Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 554-556, 568: The Transfiguration

“The Transfiguration” (Detail)
by Sanzio Raffaello, 1518-20

 
Readings for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
 
As I watched:
 
Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
his throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened and the books were opened.
 
As the visions during the night continued, I saw:
 
One like a Son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
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Commentary on Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
 
In this vision from the book of Daniel, we see the symbols for God the Father, “the Ancient One,” seated on the Throne of Judgment (symbolized by fire), with all the faithful before him. Then comes “One like a Son of man;" this reference is a messianic vision. Jesus took that title upon himself in fulfillment of Scripture (in addition to John 1:51, see also Mark 14:62, Luke 22:69 and Matthew 26:64 all of which reference the attendance of heavenly powers).
 
In the context of the Feast of the Transfiguration, this image is consistent with that seen by the disciples in the Gospel.
 
CCC: Dn 7:10 678; Dn 7:13 440; Dn 7:14 664
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
 
R. (1a and 9a) The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
 
The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
 
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
 
Because you, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
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Commentary on Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
 
This song of thanksgiving rejoices in God’s rule of the earth from his heavenly throne. The images presented extol God’s supreme authority over earth and heaven.  The Heavenly Father is exalted above all of man’s deified creations. The imagery is consistent with God’s special presence (“clouds and darkness” seen but untouchable, emanating unspeakable power). The psalmist announces God’s justice and power over all creation.
 
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Reading II: 2 Peter 1:16-19
 
Beloved:
We did not follow cleverly devised myths
when we made known to you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received honor and glory from God the Father
when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory,
“This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven
while we were with him on the holy mountain.
Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable.
You will do well to be attentive to it,
as to a lamp shining in a dark place,
until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
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Commentary on 2 Pt 1:16-19
 
St. Peter offers his reference to the transfiguration event, as part of an apologia; he presents his experience, claiming Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. He quotes the Gospel account of this event explicitly, saying that he was indeed present and heard the words: “This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (See Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; and Luke 9:35.)
"These verses encapsulate the whole notion of biblical prophecy--its value, interpretation and divine origin. They also show the close connection between the Old and the New Testaments. ‘The books of the Old Testament, all of them caught up into the Gospel message, attain and show forth their full meaning in the New Testament (cf. Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:27; Romans 16:25-26; 2 Corinthians 3: 14-16) and, in their turn, shed light on it and explain it" (Vatican II, 'Dei Verbum', 16).’” [5]
 
CCC: 2 Pt 1:16-18 554
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Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
 
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
“Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
 
As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
“Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
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Commentary on Mt 17:1-9
 
In the opening paragraph of St. Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration, James, John, and Peter see Jesus take on a majestic appearance, with imagery consistent with Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:9-14) and then be joined by Moses the giver of the law, and Elijah, first among the prophets.  Scholars agree that uniting and fulfilling the Law and the Prophets represented in this tableau was a key message of this event.
 
The suggestion by St. Peter that he erect three “booths” suggests the Jewish Feast of Booths which commemorates the revelation of the law by Moses at Mt. Sinai; a close parallel is emphasized as the ultimate revelation of God in Christ is now played out.
 
The “bright cloud” is another Old Testament symbol used to represent the immediate presence of God (see Exodus 19:9 and 24:15-16).  From within it God speaks the same formula used at Jesus’ baptism (see Matthew 3:17) providing the final absolute identity of Jesus as the Christ.
 
This event is recounted in all three of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36) confirms that Jesus is the Son of God. While some scholars point to this as possibly inserted here as a post-resurrection redaction, modern thought is that, because of Old Testament images and Jewish non-canonical apocalyptic images expressed in the brilliant light, white garments and overshadowing cloud, the event is appropriately placed in Jesus’ lifetime.
 
Especially in this account we are reminded of the Lord’s baptismal event, as God’s proclamation is similar to that recounted as Jesus came up from the Jordan “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
 
CCC: Mt 17:1-8 & par. 554; Mt 17:5 444
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Reflection:
 
Today we celebrate the gift of revelation.  In Sacred Scripture Jesus is identified by God as his Son twice.  The first time God spoke the words "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased “ was at his baptism by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan River, an event that started his public ministry.  God speaks to them again at the miraculous transfiguration.
 
