Galatians 1:13-24 / Luke 10:38-42
Paul talks about life: God has called me to conversion.
In his book My Life without God, William F. Murray, son of the famous atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair, describes his conversion to Christianity at the age of 33. Murray, like Paul, embarked on a crusade to spread the Gospel he once ridiculed. After his conversion, he wrote two open letters. One was to a newspaper in Austin, Texas, apologizing for helping build the American Atheist Center in Austin. The other was to the Baltimore Sun, apologizing for his part in getting Bible reading and prayer removed from public schools in that city. He was the plaintiff in the famous Supreme Court case of 1963.
****
How hard do we work for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ? "You are the chosen race . . . chosen to proclaim the
wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvellous
light." 1 Peter 2:9
****
One of the causes of dissatisfaction and discontentment in
our lives is that we look away from our own turf and we begin to envy the
seemingly greener pastures that other people are in.
We begin to look at others and start to dream about their cushy lives, their
exciting jobs, the nice things they have, their happy families, etc. We allow
these distractions to come in because we think that who we are and what we are
doing is insignificant, boring, frustrating, unrewarding and unrecognized. That
is simply because we are dissatisfied and unhappy with what we are doing.
In the gospel, Martha complained about her sister, maybe because she was
unhappy about not getting any recognition and attention. She was simply
distracted from what she was doing.
Jesus was not saying that sitting around and listening to Him is more important
than cooking and cleaning. Jesus is saying that whatever we are doing, we just
have to be focused and count our blessings and give thanks to God. That is the
one thing that is important and that is also the one thing that is needed in
our lives. Because that is also the one thing that will bring out satisfaction
and happiness in our lives.
****
We speak much today of poverty and or returning to the true values of the Gospel. What St. Francis of Assisi (1181?82-1226) undertook in the 13th century might very well inspire our times. Today’s society threatens to destroy itself in many parts of the world by its own philosophy and prosperity; even in developing countries, artificial needs are forced on people, to the loss of the deeper values of God and people. What we need is not only talk about poverty and evangelical living, but responsible Christian living according to the values of the Gospel.
St. Francis of Assisi
(Mt 11:25-30): St. Francis of Assisi is the best
known and the most loved thirteenth-century Italian saint. He was born in
Assisi, Italy, the son of a rich merchant. As a carefree young man, he loved
singing, dancing and partying. He joined the military and returned ill, as a
changed man. He marked his conversion by hugging and kissing a leper. While at
prayer in the Church of St. Damiano, he heard the message: “Francis go and
repair my Church because it is falling down.” Francis took the command
literally and got money by selling goods from his father’s warehouse. His
father was furious and publicly disowned and disinherited Francis. Francis promptly
gave back to his father everything except his underclothes and started living
as a free man, wearing sackcloth and begging for food. Possessing nothing, he
started preaching the pure Gospel of Jesus. Strangely enough, a few youngsters
were attracted to Francis’ way of life and joined him.
Pope Innocent III had a vision of Francis supporting the
leaning Church of St. Johns Lateran in Rome. Subsequently, he approved the
Religious Order begun by Francis, namely the Friars Minor [Lesser Brothers]
which practiced Charity as a fourth vow along with Poverty, Chastity and
Obedience. Soon, the Franciscan Order became very popular, attracting large
numbers of committed youngsters. The friars traveled throughout central Italy
and beyond, preaching and invitation to their listeners to turn from the world
to Christ. In his life and preaching, Francis emphasized simplicity and
poverty, relying on God’s providence rather than worldly goods. The brothers
worked, or begged, for what they needed to live, and any surplus was given to
the poor. Francis wrote a more detailed Rule, which was further revised by the
new leaders of the Franciscans. He gave up leadership of the Order and went to
the mountains to live in secluded prayer. There he received the Stigmata, the
wounds of Christ. Francis became partially blind and ill during his last years.
He died at Portiuncula on October 4th, 1226 at the age of 44.
Francis called for simplicity of life, poverty, and humility
before God. In all his actions, Francis sought to follow, fully and literally,
the way of life demonstrated by Christ in the Gospels. Francis loved God’s
gifts to us of nature, animals, and all natural forces, praising God for these
“brothers and sisters.” One of Francis's most famous sermons is one he gave to
a flock of birds during one of his journeys. "From that day on, he
solicitously admonished the birds, all animals and reptiles, and even creatures
that have no feeling, to praise and love their Creator." Francis is well
known for the "Canticle of Brother Sun." Written late in the saint's
life, when blindness had limited his sight of the outside world, the canticle
shows that his imagination was alive with love for God in His creation.
