Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Maria Goretti
Biographical information about St. Maria Goretti

“Woman Healed Touching Jesus”
by Alexandre Bida 1874

Readings for Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Hosea 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22
 
Thus says the Lord:
I will allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak to her heart.
She shall respond there as in the days of her youth,
when she came up from the land of Egypt.
 
On that day, says the Lord,
She shall call me “My husband,”
and never again “My baal.”
 
I will espouse you to me forever:
I will espouse you in right and in justice,
in love and in mercy;
I will espouse you in fidelity,
and you shall know the Lord.
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Commentary on Hos 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22
 
The prophet Hosea, voicing God’s hope for the people of Israel as a husband might speak to a wife who was unfaithful, exhorts the people to turn from idolatry (the worship of Baal). He tells them that if they will be faithful, God’s love and mercy will be theirs: it is eternal, and God is always faithful. In Hebrew tradition "espousing" would include the gifts for the bride (cf. Genesis 24:53). It is thought by many scholars that the prophet went through a personal trial with an unfaithful spouse which colored his prophetic writings, using the analogy of Israel as the espoused people throughout this book.
 
CCC: Hos 2 218; Hos 2:21-22 2787
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
 
R. (8a) The Lord is gracious and merciful.
 
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
 
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
 
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
 
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
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Commentary on Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
 
Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise. These strophes (because it is in the acrostic form, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet) although loosely assembled, praise God for his mercy and compassion and give thanks for his creation and redemption.
 
CCC: Ps 145:3 300; Ps 145:9 295, 342
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Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26
 
While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,
knelt down before him, and said,
“My daughter has just died.
But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.
A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him
and touched the tassel on his cloak.
She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.”
Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,
“Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.”
And from that hour the woman was cured.
 
When Jesus arrived at the official’s house
and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,
he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.”
And they ridiculed him.
When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,
and the little girl arose.
And news of this spread throughout all that land.
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Commentary on Mt 9:18-26
 
Jesus continues his journey in this passage from Matthew’s Gospel. Again, he engages in healing those who have faith in him. First, in a situation similar to the incident with the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-11; Luke 7:1-10), he is asked to help an official. As he is responding to that request, a woman with a hemorrhage approaches Jesus and reaches out to him. As she touches the tassel of his cloak, she experiences healing in that touch. In Mark and Luke the story is much more detailed. The Lord feels this touch and seeks out the woman (see Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48).
 
It is important to note that the woman, because of her hemorrhage, would have been considered "ritually impure" and excluded from all communal worship (Leviticus 15:19-23).  Through Christ's touch, she would have been allowed to return to God in worship.
 
Jesus arrives at the official's home (it is Mark’s Gospel that gives us the name Jairus) and heals his daughter. In Mark’s Gospel (Mark 5:23) she was at the point of death, here she had already “fallen asleep,” meaning she had died. Again, Jesus, seeing the faith of the requester, raises her from her deathbed to new life.
 
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Reflection:
 
If we truly believe in the authority of Christ over death, death itself ceases to be a cause for fear. If we truly believe Christ can heal us, a touch of his cloak will accomplish that healing. How difficult it is to take that leap of faith. The Lord was wise indeed when he said, “whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." (Mark 10:15)
 
Once more I borrow from Fr. Simeon’s Fire of Mercy as he says in speaking of the official Jairus’ approach to the Messiah: “He is an archon—a principal official, a guide among men, an establisher of order and a representative of the ideal Jew in the synagogue community. But he comes to the Archon of all, to the Logos who is the foundation of all, and not only an image of the source. ‘In the beginning (ἄϱχή) was the Word’ (Jn 1:1) is not primarily a temporal statement. The Word is at the head of all things, at the Origin itself. While this archon keeps order in his local synagogue, Christ the Word establishes the whole cosmos in harmony. For resurrection, the mourning father wisely comes to the very source of life, whom the liturgy often addresses as the Ἀϱχηγὸς τῆς ζωῆς—the first cause, author, and king of life.” [4]
 
How can we come to such faith? We know and understand that faith is a gift from God, and that through it flows all the grace and strength we need. We know that faith, like physical strength, can be grown through proper exercise and diet (exercise for faith is prayer and diet is the Word and sacraments). And herein lies the paradox. As we mature in our faith, we see all the depth and complexity of the truth Christ was pleased to reveal to us. We hear his command to love God and others. We can comprehend that this is done most completely by an innocent child (before they are taught by us not to trust or even speak to strangers). How insidious is the evil one, who forces us to take away that innocence for their protection?
 
