23rd Week in Ordinary Time
15th September 2023 (Firday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 3
Reading of the Day
First Reading: 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-14
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 11 (R. see 5a)
R/. It is you, O Lord, who are my portion.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary; without dying you won the martyr’s crown beneath the Cross of the Lord.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Luke 6:39-42
At that time: Jesus told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: In solidarity!
Guidlines: Passion leads to compassion, Fidelity blends with sensitivity, Affection stirs up affliction, Love suffers with the suffering{alertSuccess}
1. As we celebrate the feast of Mother of Sorrows, let us once again venerate our sweet Mother with devotion, appreciate her with deep esteem, and imitate her with passion. Let us entrust ourselves to her maternal care and guidance. Mother of Sorrows does not mean that she is a sorrowing, sad, lamenting, joyless person. It means that she too experienced the pain and sorrow of life, that she too bore the burden of suffering.
2. As we may know, seven sorrows or dolours are highlighted in her life: the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of Jesus in the temple, Mary walking the way of the cross along with Jesus, Mary standing at the foot of the cross, Mary witnesses the death of Jesus and receives his dead body, Mary lays Jesus' body in the sepulchre.
3. These are not isolated or the only moments of sorrow. Rather they denote some main instances and occasions of her pain and suffering, even though her whole life was a continuous story of pain and affliction. Her life and faith were constantly tested through the crucible of suffering.
4. The seven dolours are in fact only a few indicators of an entire life that has been soaked into suffering. This is the Mother’s “com-passion”. It is not a mere feeling of pity or sympathy. It is “deep communion with” the one who suffers. The much-more-than the physical passion of her Divine Son leads Mary to a profound interior passion within her and unfolds itself in a touching compassion.
5. Further, these seven sorrows also are like sample sufferings. Because they are also quite real in our own life. We also often go through the same experiences and assaults of suffering. The seven sorrows manifest the suffering lot of any and every human, as being confronted with the very same situations and experiences, such as the fear of the future, of the impending danger of death, of separation from loved ones, of encounter and accompaniment with the suffering innocent, of witnessing the pangs of pain of the most beloved, of bearing with the hardest reality of the beloved’s death.
6. In the prophecy of Simeon, when he predicts that her tiny child will be the cause for the rise and fall of many and that a sword will pierce through her heart, there is the sorrow of fear of an uncertain future.
7. In the escape to Egypt, of young mother Mary with her little Jesus and husband, to protect the child from the cruel Herod, we see the sorrow of protection from impending danger of death.
8. In accompanying Jesus on the way of the cross, we see the deep anguish of a mother's heart and her unfailing accompaniment even in the inglorious testing times.
9. In standing at the foot of the cross on Calvary, there is the unshakable faith, solidarity, and courage, to be loyal even in the most disgracing moments.
10. In witnessing the death of her most beloved son, in pangs of pain and desperation, we see the sorrow of sharing and bearing silently the painful loss of the most precious.
11. In holding the dead body on her holy lap and consigning it to the tomb, we see the sorrow of an irreversible separation from the loved ones.
12. Thus, this feast can be a great fount of comfort, consolation, encouragement, and hope for us. She who went through immense pain and suffering will certainly understand and empathize with all the suffering lot. One who herself suffered, will certainly understand our struggles and fears. One who experienced the pains of life and bore them, will certainly accompany us and alleviate our own suffering. Mother, passionate with love for us, is also compassionate toward us. She will be our refuge and strength and guidance.
Practice: As a worthy fruit of this feast, three things can stand out as directions for us: one, seek her refuge and aid, and intercede to her, in our times of need and suffering. Second, take inspiration and guidance from her, to respond to our sufferings and difficulties, not in frustration and hopelessness, but in courage, surrender, and hope. Third, to be compassionate like Mary to those who suffer and are in need.{alertSuccess}