Words of the Word

Week 14, Tuesday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

39. What is so painstakingly described in the beginning of the Church has sometimes reoccurred in her history. On many occasions, a weakening of ferver in one's relationship with Christ has adversely affected the caliber of the life of faith and the experience of participating in the Trinitarian life, which is bound to it. For this reason, we cannot forget that the proclamation of the Gospel is primarily a spiritual matter. The need to transmit the faith, which is essentially an ecclesial, communal event and not singly or done alone, should not result from seeking effective communication strategies or in choosing a certain group of recipients — for example, young people — but must look to who is entrusted with this spiritual work. The Church must question herself in this matter. This allows the problem to be approached not in an extrinsic manner but from within, involving the entire life and being of the Church. Many particular Churches request that the Synod determine whether the lack of effects in evangelization today, as well as in catechesis in modern times, is primarily the result of ecclesial and spiritual factors. This concerns the Church's ability to live as a real community, as a true brotherhood and as a Living Body and not simply a human establishment.

40. In knowing how to maintain the fundamental spiritual character of evangelization, the Church can allow herself to be formed by the action of the Holy Spirit and be conformed to Christ Crucified, who reveals to the world the face of the love of God and communion with him. In so doing, she can become more aware of her vocation as Ecclesia Mater by begetting children for the Lord in transmitting the faith and teaching a love which nurtures her children. At the same time, she fulfills her responsibility to proclaim and bear witness to this Revelation of God and gather her people scattered throughout the world, thereby fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy which the Church Fathers understood as addressed to her, "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; hold not back, lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities" (Is 54:2, 3 ). (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 39 and 40)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The house of Israel trusts in the Lord. (Psalm 115:9, Mass).

COLLECT

O God, Who in the abasement of Your Son
have raised up a fallen world,
fill Your faithful with holy joy,
for on those You have rescued from slavery to sin
You bestow eternal gladness.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Today’s 2 paragraphs brings the section, “Evangelization and Church Renewal,” to a close. Some points already surfaced in the Instrumentum Laboris continue to be addressed, notably the fervor “in one’s relationship with Christ.” The document notes the “proclamation of the Gospel is primarily a spiritual matter” and “essentially an ecclesial, communal event.” In other words, there is something different about the Gospel that does not fit into a secular, materialistic, minimalistic or God-on-my-terms approach to Christian living. The remedy in the proclamation of the Gospel lies not in targeting particular groups in the parish but pastoral action that is always about the entire Body of Christ, “healed of all divisions.”

Consider:

How does your parish engage the proclamation of the Gospel: to all or to targeted groups within the parish?
What is the danger of ‘the sports groups Mass on Sunday,’ ‘the sodality Mass on Sunday,’ or any other group?

Week 14, Monday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

37. The Church is an evangelizer, but she begins by being evangelized herself. She is "the community of believers, the community of hope lived and communicated, the community of brotherly love, and she needs to listen unceasingly to what she must believe, to her reasons for hoping, to the new commandment of love. She is the People of God immersed in the world and often tempted by idols, and she always needs to hear the proclamation of the 'mighty works of God', which converted her to the Lord; she always needs to be called together afresh by him and reunited. In brief, this means that she has a constant need of being evangelized if she wishes to retain freshness, vigor and strength in order to proclaim the Gospel." The Second Vatican Council has strongly taken up the subject of the Church who is evangelized by constant conversion and renewal in order to evangelize the world with credibility. In this regard, the words of Pope Paul VI still have meaning today as he reaffirms the priority of evangelization and reminds the faithful: "It would be useful if every Christian and every evangelizer were to pray about the following thought: men can gain salvation also in other ways, by God's mercy, even though we do not preach the Gospel to them; but as for us, can we gain salvation if through negligence or fear or shame — what St. Paul called 'blushing for the Gospel' — or as a result of false ideas we fail to preach it?" More than one response has proposed that this subject be specifically treated during the synod's deliberations.