There is no ambiguity in the factual statement.  God makes it absolutely clear, in front of reliable witnesses, that Jesus is his Son. 
 
Perhaps Jesus sometimes uses the older name he seems to have adopted from Daniel’s visions, “one like a son of man.”  But again, placed in the context of revelation, the Messiah does come like a son of man.  He walks among the people. He was born of woman. His human body suffered the humiliation of those he came to save and died on the cross.  While his attitudes and actions set him apart as holy, as St. Paul tells us in the Kenotic Hymn; “He was known to be of human estate.”
 
For the briefest of moments, the “One like a Son of man” is revealed as True God: “…his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.”  For that one moment, the three most privileged disciples were able to see the Lord in his essential form. 
 
And what does this flash of divinity bring to us, his disciples all these millennia later?  It is a proof that gives strength to our faith – certainty.  It is a rapturous moment to revel in as we celebrate the divine life that his radiance has shone upon us.  Ultimately it is a challenge from the Lord – in this revelation there is an implied question: “Do we believe this story?”  If we do then our actions should reflect our belief.  If we believe that God came to us to give us life and to call us to his standard, we should be doing all we can to transform ourselves.  In a sense, it’s like the encounter between Jesus and St. Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after his resurrection.  He asked Peter three times if he believed.  When the affirmative answer came, he told St. Peter to feed his sheep. 
 
God said: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.  Listen to him.”  If we believe, we have no option but to heed that call.
 
Pax
 
In other years on this date: Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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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 used today is “The Transfiguration (Detail)” by Sanzio Raffaello, 1518-20.
[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, Revelation and Hebrews and Catholic Letters, (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003), 361.

Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome
 
Proper readings for the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major
 
Additional information about the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major

“Christ and the Canaanite Woman“
by Juan De Flandes, c. 1500

Readings for Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 31:1-7
 
At that time, says the LORD,
I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel,
and they shall be my people.
Thus says the LORD:
The people that escaped the sword
have found favor in the desert.
As Israel comes forward to be given his rest,
the LORD appears to him from afar:
With age-old love I have loved you;
so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers.
Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits.
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen
will call out on Mount Ephraim:
"Rise up, let us go to Zion,
to the LORD, our God."
For thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
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Commentary on Jer 31:1-7
 
Jeremiah addresses himself to the Israelites who have fled to the desert in the Diaspora. He likens them to those who went into the same desert following Moses as they fled Egypt (Exodus 16-18). They return to “Zion” – the New Jerusalem – with joy because of God’s great mercy toward them. The prophet envisions the great prosperity of the people as they return, delivered from their exile. Key in this passage is the great love the Father shows his people echoed in Hosea 2:21-25 and Isaiah 54:6-8.
 
CCC: Jer 31 1611
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Responsorial Psalm: Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12ab, 13
 
R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
 
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD'S blessings.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
 
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy.
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
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Commentary on Jer 31:10, 11-12ab, 13
 
The prophet Jeremiah foresees the return of the people from exile and the joyful restoration of Jerusalem.  The people rejoice as they return to prosperity, led by the Lord, the faithful shepherd who accomplishes this saving act. As in Isaiah 42:10 and Isaiah 49:1, all nations are called to witness God’s saving hand stretched out to his people.
 
The song from Jeremiah recalls the Diaspora, the exile of the Hebrews. In these strophes, the prophet sees the salvific work of God who shepherds his people as they return from exile in the “new exodus,” and the reunification of the people. He prophesies their return to the land from which they had been driven, giving praise to God for his mercy.
 
CCC: Jer 31 1611
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Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28
 
At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
"Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon."
But he did not say a word in answer to her.
His disciples came and asked him,
"Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us."
He said in reply,
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me."
He said in reply,
"It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs."
She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters."
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
"O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish."
And her daughter was healed from that hour.
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Commentary on Mt 15:21-28
 
There was a long history of tension between the Canaanites and the Hebrews that was at a high point when Jesus encountered the Canaanite woman in the Gospel. She clearly knew what she was doing as she addressed him as “Lord, Son of David,” identifying him by that name as a Hebrew.
 
