Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
Lectionary: 461
Reading 1
Galatians 1:6-12
Brothers and sisters:
I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking
the one who called you by the grace of Christ
for a different gospel (not that there is another).
But there are some who are disturbing you
and wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ.
But even if we or an angel from heaven
should preach to you a gospel
other than the one that we preached to you,
let that one be accursed!
As we have said before, and now I say again,
if anyone preaches to you a gospel
other than the one that you received,
let that one be accursed!
Am I now currying favor with human beings or God?
Or am I seeking to please people?
If I were still trying to please people,
I would not be a slave of Christ.
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,
that the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin.
For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 111:1B-2, 7-8, 9 AND 10C
R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
John 13:34
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 10:25-37
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?
How do you read it?”
He said in reply,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.”
He replied to him, “You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live.”
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied,
“A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Openness to the Gospel
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 10:25
The question is very good. We should all seek to understand, with all our hearts, what we must do to inherit eternal life. Of course the problem is that this scholar of the law did not ask this question with sincerity and openness. Rather, he asked Jesus this question to test our Lord. This scholar, as well as other scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and elders, was envious of Jesus and sought to find fault with Him. This scholar appeared to be concerned that Jesus was teaching contrary to the Law of Moses. But what does our Lord do? He says nothing more than to put the question back to the scholar, asking him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” The scholar answers correctly, according to the Law of Moses, and Jesus responds to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” Thus, the test was passed.
What’s interesting and helpful to ponder in this exchange is the way Jesus responds to this scholar. Because Jesus knew the scholar’s heart, and because He knew that this scholar was not asking with humility and openness, Jesus responded with great prudence, inviting the scholar of the law himself to answer his own question. Though we are not able to read another’s heart in the way our Lord did, we should learn a lesson from Him on how to respond to others who have as their goal to trick, trap, test, and twist our words if they disagree with us. This is especially important in matters of faith and morality. If you are striving to live the Gospel with all your heart and you encounter the “testing” of others as a result of the holy life you are striving for, ponder Jesus’ actions here. Too often, when another challenges us or tests us, we become defensive and even offended. As a result, we can enter into arguments back and forth that bear little or no fruit. Jesus did not argue. He did not allow this test to trip Him up. Rather, He only offered responses that could not be doubted. Jesus knew that this scholar was not interested in the deepest spiritual truths. He was only interested in finding fault. Therefore, the deeper and fuller Gospel message could not be offered.
We should also learn from this passage the importance of coming to Jesus with an open heart, sincerely seeking the deepest spiritual answers to life. We ought never test Jesus. Instead, in humility, we must believe that He is the source of all truth and that He has every answer in life that we seek.
Reflect, today, upon two things. First, reflect upon how completely open you are to all that Jesus has to say. If you were to ask our Lord this question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?,” what would Jesus say to you? Would He only be able to offer you general answers in the form of questions? Or would Jesus see the open and sincere nature of your heart and be able to speak in great depth and detail to you? Second, reflect upon anyone with whom you constantly have to defend yourself for the practice of your faith. If this is your experience, perhaps reexamine your approach, realizing that the deepest pearls of your faith should only be shared with those who are sincerely open and are seeking to embrace them with all their heart.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
THE BOOK OF REVELATIONS
“I assure you, brothers, the gospel I proclaimed to you is no mere human invention. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I schooled in it. It came by revelation from Jesus Christ.” —Galatians 1:11-12
We should thank the Lord that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses for Jesus (Heb 12:1). We thank the Lord for all those who have taught us the faith. We thank Him especially for our parents.
Nevertheless, our faith ultimately depends not on our parents, teachers, pastors, or anyone else. Our faith is not so much a matter of schooling but of the divine “revelation from Jesus Christ” (Gal 1:12). The main question from Jesus to us is not: “Who do other people say that I am?” but “Who do you say that I am?” (see Mt 16:13-15) No one enters His kingdom merely because they are related to His children. It’s not good enough to know those who know God. We ourselves must know God (see Jn 17:3; cf Mt 7:21-23).
Make any changes necessary to put yourself in ideal circumstances for the Lord to keep revealing Himself to you personally. Receive the Sacraments. Pray at a specific time each day. Read daily the teachings of the Church in the Bible, Catechism of the Catholic Church, and from the Magisterium. Try to pray the Mass and receive Jesus in Holy Communion each day or as often as possible. Order your life to maximize your opportunities to receive Jesus’ divine revelation to you.
Prayer: Jesus, may I sit at Your feet and listen to Your words (Lk 10:39).
Promise: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” —Lk 10:27
Praise: Clyde and Rita have five children. They pray a rosary together daily and offer each decade for the welfare of one child.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Pope Francis says, “When we stretch out our hands to take the Rosary in our hands, we place our hands in the hands of Mother Mary.” Today the Church commemorates the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort says, “The one who recites the Rosary faithfully will never suffer the fires of Hell. I am ready to write this sentence in my own blood.” The Rosary combines the love of God with the love of neighbour beautifully. We pray to God through Mary and we pray for ourselves and for those to whom the Gospel challenges us to be neighbour. Indeed, the Popes, who have always emphasized that the Rosary be Christo-centric, have painstakingly taught us to combine Love of God with love of neighbour. Has the Rosary become part of my daily family/community/personal prayer?
Prayers
My deep and wise Lord, You and You alone have every answer to life. You and You alone can reveal to me all that I need to know in life so as to achieve holiness and fulfillment. Please open my heart so that I can come to You with humility and sincerity, open to all that You wish to reveal to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, may your love always be the foundation of my life. Free me from every fear and selfish-concern that I may freely give myself in loving service to others, even to the point of laying my life down for their sake.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 280: Ignoring God
Do you ignore God? It’s far too easy to do and, therefore, all too common. Very often, God is ignored after receiving Holy Communion. Many people get in the habit of coming forward to receive Him and do so with many distractions and little attention to the sacredness of this encounter. Do not allow yourself to fall into this habit. Receiving our Lord in Holy Communion must become a profoundly intimate encounter. Our souls are fused as one in this moment and we must be attentive to this reality. Though Holy Communion is the most profound encounter we can have with our Lord, we must be deeply aware of His presence all the time. When we pray to Him, we must allow ourselves to not only say prayers, but to be drawn into His glorious presence and consumed by His Mercy. As we go throughout our day, we must be constantly aware of Him walking with us, leading us and speaking to us. Do not ignore our Lord. If you find that you do this at times, or if it has become a regular habit, know that the opposite habit can be formed. Making regular choices to be aware of Him within you and all around you will open the door to you walking in His Mercy every day (See Diary #1385).
Reflect upon your attentiveness to our Lord as honestly as you can. Reflect, especially, upon your attentiveness to Him as He comes to you in Holy Communion. Seek Him, listen to Him and receive Him and your life will take on a new direction.
Lord, I know that I ignore You at times and that I fail to be attentive to Your gentle and holy Voice speaking in the depths of my conscience. I know that I do not properly reverence You and adore You in the countless ways that You come to me. Give me the grace to form a holy habit of always knowing that You are near. As I form this habit, give me the grace to love You with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.
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