Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time
CONTRIBUTED BY FATHER PAUL S. VOISIN, C.R.
Father Paul is a Waterloo native, was ordained to the priesthood as a Resurrectionist on May 14, 1977. He has served in pastoral ministry in Kitchener and Brantford, Ontario, education and pastoral ministry in La Paz, and formation and pastoral ministry in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He served as Provincial Superior of the Ontario-Kentucky Province from 2005 to 2008. He is presently the Vicar General of the Diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda, and Rector of St. Theresa’s Cathedral.
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
January 29, 2017
GATHERINGTIME
Introduction to the Word:
In April 1986 two gray-haired men greeted each other warmly in Tokyo's International Airport. Both men had tears in their eyes. One man was an American, named Eli Ponich; the other was a Japanese man, named Akira Ishibashi. The last time the two men met was forty years before, as enemies in a cave in Okinawa. At that time the American, then Sergeant Ponich, was holding a five-year-old Japaneseboy in his arms. The child had been shot through both legs. Ishibashi was one of two Japanese snipers hiding in a dark corner of the same cave. Suddenly, Ishibashi and his comrade leaped from their hiding place, aimed their rifles at Ponich, and prepared to fire. There wasn't a thing Ponich could do. He simply put the five-year-old on the ground, took out his canteen, and began to wash the child's wounds. He thought that if he had to die, what better way to die than performing an act of mercy. The two snipers watched in amazement and slowly lowered their rifles. Minutes later Ponich did something that Ishibashi never forgot. He took the child in his arms, stood up, bowed in gratitude to the two Japanese, and took the child to an American field hospital. Through a letter from Ponich to a Tokyo newspaper, the two men were reunited.
In the recent 'Year of Mercy,' we had a particular opportunity to focus in on one of all the Beatitudes, " Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them". In this Sunday’sGospel there is enough 'fuel' for nine homilies! I can imagine we all have our favourite Beatitude, and have read about, or heard homilies on, many of them. (Some are easier to articulate and preach on than others.)
Warm-up Activity
The Beatitudes present us with nine ways of being and doing that lead us to God, to the fulfillment of His will, and to the faithful living of a Christian life.
Imagine yourself as one of the three combatants in that cave in Okinawa on that day. Imagine the fear and resolve in each one of them … resolve to kill, and resolve to heal. How unusual this circumstance, and how unusual this result! Share your impressions about the actions of those three men, and how each one showed mercy. What were the 'fruits' of that mercy shown so long ago?
The Table of the Word
William Shakespeare wrote, in the Merchant of Venice, "Mercy is twice blest: it blesseth him that gives and him that takes". We, who have received God's mercy, are blessed abundantly when we extend mercy to others.
Many years ago, in Bolivia, I was asked to give a talk on 'Mercy'.Unfortunately, I did not keep the notes of that talk, as I remember doing quite a bit of research for it. However, one thing remains firmly in my memory about mercy—thatmercy and forgiveness are two different realities. Whereas forgiveness tells us 2+2=4, mercy proclaims 2+2=5. It does not 'make sense'; it is not logical! Mercy is a gift given freely out of love, and surpasses the contrition of the sinner. We may even go so far as to say that mercy is a surprise, due to the unworthiness of the person. We see this mercy revealed in the father of the Prodigal Son. The son even asked to return to the household as a servant, but the father would hear nothing of it—he was his son, and he had come back to life for him. The father was merciful, going beyond forgiveness, despite the cries of "Foul!" and "It's not fair!" from the other son. That is why Pope Francis invited us, during the recent 'Year of Mercy', to "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful". He wrote, "Mercy is a key word that indicates God's action towards us. … Just as he is merciful, so we are called to be merciful to each other.… Mercy is the force that reawakens us to new life and instills in us the courage to look to the future with hope". He continued to express so eloquently this Christian virtue when he wrote, "We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace.Our salvation depends on it. Mercy:the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Mercy:the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life. Mercy:the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness".
Penitential Rite:
We celebrate God's gift of mercy:
Lord Jesus, you help us to recognize the mercy of the FatherLord, have mercy
Christ Jesus, thank you for this invitation to new life and graceChrist, have mercy
Lord Jesus, may we share your great mercy todayLord, have mercy
Let us pray (together)
God, the Father of mercies,
who reconciled the world to himself
through the forgiveness of sins:
look kindly on each of us
and pour out your abundant mercy upon us,
so that, renewed and enlivened,
we may share that mercy
with those we love,
and in particular with those we do not love.
We ask this in the name
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION TIME
(As Christians we believe that the WORD of God we hear proclaimed each Sunday is an empowering Word, and that God is present in the Word proclaimed. This is the Word that God wants us to hear today. The dynamic of the Small Christian Community, namely, reflecting on our life story within the context of this 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.)
FIRST READING:Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13
Seek the Lord, all you, the humble of the earth, who obey his commands.Seek integrity, seek humility; you may perhaps find shelter on the day of the anger of the Lord.
