Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Denis, Bishop and Martyr, and his Companions, Martyrs

 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Denis and Companions
 
Additional information about St. Denis and Companions
 
Or
 
Optional Memorial for Saint John Leonardi, Priest
 
Proper readings for St. John Leonardi
 
Biographical information about St. John Leonardi

“Old Woman Praying”
by Gerrit Dou, 1640s

 
Readings for Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Malachi 3:13-20b
 
You have defied me in word, says the LORD,
yet you ask, “What have we spoken against you?”
You have said, “It is vain to serve God,
and what do we profit by keeping his command,
And going about in penitential dress
in awe of the LORD of hosts?
Rather must we call the proud blessed;
for indeed evildoers prosper,
and even tempt God with impunity.”
Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another,
and the LORD listened attentively;
And a record book was written before him
of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name.
And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts,
my own special possession, on the day I take action.
And I will have compassion on them,
as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.
Then you will again see the distinction
between the just and the wicked;
Between the one who serves God,
and the one who does not serve him.
For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,
when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,
And the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there will arise
the sun of justice with its healing rays.
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Commentary on Mal 3:13-20b
 
Historically, the Book of Malachi is placed after the Jews return from the Babylonian exile (probably around 445 B.C), but before the appearance of Ezra and Nehemiah. Because of his severe criticism of the leadership, the author created a pen name, Malachi, which means in Hebrew “the messenger.”
 
In this passage, Malachi’s oracle envisions a time when God will make an accounting of those who had remained faithful and those who had ignored God’s law. He envisions the day when the punishment of God will be applied to those evil ones, and the faithful will bask in the healing rays of the “sun (son) of justice.”
 
CCC: Mal 3:19 678
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
 
R. (Ps 40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
 
Psalm 1 serves as a preface to the whole book of psalms. The psalmist here exalts those who follow the Lord’s commands, and reflects upon the blessings they will receive. As in Romans 6:19ff, this selection emphasizes the contrast between the salvation of the just and the punishment of the wicked.
 
This wisdom psalm begins by extolling the virtue of those who follow the law. The focus is to look to God for guidance, and not to trust only in the counsel of men. Those who reject the law will be blown away like “chaff,” an image used in the Gospel as well (Matthew 3:12).
 
This portion of the psalm is later echoed in Isaiah 48:17-19, like an overlapped formula of covenant.  Blessed is the man who “delights in the law day and night,” but “the way of the wicked vanishes.” It also takes up the theme of following right paths and staying true to the teachings of God: “Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law day and night.”
 
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Gospel: Luke 11:5-13
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,’
and he says in reply from within,
‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.
 
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?”
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Commentary on Lk 11:5-13
 
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, the Lord continues his response to the disciples' request to “teach us how to pray.” The Lord uses the story of the one friend asking another for bread (a strong Eucharistic reference) in the middle of the night as an instrument to tell them that God will always answer prayers, but in his own time. (“I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.”) He makes his message clear in the verses that follow: “ask and you will receive.”
 
CCC: Lk 11:5-13 2613; Lk 11:9 2761; Lk 11:13 443, 728, 2623, 2671
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Reflection:
 
We are told by Jesus’ clear statement that prayers are always answered: “For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  This unambiguous statement can be a source of great comfort to many.  It can also be a door for the Evil One.
 
How many times has the question “Why did God let (insert some disaster or heinous act) happen?”  Or how many times has it been suggested that some action or natural disaster proves God does not even exist? 
 
Let us consider for a moment our Lord’s purpose from the perspective of a human parent.  If our child comes to us and says “Mom and Dad, I really want a pony.  Will you get me one for my birthday?”  If that family is living in a small apartment with no means of providing for additional board for an animal of that size, they would probably answer the child and say, “We’re sorry but we don’t have room for a pony.”  They may even suggest an alternate pet out of love for their child.  Now the child may not understand and may be disappointed, but the parents have answered.
 
