Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest
Lectionary: 437
Reading 1
1 Corinthians 5:1-8
Brothers and sisters:
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father’s wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 5:5-6, 7, 12
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
You hate all evildoers.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But let all who take refuge in you
be glad and exult forever.
Protect them, that you may be the joy
of those who love your name.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
Alleluia
John 10:27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 6:6-11
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up and stand before us."
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
"I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
"Stretch out your hand."
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Perceiving the Intentions of Others
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions… Luke 6:6–8
Jesus had a gift. Of course, He had every good gift to perfection. But in today’s Gospel, we see one of Jesus’ gifts made manifest. Namely, Jesus was able to realize the intentions of those He daily encountered.
Normally, we can only know another’s intentions if they were to tell us their intentions. We cannot read minds and hearts. But our Lord could. He had the divine ability to read every soul and know every heart. For that reason, when someone came to Him with great faith, He knew it. And when someone came to Him with evil intent, He knew it.
When Jesus perceived the ill intentions of the scribes and Pharisees, He used that knowledge to manifest their intentions. They intended to find a reason to accuse Jesus, so He gave them one. Jesus cured a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, and the scribes and Pharisees “became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.” They thought miracles were violations of the law of Sabbath rest. Jesus knew they would apply their twisted logic to this miraculous healing, and He knew they would become enraged at Him on account of their envy. So, in a sense, Jesus provoked them so that that which was in their hearts would come forth for them to see.
All of our interior intentions and thoughts are known by God and must become manifest to us in the presence of God. By provoking the scribes and Pharisees in charity, Jesus forces them to face that which was within them. They had to choose to either continue down the path of envy or to realize the foolishness of their interior thoughts. Sadly, for the scribes and Pharisees, it appears that many of them became more hardened in their sin. But this was a choice only they could make.
Reflect, today, upon your own interior intentions and thoughts. Why do you do the things you do? What hidden motivations are in your heart? Is there some person, or a certain situation you find yourself in that causes you to obsess in anger interiorly? Or is it true charity that resides within you and is the source of your actions? Is there a profound faith? A supernatural hope? Or is it primarily some sin with which you struggle? Know that Jesus knows your heart, and He wants you also to see clearly those things hidden in your heart. He wants you to see your intentions as clearly as He sees them. Allow Him to reveal the depths of your heart to you so that you can turn away from the sins you find and rejoice in the virtues by which you live.
Reflection 2
Fr. Julio César RAMOS González SDB
(Mendoza, Argentina)
“Come up and stand before us… Stretch out your hand”
Today, Jesus provides us with an example of the freedom, which we speak so much about. But, contrary to what most claim or consider as “freedom”, Jesus' freedom, is totally associated with and adhered to the Father's actions. He will say: “Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also” (Jn 5:19). And the Father only does and acts out of love.
Love cannot be imposed but forces us to act, pulls us together and restores life totally. Jesus' command: “Come up and stand before us” (Lk 6:8) has the vivifying strength of he who loves and responds to the Word. And, the last part of His order: “Stretch out your hand” (Lk 6:10), that concludes the miracle, definitely restores life and strength to what was powerless and dead. “To save” is to draw from death, and this same word translates as “healing”. By healing, Jesus is restoring what was dead in that poor sick man, and this is a clear sign of God's fatherly love for his creatures. Thus, in the new creation, where the Son does only what He sees His Father doing, the new law that will prevail will be the law of the acting love rather than that of a “dormant” relaxation, including doing good to a brother in need.
Therefore, a conjugated freedom and love is the key for today. Freedom and love conjugated Jesus' way. Today, what St. Augustine used to say: “love and do as you please”, is perfectly valid in that we learn to totally identify ourselves with Christ our Savior.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
“Lawful on the Sabbath” was the same question that the Jewish leaders had raised in the Gospel Reading on Saturday (see Lk 6:2). Life-saving activity and physical wellbeing of a person is ‘lawful’ even on the Sabbath is what Jesus taught and emphasized. Though Jesus was aware that the Jewish leaders were plotting to find fault with him in order to have him put to death, Jesus daringly went ahead with the healing of the man with a withered hand. Do I have the courage to stand up for what is right and true? Do I value human welfare more than the observance of the Law, no matter how important that law might be? Am I willing to lay down my life, if need be, for the good of others? Like the Lord, may we have due courage!
Prayers
My glorious Lord, you know all thoughts and probe the depths of every heart. You know me, Lord, through and through. Please open my eyes to see that which is within me so that I can discern the ill intentions I have and rejoice in the virtues given to me by You. May I always be attentive to You, dear Lord, so that I become aware of all that You wish to reveal to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, in your victory over sin and death on the cross and in your resurrection you give us the assurance of sharing in the eternal rest of heaven. Transform my heart with your love that I may freely serve my neighbour for his good and find joy and refreshment in the celebration of Sunday as the Lord's Day.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 252: The Apostolate of Mercy and Acceptance
Some people are deeply troubled in life and cannot seem to sort out their difficulties. They are “needy” in the sense that they are constantly seeking something to offer them consolation. They may believe that riches or other forms of earthly consolations are what they want but what they do not realize is that the Lord is the answer to all their needs. These wandering souls must become the focus of our mercy. One way we offer the Mercy of God to them is through our gentle presence, offering an accepting heart and listening ear. When those with heavy burdens in life discover that we care for them and wish to listen to them, they will often seize the opportunity to open up their hearts to us, revealing their wounds and troubles. It is not so much our responsibility to do the healing or to solve their problems. Our responsibility is most often to simply let them know we care and understand. This act of love and acceptance is an act of extraordinary Mercy flowing from the Heart of Jesus through us (See Diary #1282).
When you encounter others who are troubled and heavily burdened in life, how do you treat them? Do you treat them with judgment and disgust? Or do you listen to them, seek to understand them, and offer an accepting and compassionate heart? Reflect upon this question and think about those whom God has placed in your life who need to know God’s love and acceptance through you. Do not neglect this act for you are called to be an apostle of the Mercy of God.
Lord, I offer myself to You as an apostle of Your merciful Heart. Give me a true compassion and acceptance for those souls in most need of Your Divine Mercy. Help me to listen to them, seek to understand them and be there for them as a representative of Your Sacred Heart. I give myself to You, dear Lord. Use me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
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