38. Since her origin, the Church has had to deal with similar difficulties as well as the sinfulness of her members. The story of the disciples of Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35) is emblematic of the fact that knowledge of Christ can fail. The two disciples from Emmaus speak of a dead man (cf. Lk 24:21-24) and relate their disappointment and hopelessness. These disciples demonstrate the possibility for the Church in every age to be the bearer of a message that does not give life, but stops short in the death of the Christ who is proclaimed, in the announcers themselves, and, consequently, in the recipients of the announcement also. St. John the Evangelist's account of the Apostles who were fishing (cf. Jn 21.1 to 14) describes a similar experience. Apart from Christ, the disciples' efforts are fruitless. Just as for the disciples of Emmaus, only when the Risen Christ manifests himself to them does their trust and the joy of proclaiming return as the fruits of the work of evangelization. Only in strongly attaching himself to Christ once again, is St. Peter, who had been called "fisher of men" (Lk 5:10), able to successfully cast the nets, trusting in the Lord's words. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 37 and 38)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The Lord is gracious and merciful. (Psalm 145:8, Mass).

COLLECT

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Early on in the seminary, one of our professors gave us a wise saying, “Nemo dat quod non habet (One cannot give what one does not have).” It is a quip worth considering in this section of the Instrumentum Laboris that examines “Evangelization and Church Renewal.” While the Lineamenta examined 6 sectors of contemporary life that pose challenges to Gospel proclamation and conversion of heart, the Church Herself must also look at ways in which Jesus Christ has been preached and ask, ‘have we done, with the Lord’s gratuitous grace, our best?’ As a Divinely founded community, the Church is admittedly composed of sinners – and as such, we kneel in need of the Father’s mercy. In referencing the account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus and Peter’s post-Easter confession of Faith, the Instrumentum Laboris clearly echoes the necessary Christian message of hope and renewal for the lives of all.

Consider:

As we consider the evangelizing and renewal of the Church, what responsibility do I as an individual believer have in these concerns?
How has my living of the Gospel contributed or stifled the evangelizing and renewal of the Church?

Ordinary Time, Sunday 14. Words of the Word.

ANTIPHON

Your merciful love, O God, we have received in the midst of Your temple. Your praise, O God, like Your name, reaches the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with saving justice (Psalm 48:10-11)

COLLECT

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy. (Psalm 123:2).

GOSPEL EXCERPT

“Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, "Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?"
And they took offense (ἐσκανδαλίζοντο, eskandalizonto) at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed (ἐθαύμαζεν, ethaumazen) at their lack of faith (ἀπιστίαν, apistian). (Mark 6:1-6).”

REFLECTION

Permit a return to the Gospel episodes proclaimed last week. Jairus trusted that Jesus would, somehow – someway, accomplish an appropriate work responding to his daughter’s death. The Afflicted Woman knew that all she had to do was touch Jesus’ clothes and she would be well. These 2 actions - trusting and knowing – form core elements of Biblical faith. As mentioned last week, faith is not a thing. It is not a commodity that can increase provided one learns a proper technique. Faith is a way of living and a way of responding to the encounter with the Person Jesus. In the encounter with Him, the disciple knows to the core of her or his being that Jesus’ direction for life is the only path for that gift of eternal healing known as salvation.

Against that backdrop, Jesus returns to one of his home bases during the Public Ministry. It is here that the evangelist Mark records all sorts of questions dealing with one of the principle questions of the Gospels, “Who is Jesus?” It is a question whose answer is not as easy as one might think. Indeed one can spout phrases from the Creed or a catechism. One can hurl bible quotes dazzling the listener(s) with one’s memorizing skills. But is all of this reflecting a type of knowledge at the core of one’s being that daily challenges the disciple to daily conversion and to daily embrace of the Cross? It is obvious that many of the close relatives and friends of Jesus had Him ‘figured out.’ Jesus is a carpenter and the slam here is that no one who works with His hands could ever have the requisite wisdom to teach “us” in the synagogue. We know His mother. We know His close relatives; therefore case closed and we will not listen because we have Him sized up and of course, we know it all, we know better!

