Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Ephrem
 
Biographical information about St. Ephrem

“The Light of the World” (detail)
by William Holman Hunt 1851–1853

 
Readings for Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Kings 17:7-16
 
The brook near where Elijah was hiding ran dry,
because no rain had fallen in the land.
So the Lord said to Elijah:
“Move on to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there.
I have designated a widow there to provide for you.”
He left and went to Zarephath.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
“Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.”
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
“Please bring along a bit of bread.”
She answered, “As the Lord, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked;
there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die.”
Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the Lord, the God of Israel, says,
‘The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’”
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and Elijah and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.
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Commentary on 1 Kgs 17:7-16
 
Earlier (in vv.1-7) Elijah, following Yahweh’s instruction challenges the priests of Baal, who in this instance claims to be the god of storms, fertility present in the dew and rain.  Elijah prophesied a drought saying, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.” [4] The story of Elijah and the miracle of the widow and her son follows, establishing Elijah as a man from God, a prophet. He is able to demonstrate God’s plan: “For the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” God provides for Elijah in his need once more.
 
CCC: 1 Kgs 17:7-24 2583
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 4:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8
 
R. (7a) Lord, let your face shine on us.
 
When I call, answer me, O my just God,
you who relieve me when I am in distress;
Have pity on me, and hear my prayer!
Men of rank, how long will you be dull of heart?
Why do you love what is vain and seek after falsehood?
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
 
Know that the Lord does wonders for his faithful one;
the Lord will hear me when I call upon him.
Tremble, and sin not;
reflect, upon your beds, in silence.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
 
O Lord, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart,
more than when grain and wine abound.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
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Commentary on Ps 4:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8
 
Psalm 4 is an individual lament. In these strophes, we hear the trust the psalmist has in God whose saving works cause the faithful to tremble in awe of God’s mercy and whose protection brings the peace that sets hearts to rest and gives joy to life.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:13-16
 
In this selection from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses allegory to push the Word of God into the world. He tells his disciples they are an integral part of the faith of the people in God. As seasoning is to food, so the Word of God is to faith. They must remain steadfast so they do not lose zeal for God, which is the taste of that seasoning. It is that which sets it apart.
 
He uses a second allegory, light, to provide still more direction. The light of faith will be seen by all because it is reflected in the actions of those who believe. That light serves to guide others to God, when they may otherwise become lost in darkness, and wander into paths of desolation. That light that pours from the disciples will be seen as a gift, not from them, but from the Father, and the Father will be glorified because of the light.
 
“Salt and light each impart their own virtue, provided they remain fully what they are. Christians are the means whereby God wants to flavor life, to illuminate life. Do we not too often want to be receivers rather than the givers, and do we not in this way become insipid and dark? The disciple himself is responsible if the world around him remains crouching in lethargy, untransformed.” [5]
 
CCC: Mt 5:13-16 782, 2821; Mt 5:14 1243; Mt 5:16 326
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Reflection:
 
Since the earliest of times in human history God has called individuals to carry his message into the world. We see in the first reading from First Book of Kings how he guides Elijah, setting him on God’s chosen path. The miracle of the flour and oil only serve to emphasize that Elijah is a prophet sent by God.
 
In the Gospel the Lord expands the call to take God’s message into the world. He is speaking to his disciples telling them that they must be “the light of the world.” We, who offer ourselves as his modern-day disciples, hear that instruction and are called to respond to it. Christ’s use of the light metaphor gives us an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be light for the world.
 
If we think about light, specifically light coming from fire as opposed to an electric light, we can imagine a person walking into a very dark place leading others with just a lighted match to guide them. It does not put out very much light and the person must move very slowly and cautiously to avoid tripping or bumping into something. That very small light is like a person who rarely seeks to enhance their own faith though word or sacrament. A person holding a match cannot walk boldly in the world, there is not enough light, and progress is slow toward the ultimate goal. In addition, the flame of a match is vulnerable to the smallest breeze (challenges to the light) and can easily go out, plunging that person into darkness once more.
 
Let’s imagine next a person with a proper torch leading others in a dark place. The torch gives off a hundred times more light than the match and the whole group can move at a comfortable pace, safe from any hidden obstacles. No breeze or even a stronger wind can blow it out; in fact it would generally glow brighter.  This would be the person who cultivates their own faith and is able to lead others with confidence in their example and the strength of the Holy Spirit.
 
