Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 299, 381: man created in the image of God; the first-born
CCC 1931-1933: viewing neighbor as another self
CCC 2447: corporal works of mercy
CCC 1465: the priest as Good Samaritan in the sacrament of penance
CCC 203, 291, 331, 703: the Word and creation, visible and invisible

“The Good Samaritan”
by Johann Karl Loth, 1676

 
Readings for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary:[4]
 
Reading 1: Deuteronomy 30:10-14
 
Moses said to the people:
“If only you would heed the voice of the Lord, your God,
and keep his commandments and statutes
that are written in this book of the law,
when you return to the Lord, your God,
with all your heart and all your soul.
 
“For this command that I enjoin on you today
is not too mysterious and remote for you.
It is not up in the sky, that you should say,
‘Who will go up in the sky to get it for us
and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’
Nor is it across the sea, that you should say,
‘Who will cross the sea to get it for us
and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’
No, it is something very near to you,
already in your mouths and in your hearts;
you have only to carry it out.”
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Commentary on Dt 30:10-14
 
This section of the book of Deuteronomy is part of Moses’ last discourse. In this passage the great prophet is referring to Mosaic Law which has been chronicled earlier in the book. The gist of his challenge to the people is that the law, which in turn is an integral part of fulfilling the covenant with God, also established earlier in the book, is not difficult to keep. It is, in most cases, something they are already doing (“already in your mouths and in your hearts”).
 
"St. Paul, in his Letter to the Romans (Romans 10:6-8), uses this passage, applying it not to knowledge of the law but to 'the word of faith' that is preached by the apostles: it is now that word (as previously it was the law) that makes manifest the precepts and commandments of God and (like the law in its time, too) it should be constantly on our lips and in our heart. Theodoret of Cyprus (commenting on the Greek Septuagint version, which adds in v. 14 'and in your hands') says: The mouth stands for meditation on the divine words; the heart, readiness of spirit; the hands for doing what is commanded' ('Quaestiones in Octateuchum', 38).” [5]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37
 
R. (cf. 33) Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
 
I pray to you, O Lord,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O Lord, for bounteous is your kindness:
in your great mercy turn toward me.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
 
I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
 
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the Lord hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
 
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
The descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
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Commentary on Ps 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37
 
Psalm 69 is a lament.  In this passage the song asks God for help in dire straits, and expresses trust that the prayer will be answered. The concluding verses refer to the rebuilding of Jerusalem and Judah.
 
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Or: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
 
R. (9a) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
 
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the Lord is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
 
The precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the command of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
 
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
 
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
 
Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In this passage, we give praise to God’s gift of the law which guides us in our daily lives. The hymn also extols the virtue of obedience and steadfastness to the law and its precepts. The passage also reflects the idea that following God’s statutes leads to peace and prosperity.
 
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Reading II: Colossians 1:15-20
 
Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
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Commentary on Col 1:15-20
 
St. Paul, in this selection, now begins to address some confusion in teachings that have been addressed to the Colossians, specifically about angels and their place in the hierarchy. The evangelist reaffirms Christ’s primacy, and his relationship as God’s only Son with authority over all things (note: “visible and invisible”). We see in this statement a clear vision of the Lord’s authority over us, our souls, and his rule both in heaven and on earth.
 
 “As the poetic arrangement indicates, these lines are probably an early Christian hymn, known to the Colossians and taken up into the letter from liturgical use (cf Philippians 2:6-11; 1 Timothy 3:16). They present Christ as the mediator of creation (Colossians 1:15-18a) and of redemption (Colossians 1:18b-20). There is a parallelism between firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15) and firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18).” [6]

CCC: Col 1:15-20 2641; Col 1:15 241, 299, 381, 1701; Col 1:16-17 291; Col 1:16 331; Col 1:18-20 624; Col 1:18 504, 658, 753, 343, 792; Col 1:20-22 2305
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Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
 
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him 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?”
 
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.
 
"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)." [7]
 
CCC: Lk 10:25-37 2822; Lk 10:27-37 1825; Lk 10:27 2083; Lk 10:34 1293
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Reflection:
 
Is there anyone who doubts that we are deep into the swamp of midsummer, step outside? Yet, God’s great gift of creation needs to be celebrated always.  So we rejoice in his great gift to us, even as we celebrate the gift of his Only Begotten Son. As St. Paul says in his letter to the Colossians, “For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,” as we will shorty remind ourselves in the creed.
 
