Contributed by Father Frank X. Reitzel, C.R.
Father Frank was ordained in June of 1949. His Resurrectionist ministries have included teaching at St. Jerome’s High School in Kitchener, Scollard Hall, North Bay, Resurrection College, Kitchener, St. Mary’s College in Kentucky and University of Calgary. Father Frank also participated in Teaching and Pastoral Work at University of Calgary and the University of Western, Ontario. After serving as pastor at St. Francis Parish in Kitchener and St. Patrick’s Parish in Bermuda, Father Frank retired to the Manor in Waterloo in 2001. He continues to do ministry when he receives requests from parishes.
EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Feb 26, 2017
GATHERING TIME(10-15 minutes)
Introduction to the Word:
I have often regarded this week’s Gospel passages and other similar Gospel passagesas very disconcerting. After hearing it or reading it, I am tempted to shrug my shoulders and say “Then what’s the use of trying to do anything worthwhile?”. The other day I stumbled on a small news articleabout an arboretum in Bermuda where they had tried to grow special trees. When the trees were three years old the authorities found them falling over. They eventually discovered that since the trees were inside entirely surrounded by thick glass the trees did not have to resist the strong winds and rain of Bermuda storms,and hence never grew any strength to bear their own weightand height; and they fell.
In a somewhat similar way I remember my runners’ coach who would drive us with his single word: “Drive! Drive!”. Our young small legs would be burning and he would shout: “Drive! Drive!”. I finally realized that he was urging us to do our very best and not give in.
One of the meditations that St. Ignatius wrote was that of “The Two Standards”. St. Ignatius lived in an age of chivalry. Images of war were commonas in the Old Testamentin the experience and imagination of many. St. Ignatius asked the retreatant to picture himself/herself standing on a hill and seeing an approaching army. There were standard and flag bearers, foot soldiers, soldiers and knights on horseback, and last of all, the Commander-in-Chief – Jesus Christ. Then, from the opposite side, there is another army approaching, with the same paraphernalia and company.Except this time the Commander-in-Chief is Lucifer. St. Ignatius refers to him as “the mortal enemy of our human nature”. We areasked to choose which leader we intend tofollow.
Warm-up Activity(about 8–10 minutes):
Although this military imagery might not appeal to us as people of the twenty-first century – five centuries after it was written by St. Ignatius – let us take some time to reflect on this rich imagery, and ask ourselves some pertinent questions:
Am I conscious of the call of Jesus, my Commander-in-Chief?
Can I see these signs of being under his Standard in my life?
Am I also conscious of the lure of my own inclinations and desires?
Can I see these as signs of being under another Standard?
THE TABLE OF THE WORD
THEME
Two Masters
Jesus tells us in the gospel that “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.You cannot serve God and riches.”
Jesus is asking for a decision on our part! He wants us in His ‘camp,’ on His ‘side,’‘under His banner’. But, this is not as easy as it looks. To follow Jesus means not only an intellectual assent, it means a day-to-day living-out of our faith. We cannot be like those who said, “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets!” But he will say, “I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!”(Luke 13:26). Our faithful following of Jesus must be in our very fibre, giving witness to who we are in relation to Him. He is our Lord, and we belong to Him. We share with Him in the life of grace He won for us through His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension.That is the Paschal Mystery.
Introduction to the Readings:
Leader:Our experience of God gives us a sense of identity and union with God. We cannot remain passive to the ‘Good News,’ but must show by our words and actions that we have chosen to be under the standard of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World.
LordJesus, you call us to put our confidence in you.Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, you lead and guide us into battle with evil.Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you give us the victory over sin and death.Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray
Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that the course of our world
may be directed by your peaceful rule
and that your Church may rejoice,
untroubled in her devotion.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION TIME(45 minutes)
The dynamic of the Small Christian Community reflecting on our life-story within the context of the Word, and sharing the insights of these reflections, is such that God’s Spirit becomes present, and the gifts of the Spirit are experienced as empowering and life-giving.Because it is a privileged time it is incumbent on us in the small group to proclaim God’s Word with due reverence, to be attentive to this proclamation, and respectful of the communal interaction.
FIRST READING(Isaiah 49:14-15)
Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING(1 Corinthians 4:1-5)
Brothers and sisters: Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL(Matthew 6:24-34)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus taught his disciples, saying. “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?“Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?And can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to their span of life?“And why do you worry about clothing?Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
(Allowfor quiet time and for a brief reflection
on a meaningful word or thought.)
COMMENTARY:
Isaiah and Matthew marvelously affirm for us in graphic imagery God’s loving care for each one of us: “I will not forget you.”We are not“forgotten”. This profound image that God reveals through Isaiah – the love between a mother and her child- speaks volumes from our own experience as mothers, and as children. We know we are loved; there is an unconditional bond that exists between mother and child. So it is with God!But God goes one step further to say that even if the mother forgets (an impossibility!), “I will never forget you”. Of course, the frightening aspect of Satan stands in contrast with the gentle, loving Christ who brings peace and quiet and confidence.The Evil One would like to win us over to his side by instilling the fear in us that we are forgotten and unloved. This is his deceptive tool to separate us from God and His grace, by convincing us that we are not good enough.But God continues to say: “I will never forget you.”
