A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 9, n. 35)
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – July 24, 2011 *
“True Images of His Son”
BIBLE READINGS
I Kgs 3:5, 7-12 // Rom 8:28-30 // Mt 13:44-52
(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 A 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
The Word of God proclaimed in the liturgy continues to help us delve into the meaning of the kingdom of God and to deepen our commitment to it. This Sunday’s Gospel (Mt 13:44-52) underlines the radical pursuit of the absolute good. The greatest treasure is the Kingdom of God. We must pursue it wisely, single-heartedly and uncompromisingly.
The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent comments: “The real or true treasure is the Kingdom of God, of which Jesus speaks, as usual, in parables … No one can be part of God’s kingdom without the kind of definitive renunciation that allows for no compromise: one must either sell all or not belong to the kingdom. The kingdom requires a positive acceptance; it cannot be acquired by neutrality. The tepid, whom God vomits from his mouth, are not admitted into the kingdom … The person who understands the parables of the kingdom and sells all he has in order to become a disciple possesses the wealth of the gospel that is grounded in Old Testament teaching and that he is now called to proclaim in his turn.”
The pursuit of the Reign of God necessitates an understanding heart (cf. I Kgs 3:5, 7-12). A heart filled with wisdom is able to distinguish what is right from wrong, to discern what is true and absolute from the false and, above all, to make a fundamental option for God even to the point of most painful sacrifice. The wisdom that makes us understand what is pleasing in God’s eyes and obey him faithfully comes from receptivity and listening to his Word.
Acquiring the absolute treasure entails deep sacrifice. In his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul assures them that all things work for good for those who love God (cf. Rom 8:28-30). He stimulates their zeal and enthusiasm in the midst of difficulties and persecution by reminding them that God’s plan of salvation, which is definitively in progress, leads to the glory that is their destiny. Called to be conformed to the image of his Son, nothing will ever happen to them that has not been foreseen by God and directed to their greater good from all eternity. God is in control of everything. The ultimate goal is to be configured to Jesus Christ, who in his paschal sacrifice, was totally glorified.
The following story about the martyrs of Shimabara and Unzen, who died in 1627, illustrates the courage and wisdom of those who had pursued the absolute treasure of God’s kingdom and would never renounce it even at the utmost sacrifice (cf. “The Red Roses and the Blessed Sacrament” in Full Sail with the Wind of Grace, written and edited by “Martyrs” Editorial Committee, Tokyo: Don Bosco Shea, 2008, p. 96-102). The Japanese martyrs were truly conformed to the image of Jesus, the Son of God. He sacrificed his life to save us and, through union in his sacrifice, he makes us share in his risen glory.
A Golden Light: It stopped snowing and the golden rays of the sun shone through the grey clouds. I had been shivering from cold, but when the golden light covered me, I felt as light as air. I had a dream in which I was on my mother’s lap and my father and two brothers were nearby. We were all in the small chapel of our house. Everyone was smiling and we were singing hymns. I loved to sing.
“Ignatius, Ignatius! Stay in there!”
“Ignatius, your father is right here!”
I had almost fainted, but the voices pulled me back to consciousness again. My brothers Balthasar and Antonio were stripped of their kimonos and had their hands tied behind their backs. My father was looking intently at me from a nearby boat, calling my name. I am Ignatius Uchibori. I became a martyr with my two brothers on the Ariake Sea on 21 February 1627. I was only five years old, but I was chosen by God to carry an important message.
Losing the Status of Samurai: When my second older brother Antonio was one year old, my father became a peasant, losing his status as samurai. Our lord Arima Naozumi, who burned eight Kirishitans (= Christians) on the Arima River, hated us and moved to Hyuga to get away from the many Christians in Arima.
“Our only true Master is the Lord our God, for whom we give our lives. We cannot give up what is most important for us.” Many subjects stayed in Arima and Shimabara instead of following the lord and moving to Hyuga. They became peasants and cultivated the land, prayed and helped one another.
My father, Paul Uchibori Sakuemon, became their leader, encouraging and taking care of our fiends. That’s why father was the first one to be arrested when, very soon, the commissioner of Nagasaki came to persecute us. He was stripped of his kimono and pulled around the streets with a rope tied to his hands. “It’s all right, my friends. The Lord is always with us.” Father did not stop encouraging our fellow Christians who watched with worried faces along the streets or from their doorsteps. No matter how hard they tried to threaten him, the officers could not change the look on my father’s gentle face with its clear eyes. They gave up and sent him home. My father Sakuemon was greatly trusted by our fellow Christians and the missionaries who worked under cover. We didn’t say so, but we were very proud of him.
The Small Chapel of the Uchibori Family: A new lord was assigned to Arima. His name was Matsukara Shigemasa. Shigemasa dismantled the former castle and decided to build a new one in Shimabara. While the new castle was being built, Shigemasa needed everyone to work for him, so he pretended that he didn’t know we were Kirishitans. For a while, the Church in Shimabara enjoyed peace, like the sea in an early evening calm. Even before I was born, the priests and friars in Shimabara used to stay in our house. Fr. Sebastian Kimura, who would be martyred ahead of us, Fr. Navarro and Fr. Zola dropped by from time to time. “This is our Bethany!” the missionaries would say. “Our home is your home. Please take your rest here” my parents would say. The missionaries would relax with us and my parents would make them feel at home as best they could, feeding them and making them rest. We were happy to be of help, it was our good fortune.
My favorite place was our small chapel. When a priest came and celebrated mass, the wooden floor almost broke under the weight of the faithful who gathered secretly and packed the room. My family prayed together in the chapel every evening, in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, reciting the Litany of Our Lady, singing hymns in thanksgiving for the day. It was our happiest moment. Father treasured the prayers of the family. “There is a treasure in this house. This house is a house of prayer”, Father used to say. I would fall asleep on Mother’s lap by the end of evening prayer.
