A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 9, n. 32)
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – July 3, 2011 *
“Live by the Spirit”
BIBLE READINGS
Zec 9:9-10 // Rom 8:9, 11-13 // Mt 11:25-30
(N.B. Series 9 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 Second Reading. For reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year C based on the Gospel reading, please scroll up to the “ARCHIVES” above and open Series 3. For reflections based on the Old Testament reading, open Series 6.)
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
We have made an awesome spiritual journey through the Easter season and the solemnities of the Most Holy Trinity and the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Now we are back to Sundays of Ordinary Time. Led by the Divine Master-Shepherd, we continue our fascinating course through the verdant pasture of the later part of the liturgical year, lavishly nourished by his life-giving Word.
The Gospel reading (Mt 11:25-30) presents a very compassionate image of Jesus, who invites: “Come to me, all of you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.” He is not arrogant or overbearing, but “meek and humble”. He deeply cares for the poor, the suffering and vulnerable. Jesus relates to them with preferential concern - with the gentleness and gracious stance of his heavenly Father. Because he wants to save us, Jesus urges us to take up the “yoke” of his love and the obligations that the kingdom-value entails. He wants us to have the receptive attitude of the “little ones” so that we may learn from him the ways of the kingdom and experience the gift of peace that it brings.
Mary Ehle comments: “Jesus identifies himself as meek and humble of heart. We, as Catholics, believe him to be the meek king who Zechariah prophesies will come to Jerusalem as the savior. By inviting people to him, Jesus extends the invitation to those who accept his yoke in place of the law, to participate in his kingdom of peace … Though his yoke will not take away life’s challenges, it offers rest and comfort in moving through them.”
Those who have responded to Jesus’ invitation “Come to me …” are obliged to make a fundamental choice for him and to live by his Spirit. This is the message of this Sunday’s Second Reading (Rom 8:9, 11-13). The contrast spirit-flesh introduced by Saint Paul represents competing fields of force or spheres of power. The self-centered person who lives by the desires of sinful flesh is doomed to death, that is, to suffer definitive alienation from God. On the other hand, the person animated by the life-giving Spirit experiences God’s gift of life and peace.
The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent explicates: “The Christian lives in union with God and the Spirit. His baptism has, in principle, removed him from the sphere of the sinful flesh; he now lives a life that is the Spirit’s gift. This new situation entails radical consequences in daily living. He must be wholly dedicated to the struggle against the ascendancy of the sinful flesh, from which he has indeed been liberated, but to which the remnants of weakness in him still incline him; he must put to death the disordered actions of the sinful flesh so that he may be able to live. In other words, the Christian must actualize in himself the paschal mystery of crucifixion, joining Christ in the destruction of all evil in himself so that he may rise from the dead and live with Christ.”
The fascinating two stories that follow – circulated through the Internet - illustrate the marvelous effect of a person’s conversion and his core decision to put away the deeds of sinful flesh. How wonderful it is to finally respond to the divine call to live by the Spirit!
Story Number One: Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.
Capone had a lawyer nicknamed “Easy Eddie”. He was Capone’s lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie’s skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.
Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn’t give his son; he couldn’t pass on a good name or a good example.
One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al “Scarface” Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie’s life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pocket a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.
The poem read: “The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.”
Story Number Two: World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.
One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.
Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 calibers blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.
Deeply relieved, Butch O’Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the events surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch’s daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft. This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy’s first Ace of W.W. II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Medal of Honor.
A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O’Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.
So, the next time you find yourself at O’Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch’s memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It’s located between Terminals 1 and 2.
SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER? Butch O’Hare was “Easy Eddie’s” son.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
What personal significance is it for you that the royal figure described by the prophet Zechariah was “meek, and riding on an ass”?
What is your response to Jesus’ invitation “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened”? Do you imitate him in being “meek and humble of heart”?
What is your fundamental option: to live by the Spirit or to live by the flesh? What does this choice entail for you – in your daily life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Leader: O loving Father,
thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus,
the meek and humble One.
Teach us to be receptive as “little ones” to the light of wisdom
and perceive the beauty of your saving plan.
Grant us the grace to live the life of Christ in the Spirit
and reject the awful inclination of sinful flesh.
May we live forever in the glory of Christ
and relish the joy of the Holy Spirit,
now and forever.
Assembly: 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 week. Please memorize it.
“If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (cf. Rom 8:13b)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
ACTION PLAN: Pray that Christian disciples may always live in accord with the Spirit and imitate the humble and considerate stance of the Divine Master. By your obedient response to divine grace and in your daily effort to image in today’s world the compassion of Jesus, let the comfort and peace of God touch the lives of people who toil deeply and are heavily burdened.
ACTION PLAN: That we may experience the joy and peace of living the life of Christ in the Spirit, 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: A Weekly Pastoral Tool (Year A, vol. 7, # 32).
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