This weekend we are treated once more to the Gospel story from St. Luke of the Good Samaritan.  This familiar parable is proceeded by the great prophet Moses who reminds the Hebrew people that “For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you.”  Like much of Mosaic Law, it is very straight forward.  While Moses does not explicitly say it in this passage, the Great Commandment given by Jesus is linked to it and is given once more in St. Luke’s Gospel:
 
“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.”
 
Moses was correct, was he not? This instruction was not difficult to understand.  However, it is not always easy to live in our daily lives.
 
The Lord makes clear how difficult the Great Commandment is to live by using the parable of the good Samaritan.  To appreciate how profound this lesson is, it is really important to understand the nature of the individuals described in the parable.  First, we have the victim who is presumably Jewish.  He is beaten, robbed and left severely injured by the side of the road.  We say severely because he was not able to get up on his own and was called “half dead.”  He is first observed by a priest who passes the injured man by.  We must assume that if Jesus had asked this man what the greatest commandment of the law was, he would have responded as the “scholar of the law” who had responded to Jesus at the beginning of the reading. He knows his duty under Mosaic Law, yet he passed the injured man by.
 
Next on the scene was a Levite, also of a religious group within the Hebrew community, a countryman of the one who lay half dead by the side of the road he walked.  Likewise, he would have been very aware of his duty under the law.  Still, he passed the many by.  Where was the compassion implicit in loving your neighbor as yourself?
 
Finally, a Samaritan happens on the injured man.  Here we must understand that the use of the term “Samaritan” in modern English transforms this person as disposed to help the less fortunate.  It derives from this very parable.  In the time of Jesus, this Samaritan, a person from Samaria, would have been considered antagonistic to the Jews in the region of Jerico and Jerusalem where this story takes place. 
 
Samaritans were considered heretics by Jews of the region outside of Samaria.  The source of this antagonism was similar to the schism between the Christians of Constantinople and the Christians of Rome during the Crusades.  Stemming from historic actions found in the First book of Samuel, Eli (1 Samuel 1:24ff) chose to build a temple in Shiloh with himself as high priest, rather than the historic site of Mount Gerizim. Later, the Shiloh temple was moved to the temple mount in Jerusalem.  The Samaritans, who preferred to call themselves Israelite Samaritans and were in fact part of the historical Hebrew people.  We have all observed how seemingly minor differences in religious practice and beliefs can establish long-term riffs.  This was the case between the Jews of Jerusalem and the Israelite Samaritans.
 
Back to our parable.  So, a Samaritan comes upon the injured man.  Presumably, because the two would have been antagonistic toward each other, it was expected that the Samaritan would also pass the man by, yet he stopped to help.  Beyond simply helping the man, Scripture tells us that:
 
“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.’”
 
And beyond that the Samaritan told the innkeeper if more money was needed the Samaritan would stand good for that amount as well.  This was compassion, mercy, and generosity which would have been expected as if the injured man was a friend, a neighbor, or even a relative.  The point of the parable is made, and the question is answered. Who is your neighbor?  The person you are to love as yourself is any person in desperate need of help.  Jesus makes the point of God’s law.  If we which to follow the Lord as he has invited us to do, we are called to help those less fortunate with whom we come in contact, not pass them by.
 
Now I know at least some of us are thinking about those standing by the side of the exit ramps asking for money and thinking are these the people we need to help?  Let’s take a page from our good Samaritan.  Did he stop and put the silver coins in the hand of the half dead Jew by the side of the road?  No, he went much further. 
 
So, if you are traveling and happen to see someone needing help, and if you feel compelled to help them out of compassion and mercy, don’t simply hand them a five-dollar bill and drive on.  Pull over and ask them if they need a meal or a place to stay.  If they say yes, take them to a restaurant or a hotel and pay for a meal or a night. (I suspect most of those standing at the roadsides asking for money will not take you up on your offer but be prepared if they do. Oh, and never put yourself at risk, always have someone with you if you do decide to help someone in those circumstances.)
 
A better way to follow the Lord’s command would be to take advantage of out-reaches from Washtenaw Catholic Charities who do help the homeless with meals and places to stay.  There are other charities as well that would welcome your time and participation, especially when many government-sponsored programs are being cut.
 
