Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

“Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness”
by Karel Dujardin, c.1662

 
Readings for Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16
 
Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no children.
She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Sarai said to Abram:
"The LORD has kept me from bearing children.
Have intercourse, then, with my maid;
perhaps I shall have sons through her."
Abram heeded Sarai's request.
Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,
his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
When she became aware of her pregnancy,
she looked on her mistress with disdain.
So Sarai said to Abram:
"You are responsible for this outrage against me.
I myself gave my maid to your embrace;
but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy,
she has been looking on me with disdain.
May the LORD decide between you and me!"
Abram told Sarai:  "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
 
The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:
 
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
 
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
 
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
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Commentary on Gn 16:1-12, 15-16
 
The story of Abram continues and in it we find God’s promise of offspring for Abram kept, but in a surprising way. Not through his wife did God give Abram his first son, but through Hagar, Sarai’s maid servant. Here ironically is the beginning of Islam as well. Out of Ishmael comes the prophet Mohammed and the prophetic statement by the Lord’s messenger “his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him,” seems to be coming to pass in our generation.
 
"The patriarchs follow the customs of their time; some of which (as in this case) were morally defective. In the light of the teaching of the Bible taken as a whole, we can see that behavior of this sort was a consequence of man's original sin, and we can also see that God gradually led man back to a morality that was fully in keeping with human dignity as reflected in the Creation accounts. Consider, for example, what Jesus has to say on the subject of marriage (Mt 5:31-32)." [4]
 
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Or: Genesis 16:6b-12, 15-16
 
Abram told Sarai:  "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
 
The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:
 
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
 
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
 
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
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Commentary on Gn 16:6b-12, 15-16
 
The story of Abram continues today and in it we find God’s promise of offspring for Abram kept, but in a surprising way. Not through his wife did God give Abram his first son, but through Hagar, Sarai’s maid servant. Here, ironically, is the beginning of Islam as well. Out of Ishmael comes the prophet Mohammed and the prophetic statement by the Lord’s messenger “his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him,” seems to be coming to pass in our generation.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5
 
R. (1b) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or proclaim all his praises?
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Visit me with your saving help,
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your inheritance.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 106:1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5
 
Psalm 106 is a song of thanksgiving. In this selection the singer thanks God for his saving mercy and favor to his chosen people. This hymn of praise rejoices over God’s gracious help to those who trust in him. We see clearly the hand of God guiding the faithful as the psalmist proclaims “That I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, rejoice in the joy of your people, and glory with your inheritance.”
 
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Gospel: Matthew 7:21-29
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'
 
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
 
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
 
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
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Commentary on Mt 7:21-29
 
This is the final section of the first of five great discourses of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. In it, he broadens his attack on false prophets to include those who perform acts in his name but lead lives of sin. He uses the analogy of the house built upon sand and the house built upon rock to indicate that those who have a deep faith and act out of that faith have a strong foundation and can stand against adversity, while those who give the faith lip service for others to see, but do not have that deep faith, will fall. He will not even recognize them when they come before him in final judgment.
 
The Lord also makes a distinction between saying and doing. The metaphor of the “house built on rock” refers to those who hear the word of the Lord from an authentic source and act upon it. The house built on sand is a metaphor for those who either are not taught authentically (by false prophets) or who do not act upon what they have been given.
 
CCC: Mt 7:21-27 1970; Mt 7:21 443, 1821, 2611, 2826; Mt 7:28-29 581
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Reflection:
 
How many times have we prayed “Lord, what is your will?  What would you have me do?”  We are reminded of a story that helps us approach these prayers:
 
There was once a master potter whose pottery was the marvel of all who saw his work.  His art was highly praised, especially because of the religious themes portrayed on the pottery he made.  As he grew older he took on an apprentice.  An apt pupil, the youngster learned quickly and studied the master’s every technique.  He practiced tirelessly under his master’s watchful eye and a great bond grew between them.  The master also shared with his student his great love of God and knowledge of the sacred texts that allowed him to produce the wonderful images of God’s encounters with mankind.
 
After years of study and practice the master told his student that he had learned enough to go and start his own studio.  But the pupil had such love for the old master that he could not bear the thought of leaving him.  A few years later the old master became blind and could no longer practice his craft.  His young student, however, told no one.  Rather he continued to produce this wonderful pottery that was so much like his master’s work that no one could tell the difference. 
 
