Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 389
Reading 1
Isaiah 1:10-17
Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the LORD.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.
When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 50:8-9, 16BC-17, 21 and 23
R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think you that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Alleluia
Matthew 5:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 10:34-11:1
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Authentic Love
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37–38
At first read, this appears to be a difficult teaching of our Lord. But when properly understood, it is clear that it helps us keep our relationships with God and with our family properly ordered in charity and truth. Following this command will never result in a lack of love for family; rather, it will help us to love solely with the heart of Christ.
What does this teaching of Jesus require of us? Simply put, if a family member, or anyone else, imposes expectations on us that are contrary to the will of God, then we must choose the will of God over those other expectations. To understand this more clearly, think about how one might choose to love “father or mother” or “son or daughter” more than God. Say, for example, that a child chooses to go astray in their moral or faith life, and they want their parents to support them in their sin. But the parents remain firm in their moral convictions and, out of love, offer no support for the immoral lifestyle their child has chosen. This would become especially difficult for the parents if the child becomes angry and criticizes the parents, with the claim that the parents are being judgmental and are lacking in love. What the child is actually requesting is “Mom and dad, you must love me more than God and His laws.” And if the parents do not support their child’s misguided lifestyle, the relationship may be deeply wounded. Perhaps that is one of the reasons that Jesus followed this command by saying, “and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” Love always involves the Cross. At times, it is a cross of personal self-sacrifice and self-giving. And at other times, it’s a cross by which our love is misunderstood, and we are deemed as “unloving” by those we actually love the most. When parents truly love their child, they will care first and foremost for their child’s eternal salvation and moral living, and they will not choose “friendship” with their child over truth.
Of course, this same truth applies to every relationship we will have and even to our “relationship” to society as a whole. More and more, there are those who demand of us all that we support them in behaviors that are objectively disordered and contrary to the will of God. We are told that if we oppose these choices that some make, then we are judgmental and hateful. But this is exactly what Jesus is speaking about. If we choose to “love” others more than God and His holy will, meaning, if our first priority is to make people “feel” supported in the immoral and confused decisions they make, then we are not actually loving them at all. At least not with the love of God. Instead, we are prioritizing their sin over the truth they so deeply need to know so as to be set free and to enter into an authentic relationship of love with the God of Truth.
Reflect, today, upon true love. Love is only true love when it is grounded and centered in God and every moral law He has set forth. Reflect upon your own relationships, especially with family and those closest to you. Do you love them with the pure love of God? Does your love remain firmly rooted in the will of God? Or do you, at times, choose to compromise the truths of faith and morality so as to appease the misguided expectations of others. Kindness, gentleness and compassion must always be present. But moral truth must also be just as present and must be the foundation of every virtue we exercise in our relationships with everyone. Do not be afraid to love others exclusively with the mind and heart of God. Doing so is the only way to have true love for everyone in your life so as to help save their souls.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
BITTERSWEET
“My mission is to spread, not peace, but division.”—Matthew 10:34
The Christian life is rough. If we want to lead a godly life, we will be persecuted (2 Tm 3:12). Our enemies may be those of our own household (Mt 10:36). As followers of Christ, we must take up our crosses daily (Lk 9:23) and bring ourselves to nought for Jesus (Mt 10:39). The Christian life can be very painful and lonely. However, we find our joy in suffering for Jesus (Col 1:24; 1 Pt 4:13).
The Christian life is also full of joy and serendipities. The Lord will raise up people to give us a cup of cold water, a pizza, a prayer, a smile, a flower, or other gifts (see Mt 10:42). The Lord gives His followers His own joy — complete joy (Jn 15:11). As Christians, we move from grace to grace (Jn 1:16, RSV-CE) and from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18).
The Christian life is both the most difficult and the most wonderful life possible for a human being. Do you want to really live? Give your life to Jesus; choose Christ as your Life (Jn 14:6; Phil 1:21). Live, suffer, and rejoice in life in Christ.
Prayer: Father, thank You for deciding to live in me and letting me live in You (see Jn 17:23).
Promise: “Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before My eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.” —Is 1:16-17
Praise: St. Bonaventure was a Franciscan, theologian and Doctor of the Church, much beloved by all who knew him.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
No matter how small our gestures of kindness, they can have a huge impact on someone else's life. True love of God leads us to do good to others. In today’s Gospel Reading, Jesus promises that anyone who gives a cup of cold water to a thirsty person will be rewarded. Where kindness, care, and hospitality are shown, the Lord is present in that place. Choosing to follow Jesus and his values calls us to make hard choices in life. Family and friends may become our adversaries. We may need to risk even our most significant relationships for the sake of Jesus. “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:38) says Jesus. As disciples of Jesus we are called to be kind, generous and love God above all else. Do you feel compelled by the love of Jesus to put God first in whatever you do?
Prayers
Lord of All, You call all people to love You with all of their mind, heart, soul and strength. You call us all to adhere to every truth that You have spoken. Give me the courage and love I need to not only love You above all but to also love others with Your love alone. Help me to embrace Your Cross when this is difficult so that I will be a better instrument of the love You have for all. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has conceived the things you have prepared for those who love you. Set us ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit, that we may love you in and above all things and so receive the rewards you have promised us through Christ our Lord. (from A Christian's Prayer Book)
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 196: Loving Jesus in Others
We are quite familiar with the Gospel passage, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me” (Matthew 25:40). But do you believe this? If you do, then you will discover that loving Jesus is easy and that you have an opportunity to do so all day long, every time you encounter another. It may be through a kind smile or word. It may be through an act of generosity, forgiveness or service. But whatever you do to another in love, you do to Jesus. This is true. And it’s also true that when we treat another with harshness or a lack of Mercy we wound the Heart of our Lord. This basic truth is easily understood as a concept in our minds, but not so easily understood through our actions. It can be hard to actually see Jesus in another and to believe that we are loving our Lord by our service of them. But just because it’s hard to believe doesn’t mean we should not believe it and live it (See Diary #1029).
Think of the people that you encounter daily. When you look at them, do you see their presence as an invitation to love our Lord? Is it hard to do this? We must believe that Jesus is there, hidden within them, waiting to be loved. Reflect upon your hidden Lord waiting for you in the persons you encounter this day. Do not hesitate to love our Lord through them. For in them, the font of Divine Mercy waits to be opened.
Lord, You desire that I show an abundance of Mercy to those I encounter every day. Give me the grace to see You in them and to love You in each and every person I encounter. May I have the eyes to see You, dear Lord, and as I discover You in others, help me to open my heart to them, loving them with the Mercy You give to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
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