A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 7, n. 9)
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – January 25, 2009
or Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul
“This World Is Passing Away”
BIBLE READINGS
3rd Sunday: Jon 3:1-5, 10 // I Cor 7:29-31 // Mk 1:14-20
St. Paul: Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22 // I Cor 7:29-31 //Mk 16:15-18
(N.B. Series 7 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 B from the perspective of the Second Reading. For other reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year B, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US and open Series 1 & 4.)
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
In this Year of St. Paul (June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009) we may use the Mass of the Conversion of St. Paul on January 25th instead of the liturgy of the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. The Feast of Paul’s Conversion, which falls auspiciously on a Sunday, has for its second reading the same passage (I Cor 7:29-31) assigned for the Mass of the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B.
On the road to Damascus, Paul had an intense personal encounter with the Man of Nazareth, who revealed himself to him as the Risen Christ. The revelation was sheer grace. Paul’s response to the divine initiative was so wholehearted that he was transformed from a bold persecutor to a zealous “apostle of Christ Jesus” (cf. I Cor 1:1). His experience of the divine love and saving will was overwhelming. He accepted in faith that Jesus of Nazareth is the divine Son of God in the flesh - the Messiah promised to God’s chosen people. In persecuting the Christian disciples, Paul unwittingly persecuted the God he wanted to serve. The conversion experience of Paul led to a process of “christification” that configured his mind, will and heart to Christ, so much so that he could declare at the end, “It is no longer I who live; Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
Paul addressed the Christian community in Corinth: “You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it … I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures … I am the least of all the apostles – I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God’s church. But by God’s grace I am what I am, and the grace that he gave me was not without effect” (I Cor 15:2b-4, 9-10).
Paul’s conversion to Christ enabled him to see things in proper perspective. It transformed his notion of salvation. His value system was radically upturned. Instead of relying on the diligent observance of the Jewish law as the means of redemption, he embraced Jesus Christ as the font of life and salvation, the only treasure and the absolute good. Responding to a very difficult situation in Corinth, where the early Christian community (ECC) was being assaulted with freewheeling ideas and lifestyles that were noxious to Christian discipleship, Paul exhorted them to assume a responsible behavior. He challenged the Christians in Corinth to develop an appropriate value priority in the midst of temporal and transient realities (cf. I Cor 7:29-31). The fact that “life is short” and that “the world in its present form is passing away” is not a license to indulge in a frenzy of pleasure and unbridled desires. But neither should it provoke them to despise and disregard earthly realities, since the Son of God became incarnate in this world and our salvation is carried out within this context of the created world.
With pastoral insight and paternal concern, Paul exhorts the Corinthians and the Christians of all ages to live the earthly realities with discernment and to appreciate them at their just values, proportionate to their purpose. He teaches us that marriage is not an end in itself and that the married life should be seen in the perspective of the eternal and absolute: union with Christ. He also enjoins us that sorrows and joys must be lived, as everything else, in the Lord. Indeed, God is in control; he does not forget the tears entrusted to him nor disregard the moments of happiness we relish by his grace. Moreover, Paul encourages us not to be defeated by trials. He warns us likewise not to be wildly elated by false joys – by merriment and pleasures that do not lead to God. Furthermore, he reminds us not to act as the absolute owners of our possessions, for what we have received from the Lord is meant for the good of all. The right to use and abuse acquired goods at one’s whim is definitely un-Christian. It is utterly abhorrent and displeasing to God. Thus Paul advises us to use material goods in a spirit of detachment. We should be greatly aware and wary of their temporary character and perishable nature that we may appreciate and pursue more fully our eternal destiny with God, in Jesus Christ.
The following personal testimony written by Felix Carroll on November 24, 2008 illustrates the wisdom of the Pauline order of priorities, the need to trust God and seek first his kingdom, and the challenge of divine mercy, cf. Felix Carroll, “Go Ahead, Let It Fly, It Will Come Back, I Promise (Works of Mercy)” in THE ARMY OF GOD - 1ST SATURDAY DEVOTION NEWSLETTER, December 2008, p. 5-6.