Each night the student and master would eat together and the master would recount the great stories from the bible and his student’s heart would burn as he listened to the old man’s love for God.  Each day, inspired by that love he would create wonderful pieces of art glorifying those words.  Patrons remarked that the master’s work was improving and was even more spectacular than the work he had done earlier in his career.  The student said nothing to correct them.
 
After a few more years, the old master died and the truth about his blindness came to light.  Many patrons asked the student why he had not taken credit for the great pieces of art he had produced and established his own name as artisan.  The student humbly laid all he had learned at his master’s feet saying he was merely the hands and eyes of his master.
 
This little story emphasizes the point being made in St. Matthew’s Gospel.  The Lord calls upon us to hear the words of his Father, our Father and act upon them.  The only way we can do this is to truly understand what God wants of us.  Like the student in the story above, we must get to know our Lord intimately through Scripture, prayer, and the sacraments that give us grace in order to reproduce the love and compassion he calls us to have for others.  Only when we work to understand the will of God and how others have followed His commands can we hope to act under his will.  Only then can we see the path to the kingdom of heaven.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used is “Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness” by Karel Dujardin, c.1662.
[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. 98.

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

“Sermon on the Mount” (detail)
by Cosimo Rosselli, 1481-82

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Reading from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
 
The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
 
“Fear not, Abram!
I am your shield;
I will make your reward very great.”
 
But Abram said,
“O Lord God, what good will your gifts be,
if I keep on being childless
and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?”
Abram continued,
“See, you have given me no offspring,
and so one of my servants will be my heir.”
Then the word of the Lord came to him:
“No, that one shall not be your heir;
your own issue shall be your heir.”
He took him outside and said:
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the Lord,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
 
He then said to him,
“I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord God,” he asked,
“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
“Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
 
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the Lord made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates.
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Commentary on Gn 15:1-12, 17-18
 
Abram, as we have heard earlier, was promised the land he occupied at this point as a possession. In this reading Abram is complaining that he has no heir, and therefore all he has will pass to his servant. In response God tells him that he will be given offspring, and then has Abram offer a sacrifice using the covenant formula. The promise made by God is sealed by fire passed between the halves of the sacrifice.
 
CCC: Gn 15:2-3 2570; Gn 15:2 2374; Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9
 
R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
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. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
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. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
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. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations--
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9
 
The song of praise exhorts us to praise the Lord constantly and to remember his covenant with Abraham and Isaac. We praise him also for the new covenant in Jesus, for which the Son of God became the sealing sacrifice. It emphasizes the saving power of the name of the Lord.  In using the name of God, the speaker implicitly gives glory to God for the blessings that follow.
 
CCC: Ps 105:3 30
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Gospel: Matthew 7:15-20
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them.”
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Commentary on Mt 7:15-20
 
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against people claiming to be God’s messengers, but whose message goes against God’s commands. Jesus uses an analogy of the fruit produced by various plants as a way to test the authenticity of those who claim to come in God’s name. He tells them that the product, or result, of the words offered by a self-proclaimed messenger will identify them. In his time, this was probably another warning about the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees, who placed self-serving demands upon the people.
 
CCC: Mt 7:15 2285; Mt 7:20 2005
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Reflection:
 
In 1993, a great tragedy occurred in Waco Texas at the compound of a religious group called the Branch Davidians.  A charismatic leader named David Koresh was able to convince a large group of people that he was from God and was leading them to God.  The fruits of his teaching tell us what he truly was.  On November 18, 1978, in a place commonly known as Jonestown in Guyana, a charismatic religious leader named Jimmy Jones lead 913 men women and children to mass suicide claiming that he was leading them to God.  The fruits of his teaching identified him clearly.
 
If we believe the warning from the Lord can be lightly taken because we have two thousand years of history and understanding to fortify us against teachers who might lead us down the wrong path, all we need to do is look at recent history.  If we believe that, because we have saints like St. Irenaeus who fought the battles against Gnosticism, we are free from those who would twist the word of God to their own purposes, then look at the present day.  Look at the recent saga of Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda.  He is building a financial empire based in Miami predicated upon the idea that he himself is the incarnation of God, and people believe him!
 
