A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 8, n. 43)
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – September 19, 2010 **
“Pray That All May Be Saved!”
BIBLE READINGS
Am 8:4-7 // I Tm 2:1-8 // Lk 16:1-13
(N.B. Series 8 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 C 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 2. For reflections based on the Old Testament reading, open Series 5.)
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
In last Sunday’s liturgy, we rejoiced as a worshipping community in the goodness of a loving God who sent his Son Jesus into the world to save sinners. We continue our journey as Church and on this Sunday, we delve more deeply into our vocation to participate more intimately in the divine saving work: that all may be saved!
Today’s Word of God challenges us to care for one another. The Old Testament reading (Am 8:4-7) is an indictment against those who buy the poor for money and exploit them senselessly and mercilessly. One of the greatest injustices is taking advantage of the weak. This is especially despicable against the backdrop of our covenant relationship with God. Defense of the lowly and the poor and care for widows and orphans are the responsibility of those who are deeply committed to a loving God who hears the cry of the poor.
The Gospel reading (Lk 16:1-13) contains a parable that encourages us to be creative, daring and resourceful in the pursuit of the kingdom of God and his saving works. Graziano and Nancy Seitz Marcheschi remark: “Jesus praises the steward’s shrewdness, not his dishonesty. Jesus wants disciples to pursue the kingdom with as much initiative and decisiveness as the steward pursued his own selfish interests. Just imagine how the work of the Gospel would flourish if those doing the work were as inventive and resourceful as the clever manager.”
The Second Reading (I Tm 2:1-8) invites us to a ministry of prayer to God who wills everyone to be saved. Prayer is a means of accomplishing the divine plan of salvation. The liturgical scholar, Adrian Nocent comments: “We are urged here to pray for all men so that they may be saved. Such prayer is efficacious, but its efficacy derives from Christ Jesus, who gives himself as a ransom for all. The apostle’s role is to bring this gift to men. The Christian community is meant to be a community of prayer, and Paul asks that in every place Christians should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. This is to say that their intention must be upright; they do not pray to draw down wrath from heaven on their enemies or to further their personal ambition … Paul is here urging us to frequent prayer that is not limited to the time of liturgy. We are to be really preoccupied with the salvation of all men, for we share responsibility for them with Christ.”
Let us continue our prayers for all: for civil authorities and for everyone that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of truth. Let us pray for those who aid the world’s poor and work to bring God’s saving compassion, especially in today’s distressed society. The following story is about a creative endeavor to “provide a loaf of bread in every arm” by encouraging everyone to “leave your fair share” (cf. Christopher Leonard, “Panera’s Nonprofit Eatery Succeeds on Honor System” in MERCURY NEWS, June 26, 2010, p.C3). Let us pray for its success.
CLAYTON, Mo.: As the first crowd of customers filled into Panera’s nonprofit restaurant here, only the honor system kept them from taking all the food they wanted for free. Ronald Shaich, Panera’s chairman, admitted as he watched them line up that he had no idea whether his experiment would work. The idea for Panera’s first nonprofit restaurant was to open an eatery where people paid what they could. The richer could pay full price – or extra. The poorer could get a cheap or even free meal.
A month later, the verdict is in. It turns out people are basically good. Panera, which operates 1,400 franchised and corporate owned bakery-cafes across the country, plans to expand the nonprofit model around the nations, opening two more locations within months. “I guess I would say it’s performing better than we even might have hoped in our cynical moments, and it’s living up to our best sense of humanity”, Shaich said in an interview.
Its cashiers tell customers their orders’ “suggested” price based on the menu. About 60 percent to 70 percent pay in full, Shaich said. About 15 percent leave a little bit more and another 15 percent pay less or nothing at all. A handful have left big donations, like $20 for a cup of coffee. The restaurant took in $100,000 in revenue its first month. Shaick declined to say what kind of margin this left between total costs and revenue, but he predicted the restaurant will be able to cover its costs within months and eventually generate extra cash for charitable programs. Panera’s nonprofit plan is the largest example yet of a concept called community kitchens, where businesses operate partly as charities. Customers who need a discount or even free food can get it with no questions asked. (…)
The Clayton Panera has hardly turned into a soup kitchen. Its longtime business clientele kept the lunch hour busy last week, with well-dressed workers clustered around laptops and talking on cell phones. Financial adviser Jeff White, 34, said he was a regular customer at the location before it closed and reopened as the nonprofit in late May and hasn’t changed his dining habits. White said he usually rounds up when he pays his tab, because he wants the “intriguing” experiment to succeed.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
Do we care for the poor and help them in their need? Or are we uncaring or even mercilessly exploiting them?
Do we use our creativity, intelligence and enterprise in promoting the kingdom of God? Do we use our material and spiritual resources to promote the divine plan so “that all may be saved”?
Do we believe that prayer is a ministry that promotes the divine saving plan? Do we experience that prayer is “good and pleasing to God”? Do we pray for civil authorities and for everyone that all may be saved? Is our prayer authentic and involves the sacrifice of our lives?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: O loving God,
we are in a covenant relationship with you.
You care for us as a chosen people.
You showered us with abundant grace and manifold blessings.
But we need to love and care for each other.
This is your will.
Jesus came to save us by dying for us.
Grant that we may unite ourselves
with your Son’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross
that all may be saved.
Teach us to pray not only with our lips,
but with our hearts and with our lives.
Make us realize that prayer is a ministry
that promotes your compassionate plan.
It is good to pray for it is pleasing to you.
Teach us to be creative, daring and resourceful
in our work for the Kingdom.
Bless our endeavors to assist the world’s poor.
Continue to help us
as we share with today’s hungering people
the bread of the word.
We give you thanks and praise
for you are a loving God and a merciful Father.
Through Christ, with Christ and in Christ,
we glorify you,
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.
“I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions and thanksgiving be offered for everyone … This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved.” (I Tm 2:1, 3-5)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: Pray that Christian disciples may work in a concerted effort to promote God’s benevolent plan to save all. By your acts of justice and charity on behalf of the world’s poor, discover the beauty and dignity of being God’s humble instrument of salvation.
ACTION PLAN: That we may experience more intensely the saving power of prayer, 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 C, vol. 6, # 43).
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