Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
Lectionary: 453
Reading 1
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
There is an appointed time for everything,
and a time for every thing under the heavens.
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
What advantage has the worker from his toil?
I have considered the task that God has appointed
for the sons of men to be busied about.
He has made everything appropriate to its time,
and has put the timeless into their hearts,
without man’s ever discovering,
from beginning to end, the work which God has done.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144:1b and 2abc, 3-4
R. (1) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
my mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
LORD, what is man, that you notice him;
the son of man, that you take thought of him?
Man is like a breath;
his days, like a passing shadow.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Alleluia
Mark 10:45
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 9:18-22
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Deepest Human Satisfaction
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” Luke 9:18
It’s interesting that Jesus was both “praying in solitude” and that “the disciples were with him.” Saint Bede explains this apparent contradiction by stating that “the Son alone is able to penetrate the incomprehensible secrets of the Father’s will.” Therefore, our Lord was always alone with the Father in the sense that only Jesus knew the Father fully and intimately. This is because He is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Eternal Son of the Father.
With that fact clearly understood, it’s also important to understand that as Jesus prayed to the Father within His human nature, something new took place. Though Jesus was eternally with the Father, His human nature was not eternally with the Father. Therefore, as the Eternal Son of God communed with the Eternal Father while living in human flesh, human nature was suddenly elevated to a height that it had never been before. Not only was the Eternal Son living in perfect union with the Father, but now the Eternal Son, fully human, brought His human nature into this oneness.
Though this may seem a bit philosophical to some, it points to a very important reality that affects us all. Through our Lord’s human prayer to the Father, we are all invited to join with Jesus and share in this divine oneness. The Son of God, as a human being, made it possible for us as humans to share in the elevation of our very lives to oneness with God the Father. And though the Son of God will always retain a unique union with the Father, we are, nonetheless, by participation, invited to share in their life.
So why is this important? One reason is that there is no greater human fulfillment we could ever achieve than to share in the prayer of the Son to the Father. Throughout our lives, we are constantly looking for fulfillment in one form or another. We want to be happy. We want enjoyment in life. We have a natural desire for happiness that we are constantly seeking to fulfill. What’s important to understand is that the greatest happiness comes by sharing in the deep human prayer of the Son to the Father. Prayer, true prayer, is the answer to our deepest desire.
Reflect, today, upon whether or not you regularly engage in deep prayer. Can you point to times when you, like our Lord, were alone with God, communing with Him in the depths of your human soul, being drawn to Him through prayer? There are many levels of prayer, as is attested to by many saints. Make the choice to deepen your prayer. Go before our Lord today and pour out your heart to Him, asking Him to draw you into the holy solitude of His prayer to the Father. Doing so will bring forth in you the deepest human satisfaction possible in life.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
CROWDED CONDITIONS
Jesus “put the question to them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ ” —Luke 9:18
Before Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” (Lk 9:20), He asked: “Who do the crowds say that I am?” (Lk 9:18) Jesus did this to show we must separate ourselves from the crowd if we are to truly acknowledge Him as the Messiah, Lord, and God (see Lk 9:20).
Crowd-pleasers aren’t God-pleasers. Jesus is not popular; He is a “sign that will be opposed” (Lk 2:34). The crowd took part in crucifying Jesus, and it hasn’t changed. Therefore, we are enemies of Christ and His cross if we are a crowd-pleaser, set on the things of the world, those things the crowd has always run after (Phil 3:18-19; see also Jas 4:4).
When we step out of line, the crowd sees this as our judgment against it (Wis 2:12). This makes us unpopular, then rejected, and finally hated and persecuted (see Jn 15:19-21). This helps us understand Jesus’ words to Peter after his profession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus said: “The Son of Man...must first endure many sufferings, be rejected by the elders, the high priests and the scribes, and be put to death, and then be raised up on the third day” (Lk 9:22). Believing in Jesus means not being part of the crowd, which means suffering as Jesus suffered.
Don’t get crowded out of life in Christ. It’s better to be persecuted by the crowd than to be persecuting in the crowd. Follow Jesus; leave the crowd behind.
Prayer: Father, may I never cry out, “Crucify Him, crucify Him,” no matter how many people are yelling it (see Mt 27:22-23).
Promise: “Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, Who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war; my Refuge and my Fortress, my Stronghold, my Deliverer, my Shield, in Whom I trust.” —Ps 144:1-2
Praise: St. Vincent de Paul is the patron saint of all charitable societies.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
The Gospel Reading today continues the theme and question that was raised in the passage of yesterday. The big difference, however, is that yesterday it was raised by Herod. Today, it is Jesus himself who asks his disciples. Their initial responses are exactly similar and these were the public opinions about Jesus. So, Jesus questions the disciples to know whether they have identified him as he truly is! Though Peter’s response was satisfactory, it comes with a caveat. Jesus is the Messiah, but not in the sense that Peter and others had expected. Therefore, Jesus clarifies the concept with the teaching on his future suffering, lest they get carried away by the notion of a glorious Messiah. This suffering is necessary as Jesus clarifies in Luke 24:26.
Prayers
My praying Lord, as You spent time alone with the Father, You united Your human nature with Him, thus elevating our nature to a glorious degree. Please draw me to You, dear Lord, so that I may know You and the Father through true, deep and sustaining prayer. May this oneness with You be the cause of my deepest fulfillment in life. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, I believe and I profess that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Take my life, my will, and all that I have, that I may be wholly yours now and forever.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 270: The Details of the Will of God
Are you willing to accept the Will of God in your life? If so, you must be open to all the details. God’s Will is not some grandiose generalization. Choosing His Will is not simply a matter of saying that you choose to follow Him with broad strokes. Rather, choosing His Will is saying “Yes” over and over to every little prompting and every inspiration that the Lord gives. It’s about building a habit of attentiveness to the small ways that God speaks to you. Mercy is also in the details since Mercy and the Will of God are one and the same. Being open to the Mercy of God means that you come to realize that God wants to enter into the most “insignificant” parts of your life. The truth is that nothing in your life is insignificant to our Lord. Therefore, you must realize that those parts that you perceive as insignificant are very dear to Him. His care and concern reaches far and wide and is offered at every moment to every detail that makes up the apparent complexity of your life. When you realize this, you will, in turn, want to seek the fine details of His holy Will. You will want to serve Him in every way possible and, in so doing, you will be living in His merciful Will (See Diary #1356).
Reflect today on the small things in your life. What is it that, at first thought, seems far from the Will of God? Knowing that every little detail of your life is important to our Lord and is always in His sight will give you a new perspective. As you reflect upon the small things that make up your life, turn them over to the Will of God and invite His Mercy into those details. Doing so will lead you down the path of true happiness.
Lord, I offer You, this day, every part of my life. Thank You for Your perfect love and concern. Help me to love You in the details, embracing Your perfect Will in all things. May I never tire of allowing Your Mercy to enter so as to produce the smallest acts of love. Jesus, I trust in You.
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