The words of Jesus come rushing upon us today.  We are reminded that we base our hope and trust on those whose fruits are clearly seen.  The Church, for all her faults, is an ongoing force for good in the world.  Her message of the Risen Lord, justice for the poor and love for all mankind, is what we look at and see the fingerprints of God.  Let us take the time to inform ourselves and inform those we love about the truth so they too may avoid the many false prophets who come seeming good but whose fruits proclaim them as messengers of darkness.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Sermon on the Mount” (detail) by Cosimo Rosselli, 1481-82.
[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.

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Mass During the Day (Link to VIGIL)

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Mass During the Day
 
Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist - AT THE VIGIL [1]

“St John the Baptist as a Boy”
by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1665

 
Readings for the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Isaiah 49:1-6
 
Hear me, O coastlands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
 
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
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Commentary on Is 49:1-6
 
In this passage, the beginning of the second of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles, the prophet Isaiah speaks of his own call of service to God. It presents him as “another Jeremiah”:  He is called from his mother’s womb (see Jeremiah 1:5). The prophet has a vocation to the Gentiles (Jeremiah 1:10; Jeremiah 25:15ff) to bring a message of both doom and happiness (Jeremiah 16:19-21).[5]  We note that God sets his servants on their course from before their birth (see also Luke 1:15 (St. John the Baptist), Luke 1:31 (Jesus) and Galatians 1:15 (St. Paul the apostle)).
 
The servant learns that, even at times when his effort seems to have failed (“Though I thought I had toiled in vain”), it is God’s strength and plan that succeeds (“my recompense is with my God”) (see also 1 Corinthians 4:1-5). The prophet’s role is expanded at the end of the passage to “reach to the ends of the earth,” a revelation further elaborated in Genesis 12:3; Luke 2:31-32; and Acts 13:47.
 
CCC: Is 49:1-6 713; Is 49:5-6 64
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15
 
R. (14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
 
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
 
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
 
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
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Commentary on Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15
 
This song/prayer asks for guidance from the Holy Spirit. It recognizes that God’s spirit is in all his creation and its knowledge is omnipresent. The idea of being called from the womb – set aside for God – is a common theme of the prophetic tradition in both the Old Testament and New Testament.
 
CCC: Ps 139:15 2270
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Reading II: Acts 13:22-26
 
In those days, Paul said:
"God raised up David as king;
of him God testified,                                                                                      
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man's descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'
 
"My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent."
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Commentary on Acts 13:22-26
 
This is the first of several instances recorded in Acts that St. Paul uses his scholarly knowledge of the Hebrew tradition to build up a logical rationale for Jesus as Savior and Messiah. In this passage, that development ends as he recounts the history of God’s covenant with the Jewish people from their exodus from Egypt under Moses to the appearance of John the Baptist (in this discourse there are quotes from several sources: Psalm 89:21; 1 Samuel 13:14; and Isaiah 44:28). St. John was a contemporary figure about whom these people would have been aware, and he quotes Luke 3:16. He concludes by appealing to the Jewish audience (“sons of the family of Abraham”) to hear the prophetic call fulfilled.
 
CCC: Acts 13:24 523
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Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80
 
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
"No. He will be called John."
But they answered her,
"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
"What, then, will this child be?"
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.
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Commentary on Luke 1:57-66, 80
 
We hear the angel’s announcement to Zechariah (Luke 1:13ff) fulfilled in St. Luke’s account of the birth of St. John the Baptist. The naming of the child “John” broke tradition (according to the tradition of the day, the child should have been named after his father, Zechariah) and by acceding to the archangel Gabriel’s announcement, we see the child set on a course directed by God and dedicated to him. Based upon the closing statement (v.80), it is possible the boy, John, was entrusted to the "covenanters at Qumran." [6]
 
"The brief account of the birth echoes the OT account of (barren) Rebekah’s delivery (Gen 25:24); Lot’s experience of God’s mercy (Gen 19:19) is the pattern after which Elizabeth’s is described in v 58; the rejoicing with Elizabeth reflects (barren) Sarah’s expectation, should she miraculously give birth to a child (Gen 21:6 LXX). For Elizabeth, miraculous pregnancy is culminated by the mercy of a safe delivery." [7]
 
CCC: Lk 1:68 422, 717
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Reflection:
 
The feast we celebrate today, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, is raised to the level of a solemnity, the highest, most important rank that is given to celebrations in the Church.  We point this out to invite the question: “Why would the birth of St. John the Baptist be placed on the same level as the feasts of the Transfiguration, Christmas, or Easter?”  These other solemnities mark major events in the life of Christ.  While he was Jesus’ cousin, and his birth, like the Lord’s, was miraculous (although not anywhere close to the virginal birth of the Lord), St. John passed from sight early in the saga of Jesus.  Why then does the Church so honor the day of his birth?
 
