Leave the Sacristy
The Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2021
July 11, 2021
www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com
predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673
Ezekiel 2:2-5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6
We hear the narrative of the calling of the disciples with instructions that are designed to keep the disciples lives simple and with transparent credibility. Their message is not simply spoken, but it is told through their way of life that attests to the power of the Gospel. The disciples were sent to preach this message without truly knowing that Jesus was the Son of God. They could not point to the Passion and Resurrection as we can; their message needed to bring the kingdom of heaven to those who might be able to hear it – and they did so without proof of God’s vindication of Jesus.
I read this story with the backdrop of Fratelli Tutti, the last papal encyclical, that focuses upon establishing proper social relationships where the value and dignity of every person is respected. Near the conclusion of the encyclical, a statement about the Church’s mission appears. It reads, “The Church is a home with open doors, because she is a mother. And in imitation of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, we want to be a Church that serves, that leaves home and goes forth from its places of worship, goes forth from its sacristies, in order to accompany life, to sustain hope, to be the sign of unity… to build bridges, to break down walls, to sow seeds of reconciliation.”
While our mission is the same as the disciples, nuances are built in to adjust to today’s realities. What does it mean to leave our sacristies and our worships spaces and go out into the world to bring this message that those who need signs of life and hope and to unify people who are set apart by walls? More importantly, who shows us that they are willing to hear the message and are we credible enough witnesses to the music of the Gospel? It tells me that church as we know it has to continue to evolve.
Sometimes I feel like I miss the mark in my preaching and way of life. Who is ready to accept the Lord into their lives and often feel excluded by our church? I think of those who are in alcohol, food, and narcotics recovery and have found strength in their community. There are also those who struggle with opioid addictions and need strength daily because the physical demands are a constant pull on their sobriety. I pray for single parents who juggle jobs and family to make ends meet without a whole lot of support or understanding of the demands on their resources. The fragility of home-work balance for those who are a paycheck away from eviction or being homeless. These are the people that need the church. These are the people that need a community to provide spiritual support and to prove to them that they are welcome as full members with dignity and respect. Their lives often depend upon the Lord, and they often have found like-minded individuals to support them. Our church must be there to open their hearts to them.
The music of the Gospel becomes simple when the church steps outside its own building and gets involved in the lives of the people around them, often the people we do not even see. The church becomes credible when we simply visit people and listen to their stories and hear of their successes, hardships, and hopes. This seems to me to be a place where the church must regain credibility for many. The mission of the church remains the same; the vision takes new shape with each successive generation. May we be there for those who need us. May we be there for those who look for help and hope.
Scripture for Daily Mass
Monday: (Genesis 28) And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:
“I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants. These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth, and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.
Tuesday: (Genesis 23) “You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed.” Jacob then asked him, “Do tell me your name, please.” He answered, “Why should you want to know my name?”
Wednesday: (Genesis 41) When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them.
Thursday: (Genesis 44) My lord asked your servants, ‘Have you a father, or another brother?’ So we said to my lord, ‘We have an aged father, and a young brother, the child of his old age. This one’s full brother is dead, and since he is the only one by that mother who is left, his father dotes on him.’
Friday (Genesis 46) There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called, “Jacob! Jacob!” He answered, “Here I am.” Then he said: “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation.
Not only will I go down to Egypt with you; I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes.
Saturday (Genesis 49) Jacob gave his sons this charge: “Since I am about to be taken to my people, bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial ground.
Gospel:
Monday: (Matthew 9) While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.
Tuesday: (Matthew 9) A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
Wednesday (Matthew 9) Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
Thursday (Matthew 10) ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.
Friday (Matthew 10) “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves;
so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.
Saturday (Matthew 10) Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Saints of the Week
July 11: Benedict, Abbot (480-547), was educated in Rome, but left after a few years to take on a life of solitude. He became a monk at Subiaco and lived alone, but his lifestyle developed a coalition of followers so he built 12 monasteries for them. He left to found a monastery at Monte Cassino where he wrote his Rule that became a standard for Western monasticism. He adopted the practices of the austere Desert Fathers for community life and emphasized moderation, humility, obedience, prayer, and manual labor.
July 13: Henry, king (972-1024) was a descendent of Charlemagne who became king of Germany and the Holy Roman Emperor. His wife had no offspring. He merged the church's affairs with the secular government and built the cathedral in the newly erected diocese of Bamberg. He was a just ruler who paid close attention to his prayer.
July 14: Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) was the daughter of a Christian Algonquin mother and a non-Christian Mohawk chief. As a child, she contracted smallpox and was blinded and severely disfigured by it. She was baptized on Easter Sunday 1767 by Jesuit missionaries and was named after Catherine of Siena. She kept a strong devotion to the Eucharist and cared for the sick. She is named "the Lily of the Mohawks."
July 15: Bonaventure, bishop and Doctor (1221-1273), was given his name by Francis of Assisi to mean "Good Fortune" after he was cured of serious childhood illnesses. He joined the Franciscans at age 20 and studied at the University of Paris. Aquinas became his good friend. Bonaventure was appointed minister general of the Franciscans and was made a cardinal. He participated in the ecumenical council at Lyons to reunite the Greek and Latin rites. Aquinas died on the way to the council.
July 16: Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the patronal feast of the Carmelites. The day commemorates the day Simon Stock was given a brown scapular by Mary in 1251. In the 12th century, Western hermits settled on Mount Carmel overlooking the plain of Galilee just as Elijah did. These hermits built a chapel to Mary in the 13th century and began a life of solitary prayer.
This Week in Jesuit History
- July 11, 1809. After Pius VII had been dragged into exile by General Radet, Fr. Alphonsus Muzzarrelli SJ, his confessor, was arrested in Rome and imprisoned at Civita Vecchia.
- July 12, 1594. In the French Parliament Antoine Arnauld, the Jansenist, made a violent attack on the Society, charging it with rebellious feelings toward King Henry IV and with advocating the doctrine of regicide.
- July 13, 1556. Ignatius, gravely ill, handed over the daily governance of the Society to Juan de Polanco and Cristobal de Madrid.
- July 14, 1523. Ignatius departs from Venice on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
- July 15, 1570. At Avila, St Teresa had a vision of Blessed Ignatius de Azevedo and his companions ascending to heaven. This occurred at the very time of their martyrdom.
- July 16, 1766. The death of Giusuppe Castiglione, painter and missionary to China. They paid him a tribute and gave him a state funeral in Peking (Beijing).
- July 17, 1581. Edmund Campion was arrested in England.
No comments:
Post a Comment