BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD A LECTIO DIVINA Approach to the Weekday Liturgy CYCLE 1 ORDINARY TIME: WEEK 1-9 First Week in Ordinary Time (n. 37) Second Week in Ordinary Time (n. 38) Third Week in Ordinary Time (n. 39) Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (n. 40) Fifth Week in Ordinary Time (n. 41) Sixth Week in Ordinary Time (n. 42) Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (n. 43) Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (n. 44) Ninth Week in Ordinary Time (n. 45) Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang, PDDM *** Text of the Cover Page ends here. *** A Lectio Divina Approach to the Weekday Liturgy: Cycle I BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (n. 37) ORDINARY SEASON: WEEK 1 MONDAY: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME “JESUS SAVIOR: He Calls Us to Follow Him … He Is the Father’s Spoken Word” BIBLE READINGS Heb 1:1-6 // Mk 1:14-20 I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO A. Gospel Reading (Mk 1:14-20): “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:14-20) contains the inaugural words of Jesus’ public ministry: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” The reign of God has begun in Jesus, the “Good News” in person. Jesus’ Gospel proclamation is exhilarating, but it is linked to his call for a radical response. Jesus demands total conversion and faith which entails adherence to his very person. The inaugural ministry of Jesus is followed by the call of the first disciples. The vocation of the fishermen Simon, Andrew, James and John provides a model for our response to Jesus and depicts the sacrifices of Christian discipleship. Together with the first disciples, we are invited to respond, “Yes, I leave all and follow you” in a progressive conversion and self-giving until the end. The following is an example of a modern day response to Jesus’ call to radical discipleship (cf. “Spanish Youth Lead Religious Revolution” in ALIVE! October 2014, p. 6). Olalla Oliveros was one of Spain’s top models, a regular in TV ads such as Special K, and was recently offered the lead role in a high-budget film. But, at the top of her career, the 36-year-old stunned Spanish society by tossing it all aside in order to become a nun, and in May this year she entered the convent. She has spoken little in public about her religious vocation, but did let it be known that the change in her life began four years ago. During the visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal she had what she called “an earthquake” experience. With her faith reawakened, she got the image of herself dressed as a nun. At the time she thought the experience was “weird”, but the image stayed with her. After much prayer and thought she decided to take the radical step. “The Lord is never wrong”, said Olalla. “He asked if I would follow him, and I could not refuse.” B. First Reading (Heb 1:1-6): “God spoke to us through the Son.” In 1990, I attended the Liturgy Week in Taranto (southern Italy). I was on a bus for an eight-hour ride back to Rome and I whiled the time away by reading a book. The young man sitting beside me was also reading a book. No word was spoken. After four hours, the bus made a stopover somewhere and we disembarked. We re-boarded the bus and I was about to continue reading. The young man extended his hand and with a kind word offered some mint candies. I spoke a word of gratitude in response. That was the beginning of a friendly dialogue and interesting conversation that lasted until we reached Rome. The spoken “word” made the difference. It made the second part of my journey significant and pleasant. In the next four weeks, the Old Testament reading of the weekday liturgy is taken from the letter to the Hebrews. In today’s First Reading (Heb 1:1-6), the author asserts that God speaks! God has spoken in varied but partial ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son, through whom God created the universe. The Son reflects the Father’s glory and is the icon of divine Goodness. The “word” that God speaks is self-revelation. The ultimate revelation is when the “word” of God entered decisively our human history through the mystery of the Incarnation and through the Paschal event of the Son’s sacrifice for our sins and his subsequent glorification. Since God’s Son is infinitely superior, even to the angels, we ought to make an appropriate response to the new mode of God’s speaking in the Son. By listening and responding to the Son, we hear God’s word and respond to the Father’s stupendous manifestation of love. The German theologian Karl Rahner writes that Jesus is the Father’s word of love spoken to us. In his Christmas meditation, Rahner became poetic and ecstatic: “When we say, It is Christmas, we mean that God has spoken into the world his last, his deepest, his most beautiful word in the Incarnate Word, a word that can no longer be revoked because it is God’s definitive deed, because it is God himself in the world. And this word means: I LOVE YOU! (…) This is the Word that God has spoken in the birth of his Son.” II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO Do we treasure the significance and importance of God speaking to us through his Son? How do we respond to God, who speaks to us his definitive word of love in Jesus Christ? Are eager to follow Christ who proclaims the Gospel and calls us to speak his word and compassion to the people around us? III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO God the Father, you speak to us through the prophets and, in these the final days, through your divine Word Jesus Christ. Through the Word made flesh you manifested to us your stupendous love. Give us the grace to listen to Jesus. He is the living Gospel we must proclaim. We give you glory and praise, now and forever. Amen IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it. “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Mk 1:15) // “In these last days, he spoke to us through the Son.” (Heb 1:2) V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO Resolve to spend quality time on the meditation of the Gospel and the study of the Sacred Scriptures. Be courageous to share God’s word, especially with the people around you and be thankful for the gift of Christian vocation. *** %%% *** %%% *** %%% *** TUESDAY: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME “JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches with Authority … He Is Made Perfect Through Suffering” BIBLE READINGS Heb 2:5-12 // Mk 1:21-28 I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO A. Gospel Reading (Mk 1:21-28): “He taught them as one having authority.” Today’s Gospel (Mk 1:21-28) continues to depict the early phase of the public ministry of Jesus - God’s “Good News” in person. The passage portrays him in the synagogue at Capernaum on a Sabbath, speaking the saving word of God and teaching with authority. The evangelist Mark describes the impact of Jesus’ teaching-prophetic ministry on the worshipping assembly: “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes”. Indeed, Jesus speaks with authority as he truthfully and faithfully reveals God’s message to the people. Moreover, he reinforces the power of God’s saving word by performing a healing sign – by curing a man possessed by an unclean spirit. The Benedictine liturgist, Adrian Nocent, comments: “Both word and action highlight the authority – that is the point St. Mark wants to make. Jesus is manifesting himself as Messiah, and his teaching differs from that of others not only by its content but by the fact that it is linked to an effective power from on high. His teaching thus manifests his person and the fact that he has been sent from God.” Bong Tiotuico, a member of the Association of Pauline Cooperators: Friends of the Divine Master, sends us, from the Philippines, his insightful reflection on today’s Gospel. The crowd is amazed at the ability of Jesus to command an unclean spirit to depart from one person’s body. Jesus performs the ritual of exorcism a few times in the gospel of Mark. The Church has received this power and office from him. Exorcisms may not be commonplace in the 21st century, but as we ponder through our everyday lives, we carry with us certain mindsets and behaviors we call our “personal demons”. While they may not fall under the category of psychological illness, we need to “exorcise” them too because they bring long term harm to our health, to our relationships with others, to our careers/vocations and even draw us farther away from God’s kingdom. These are big words we often hear at Sunday homilies, but never had a chance to reflect on, like: covetousness, envy, vice, selfishness, despair, anger, hatred, impulsiveness, depression, cynicism, loneliness, blind ambition, instant gratification, indifference, conflict, violence, bigotry and others.