19th Sunday of the Year (C)

For Your "Sunday Reflection": Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

19th Sunday of the Year (C), August 11, 2013

Liturgical readings
Wisdom 18:6-9
Psalm 33
Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
Luke 12:32-48

The Lord said, "Who in your opinion is that faithful, farsighted steward..?"


Jesus said to his disciples:


Do not live in fear, little flock.


It has pleased your Father
to give you the kingdom.


Sell what you have
and give alms.


Get purses for yourself
that do not wear out,
a never-failing treasure
with the Lord
which no thief comes near
nor any moth destroys.


Wherever your treasure lies,
there your heart will be.


Let your belts be fastened
around your waists
and your lamps be burning ready.


Be like a man awaiting
their master's return from a wedding,
so that when he arrives and knocks,
you will open for him without delay.


It will go well with those servants
whom the master finds wide-awake on his return.


I tell you,
he will put on an apron,
seat them at table,
and proceed to wait on them.


Should he happen to come at midnight
or before sunrise and find them prepared,
it will go well with them.


You know as well as I
that if the head of the house knew
when the thief was coming
he would not let him break into his house.


Be on guard, therefore.


The Son of Man will come
when you least expect him."


Peter said,


"Do you intend this parable for us, Lord,
or do you mean it for the whole world?"


The Lord said,


"Who in your opinion is that faithful, farsighted steward
whom the master will set over his servants
to dispense their ration of grain in season?


That servant is fortunate
whom his master finds busy when he returns


Assuredly,
his master will put him in charge
of all his property.


But if the servant says to himself,


'My master is taking his time about coming,'


and begins to abuse the housemen and servant girls,
to eat and drink and get drunk,


that servant's master will come back on a day
when he does not expect him,
at a time he does not know.


The slave who knew his master's wishes
but did not prepare to fulfill them
will get a severe beating,
whereas the one who did not know them
and who nonetheless deserved to be flogged
will get off with fewer stripes.


When much has been given a man,
much will be required of him.


More will be asked of a man
to whom more has been entrusted."

Scripture verses:
"Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes." (Wisdom 18)
"Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33)
"Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see." (Hebrews 11)
"The eyes of the Lord are upon those who hope for his kindness." (Psalm 33)

Prayer in Augustinian Spirituality

Augustinian Prayer - the Prayer Method of St.
Augustine

Introduction

St. Augustine's spiritual tradition places importance in prayer and quiet meditation. Prolonged periods of prayer is necessary for a better relationship with God and progress in one's spiritual and personal development.


The prayer method of St. Augustine uses one's feeling and intuitive faculties. As an example, given a bible passage or an excerpt from a spiritual reading, the direction for quiet meditation in the method of St. Augustine is: "What do these words of Scripture (or spiritual reading) mean to me in my present situation in life or vocation?", or, "What message is the Lord saying to me through these words of the Bible?" This method of prayer and quiet meditation makes the bible or spiritual reading relevant to any one's personal, family, or community life. As one discovers the meaning from the prayer method, that spiritual intuition personalizes and integrates the prayer experience to his life.

Practicing Augustinian prayer

To practice this method of prayer, one must open his creative imagination. It is the feeling and intuitive faculty helps our creative imagination understand how to apply the prayer experience to our life and work. What is important in the prayer method is to be open to the grace of the Holy Spirit and His inspirations; to practice sound personal discernment; and to seek the counsel of more mature and experienced spiritual.

Keeping a spiritual journal

One very good help for this method of prayer is to maintain a spiritual journal. This journal can assist well in seeing one's spiritual progress over a period of time. The journal can be a source of spiritual joy if one emphasizes more the experience of God's love and His mercy. Those who use this method of prayer will surely agree with what Cardinal Newman also said: "he could pray best at the point of a pen".

Integrating lectio divina with the Augustinian prayer method


To be fully effective one can also integrate lectio divina in the method. This will help us "dialogue in prayer" with God. First, we listen to what God is saying to us in the passage of Scripture. To read between the lines to discern what God is saying is lectio - first step of lectio divina. Then to meditate upon the meaning we gathered from the Scripture reading and see how it can be applied to our life is meditatio - second step of lectio divina. After meditatio is oratio - third step of lectio divina. In this step we respond to what we have meditated with appropriate feelings and begin to dialogue with God in prayer. Finally, the fourth step, contemplatio, we learn to keep still and listen more to God. This stage is often accompanied with inner silence and an unswerving focus on God and His love. The Augustinian prayer method will place more prolonged periods of prayer in the oratio and the contemplatio steps of lectio divina, since the prayer method uses much of the person's intuitive and feeling faculties.

A direction in Augustinian prayer

The lives of the Saints can help to serve as role models and examples of holy people who have fostered good and loving relationships with God through this Augustinian prayer method. It is to be noted that many books on spirituality attest to the truth that most of the Saints who have been canonized in the Church are Augustinian in their spiritual temperament and use their intuitive and feeling faculties in their prayer life.

Prayer suggestion using the Augustinian method

Read Isaiah 43:1-5. Change the words, "Jacob" and "Israel" to your own first name. Try to imagine the Lord speaking these words directly to your soul. What meaning would they have for you in your present situation? Try to transpose the message from God to yourself today. What is the Lord talking about when He tells you, "Fear not". Imagine in your mind Jesus saying, "You are precious in my eyes". "Fear not, I am with you". How do you see this to be true to your own situation today?

Related resources:

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney


• "A Year with the Saints" by Don Bosco Press, Inc.


• "Doctors of the Church" by Fink


• "Saints for Our Time" by Ransom


• Four Kinds of Temperaments in Prayer

18th Sunday of the Year (C)

Sunday Reflections for Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

18th Sunday of the Year (C), August 5, 2013

Liturgical readings
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23
Psalm 90
Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Luke 12:13-21

"Jesus told them a parable."



Someone in the crowd
said to Jesus,


"Teacher,
tell my brother to give me
my share of our inheritance."


He replied,


"Friend,
who has set me up
as your judge or arbiter?"


Then he said to the crowd,


"Avoid greed in all its forms.
A man may be wealthy,
but his possessions
do not guarantee him life."


He told them a parable
in these words:


"There was a rich man
who had a good harvest.


'What shall I do?'
he asked himself,



'I have no place
to store my harvest.


I know!'
he said.


'I will pull down my grain bins
and build larger ones.
All my grain and my goods
will go there.



Then I will say to myself:
You have blessings in reserve
for years to come.


Relax!
Eat heartily,
drink well.
Enjoy yourself.'


But God said to him,


'You fool!
This very night
your life shall be required of you.


To whom
will all this piled-up wealth
of yours go?'


That is the way it works
with the man who grows rich for himself
instead of growing rich
in the sight of God."