Ignatian
Spirituality: Set the World Ablaze
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Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 21, 2015
Job 38:1, 8-11; Psalm 107; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41
As the Lord spoke to Job, he spoke
of many marvelous features of creation that humans take for granted and he
rightly claimed ownership of them. He asks Job to remember nature’s source and
Creator as the Lord has power over it – by containing it and setting its
limits. As the Psalmists recall, the sea’s power can destroy and only God has
dominion over it. The disciples know of these traditions when Jesus enters into
a boat with them to cross the sea when a violent squall trashes their vessel
violently. They realize they can be like those mentioned in the psalms – ready
to perish and to swallowed into the abyss – when the wake Jesus who is able to
sleep through the great drama. Upon his word, the winds cease and the waters
calm. No one but God, they understand, has control over nature and they begin
to question more deeply the identity of Jesus.
These readings are timely as Pope
Francis is soon to release his encyclical on our stewardship over God’s
creation. The world does not belong to us; we coexist with it and depend upon
it. New commentators report that the release of the report will jostle the
political climate and will challenge many who deny climate change is caused by
human actions. Some politicians, who are not scientists, say the Pope, who is
not a scientist, needs to stay out of the debate. News media speculate that the
encyclical will challenge those on the political right and left alike. This
tension is good. Some claim that a few bishops might not support the Pope’s
letter, leaving the faithful with the question, “How am I to honor my Pope and
bishop at the same time? Who am I to believe?”
I am thankful for the challenging
words that will emerge from this letter and it will be a difficult challenge
for us to embrace, but it must be done to create a more harmonious world for
our fellow beings. We must do our part, even though it will be costly, because
it is an investment rather than an expense. It boils down to our fundamental
attitude towards one another. Do I care enough about my neighbor and our posterity
to protect our environment? This is much bigger than our individual positions;
this is about the right to life.
The Jesuits at the 35th
General Congregation in Rome called for a reconciliation ministry – first, with
God, then with others, and finally with creation. Recognizing the environment
as a new apostolic frontier, those who share our mission are encourage to show
ever more effective ecological solidarity in our spiritual, communal, and
apostolic lives. We do not know yet what that looks like, but the invitation
calls us to move beyond doubts and indifference to take responsibility for our
earthly home. In heeding the call to restore right relationships with creation,
we have been moved anew by the cry of those suffering the consequences of
environmental destruction.
We are called to study the problems
on environmental change more adeptly and to focus upon the negative
consequences, especially when poverty is increased, often because of
displacement of whole sets of people. We should invite all people to appreciate
more deeply our covenant with creation as central to right relationships with
God and one another and to act accordingly in terms of political
responsibility, employment, family life, and personal lifestyle. This is not
just the Pope’s wishing for a cleaner, safer world. This is our mission because
it is our world.
Themes for this Week’s Masses
First
Reading:
Monday:
(Genesis 12) The Lord said to Abram, “I will make of you a great nation and I
will bless you.” Abram settled the Canaanite land the Lord promised him.
Tuesday:
(Genesis 13) Since both Abram and Lot had great amounts of livestock, they
settled the lands where each could prosper with man resources. Lot chose first
and took the land east of the Jordan River. Abram took the West Bank.
Wednesday:
(Isaiah 49 – Birth of John the Baptist) The Lord called me from my birth and
from my mother’s womb, he gave me my name.
Thursday:
(Genesis 16) Since Abram’s wife, Sarah, bore no children, Hagar had relations
with Abram and bore him a son called Ishmael.
Friday
(Genesis 17) At age 99, Abram was told to have relations with Sarah, who would
bear him a son to be named Isaac. Ishmael would father a great people, but the
covenant will remain with Isaac’s offspring.
Saturday
(Genesis 18) Abram was visited by 3 men and proclaimed that when they returned
in a year, Sarah would have born a child. Sarah laughed at the thought because
she was advanced in years.
Gospel:
Monday:
(Matthew 7) Stop judging and you will not be judged. A measure given out will
the measure given back to you.
Tuesday:
(Matthew 7) Do not give to dogs what is holy; do to others as you would have
them do unto you; enter through the narrow gate that leads to life.