Life messages: 1) Let us learn to practice the
spirit of detachment of St. Francis that we may be liberated from our sinful
attachments, addictions and evil habits. In poverty one makes oneself available
for the Kingdom. Once the goods are no longer one's own, they become available
for all. Goods are made to be shared. 2) Let us preach the Good News of Jesus’
love, mercy and forgiveness as St. Francis did, by imbuing the true spirit of
the Gospel, loving all God’s creation and leading transparent Christian lives
radiating Jesus all around us.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
it is a pleasure for us to celebrate today
your gentle and loveable saint,
Francis of Assisi.
Let us go through life like him
one with you, one with nature,
one with all that is good and kind-hearted.
Make us humble and peaceful like him.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
***
Tuesday of 27th Week
HOSPITALITY
Introduction
Paul asserts that he has the right to speak in the name of Christ because Jesus
Christ himself has given him the good news to speak it.
A hospitable family or person makes guests feel at home and gives them the best
available. But if we are truly hospitable, we are also listening to the guest
and to receive from him or her perhaps more than we give and in a deeper way.
We receive the guest as a person. God presents himself in the Bible as a
traveller on a journey. He asks for hospitality as a stranger or a poor person.
Christ also says that in the homeless we welcome him.
Opening Prayer
Our loving God and Father,
you have invited us to stay with you,
to listen to the message of Jesus your Son
and to accept from him your peace and love.
May we welcome him wholeheartedly
and learn from him to welcome him too
in people who appeal to us
for forgiveness and a bit of warmth,
for patience and hope and joy.
Let them not pass your servants by.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Commentary
In the detailed description of his calling, Paul insists that his is not merely
a human vocation. For years he had been an enemy of the church, which he
persecuted relentlessly. He was schooled in Judaism much beyond his peers. All
of this up until the time when the God who had called from before his birth
revealed his Son to Paul and directed him to proclaim him among the Gentiles.
Without any human consultation, Paul began his work. Only after three years had
passed did he go to Jerusalem to confer with Peter and James. He continued his
Gentile mission and was known in Judea only by name as the one who now preaches
the faith he tried to destroy.
In the Gospel today we are faced with contemplation (Mary) and action (Martha).
The former has greater importance, but both are necessary. Paul is a happy
combination of the two. His intense life of prayer linked him with the Lord and
the various churches where his evangelizing efforts had been felt. He wanted
only to know and experience Christ in the power of the resurrection and to join
in Christ’s sufferings. His active life carried him through much of Asia Minor,
where he preached and worked for his own livelihood.
In our times, there is far more Martha in our lives than there is Mary.
Paul reminds us that without Christ crucified at the heart of our ministry our
life lacks focus. Prayer is important for all of us. In times past when I rode
the commuter train regularly into the city, I always kept my rosary at hand so
that I would use the time with profit. One night a well-dressed young
businessman was seated across the aisle from me, praying his beads. I was
immediately reminded of what I wanted to do but found I had left my rosary at
home. I did the best I could, but before deboarding, I thanked the gentleman for
the reminder he had given me. For both of us it was a positive experience.
Points to Ponder
Total conversion in Paul’s life
The necessity of a Martha
Love for the life of prayer
Intercessions
– That we may recognize the Lord in the features of a stranger and welcome him
as we would welcome the Lord himself, we pray:
– That we may welcome the best our brothers and sisters give us, even before we
share the best of ourselves with them, we pray:
– That we may be and remain hospitable people, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Father,
may we welcome Jesus your Son
in these offerings of bread and wine,
Open us to his word and his mentality.
Prepare us to welcome him in people
and to encounter him in their person,
even when he comes at another time
and in another way than we expect him.
Enrich us by giving to, and receiving from, one another
your greatest gift to us,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you have come among us in your Son
to be our guest.
In our everyday life
may we always be open to anyone in need.
Help us to recognize you and welcome you
in everyone who comes to us.
In every human encounter
offer us your grace and love
through Jesus Christ your Son,
who lives with you and stays with us
now and for ever.
Blessing
In this Eucharist we have been the Lord’s own guests. He has been very
hospitable to us, listening to us and speaking to us his warm words of
friendship. He sends us out now to be one another’s guests and hosts. Welcome
now the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
