Alexandria Shymel David

ACN1

SW3: Biblical Criticism

1. Read Luke 9:1-6

He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,
2and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal [the sick].
3He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,* (Links to an external site.) neither walking stick, nor
sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.
4Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
5And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your
feet* (Links to an external site.) in testimony against them.”
6Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases
everywhere.
2. Read the following Homily on Luke 9:1-6
To Pray on and Ponder: Luke 9, 1-6 (cf. Mark 6, 7-13)
The Gospel text offered to us for reflection in today's Catholic liturgy recounts to us our Lord Jesus sending
the Twelve into their first crack at ministry--preaching, healing, exorcisms. Like any other authorized
envoys, they seem to have carried the authority of the name of Jesus who sent them, for they return later
with reports of success in their missions. They were summoned and they were sent. From the call to the
commissioning, some kind of formation would have happened as they all recognized Jesus to be their
Rabbi or teacher. They walked with Jesus, and observed and assisted in our Lord's journeys, his work of
healing and driving out demons. They sat with Jesus as Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom, telling parables
and stories to make people understand what the reign of God means. And so now, the twelve are sent by
pairs so they can try out working out a mission by themselves, carrying only Jesus's Word with them. Like
any persons sent, they are given instructions on how to do their missions. What were the key elements of
these instructions?
First, light gear: only a stick and the pair of sandals they walk with: no food, no sack, no money, not even
a spare tunic to wear while washing the other. The light gear would have been on account of several
things. Less distraction from the focus of the mission, i.e., single-mindedness of purpose and single-
heartedness of intention. Moreover, less things meant more mobility, greater availability. Finally, taking
nothing also made them trust more--on people who will receive them and more especially on God who
will provide for them, for ultimately it the Father who sent Jesus and Jesus sends us bearing the authority
of the Father himself.
Second, establishing right relationships with the people in their area of mission. They stay where they are
received, and they immediately leave the household of whoever does not receive them. Such right
relationships are important so that the apostle is able to exercise ministry in trust and in integrity. They
are not subject to people's judgment, and they are able to maintain a level of trust that renders them
completely transparent instruments, allowing the Word of God to touch the hearts of the listeners
directly.
Third, the apostles, i.e., the ones sent do according to the instructions they were authorized to do. Like
good prophets who speak only the Word that God has told them to proclaim, the apostles perform the
missions as they were instructed, no more, no less: they went off and preached repentance, they
performed exorcisms and they healed the sick through the anointing of oil. And looking at all these
elements of mission closely, they are the very things that Jesus did. These are all signs of God's reign, for
when the Word proclaimed becomes Word received, this Word transforms the hearts of its hearers,
making of them disciples as well. When the possessed and the informed are healed and restored--they
are reconciled into their real selves and reconciled as well to their communities--such reconciliation is
once more a sign that God has begun to reign in people's hearts and people's communities.
The unspoken instruction of course is that the ones summoned and sent begin from a space of intimacy
with Jesus and his mission. For the apostle's authority comes from Jesus and only one who is intimately
connected with our Lord would be able to imitate the way Jesus proceeds with ministry: with great trust
in his Father's providence and wisdom, with much compassion and love, with a heart for those
marginalized in society, and with great passion and zeal for the mission.
All these remind me of Pope Francis first lines in his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium or Joy of
the Gospel:
1. The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of
salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born
anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of
evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.
A joy ever new, a joy which is shared
2. The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born
of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience.
Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room
for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt,
and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end
up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us,
nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ.
3. I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus
Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each
day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from
the joy brought by the Lord”. The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a
step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms. Now is the
time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love,
yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me
once more into your redeeming embrace”. How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost!
Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.
Christ, who told us to forgive one another “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22) has given us his example: he
has forgiven us seventy times seven. Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip
us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness which never
disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and
to start anew. Let us not flee from the resurrection of Jesus, let us never give up, come what will. May
nothing inspire more than his life, which impels us onwards!
And so today, we ask ourselves, how much of our Lord love has touched our hearts to the point that we
hear a call and heed a commissioning? How have we nurtured an intimate connection with our Lord so
we may better hear his call clearly and heed it very promptly in ways that Jesus himself proceeded with?
How have we exercised our service with great docility and obedience to God's instructions? How have we
fostered in ourselves genuine freedom of heart for mission, that we are given the space to put in order
our relationships with people and with things? As the ones sent by the Lord, may we become as Ignatius
would say in the Jesuit Constitutions--"instruments intimately conjoined in the hands of God"--people
who have taken God's desires to heart that every thought, every word and work that comes out of them
are desires in synch with God's desires for all of us and for the world. God bless!

3. Highlight and Comment.

• Highlight a sentence or sentences that is an example of exegesis. (pink highlight)
 o Comment on the type of biblical criticism used (historical, literary or audience) Explain
your answer (at least 5 sentences)
Exegesis, as defined in the last discussion, is the understanding of the text through the lenses used
by the original author. This heavily relies on its history, literature, and audience at a specific
moment. I highlighted this part of the homily as it explains the instructions that were given to the
people tasked to accomplish a mission and explains the experiences of the past. It talks about the
instructions that were assigned to them before and how they dealt with the mission. Exegesis
explains what happened before in order to give meaning of the action; thus, elaborate the
intentions of the writer himself.
• Highlight a sentence or sentences that is an example of hermeneutics. (green highlight)
o Comment on why this is an example of hermeneutics. Explain in not less than 5 sentences
Hermeneutics, as discussed, is defined as the act of deciphering the meaning of the bible and what
are the words, that God wants us to understand. It is a way of making sense of the thing that are
present in the bible. I highlighted this part of the homily as it intent to relate the given reading to
the present. It interprets the word of God in a way that is appropriate to the understanding of the
present reality. Being able to do this makes it easier for people to grasp the meaning of the words
of the Lord and attain a hermeneutical moment.