A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 9, n. 50)
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – November 6, 2011 *
“The Faithful Departed”
BIBLE READINGS
Wis 6:12-16 // I Thes 4:13-18 // Mt 25:1-13
(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
This Sunday’s liturgy of the Word is a font of comfort and insight as we reflect, especially in this month of November and towards the end of the liturgical year, on the last things. What is death? What is our destiny beyond death? What is the meaning of death for us as Christians?
The Old Testament reading (Wis 6:12-16) depicts Wisdom, who personifies our lover-God, as sought by us and seeking for us. Those who seek Wisdom can easily find her. Moreover, Wisdom actively searches for those who yearn and keep vigil for her - for those who, in loving response, are worthy of her.
In the Gospel reading (Mt 25:1-13), Christ, the Wisdom incarnate, seeks for us. We, in turn, need to respond with absolute readiness and commitment to him who comes to lead us to the nuptial banquet. We must be personally and wholeheartedly involved in the preparation for the coming of the Bridegroom Lord.
The biblical scholar Eugene Maly comments: “The groom represents the Christ, awaited in his parousia. The midnight hour does not mean a designated time. Rather it conveys the uncertainty (they are in the dark) concerning the time of his coming. The two groups of bridesmaids represent those who will and will not share in the event. Preparedness is the ultimate criterion … The Lord is already on his way. In fact, his approach began at the time of his death and exaltation. Those were the sources of his saving power, the paschal mystery that contained within it the final saving coming. So, just as the Church continually rises to her source in the paschal mystery, she continually rises to meet the coming Lord.”
Today’s Second Reading (I Thes 4:13-18) is a Pauline masterpiece. This beautiful passage declares that God will unite with him the faithful departed. Animated with divine wisdom, Paul assures the Thessalonians, distressed about the destiny of their loved ones who died before the Lord’s parousia or final coming. They need not fear that their beloved dead would miss the glorious deliverance. Indeed, that we shall be united with the Lord always should be a deep consolation for us all.
The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent comments: “Saint Paul is trying to instill hope into the Christians of Thessalonica. His message, in brief, is that the resurrection of Jesus is what gives meaning to every Christian life, and that God will take to himself those who have died with Christ. We died with Christ in baptism; we shall also share his resurrection. The confusion in the minds of the Thessalonians provides Paul with an occasion for describing what will happen at the end of time. He works with images, but his point is clear. His essential teaching is that all, whether already dead or still living when Christ comes, will be taken up with Christ into glory.”
In light of Saint Paul’s words of wisdom, we believe that death is a participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. It is also our last act of self-giving to our heavenly Father. As an intimate participation in Christ’s paschal mystery, death is life’s completion. It leads to eternal union and intimate union with God. The following story can help us appreciate the beauty of this tremendous mystery and realize that the faithful departed are indeed with God (cf. Brian Clark, “September 11 Journeys of Faith: Vision of Hope” in GUIDEPOSTS, September 2011, p. 54-55).
I lay on my side in bed, a week after the attack, waiting for the comfort of sleep, still trying to make sense of everything that had happened. Tomorrow, I was supposed to return to work at Euro Brokers’ new office space. I was one of the company’s executives. People expected me to be there, but was I really ready to go back? After what I’d been through?
It was still so surreal. I’d survived. Scrambled down 84 floors from my office in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Some in the media were calling me a hero, because I’d stopped to pull a man from the rubble on the eighty-first floor. But surely anyone would have done the same. The truth, Stanley Praimnath has saved my life as much as I’d saved his. If not for him … I shuddered at what might have been. Just minutes after we got out, the building collapsed. I thought of the colleagues I’d lost, more than 60 in all. I’d never see them again.
I closed my eyes and I was back there in the South Tower with Stanley, holding onto each other, the stairwell lit only by my flashlight, pushing past huge pieces of drywall, water cascading down the steps. The air was thick with dust. Hacking, coughing, we got to the seventy-fourth floor, and suddenly it was like we’d entered another world. The lights were on. I could breathe again. We hurried on.
On the sixty-eighth floor we met a man coming up. Jose Marrero. He’d worked in the Euro Brokers’ security department for years, a friend to everyone he met. He was a handsome man, in his mid-thirties, with a 100-watt smile that told everyone that things were right with the world. But that day he was drenched in sweat, breathing hard, holding a walkie-talkie to his ear. “Jose”, I said, “where are you going?”
“I can hear David Vera’s voice up above”, he said. “I’m going to help him.”
“Dave’s a big boy”, I said. “He’ll get out on his own. Come on down with us.”
“No”, Jose said. “Dave needs help. I’ll be all right.”
It was the last time I saw him alive. I opened my eyes, staring into the empty darkness of my bedroom. My wife stirred and put her arm around me. Had Jose made it all the way to Dave Vera? Where was he when the tower came crashing down? He’d never again know his wife’s touch. He’d had his whole life ahead of him. Like so many of the others. Now, there was nothing.
My thought faded: tired …
I was awake again. I’ve gotta get some sleep. I was lying on my back looking at the foot of the bed. I never sleep like this. Why don’t I turn over? And then, suddenly, there was the image of Jose, standing inches from my feet. He was wearing the most unusual shirt, blousy and brilliant white. I stared at him. Jose, you’re alive. How did you do it?
He just smiled that glorious ear-to ear grin. He was okay, joyful even, like he was in on some kind of wonderful secret, and he seemed to be telling me, “You’ll figure it out.”
Then he was gone. As quickly as he had appeared. Still, there was something that lingered. A powerful, reassuring presence. Jose is with God, I thought. But more than that, I sense God was with me. (…)
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Do we pursue the resplendent and unfading beauty of divine wisdom and allow ourselves to be sought by her?
Are we ready to meet the Bridegroom-Lord with burning lamps when he comes and attend to him at the banquet of the heavenly kingdom?
Are we heartened by the truth that God, through Jesus, will bring with him those who have fallen asleep and that we shall always be with the Lord?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Leader: O loving God,
how resplendent and marvelous you are!
In Jesus, the incarnate Wisdom,
you sought us and we allow ourselves to be sought.
Jesus is the Bridegroom-Lord of the heavenly kingdom.
He comes to bring us to the heavenly feasting,
but we need to welcome him with burning lamps
that radiate the truth of our total self-giving.
In the spirit of the wisdom-filled Saint Paul,
let us be messengers of hope to the bereaved.
Help us assure the grieving
that their deceased loved ones are in your care.
Indeed, our beloved dead will be brought back to you in Jesus,
who died and rose for our saving.
We believe that the faithful departed
will experience the fullness of life
through the power of Christ’s death and resurrection.
We are deeply consoled
that we shall be always with you
and live in your presence,
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.
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (cf. I Thes 4:14)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
ACTION PLAN: In this month of November, pray in a special way for all the deceased that they may rest in peace. By your acts of kindness and compassion to the bereaved and the grieving and by your words of comfort, let them experience the hope of resurrection in Jesus Christ.
ACTION PLAN: That we may deeply experience the meaning of Christian hope and trust greatly in the promise of eternal life, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM website (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR: A Weekly Pastoral Tool (Year A, vol. 7, # 50).
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