Similarly, we may pray to our Heavenly Father saying, “Lord, my grandmother is very ill and in pain. Please heal her and make her strong.”  The loving Father may look at your 90-year-old grandmother and say to you; “Child, your grandmother has lived a long and full life.  I will take her home to be with me.”  We may not understand and even be angry with God (especially if it is not grandma who is 90 but our daughter who is 15).  But the Lord answers.  And frequently, we must understand that some of our fondest wishes are either not practical (e.g. I pray that all strife in the Middle East ends – Now!).  They may be arrogant (e.g. I pray that I receive top honors in school). Or they may even be selfish (e.g. I want my dog to live forever).  God always answers but like an earthly parent, in spite of his great love for us and his desire for our happiness, he sometimes says no.
 
It is when God says no that the real danger comes in.  The evil one will frequently whisper “yes.”  He may say “Yes, the doctors can plug your grandmother (or your daughter) into machines that will keep her alive for a very long time.”  He may say “Yes, we can get those honors. All you need to do is fudge a few grades.”  He may say “Yes, you can get rid of the pain of rejection or loss.  Have a couple more drinks or take a few pills and you will feel just fine.”
 
It is not simply a matter of “wanting” that the Lord refers to when he says: “everyone who asks, receives.” We must always have faith that what we ask of the Lord will be answered.  We may not understand when the Lord says no, but if the yes sounds too easy, examine it closely and make sure it is not the deceiver who offers the easier option.
 
Pax
 
Please pray for the repose of the soul of James Faulkner.

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[1] The picture is “Old Woman Praying” by Gerrit Dou, 1640s.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

“The Lord’s Prayer”
by James Tissot, 1886-96

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Jonah 4:1-11
 
Jonah was greatly displeased
and became angry that God did not carry out the evil
he threatened against Nineveh.
He prayed, “I beseech you, LORD,
is not this what I said while I was still in my own country?
This is why I fled at first to Tarshish.
I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God,
slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish.
And now, LORD, please take my life from me;
for it is better for me to die than to live.”
But the LORD asked, “Have you reason to be angry?”
 
Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it,
where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade,
to see what would happen to the city.
And when the LORD God provided a gourd plant
that grew up over Jonah’s head,
giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort,
Jonah was very happy over the plant.
But the next morning at dawn
God sent a worm that attacked the plant,
so that it withered.
And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind;
and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint.
Then Jonah asked for death, saying,
“I would be better off dead than alive.”
 
But God said to Jonah,
“Have you reason to be angry over the plant?”
“I have reason to be angry,” Jonah answered, “angry enough to die.”
Then the LORD said,
“You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor
and which you did not raise;
it came up in one night and in one night it perished.
And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city,
in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons
who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left,
not to mention the many cattle?”
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Commentary on Jon 4:1-11
 
Jonah becomes angry with God for accepting the repentance of Nineveh.  He calls on God to destroy the city and then moves outside to watch the result.  As an analogy, the Lord causes a gourd plant to grow (castor-oil plant in the Jerusalem Bible) next to where Jonah waits.  Jonah was “delighted” with the plant, but the Lord took it away by causing a worm to attack it, killing it.  Jonah’s response was predictably emotional – anger with God – again.
 
This exchange was meant to bring home the point of the entire episode. God is faithful to his promise and as Jonah said: “I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish.”
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10
 
R. (15) Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
 
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
 
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
 
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O Lord,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
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Commentary on Ps 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10
 
Psalm 86, an individual lament, asks for mercy from God. The singer asks God to give hope in distress, and in response the nations will give glory to God for his wondrous deeds. “The speaker’s life is in danger from unspecified causes (v 2). V 7 alludes to times of distress and v 4 indicates a lack of joy in the present situation, all in the rather generalized and formulaic language of prayers and laments.” [4]
 
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Gospel: Luke 11:1-4
 
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
 
Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”
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Commentary on Lk 11:1-4
 
The Gospel from St. Luke gives us a shorter version of how the Lord taught the “Lord’s Prayer” to his disciples. In St. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 6:9-15) this discourse takes place as part of the Sermon on the Mount. In St. Luke’s Gospel it is given while the Lord is himself at prayer.
 
Notes on the meaning of the various parts of the prayer are numerous. (See also CCC 2759 - 2865.) The short message in the Gospel is: “This is an appropriate way to speak to God.” The seven petitions of the prayer begin with an acknowledgment of God’s existence and omnipotence, praising his holiness. It continues with our further desire that the “will of God,” which creates his heavenly kingdom, may also rule on earth (your name; your kingdom; your will).
 