Yet our own experiences of life force us to take a more mature view of the world and people around us. Our experiences of being hurt, having our trust violated, and being hated by others causes us to reject the innocent faith we need to embrace Christ’s teachings. Always it seems that even as we reach out to touch that tassel of Jesus’ cloak, we pull back, afraid of what will happen (or what will not).
 
Today we pray for faith, the innocent faith of a child, that through it we might experience the healing miracle of the woman with a hemorrhage, who through her faith was cured. May God grant us trust in his infinite love and compassion this day.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used today is “Woman Healed Touching Jesus” by Alexandre Bida 1874.
[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] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 372.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 514-521: Knowledge of mysteries of Christ, communion in his mysteries
CCC 238-242: The Father is revealed by the Son
CCC 989-990: The resurrection of the body

“Christ the Redeemer”
by Andrea Del Sarto, c. 1650

 
Readings for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2] 
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Zechariah 9:9-10
 
Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
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Commentary on Zec 9:9-10
 
The oracle of the prophet Zechariah speaks of the restoration of Israel following the great exile. In this section he speaks of the coming of the Messiah. “The Messiah will come, not as a conquering warrior, but in lowliness and peace. Not like the last kings of Judah, who rode in chariots and on horses (Jeremiah 17:25; 22:4), but like the princes of old (Genesis 49:11; Judges 5:10; 10:4), the Messiah will ride on an ass. The Evangelists see a literal fulfillment of this prophecy in the Savior's triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:4-5; John 12:14-15).” [5]
 
CCC: Zec 9:9 559
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
 
R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The Lord lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
 
Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise. The singer invites all to join in praising God for all the Lord has done. God is praised for his creation, his kindness, and his mercy toward those who have fallen on hard times.
 
CCC: Ps 145:9 295, 342
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Reading II: Romans 8:9, 11-13
 
Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
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Commentary on Rom 8:9, 11-13
 
After his warning in Romans 7 against the wrong route to fulfillment of the objective of holiness expressed in Romans 6:22, Paul points his addressees to the correct way. Through the redemptive work of Christ, Christians have been liberated from the terrible forces of sin and death. Holiness was impossible so long as the flesh (or our "old self") was alive. The same Spirit that enlivens Christians for holiness will also resurrect their bodies at the last day. Christian life is, therefore, the experience of a constant challenge to put to death the evil deeds of the body through life of the spirit (Romans 8:13).[6]
 
CCC: Rom 8:9 693; Rom 8:11 632, 658, 693, 695, 989, 990
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Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
 
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
 
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 11:25-30
 
Jesus has just completed a fairly scathing criticism of the people in the places he has been and performed miracles, yet many have not accepted him as the Messiah. He now concludes this section as he reflects that, while the scribes and Pharisees (“the wise and learned”) have not understood who he is, those with simple faith have accepted him freely. He then issues an invitation to all who “labor and are burdened” quoting an invitation similar to one in the book of Sirach to learn wisdom and submit to her yoke (Sirach 51:23, 26).
 
“This Q saying, identical with Luke 10:21-22 except for minor variations, introduces a joyous note into this section, so dominated by the theme of unbelief. While the wise and the learned, the scribes and Pharisees, have rejected Jesus' preaching and the significance of his mighty deeds, the childlike have accepted them. Acceptance depends upon the Father's revelation, but this is granted to those who are open to receive it and refused to the arrogant. Jesus can speak of all mysteries because he is the Son and there is perfect reciprocity of knowledge between him and the Father; what has been handed over to him is revealed only to those whom he wishes.”[7]
 
The final verses of this section are found only in St. Matthew’s Gospel and promise salvation to those who are downtrodden or in pain.
 
CCC: Mt 11:25-27 2603, 2779; Mt 11:25-26 2701; Mt 11:25 153, 544, 2785; Mt 11:27 151, 240, 443, 473; Mt 11:28 1658; Mt 11:29-30 1615; Mt 11:29 459
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Reflection:
 
Sacred Scripture offers us a clear vision of what Jesus offers us and what we in-turn are to offer in his name.  In the first reading from the prophet Zechariah, we see the prediction of the Messiah who (from his view) is to come.  We see, unlike the leaders of Jesus’ day, that the Savior will come humbly (“and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.”)  While the prophet is clear that Christ’s dominion will be over the whole world, again, the leaders of his age saw only his mission to free Israel from the Romans.  This conflict of images between a “royal messiah” imagined to be like King David from whose line Jesus came, is the basic reason so many of the leaders of the Jewish community could not accept him.
 
