Contents: Volume 2
27th & 28th Sundays
in Ordinary Time
- October 6, 2024
The
27th/28th
Sundays
(B) |
|
1. --
Lanie LeBlanc
OP - 27th Sunday
2. --
Dennis Keller
- 28th Sunday
3. --
Friar
John Boll
OP
- 27th Sunday
4. --
5. --
(Your reflection
can be here!)
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1.
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Sun. 27 B 2024
The longer version of our Gospel selection includes a focus on marriage and
children. these are important issues in today's world just as they have been in
the past. As we view and consider this selection, it is good to understand the
place of women t and children in the society in Jesus's time before we apply our
thoughts to the present views.
What seems like "giving in" to the misuse of marriage and divorce at first by
referring to Moses's command is actually Jesus insisting that women have at
least a written decree of dismissal against them before a marriage was dissolved
by the male . I those times, any reason was ok; the written part would make it
more difficult since many people were illiterate. That would also protect the
woman who was at the mercy of the males and her family in what was arranged
marriages and incredible restrictions if she were single. Jesus, as always, was
advocating protection of the vulnerable, in this case women.
Unfortunately, in today's world, marriage is sometimes viewed as a short term
convenience and dispensable rather than the lifelong vocation it is intended to
be. Those who are single have to be willing to commit to a lifetime of "working
at it" if they decide to marry. Those who are married need to remain committed
to "working at it" far after the honeymoon so the intended oneness of marriage
becomes a reality without losing individuality. That stance, Jesus's stance, is
much the same as any vocation designed to be a successful one.
Children were also viewed at that time in somewhat of a negative light,
vulnerable and perhaps insignificant. Jesus raises that perspective to one of
being beloved, worthy, and whose qualities are a key to entering heaven.
Some of those qualities include being open to learning, caring, inquisitive,
trusting, kind etc.
Sometimes, well, really often, Jesus's perspective is much wider than our tunnel
vision! Time to think deeper and reflect on becoming more like Jesus is critical
to growing in adult faith. What aspect of this Gospel touches the particulars of
your life , even the uncomfortable touchy ones like problems with marriage or
difficult children? Trying to be open to hearing Jesus's perspective in the
quietness of prayer might be a blessing to you and yours.
Blessings,
Dr. Lanie LeBlanc OP
Southern Dominican Laity
lanie@leblanc.one
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2.
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Twenty
Eighth Sunday
of Ordered Time
October 13, 2024
Wisdom 7:7-11;
Responsorial Psalm 90; Hebrews 4:12-13;
Gospel Acclamation Matthew 5:3; Mark 10:17-30
The first reading this Sunday takes us into the mysterious, but ever so
important and necessary virtue of wisdom. Wisdom is defined in Webster as:
an
ability to discern inner qualities and relationships: insight: good sense:
judgment: a wise attitude, belief, or course of action: the teachings of ancient
wise men.
The Catholic Encyclopedia identifies wisdom as “the effort toward knowledge:
wisdom is the truth beyond the effort of thought. It can still be attained
without thought; truth is wisdom attained, typically through experience. Wisdom
runs parallel with faith. What transcends all knowledge is the mystery of God’s
love.”
The wisdom Solomon – son of King David and Bathsheba – seeks is knowledge
applied to understand real life situations. Our cognitive knowledge comes
through experience. Passage of time is how we age. Aging allows people to
experience through a succession of experiences. We assume a person with a long
life has lots of experience that led to wisdom. Wisdom results from knowledge
applied to present and future events and relationships. Wisdom is threatened by
falsehood in cultures and from devious propaganda arising from untruths and
fabrications contrary to what is real.
Solomon, in his youthful idealism, prayed he would possess wisdom. The stories
of his wisdom are interesting and give credence to his gift of wisdom. However,
his youthful commitment to the common good diminished as he became increasingly
interested in wealth, in amassing power, and building stunning buildings –
including the temple. After he died his taxation of citizens led to the break-up
of the Kingdom. His successor, in imitation of his father, imposed even more
taxes on the people for more grand projects. As a result, there was a division
of the nation into a Northern Kingdom named Israel and a smaller Kingdom, Judah.
