UNITED WE STAND,

DIVIDED WE FALL

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.”– Luke 11:17

We see a lot of divisions around us — in our family, in our church, in our country and in our world. Husbands and wives separate. The Church is divided on certain moral issues. Civil wars abound. World wars are always a threat. The division may start from petty arguments, envy or minor conflicts until it turns into full blown fights that can be verbal or physical. And this has caused us much harm, pain and even death.

       Before Jesus was arrested, He prayed for His disciples and all believers: “I pray for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you…. May they be brought to complete unity” (John 17:20, 21, 23).

       How do we restore and keep this unity that Jesus prayed for us who believe in Him? By obeying God’s commands. By being faithful to our spouses. By being loyal to our community and church. By serving and caring for one another. By being merciful and forgiving. Meann Tee (meanntytee@yahoo.com)

Reflection: Are you a true disciple and believer of Jesus? Are you doing your part in restoring and keeping the unity in the world?

Father, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love. (From the Prayer of St. Francis)

Blessed Francesco Faa di Bruno, pray for us.

Jeremiah puts down the suffering of the people to their unwillingness to follow the Law of the Lord. The biggest issue at stake here is the lack of the people’s willingness to trust in the Word of God, of which the Law is one aspect. If we trust in the Word of God, we will embrace the Law in the right way, seeing it as a servant and guide for our actions. It is when the Law takes priority over love and compassion that the problems begin.

23 Thus says the Lord: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. 24 But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me. 25 From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day, I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets. 26 Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed; they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers. 27 When you speak all these words to them, they will not listen to you either; when you call to them, they will not answer you. 28 Say to them: This is the nation which does not listen to the voice of the Lord, its God, or take correction. Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech.

R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

1 Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him. (R) 6 Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. 7 For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. (R) Oh, that today you would hear his voice: 8 “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, 9 where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.” (R)

The people, and especially the leaders, of Judaism are amazed with the power that Jesus constantly exercises and they want to know its origins. They know that what Jesus does is good but if they fully admit this, it is tantamount to saying that they have been doing a bad job leading the people, as they have not been able to do the things that Jesus does. There is a certain warped nature to this sort of thinking, but that is precisely what happens when jealousy or envy is lurking close at hand.

Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, for I am gracious and merciful.

14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed. 15 Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” 16 Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. 17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. 18 And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. 19 If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Genesis 43-46

I SEE ME

When I was still in the seminary, I had a co-seminarian who was well...perfect. He was intelligent, prayerful, very athletic, sings and dances well, plays the guitar and a little bit of drums and piano, a good speaker, was very popular among the people in the apostolate, and good-looking. But for some reason, I didn’t like him. I wasn’t hostile towards him but I just didn’t feel close to him to be his friend. He left before reaching theology. But I must admit (to my shame), I secretly rejoiced when he left the seminary. This bothered me and I consulted my spiritual director. After a series of sessions, I realized that it was not him I disliked but myself, and I projected it onto him. Every good thing in him was a reminder of what I was not, and at times I found myself imputing ill motives upon every virtue of his.

       This is also what we see in today’s Gospel. Here was Jesus, true God and true man. He preached with authority, loved the sinners, raised the dead, cured the sick. What did the crowds and religious leaders say? “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” They didn’t see God-Emmanuel but the devil incarnate. I guess it was not Jesus they disliked. They hated themselves and they projected it onto Jesus. Everything good in Him was a reminder of everything evil in them.

       In many ways, we are guilty of this defense mechanism. Blessed John Paul II called people with this attitude as masters of suspicion. They are people who cannot accept their mistakes and weaknesses, and so they project these onto other people. When convicted in their limitations, either by word or the example of others, they cast malicious suspicions on others.

       Friends, there will always be people, consciously or unconsciously, who will convict us in our failings. They may be right. They may just be living reminders “of everything we failed to do.” Our dislike of them may actually be a dislike of ourselves. May we not immediately ignore or dismiss them as sanctimonious prudes. They may just be what we need for real self-knowledge and, therefore, genuine self-love. Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are there people you dislike? Consider this. They could be mirrors God has given you for self-examination.

Lord, remind me to always look within whenever I judge another person’s weakness or wrongdoing.