The Evangelist Mark summarizes the situation in writing, “And they took offense (ἐσκανδαλίζοντο, eskandalizonto) at him.” “To cause scandal (σκανδαλίζω, skandalizo)” or “a scandal (σκάνδαλον, skandalon)” is used often in the Sacred Scriptures in reference to sin. In the biblical world, σκανδαλίζω (skandalizo) meant “to put a stumbling block in the path of another that caused one to trip and fall.” Particularly horrifying are some lexicons that note this was done to a blind person! When dealing with σκανδαλίζω (skandalizo) we are dealing with an action that is serious, knowledge that the action is serious and consent of the will (sound familiar?). σκανδαλίζω (skandalizo) is not an accidental action. In the case of Jesus’ visit, His family and friends have put a stumbling block in front of themselves causing themselves to trip over the true identity of Jesus. It is not that they are ignorant, in truth, their ‘factual’ grasp of Jesus is quite accurate but they will not permit this factual knowledge to make deeper connections. They are satisfied with what they know and it enables a ‘comfortable’ approach to Jesus.

Jesus is affected certainly by the approach of His family and friends, “He was amazed (ἐθαύμαζεν, ethaumazen) at their lack of faith (ἀπιστίαν, apistian).” Often, the Gospels use ἐθαύμαζεν (ethaumazen) to describe the astonishment of the crowd when Jesus taught or healed. ἐθαύμαζεν (ethaumazen) expresses a powerful pondering attempting to make connections between the present reality of the here-and-now with the transcendence of eternity. However, when knowledge is willfully skewed coupled with a decision not to trust, even the Son of God sadly and profoundly asks, “Why?”

Week 14, Sunday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

35. The mission of the Apostles and its continuation in the primitive Church remain the basic model for evangelization at all times as a mission often marked by martyrdom, which is witnessed not only at the beginning of the history of Christianity but also in the last century, and even in our own times. Martyrdom gives credibility to those who bear witness; they do not seek power or gain, but give their very lives for Christ. They show the world the defenceless yet powerful love for humanity, which is given to those who follow Christ to the point of totally surrendering their lives, as Jesus proclaimed: "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you" (Jn 15:20). However, erroneous beliefs unfortunately exist which limit the duty to proclaim the Good News. In fact, "there is today a growing confusion which leads many to leave the missionary command of the Lord unheard and ineffective (cf. Mt 28:19). Often it is maintained that any attempt to convince others on religious matters is a limitation of their freedom. From this perspective, it would only be legitimate to present one's own ideas and to invite people to act according to their consciences, without aiming at their conversion to Christ and to the Catholic faith. It is enough, so they say, to help people to become more human or more faithful to their own religion; it is enough to build communities which strive for justice, freedom, peace and solidarity. Furthermore, some maintain that Christ should not be proclaimed to those who do not know him, nor should joining the Church be promoted, since it would also be possible to be saved without explicit knowledge of Christ and without formal incorporation in the Church."

36. Although non-Christians can be saved through the grace which God bestows in ways known only to himself,[28] the Church cannot overlook the fact that each person seeks to know the true face of God and to enjoy today the friendship of Jesus Christ, God-with-us. Adhering fully to Christ, the Truth, and becoming a member of his Church does not diminish human freedom, but rather enhances it and leads it to fulfilment through a selfless love and caring for the welfare of all people. What a priceless gift it is to live in the universal embrace of God's friends, which comes from communion with the life-giving flesh and blood of his Son, to receive from him the certainty that our sins are forgiven and to live in the love which is born of faith! The Church desires that everyone should partake of these riches, so that they may have the fullness of truth and the means of salvation "to obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Rm 8:21). The Church, who proclaims and transmits the faith, imitates God himself who communicates with humanity by giving his Son, who, in turn, pours out the Holy Spirit so that people can be reborn as children of God. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 35 and 36)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy. (Psalm 123:2, Mass).

COLLECT

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Brining the section “The Duty to Evangelize” to a close, the Instrumentum Laboris notes a particularly timely aspect of our culture: “Often it is maintained that any attempt to convince others on religious matters is a limitation of their freedom. From this perspective, it would only be legitimate to present one’s own ideas and to invite people to act according to their consciences, without aiming at their conversion to Christ and to the Catholic faith.” The calculated exclusion of any matter even remotely connected with a religious reality is not even tolerated in many sectors of society. Equally dangerous is a view that attempts to split religion and spirituality. As many readers no doubt have heard, many contend that religion is somehow ‘man made’ and spirituality is a freedom (of sorts?) from religious views that are judged oppressive.

