June 26, 2016

13th Sun., Ordinary Time

June 26, 2016:  Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

  • 'Cups' tie:  Lord, my portion and cup (psalm)
  • 'Heart' tie bar:  My heart exhorts me; my heart is glad (psalm)
  • 'Hand' tie pin:  With the Lord at my right hand I won't be disturbed; you'll show me the delights at your right hand (psalm); "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom" (gospel)
  • 'Holy Spirit' chain:  Live by the Spirit; Spirit vs. flesh (2nd reading)
  • Orange suspenders, DISC 2015 T-shirt:  "Lord, shall we call down fire from heaven?" (gospel); DISC 2016 ("Technology on fire:  Igniting ministry") just ended
  • 'Bird' tie pin:  "Birds have nests, but the Son has nowhere to rest his head" (gospel)
  • 'Skeleton' tie pin:  "Let the dead bury their dead" (gospel)
  • Green shirt:  Ordinary Time season
Listen


For gospel
From Ed Bolduc's blog, Setting the Tone
Pope Francis at Armenia Divine Liturgy
“There is one body, one Spirit,… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all,...”  Saints Bartholomew and Thaddeus who first proclaimed the Gospel here, and Peter and Paul who reign with Christ in heaven, rejoice to see our affection and our longing for full communion.  May abundant blessings of the Most High fill the earth through the intercession of the Mother of God, the saints and doctors, and the martyrs.  May the Holy Spirit make all believers one.  Come, Holy Spirit, bestow on us your fire of love and unity, and “may the cause of our scandal be dissolved by this love.”
May the Armenian Church walk in peace and may our communion be complete.  May a desire for unity rise up in us, not for “submission of one to the other, or assimilation, but rather acceptance of all the gifts that God has given to each.  This will reveal to the world the mystery of salvation accomplished by Christ through the Spirit.”
Let us respond to the saints' appeal, let us listen to the voices of the poor and of victims of hatred who suffered and died for the faith.  Let us pay heed to the youths who seek a future free of past divisions.  May a radiant light shine forth, and may the light of forgiving, reconciling love join the light of faith.  As the Apostles, with their hesitations and uncertainties, ran towards the empty tomb, drawn by hope, so may we follow God’s call to full communion and hasten towards it.
Read
  • 1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21  “Anoint Elisha as prophet to succeed you.”  Elijah came upon Elisha and threw his cloak over him.  Elisha / Elijah:  “Let me kiss my parents goodbye, and I'll follow you.” / “Go back!”  Elisha left, slaughtered the oxen, boiled their flesh, gave it to his people to eat, then left and followed Elijah.
  • Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-11  "You are my inheritance, O Lord."  I bless the Lord and set him before me.  You won't abandon me or let me undergo corruption.  You'll show me the path to life.
Yoke (1st and 2nd readings)
Animate
  • Gal 5:1, 13-18  Christ set us free; don't submit again to slavery.  Don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.  If you bite and devour each other, don't be consumed.  Live by the Spirit, and you won't gratify the desire of the flesh....
  • Lk 9:51-62  Jesus, determined to journey to Jerusalem, sent messengers ahead.  They entered a Samaritan village, but he wasn't welcome there because he was headed for Jerusalem.  James and John asked, "Shall we call down fire to consume them?" Jesus rebuked them, and they journeyed on.  Along the way, someone said, "I'll follow you wherever you go." / "The Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."  Another:  "Let me go bury my father first." / "Let the dead bury their dead.  You, go proclaim the kingdom."  Another:  "I'll follow you, but first let me say farewell to my family." / "No one who looks back is fit for the kingdom."
Reflect
    • Creighton:  Jesus explained that to follow him, you have to be ready to leave the comforts of home.  Jesus asks me to live my faith. I can best experience and share God's love when I extend out of my comfort zone.  There's always something I can do to get in the way of following Jesus.  Daily responsibilities can be distractions.  Pray about what gets in the way, what's distracting.  How can I support others who get bogged down?
    • One Bread, One Body:  "Fireplace?"  James and John asked, "Lord, shall we call down fire?"  Jesus reprimanded them.  Jesus proclaimed, "I came to light a fire on the earth!"  Sometimes Jesus wants to call down fire, sometimes no.  Elijah could call down fire, but at least once "the Lord wasn't in the fire."  Why is the Lord in some fire and not in others?  The Lord is in the fire of discipleship.  Elijah's power to call down fire surrounded the calling of Elisha.  After Jesus rebuked John and James, he focused on the call to discipleship.  At Pentecost tongues as of fire came to rest on 120 disciples, and 3,000 were baptized.  The Lord wants us to call down fire if we call forth disciples....
    • Passionist:  As Jesus “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,” he likely didn't know exactly how things would unfold, but he knew his Father wanted him to go.  Our life is also a journey, perhaps with dead ends, dark alleys, distractions, acceptance, rejection, and doubts.  But every so often Jesus gently holds out his hand, and we know we're on the right path, that any detours beforehand are unimportant.  He knows where he's going and we can trust that's where we want to be too.
    • DailyScripture.net:  "No one who looks back":  Jews and Samaritans were opposed.  Jewish pilgrims who passed through Samaritan territory were mistreated, even assaulted, but Jesus, a Jew, traveled through Samaritan territory an  he also asked for hospitality in one of their villages!  When they rebuffed Jesus' offer of friendship, his disciples were understandably indignant and wanted retribution, but Jesus rebuked his disciples for their intolerance.  Jesus was headed for his death that would reconcile Jew, Samaritan and Gentile with God and each other in Christ.  Tolerance is needed today, but we can be tolerant of the wrong thing or for the wrong motive.  Love seeks the highest good of both neighbor and enemy.  Do I seek the good of those who cause me trouble?  The Lord gives us the grace to put aside whatever might keep us from doing his will, but the would-be disciples made excuses.  If we put God first and don't look back, everything else will fall into place....
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