The first reading turns our focus to what is the core of wisdom in the Christian
era. That is where the Gospel narrative leads us. Keeping in mind the
theological application of wisdom applied to every day experience of life, we
discover in this Gospel three parts applicable to practical Christian living.
In the first part, a young man, like young Solomon, comes to Jesus seeking
advice about how to enter eternal life. He had been applying the law of Moses to
his life choices. His claim is without pretense. Certainly, in our initial
stages of spiritual growth we understand his commitment to moral behavior. When
we commit to living a moral life, our practice is based on a binary choice: good
versus evil. Our judgement of goodness versus sin is based on adherence to
commandments and precepts. This is the first phase of spiritual growth.
Commandments and precepts are standards for clearing our pathways through life.
As in the aftermath of a terrible, catastrophic hurricane, until our chosen path
is cleared of rubble, accumulated mud, and rushing waters, there is not a lot of
progress spiritually. That clearing is essential to growth in our relationship
with others and with God on our pilgrim journey. If we are content with obeying
laws as the sole meaning and purpose of living, we often fail to move beyond the
goals and allegiances to the way of the world. The young man in this first of
three pathways to following Jesus is attracted to eternal life. But he was held
back because he had great possessions. His heart was attached, and his path had
yet to be cleared for a stronger way forward. Did his heart’s attachment to
possessions a practice of idolatry?
The second part of the Gospel is Jesus’ preference for the poor and
marginalized. Families and individuals locked in poverty have little to claim
their hearts. Only if they succumb to an attitude of victimhood are they stuck.
The energy and source of vitality in this life is the care and concern they have
for one another. Not all the poor and marginalized discover strength in a
community. Often poverty robs people of strength and creates bitterness and a
self-evaluation of victimhood. That often leads to violence and hatred.
Evangelization and a hand-up are tools to relieve a burden of poverty. This
preference for the poor and marginalized is a responsibility for the way of
Christians to help with a hand-up to conquering poverty.
The third part of this Gospel is about voluntary poverty. This is for those who
join the mission and ministry of Jesus. Their reward is not a physical one. The
solidarity with and presence of the Lord in that work brings fulfillment and
joy. With that commitment comes an awareness of God in creation, in the
Scriptures, and in relationships with others. As we heard last Sunday, those who
follow Jesus in his ministry are servants. In their service God’s is present to
them. But then – as if to contradict this – there is the experience of many
saints (check out Teresa of Calcutta). There is a felt absence of God’s
presence. Spiritual writers name that “the dark night of the soul.”
What has this to do with wealth? Are we expected to sell all we own? What about
our responsibilities to provide nourishment, health care, shelter,
transportation, clothing, and education for our children? Can we divorce
ourselves from these obligations to follow Christ? Voluntary poverty of the
third part of the Gospel this week applies to a ministry serving others. Jesus
models this ministry. All are not called to such a level of service. But at the
least, all are called to recognize and support the dignity and worth of every
human.
The second part of the message tells us we are to be conscious of persons on the
margins of society, the poor, the forgotten, those ill, those challenged in
their existence. Ignoring or looking away from the poor denies their dignity and
worth as creation of God. There is much wisdom in this Sunday’s liturgy of the
Word.
Dennis@PreacherExchange.com
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3.
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Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
2024-10-06 - Homily
“But from the beginning of creation,
God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."
This is pretty much the only direct comment
we have from Jesus on Marriage.
All the rest are indirect.
The most notable is the Wedding feast at Canna in John’s Gospel. Then there are
all the allusions to the kingdom as a wedding celebration - and they are
everywhere! “Only the Father knows” “I go to prepare a place for you”
With marriage, as with all things, Jesus is never a minimalist.
