October 15th, 2018

Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

LECTIONARY
467

FIRST READING
GAL 4:22-24, 26-27, 31–5:1

Brothers and sisters:
It is written that Abraham had two sons,
one by the slave woman and the other by the freeborn woman.
The son of the slave woman was born naturally,
the son of the freeborn through a promise.
Now this is an allegory.
These women represent two covenants.
One was from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery;
this is Hagar.
But the Jerusalem above is freeborn, and she is our mother.
For it is written:
Rejoice, you barren one who bore no children;
break forth and shout, you who were not in labor;
for more numerous are the children of the deserted one
than of her who has a husband.
Therefore, brothers and sisters,
we are children not of the slave woman
but of the freeborn woman.

For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm
and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

PSALM
PS 113:1B-2, 3-4, 5A AND 6-7

Response:

Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.

From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.

Who is like the LORD, our God,
who looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.

GOSPEL
LK 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

Daily Reflection

15th October 2018

St. Teresa of Avila (St. Teresa of Jesus)

Paul, using the symbolic meaning of the Abraham story speaks of two sons; Ishmael – born of the flesh- and Isaac – born through the promise of God as an allegory for the old and new covenants – Mt. Sinai that led to slavery and the heavenly Jerusalem which brings us freedom. The Mosaic Law was bondage, in that one tried to be justified through one’s own effort; whereas, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Father offers us sonship and daughterhood, thus truly setting us free.

Jesus, refers to the crowd as “wicked” and “evil” because although they have heard him and seen his works, they still ask for a “sign” that he is from God. Jesus offers them only the “Sign of Jonah”. Jesus, like Jonah, walked through Palestine proclaiming a message of repentance and conversion. It is in listening and acting upon Jesus’ message that they will truly recognise him.

St. Teresa of Avila, a great mystic and doctor of the Church summarises the readings – “God alone is enough! Whoever finds God longs for nothing at all.”