October 7, 2013

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
Lectionary: 461

Learn more about Our Lady of the Rosary

Reading 1 JON 1:1–2:1-2, 11

This is the word of the LORD that came to Jonah, son of Amittai:

“Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it;
their wickedness has come up before me.”
But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD.
He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish,
paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish,
away from the LORD.

Nineveh was a pagan city which was the scourge of Israel.  And God had commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to them that they might convert and avert disaster.  But Jonah would rather die than save the Ninevites.  So he hopped a ship to anywhere but Nineveh.

The LORD, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea,
and in the furious tempest that arose
the ship was on the point of breaking up.
Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god.
To lighten the ship for themselves, they threw its cargo into the sea.
Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship,
and lay there fast asleep.
The captain came to him and said, “What are you doing asleep?
Rise up, call upon your God!
Perhaps God will be mindful of us so that we may not perish.”

But God hurled a great storm upon that ship and the sailors were afraid they would perish.  

Then they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots
to find out on whose account we have met with this misfortune.”
So they cast lots, and thus singled out Jonah.

So, they cast lots to see who was the cause of their trouble.  And the lots fell upon Jonah.

“Tell us,” they said, “what is your business?
Where do you come from?
What is your country, and to what people do you belong?”
Jonah answered them, “I am a Hebrew,
I worship the LORD, the God of heaven,
who made the sea and the dry land.”

Jonah had to admit his disobedience towards God.

Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him,
“How could you do such a thing!–
They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD,
because he had told them.–
They asked, “What shall we do with you,
that the sea may quiet down for us?”
For the sea was growing more and more turbulent.
Jonah said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,
that it may quiet down for you;
since I know it is because of me
that this violent storm has come upon you.”

And Jonah told them to save themselves by casting him to the sea.  In so doing, he plotted to die and thereby avoid doing God's will.

Still the men rowed hard to regain the land, but they could not,
for the sea grew ever more turbulent.

But the men were afraid to do so.  They didn't want to kill an innocent man.

Then they cried to the LORD: “We beseech you, O LORD,
let us not perish for taking this man’s life;
do not charge us with shedding innocent blood,
for you, LORD, have done as you saw fit.”
Then they took Jonah and threw him into the sea,
and the sea’s raging abated.
Struck with great fear of the LORD,
the men offered sacrifice and made vows to him.

Then, they prayed that God would forgive them and cast Jonah to the sea.  Immediately, the storm ended.  The men then knew that there is a God in Israel and offered sacrifice and made promises to turn to Him.

But the LORD sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah;
and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish
three days and three nights.
From the belly of the fish Jonah prayed
to the LORD, his God.
Then the LORD commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore.

And Jonah, thought he had gotten away by having the men kill him by casting him in the sea.  But God sent a giant fish to swallow him and carry him safely to land. In order that he would accomplish the Lord's will.

Responsorial Psalm JON 2:3, 4, 5, 8

R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Out of my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me;
From the midst of the nether world I cried for help,
and you heard my voice.

R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea,
and the flood enveloped me;
All your breakers and your billows
passed over me.

R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Then I said, “I am banished from your sight!
yet would I again look upon your holy temple.”

R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the LORD;
My prayer reached you
in your holy temple.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.

God will rescue us even from death.  Though our faith is tested in this life and purified like gold.  In the end, those who remained faithful will live with God in the eternal city, where every tear will be wiped away.

Gospel LK 10:25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?
How do you read it?”
He said in reply,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.”
He replied to him, “You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live.”

A young man asked Jesus what he needs to do to enter heaven.  Jesus answered, "keep the Commandments and be good to your neighbor."

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
“And who is my neighbor?”

The young man wanted to know, "who is my neighbor?"  And Jesus answered with a parable.

Jesus replied,
“A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.

A Jew was attacked by robbers and left for dead.

A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

A Jewish priest and Levite,  holy men of God, came by and saw him laying there but did nothing to help.

But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.

A Samaritan, enemy of the Jews, saw the man and had pity.

He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’

He did everything he could to help the man and made sure that others would help him.

Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Then Jesus asked, "who is the neighbor to this victim of violence?"

The young man admitted, it was the Samaritan.  And Jesus advised him to do as the Samaritan had done and be a neighbor to all people, regardless of race, color or creed.