September 17th, 2018

Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
443

FIRST READING
1 COR 11:17-26, 33

Brothers and sisters:
In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact
that your meetings are doing more harm than good.
First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church
there are divisions among you,
and to a degree I believe it;
there have to be factions among you
in order that also those who are approved among you
may become known.
When you meet in one place, then,
it is not to eat the Lord's supper,
for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper,
and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.
Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink?
Or do you show contempt for the Church of God
and make those who have nothing feel ashamed?
What can I say to you? Shall I praise you?
In this matter I do not praise you.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my Body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

PSALM
PS 40:7-8A, 8B-9, 10, 17

Response: Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."

"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, "The LORD be glorified."

GOSPEL
LK 7:1-10

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
"He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us."
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
"Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;
and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;
and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
"I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.

Daily Reflection

17th September 2018

The Corinthians celebrated the Eucharist with an ‘Agape’ meal which was meant to promote equality, brotherly love and sharing. However, the reality it produced was “Divisions”, which Paul confronts – the rich ate separately (a better meal) whereas the poor were left to consume their meagre meals. As an antidote to such clannish ways, Paul reminds them of the unifying presence of Christ in the Eucharist where “one loaf” is shared because the Christians are “One Body” of Christ.

The Gospel shows us how a Centurion – a pagan - contrasts the attitude of the Corinthians. He was generous in that he had contributed his personal wealth to the building of the synagogue. But he was also tender-hearted and concerned for he not only comes to ask Jesus to cure his servant, but is keenly aware that if Jesus –a Jew - came to his – a Gentile - house, Jesus would be regarded as “impure” according to the Jewish Law. He therefore requests Jesus to “say the word” and his servant “would be healed” .

Am I as concerned about the “other”?