Wednesday
(Luke 1 – John the Baptist) When it was time for John’s birth, they asked
Elisabeth to name her son. She called him John. They protested and asked
Zechariah whose tongue was loosened. He said, “His name shall be called John.”
Thursday
(Matthew 7) Not everyone who calls upon the name of Jesus will be saved, because
they may not know him. Anyone who believes in him and acts from his wisdom will
be admitted into the kingdom.
Friday
(Matthew 8) When Jesus came down from a mountain, he met a leper who said, “If
you will it, make me clean.” Jesus said he did and he sent the man to see the
priest.
Saturday
(Matthew 8) When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion asked Jesus to spare the
life of his slave, who was dear to him. He said, “Only say the word, for I’m
not worthy to have you enter under my roof.” The servant was healed. Jesus then
healed Simon’s mother-in-law.
Saints of the Week
June 21: Aloysius Gonzaga, S.J., priest (1568-1591), gave up a great
inheritance to join the Jesuits in 1585 in his dreams of going to the missions.
However, when a plague hit Rome, Gonzaga served the sick and dying in hospitals
where he contracted the plague and died within three months. He is a patron
saint of youth.
June 22: Paulinus of Nola, bishop (353-431) was a prominent lawyer who
married a Spaniard and was baptized. Their infant son died while in Spain. He
became a priest and was sent to Nola, near Naples, where he lived a
semi-monastic life and helped the poor and pilgrims.
June 22: John Fisher, bishop and martyr (1469-1535) taught theology at
Cambridge University and became the University Chancellor and bishop of
Rochester. Fisher defended the queen against Henry VIII who wanted the marriage
annulled. Fisher refused to sign the Act of Succession. When the Pope made
Fisher a cardinal, the angry king beheaded him.
June 22: Thomas More, martyr (1478-1535) was a gifted lawyer, Member of
Parliament, scholar, and public official. He was reluctant to serve Cardinal
Woolsey at court and he resigned after he opposed the king’s Act of Succession,
which would allow him to divorce his wife. He was imprisoned and eventually
beheaded.
June 24: Nativity of John the Baptist (first century) was celebrated on June
24th to remind us that he was six months older than Jesus, according
to Luke. This day also serves to remind us that, as Christ is the light of the
world, John must decrease just as the daylight diminishes. John’s birth is told
by Luke. He was the son of the mature Elizabeth and the dumbstruck Zechariah.
When John was named, Zechariah’s tongue was loosened and he sang the great Benedictus.
June 27: Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor (376-444), presided over the
Council of Ephesus that fought Nestorian the heresy. Cyril claimed, contrary to
Nestorius, that since the divine and human in Jesus were so closely united that
it was appropriate to refer to Mary was the mother of God. Because he condemned
Nestorius, the church went through a schism that lasted until Cyril's death.
Cyril's power, wealth, and theological expertise influenced many as he defended
the church against opposing philosophies.
This Week in Jesuit History
·
Jun 21, 1591. The death of St Aloysius Gonzaga,
who died from the plague, which he caught while attending the sick.
·
Jun 22, 1611. The first arrival of the Jesuit
fathers in Canada, sent there at the request of Henry IV of France.
·
Jun 23, 1967. Saint Louis University's Board of
Trustees gathered at Fordyce House for the first meeting of the expanded Board
of Trustees. SLU was the first Catholic university to establish a Board of
Trustees with a majority of lay members.
·
Jun 24, 1537. Ignatius, Francis Xavier, and five
of the companions were ordained priests in Venice, Italy.
·
Jun 25, 1782. The Jesuits in White Russia were
permitted by the Empress Catherine to elect a General. They chose Fr.
Czerniewicz. He took the title of Vicar General, with the powers of the
General.
·
Jun 26, 1614. By a ruse of the Calvinists, the
book, "Defensio Fidei" by Francis Suarez was condemned by the French
Parliament. In addition, in England James I ordered the book to be publicly
burned.
·
Jun 27, 1978. Bernard Lisson, a mechanic, and
Gregor Richert, a parish priest, were shot to death at St Rupert's Mission,
Sinoia, Zimbabwe.
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