In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people, and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong, will tell no lies; and the perjured tongue will no longer be found in their mouths. But they will be able to graze and rest with no one to disturb them.
The Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING:1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Take yourselves for instance, brothers, at the time when you were called: how many of you were wise in the ordinary sense of the word, how many were influential people, or came from noble families?
No, it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen—those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything.
The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God has made members of Christ Jesus, and by God's doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom. As scripture says: if anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.
The Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL:Matthew 5:1-12
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:"How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven! Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage. Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted. Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied. Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them. Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God. Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God. Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven."
The Gospel of the Lord.Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
(Allow 5-10 ten minutes for quiet and for a brief reflection on a meaningful word or thought.)
COMMENTARY:
How beautifully the prophet Zephaniah calls us to be God's people. This is the way we are to be—humble and obedient. These qualities are not highly regarded in our modern society, which instead praises pride and independence (disobedience). However, true humility is recognizing that God is the source of all that we have and are, and recognizing in those around us brothers and sisters, not competitors or threatening enemies. Zephaniah describes an idyllic life, which indeed is ours if we accept to be humble and obedient before God. Mercy flows from this humility, reflecting that union with God and harmony with one another.
St. Paul, like Zephaniah, has a vision of who we are as a people of God. Paul reminds us that we have become who we are through the grace of God. We have been transformed in Christ! He has, indeed, raised us up. Thus our pride is a healthy balanced Christian pride, not 'lording it over' others, but using well our time, talents and treasure, and giving the credit to God working in us. This lead us to "boast about the Lord", and witness to his graces and blessings.
The Beatitudes are a rich treasure of God's revelation. I have often thought of them as a road map that Jesus gives us, to tell us how to get to our destination—happinessand fulfillment here and now, and eternal life in the future. Each Beatitude calls us to be and do for others. Each one calls us to bear witness, by our lives, that we belong to Christ. We are his people, and we follow him in his example of life, and also of suffering, death and resurrection. The Beatitudes reflect a solidarity and compassion ('suffering with') that not only accompanies the other in a grace-filled way, but raises them up to a new and fuller life in God. In particular, for this Sunday, we have highlighted the virtue of mercy -"Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them". By embracing it, we are opening ourselves to not only abundant grace, but the power of God to express and live out the other Beatitudes in love and praise of God. This is our great challenge today.
(Allow about 5 – 10 minutes for discussion on the Commentary.)
Questions for Reflection and Discussion:
1.(Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13)"Seek the Lord"
Zephaniah invites us, above all to "seek the Lord" and not only to share in his life, but to share that life with others.
a)How do we relate to the virtues that Zephaniah speaks about?
b)Have they brought us that "shelter" and allowed us to "graze and rest"?
2.(I Corinthians 1:26-31)"He has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom"
St. Paul gives Jesus the credit for who we are and what we have become.
a)How has Jesus become "our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom"?
b)How have you felt "chosen" by God in your life with Christ?
3.(Matthew 5:1-12)"Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them"
The Beatitudes show us the way to God and his kingdom.
a)Is there a particular Beatitude that speaks to you and your experience? Why?
b)Which Beatitude presents the biggest challenge for you?
CARING - PRAYING TIME
1. Word for the Week:"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful"
2.Suggestions for the Week:
I would like to offer two suggestions for this week, that it may be a grace-filled week. The first is to continue our theme of mercy and recognize how this week your forgiveness and understanding of others—at home, at work, at school, among friends—may go beyond its 'normal' expression to reflect the mercy (2+2=5) of the Father.
Or, perhaps you could choose one of the Beatitudes each day of the week, and try to concentrate on that virtue and how to exemplify it to the people in your life that day.
3. Intercessions:
Jesus is the source of grace and mercy for us, and so let us turn to him in our need:(Response:Lord, hear our prayer)
That we may embrace the Beatitudes and live by their words, we pray …
That we may be merciful with one another, as the Father is merciful with us, we pray …
That our living of the virtues embodied in the Beatitudes will bear witness to Christ in the sight of others, and call them to faithfully respond to the Beatitudes, we pray …
That the Poniches and Ishibashis of the world (and others like them), who have witnessed to the virtue of mercy, will not go unnoticed in our human history, we pray …
That we may seek the Lord in humility and obedience, we pray …
And how can we help you in prayer this week?
Let us pray (together)
O God,
whose love and mercy knows no bounds:
May we embrace the Beatitudes
and live a life that bears witness to you
in all that we say and do.
You call us to the fullness of life here and now,
and to share in life with you in the future.
Help us to show mercy
to those we meet tomorrow,
those we meet this week,
so that we will share with them the mercy
that we have received—
the mercy of the Father.
We ask this in the name
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
With hands and hearts united in gratitude for God’s favors on us today, we pray that all those in our influence be moved to be open to your Word and your Spirit,
and we pray united as one, OUR FATHER…
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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