This latter example is what we all strive to be. However, there is a danger in our analogy as well.  If the torch is misused, it can set fire to things that should not burn and the very light we carry can cause others to flee in terror (errant use of dogma or perverted use of Scripture). The Lord calls us to be light for the world, not to destroy the world. Just as Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not to destroy it, we are called to build up the body of Christ, not to say: “Throw that part into the fire, it must burn.” That kind of judgment is for the Lord himself who will judge all people on the Last Day.
 
Pax

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[1] The Drawing used today is “The Light of the World” (detail) by William Holman Hunt 1851–1853.
[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 Word Biblical Commentary, 1 Kings, Volume 12, (Thomas Nelson, Inc. © 2004), 216.
[5] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 207.

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Elijah Fed by Ravens” by and unknown Dutch potter 1577-78

Readings for Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Kings 17:1-6
 
Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab:
“As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve,
during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.”
The Lord then said to Elijah:
“Leave here, go east
and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
You shall drink of the stream,
and I have commanded ravens to feed you there.”
So he left and did as the Lord had commanded.
He went and remained by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning,
and bread and meat in the evening,
and he drank from the stream.
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Commentary on 1 Kgs 17:1-6
 
This passage begins the section from 1 Kings called “Stories of the Prophets.” “Elijah the Tishbite: one of the most important figures in Old Testament history. As his name indicates ("Yahweh is my God"), Elijah was the successful leader in the struggle to preserve the knowledge and worship of Yahweh against the encroaching worship of Baal introduced into Israel by Jezebel, the Tyrian wife of Ahab.“ [4]
 
“Ahab with his Phoenician in-laws may believe all their myths about Baal and may participate with fervor in his rites, but he is no living God in the sense that Yahweh is. Can he truly guarantee fertility? Can he give life the way Yahweh does? As Yahweh’s minister, Elijah delivers a challenge, actually framed as a threat, to the effect that Yahweh, and he alone, can withhold the water on which all growing things depend, and will bring it back again only when he tells his prophet to say so.” [5]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
 
R. (see 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
 
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
 
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
 
The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
 
The Lord will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The Lord will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
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Commentary on Ps 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
 
Psalm 121 is a hymn of blessing given prior to a long and difficult journey. These strophes explain that God is faithful, and will protect the traveler from harm – God is always with us (“he is beside you at your right hand. The sun shall not harm you by day, nor the moon by night”). The imagery in the opening strophes reminds us of Moses in Exodus 17:8-13 as he stood upon a high place so that the Israelites could see that God was with them. In this song of blessing we are reminded of God’s continuing guidance and the salvation he provides us through his Son.
 
CCC: Ps 121:2 1605
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Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
 
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
 
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:1-12
 
This section of the Sermon on the Mount begins the first of five great discourses in St. Matthew’s Gospel. He begins using a formula common in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament with “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”(Job 5:17; Proverbs 3:13; Sirach 25:8-9) This designation identifies those without material resources, completely dependent upon God. (This distinction is for the devout poor.) The discourse continues, blessing those who mourn, who are meek, who “hunger” for righteousness (to adopt the Lord’s law of love in their hearts), the merciful, the clean of heart (those who are reconciled to God), the peacemakers, the persecuted, and finally those who will be reviled because they profess faith in Christ.
 
The litany of praises for those to be blessed by the Lord has an overarching theme. It holds up the spiritual strength of complete dependence on God for life, health, and prosperity. St. Matthew captures the strength in that dependence, and God’s promise of salvation through the words of the Savior.
 
It is noteworthy that the word “Blessed” [μακάριοι (makάrios) in Greek and Beati in Latin] is translated “Happy” in many Old Testament texts.  The idea of happiness or peace as a blessing from God is an important understanding about the intent of this discourse.
 
CCC: Mt 5:1 581; Mt 5:3-12 1716; Mt 5:3 544, 2546; Mt 5-7 2763; Mt 5-6 764; Mt 5:8 1720, 2518; Mt 5:9 2305, 2330; Mt 5:11-12 520
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Reflection:

“Those who practice the Beatitudes are imitators of God, of the divine nature. The Beatitudes are no longer now negative commandments that forbid sin, as the first Decalogue largely was, in keeping with its nature as the minimum necessary to obey God. The Beatitudes are the carta magna, as it were, that invites poor mortals to be like God here and now in this world, to live on the other side of sin, to incarnate the divine holiness, to become children of God in truth, begotten by the Word of Truth who, sitting on this mountain, is now dispensing life through his words.” [6]

 

The final reference in the Beatitudes from St. Matthew (“Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”) is exemplified by the situation unfolding in 1 Kings for the prophet Elijah. Elijah is told by God to flee to the “Wadi Cherith” to avoid being killed by the worshipers of Baal. God protects the great prophet by keeping him safe and fed during his sojourn. The Lord blesses Elijah for his faithful witness in the face of persecution.
 
