jew...")
- 'World' tie with hands: "James, Cephas, and John... gave Barnabas and me their right hands in partnership" (1st reading); "Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News." (psalm)
- 'Kneeling person' tie bar: "Lord, teach us to pray" (gospel)
Pope FrancisAudience: Many of us have resigned ourselves to division among Christians that's caused conflict, suffering and war. Have you, or do you believe we can walk together towards reconciliation and communion? Divisions are contrary to God's will (Jn 17:21) and wound the Church and Christ who wanted his disciples to remain united in love. Join Jesus' prayer; implore openness to dialogue and appreciation of others' gifts. In loving the Lord and sharing the riches of his love, we'll better see what unites us. By dwelling in truth, forgiving, and practicing charity, we'll be more conformed to Christ’s will, reconciled, and closer to full unity. Help one another, and walk, pray, and do works of charity together; we'll achieve communion along the way. It's "spiritual ecumenism": walking together in our faith in Christ. I received 1st Communion 70 years ago today; to take 1st Communion is to enter into communion with all who believe in Christ. God listens to his Son’s prayer that all Christians be one!
To Catholic Charities: As people followed Jesus who said "whatever you did for the least of mine, you did for me" (Mt 25:40), their lives changed. The joy his disciples encounter leads to acts that turn heads and hearts. A "throwaway" culture is spreading; people are excluded and "leftovers," no longer part of society, but no one is to be a “leftover,” excluded from God’s love and our care. Like the Good Samaritan and Innkeeper, we're called to be in the streets inviting and serving those left out; on the streets you can have an accident, but staying in will make you ill. When you gather, transform, and serve in Jesus' name, you're following the one who came not to be served but to serve. Your work allows the poor, the lonely, the elderly, the homeless, the hungry, shut-ins, refugees, immigrants, young families, and others to know and experience God's love. You're Jesus' hands in the world; you bring his joy with every encounter and help change the lives of so many, and your own hearts. We're called to be a church, a people, of and for the poor. The poor will precede us into heaven and open the gates for us.
- Gal 2:1-2, 7-14 I went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus and presented the Gospel I preach to the Gentiles. When they saw I'd been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised and recognized the grace bestowed on me, they gave us their hand in partnership, that we should go to the Gentiles, so long as we were mindful of the poor. I opposed Cephas because he started to separate himself from the Gentiles: “How can you, Jew living as Gentile, compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
- Ps 117:1bc, 2 "Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News." Praise the Lord, all nations; he's kindness and faithful forever.
- Lk 11:1-4 Disciple / Jesus: “Teach us to pray.” / “Say: Father, hallowed be your name; your Kingdom come. Give us our daily bread, and forgive our sins for we forgive those in our debt, and don't subject us to the final test.”
- Fr. Chris Bazyouros homily podcast: Honor recipients' culture when you share the gospel; don't push yours. Evangelized people/places need renewal. "We're not really catholic [whole] till everyone is at the table." References: Vatican II's Ad gentes 9, 22 and Pope St. John Paul II's Ecclesia in America 28)
- Respect Life Week in tune with the Synod on the Family and Pope Francis's address to Catholic Charities (see above): Cardinal Erdo, in the Synod pre-discussion report I summarized yesterday (under Love privatized) spoke of how we must be open to life from conception to natural death and welcome and care for it. Today's Respect Life theme, "Slaves among us/Human trafficking," is in line with the pope's exhortation to "serve those "left out."
A "throwaway" culture is spreading; people are excluded and "leftovers," no longer part of society, but no one is to be a “leftover,” excluded from God’s love and our care
- Creighton: The Our Father is an intimate request, not formal petition; it celebrates what God does for us, not what we want.
- One Bread One Body: Jesus wants us to trust in God as our papa, certain our prayer will be answered, as we requested or better (though that may look like 'no').
- Passionist: As Cephas didn't treat gentiles as he treated Jews, we still don't treat "different" people the same, contrary to Jesus' teaching. The Our Father is a communal prayer.
- DailyScripture.net: The Jews were devoted to prayer. Jesus' disciples ask him for a prayer, as rabbis were asked. God treats us as his sons and daughters. We can approach God confidently as a Father who loves us and can pray with expectant faith and trust in his goodness. Do I treat others with mercy as the Lord would?
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