The moral of the parable of the good Samaritan is to listen to God’s law and follow it with your heart not just your lips.  It is a great lesson for us all.
 
Pax
 
In other years on July 13^th: Optional Memorial for Saint Henry

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture today is “The Good Samaritan” by Johann Karl Loth, 1676.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] 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.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp. 780-81.
[6] See NAB Footnote on Colossians 1:15-20.
[7] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 423.

Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for the Blessed Virgin Mary
 
On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. [1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary. (USCCB recommends: #42 The Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians )

“Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”
by Abel Penn, c. 1920’s

 
Readings for Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary [4]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
 
Jacob gave his sons this charge:
"Since I am about to be taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
the cave in the field of Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the Hittites."
 
Now that their father was dead,
Joseph's brothers became fearful and thought,
"Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!"
So they approached Joseph and said:
"Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
'You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.'
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father's God, committed."
When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him
and said, "Let us be your slaves!"
But Joseph replied to them:
"Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children."
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.
 
Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father's family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim's children to the third generation,
and the children of Manasseh's son Machir
were also born on Joseph's knees.
 
Joseph said to his brothers: "I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued,
"When God thus takes care of you,
you must bring my bones up with you from this place."
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.
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Commentary on Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
 
In the passage from Genesis today we hear the final chapters of the life of Jacob and then Joseph. We see, following the death of Jacob, the fidelity of Joseph to God’s rule as he forgoes any thoughts of retribution against those brothers of his who had sold him into slavery. God’s plan was clearly revealed and the actions of Joseph’s brothers were forgiven. The line of Abraham continues as Joseph, on his death bed, predicts the exodus from the land of Egypt to come. (“God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.")
 
CCC: Gn 50:20 312
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7
 
R. (see Psalm 69:33) Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
 
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
 
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
 
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
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Commentary on Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7
 
Psalm 105 is a song of thanksgiving. In this section, the singer gives thanks to God for the tradition of Abraham’s descendants and the salvation that is shown through their story.
 
CCC: Ps 105:3 30
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Gospel: Matthew 10:24-33
 
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
 
"Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father."
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Commentary on Mt 10:24-33
 
Jesus concludes his instructions to the apostles as he sends them out. Here he tells them that they go with his authority and his purpose, which may be hidden from others, but which they will proclaim from “the housetops.” He tells them not to fear the persecution he has told them they will face. Fear should be absent, because while the body may be killed, their souls are safe with him. He concludes this passage telling them that the Father is watching over them, and they have nothing to fear.
 
"The disciple is not above his teacher, nor the servant above his lord.  How well Jesus knows the human passion to surpass, to overtake, to win, to be-greater-than! How difficult it is for us as disciples to realize the truth that real growth and movement consist in staying where we are, that is, in our condition as disciples and servants! We naturally associate advancing and growing with ‘going up in the world,’ with ‘becoming someone.’ But the Lord reveals in his person that the way that truly leads up to God must first lead downward. The eternal, divine Word ‘humbled himself, and in obedience accepted even death. [...] Therefore God raised him  to the heights [...] so that [...] every tongue should confess Jesus Christ is Lord’ (Philippians 2:8-11). [5]
 
CCC: Mt 10:25 765; Mt 10:25 765; Mt 10:28 363, 1034; Mt 10:29-31 305; Mt 10:32-33 1816; Mt 10:32 14, 2145
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Reflection:
 
Today in St. Matthew’s Gospel we find the paradox of our faith clearly exemplified. Like the friends of Jesus (his disciples), we are called to him and sent into the world. Like the Twelve, we are uncertain and feel unworthy to accept this great task. On top of our feelings of inadequacy, we are afraid. What if we fail to speak the right words? What if we are rebuffed and rejected? What if our very mission brings us into a situation where we can be physically harmed?
 
These feelings were all present in the disciples. To calm those fears, Jesus explains to them that, going in his name, they go with his authority. In addition, the Lord points out that they should not fear physical harm. First, they should not fear it because the important part of who they are is safe from any harm. They (we) belong to him and our spirits are thus guarded from eternal death which should be their (and our) greatest fear. They are also told that since they go in the Lord’s name, the Father watches over them and will keep them from harm.
 