Jesus’ litany of blessings is so necessary. He extols Christian virtue, which flies in the face of the wisdom of the world. He holds up those who are powerless as beloved of God. He expresses his abiding love for those who seek the face of God, and encourages those who face the most difficult path. Faith in Christ is not an easy path, and Jesus’ support in this passage assures us of his unfailing faithfulness.
 
This great discourse provides hope and consolation for all of us. And, each of us goes through different times in our life of faith that bring us from being the “poor in spirit,” to being “peacemakers,” to being “persecuted.” In each stage the Lord extends his blessings. And how do we experience his love? We find it in the sacraments, where it is extended through his visible presence in the world, the Church. We also find his reassurance in prayer, hearing his voice of consolation, reminding us we are not alone in our struggles, that he is with us.
 
Today we hear once more the words of comfort and challenge in the Beatitudes. We are called once more to rededicate ourselves to the principles of Christian virtue and accept the blessings of our loving Father.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is of a plaque “Elijah Fed by Ravens” by and unknown Dutch potter 1577-78.
[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] NAB footnote on 1 Kings 17:1.
[5] Simon J. DeVries, 1 Kings, 2nd ed., Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 12 (Dallas: Word, Inc, 2003), 218.
[6] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996),184.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Catechism Links [1]
CCC 790, 1003, 1322-1419: the Holy Eucharist

CCC 805, 950, 2181-2182, 2637, 2845: the Eucharist and the communion of believers
CCC 1212, 1275, 1436, 2837: the Eucharist as spiritual food
 
In other regions: Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
 
Additional Information about the Solemnity of Corpus Christi

“The Institution of the Eucharist”
by Nicolas Poussin,1640

Readings for Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a
 
Moses said to the people:
"Remember how for forty years now the Lord, your God,
has directed all your journeying in the desert,
so as to test you by affliction
and find out whether or not it was your intention
to keep his commandments.
He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger,
and then fed you with manna,
a food unknown to you and your fathers,
in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord.
"Do not forget the Lord, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
that place of slavery;
who guided you through the vast and terrible desert
with its saraph serpents and scorpions,
its parched and waterless ground;
who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock
and fed you in the desert with manna,
a food unknown to your fathers."
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Commentary on Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a
 
This reading is taken from the second address of Moses to the Hebrews. This section of the address can be called “an appeal to remembrance” since Moses is recounting all that God had done for them since they were led out of Egypt. The focus of these verses is on the feeding of the people with manna (see Exodus 16; 4-16). Jesus also quoted this passage “not by bread alone does one live” (see Matthew 4:4). Beyond manna, Moses also recalls the saraph staff (see Numbers 21; 5-9), and water drawn from the rock at Horeb (see Exodus 17; 2-6).
 
CCC: Dt 8:3 1334, 2835
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
 
R. (12) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
 
Psalm 147 is a hymn of praise. In these strophes, the singer celebrates God’s gifts to his people: the gift of faith to the patriarch Jacob, and the gift of his presence in the Holy City Jerusalem. These strophes are from the third section (each section offering praise for a different gift from God to his special people). This section focuses on the gift of the Promised Land with Jerusalem as its spiritual center. We see the call to praise Jerusalem, the Holy City, because in it was revealed the Word of God, and a call to holiness. The Lord is praised for sending food that sustains the people. The final strophe also rejoices that the law was handed on to them through Jacob.
 
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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
 
Brothers and sisters:
The cup of blessing that we bless,
is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?
The bread that we break,
is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
Because the loaf of bread is one,
we, though many, are one body,
for we all partake of the one loaf.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 10:16-17
 
Although this is part of a comparison being brought between Christ’s sacrifice and idolatry, what is given here expresses the unity forged through the Eucharist, the only true sacrifice. The Blood of Christ and the Body of Christ shared in communion unites us spiritually and physically and we become that living Body of Christ on earth, the Church, through Jesus.
 
“The principal effect of the Blessed Eucharist is intimate union with Jesus. The very name "communion’--taken from this passage of St Paul (cf. "St Pius V Catechism’, II, 4, 4)--points to becoming one with our Lord by receiving his body and blood. ‘What in fact is the bread? The body of Christ. What do they become who receive Communion? The body of Christ’ (Chrysostom, ‘Hom. on 1 Cor, 24, ad loc.’).” [5]
 
CCC: 1 Cor 10:16-17 1329, 1331, 1396; 1 Cor 10:16 1334; 1 Cor 10:17 1621
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Gospel: John 6:51-58
 
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world."
 
