Thursday, October 12, 2017

Project BLACK MAMBA: XXVII Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Long Road Back, Part III

Sunday, 8 October was the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time: Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of This Week
Mass Readings—Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Isaiah, chapter five, verses one thru seven;
Psalm Eighty, verses nine, twelve, thirteen & fourteen, fifteen & sixteen, & nineteen & twenty;
The Letter to the Philippians, chapter four, verses six thru nine;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-one, verses thirty-three thru forty-three.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, just before his passion and death, Jesus tells the striking story that is our Gospel for today. The fertile vineyard stands for Israel, his chosen people. But it could be broadened out to include the world. What do we learn from this beautiful image? That God has made for his people a place where they can find rest, enjoyment, good work.

We—Israel, the Church, the world—are not the owners of this vineyard; we are tenants. One of the most fundamental spiritual mistakes we can make is to think that we own the world. We are tenants, entrusted with the responsibility of caring for it, but everything that we have and are is on loan. Our lives are not about us.

Christ is God's judgment. We are all under his judgment. In the measure that we kill him, refuse to listen to him, we place our tenancy in jeopardy. And so the great question that arises from this reading: "how am I using the gifts that God gave me for God's purposes? My money? My time? My talents? My creativity? My relationships?" All is for God, and thus all is under God's judgment.
Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Video reflection by Jeff Cavins: Encountering the Word.

Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D.: Breaking the Bread.


Mass Journal: Week 41
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute:
This process of identifying strengths & weaknesses & transforming weaknesses into strengths is classic catholic spirituality. For two thousand years, the champions of Christianity, the men & women we call saints, have been going into the classroom of silence, taking a humble & honest look at themselves, & assessing their own strengths 7 weaknesses. Then, armed with this knowledge, they have bravely set forth to transform their weaknesses into strengths, their vices into virtues.

Otherwise, 8 October would have been the festival of Saint Reparata, Virgin & Martyr (died circa 250), martyred in the reign of the emperor Decius, a victim of his empire-wide persecution: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Decian Persecution.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twould have been the festival of Saint Felix of Como, Bishop (died circa 391): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould have been the festival of Saint Pelagia the Penitent, Hermitess (floruit fifth century, of Antioch; A.K.A. the Harlot): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: There are other Ss. Pelagia, including another St. Pelagia of Antioch [9 June], a martyr, honored & distinguished as Pelagia the Virgin.

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