Consider:

In addressing the causes of atheism, the Church expressed in Gaudium et Spes (19) that 1 of the reasons for atheism lies with 'believers who conceal rather an reveal the authentic Face of Jesus Christ.' Is there any responsibility that believers must shoulder for how religion is perceived in our world?
What is the appeal of a 'religionless spirituality?'

Week 13, Saturday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day (ETD)

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

33. Every person has the right to hear the Gospel of God to humanity, which is Jesus Christ. Like the Samaritan woman at the well, humanity today needs to hear the words of Jesus: "If you knew the gift of God" (Jn 4:10), because these words elicit the deep desire for salvation which lies in everyone: "Lord, give me this water, that I may not thirst" (Jn 4:15). This right of every person to hear the Gospel is clearly stated by St. Paul. Tireless in his preaching, he looks upon his work of proclaiming the Gospel as a duty, because he understood its universal significance: "For if I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I preach not the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:16). Every man and woman should be able to say, like him, that "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us" (Eph 5:2). Furthermore, every man and women should be able to feel drawn into an intimate and transforming relationship which the proclamation of the Gospel creates between us and Christ: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20). To give others the possibility of having a similar experience requires that someone be sent to proclaim it: "How are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?" (Rm 10:14 which repeats Is 52:1).

34. We can therefore understand how every one of the Church's actions has an essential evangelizing character and must never be separated from the duty to help others encounter Christ in faith, the primary goal of evangelization. If as a Church, "we bring people only knowledge, ability or technical skill and tools, we bring them too little." The original reason for evangelization is the love of Christ which seeks to bring everyone to eternal salvation. The one desire of genuine evangelizers is to give freely what they have freely received: "From the very origins of the Church the disciples of Christ strove to convert men to faith in Christ as the Lord; not, however, by the use of coercion or of devices unworthy of the Gospel, but by the power, above all, of the word of God." (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 33 and 34)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The Lord speaks of peace to his people. (Psalm 85:9, Mass).

COLLECT

O God, Who through the grace of adoption
chose us to be children of light,
grant, we pray,
that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error
but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Under the subtitle, “The Duty to Evangelize,” today’s selections from the Instrumentum Laboris address a fundamental right that every human person has to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Obviously this act of “hearing” is more than just the words of the Gospel ‘hitting the ear.’ Once again, we are reminded that the Gospel is a Person, Jesus Christ. This “hearing” is actually an encounter whereby the ‘words of the Word’ take root in a person’s heart in such a way that leads to daily conversion of heart, mind and body. It logically flows that if “hearing” the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a right for all people, somebody must proclaim and hand-on this Person. The proclamation and handing-on of Jesus is done, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, in a very human way.

Another critical insight of today’s selection is a quote from the Holy Father’s 2006 homily in Munich: “If as a Church, "we bring people only knowledge, ability or technical skill and tools, we bring them too little.” Once again, the focus of the New Evangelization is most clear: a Person, Jesus Christ Who offers an encounter that brings communion with Him.

Consider:

Catholic Christianity has often been pegged as ‘pray, pay and obey.’ What can be done to correct this perception?
Is your parish engaged in ‘handing-on’ the Person, Jesus - OR - does your parish merely provide “knowledge, ability or technical skill and tools” under the guise of Catholic education?

Week 13, Friday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

31. Evangelization consists in proposing the Gospel which transforms the human individual, his world and his personal story. The Church evangelizes when, in virtue of the power of the Gospel proclaimed (cf. Rm 1:16), she takes every human experience and gives it rebirth through the death and resurrection of Jesus (cf. Rm 6:4), immersing each one in the newness of Baptism and life according to the Gospel and in the Son's relationship to his Father, so as to feel the power of the Spirit. The transmission of the faith is the goal of evangelization which, according to the divine plan, is to bring all people through Christ to the Father in the Spirit (cf. Eph 2:18). This experience of the newness of the Gospel transforms every person. Today, we can hold to this conviction with greater surety, because history has left us extraordinary examples of courage, dedication, boldness, intuition and reason in the Church's work of bringing the Gospel to every person, acts of holiness which are displayed in a variety of notable and significant ways on every continent. Every particular Church can boast of persons of outstanding holiness, who have been able to give renewed power and energy to the work of evangelization through their activities and, primarily, through their witness. Their example of holiness also provides prophetic and clear indications in devising new ways to live out the task of evangelization. They have repeatedly left us accounts in their writings, prayers, models and methods of teaching, spiritual journeys, journeys of initiation into the faith, works and educational institutions.

