Breaking the Word

23^rd Week in Ord. Time, Friday – 9^th September 2022 — Gospel: Lk 6,39-42

Lead to Save

The three loosely connected sayings and metaphors have a unifying theme of leadership. Jesus now turns the responsibility to the disciples to make more disciples. As guides they become instruments of God’s judgement, and are concerned to save, not to condemn. They must attempt to guide, or teach, or take the splinter out of another’s eye with genuine love. Without this love they are acting blindly, out of touch with reality and acting on appearances. The phrase ‘blind guides’ was originally used for the Pharisees (Mt 15,14; Jn 9,41), because refusing to acknowledge their sins and the need for God, i.e., they remained blind to their reality and the mercy of God for them. Without this twofold enlightenment the disciples of Jesus remain blind and cannot guide others. Furthermore they will be condemned for their pride and hardness of heart. Unless the disciples’ perceptions are transformed and reoriented in the ways described by Jesus as in his sermon, they will remain spiritually blind and will be unable to lead others in this new way of life.

Nativity of the B.V.Mary, Thursday – 8^th September 2022 — Gospel: Mt 1,1-16,18-23

Vessel of Salvation

The feast of Mother Mary’s birth is celebrated exactly nine months after the feast of her immaculate conception. Although there is no scriptural account of her birth, the feast finds its historical roots in a sixth century hymn by St.Romanos the Melodist who used the Apocryphal Gospel of James (ca. 150 CE) as his source. Today’s Gospel narrative focuses on the birth of the Messiah, prior to which gives the human ancestry of Jesus from Abraham down to Joseph. That is very appropriate since it is Christ Jesus who is the key figure in salvation history. The narrative also presents Mary as the human woman whom God has chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. As an open vessel, she allowed God to work in her and so enabled God to bring to completion through her Son Jesus, the salvation of the whole human race. She conceives by the power of the Holy Spirit so that her child has a human nature from her and a divine nature from God. Mary is to be honoured for her role in helping to bring forth the Saviour into the world. Her role as the mother of Jesus is an important one, but is always subordinate to the role of Jesus. As a mother, she willingly gave birth, nursed, nurtured, and perfectly loved her Son from infancy to the foot of the cross to the throne of heaven. Her plans always included doing what God expected of her. At the same time, she learned from Jesus, lived as His disciple and continues to play her integral role in the plan of salvation.