The next three petitions ask for grace and protection. The first of these is a petition to the Father that we be given nourishment, food for the body and (Eucharistic) food for the spirit, "our daily bread."  This petition is followed by a plea for forgiveness, a tacit admission that we have all sinned and all need God’s salvation. The second part of this petition is a promise that we will attempt to follow Christ’s example, forgiving others as we have been forgiven. The prayer concludes with a final petition that we not be tested as our Lord was tested by the evil one, tempted to forego his own passion thus condemning the world to sin and death.
 
CCC: Lk 11:1 520, 2601, 2759, 2773; Lk 11:2-4 2759; Lk 11:2 2632; Lk 11:4 1425, 2845
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Reflection:
 
Most of us have been through the process of dissecting the Lord’s Prayer, breaking down each line and each sentence to reflect on the meaning of this most common communal prayer.   It is an excellent exercise, reminding us that while we usually say it as rote prayer, out of memory alone, we should take time to think about the things we say and for which we ask.
 
The Scripture today gives us another prayer.  In the Book of Jonah, we hear the prophet speaking to God angrily.  He is angry because God did not come through with his promise to destroy Nineveh. That city-state was, after all, hostile to the people of Israel and since it lay outside the favored status of the “chosen people,” it should have been destroyed.  His attitude exemplifies the very position the story of Jonah was told to refute.  God, as we have said, comes for all peoples, his whole creation.  This point is made clear in God’s response to Jonah’s angry cry.
 
Still, Jonah is praying to God in the passage we were given today.  And, as promised so many times in Scripture, God answers Jonah’s prayer.  He says no.  Jonah’s prayer went contrary to God’s will and example.  He loves all his creation.  He tells Jonah: “should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons?” 
 
We note the huge contrast between the prayer of Jonah and the prayer our Lord taught to us.  Jonah’s prayer was full of anger and unjustified arrogance.  It demanded that God destroy thousands of people (not to mention the animals).  The Lord’s Prayer, on the other hand, first praises God and asks that his kingdom come to us and that we might live in peace, receiving from him all good things.  We offer up repentance for our failings and forgive our brothers and sisters, who, like us, have failed to love.  In humble submission we give ourselves to God’s will.
 
Today we remember that God always answers prayers.  He measures his response by a standard he sent to us, Jesus, his Son.  We pray today as he taught us. We especially use his prayer as part of the Rosary, the memorial of which we celebrated on October 7.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “The Lord’s Prayer” by James Tissot, 1886-96.
[2] S.S Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Marvin E. Tate, Psalms 51–100, vol. 20, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 380.

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

Proper readings for the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

 
Additional Information about the Feast of the Holy Rosary

“Our Lady of the Rosary” 
Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

Readings for Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Jonah 3:1-10
 
The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
“Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you.”
So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD’s bidding.
Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it.
Jonah began his journey through the city,
and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing,
“Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,”
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small,
put on sackcloth.
 
When the news reached the king of Nineveh,
he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe,
covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.
Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh,
by decree of the king and his nobles:
“Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep,
shall taste anything;
they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water.
Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth
and call loudly to God;
every man shall turn from his evil way
and from the violence he has in hand.
Who knows, God may relent and forgive,
and withhold his blazing wrath,
so that we shall not perish.”
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out.
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Commentary on Jon 3:1-10
 
Jonah had tried to run from God after the first time the word of God came to him. He was swallowed by a giant fish and spewed out on dry land. Following his miraculous rescue from the belly of the great fish, the prophet Jonah is sent to Nineveh, a traditional enemy of the Jews.  He is sent to spread the news that, unless they repented their ways, the city would be destroyed. It is not explicit in this reading, but Jonah was sure he would fail, and the city would be destroyed. This selection, then, describes his unexpected success and God’s subsequent redemption.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 130:1b-2, 3-4ab, 7-8
 
R. (3) If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
 
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
 
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
 
Let Israel wait for the LORD,
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
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Commentary on Ps 130:1b-2, 3-4ab, 7-8
 
Psalm 130 is an individual lament.  It is implicit that all people sin and require God’s mercy as the singer pleads for forgiveness.  The psalmist exhorts the faithful to wait for the Lord’s redemption, assuring them it will come.
 