32. While strongly referring to the power of these examples of holiness, some responses also mention the difficulties in making these experiences contemporary and transmissible. Sometimes, it seems that these historical works not only belong to a past age, but are almost confined there, because they lack the ability to communicate the evangelical character of their witness in the present-day. The Synod is asked to discuss these difficulties and attempt to discover the underlying reasons why the activities and witness of various Church institutions lack credibility when they speak as bearers of the Gospel of God. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 31 and 32)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Cry out with joy to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy. (Psalm 100:1-2, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Proposing the Gospel in such a way that transforms the person, the person’s world and the person’s story is a task that is joined to proposing the lives of the saints so that their witness may not remain ‘just a story’ shackled to a particular historical era. Both are urgent tasks because they serve a greater hermeneutic of the New Evangelization: the personal encounter with the Person Jesus – Who, in the power of the Holy Spirit – leads all people to His Father through Word and Sacrament in His Body, the Church.

Too often, even among the parishioners who are ‘engaged in the parish,’ a school, an organization or an activity defines parish participation and as such, is the essence of Faith practice for that person or persons. Many in pastoral ministry know well the difficulties when a parish school closes or a cherished, time-honored activity of the parish that was inaugurated by a relative generations ago ceases to be. In dealing with much of the emotion that naturally surfaces in these events, it is quite difficult to hear any talk of the Person Jesus, His Word and Sacraments.

Consider:

How do we propose the Faith so that the encounter with Jesus Christ is experienced as central?
What do the lives of the Saints have to offer us today in our current cultural climate?

Week 13 Saint Thomas, Apostle. Evangelizing Thought of the Day

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

28. The Gospel of God's love for us, the call to take part in the life of the Father, through Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, is a gift meant for everyone. We proclaim Jesus himself, who calls everyone to conversion for the Kingdom of God. To emphasize this fact, Jesus drew especially near to those on the margins of society, giving them special favour, when he proclaimed the Gospel. At the beginning of his ministry, he proclaimed that he was sent to preach the good news to the poor (cf. Lk 4:18). To those despised and dejected, Jesus declares: "Blessed are you poor" (Lk 6:20) and, by standing with them, enables these individuals already to experience a sense of freedom (cf. Lk 5:30; 15:2). He eats with them, treats them as brothers and sisters and as friends (cf. Lk 7:34) and helps them to feel loved by God, thus revealing his great compassion for sinners and those in need.

29. The freedom and salvation brought by the Kingdom of God touch every human person both physically and spiritually. Two actions are attached to Jesus' work of evangelization: healing and forgiving. Multiple miracles of healing clearly demonstrate his great compassion in the face of human misery. They also indicate that, in the Kingdom, there will no longer be sickness and suffering and that, from the outset, his mission is aimed at freeing people from sickness and suffering (cf. Rev 21:4). Jesus' miracles of healing are also a sign of the salvation of the spirit, namely liberation from sin. In performing acts of healing, he invites people to faith, conversion and a desire for forgiveness (cf. Lk 5:24). Received in faith, healing leads to salvation (cf. Lk 18:42). Deliverance from demonic possession, the ultimate evil and symbol of sin and rebellion against God, is a sign that "the Kingdom of God has come upon you" (Mt 12:28) and that the Gospel, a gift of salvation meant for every person, initiates us into a process of transformation and participation in the life of God, who renews us in the present moment. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 28 and 29)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the poor with salvation. Let the faithful exult in glory, and rejoice as they take their rest. (Psalm 149:4-5, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT

Grant, almighty God,
that we may glory in the Feast of the blessed Apostle Thomas,
so that we may always be sustained by his intercession and,
believing, may have life in the name of Jesus Christ your Son,
whom Thomas acknowledged as the Lord.
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever.