Moving to Prison: In January 1627, Lord Matsukura Shigemasa who had returned from Edo, was grumpy and sometimes sudden shadows of fear and sadness clouded his face. He kept remembering Shogun Iemitsu’s words, “Order severe punishment for the Kirishitans in Shimabara and force them to give up their faith. Kill them if they don’t obey. If you don’t accomplish this, know that you yourself will be punished!” Shigemasa fell ill from pressure. My father Sakuemon had already been put in the castle prison a half year before Lord Shigemasa returned to Shimabara. On the 20th of February, some officers broke into our home. My mother Agatha, my two brothers and myself were all tied and taken to the castle. Father welcomed us in prison. “Are you all right? I’m so glad to see you all. This cell will be the new chapel for the Uchibori family. The good Lord always gives us everything we need. We felt relieved at seeing father’s gentle face. The prison cell became our fond home that night.
The Red Roses and the White Snow: The following morning, the lord gave out the order. “Choose 16 of the 37 Kirishitans in prison, cut off their fingers, and throw them into the sea with rocks tied to their necks!” We brothers were chosen among the 16. Somehow, father and mother were not chosen this time. The red-faced commissioner spluttered in a loud voice, “Kirishitans are equal to dogs and pigs. Two fingers are enough for them. Cut off the three in the middle!”
The first to be called was my second older brother Antonio. An officer pressed Antonio’s hand ruthlessly on a board and made him spread his fingers. Everyone turned their eyes away in horror. But Antonio said, “That was nothing. At last, now I understand Jesus’ cross.” He joined his hands in prayer, with only the thumb and the little finger left on them. “Good for you, Antonio. I’m proud of you!” said Balthasar and offered his hands to the officer.
I was the last one to be called. I was not afraid, but looked back for a moment at father and mother. “It will be all right, Ignatius.” Their eyes glistened with tears as they nodded at me. When I extended my hands over the board, the officer was trembling. He didn’t need much strength to cut my fingers, but he let out a loud cry as he swung down the chopping knife. I could see my fingers left on the board. It was a strange feeling. I held up my bleeding hands against the sky to see how they looked. The reason I smiled then, was because I saw the face of the heavenly Father through the space where my fingers used to be. Just then, snow began to fall. It was so white. The person who recorded our martyrdom wrote, “This child held up his hands toward heaven and gazed at them, as if he were viewing beautiful rose blossoms.”
To Be Given Such Grace: After they cut off our fingers, they stripped us of our kimonos and took us out to Ariake Sea on boats. They took my father on another boat in order to have him watch us being killed. I was made to lie down at the rear of the boat and snow flakes began to cover me with a thin white veil. And I saw the dream.
“Father, let us thank the Lord for such a grace that he has given us!” Antonio cried out these last words and disappeared into the waters. And then Balthasar, too. I was always the last one. Father never took his eyes off me, as I lay motionless in the boat.
The golden rays of the sun shone from the sky and my turn came. For the last time, I looked at father. He nodded to me with his gentle eyes as he had always done. I felt comforted. I decided then that I would offer my life to God joyfully. After they threw me into the sea, it began to snow again. “During this ordeal, Sakuemon reminded us of Abraham when Abraham offered his son Isaac for sacrifice.” These words of Joachim Mine, who was with my father at the time, can be read in the records.
When the execution was finished, my father and others were taken back to the castle prison and the officers pressed burning iron and branded the word “Kirishitan” on their foreheads. A week later, 16 prisoners including my father were taken to Mount Unzen (Nagasaki Prefecture) and martyred there. They were thrown into the boiling hot springs. Father continued to encourage the others until the end. “Praised be the most holy Sacrament of the altar!” These were my father’s last words of prayer before he was martyred. Our faith had been strengthened all these years by the Lord who was always with us in our small chapel at home. Two and a half months later, 17 May, Joachim Mine and the others who were still in prison were taken to Mount Unzen and martyred.
If the life that I offered to God starts to live again in all the people who come to know my story, I will be very happy. My life would then become a tremendous gift for them.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we yearn for and pray to God for an understanding heart?
What is the ultimate treasure that we seek and the sacrifice that we put into it?
Do we believe that all things work for good for those who love God and trust that we will be conformed to the glorious image of His Son in his paschal sacrifice?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Leader: O loving Father,
we thank you for instilling in our hearts
the deep yearning for the heavenly kingdom.
It is the absolute treasure
that surpasses the value and beauty of any pearl on this earth.
Please bless us with an understanding heart
that will enable us to make a fundamental choice for Christ
and the kingdom values that he brings.
Strengthen us in our resolve
never to let go of the heavenly treasure that is your gift to us.
In the various trials and afflictions of daily life,
strengthen our faith.
We know that all things work for good for those who love you.
It is your will that we be conformed to the image of your Son,
who was glorified through the paschal sacrifice.
O compassionate God, you are in control!
We trust you and we have faith in you.
We know that nothing will ever happen to us
that has not been foreseen by you and directed to our greater good.
This insight astounds us.
Give us courage, wisdom and inner strength
by the power of the Holy Spirit
that we may allow ourselves to be shaped daily
into the beautiful, wondrous image of your Son Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns forever and ever.
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.
“All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose … to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (cf. Rom 8:28-29)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
ACTION PLAN: Pray that those who are experiencing afflictions for the sake of the Kingdom of God may trust deeply in the wisdom of God’s saving plan. By your acts of justice, kindness and charity especially to the afflicted and the suffering, enable them to feel that all things work for good for those who love God.
ACTION PLAN: That we may fully respond to our vocation to be conformed to the image of the Son of God, 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, # 35).
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