As we see in Genesis as God’s plan for Jacob and Joseph comes to a close, God will watch over us as he did our brothers and sisters gone before us in faith. The great covenant made with Abraham has been overshadowed by Christ’s covenant with us – the new covenant. Through that covenant a promise was made, that we who love God and our neighbors as Christ taught us would not perish.
 
We are called and sent like the first disciples of Christ. We go into the world now to carry the good news especially to those who live in darkness. May we never fear in this effort, confident that God is with us, watching over us. In him is our strength and hope.
 
Pax
 

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[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by ‘BVM.’ The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2] The picture is “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” by Abel Penn, c. 1920’s.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] 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.
[5] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 573.

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Benedict
 
Biographical information about St. Benedict

“Saint Benedict”
by Fra Angelico,1387

 
Readings for Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30
 
Israel set out with all that was his.
When he arrived at Beer-sheba,
he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called,
"Jacob! Jacob!"
He answered, "Here I am."
Then he said: "I am God, the God of your father.
Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,
for there I will make you a great nation.
Not only will I go down to Egypt with you;
I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes."
 
So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba,
and the sons of Israel
put their father and their wives and children
on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport.
They took with them their livestock
and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan.
Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt.
His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters
all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.
 
Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph,
so that he might meet him in Goshen.
On his arrival in the region of Goshen,
Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot
and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen.
As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck
and wept a long time in his arms.
And Israel said to Joseph, "At last I can die,
now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive."
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Commentary on Gn 46:1-7, 28-30
 
"Jacob goes down to Egypt forced by the famine which is ravaging the land of Canaan (cf. Genesis 47:4). The Lord has prepared the way for him by means of a series of painful events and a series of tests whose meaning is now plain to see." [4]
 
“Jacob's status is not reduced by his going into Egypt; on the contrary, it is enhanced and underlined: 'For, what does he need if God goes with him? [...] Who is as powerful in his homeland as Jacob was in a strange country? Who had such abundance of wealth, as he had in a time of famine? Who was as strong in his youth, as this man was in his old age? [...] Who was as rich in his kingdom, as this man on his pilgrimage? He even blessed kings [...], and who will call him poor whom the world was not worthy to know? for his company was in heaven, (St. Ambrose, ‘De Iacob Et Vita Beata', 2, 9. 38)." [5]

After being told years earlier that his son Joseph had been killed and been shown the bloodied coat he had given Joseph (Genesis 37:20-36), Jacob (Israel) and his son are reunited and the promise of God is fulfilled. Jacob travels to Egypt on God’s reassurance that he will not only be returned to the land he had been given, but that Joseph would “close his eyes,” a burial ritual.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
 
R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
 
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
 
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
 
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
 
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
 
This didactic selection from Psalm 37 promises the salvation of those who hear God’s voice and trust in him.  Central to this passage is the fidelity of God to those who are faithful.  Salvation for them is assured if they trust in him and take refuge in their faith. The author responds to the question: why do the wicked prosper? In these strophes, it continues the plea to be faithful to God, and remain steadfast in the time of adversity. The psalmist adds that those who turn away should return and God will give them salvation.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23
 
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves;
so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.
But beware of men,
for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
 
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.
Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes."
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Commentary on Mt 10:16-23
 
“So long as we continue to behave as sheep, we are victorious. Even if ten thousand wolves surround us, we conquer and are victorious.  But the moment we become wolves, we are conquered, for we lose the help of the shepherd.  He is the shepherd of sheep, not of wolves.  If he leaves you and goes away, it is because you do not allow him to show his power.” (St. John Chrysostom, Homilie in Mattheum, 33.)
 
Jesus concludes his instruction to the apostles in this selection from Matthew’s Gospel. We begin to hear about the persecutions that attend the spreading of the Gospel. Those who spread that Good News are encouraged not to worry about an apologia (defense), but rather to trust in the Holy Spirit, the Father “speaking through you.”
 
Matthew’s final statement, referring to the coming of the Son of Man, has a couple of possible explanations. First it could be referring to the return of Christ after his crucifixion. It could also mean the punishment of the unbelieving Jewish people by the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 AD.
 
