Twenty-third Week of Ordinary Time: Sept 10 - 16, 2006
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Alexander, Andy, S.J.
Issue Date
2006-09-10
Type
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
"He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
The Twenty-third Week of Ordinary Time|"Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile." This lesson from Jesus is central to the Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time. In Mark's gospel, Jesus heals a deaf and mute man. The people are astonished and said of Jesus, "He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."|Wednesday is the Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the Church. Thursday is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Friday is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows and Saturday is Memorial of Saint Cornelius, pope and martyr, and Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr.|In our first reading, we continue with Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, an intimate look at the struggles of an early Church community.|In Luke's Gospel this week we see Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath, in a synagogue, right in front of his religious critics who plot to deal with him. Jesus then spends a night in prayer and calls his twelve closest followers. When people come to him from all over, he heals them. Jesus announces that the poor, the hungry, those who weep, and those hated or excluded or denounced because of him are the blessed. He warns those who are rich, filled, laughing and spoken well of, for their fates will be reversed. He says that we will be known by our fruit. It is only by building our lives upon him, as a firm foundation, can we hope to survive crises.|On the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time we hear Jesus tell his disciples about his passion, death and resurrection to come in Jerusalem. Peter tries to prevent him from going there. Jesus rebukes him and tells the disciples and us that to be a disciple is to follow him, not trying to save one's life, but by dying to ourselves and losing ourselves for his sake and that of the Gospel. That is the only path to real life.
Daily Prayer This Week|This week's daily communion with our Lord can be about the mysteries of self-sacrifice and healing. In the back of our minds each day, we can have a desire to understand how we can "exult" the Cross of Jesus and celebrate Mary's sorrows. We can imagine the healing Jesus in the relationships and circumstances of our days.|If we begin each morning by praying a desire, the rest will follow for the day. "Good morning, Lord. Thank you for this day. Help me today to bring to you the parts of myself that need your healing. Be with me as I face the poverty, hunger or tears of this day." We can go into this prayer, in more depth or detail while we are in the shower or getting dressed. If we let these desires make their way into the background of our day, we can focus our consciousness no matter what we are doing.|Even in activities that require "our full consciousness" and attention, it is possible to shape that consciousness in the context of our desires. For example, I might be in an important meeting, that doesn't allow me to go day dreaming. But, I can walk into that meeting room saying in my heart, "Okay, Lord, be with me here. While I'm so tempted to be seen as a 'success' here, heal all of that focus on myself and free me to do my best and to be attentive to the needs of others. Let me focus on you and your desires for the greater good here."|Especially when we are facing something that is quite difficult, requiring real self-sacrifice and genuine love, we can let our background conversation with the Lord release us from our "typical" response or behavior. "Lord, I'm like Peter sometimes. I want to be your follower, but when it comes to placing myself with you surrendering my ways, even my life, I'm a coward. Sign me with your cross today. Let Mary, the mother of all self-surrender be with me today. Thank you. Give me your love and your grace and I'll ask for nothing more."
The Twenty-third Week of Ordinary Time|"Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile." This lesson from Jesus is central to the Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time. In Mark's gospel, Jesus heals a deaf and mute man. The people are astonished and said of Jesus, "He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."|Wednesday is the Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the Church. Thursday is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Friday is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows and Saturday is Memorial of Saint Cornelius, pope and martyr, and Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr.|In our first reading, we continue with Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, an intimate look at the struggles of an early Church community.|In Luke's Gospel this week we see Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath, in a synagogue, right in front of his religious critics who plot to deal with him. Jesus then spends a night in prayer and calls his twelve closest followers. When people come to him from all over, he heals them. Jesus announces that the poor, the hungry, those who weep, and those hated or excluded or denounced because of him are the blessed. He warns those who are rich, filled, laughing and spoken well of, for their fates will be reversed. He says that we will be known by our fruit. It is only by building our lives upon him, as a firm foundation, can we hope to survive crises.|On the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time we hear Jesus tell his disciples about his passion, death and resurrection to come in Jerusalem. Peter tries to prevent him from going there. Jesus rebukes him and tells the disciples and us that to be a disciple is to follow him, not trying to save one's life, but by dying to ourselves and losing ourselves for his sake and that of the Gospel. That is the only path to real life.
Daily Prayer This Week|This week's daily communion with our Lord can be about the mysteries of self-sacrifice and healing. In the back of our minds each day, we can have a desire to understand how we can "exult" the Cross of Jesus and celebrate Mary's sorrows. We can imagine the healing Jesus in the relationships and circumstances of our days.|If we begin each morning by praying a desire, the rest will follow for the day. "Good morning, Lord. Thank you for this day. Help me today to bring to you the parts of myself that need your healing. Be with me as I face the poverty, hunger or tears of this day." We can go into this prayer, in more depth or detail while we are in the shower or getting dressed. If we let these desires make their way into the background of our day, we can focus our consciousness no matter what we are doing.|Even in activities that require "our full consciousness" and attention, it is possible to shape that consciousness in the context of our desires. For example, I might be in an important meeting, that doesn't allow me to go day dreaming. But, I can walk into that meeting room saying in my heart, "Okay, Lord, be with me here. While I'm so tempted to be seen as a 'success' here, heal all of that focus on myself and free me to do my best and to be attentive to the needs of others. Let me focus on you and your desires for the greater good here."|Especially when we are facing something that is quite difficult, requiring real self-sacrifice and genuine love, we can let our background conversation with the Lord release us from our "typical" response or behavior. "Lord, I'm like Peter sometimes. I want to be your follower, but when it comes to placing myself with you surrendering my ways, even my life, I'm a coward. Sign me with your cross today. Let Mary, the mother of all self-surrender be with me today. Thank you. Give me your love and your grace and I'll ask for nothing more."
Description
Citation
Publisher
University Ministry, Creighton University.
License
These prayer guides may not be sold or used commercially without permission. Personal or parish use is permitted.