 |
“Hell”
by Hans Memling, c. 1485 |
Readings for Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Sirach 5:1-8 [4]
Rely not on your wealth;
say not: “I have the power.”
Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: “Who can prevail against me?”
or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?”
for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?”
for the Most High bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident,
adding sin upon sin.
Say not: “Great is his mercy;
my many sins he will forgive.”
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
upon the wicked alights his wrath.
Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day.
For suddenly his wrath flames forth;
at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
Rely not upon deceitful wrath,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Sir 5:1-8
Sirach condemns those who presume upon the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness. He points out that wealth in itself is not evil, but the sense of self-reliance and power that comes with wealth is the real danger. Those who presume that, because they are wealthy and powerful, they do not need to follow God’s laws are doomed to reap the punishment of the God of Justice. They must repent and turn away from their conceit, or find it is too late. Here “on the day of wrath” refers to reversals in fortune or even death.
CCC: Sir 5:2 1809
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R. (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.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Psalm 1 serves as a preface to the whole book of the 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.”
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 9:41-50
In this passage, Jesus finishes his warning to the disciples against jealousy and intolerance toward others. Having said that, he warns that those who call people to faith in him, even if they do not walk with the disciples, are friends. He speaks of those who would lead the people away from him, again using the “little child” as a symbol of the weak in spirit and the poor. Those that mislead, or who are tempted to do so, should resist such temptation at any price, or they will find an eternal punishment waiting for them. The Lord makes this warning using a paraphrase from Isaiah 66:24.
“The Fathers see, in these references to hands and eyes and so forth [vv. 43-48], people who are persistent in evil and ever-ready to entice others to evil behavior and erroneous beliefs. These are the people we should distance ourselves from, so as to enter life, rather than accompany them to hell (St Augustine, "De Consensu Evangelistarum", IV, 16; St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St Matthew", 60).” [5]
The final verse speaks of salt, using the analogy of purifying and preserving food. The word of Christ will have the same effect, that is, purifying and preserving the believer.
CCC: Mk 9:43-48 1034
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The words of Sirach and the Psalm are certainly in synch with each other, pointing out that the values of the faithful must be placed on spiritual things rather than material wealth. Even the Gospel chimes in, speaking about the consequences of getting it wrong, as the Lord talks about avoiding temptation (“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire”).
There are those who would say that Holy Scripture, properly used should always be “uplifting.” Today instead, we get a reality check. When we hear that God will deal harshly with the unjust rich, those who covet their wealth and ignore the plight of those less fortunate, we are forced to examine our own circumstances. We, who live in the richest nation on earth, must constantly be vigilant not to allow wealth to become the motive for what we do. As Scripture points out, there are unpleasant consequences.
It is easy to fall into that trap of serving wealth instead of God. Our society praises those who are able to gain great wealth. Likewise, society tends to turn a blind eye on those who abuse that wealth and the power that comes with it. Our children are exposed to these misguided values (“whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea”).and it is sometimes tempting to rationalize that, by focusing on the accumulation of wealth, we can do more good with the money we hoard.
Look at the transcripts from the recent exchange between corporate executives of the oil companies and the Senate Energy Committee. When asked how they could continue to justify huge profits while the people are suffering because of high gas prices, their responses were that they are forcing the country to become better at conserving energy resources. Even a firm believer in the free enterprise system would agree that sometimes greed gets out of hand.
The Gospel mandate is clear. While we are called to use the gifts God gives us to provide for ourselves and our families, we must constantly be on guard against allowing our search for prosperity override the need to express God’s love to those with less. Our prayer today is a simple one: God help the prosperity of the work of our hands for your greater glory and may what we do help those less fortunate, that they too might know their loving Father and His Son, Jesus
Pax
[1] The icon is “Hell” by Hans Memling, c. 1485.
[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] Note: The citation for this reading is incorrect in the published index of the Lectionary for Mass.
[5] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 274.
