SEPTEMBER 26 Mon Weekday[StsCosmas and Damian, Martyrs] Jb 1:6-22/Lk9:46-50
27 Tue Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest Memorial Jb 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23/Lk 9:51-56
28 Wed Weekday [Saint Wenceslaus, Martyr; Saint Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs] Jb 9:1-12, 14-16/Lk 9:57-62
29 Thu Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels Feast
Dan 7:9-10, 13-14 or Rv 12:7-12a/Jn 1:47-51
30 Fri Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor Memorial Jb 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5/Lk 10:13-16 (4
OCTOBER 1 Sat Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Memorial Jb 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17/Lk 10:17-24
2 SUN TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Hb 1:2-3; 2:2-4/2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14/Lk 17:5-10
The first readings for most of this week are taken from the Book of Job, the dramatic story of a just man facing the problem of evil. Job is not an historical figure, but he represents all humanity in his questions. Why does God permit evil?
Luke’s gospel this week prepares for Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem which is described in Luke 9:51-18:14. The journey ends in his Resurrection.
A number of important saints are remembered this week in our church calendar. The memorial of St. Therese, the Little Flower, follows that of St.Jerome, the great scripture scholar. Both are doctors of the church, but so unlike as persons. One approached the scriptures mainly as a scholar, through the mind. Therese approached them through the heart.
The Vincent de Paul, the founder of the Vincentian tradition, is remembered on Monday.
The Philippines celebrates St. Lawrence Ruiz and his companions on Wednesday. In our neigborhood, they will be celebrating on Sunday.
Our expression, “The Word of God” has so many meanings and dimensions. I think of it as the Power that created everything, which is the infinite Love that God is. We also think of Jesus, the Logos, as the Word of God. “All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing came to be.” (Jn 1: 3) Prayer with Jesus is direct contact with the Word of God, specially at the Eucharist. We also read or listen to “The Word of God” in holy Scripture. I believe that our God speaks to us through the text. A passage can affect or instruct us in different ways at different times. Then, a preacher, a spiritual director, a child, a friend, a homeless person in the street, can suddenly speak to us with the Word of God.
In the end, I see the “Word of God” as God’s intent to communicate, and even more, to commune with us. Why? Because our God loves us with a love that is immense, and wishes us to experience this love, to share it, and act on it. Often the Word of God can seem beyond our understanding, as if it were an advanced, specialized, or foreign language. Yet we can still appreciate it, perceive the love, the invitation to intimacy with the Giver of Life, an invitation to the Glory and Joy that God is.
The problem is that, for many of us, for different reasons throughout the day, our hearts are like hardened, cold soil, unreceptive to the seed of this Divine wooing that is constantly taking place, even in moments of pain and sorrow. Only through perseverance on our part, united to God’s perseverance can we perceive the “Zoe”, the life to the fullest, that God speaks into us through His Word.
Last time I wrote about the “Season of Creation” that is now going on in our Church, a united focus on the beauty of, and also the threat to our planet and everything on it. We pray to our Creator:
“In the Season of Creation, we pray that You will call to us, as from the burning bush, with the sustaining fire of your Spirit. Turn us from our inward gaze. Teach us to contemplate Your Creation, and listen for the voice of each creature declaring Your Glory. Give us hearts to listen, enlighten us with Your Grace, and fill us with the hope to quench the fires of injustice with the light of Your healing love that sustains our common home.”
I pray that the Word of God be perceived in the beauty and wonder of nature, filling us with awe, love, and gratitude to our God.
I have never forgotten a story written by the Argentinian writer, Jorge Luis Borges, titled “The Handwriting of the God.” In it, an Inca priest or leader is imprisoned and starved by the Spaniards in a tiny dungeon. To torment him, his captors have put a jaguar right next to him, separated only by bars. The captive is waiting for the gods to rescue him by sending a holy message of power that will change everything. As he dies of hunger, he becomes fascinated by the designs and patterns of the jaguar’s fur, as they become more and more like mysterious words. In the end, the captive man understands “the handwriting of the god” and becomes free in the glory of a spiritual experience.