We ask the question rhetorically of course.  Without the birth of St. John, Jesus’ mission could not have happened.  It was St. John who came as the “Elijah figure,” returning as prophesied to herald the coming of the Messiah.  It was St. John who announced and prefigured the Lord in life and death.  St. John was the perfect key that opened the way for the Savior who in turn used that key to defeat death and open wide the gates of salvation for all mankind.
 
When we recall St. John’s beginning, Scripture presents us with a clear picture of his importance in God’s plan.  Like the great prophets of old, St. John was called to his role from his mother’s womb.  Indeed, his first meeting with Jesus was from the womb as his mother, Elizabeth, met her cousin, the Blessed Virgin Mary, when she was newly with child.  St. John, while still in Elizabeth’s womb, leapt for joy at the sound of Mary’s voice.  His path was already set, his mission already accepted. (Luke 1:40-41)
 
Like the Lord himself, little is known of St. John’s early years.  We may only speculate that, growing up, he must have spent some time with Jesus.  Clearly, he knew that it was he, the Lord, whose path he made straight.  His response to those who asked him later if he was the Messiah makes clear that he was humble in his role and awed by the call he had accepted.  The Acts of the Apostles recalled his words to us: “I am not he.” When asked if he was the one expected, he said: “Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.”
 
In his witness, St. John not only announced the Lord’s coming, but provided for us an example of how we should accept the Lord’s future coming.  Like St. John, we should be filled with awe and wonder at what God has done for us.  We should be filled with expectation at what the Heavenly Father has prepared for us.  We should be joyful as we anticipate our Lord’s coming in glory.
 
As we recall St. John’s nativity on this his feast day, let us all pray that we may conform our attitudes to his being filled with the Holy Spirit, rejoicing in the Lord who came as he promised and will come again.
 
Pax
 
In other years on this date: Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

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[1] Note, when this solemnity falls on a Monday, the vigil may be celebrated before or after Evening Prayer on the Sunday preceding.
[2] The picture is “St John the Baptist as a Boy” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1665.
[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] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 22:35, p.376.
[6] Id. 44:39, p. 124.
[7] John Nolland, Luke 1:1–9:20, vol. 35A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1989), 81.

Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Solemnity of the Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist - VIGIL

"Christ the Judge”
by Laurent de La Hire, c. 1640

 
Readings for Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 12:1-9
 
The LORD said to Abram:
"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.
 
"I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you."
 
Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
Abram took his wife, Sarai, his brother's son Lot,
all the possessions that they had accumulated,
and the persons they had acquired in Haran,
and they set out for the land of Canaan.
When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land
as far as the sacred place at Shechem,
by the terebinth of Moreh.
(The Canaanites were then in the land.)
 
The LORD appeared to Abram and said,
"To your descendants I will give this land."
So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.
From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel,
pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.
He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.
Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.
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Commentary on Gn 12:1-9
 
In this passage from Genesis, we find the beginnings for God’s interaction with Abram. In the previous chapter Abram’s father had come east out of modern-day Iraq (Ur of the Chaldeans). Here God calls Abram, and commands him, with his nomadic family unit, to go into Palestine and then to the desert-like region south, the Negeb. Along the way Abram sets up altars for sacrifice in thanksgiving and prays to God for direction.
 
God greatly blesses the one he has called, pledging his constant support.  In return, he asks him to leave behind all that he has known. “Jewish and Christian tradition sees the three things God requires Abram to give up as epitomizing the demands of faith: ‘Through these three departures—from country, kindred and father's house,’ according to Alcuin's interpretation, ‘is meant that we have to leave behind the earthly man, the ties of our vices, and the world under the devil's power’ (‘lnterrogationes in Genesim’, 154).” [4]
 
CCC: Gn 12:1-4 145; Gn 12:1 59; Gn 12:2 762, 1669; Gn 12:3 706, 2676; Gn 12:3 LXX 5959; Gn 12:4 2570
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:12-13, 18-19, 20 and 22
 