In this selection Jesus has withdrawn from Palestine to escape the persecution of the Pharisees and scribes and to spend time training his disciples. The region they come to is predominantly Gentile and sets the scene for his encounter with this woman (in St. Mark’s Gospel it is the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30).
 
Jesus, while the words attributed to him are harsh, did not, as most of his own contemporaries would have, begin throwing stones at her to drive her away. His disciples were begging him to do that. Jesus recognized the great gulf between them but opened his healing touch to the woman’s child when her faith in him was demonstrated.
 
The exchange between Jesus and the woman is intended to describe the universal nature of the messianic mission. Within the dialogue we see Jesus initially refuse to accede to the woman’s request (even though she recognized his authority “the woman came and did him homage, saying, 'Lord, help me'”).
 
This same pattern of refusal and then acquiescence is found in St. John’s Gospel (John 2:4, John 4:48). The metaphor being exchanged in this banter refers to the “children” being the Hebrews, and the “dogs” a reference to the Gentiles (frequently referred to as such by Hebrews of the day). While this seems out of character for the Lord, our translation leaves out some conversational nuances that soften the dialogue. The word translated as “dogs” in this translation could be more accurately expressed as “pups” or “little dogs.” It is also significant that the children and pups are eating at the same table, again expressing the universal nature of the mission of the Messiah.
 
CCC: Mt 15:22 439, 448; Mt 15:28 2610
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Reflection:
 
In spite of the way the exchange between Jesus and the Canaanite woman sounds, the message given is actually one of unity. We hear Jesus refuse the woman who has come to him. She caught him at a very bad time. He had just traveled to Tyre; he needed a rest, time away from the confrontations with the Pharisees in Palestine. And here comes this woman, a Gentile, who throws herself at him. It is interesting to note that each, Jesus and the woman, are both turning their backs on their native lands.  Each of them is moving toward an encounter arranged by the Father.
 
Jesus is true man as well as true God. He became tired just as we do. Curing the sick and casting out demons took much effort on his part. So, he declines. He has not been as successful with the “children of Israel” as he had hoped. The gospel he brought to his native land had not been well received, and here comes this Gentile woman making claims on that message of salvation.
 
Jesus uses a slang expression but softens it. In Scripture we hear the word he used was “dogs”; however, the Aramaic expression would have been more like pups. The woman persists and uses the metaphor to her own advantage, and the Lord expels the unclean spirit from her daughter.
 
It is clear from this encounter that Jesus brought the message to everyone, not just a select few. And his call to us is to take up that message and pass it on to others. We find that difficult to do at times. We even find it difficult to express that message to others who are tasked with sharing the same message, our brothers and sisters in Christ.
 
This then is what the Gospel calls us to do on this day: to bring the message of God’s love to those we meet, to express it in words and actions in a way that cannot be misunderstood. In this way we respond to the Lord as he responds to us, in love and understanding.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Christ and the Canaanite Woman“ by Juan De Flandes, c. 1500.
[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.

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

Proper for the Memorial of St. John Mary Vianney

 
Biographical Information about St. John Vianney

“St. John Vianney”
artist and date are unknown

Readings for Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
 
The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel:
Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book.
 
For thus says the Lord:
Incurable is your wound,
grievous your bruise;
There is none to plead your cause,
no remedy for your running sore,
no healing for you.
All your lovers have forgotten you,
they do not seek you.
I struck you as an enemy would strike,
punished you cruelly;
Why cry out over your wound?
your pain is without relief.
Because of your great guilt,
your numerous sins,
I have done this to you.
 
Thus says the Lord:
See! I will restore the tents of Jacob,
his dwellings I will pity;
City shall be rebuilt upon hill,
and palace restored as it was.
From them will resound songs of praise,
the laughter of happy men.
I will make them not few, but many;
they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.
His sons shall be as of old,
his assembly before me shall stand firm;
I will punish all his oppressors.
His leader shall be one of his own,
and his rulers shall come from his kin.
When I summon him, he shall approach me;
how else should one take the deadly risk
of approaching me? says the Lord.
You shall be my people,
and I will be your God.
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Commentary on Jer 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
 
This passage from the book of the prophet Jeremiah speaks of the restoration of Israel. The first verses, following the introduction, describe the terrible hardship visited upon the country using the metaphor of a person severely wounded. This was caused, according to the oracle, because the people had turned away from God, following practices that were anathema to the Lord (“Because of your great guilt, your numerous sins, I have done this to you.”).
 
