A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 6, n. 48)
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – October 26, 2008 *
“Caring for the Poor and Vulnerable”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 22:20-26 // I Thes 1:5c-10 // Mt 22:34-40
(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 (Ex 22:20-26) is one of the most intriguing and socially challenging passages in the Bible. It delineates Israel’s call to “humanism”, that is, the proper attitudes to be assumed by God’s chosen people for the whole of human society. A truly strong society provides for its weakest members and that was the challenge of Israel as the people of God. Israel’s duty to protect and care for the poor, the weak and the vulnerable was based on its experience of God’s continual care and compassion. The demands of charity for the unfortunate were woven into the chosen people’s covenantal relationship with their loving and caring God.
The biblical scholar Eugene Maly comments: “Many studies have been made comparing Israel’s law code with those of other ancient peoples. Its humanism has been shown to excel that of others in many ways. Some examples are found in our first reading from Exodus. The alien or non-Israelite was not to be mistreated. The motive for this, Israel’s own experience as aliens in Egypt, is unique among the nations. Widows and orphans were the special object of concern in most societies. But there God himself is the divine kinsman who will come to their aid. In the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi interest was permitted on any loan. In Israel it was not to be demanded of the poor. The neighbor’s concern, which included consideration of the social condition, was every Israelite’s concern. It is true that these humanitarian laws say nothing about an attitude toward God. But the framework in which they were placed, the context of which they were a part, is that of a covenant between God and his people. That covenant says, in effect, God has saved you in his everlasting love. Therefore, you must hold him in love above every other object and show love and concern for his people.
Indeed, the social laws in Israel’s covenant tradition demanded that the people themselves be the instruments of God’s protection of the aliens, of widows and orphans, and the poor in the land. The chosen people were obliged to be caring like their compassionate and loving God, rich in mercy, especially with regards to the unfortunate and marginalized. This biblical “humanism” thus provided a strong basis for Jesus’ radical teaching on loving, as may be gleaned from this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Mt 22:34-40). Indeed, the intimate unity of love of God and love of neighbor is a hallmark of the new covenant. According to the Divine Master’s innovative lesson to his disciples, the neighbor is the Lord himself!
Eugene Maly explicates: “In the Gospel reading this twofold attitude, toward God and toward others, is given its most concise expression. Asked to sum up the 613 precepts of the Jewish Law, Jesus does so by saying that we must love God with all our being and we must love our neighbor as ourselves. Note that the love of God is placed first, not just because he is worthy of a special love, but also because our love of others is most intense when it flows from our love of God. That love of God is possible only because his love has first placed that spark - that grace, within us.”
The love that animates Judeo-Christian “humanism” calls for a dedication and self-giving so complete that merely human will can never accomplish it. Because it is beyond our human effort, the obligations of love are made possible through the workings of grace. The following testimony by Erin Brock (N.B. Name changed to protect family’s privacy) illustrates that radical and sacrificial love of “neighbors” – in this case her parents - is possible through the grace of God. Cf. “Caregiver’s Testimonial” in OUR SUNDAY VISITOR, October 28, 2007, p. 11.
Erin Brock could be the poster child for the “sandwich generation”, those caught between raising children and caring for elderly or ill parents. She was just 39 and the youngest of her five children was 3 when her father had one stroke, then another, then major surgery. Erin immediately jumped in to help her mother care for him. That was 10 years ago. Her father died in June, yet she still divides her time between her husband and two youngest children and her 75-year-old-mother who has numerous health problems. Here she tells OSV the good, the bad, and the blessings.
Church Support: “We could have asked for respite from our parish’s Works of Mercy program, but my dad was very dysfunctional and very mean, and we didn’t want to subject anyone else to his verbal abuse. But I did have a lot of support and love from good, Catholic and Christian friends who lent an ear and prayed for me in caring for my dad, and now my mom. That’s so important!”
Two Regrets: “I wish I had tried to get more commitment from my sister and three brothers to help me. It’s been very, very hard, and nobody helps unless I’m the bad guy and tell them to get down here.”
“I regret sacrificing so much time with my kids to cater to my mom and dad. I have a better balance now, but only because I’ve learned to be more forceful.”
Two Blessings: “The most beautiful thing to come of this hardship is that my mother went back to church. She stopped going because my father would get drunk every Saturday night, and Mom had to be there with his coffee and breakfast when he woke up Sunday morning. When my dad went into the nursing home, I invited her to come to Mass with our family and she loved it! Now she goes weekly, is involved in our parish, watches EWTN. I never thought I’d see my mother as a prayerful, regular communicant.”
After I had pleaded with my dad, brought priests to him, and done everything I could to convince him to go to confession, God took care of it in the end and he received absolution and last rites. I believe the only way my dad could accept God’s mercy was because my mother showed him love and mercy for 54 years, giving him chance after chance.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
Why did God enjoin his chosen people Israel to care for and to treat appropriately the aliens, the widows and orphans, and the poor in the land? Did Israel heed this command?
What is radically new in Jesus’ teaching, “You shall love the Lord, your God, and your neighbor as yourself”? Why is there an intimate connection between our faith in God and our relationship with our neighbor?
Do we strive to live out the two-fold command: love of God and love of neighbor? What do we do when living out this command is difficult, burdensome, and deeply challenging?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: O loving God,
you prohibit us to molest or oppress the resident aliens in our land,
but rather, enjoin us to treat them with mercy and respect.
Thank you for making us aware
that we too were once strangers in a “foreign” land.
O compassionate Lord,
thank you for your care and protection
of widows and orphans.
Mindful of your saving love for us,
we now strive to listen to the cry of the poor,
give heed to the weak and needy,
protect the vulnerable
and assist the suffering in our society today.
Above all, we give you thanks and praise
for your wonderful gift - your Son Jesus.
He gave us the twofold command
of love of God and love of neighbor,.
We cherish this mandate of love
and with your grace,
we humbly resolve to translate it into our daily life.
May your compassionate care for us
bear abundant fruits
in our ministry to our needy brothers and sisters.
We adore you and love you,
for you are our faithful and provident God,
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.
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind … You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 22:37, 39)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: By your active concern for the poor, needy, weak and vulnerable, enable the twofold love of God and neighbor to be operative and palpable in our society today and be a leaven of transformation.
ACTION PLAN: That we may respond fully to the challenge of caring for the poor and vulnerable, 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, # 48).
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