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me
will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."
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Commentary on Jn 6:51-58
 
The “Bread of Life” discourse continues, and the Lord escalates his language. The people who had come to him because they had been fed with the five barley loaves just cannot make the leap from bread made from wheat or barley to the Bread of Life offered as true food and drink for the spirit. Even when he uses manna as an example of real food, they still do not see that the Son of God offers them his resurrected body as their meal and they are repulsed – especially because of the language he uses (Jesus uses the word gnaw, not just eat, in the original texts.).
 
CCC: Jn 6 1338; Jn 6:51 728, 1355, 1406, 2837; Jn 6:53-56 2837; Jn 6:53 1384; Jn 6:54 994, 1001, 1406, 1509, 1524; Jn 6:56 787, 1391, 1406; Jn 6:57 1391; Jn 6:58 1509
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Reflection:
 

Jesus' gift of himself in the Eucharist was announced most clearly and straightforwardly in St. John’s Gospel.  But Matthew, Mark, and Luke forewarn us of this mystery with the feeding of the multitudes and Luke, specifically as the resurrected Jesus dines with the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  Christ feeds us with has spiritual gifts and expresses his own love for us in doing so.

 

“1323 At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.[6]”

 

This definition from the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the “why” of our celebration of the Eucharist.  St. John’s Gospel describes what that meal truly was.  Rather than trying to express this in our own words we once again rely on the Catechism to do that;

 

1374 The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend."²⁰¹ In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained."²⁰² "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present. ²⁰³"[7]

 

These doctrinally supported statements of our faith and belief in the divinity of the “corpus Christi,” the Body and Blood of Christ are the teaching of Holy Mother Church a principal tenet of our faith. Yet of all that the magisterium teaches, our belief in the “real presence” in the Eucharist is not held by a majority of our brother and sister Christians in other denominations. Even in the face of St. John’s Gospel’s when Jesus says:

 

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world."
 
And follows that statement with:

"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,

you do not have life within you.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.”

 

How can anyone mistake those words for metaphor or symbolism?

 

Perhaps sharing my own story of how I came finally to faith in these words, for I was raised in a Protestant family by wonderful parents who lived exemplary Christian lives.  My father was raised in the Lutheran faith, my mother in the Methodist tradition.  As a couple the practiced in the Presbyterian denomination.

 

It was not until 1970, when I married my wife that I converted to Catholicism even though I did not fully grasp what I was committing my life to at that time.  You see, I have a problem.  That problem is I took my college education in the field of biochemistry.  As a result, and without the early training in the tenets of the Catholic Church, I was taught almost exclusively by non-religious or openly atheistic faculty in the rigorous logic of how organic life came to be and operated at the most fundamental levels.

 

I had always struggled with the concept that Jesus was the Son of God, but my whole family had taught me from the day I could understand language that Jesus was indeed divine and while my logical mind still had doubts, I accepted the essence of God in man as fact (if not faith). But when speaking to Fr. Joe Emile, the priest who gave me brief instruction before bringing me into the church the morning I got married (it’s a long story and I will not get into it here), and we got to the part about the real presence, I was not only doubtful but inwardly skeptical.  You see we had communion in the Presbyterian church.  It was tiny glasses of concord grape juice and squares of white bread passed around in trays.  I would often go into the kitchen after communion and see if I could drink the juice not used during the service. And I know the leftover squares of bread were given to ladies in the church to use for making croutons or stuffing.  That communion wafers and wine could become the Body and Blood of Jesus sounded to the biochemist in me and something beyond the realm of possibility.

 

It was some years later that during the Easter celebration here at St. Thomas the Gospel from John 20:24ff was proclaimed when our patron saint Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus came into the locked room.  It suddenly (and very belatedly) came to me that all this time I have not realized that there was something science could not understand about this.  It was not magic, it was metaphysical.  Jesus did not enter that room in the physical body he wore in life! He wore a glorified body transubstantiated at his resurrection.  I was this glorified body he wore in that locked room bearing the marks of his sacrifice.  It was this Body and Blood he gave as an everlasting promise to us.  This was the real presence my logic could not find because it required faith in something my logic could not understand.

 

So, my brothers and sisters in faith, this promise, made at the last supper, and carried out countless times on this altar is where we find our faith and where we are fed.  Let us find and remember the awe of St. Thomas who upon seeing the Lord confessed: “My Lord and my God.”

