Seventeenth Sunday
af. Pentecost (27th S. Ord.
Time)
RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY-GERMAN AMERICAN DAY
Job, Chapter 1, Verse
8-9
8
The LORD said to the satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one
on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing
God and avoiding evil.” 9 The satan answered the LORD and
said, “Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing?
The
devil is the author of fear. The opposite of fear is not bravery but love.
Christ showed his love for us by breaking the power of the devil by overcoming
death. He showed us His love by sharing our human nature. He asks us in
the gospel to love as He loved”. I give you a new commandment: love one another
as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) Christ therefore restores Gods original
intend to give man life eternal and voiding the death that the devil had
brought into the world. The fear of death is a fear based on the false conception
that death marks the end of a person’s kindred with God. Jesus deliberately
allied himself with us in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest in
our behalf; expiating our sins as one who experienced the same tests as we. We
usually give in to our sinfulness when we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired
(HALT). To halt sinful behaviors we must practice acts of love so that when we
are hungry let us give food to the hungry; when we are angry let us remember to
secure justice for the oppressed; when we are lonely let us remember to keep
faith with our brethren; and when we are tired let us take up the yoke of
Christ; for his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Ponder
this day if the Lord is calling you to the Priesthood or the religious life.
This Sunday
recognizes the double love of God and neighbor.
IN
the Introit of the Mass, the justice and mercy of God are praised. Thou are
just, O Lord, and Thy judgment is right. Deal with Thy servant according to Thy
mercy. Blessed are the undefiled who walk in the law of the Lord (Ps. cxviii.).
Prayer.
Grant
to Thy people, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to avoid the contagion of the devil,
and with a pure mind to seek Thee, the only God.
EPISTLE. EpJi. iv. 1-6.
Brethren:
I, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in
which you are called, with all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting
one another in charity, careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of
peace. One body and one spirit, as you are called in one hope of your calling.
One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all,
and through all, and in us all, Who is blessed forever and ever. Amen.
Practice.
The
words, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, confound
those who assert that a man may be saved in any belief. There can be but one
true religion; they who profess it should be united by the bond of
charity, and their lives be worthy of their vocation to the true faith.
GOSPEL. Matt. xxii. 35-46.
At that time
the Pharisees came nigh to Jesus, and one of them, a doctor of the law, asked
Him, tempting Him: Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus
said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with
thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind; This is the greatest and the first
commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets. And
the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying: What think you
of Christ? Whose son is He? They say to Him: David’s. He saith to them: How
then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit
on My right hand, until I make Thy enemies Thy footstool? If David then call
Him Lord, how is He his son? And no man was able to answer Him a word: neither
durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions.
Why is this
commandment to love God and our neighbor called the great commandment? Because in these two are contained
all the others, so that he who fulfils these fulfils the whole law. For whoever
loves God with his whole heart does not murmur against God; does not dishonor
His name by cursing and swearing; does not desecrate the Sabbath-day, because
he knows that all this is offensive to God. On the contrary, he hopes in God;
gives thanks and praise to God; sanctifies the Sundays and holy-days, because
he knows this to be pleasing to God; observes the precepts of the Church,
because he knows it to be the will of God that he should hear the Church;
honors his parents; does no injury to his neighbor; does not commit adultery;
does not steal; slanders no one; bears no false witness; pronounces no unjust
judgment; is not envious, malicious, unmerciful, but rather practises towards
every one the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; and all this because, out
of love to God, he loves his neighbor as himself. Thus, love fulfils all
the commandments.
What is the
meaning of the question, “What think you of Christ?” Christ put this question to the
Pharisees in order that, by their own answer, He might convince them that He
was not merely a lineal son of David, but that He was the Son of God, begotten
from eternity, on which account He called Himself David’s Lord. That Christ is
the Son of God, our Lord, our Teacher, our Lawgiver, our Redeemer and Saviour,
we Christians know well, for we daily profess it; but how many of us, in deeds,
deny it, since we do not follow His teaching nor observe His commandments!
What, then, will Christ one day be to such? What but a judge to condemn, and a
God to punish?
Why must we love
our neighbor? Because
we are all, not merely by descent from Adam, but much more through the grace of
Jesus, children of God and members of one family. As children of God, we bear
in us the likeness of God. But God loved and still loves all men; for the
salvation of all He has given up His only Son, that all may be saved; shall we
then love one and hate another, and yet think to be like God? Through the grace
of Jesus, we are all redeemed, made members of His body, yes, partakers of His
body and blood. Therefore St. Paul admonishes us: “You are all one in Christ”
(Gal. iii. 28), be therefore careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the
bond of peace” (Ephes. iv. 3). How natural is it for the members of one body
not to wound each other! Jesus, our Redeemer, gave His life for us when we were
His enemies (Bom. v. 10), and even on the cross prayed for His murderers. We
are His disciples. But can we be allowed to call ourselves so without
possessing this mark of His discipleship? (John xiii. 15.) Thus, everything
incites us to love: the law of nature and of revelation, the example of Christ,
all the promises and hopes that we have. In truth, how, without love, could we
hope to enter the kingdom of love? There can be no answer to this reasoning: “Would
you be a disciple of Jesus, an heir of His kingdom? then love like Him; and He
has shed His blood for His mortal enemies.
