Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
Then a teacher of the law came and began putting Jesus to the test. And he said, “Master, what shall I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?” The man answered, “It is written: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus replied, “What a good answer! Do this and you shall live.” The man wanted to justify his question, so he asked, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus then said, “There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him and went off, leaving him half-dead.
It happened that a priest was going along that road and saw the man, but passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite saw the man, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan also was going that way; and when he came upon the man, he was moved with compassion. He went over to him, and cleaned his wounds with oil and wine, and wrapped them in bandages. Then he put him on his own mount, and brought him to an inn, where he took care of him.
The next day, he had to set off; but he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatever you spend on him, I will repay when I return.’”
Jesus then asked, “Which of these three, do you think, made himself neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The teacher of the law answered, “The one who had mercy on him.” And Jesus said, “Then go and do the same.”

Lectio Divina
READ: We read in the first reading that the commandments and laws of God are neither too high nor so remote, while the second reading tells us that all is created through and for Christ and holds together in him. And the gospel passage specifies the love of God and neighbor as the basis to gain eternal life.
REFLECT: The Spanish philosopher and theologian Raimon Panikkar put forward the “cosmotheandric” (cosmos = cosmic/ universe; theos = the divine/God; aner = human) notion or vision of reality. Simply put, all of reality exists in interdependence and interrelation. Each of the three dimensions exist in the other. In other words, one is so present in the other two. Reflecting on this vision, we may speak of the profound connection of God, nature, and humans. We, humans, form a single, integral relationship with God and nature. We are not separated from them. There exists a unity. That is why the first reading was able to speak of the closeness of Yahweh’s commandments and laws to us; and Saint Paul, in the second reading, was able to contemplate of Christ holding all things together in himself. Base on this relation, a genuine turning to God, or love of him, is made possible only through the love of neighbor; and neighbor, here, would include both humans and nonhumans alike. The only way to love God is my loving all that he has created.
PRAY: God, maker of all, grant us the grace to see our deep relation with the whole creation and help us feel the suffering and pain of our poor sisters and brothers, and of other creatures.
ACT: Be involved in the promotion of social justice and protection of the natural world.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 10:24-33
A student is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. A student should be content to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If the head of the household has been called Beelzebul, how much more, those of his household! So, do not be afraid of them!
There is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, there is nothing hidden that will not be made known. What I am telling you in the dark, you must speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but have no power to kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. For a few cents you can buy two sparrows. Yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father knowing. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. Do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows!
Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Whoever rejects me before others, I will reject before my Father in heaven.

Reflections
“No sparrow fall to the ground without God’s notice.”
Jesus continues to instruct the disciples to overcome their fear of foreseen suffering, persecution and strife. Using the imagery of God taking notice of the sparrow’s fall on the ground, Jesus reassures the disciples of God’s provident care. Jesus’ usage of this imagery is worth considering. Here and in other instances in the gospels, particularly in the parables about nature, Jesus shows His profound understanding of the natural world as being loved by God, as a place of God, and as revelatory of God. Jesus finds God in the natural world as well as the world of human affairs (Denis Edwards). Both enjoy God’s loving embrace. If such is the case, the disciples need not worry, need not fear. Jesus’ statement “You are worth more than many sparrows!” might be interpreted as humans being more important and enjoying privileged status before God. Rather, it is to be taken simply to stress the point that the disciples need not worry and need not fear.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23
Look, I send you out like sheep among wolves. You must be as clever as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard with people, for they will hand you over to their courts, and they will flog you in their synagogues. You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings because of me, so that you may witness to them and the pagans.
But when you are arrested, do not worry about what you are to say, or how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father, speaking through you.
Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, you will not have passed through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Reflections
“Clever as snakes and innocent as doves.”
Jesus instructs the disciples on how to deal with the attendant danger and persecution of their mission. The disciples must be as cunning as the snake and gentle as the dove. Jesus is aware of the difficulty and danger that come with the mission of proclaiming the Reign of God. He foresees them and would of- fer the disciples some help to conquer their fear. Jesus sees the combination of cunningness (or shrewdness) of the snake and gentleness of the dove as vital to carry out the mission.
It is wise to develop these qualities of cunningness and gentleness. The modern world has not become a better place to live. Violence, abuse and exploitation of fellow humans and the natural world remain. Humans have simply become more sophisticated in doing them. There is a need to be clever in identifying causes of abuse and of social and economic injustices. There is a need to be critically smart in identifying things that corrupt morally, things that dis- tract us from what really matters and from what really is essential.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15
Go, and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. Freely have you received, freely give. Do not carry any gold or silver or money in your purses. Do not take a traveling bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or a walking stick: workers deserve to be compensated.
When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person, and stay there until you leave.
When you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people are worthy people, your peace will rest on them; if they are not worthy people, your blessing will come back to you.
And if you are not welcomed, and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town, and shake the dust off your feet. I assure you, it will go easier for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment, than it will for the people of that town.

Reflections
“To proclaim and advance the Kingdom.”
The gospel passage outlines what entails the mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. It identifies the tasks that the disciples ought to accomplish. One may notice that these are the same activities that Jesus did during his public ministry. They are now extended to the disciples. This means that the same heavenly powers are to operate to fulfill the tasks. The disciples now share in the powers of Jesus. Today, these powers are operative in the Church. They work in people touched by the Spirit. How does the Spirit inspire and empower us? What are we being called and sent to do to advance the Reign of God? We may not have the power to cure diseases and sickness, to raise the dead back to life, and so forth. But one thing is certain we are gifted to do something for the Kingdom of God. And that something is specific to us to do.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019