In the concluding verses the oracle predicts the restoration of the land, a return to favored status in the eyes of God (scholars seem to agree that this does not refer to the reestablishment of the temple but of an earlier reversal of fortunes, probably after the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC). The references to leaders being chosen from their own people was probably not a reference to the Messiah in this context, but rather a return to Hebrew rulers. The conclusion (“the deadly risk of approaching me”) is a reference to the earlier tradition, that seeing God in person would cause death (see Leviticus 16:1-2). This chapter from Jeremiah and the next (Jeremiah 31) are considered to be the climax of the prophet's oracle, dealing as they do with salvation through God’s mercy and forgiveness.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23
 
R. (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
 
The nations shall revere your name, O Lord,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the Lord has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
 
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the Lord:
“The Lord looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
 
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence,
That the name of the Lord may be declared on Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together
and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
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Commentary on Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23
 
Psalm 102 is an individual lament. In these strophes, we find the cry of the people in the desert once more being directed to the Lord. The psalmist, expressing trust in the mercy of God, asks for a release from suffering and bondage for the people (“The Lord looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.”). The singer gives us a prayer of thanksgiving for the restoration of the people to Israel after the Diaspora. God brought them back from their captivity and reestablished them in Zion. The prayer prefigures God’s salvation offered in the New Jerusalem – God’s heavenly kingdom.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 14:22-36
 
Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
 
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
 
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.
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Commentary on Mt 14:22-36
 
This passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel follows the feeding of the five thousand. The disciples return to the boat that brought them to this remote site, while Jesus stays alone to pray (recall he had just gotten word of the murder of St. John the Baptist by Herod and had come to this place to mourn him).
 
The events that follow, Jesus’ approach to the boat and walking on the water, support the Lord’s earlier demonstration that he has power over the sea and elements (see Matthew 8:26). St. Peter’s response to the Lord is to try to do as the Lord wishes, but his fear prevents him from accomplishing what the Lord has called him to do. This entire episode has one purpose, to allow the readers to share in the awe of the disciples as they make their profession of faith: “Truly, you are the Son of God." This is account stands in stark contrast to St. Mark’s account of their response (see Mark 6:51).
 
CCC: Mt 14:30 448
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Reflection:
 
This story of the disciples caught in a storm at sea is not the first time this setting has been seen.  Recall in Matthew 8:23-27, there was another storm, but this time Jesus was in the boat with the disciples (although asleep).  Still his presence was a calming influence and his reaction to the storm was one of almost casual dismissal. (“Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.”) This time, however, Jesus is a distance away.  He was up on a mountain praying.  The result of his absence is stunning.  The disciples, many of them fishermen and used to sailing, were terrified.  It was as if the evil one had chosen that moment, as the light waned and darkness descended, to strike fear and doubt into their minds. It as if the lake itself is at war with God.
 
Does this example of fear’s ability to overcome rational thought, and even at times faith, strike a chord? I’d like to tell you a personal story that some of you may resonate with.  In 2022 I went through hip replacement surgery. This was not my first bout with the surgeon’s knife.  But something was different that time. In my previous illness, even though it was considered much more life threatening, I was at peace.  Indeed, the Lord was with me, and even though highly qualified doctors had indicated that if their diagnosis was verified through the surgery, my life would soon be at an end (the diagnosis was stage 4 lung cancer).  But as I said, I was at peace and the Lord granted me a miracle – this was 2005.
 
This time the surgery was considered almost routine and the surgeons doing the work were some of the best in the world.  The difference was, at that time, I had been fighting one of those spiritual bouts.  I was having difficulty praying (especially for myself) and did not feel I was walking at peace with the Lord.  That feeling had started almost a year previously when my father died, and I was left with the responsibility of making his end-of-life decisions.  Additionally, he died following a fall at home which broke his hip and the last procedure he went through was a hip replacement.
 