CCC: Mt 10:16 764; Mt 10:19-20 728; Mt 10:22 161, 1821
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Reflection:
 
“See how they love one another.” (While this sounds biblical it is actually popularized form of a quote from Tertullian’s noted Apologia [39.6] written in the third century.)  The implication is that non-Christians would be able to identify us by the way we behave toward one another (and others as well, since the injunction to love one’s neighbor does not simply mean other Christians).  This action of “loving one another” is an outward sign of an interior faith.  There are a number of factors that must be present before we demonstrate to the world that we are Christian through our actions.
 
In the story unfolding in Genesis, we see Jacob (Israel) challenged to give up his belief in God’s love and mercy by the events taking place in his life.  He was led to believe by his sons that his favored son, Joseph, had been killed.  In spite of this evidence of his eyes, God promised Jacob he would see Joseph again before he died.  What elevates Jacob to the status of patriarch of the faith is that, even though he had been convinced that Joseph was dead, he believed God’s promise.  His faith was strong in the face of overwhelming physical evidence to the contrary.
 
In St. Matthew’s Gospel Jesus warns the disciples that they will have their faith tested as well.  He tells them “I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves.”  Indeed, all but one of the Twelve will be killed by those to whom they are sent.  In all cases, the apostles are elevated to that same holy status as Jacob, all save one – Judas.  Judas’ failure was not that he turned Jesus over to be executed.  His failure was that he negotiated on a key point of faith.  He could not accept that Jesus was meant to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah in the way he ultimately did, through humble service.
 
As in these two examples (Jacob and the disciples), each of us also faces challenges to our faith.  Like Judas, we are offered the option of negotiating the core values that make us Christian.  We can choose an easier path, ignoring the poor and marginalized, choosing our own comfort over the greater good of our neighbors, selfishness over generosity.  These choices face us each day. We pray for the intercession of those who have gone before us in faith. May we be steadfast in our love of God and neighbor, thereby maintaining our friendship with Christ.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is the Darmstadt Altarpiece: “Saint Benedict” by Fra Angelico,1387.
[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: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 212.
[5] Ibid. pp. 213-14.

Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“The Recognition of Joseph by his Brothers”
by Peter Cornelius, 1816-17

 
Readings for Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5
 
Judah approached Joseph and said: "I beg you, my lord,
let your servant speak earnestly to my lord,
and do not become angry with your servant,
for you are the equal of Pharaoh.
My lord asked your servants, 'Have you a father, or another brother?'
So we said to my lord, 'We have an aged father,
and a young brother, the child of his old age.
This one's full brother is dead,
and since he is the only one by that mother who is left,
his father dotes on him.'
Then you told your servants,
'Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.
Unless your youngest brother comes back with you,
you shall not come into my presence again.'
When we returned to your servant our father,
we reported to him the words of my lord.
 
"Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.
So we reminded him, 'We cannot go down there;
only if our youngest brother is with us can we go,
for we may not see the man if our youngest brother is not with us.'
Then your servant our father said to us,
'As you know, my wife bore me two sons.
One of them, however, disappeared, and I had to conclude
that he must have been torn to pieces by wild beasts;
I have not seen him since.
If you now take this one away from me, too,
and some disaster befalls him,
you will send my white head down to the nether world in grief.'"
 
Joseph could no longer control himself
in the presence of all his attendants,
so he cried out, "Have everyone withdraw from me!"
Thus no one else was about when he made himself known to his brothers.
But his sobs were so loud that the Egyptians heard him,
and so the news reached Pharaoh's palace.
"I am Joseph," he said to his brothers.
"Is my father still in good health?"
But his brothers could give him no answer,
so dumbfounded were they at him.
 
"Come closer to me," he told his brothers.
When they had done so, he said:
"I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt.
But now do not be distressed,
and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here.
It was really for the sake of saving lives
that God sent me here ahead of you."
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Commentary on Gn 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5
 
Joseph punishes his bothers for having sold him into slavery by tricking them into bringing Benjamin their youngest brother, who had taken Joseph’s place as the apple of his father’s eye. When he confronts them and sees their willingness to protect and save Benjamin, he reveals himself to them. Joseph tells his brothers that, in selling him to Egypt, they did God’s will since through him many lives were saved.
 