Always directing us to life, wholeness, and fulfillment.
So he minces no words and tells us that God’s intention
is always that the “man and woman become one flesh” and “Therefore what God has
joined together,
no human being must separate.”
Yet, in the light of the ideal, Jesus always treats us with gentleness, mercy,
and forgiveness!
We see this in the woman caught in adultery
and the prodigal son’s return to his profligate Father.
So the Church has struggled with this passage from the beginning, even in the
communities of the Apostles.
In my first assignment as a priest
I worked with a medical student who came to see me because her husband exhibited
among other things controlling and violent tendencies. I listened, and walked
with her through her decision and process, divorce and annulment. I mostly
helped her to make decisions during her journey that would minimize the harm and
promote healing. She make it through on her feet and heading into the future.
Another couple came in for marriage preparation,
and with a couple of major issues apparently resolved, eventually got married.
It did not last long. The young woman cane back for help. I listened to and
helped her navigate her way through the Divorce, Annulment. A couple of years
later, she had met a wonderful young man and they came in for marriage
preparation, they were a delight to work with. Last I heard from them, they were
still happily married.
The vision of Jesus inspires us all! And we seek the ideal.
One thing I have learned from those who have experienced a broken marriage, Is
that they hold onto this ideal as a source of hope. It is not easy, but that
ideal is a light in the darkness that helps them to let go when nothing else
works, and move on with hope.
I believe that the central key to growing in the ideal that Jesus articulates is
this, “what God has joined together”
The first section of this Gospel is one of the top three Gospel’s chosen by
couples for their wedding. It is easy to focus on “the two shall become one
flesh” and embrace the divine support and participation in “no human being must
separate.” and miss the central importance of
“what God has joined together”
This is the Key to understanding the gift of marriage
and understand what God is doing in this sacrament.
This is not a legal joining together as in a contract,
such that once it is signed all is established.
(We often have this same misconception about Creation.
In reality, it continues through time with us as partners with God in the work
and blessings of creation.)
“What God has joined,” indicates an active process of working toward the Ideal
of becoming one in marriage.
Just GETTING married does not do it,
It is LIVING marriage daily that brings it about.
Fr. Paul Feider published a book in 1986 on the sacraments that refers to
research on the impact of prayer on the stability of marriage. He writes,
“Statistics I heard some time ago about marriages in the United States indicates
the power of constantly focusing on Christ as the center of the marriage. They
show that in our country, 50 out of 100 nonreligious marriages end in divorce;
33 out of 100 religious marriages end in divorce; ten out of 100 marriages in
which the couples worship together end in divorce; and only one in 1105
marriages in which couples pray WITH each other on a daily basis ends up in
divorce.”
Allowing God to join us day by day is the key.
Attention to prioritizing common and ordinary activities
that bind us in faith and in the sharing of common life
are part of our openness to God’s presence and grace.
This is more than prayer, meals, time, attention, cooperation, and common goals,
which are all part of it.
In my observation of couples coming in for marriage preparation, couple prayer
is the most challenging practice to begin.
Yet, Couples who have learned to pray together are the most joyful and
comfortable in their relationship. They truly enjoy the challenges of the
preparation process and are willing to openly acknowledge and face their
difficulties.
So to those of you who are still looking or are in a dating relationship, look
for the ways you can share faith.
To those who are growing in their married life grow the practice of daily prayer
together, and you will reap dividends.
I am convinced that
if couples, who are committed to one another,
build the practice of praying together on a daily basis,
that Jesus’ saying can be read as
“What God has joined together, NO ONE CAN separate!”
And if you need help starting the conversation,
I give you permission to say, “Fr. John said ...”
Fr John Boll, OP
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4.
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5.
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Volume 2 is for you. Your thoughts, reflections, and insights on the next
Sundays readings can influence the preaching you hear. Send them to
preacherexchange@att.net. Deadline is Wednesday Noon. Include your Name, and
Email Address.
-- Fr. John
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