A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 6, n. 32)
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – July 6, 2008
“Meek and Humble”
BIBLE READINGS
Zech 9:9-10 // Rom 8:9, 11-13 // Mt 11: 25-30
N.B. Series 6 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year A from the perspective of the First Reading. For another set of reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year A, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US and open Series 3.
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
This Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Zech 9:9-10) contains a prophetic passage heralding the rise of a royal messiah. One of the twelve minor prophets, Zechariah, prophesied probably in the fifth and sixth century B.C. after the Israelites had returned from exile to a land that had been ravaged by its Babylonian conquerors and to a demolished temple desolately waiting to be restored. With lyric poetry, the prophet Zechariah deftly depicted the coming of a peaceful king riding on a little donkey colt. Justice and peace would be the characteristic signs of his personality and mission. Moreover, the arrival of the just savior would be marked by a climate of humility and austerity that were not common among the ancient kings.
Harold Buetow comments: “Zechariah was a contemporary of Alexander the Great, who conquered the known world when he was 21 years of age and was, despite his having been educated under Aristotle, brash and arrogant. To the contrary, Zechariah saw a just savior (v. 9) as king, who would be mindful of the poor and lowly. He would come riding on a donkey, as cited by all four evangelists on Palm Sunday. This is in contrast to Alexander and the last kings of Judah, who rode, proud and war-like, on chariots and horses, aggressively using bows and arrows (v. 10). The Messiah will ride on the mount of the humble. This does not signify humiliation, but humility, serenity and peaceful intentions. Unlike other conquerors, the Messiah will establish peace by first establishing justice.”
Against the backdrop of the prophet Isaiah’s portrait of the “Suffering Servant” (cf. Is 53:11-12 and Is 66:2), Zechariah’s vision of a “just savior” and “meek king” acquires new wealth of meaning. The Suffering Servant was the object of Yahweh’s loving concern and favor and as the Servant-Son in whom the Father was well pleased, he would be “justified” by the Lord and made “victorious” for his “meek” stance and total submission to the divine saving will. Indeed, the signature characteristic of “humility” and “meekness” of the Suffering Servant and the peaceful king riding on a donkey colt would be fully incarnated in Jesus Christ. He would not resort to military prowess nor political maneuvers and he would have a preferential love for the anawim – for the poor and the lowly. Before undergoing his life-giving sacrifice, Jesus of Nazareth entered Jerusalem amidst the waving of palm branches by an ecstatic but fickle crowd. He fulfilled the Father’s benevolent and saving plan by “humbly” and “meekly” undergoing the paschal mystery of his passion and death and glorious resurrection. By his triumphant entry into Jerusalem as the meek and humble Messiah, Jesus inaugurated God’s kingdom of justice and peace and offered to all – especially to the poor and the lowly - the radical salvation he merited on the cross.
This Sunday’s Gospel reading (Mt 11:25-30) reinforces the truth that the meek and humble Messiah comes for the “little ones”. Jesus Christ, who is the crystallization of the anawim or the lowly ones of God, invites us to assume his basic stance as the meek Servant-Son of Yahweh and exhorts us to participate in his intimate and loving relationship with God the Father. Those who are childlike and trusting like Jesus become the recipients of divine revelation and are able to relish deeper intimacy with God. Indeed, Christ’s saving message about the Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, could only be grasped by “the childlike” and not by “the wise and the learned”. In order to receive fully the refreshing peace and the restoration of soul that Jesus brings, we need to follow him who is the Servant-Son and learn the humble ways of the anawim and the “little ones”. From our Lord Jesus Christ we learn how to be receptive to grace and submit to the benevolent plan of God. Through the compassionate ministry of the meek Servant-Son and peaceful Messiah, we are filled with divine wisdom and experience the joy of being the children of God.
As we celebrate the Year of St. Paul, we realize with awe and gratitude that Paul is an icon of the “the childlike” and the “little ones”. He is a privileged recipient of the divine revelation that salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone and he fully responded to that grace with a life totally transformed by the Spirit. Today St. Paul exhorts us to live by the Spirit and put away all the misdeeds of a “sinful flesh” in order that we may truly live. From the life-witnessing of the great apostle Paul we can thus deduce that the “little ones” whose hearts are configured to the “meek and lowly” heart of Jesus Christ are necessarily very receptive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, the principle of life and resurrection.
The following story illustrates that the grace of God and his benevolent hand surround the “little ones”, that is, the meek and the lowly ones who, like Jesus Christ and St. Paul, are receptive to the saving plan of God and to the inspiration of his life-giving Spirit (cf. “An Extraordinary Daughter” by Mary Kay Kusner in ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER, January 2008, p. 23-26).