The Second Reading, from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (4:1-5), speaks to us of our relationship with Christ. Paul tells us, as he told the Corinthians, that we are “servants of God … stewards of the mysteries of God”. This reality is acquired through God’s grace. To be His servant and steward implies that we acknowledge Him as our LEADER.The image of a “steward” is indeed deeply biblical, and rich in meaning. In the Church today, with the development of the theology of Stewardship, this takes on greater significance. We have been blessed. We have been gifted. God calls us to use well and wisely our time, talents, and treasure in the building up of the Kingdom. Thus with confidence we will be “found trustworthy” through our obedience and discipline. An army requiresobedience and discipline. If we recognize Jesus as our Leader, we will be obedient to Him and willing to follow His discipline, in order to be truly His disciples:[discipline and disciple come from the root word in Latin, discipulus.] Our faithful service and stewardship give us the confidence reflected in Paul’s letter, that God is with us.We have nothing to fear.
In our gospel, Matthew (6:24-34), offers several possible themes.Jesus wants ALL that we have and are. He will not share us with the Evil One. We belong to Jesus through the grace of Baptism, and His grace is sufficient each and every day to live that life fully. St. Paul described so well the battle of good and evil when he wrote, “Put on God’s armour so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics.”(Ephesians 6:10-13). Our readings for this Sunday leave us secure that God is with us and that He WILL NOT FORGET US. It is fitting and truly reflects the battle between good and evil, the army of Jesus against that of Lucifer. We should be encouraged and strengthened by these inspired words of Scripture, assuring us of our victory over evil. We confidently profess in one of the responses at the Eucharist:“Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.”
This confidence is reflected throughout the gospel. Jesus knows our human needs:what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear”. He tells us to look at the birds of the sky, the wild flowers, and the grass of the field. His examples almost embarrass us to acknowledge that we indeed have nothing to worry about. He repeats, “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” Jesus asks us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” If we seek to do the Father’s will, as Jesus did, we will be blessed and saved. In our own personal lives grace and goodness will triumph.
(Allow about 10 minutes for the participants to react to the Commentary
and identify a newly discovered insight or idea.)
Questions for Reflection and Discussion:
1.(Matthew) Do I try to serve two Masters? Do I recognize the tension within me in feeling attracted to both service of God, and of riches?
How do I experience my trust and confidence in God in times when I am confronted with difficulties and trials, disappointments and worries?
2.(Isaiah) Have I ever felt forsaken and forgotten? By whom?
What about in my relation to God? Have I felt forsaken and forgotten? How did I come to be the person of faith I am today?
3.(1 Corinthians) How do I feel about the image of being a “steward”? What negative, and positive, elements come to my mind?
Am I truly willing to be a “servant” and a “steward”?
CARING-PRAYING TIME:(15-20 minutes)
1.Word for the Week:
“You cannot serve both God and riches.”
2. Suggestion for the week:
(Some thoughts for your quiet discernment this week.)
As each day of the week unfolds, be aware of the call of Jesus to “spiritual poverty; humility versus pride”. These virtues must be focused on, striven for, and pursued. Continue to consider the call of the Commander-in-Chief to join his forces.
At the same time, become more aware of the temptationsto “riches; … honours … pride”. These temptations may be subtle and catch us by surprise. The Commander-in-Chief on the other side is very cunning, and knows our weaknesses, and how to instill fear in us. Let us not find our security in his army!
. Your discipleship and stewardship are essential to the building-up of the kingdom of God! With the grace of God this will be a week of grace, and strengthening of your ties and loyalty to Jesus Christ.
- Intercessions:(Response: Lord, hear our prayer)
Leader:
For Pope Francis, may his example of humility fill us with the desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus,Let us pray.
For economic justice that will lead to the resurrection of society; may our political leaders see that it is their responsibility to foster policies that bring just economic opportunities to all members of society,Let us pray.
For ourselves, that we may have the courage to see ourselves as children of God, servants and stewards, in order to act and change what needs to be changed and strengthened, Let us pray.
For confidence and trust in those who waver in their following of Jesus, that the abundant grace of God will reveal to them his love.Let us pray.
For a greater openness to the way of the Lord, to spiritual poverty, that the life of God may grow stronger daily within us.Let us pray.
For insight into the temptations of the Evil One—toriches, honours and pride—thatwe will resistthese forces of evil.Let us pray.
For those who have died, may they rest in peace in the Kingdom of heaven.Let us pray.
How can we help you in prayer this week?
With confidence we pray
(together)
God of love and justice, hear our prayer.
Aid us in working for justice and caring for those in need
Through Christ our Lord.Amen.
Confident in the presence of God in us, and among us, let us pray,
OUR FATHER …
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It is a holy and wholesome thought
to pass on “Celebrating the Word” to an interested friend.
Celebrating the Word: A Ministry of the Congregation of the Resurrection Ontario-Kentucky Province (including the former Resurrection Centre), 265 Westmount Road North, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G7. (Celebrating the Word was founded by Father Frank Ruetz, C.R., deceased 2012). For information: Toll Free: 1-877-242-7935. website: E-mail: The Scripture version used in this commentary is the New Revised Standard Version (copyrighted by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA)
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