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Healing and forgiving – two actions of Jesus’ Public Ministry that define His offer of the Gospel to all people – are two actions that characterize a disciple’s life and the communal life of the local and universal Church, with particular attention to the marginalized and disenfranchised of the community. Here is where the Instrumentum Laboris is already of assistance to the Church. Many parish activities and organizations mirror Jesus' Public Ministry while other organizations sometimes have parishioners asking, "Why are we sponsoring this?"

Consider:

How does your living of Christianity mirror Jesus' healing and forgiving actions?
Do all of your parish's activities and organizations reflect Jesus' healing and forgiving or do they serve another purpose or agenda?

Week 13, Monday. Evangelization Thought of the Day

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

26. After Christ's death and resurrection, the missionary mandate given to the disciples by the Lord (cf. Mk 16:15) makes an explicit reference to proclaiming the Gospel to everyone, teaching them to observe everything he commanded (cf. Mt 28:20). St. Paul presents himself as "called to be an Apostle [...] set apart for the Gospel of God" (Rm 1:1). The Church's task is thus to bring about a traditio Evangelii, a proclamation and transmission of the Gospel, which is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith" (Rm 1:16) and which ultimately is identified with Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor 1:24). We know now that when it comes to proclaiming the Gospel, we must think of a living, effective Word, which brings about what is stated (cf. Heb 4:12; Is 55:10) and is a Person: Jesus Christ, the definitive Word of God, who became man. As in the earthly life of Jesus, the Church's evangelizing mission is properly the work of God and the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit at Pentecost makes the Apostles witnesses and prophets, confirming them in all they shared with Jesus and learned from him (cf. Acts 1:8; 2:17), instilling in them a serene courage which impels them to pass on to others their experience of Jesus and the hope that inspires them. The Spirit gives them the ability to witness to Jesus with parresia (cf. Acts 2:29), extending their activity from Jerusalem to all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

27. What the Church has lived from the very beginning, she continues to live today. By re-proposing these truths, Pope Paul VI recalled their contemporary character: "The command to the Twelve to go out and proclaim the Good News is also valid for all Christians, though in a different way [...] The Church knows this. [...] Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of his death and glorious resurrection." The Church exists in the world to continue Jesus' evangelizing mission, knowing well that in doing so she continues to share in divine life, because she is compelled by the Spirit to proclaim the Gospel in the world and to experience again within herself the presence of the Risen Christ, who brings her into communion with God the Father. Every action performed by the Church is never closed in upon itself but is always an act of evangelization, and, as such, an action that manifests the triune face of our God. The Acts of the Apostles records those actions most intimately involved in the Church's life: prayer, listening to the Word and the Apostles' teaching, a "lived" fraternal charity and the breaking of the bread (cf. Acts 2:42-46). All acquire their full meaning when they become an act of witness, a source of attraction and conversion, and a preaching and proclamation of the Gospel, by the whole Church and each baptized person. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 26 and 27)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

The voice of the LORD upon the waters, the God of glory thunders; the LORD on the immensity of waters; the voice of the LORD full of power; the voice of the LORD full of splendor. (Psalm 29:3-4, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

Once again the Instrumentum Laboris gives ample food for pondering and renewing the life of Faith in our midst. Paragraph 26 makes clear that when we approach Sacred Scripture and the Gospels especially, whether we are listening or reading the Sacred Text, the word of God is the Word of God, a living Person. We do study the words of the text diligently and this study must always have as its focus not the ink on a page but the Person, Jesus Christ – the Incarnate Word of God. This is why the present day disciples of Jesus, like the ones of previous eras, can preach Jesus boldly, confidently and with conviction (parresia).

Consider:

How does the use of Sacred Scripture 'change' when one approaches it as the Living Word of God, the Incarnate Person, Jesus Christ?
How boldly do you witness to the beauty of Catholic Christianity? Are you confident (parresia) to respond charitably to inquiries about Catholic Christianty?

Ordinary Time, Sunday Week 13

ANTIPHON

All peoples clap your hands. Cry to God with shouts of joy!. (Psalm 47:2)

COLLECT

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. (Psalm 30:2).

GOSPEL EXCERPT

“While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said,
“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?”
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
“Do not be afraid (μὴ φοβοῦ, me phobou); just have faith (μόνον πίστευε, monon pisteue).” (Mark 5:35-36).”