“The handwriting of the god”, The Word of God, is all around us. We can see it in those blessed days when the wind on the leaves seems to whisper sacred messages into our ears, or when the roar of the waves speaks of might and greatness. The rocks seem to converse when the brook rolls over them. The song of birds, even the sound of our breathing reminds us of the mercy and love of our life-sustaining God. The “handwriting” can be read in the patterns of the waves and ripples, in the textures of different barks of trees, in the geometry of leaves and flowers, the plumage of birds, the patterns in a cat’s fur.
Last week, at the Children’s Zoo in the Bronx I suddenly fell into this ecstasy of wonder and gratitude as I saw the beautiful, small creatures all around, surrounded by the music of the voices of four and five-year olds, filled with a joy that eleven year-olds can no longer feel in a place like this. The bark of a tree caught my attention when suddenly from a hole in the trunk a small, furry, black-and-white monkey emerged and looked straight at me. It was eating a little morsel. Unthinkingly, I uttered, “What’s that orange thing it’s eating?” From behind me a little voice said, “Don’t you know? It’s a carrot.” I turned around and saw this beautiful four-year old cautiously smiling at me. I suddenly remembered that we, God’s children, are also part of this wonderful tapestry. We are part of the message, the Word of God, which is Love. We are beloved!
Dear Readers, if you haven’t done it, just take a little time away from the computer, the phone, the TV, and spend some moments in a park, a garden, or a church.
Experience the Word of God. Only this way can we find the love and the zeal to save our suffering planet, our humanity, our trust in God’s eternal plan of Love!
If you want to know more about this observance of The Season of Creation, or about the Laudato Si movement, you can go to https://seasonofcreation.org/ –
SEPTEMBER 19 Mon Weekday [St Januarius,] Prv 3:27-34/Lk 8:16-18
20 Tue Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Korean Martyrs Memorial Prv 21:1-6, 10-13/Lk 8:19-21
21 Wed Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist Feast Eph 4:1-7, 11-13/Mt 9:9-13
22 Thu Weekday Eccl 1:2-11/Lk 9:7-9
23 Fri Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest Memorial Eccl 3:1-11/Lk 9:18-22
24 Sat St.Vincent Strambi, Passionist Eccl 11:9—12:8/Lk 9:43b-45
25 SUN TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Am 6:1a, 4-7/1 Tm 6:11-16/Lk 16:19-31
Leaders from all over the world meet for three days at the UN in New York this week from September 20-22.
Readings from the Wisdom literature. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are read most weekdays. “The heart of the king is like channeled water in the hand of the Lord, He will direct it wherever he wills.” Good thing to remember as the UN meets this week.
Readings from Luke: Jesus prepares for his journey to Jerusalem was confirming his disciples in their mission. Luke 9-9.
The Feast of the apostle Matthew is Wednesday.
The memorial of the Korean martyrs and the foundation of the church in Korea is recalled on Tuesday.
The popular Padre Pio is remembered on Friday.
The Passionists celebrate St. Vincent Strambi on September 24
Luke’s Gospel (Lk 8:4-15) tells us Jesus’ Parable Of The Sower. Our Lord teaches us so much in this passage. The Word of God falls into our hearts like seed. If our hearts are like “rich soil” we are the ones “who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with with a generous and good heart and bear fruit with perseverance.”
What is this fruit? In verse 12, Jesus seems to imply that this fruit is first of all to “believe and be saved”. Absolutely. In verse 15, our Lord speaks of “a generous and good heart.” This fruit seems to include acts of generosity and goodness for our world. There are so many ways that we can do this. When I read this Gospel this week I felt that part of this goodness includes our commitment to love and save God’s Creation here on our Planet.