 

Amen

 

[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 Institution of the Eucharist” by Nicolas Poussin,1640.
[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, Letters of St. Paul (Four Courts Press, 2003), 243
[6] Catechism of the Catholic Church number 1323.
[7] Footnotes within the text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church refer to the following:
²⁰¹ St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III,73,3c.
²⁰² Council of Trent (1551): DS 1651.
²⁰³ Paul VI, MF 39.

 
 

Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Norbert, Bishop
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Norbert
 
Biographical information about St. Norbert
 
Or
 
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: #39. Holy Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy)

“The Widow’s Mite”
by Gustave Doré, 1865

Readings for Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: 2 Timothy 4:1-8
 
Beloved:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine
but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,
will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth
and will be diverted to myths.
But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;
put up with hardship;
perform the work of an evangelist;
fulfill your ministry.
 
For I am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well;
I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on 2 Tm 4:1-8
 
The apostle begins this chapter with a solemn injunction to St. Timothy: “perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.“ St. Paul warns that the task will be difficult, and that false teachers will arise with competing doctrines and “self-serving myths.”
 
He concludes this passage with a clear view that he will soon be martyred, and feels he has done what the Lord has asked (“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith”). Confident in God’s mercy he awaits his own judgment and resurrection.
 
CCC: 2 Tm 4 2015; 2 Tm 4:1 679
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 71:8-9, 14-15ab, 16-17, 22
 
R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
 
My mouth shall be filled with your praise,
with your glory day by day.
Cast me not off in my old age;
as my strength fails, forsake me not.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
 
But I will always hope
and praise you ever more and more.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
 
I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
 
So will I give you thanks with music on the lyre,
for your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing your praises with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel!
R. I will sing of your salvation.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 71:8-9, 14-15ab, 16-17, 22
 
Psalm 71 is an individual lament (of an old person: “Cast me not off in my old age”). These strophes begin the second part of the psalm in which the singer proclaims the hope of the faithful, and trust in God’s mercy.
 
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 12:38-44
 
In the course of his teaching Jesus said,
“Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext,
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation.”
 
He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
“Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 12:38-44
 
In this passage from Mark, Jesus warns against scribes (holy men) who wear their faith on the outside and accept homage for their religious acts. Their acts of charity are missing. In contrast to those who flaunt their faith and their wealth. The Lord praises the poor widow who gives alms from her need, not from her excess as the wealthy did. “The widow is another example of the poor ones in this gospel whose detachment from material possessions and dependence on God leads to their blessedness (Luke 6:20). Her simple offering provides a striking contrast to the pride and pretentiousness of the scribes denounced in the preceding section.” [5]
 
CCC: Mk 12:38-40 678; Mk 12:41-44 2444
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
We are challenged today to look at what we do in response to God’s call and ask ourselves “Am I doing these things because it looks good to others, or because it’s convenient?” St. Paul starts us down the road to that question as he gives St. Timothy a sharp kick to the backside with “perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. “It’s sort of like that old military quote often used on complaining soldiers ‘Shut up and soldier, soldier!’”
 
St. Paul warns his pupil that it will not be easy, this call to take Christ’s Gospel to the world. It is a hard path and others who claim teaching authority will offer easier roads to follow. We think of modern-day Scientology, the kind of thing he speaks of as “following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.” (We enjoyed L. Ron Hubbard’s science fiction writing and are amazed that supposedly intelligent people cannot see how his creative genius created a philosophy that now passes itself off as a “religion.” But then not too long ago we saw how some three hundred thousand people in the UK identified “Jedi” as their faith tradition.)
 
The unvarnished point St. Paul makes is that “time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine” and when that happens those who proclaim the truth will be persecuted for it. With that our thoughts are immediately drawn to Jesus’ situation in the Gospel story. He is sitting with his disciples in the temple area watching as the religious and the rich make themselves known either through their apparel or through their pompous behavior as they present their gifts to the temple treasury. Jesus’ teaching must have incensed the rich and powerful members of that Jewish community. They must have hated that this teacher from Galilee sat with his friends and made them out as hypocrites in front of the very people they are trying to impress.
 
Out of both the mouth of St. Paul (poured out like a libation for Jesus) and the Savior himself, we are challenged to do the right thing, without fanfare, even when it is difficult or inconvenient. We pray today that we are given the strength of character to challenge the status quo of our own society. We especially pray today for the young people – teenagers and young adults who face intense peer pressure to follow the path of “acceptability,” not realizing that the easy path is usually the wrong path. May they be given the strength of their convictions in Christ and feel the promise of the Savior.
 
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 “The Widow’s Mite” by Gustave Doré, 1865.
[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] NAB footnote on Luke 21:1ff.