I knew that something was wrong when I first laid eyes on my newborn daughter. Anna’s tiny forehead looked misshapen, and she was listless. As I held her and scanned her with my eyes, I noticed that her skin looked ashen. Minutes later, she was taken from me, rushed to the intensive care unit and put on a breathing machine. Within four days, the genetic tests were back: Anna had a chromosome abnormality … The doctors weren’t sure what this meant for Anna’s development but told us not to expect much. They predicted her I.Q. would be low – between 30 and 70. I was devastated. God had betrayed me. How could I ever believe again? Through all the sleepless nights and tears, I questioned: “Why? Why would God have kept nudging me to have a disabled child?” It made no sense. Just when I thought I had my life back under control, the rug was pulled out. I felt like a fool. All my life, I had been faithful, trusting. I thought Anna would be an answer to my prayer. Now none of that mattered. (…)
When Anna was about six weeks old, a strange incident occurred. She was lying on her back on our bed while I gently massaged her after her bath. Suddenly, I felt as if we were not alone. Anna looked past me, over my shoulder, to Someone who clearly adored her. My daughter smiled and I became almost bashful in the face of such love. I couldn’t see anything but felt the presence melt through me as I realized that Anna was seeing more that I did, that she was inviting me to see more too. After about a minute, the presence left and Anna looked right at me as if to say, “Why do you doubt, Mom?” I promised her to try to be more open after that.
Our boys adored their new sister from the start. They loved to make her laugh. David taught her how to burp and Jon wrestled with her on the floor. Matthew insisted that I never cut her curly hair. They didn’t notice her differences. When others stared at Anna, the boys got annoyed. “How do they know she’s different?” they asked me. Even though her eyes bulge and her forehead is flat, they don’t see it themselves. But I did. I was painfully aware of how different Anna looked. Sometimes I was embarrassed to take her out in public. Once, while riding in the van with the boys, I said out loud, “I wonder why God made Anna like she is.” After a few moments of silence, Matthew, who was almost 11, said, “Well, Mom, if God didn’t make her like she is, then she wouldn’t be Anna.” It took my breath away. “You’re right,” I said. “Thank you, Matthew.” It was a lesson of faith that made me begin to think twice. I loved Anna, but not as freely as a mom should. My boys were teaching me how unconditional love can be. (…)
One day at church, the fuller meaning of Anna finally hit home. Lorraine, a longtime friend, spotted us and waved from her pew. Anna, who was almost three, waved back, and I saw Lorraine laugh. When church ended, we were walking down the aisle toward the door. Lorraine was making her way toward us. “Hi, Anna, I saw you waved at me,” she said to Anna. Anna smiled and said, “Hi. Hi,” over and over. Then Lorraine looked at me and said with such directness, “Thank you for having Anna for all the rest of us.” Her comment brought tears to my eyes. I realized that Anna is a gift to others. She is her own person with her own worth, her own way of contributing to the world … Anna had taught me to be more open, to allow life to become what it can be, not to force it to be what I think it should be.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
What is your response to the prophet Zechariah’s vision of the coming just savior, meek and riding on an ass, who shall proclaim peace to the nations? How does this vision of a meek and peaceable king square up with your concept of authority and kingship?
How do the words of Jesus Christ about his special filial intimacy with the Father and the Father’s special favor and predilection for the “little ones” impinge on you? When we are heavily burdened with difficulties and distressing situations, do we turn to Jesus who is “meek and humble of heart” and learn from him the way of surrender to the Father’s benevolent and ineffable saving plan?
Why is St. Paul an icon of the “little ones” who are privileged recipients of God’s revelation and intimacy? How does his life deeply rooted in Christ and the Holy Spirit inspire us? Are we willing to put to death the deeds of the body through the Spirit of God dwelling in us?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Loving Father,
we thank you for Zechariah’s prophetic vision
of a peaceful king and humble savior riding on a little donkey colt.
Above all, we thank you for the fulfillment of this messianic promise
in the person of your beloved Servant-Son Jesus Christ,
who meekly surrendered to your gracious, saving will.
You revealed your great love to Jesus
and to all the other “little ones”
who have assumed the meek and humble stance
of your only begotten Son, the true anawim.
In Jesus, teach us the way of “littleness”
and complete surrender to your gracious plan.
Help us to turn always to Jesus
especially when we are burdened with difficulties and distress
that we may receive from him the yoke of love
and trust you with unwavering faith.
In this Year of St. Paul,
give us the grace to imitate him,
the icon of the “little ones” who had put their faith in you
and respond fully to your saving plan.
United with Jesus Christ, we adore you and glorify you.
We praise and serve you, now and forever.
Assembly: Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.” (Mt 11:29)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: Meditate on the distinctive characteristics of God’s “little ones” and endeavor to incarnate them in your daily life. Resolve to promote the kingdom of justice and peace in today’s world by following the ways of Jesus, the meek and humble of heart, and by imitating the apostolic zeal of St. Paul.
ACTION PLAN: To help us experience more deeply the meekness and humility of the heart of Jesus, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 4, n. 32): A Weekly Pastoral Tool.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US