The Senegalese conservationist Baba Dioum once wrote this much-quoted line:
“In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”
Can the Word of God teach us to understand and love what He has created? Or are our hearts like the trampled, rocky, or weed-covered soil? How can we learn to care? How can we learn to hear this Word of God? It is, of course, a life-long endeavor. When stuck, it is always good to begin by praying to our God. In this period from September 1- October 4 (The Feast of St. Francis) Christians all over the world are observing the “Season of Prayer” , inspired by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si. It is a time for listening to this Word of God through prayer, contemplation, listening, learning, sharing, and doing generous and good acts to help preserve our planet Earth.
The “Prayer for the Season of Creation” is part of the many prayers and activities that are taking place. For me, it addresses my questions at the beginning of this blog.
Creator of All,
From your communion of love you word went forth to
create a symphony of life that sings your praise.
By your Holy Wisdom you made the Earth to bring forth a
diversity of creatures who praise you in their being.
You called human beings to till and keep your garden.
But we turn in on ourselves and away from our co- creatures.
We fail to listen to the cries of the poor and the needs of the
most vulnerable. We silence the voices of those who hold
the traditions that teach us to care for the Earth. We close
our ears to your creative, reconciling and sustaining Word
that calls us through the Scriptures.
Creation cries out as forests crackle, and animals alike flee
the fires of injustice that we have lit by our
unwillingness to listen.
In this Season of Creation, we pray that you will call to us,
as from the burning bush, with the sustaining fire of your Spirit.
Turn us from our inward gaze. Teach us to contemplate
your creation, and listen for the voice of each creature
declaring your glory.
Give us hearts to listen, enlighten us with your grace,
and fill us with the hope to quench the fires of injustice
with the light of your healing love that sustains our common home.
In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news
to all creation, Jesus Christ. Amen.
With this prayer I open my eyes, my ears, all my senses, my intellect, and my spirit, that God’s Word will make of my heart fertile ground for the many ways that my Lord can teach me and guide me in this holy mission, this Fruit, this devotion to serve His wounded people and His endangered creation. I will write more on the mystery of this Word of God, next time.
If you are interested in learning more about this observance of the Season of Creation , you can go to https://seasonofcreation.org/ –
SEPTEMBER 12 Mon Weekday [The Most Holy Name of Mary]
1 Cor 11:17-26, 33/Lk 7:1-10
13 Tue St John Chrysostom, Bishop, Doctor of the Church Memorial
1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31a/Lk 7:11-17
14 Wed The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Feast
Nm 21:4b-9/Phil 2:6-11/Jn 3:13-17
15 Thu Our Lady of Sorrows Memorial
1 Cor 15:1-11 /Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35
16 Fri Sts Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs Memorial
1 Cor 15:12-20/Lk 8:1-3
17 Sat Weekday [St Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church;
St Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin and Doctor of the Church]
1 Cor 15:35-37, 42-49/Lk 8:4-15
18 SUN TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Am 8:4-7/1 Tm 2:1-8/Lk 16:1-13 or 16:10-13
Every week the liturgy takes us through the centuries. It take us back to biblical times and, with the saints, we enter times that shaped our own:
With Saints Cornelius and Cyprian we’re in the age of the martyrs. The feasts of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and our Lady of Sorrows bring us to to the age of pilgrimage, when Christians flocked to the Holy Land to visit the churches and holy sites where Jesus Christ was remembered. The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross celebrates the blessing of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built over the place of Jesus’s tomb and where he was crucified.
St. John Chrysostom brings us to the patristic age.
Robert Bellarmine and Hildergarde of Bingen to Reformation times and to the age of the medieval mystics.
Whether we know it or not we have been shaped by these times and they point the path we have to take.
We had a procession to the Mary Garden today, the Feast of the Birth of Mary. A procession is so simple– walk, pray, sing, appreciate. We walked from the 11 AM Mass to the garden, not a long walk. We prayed a decade of the rosary, prayed some prayers from the scriptures and listened to a short reflection, then placed some flowers before the statue of Mary.
We were from all over, we represented the world, and we prayed for the world.
Hail Mary, full of grace…pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
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