REFLECTION

Following the lessons of the parables, the Gospel according to Saint Mark presents 4 mighty acts of Jesus in succession: the calming of the sea (4:35-41), the cure of the man among the tombs in the land of the Gerasenes (5:1-20), and the two events proclaimed this Sunday: the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the cure of the woman afflicted with hemorrhages (5:21-43). In each of these episodes, the disciples and the crowd come to know more about Jesus while at the same time uncertain and unsure of what His actions mean. As for the Evangelist Mark, the fullness of Who Jesus is will not be revealed until the Cross; hence the command for silence at the conclusion of many of these events.

As for the Gospel proclamation for this Sunday, scripture scholars inform us that this unit, 5:21-43, is an intercalation. An intercalation is a literary unit that has 2 distinct events with 1 of those events ‘sandwiched’ in the middle of the other event. It is helpful to take note of this literary form because it assists us get to the point (or points!) of the Gospel episodes. In an intercalation, what is learned in the first event helps to interpret the second event. Similarly what is learned in the second event helps to interpret the first event. In the case of this this intercalation, both Jairus and the Afflicted Woman offer insights to the meaning of faith.

Like love and hope, faith is a Divine Gift. The Catechism of the Catholic Church offers a probing and pondering presentation of faith that is worth reviewing (paragraphs 142-197) . All too often among Christians of many denominations, faith is viewed as some type of ‘ethereal, nebulous thing’ that is engaged as a crutch when one comes face-to-face with the unexplainable. For example, when asked about some insight concerning the Most Holy Trinity or the Most Holy Eucharist, it is not uncommon (sadly) to hear people say, “I don’t know.” When queried further as to why one would hold to such an unexplainable ‘topic,’ the answer is generally “I take it on faith.” The implication here is that one only ‘needs’ faith when one cannot explain some aspect of the Christian experience. It is at the very least, a dangerous approach to Christian living. Both Jairus and the Afflicted Woman teach clearly and emphatically that faith is a way of living, a point made crystal clear when Jesus enters the house of Jairus.

“Do not be afraid, just have faith!” are the directed, blunt words addressed to the synagogue official. The Greek text is more blunt: μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε (me phobou, monon pisteue) – “Do not fear, trust me alone!” One can almost picture Jesus placing his hands on Jairus’ shoulders, squeezing and rocking his shoulders and looking deeply into his fear-filled eyes. Jairus nods knowing that he can do nothing but place his trust in the hands of Jesus. What happened to Jairus? Fear seized him. In the Greek world φόβος (phobos, fear) meant “to flee.” There was something about the situation that one judged a threat to survival and the appropriate response was to flee, and to do so as quickly as possible. It is interesting that in the Biblical era φόβος was not understood as a thing or a state of being but as an action. Linguists also note that φόβος addressed a range of situations that we now term anxieties. In terms of the distinction that is made in our times, fear is the response to a known threat. Anxiety is the response to an unknown threat. Either way, Jesus’ word to Jairus is essentially, “Do not flee!” “Do not run away!” How can Jairus do this? “Just have faith!” We might be tempted to respond that such is easier said than done. Yet there is a depth to Biblical faith that we often miss in contemporary culture.

Jesus’ response to Jairus, “Just have faith!” as mentioned earlier is a bit more blunt in the Greek: μόνον πίστευε (monon pisteue). πίστευε, translated as “have faith,” is a verb and here it is in the imperative mood. This could then be translated “You must have faith.” Once again, a term that we are familiar with in our culture (faith, a noun) starts as a verb in the Biblical word. In that world, πιστεύω (pisteúō) was originally understood as “trusting in another that sparked obedience in what was heard from the other,” a mouthful for sure. Biblical faith, far from being a crutch to deal with the unexplainable, is a dynamic action wherein I place the direction of my life in the hands of another person – and in this case, a Person: Jesus Christ. Yet in order to do this, ‘something’ must precede the giving of oneself over to the other. As human beings we are rightly cautious about casually and glibly ‘trusting’ another. Too much is at stake. Both Jairus and the Afflicted Woman came to knowledge of Who Jesus is, a knowledge that was more than a simple fact. They knew in the depth of their guts that Jesus was worthy of their trust. In doing so, they followed through on what He told them to do – they listened, they obeyed, they acted because they trusted the Person, Jesus.