CCC: Ps 130:3 370
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Gospel: Luke 10:38-42
 
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”
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Commentary on Lk 10:38-42
 
In this encounter with Martha and Mary in St. Luke’s Gospel, we see two distinct messages. First, we see the importance of the role of women and Jesus’ attitude toward them. Second, we see the importance of listening to the word of God: "Mary has chosen the better part."
 
The selection emphasizes the importance of listening to the teachings of the Lord. While in some early texts the Lord tells Martha there is “need for only a few things,” or of one, the message is clear: Mary, in assuming the role of disciple (listening at the master’s feet) has chosen the correct or better role. Martha, concerning herself with the requirements of hospitality (old law) has chosen the lesser.
 
“Mystically (St. Gregory the Great, Moralia 2, 6): the two women signify two dimensions of the spiritual life. Martha signifies the active life as she busily labors to honor Christ through her work. Mary exemplifies the contemplative life as she sits attentively to listen and learn from Christ. While both activities are essential to Christian living, the latter is greater than the former. For in heaven the active life terminates, while the contemplative life reaches its perfection.” [4]
 
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Reflection:
 
Jonah must have been shocked (he will later be angry) that the people of Nineveh have listened to him, and more importantly, believed the word of God he spoke to them.  We are told that only one day into his three-day trip across the city, the people reacted to his call to repentance and proclaimed a fast.  In accordance with God’s requirement, the entire city participated, putting on sackcloth and ashes, the traditional sign of repentance.  The key, for the purpose of the message we receive today, is that the people of Nineveh listened to God’s word and took it to heart. 
 
In St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus visits the house of Martha and Mary.  Jewish law demands that guests be shown hospitality, an obligation Martha takes seriously as she is portrayed “burdened with much serving.”  Her sister, however, is not helping.  Mary sits at Jesus’ feet, listening to his word.
 
There are a few remarkable things about the scene St. Luke describes.  First, is that Mary assumes the place “beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak,” a place that would normally be reserved for his disciples.  As a woman, her acceptance at this rabbinical teaching environment is remarkable in ancient Palestine.  The fact that the other men present allowed her to stay shows the role women play in St. Luke’s Gospel.  This is capped when Martha approaches Jesus and asks him to have Mary help her (anyone with siblings could immediately identify with Martha in this situation).  Instead of doing this the Lord tells Martha that her sister has chosen the better part.
 
The message delivered by the example of the Ninevites in the story of Jonah is reiterated at an individual level.  Listen to God’s Word; it is more important than anything else we do.  It is the whole point of this faith journey we share.  The Word of God comes to us each day, instructing and guiding us.  It is important that we listen and try to understand what the Lord is telling us. It is for us “the better part and it will not be taken from” us.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Our Lady of the Rosary” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. © 2010), 129.

Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Bruno, Priest
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Bruno
 
Biographical Information about St. Bruno
 
Or
 
Optional Memorial for Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, Virgin United States
 
Readings for the Memorial of Bl. Marie-Rose Durocher

Taken from the Common of Virgins or the Common of Holy Men and Women

Biographical Information about Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher 

“The Good Samaritan”
by Théodule-Augustin Ribot, before 1870

 
Readings for Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Jonah 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.
 
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.”
 
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.
“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.”
 
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.”
 
Still the men rowed hard to regain the land, but they could not,
for the sea grew ever more turbulent.
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.
 
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.
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Commentary on Jon 1:1–2:1-2, 11
 
We begin the book of the prophet Jonah with the command from God that the prophet must go to the Assyrian town of Nineveh. Jonah represents a narrow-minded group of Jews who believe that, as God’s chosen people, the Lord does not care about other nations. He is afraid of going to this town, so he runs in the opposite direction, to the far west, to Tarshish (believed to have been southwest of modern Spain).
 
The ship Jonah has sailed on runs into a serious storm and the sailors (although not identified as Jews) have the mindset that the storm is a punishment sent by God for someone on board. Jonah knows he is the one they suspect and tells the sailors to cast him over the side, which they do after praying to God not to punish them.
 
The story tells how Jonah is swallowed up by a giant fish and kept in its belly for three days (significant from a Christian perspective). Jonah is then spewed out on dry land. Note, the prayer uttered by Jonah while inside the fish is the psalm response we use today.
 