In a sense I felt I was alone in a storm without our Savior’s presence.  I received an anointing prior to the surgery and was told it went very well.  I continued to recover well and was back in the liturgical saddle in a few months.  It was the fear that made the lead-up to those two experiences so different.  Faith and trust that the Lord’s will is being accomplished was present in one and lacking in the other.  I am glad I was not put to St. Peter’s test, for I would have been sunk (literally).
 
Today’s story provides us further proof of our Lord’s divinity and power.  It also is a caution about letting loose of our faith and forgetting we are not alone; the Lord is with us.  It was a lesson I needed to be reminded of and one I now leave with you.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture today is “St. John Vianney” 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.

Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“St Peter is Walking on the Water”
by Lluis Borrassa, 1411-13

Readings for Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 28:1-17
 
In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah,
in the fifth month of the fourth year,
the prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, from Gibeon,
said to me in the house of the Lord
in the presence of the priests and all the people:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Within two years I will restore to this place
all the vessels of the temple of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, took away from this place to Babylon.
And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah,
son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord,
‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
 
The prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah
in the presence of the priests and all the people assembled
in the house of the Lord, and said:
Amen! thus may the Lord do!
May he fulfill the things you have prophesied
by bringing the vessels of the house of the Lord
and all the exiles back from Babylon to this place!
But now, listen to what I am about to state in your hearing
and the hearing of all the people.
From of old, the prophets who were before you and me prophesied
war, woe, and pestilence against many lands and mighty kingdoms.
But the prophet who prophesies peace
is recognized as truly sent by the Lord
only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled.
 
Thereupon the prophet Hananiah took the yoke
from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it,
and said in the presence of all the people:
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Even so, within two years
I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
from off the neck of all the nations.’”
At that, the prophet Jeremiah went away.
 
Some time after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke
from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah,
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
Go tell Hananiah this:
Thus says the Lord:
By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!
For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
A yoke of iron I will place on the necks
of all these nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
and they shall serve him; even the beasts of the field I give him.
 
To the prophet Hananiah the prophet Jeremiah said:
Hear this, Hananiah!
The Lord has not sent you,
and you have raised false confidence in this people.
For this, says the Lord, I will dispatch you from the face of the earth;
this very year you shall die,
because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.
That same year, in the seventh month, Hananiah the prophet died.
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Commentary on Jer 28:1-17
 
The reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah is a stern warning against false prophets. This reading (the complete chapter 28) tells the story of Hananiah, a false prophet, and Jeremiah. The story is biographical, and attributed once again to Baruch. Hananiah gives the people a very sugar-coated vision, that within two years the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar (the Babylonian King who conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and exiled the people) would come to an end, and the temple wealth, the exiled leader, and the people would be restored. This prediction contradicts Jeremiah’s own oracle (see Jeremiah 27).
 
Jeremiah laments to the people that he too would hope for such an outcome (“May he fulfill the things you have prophesied…”). He goes on to warn them that prophets who predict pleasing futures can only be validated as “truly sent by the Lord” when their oracles are seen to come true (see Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
 
Contradicting Hananiah's pleasing prediction, Jeremiah is given a true vision from God. The reign of Nebuchadnezzar will not be broken. It will be strengthened (“By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!”). Because Hananiah told the people he was hearing God’s voice when he was simply predicting things the leaders of the time wanted to hear, he was told (in an oracle that was fulfilled – proving that Jeremiah was a true prophet) that he would die within a year.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102
 
R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Let those turn to me who fear you
and acknowledge your decrees.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Let my heart be perfect in your statutes,
that I be not put to shame.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Sinners wait to destroy me,
but I pay heed to your decrees.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
From your ordinances I turn not away,
for you have instructed me.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
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Commentary on Ps 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102
 
Psalm 119 is an individual lament asking for God’s support in times of difficulty. From this, the longest of the psalms, the strophes ask for the psalmist to be strengthened in the truth and given wisdom that comes from the law.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21
 
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
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Commentary on Mt 14:13-21
 
St. Matthew’s account of the feeding of the multitudes is framed with Jesus’ grief over hearing of the death of his cousin, St. John the Baptist. He hopes to grieve in solitude, and so takes a boat to “a deserted place by himself.” While it is not said explicitly, we assume at least some of the disciples accompanied him in the boat. When the crowds catch up with him (Jesus is well established as an important teacher now), he does not turn them away but continues his work among them.
 