This is the unique claim that Jesus makes in His Public Ministry and throughout the present Age of the Spirit in the Church. Jesus calls people to trust His directions for life. This trust, this Christian faith IS NOT in a body of teachings. This is not a blind, mindless naiveté or Pollyanna following of a mythical being. Christianity is trusting Jesus to lead, to guide and direct ALL aspects and dimensions of life that flows from an encounter with Him. It is in the encounter with Jesus that one comes to know – as did Jairus and the Afflicted Woman – this Person can and will do what is needed in my life now. May we have the grace of humility to obey the One we trust!

Week 12, Sunday. Evangelizing Thought of the Day.

DAILY SEQUENTIAL EXCERPTS from The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith – Instrumentum Laboris:

23. For Jesus, the purpose of evangelization is drawing people into his intimate relationship with the Father and the Spirit. This is the primary reason for his preaching and miracles: to proclaim a salvation which, even though manifested through concrete acts of healing, is not meant to indicate a desire for social or cultural change but a profound experience, accessible to each person, of being loved by God and learning to recognize him in the face of a loving and merciful Father (cf. Lk 15). The revelation contained in his words and actions are linked to the words of the prophets. In this regard, the account of the signs performed by Jesus in the presence of the messengers of John the Baptist are emblematic, namely, signs which reveal the identity of Jesus as properly aligned with the great prophetic utterances. St. Luke the Evangelist recounts: "In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, 'Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them'" (Lk 7:21, 22). The words of Jesus show the full meaning of his actions in relation to the signs contained in countless biblical prophecies (cf. especially Is 29:18; 35:5,6; 42:18; 26:19; 61:1). The way Jesus treated people is to be considered an essential element of Jesus' method of evangelizing. He was able to welcome everyone, without distinction, and never exclude anyone: first, the poor, then the rich like Zacchaeus and Joseph of Arimathea; outsiders like the centurion and the Syro-Phoenician woman; the righteous, like Nathanael; and prostitutes and public sinners with whom he also sat at table. Jesus knew how to plumb the depths of a person and elicit faith in the God who first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10,19), whose love always precedes us and is not dependent on our own merits, because he is love itself: "God is love" (1 Jn 4:8,16). In this manner, he sets down how the Church is to evangelize, demonstrating for her the heart of the Christian faith, namely, to believe in Love and in the face and voice of this Love, namely, Jesus Christ.

24. Jesus' evangelizing actions leads a person quite naturally to a conversion-experience. Every person is called to conversion and to faith in God's merciful love. The kingdom will grow in the manner in which each person learns to turn, in the intimacy of prayer, to God as Father (cf. Lk 11:2; Mt 23:9) and, following the example of Jesus Christ, to recognize, in a totally free manner, that the goal of life is fulfilling God's will (cf. Mt 7.21). Evangelization and the call to holiness and conversion are intricately bound together, a matter which needs to be proposed to people here and now, if they are to experience the Kingdom of God in Jesus, and, in turn, become the children of God. The Synod is expected to consider to what extent evangelization and the call to holiness and conversion are present in our communities today and how, through their interaction, they nourish the lives of our communities and produce fruit. (Instrumentum Laboris, “Chapter 1,” paragraph 23 and 24)

PSALM for TODAY (click for full Psalm)

Your loving mercy is better than life; my lips will speak your praise. I will bless you all my life; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be filled as with a banquet; with joyful lips, my mouth shall praise you. (Psalm 63:4-6, Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer).

COLLECT

EVANGELIZING THOUGHT of the DAY (ETD)

The Instrumentum Laboris is making the focus of Christian living quite clear: “For Jesus, the purpose of evangelization is drawing people into his intimate relationship with the Father and the Spirit. This is the primary reason for his preaching and miracles: to proclaim a salvation which, even though manifested through concrete acts of healing, is not meant to indicate a desire for social or cultural change but a profound experience, accessible to each person, of being loved by God and learning to recognize him in the face of a loving and merciful Father (cf. Lk 15).”

Consider:

Is this the lesson of Christianity that people get at Mass, RCIA and Religious Education?
Why is this such a challenging lesson to so many people?