CCC: Jon 1:3 29; Jon 2:1 627; Jon 2:3-10 2585
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Responsorial Psalm: Jonah 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.
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Commentary on Jon 2:3, 4, 5, 8
 
Jonah’s prayer, from inside the giant fish that swallowed him, is an individual lament. The prophet calls to God out of fear, pleading to be restored to favor, and asking the Lord that he might “look upon your holy temple” once more.
 
CCC: Jon 2:3-10 2585
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Gospel: Luke 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.”
 
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
“And who is my neighbor?”
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 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.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
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.’
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.”
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Commentary on Lk 10:25-37
 
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, we find Jesus being challenged by a person referred to as a “scholar.” It seems clear that this man has a good idea of how Jesus is likely to respond to his initial question about what he must do to inherit eternal life. As soon as the man tells Jesus what the law says, the scholar asks for still more clarification asking: “And who is my neighbor?”
 
"In this passage, Jesus praises and accepts the summary of the law given by the Jewish scribe. This reply, taken from Deuteronomy (6:4ff), was a prayer which the Jews used to say frequently. Our Lord gives the very same reply when He is asked which is the principal commandment of the law and concludes His answer by saying, ‘On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets’ (Matthew 22:40; cf. also Romans 13:8-9; Galatians 5:14).
 
 "There is a hierarchy and order in these two commandments constituting the double precept of charity: before everything and above everything comes loving God in Himself. In the second place, and as a consequence of the first commandment, comes loving one's neighbor, for God explicitly requires us to do so (1 John 4:21; cf. notes on Matthew 22:34-40 and 22:37-38)."[4]
 
The illustration Jesus uses in answering him does clarify the answer, and at the same time, uses a cultural tension to heighten the lesson. First a priest of the Jewish temple passes the victim of robbery (one who is most scrupulous in observing the letter of the law); next a member of the priestly class, a Levite, does the same. The one who helps the victim (presumably a Jew) is a member of the Samaritan culture, antagonists of the Jewish people. In this way, the Lord provides a moral lesson along with an explanation of the law.
 
CCC: Lk 10:25-37 2822; Lk 10:27-37 1825; Lk 10:27 2083; Lk 10:34 1293
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Reflection:
 
The message today is very clear: God is the Father of all mankind, and his expectation is that the love he has shown for us is the same love we should show to each other.  The message comes at us hard from both the Old and the New Testaments. 
 
We begin with the story of Jonah, a prophet called by God to take a warning to Nineveh.  Because that town was in Assyria, enemy of the Jews, Jonah, like many of his contemporaries, could not believe God would help non-Jews.  On top of that, since they were hostile to the Jews, what kind of a reception would he receive, and why would they even listen to him?  Faced with these views and feelings, Jonah did the logical thing, he ran in the opposite direction. 
 
If we read the whole story, the lesson to be learned is clear. God did not come “just” for one group of people, he came for the whole human race, all his children.
 
Moving ahead from the story of Jonah and his prayer from inside the giant fish (which is used as the responsorial psalm) to the Gospel, where we examined events which took place some seven hundred years before the Lord walked the earth: We are given a more pointed and personal story with the same message, the story of the Good Samaritan.  Here, a person hoping to “justify himself” before Jesus as a faithful member of the Jewish community, asks Jesus to explain the Lord’s own Great Commandment by asking: “who is my neighbor?”
 
The Lord answers this question with a parable that can be seen as analogous or parallel to the Jonah tale.  The parable of the Good Samaritan, also a group known as hostile to the Jews, explains to the questioner that all peoples of all races are his neighbors. And like the story of Jonah, the parable of the Good Samaritan should be an example for him to follow. 
 
This pair of examples should be reminders to all of us.  In the world climate in which we find ourselves, it is easy to develop stereotypes and biases that would lead us to behave as if some groups are not worthy of our love.  When we run into a vocal group whose message is hate and violence it is easy to forget the Good Samaritan.
 
Our prayer today must be that we, as faithful followers of the Lord who spent three days in a tomb, might find a path to eternal life, might emulate the Good Samaritan.  We pray that all those we meet today will see in our actions that we treat them as “neighbors” and extend to them the love of Christ.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “The Good Samaritan” by  Théodule-Augustin Ribot, before 1870.
[2] S.S Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts” (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 423.