Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 381
Reading 1
Amos 8:4-6, 9-12
Hear this, you who trample upon the needy
and destroy the poor of the land!
"When will the new moon be over," you ask,
"that we may sell our grain,
and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat?"
We will diminish the containers for measuring,
add to the weights,
and fix our scales for cheating!
We will buy the lowly man for silver,
and the poor man for a pair of sandals;
even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!"
On that day, says the Lord GOD,
I will make the sun set at midday
and cover the earth with darkness in broad daylight.
I will turn your feasts into mourning
and all your songs into lamentations.
I will cover the loins of all with sackcloth
and make every head bald.
I will make them mourn as for an only son,
and bring their day to a bitter end.
Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD,
when I will send famine upon the land:
Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water,
but for hearing the word of the LORD.
Then shall they wander from sea to sea
and rove from the north to the east
In search of the word of the LORD,
but they shall not find it.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131
R. (Matthew 4:4) One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
My soul is consumed with longing
for your ordinances at all times.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your justice give me life.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia
Matthew 11:28
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 9:9-13
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Dining with Sinners
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Matthew 9:12–13
Would you describe yourself as one who is “well” or one who is “sick?” Are you among the “righteous” or the “sinners?” Be careful how you answer this question. Of course, the pride that comes with our fallen human nature often tempts us to claim that we are “well” and “righteous.” But humility will reveal the truth that we are among the “sick” and “sinners.”
This statement of Jesus is a response to the Pharisees who noticed that Jesus was dining at the house of Matthew, the tax collector, whom He had just called to follow Him. Matthew did indeed leave everything behind and followed Jesus, and then he hosted dinner for Jesus at his house. At that dinner, there were “many tax collectors and sinners” who came and sat with Jesus and His disciples, which led the Pharisees to ridicule them all.
Jesus’ response is very important for us to hear. By stating that He came not for those who were well and righteous but for those who were sick and sinners, it tells us two important things. First, it tells us that we are all spiritually sick and sinful. Second, it tells us that if we cannot humbly admit to that, and in our pride claim that we are well and are righteous, then we essentially reject Jesus, the Divine Physician, from our lives. We essentially say, “Lord, I do not need You.”
It’s also helpful to notice that Jesus was not embarrassed to be seen with sinners. He did not hesitate at all and, in fact, clearly stated that they were those whom He came for. For that reason, we should not be afraid or embarrassed to admit we are sinners who are spiritually ill and in need of our Lord. To deny that fact is to deny reality and to deny the very source of the ongoing healing we most certainly need in life. It’s a denial of our need for Christ Jesus Himself.
Do you need our Lord? Do you need interior cleansing, healing, and forgiveness every day? If it’s difficult for you to wholeheartedly say “Yes” to that question, then perhaps you struggle with the pride of the Pharisees more than you know. No matter how holy you become, no matter how deeply you pray and no matter how charitable you are, you will always need the healing and forgiveness of the Divine Physician each and every day.
Reflect, today, upon the need you have in your life today for forgiveness. What sin do you struggle with the most? Interestingly, the holier one becomes, the more clearly they see their daily sins and their need for forgiveness and healing. If you struggle with this at all, spend time examining your conscience. Look for ways to do it more thoroughly and honestly. If you do, you can be certain that our Lord, the Divine Physician, will deeply desire to dine with you today and always.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
STOP THE FAMINE
“Yes, days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send famine upon the land: not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the Lord.” —Amos 8:11
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Church teaches that the famine of God’s Word prophesied by Amos is taking place now (Catechism, 2835). Therefore, “Christians must make every effort ‘to proclaim the good news to the poor’ ” (Catechism, 2835; Lk 4:18). This famine can be stopped and even reversed if we lay down our lives to give each other our daily bread of God’s Word (see Mt 6:11; see also Mt 4:4). For example, St. Ignatius of Loyola humbled himself by going to school with little children although he was an adult. He did this to learn to read and to eventually proclaim God’s Word. St. Jerome lived for years in a cave in Bethlehem while he labored to translate the Bible. St. Paul risked his life daily in proclaiming God’s Word (1 Cor 15:31). St. Matthew immediately quit his job and his life of sin to follow Jesus and, later, to write the first book of the New Testament (Mt 9:9).
You can stop the famine of God’s Word if you are willing to die to self. Your death to self will prevent the spiritual and physical deaths of so many others. Be the grain of wheat that falls to the earth and dies (Jn 12:24). You will bear fruit, feed the starving, and stop the famine.
Prayer: Father, may One Bread, One Body help stop and reverse the famine.
Promise: “Matthew got up and followed Him.” —Mt 9:9
Praise: St. Anthony Zaccaria gave up his medical practice to serve Jesus as a priest.
Reflection 3
Living His Word One Day At A Time
Religion is abused in different ways! Among those guilty of this, some believe they can placate God with elaborate prayers and extravagant sacrifices, so that their unjust dealings would be overlooked.
In the first reading today, the prophet Amos yet again communicates God’s strong displeasure at the religious hypocrisy of the elite sections of the people of Israel. These people were so consumed with self-interest that they had lost every sense of respect for human life, evident from the dehumanizing manner in which they dealt with the weaker sections of society. While the prophet’s words had no effect on these oppressors, Jesus’ loving invitation to the tax collector, in today’s Gospel, brought about a complete transformation in his lifestyle.
It becomes convenient to compartmentalize the sacred and the secular, because then we are not challenged to live by what we profess.
“You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” ― Anne Lamott
Prayers
My forgiving Lord, You are the Divine Physician Who has come to forgive and heal all of our ills. Remove my pride and self-righteousness so that I can be filled with humility and see clearly the sin in my life. As I see my sin, help me to turn to You and to trust in Your abundant mercy. You came for sinners, dear Lord, and I am one of those sinners in need. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, our Savior, let us now come to you: Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for yourself. (Prayer of Augustine, 354-430)
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 186: Transpierced by God
Has your soul been “transpierced” by God? Does He “pervade” you? Do you allow yourself to “dissolve” into His divinity and become “enveloped” by His Mercy? There are so many words we can use to describe our relationship with God. Though they all add to an articulation of who God is and what sort of relationship we should have with Him, none of them will ever fully be able to present the mystery of our union with Him. We are called to “oneness,” to “transformative union.” And this union is like a drop of water being placed into the mighty ocean. Slowly and surely, that drop of water is lost in the vastness of the ocean depths. So it is with God. We are called to a unity so deep and so profound that words will never suffice to speak what the soul is called to experience (See Diary #983-984).
What is your relationship with God like? Are the words above even a faint description of your life of prayer and communion with Him? Do you see and experience Him interiorly, calling you to His unfathomable depths of Mercy? Or is He distant to you, seen by you as someone you talk about and are aware of, but not living a “holy fusion” with? The words we use matter because they point to the deeper reality. Reflect upon how you would describe your relationship with God. And when you find that no words suffice, you are on the right track.
Most Holy Trinity, may my whole being become consumed by the brightness of Your radiance. May I become possessed by You in every way so that it will no longer be my life that is lived, but is Yours living within me, consuming me and transforming me. May I be like that one small drop of water, entering into the mighty Ocean of Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.
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