R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
 
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
 
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
 
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
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Commentary on Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20 and 22
 
Psalm 33 is a hymn of praise.  These strophes rejoice in the active help God gives to his chosen people. God is constantly watching over his faithful people.  His outstretched hand is visible most clearly in times of dire need.  The singer petitions the Lord to continue his kindness to those whose hope is in the Lord.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 7:1-5
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged,
and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother,
'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,'
while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."
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Commentary on Mt 7:1-5
 
The beginning of the seventh chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel finds Jesus teaching his disciples about being judgmental. They are told to first look at their own transgressions before judging others. “This is not a prohibition against recognizing the faults of others, which would be hardly compatible with Matthew 7:5 and 6, but against passing judgment in a spirit of arrogance, forgetful of one's own faults.” [5] “Jesus’ teaching on judgment is two-sided. He condemns judging others' faults (vs. 1-2; Luke 6:37). We are incapable of judging with fairness and accuracy since God alone knows the heart (Proverbs 21:2; Luke 16:15). However, Jesus commands us to exercise critical discernment (Matthew 7:6; 15-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). Examination is necessary to avoid profaning what is holy (7:6) and embracing what is false (7:15).” [6]
 
“A person whose sight is distorted sees things as deformed, even though in fact they are not deformed. St. Augustine gives this advice: 'Try to acquire those virtues which you think your brothers lack, and you will no longer see their defects, because you will not have them yourselves' ("Enarrationes In Psalmos", 30, 2, 7). In this connection, the saying, 'A thief thinks that everyone else is a thief" is in line with this teaching of Jesus.” [7]
 
“The greatest deed of Christian charity is forgiveness, and if I must live a life of forgiving others, as Christ teaches, this is not on account of my goodness of heart but out of my own humble consciousness of being continually forgiven by God.” [8]
 
CCC: Mt 7:1-5 678
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Reflection:
 
We reflect today upon the relationship between Jesus’ teaching about being judgmental, provided in the Gospel passage, and his teaching about forgiveness, emphasized earlier in Matthew 6:14-15. The relationship between being judgmental and forgiveness is at the heart of the cliché “Love the sinner but hate the sin.”  Jesus reminds us in very clear terms that we do not have the authority (or the wisdom) to judge others.   We do not have God’s ability to see into the hearts of others to see their intent or the factors that have led them to act in ways we might consider sinful.
 
Our observations often cause us to identify or stereotype a person (or group) based upon actions we observe and judge to violate our norms of behavior.  For instance, in the opening scene of the 1964 epic film Zulu, a missionary and his daughter are in a Zulu village witnessing a mass marriage between around fifty warriors and their prospective brides.  From the perspective of the missionary’s daughter these people are barbarian – sinful because of several cultural factors.  Yet in the eyes of the people themselves they are being quite moral. 
 
This theatrical example is brought into sharper relief when applied to individuals or groups we might encounter.  In a more recent and nonfictional example, a man was reported to have attempted a robbery at a convenience store in suburban Detroit, Michigan.  The owner of the store (of Arabic descent – highlighting yet another stereotype) refused to give the man the money from his cash register, whereupon the would-be robber dropped to his knees sobbing saying he was sorry, but he had lost his job and had only resorted to stealing to feed his family.  The shop owner had pity on the man and gave him a loaf of bread, twenty dollars, and allowed him to leave.  We could judge the man who tried to rob the store as a thief who deserved to be incarcerated.  We could judge the shop owner as having done the “Christian” thing, and in both cases we may have been wrong.
 
In this example, we see clearly the link between the Lord’s prohibition against being judgmental and his exhortation about forgiveness.  While we do not have the authority or the wisdom to judge others, we do have the ability and the responsibility to forgive those who may have harmed us.  The logic of one supports the other.  Since we cannot know the heart of the person who causes us injury, we may only forgive them.
 
Today, Jesus tells us to avoid being judgmental of others.  We who have sinned do not have the right to judge the sins of others; that is for the one who is without sin.  May we take his words to heart and in place of our rush to judgment may we rush to forgive.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is: "Christ the Judge” by Laurent de La Hire, c. 1640.
[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. 86.
[5] NAB footnote on Matthew 7:1-12.
[6] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p.18.
[7] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 95.
[8] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 292.