This story is not about how wonderful I am. (The jury is still out on that one.) Rather, this is a story about how wonderful God is. I recently gave away $400 that I didn’t really have. I am writing about this now because, miraculously, I’ve incurred a net financial loss of exactly $0.00, which proves a fact of simple spiritual economics: when we show our love for God by caring for those in need, God fills us with abundant graces, someway, somehow …
A month ago, my wife and I decided to financially help one of my brothers and his family. They were – and still are – in desperate financial straits. Like hundreds of thousands of Americans this year, my brother lost his job – a high-paying job. Then he lost his house, then his car. He, his wife, and their two boys live in a ramshackle rental that should probably be condemned. Their world has been turned upside down. But the bad news wasn’t over yet. In September, my brother finally landed a low-paying job in a warehouse, but on his very first day, a forklift operator accidentally dropped the forks down and crushed my brother’s right foot. His doctors believe he will be permanently disabled … Then a few weeks ago, my brother’s wife was laid off from her job … The day his wife lost her job, I said to my wife, “I’m going to send them $200.” We didn’t really have $200 to give … It has pained me to see how my brother, a formerly successful businessman who went to work each morning looking sharp, proud to be a breadwinner, has now been reduced to sitting all day at home with his foot up and struggling to find purpose in his life. Sending him the $200 recently was my attempt to take great pains to help him. But the pain part of the equation didn’t work out that way. The following day I was offered a quick photography freelance assignment out of the blue, which, of course, I took. By the time I logged in my hours, I had earned exactly $200. I thought to myself, “Hmm, interesting.” So I sent my brother another $200.
Now just bear with me … OK, so at this point, I’m down $200, right? Now just bear with me a little more. In an effort to save money on heating costs this winter, I installed a woodstove in our home. I had done the math. We had free wood to burn, and the stove and piping would still cost less that half of what we would have spent on heating fuel. But my plan hit a snag two weeks ago. I couldn’t manage to get the last two sections of stovepipe up on the roof. We had to have scaffolding set up to finish the job, though we weren’t too sure how we would pay for it. We hired a contractor named David – the husband of a woman my wife works with – who came with his crew and set up the scaffolding for us at my house so I could finish the job. Neither my wife nor I had ever met David. After the stovepipe job was complete and the scaffolding taken away, my wife and I were going over our monthly expenses. We estimated the bill for the scaffolding (considering set-up time and travel expenses) would probably cost us at least (you guessed it!) $200. This Wednesday, we received an invoice in the mail from David. It said:
Amount owed ………… $0.00
And David included a typewritten note to us that read: “Dear Felix and Cara … At times like these, when someone is able, they help out friends. If we all did that maybe the world would be a better place. I could say to you, ‘I have done this for you, now go out and do the same thing in some way for another person,’ but I have a feeling you are the type of people who already would. So go use this money that you would have used to rent this scaffolding and buy something for Henry for Christmas. Glad to help … David.” Henry is our son. I couldn’t believe David’s kindness. I want to laminate his letter. My wife and I read it to each other – twice …
Then, like a tidal wave, it hit me: God arranged this! He arranged it because he pours an abundance of graces upon us when we help those in greatest need. That’s his promise to us. And he keeps his promise. I’m sending my brother more money today to help pay for his family’s Christmas … Please take special care to help many families who are suffering these days because of our country’s economic collapse. I’m convinced that, like my new friend David says, if we all sought to lessen the pain of others, “maybe the world would be a better place”.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
What was the conversion experience of Saint Paul? How does his conversion experience inspire and affect you?
What is Paul’s teaching about the temporal order and transient realities? How do you respond to his exhortation to put things in proper perspective and develop an appropriate order of priorities in relation to the eternal and absolute good, Jesus Christ?
With St. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, do you endeavor to respond to Christ’s command: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15)?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Loving Father,
we are in a temporary world
and in the midst of transient realities.
Grant us the wisdom you gave to St. Paul to order our priorities
in relation to the eternal and absolute good, Jesus Christ – our Risen Lord.
May we allow ourselves to be totally “christified”
by the power of the Holy Spirit
so that we may be able to declare with our father St. Paul:
“It is no longer I who live; Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
Direct our energies to preaching the Gospel to all nations.
Help us to make our world “here and now”
a more compassionate and a better world
for our suffering brothers and sisters.
May we fully realize and pursue our eternal destiny
to be united with you,
in Christ and the Spirit,
forever and ever.
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.
“The time is running out … the world in its present form is passing away.” (I Cor 7:27, 31)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: Pray that the conversion experience of St. Paul may truly be ours and that we may order our priorities in daily living according to the true hierarchy of values. By your trust in divine providence and works of mercy on behalf of the poor and needy, enable today’s society to focus on the eternal values of heaven.
ACTION PLAN: To help us become true witnesses of the Risen Christ with St. Paul in this temporal and transient world, 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 B, vol. 5, # 9).
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