“Strategically placed in the middle of this series of seven parables (just after the fourth, the Woman with the Leaven, but before the explanation of the second, the Wheat and the Weeds), this general statement makes for a pause in Jesus’ teaching that momentarily halts the sweep of the parables’ images. The pronouncement from the beginning of Psalm 77[78], here put in Jesus’ mouth by Matthew, makes it very clear that Jesus is using parables in order to reveal and not to conceal.” [4]
 
Possibly continuing his formation process with the disciples, Jesus tells them to feed the hungry people rather than dismiss them. The miracle occurs with significant symbolic numbers associated with it. Five loaves and two fish would add up to seven, in Hebrew numerology the perfect or most complete number. The fragments filled twelve baskets, enough for the twelve tribes of Israel. Five thousand men was a representation for a huge number and probably not meant as a census of the participants.
 
For the early Christian there would have been even more subtle symbolism, as the loaves would represent the “Bread of Life,” the Eucharist, and the fish, the Christian symbol that identified themselves to each other as a consequence of the Greek letters used. Taken in its larger context the story is preparatory to Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem.
 
CCC: Mt 14:13-21 1335; Mt 14:19 1329
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Reflection:
 
Once upon a time a large ship set out for a land that promised to be a paradise.  People from all over came to the ship and all were given tickets.  The captain of the ship knew the course they must follow, and set sail on the long and difficult voyage.  It was a journey that took such a long time that when the captain died, a new captain was elected and given the charts to navigate the ship.
 
They had traveled some distance when arguments began to erupt about what the land would really be like.  One group said that the first mate had a clearer understanding of the destination and the course they must follow, so when the ship came close to an island, they got off and built their own ship.  The course they sailed was almost identical, and they kept in sight of each other. 
 
On board that larger ship, as captain after captain took the helm, discipline began to get lax and a large group of passengers decided that the captain no longer knew the way to the land of paradise.  They took life boats and struck off on their own, some smaller and some larger, some staying close to the mother ship, others striking out on radically different directions.  They each got a copy of the charts from the captain of the larger ship, but the charts were difficult and tricky to follow.
 
When last seen the various different flotillas were headed generally in the same direction.  Some had decided that, even in the smaller boats, they had their own ideas of the directions to follow, but there was no captain to consult and no course correction was possible.  Many of these became lost.
 
We use this simple story to describe the history of the Church (the mother ship).  After an intense early struggle to get everyone on board the mothership of Christianity, the first groups to leave were the Eastern Rite churches who disagreed with some fundamental issues over the creed. Later (around the time of the Crusades) political issues caused a huge rift that has not been healed to this day.  The second group to break off was at the Reformation. (It is noteworthy that printing technology facilitated the Reformation.  Without inexpensive copies of the Bible, this challenge to Church authority may not have occurred.)  These Protestant groups took the Bible and ran with it, disdaining the hierarchical Church, feeling that they could figure out how to find the Lord without any help from anyone.  The independent faith communities that evolved out of this group had no cohesive discipline of belief and could essentially pick and choose what parts of Scripture to accept or interpret and which ones they didn’t like.  The charts, as the story says, are tricky and difficult to read.  Not having any recourse to authority, many of these little boats found radically different paths, many of them seemingly headed in the wrong direction.
 
The Holy See has been our constant source of direction, prayerfully considering each change of course, constantly consulting the charts left for us by the authors of Sacred Scripture.  But they have also been able to consult the notes left by great saints and brilliant doctors, like Saint Alphonsus Liguori, whose memorial we celebrated recently. Throwing away the traditions and thoughts of the great saints is like throwing away the legend to the charts.  A map without a legend is not much more than a picture.
 
Today we give thanks for the Church which leads us faithfully, unlike those who have gone off trusting only themselves to find the destination.  We pray for the ship’s company to be reunited, and rejoice at the thought of one Church, One Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “St Peter is Walking on the Water” by Lluis Borrassa, 1411-13.
[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] Leiva-Merikakis, Erasmo, Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word, Vol. 2 (Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition), 258.