A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 8, n. 48)
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – October 24, 2010 *
“The Humble Stance of the Pray-er”
BIBLE READINGS
Sir 35:12-14, 16-18 // II Tm 4:6-8, 16-18 // Lk 18:9-14
(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
The person who paints is a painter … the one who sings is a singer … the one who dances is a dancer … the one who prays is a “pray-er”. The stance of the praying one is total dependence on God – profound trust and humility. A true “pray-er” is marked by an interior attitude of humility and serving love. This spiritual quality enables the “pray-er” to trust in God’s benevolence and unfailing response. Today’s liturgy of the Word invites the worshipping community to delve into the tremendous kindness of God for the “pray-er”. The word of God extols the efficacious character of the prayer of the lowly.
Aelred Rosser comments: “One’s state of life does not, in and of itself, automatically guarantee divine approval of one’s requests. It is the state of interior life that does that. And the one who serves God willingly is the one who guarantees a hearing … A humble stance before God is what gives power to our prayers. Humility is not necessarily abject breast-beating, however. Humility is honesty. Coming to God in prayer with an open and honest realization of both our need and God’s fidelity puts us in a truly humble stance … The weakest of the weak have the strongest ally in God who has always been revealed as their special patron.”
The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector that we hear in this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Lk 18:9-14) reinforces the message that sincerity of heart and humility before God are what make prayer acceptable. God’s favor is a gift to the lowly and the humble. It does not depend on our personal merits.
The biblical scholar Eugene Maly remarks: “The tax collector does not list his assets. Probably he doesn’t have any, at least the kind that would be acceptable to the Lord. His major assets were likely material ones and were frequently gained by unjust means, if he acted as the majority of tax collectors in the Roman Empire did at that time. But his attitude now is clearly one of humility and sorrow. He begs, not for divine approval as the Pharisee did, but for divine forgiveness. Sorry for his sins, he is determined with God’s grace, to amend his life. Therefore is this man justified (made right before God) while the other is not.”
Saint Paul, in the Second Reading (II Tm 4:6-8, 16-18) crystallizes the humble and trusting stance of the “pray-er”. Having opened himself completely to the grace of God and trusting fully in the Lord who stood by him and gave him strength so that the Gospel may be proclaimed to the nations, the great apostle to the Gentiles manifested the efficacious prayer of a trusting disciple. The “pray-er” Paul has configured his entire life of sacrificial love with that of the Lord Jesus. His whole life of self-emptying was a magnificent prayer. The humble “pray-er”, Saint Paul has competed well, has finished the race and has kept the faith. Humbly and trustingly, he awaited the crown of righteousness that the faithful Lord keeps for him. His sacrificial prayer would result in total participation in the joy of God’s eternal kingdom.
The biblical scholar, Enrique Nardoni explicates: “The Apostle sees his death as a sacrificial libation of his blood, a departure for the final harbor. He feels the satisfaction of an accomplished mission and an unwavering loyalty to Christ. Therefore he is fully sure of his glorious reward.”
Last Sunday, October 17, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI canonized Blessed Andre Bessette, known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal”. Like Saint Paul, Brother Andre was a man of prayer and is a modern day icon of a true “pray-er”. He incarnated in today’s world the humble stance of a disciple and the efficacious prayer of the poor and lowly. The following homily delivered by Pope John Paul II at the beatification of Brother Andre testifies to the tremendous power of prayer, service and humility in the life of a Christian disciple (cf. A.A.S. 74, 825 f., May 23, 1982).
We venerate in Blessed Brother Andre Bessette a man of prayer and a friend of the poor, a truly astonishing man.
The work of his whole life – his long life of 91 years – was that of “a poor and humble servant”: Pauper, servus humilis, as is written on his tomb. A manual laborer until the age of twenty-five years on the farm, in workshops and factories, he then entered the Brothers of the Holy Cross, who entrusted to him for almost forty years the task of porter in their school in Montreal; and finally for almost thirty years more he was custodian of Saint Joseph’s Oratory near the school.
Where then does his extraordinary influence, his renown among millions of people, come from? A daily crowd of the sick, the afflicted, the poor of all kinds – those who were handicapped or wounded by life – came to him. They found in his presence in the school parlor or at the Oratory a welcome ear, comfort, faith in God, confidence in the intercession of Saint Joseph. In short, they found the way of prayer and the sacraments and, with that, hope and, very often, manifest relief of body and soul. Do not the poor of today have as much need of such love, of such hope, of such education in prayer?
But what was it that gave Brother Andre this ability? It was God who was pleased to give such an ability to attract, such a marvelous power to this simple man who had himself known the misery of being an orphan among twelve brothers and sisters, of being without riches and education, of having poor health, in short, of being deprived of everything except a great confidence in God. It is not surprising that Brother Andre felt himself close to the life of Saint Joseph, that poor and exiled worker who himself was so close to the Savior and whom Canada and especially the Congregation of the Holy Cross have always greatly honored.
Brother Andre had to put up with misunderstanding and mockery because of the success of his apostolate. Yet he remained simple and joyful. Turning to Saint Joseph or in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, he himself prayed long and earnestly, in the name of the sick, doing as he had taught them to do. Is not his faith in the power of prayer one of the most precious signs for the men and women of our time, who are tempted to resolve their problems without recourse to God?
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
What does it mean for us personally that “the prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds”?
What does the prayer stance of the tax collector teach us? Do we make his prayer our own and turn to God with humble heart, saying “O God, be merciful to me a sinner”?
How does the sacrificial life of the “pray-er” Paul impact us? Is our life a true prayer so much so that, with the grace of God, we can declare with Saint Paul, “From now on, the crown of righteousness awaits me”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: O Lord, God of justice,
you hear the cry of the poor.
You listen to your faithful servants who turn to you in their need.
The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds of despair
and their appeal touches your heart.
We trust in you.
Listen to our yearnings and our great desire to serve you.
Make our life a living prayer.
We have no merits of our own,
but we trust in your great mercy and love.
Like Saint Paul,
let our lives be completely united with the paschal sacrifice
of your Son Jesus Christ.
Help us to compete well in the arena of life,
to finish the race
and to keep the faith
so that we may share in the eternal joy of your kingdom
and merit the “crown of righteousness”
you have prepared for us.
Bless us always.
As true “pray-ers” in today’s world,
let us be a sacred sign of hope
to those in need of healing and comfort.
We give you thanks and praise.
To you be glory 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.
“I am already being poured out like a libation … I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” (cf. II Tm 4:6-8)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: Pray that Christian disciples may truly be true “pray-ers” in today’s world. By your life of service and compassion and by the gift of personal-liturgical prayer, contribute to the mission of the Church and manifest to the world the saving power of God. As we celebrate today the World Mission Sunday, promote “a Eucharistic celebration for all the missions of the world”.
ACTION PLAN: That we may better assume the humble stance of true “pray-ers”; 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, # 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