"The episode begins and ends with Jacob or Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. It is he who suggests at the beginning a trip to Egypt to “buy a little food”; it is he who finally agrees to go down himself “to see my son Joseph before I die” (43:2; 45:28). He is still the patriarchal head of his extended family, who takes the initiative and makes the ultimate decision to send Benjamin and later to move to Egypt, but in other respects he is very much yesterday’s man. He is still living in the past, now lavishing all his love on Benjamin as formerly he did on Joseph, still regarding Rachel as his only wife, still mourning the death of Joseph (44:27–30), and still mistrustful of his other sons (43:6; 45:26). Yet eventually he concedes what they request, permission for Benjamin to accompany them to Egypt. Though this concession is wrung out of him reluctantly, he then takes charge, trusting as he did with Esau that a large present and divine grace will make 'the man' merciful (43:11–14)." [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
 
R. (5a) Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
They had weighed him down with fetters,
and he was bound with chains,
Till his prediction came to pass
and the word of the LORD proved him true.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
 
Psalm 105 is a historical hymn that recalls, in this selection, the Genesis story (Genesis 37:3ff), speaking of the fate of Joseph in Egypt and how God rescued and supported him in his slavery. It also recounts the actions of Joseph’s brothers, selling him into slavery in Egypt and speaks of the rise of Joseph in the house of Pharaoh.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15
 
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"As you go, make this proclamation:
'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town."
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Commentary on Mt 10:7-15
 
Jesus instructs the apostles, as he sends them on their mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. They are to go into the world without any provisions and will depend upon the generosity of others. The Lord gives them authority over all manner of diseases and afflictions but reminds them that they are not to request payment for these gifts of healing.
The Lord's instructions end with a warning to those who reject the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus tells the apostles that those who reject the peace they offer will suffer, like those cut off from God's grace by the judgment upon those who perished in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah  (see Genesis 19:1-26).
 
"Is Jesus not sending his disciples to men, just as he had himself come to pitch his own tent among us, a man among men? Toward the end of this passage, indeed, he refers to himself as ‘the Son of Man’ (v. 23), source of the disciples’ hope and spiritual power, for whose sake they were undertaking this difficult mission." [5]
 
CCC: Mt 10:5-7 543; Mt 10:8 1509, 2121, 2443; Mt 10:10 2122
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Reflection:
 
"What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). St. Paul paraphrases the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 64:3, 65:16) with these words and summarizes the lesson we take from Sacred Scripture at numerous points.  We see evidence of how this comes to pass in the story that continues to unfold in Genesis.
 
We are all familiar with the story of the sons of Jacob, how they sold their brother Joseph into slavery, and then told their father he had been killed.  In the first reading, we hear how their actions, as ignoble as they were, were used by God for the salvation of many, including those envious and mean-spirited brothers. 
 
The scenario has a familiar ring to it, does it not?  Even in our own lives, don’t we have a saying that “God never closes a door but that he opens a window?”  In this case God has set Joseph in a place where he can dispense food to those who might otherwise starve due to famine.  (If we really want to get twisted around, we could ask: “Did God cause the famine so the brothers of Joseph would be forced to ask him for food, thereby exposing their evil deed and bringing salvation to Jacob at the same time?")  It is frequently the case that when we attempt to understand God’s plan, we find ourselves questioning his motives (look at the passion of Christ for example).  At some point, it is better to look at the end results and see how it all fits together.
 
The lesson of faith we learn is again summarized in St. Paul’s statement: we cannot conceive of what God has planned for us.  We are called to accept the following:  First, we accept that God loves us and has given us what we need to accomplish his will.  Second, he created us for a reason; he gives our lives purpose.
 
One of those “purposes” is implied in the Gospel from St. Matthew.  We are called by Christ and we are sent, armed with the Holy Spirit, into the world to proclaim the Good News.  It may be by word spoken or example lived, but it goes hand in hand with the call we received with our baptism, confirmed in the Holy Spirit, and reaffirmed in the Eucharist we share.
 
There may be those among us who say: “But I cannot do this.  I am shy or I am too old or too young or weak.”  We come back once more to St. Paul’s use of Isaiah’s prophecy. We cannot know God’s ultimate purpose, any more than Joseph did when he was sold into slavery, or the apostles did when they were called away from their fishing nets. We do not know what God has prepared for those who love him.  In that love, we can only accept his call and marvel at the wondrous deeds he brings to pass.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Recognition of Joseph by his Brothers” by Peter Cornelius, 1816-17.
[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] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 430–31.
[5] Leiva-Merikakis, Erasmo. Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word: Meditations on the Gospel According to St. Matthew. Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition, p. 685.