THE
PROBLEM Watching the news and reading the headlines, we may feel helpless
seeing the heartbreaking lack of respect for human life. How do we respond when
our efforts seem small in the face of the culture of death?
OUR CHRISTIAN IDENTITY To understand more fully how to
defend and protect human life, we must first consider who we are, at the
deepest level. God creates us in his image and likeness, which means we are
made to be in loving relationship with him. The essence of our identity and
worth, the source of our dignity, is that we are loved by God: “We are not the
sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us
and our real capacity to become the image of his Son.” We are called to divine
intimacy, true communion with God, and we can grow in this closeness with him
through daily prayer, reading the Scriptures, and frequent participation in the
sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist.
OUR MISSION AS CHRISTIANS The knowledge and
realization of how deeply we are loved by God elicits a response of love that
simultaneously draws us closer to God and, at the same time, impels us to share
his love with others. Embracing a relationship with God means following in his footsteps,
wherever he may call. Just as Jesus invited St. Peter and St. Andrew to become
his disciples, he invites us to do the same: “Come after me, and I will make
you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Being a disciple of Jesus naturally
includes sharing the Gospel with others and inviting them into a deeper
elationship with God. As Christians, our identity and our mission are two sides
of the same coin; like the apostles, we are called to be missionary disciples.
MISSIONARY DISCIPLESHIP This doesn’t necessarily mean
quitting our jobs or moving to foreign countries. For most of us, our mission
field is daily life: “Christ teaches us how to evangelize, how to invite people
into communion with him, and how to create a culture of witness: namely,
through love. A Christian life lived with charity and faith is the most
effective form of evangelization.” The first step towards living this life is
allowing Jesus to meet and transform us daily. If we respond to his grace, our
lives will show we have something beyond what the world offers: we follow a
person whose love changes our lives, so we want others to also experience his
transforming love. When we live in union with God, open to his prompting, we’re
more able to see the opportunities for witness and his guidance in responding
to these opportunities. We may fear doing the wrong thing or saying the wrong
thing, but we do not need to be afraid. Jesus promised his disciples, “I am
with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
IDENTITY CRISIS As a society and as individuals, we
often measure ourselves by false standards: by what and how much we do, our
successes or failures, how others treat us, the degree of our pleasure or
independence, etc. And when these changeable substitutes prove to be insufficient,
or when we are faced with challenges and suffering, we may feel helpless,
alone, or abandoned; we may be tempted to feel as though our lives have
decreased value or worth. But God’s love—individual, real, unchanging—is the
true source of our worth, identity, and dignity. It really is not a question of
who we are, but rather whose we are. Because his love will never change,
nothing can reduce our God-given dignity, and nothing can diminish the
immeasurable worth of our lives.
OUR RESPONSE When someone is facing great trials, we
need to meet them where they are, walk with them on their journey, intercede
for them, and be open to sharing Christ’s love however he directs. When a woman
becomes pregnant, and her boyfriend threatens to leave if she continues the
pregnancy, we need to lovingly walk with her. When family members or friends
become seriously ill, we need to assure them that God still offers them
something in this life, and they still have purpose. We need to consistently be
with them every step of the way. Sometimes our actions speak for themselves;
other times, words are needed. Whatever the situation, Jesus knows how to speak
to each person’s heart; we simply need to follow where he leads.
A CULTURE OF LIFE This is how we answer our missionary
call. This is how we build a culture of life, a culture that joyfully proclaims
the truth of God’s love, purpose, and plan for each person. Changing the
culture is a process of conversion that begins in our own hearts and includes a
willingness to be instructed and a desire to be close to Jesus—the source of
joy and love. When we encounter Christ, experience his love, and deepen our
relationship with him, we become more aware of our own worth and that of
others. His love for each person is cause for great joy, and growing
understanding of this priceless treasure motivates us to share his love with
others. Our lives are often changed by the witness of others; so too, others’
lives may be changed by our witness and authentic friendship with them. Let us
go, therefore, and not be afraid. God is always with us.
German-American Day Facts &
Quotes
·
The
current population of Germantown, PA is 26,563 inhabitants.
·
Wisconsin,
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa are now home to the
largest number of German descendants in the US.
·
After
the Second World War, around 375,000 Germans immigrated to the US. In the 50s
and 60s alone, around 786,000 Germans immigrated to the US.
·
Albert
Einstein was a German immigrant, a Jew who opted to remain in the US when the
Nazi party came to power in 1933.
·
The world will not be destroyed by
those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. - Albert Einstein
German-American Day Top Events and
Things to Do
·
Read
some popular stories by German writers including Hansel and Gretel, The
Trial and The Man Without Qualities.
·
Spend
some time learning more about the religious oppression in Germany in 1683 in
order to further understand why the founding 13 families fled the country and
arrived in Philadelphia.
·
Enjoy
a glass of mulled wine. It is a common drink found at Christmas markets all
through Germany.
·
Enjoy
a German movie. Some of our favorites: Victoria (2015), Land of Mine
(2015) and Downfall (2004).
·
Learn
more about the Nazi Regime from WW2 in order to better understand how the
population of German-Americans grew so quickly around that time.
Daily Devotions
·
Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving
your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after SUNSET ON SATURDAY till
Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
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