What also caused difficulty was the radical change in understanding of God’s desires for his people ushered in by the Lord.  St. Paul in his letter to the Romans speaks of this fundamental change as he calls the faithful claimed by and for Christ as “not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit.” In the grip of the Holy Spirit, we need to be conformed to Christ, accepting his “easy yoke.”
 
Finally in the Gospel Jesus makes his invitation and promise.  After he laments the people who should have seen his mission most clearly, the “wise and the learned,” he issues an invitation to all who are doing daily labor, not focused exclusively on things of God.  He also states clearly that accepting his mission and wisdom should not be difficult but rather acceptance should bring us peace.
 
Given what we hear, those of us who strive to follow him are called to reach out as well.  It is the great paradox of our faith.  We are to remain separate and untouched by the secular world and its values but also reach out to others in that world offering them Christ’s peace, the “light burden.”
 
Can we not almost see the face of Jesus as he speaks those words, “Come to me.”  It is as if we were watching a video of him and he suddenly turns to the camera, stepping out of character and speaking to us directly.  He offers himself to us as a remedy for all our mental anguish caused by the need to follow the rules of society, school, even social norms.  He calls us to simply offer him all that burdens us and he will replace them with unfathomable peace of heart and mind.
 
How difficult it is to lay down those heavy burdens.  We’ve carried them so long, and we are expected to carry them, forced to carry them by our environment.  He looks at us and invites. Our prayer today is that we present that humble image, so easy to accept and love, to those we meet.  In turn, that loving peace will infuse us with his love and consolation.
 
Pax
 
In other years on July 5^th (transferred from July 4^th): Optional Memorial for Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
In other years on July 5^th: Optional Memorial for Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Priest

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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 “Christ the Redeemer” by Andrea Del Sarto, c. 1650.
[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 Zechariah 9:9.
[6] Taken in part from the NAB footnote on Romans 8:1-13.
[7] NAB footnote on Matthew 11:25ff.

Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time - Independence Day USA

Alternate Texts may be taken from the Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, II. For Civil Needs: 13. For the Nation, nos. 882-886; or 14. For Peace and Justice, nos. 887-891.
 
Author’s selection – Independence Day.
 
On this Independence Day, for the General Intercessions one may use an adaptation of the prayer composed by Archbishop John Carroll for the inauguration of George Washington as found in the Book of Blessings (#1965): [1]
 
We [likewise] commend to your unbounded mercy
all citizens of the United States,
that we may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in
  the observance of your holy law.
May we be preserved in union and that peace which the
  world cannot give;
And, after enjoying the blessings of this life,
be admitted to those which are eternal.
 
We pray to you, who are Lord and God
for ever and ever.
 
R. Amen
 
Or
 
Optional Memorial of 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.[2] 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. Suggested for this date: # 29. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of All Creation.

“Mourning the Dead Christ”
by Ortolano, c. 1522

 
Readings for Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time [3]
 
Readings from theJerusalem Bible [4]
 
Readings and Commentary: [5]
 
Reading 1: Amos 9:11-15
 
Thus says the Lord:
On that day I will raise up
the fallen hut of David;
I will wall up its breaches,
raise up its ruins,
and rebuild it as in the days of old,
That they may conquer what is left of Edom
and all the nations that shall bear my name,
say I, the Lord, who will do this.
Yes, days are coming,
says the Lord,
When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
and the vintager, him who sows the seed;
The juice of grapes shall drip down the mountains,
and all the hills shall run with it.
I will bring about the restoration of my people Israel;
they shall rebuild and inhabit their ruined cities,
Plant vineyards and drink the wine,
set out gardens and eat the fruits.
I will plant them upon their own ground;
never again shall they be plucked
From the land I have given them,
say I, the Lord, your God.
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Commentary on Am 9:11-15
 
The prophet speaks of God’s purpose in causing the fall of the Kingdom of Israel (in actuality all kingdoms of that region in his day). The people were sinful, and those that did not follow God’s Law were either killed or carried off into bondage. But the faithful remnant would be saved and rebuilt (“On that day I will raise up the fallen hut of David”), saying that the House of Israel would be restored. The oracle predicts that it will be greater than before. All this is accomplished only through the will and might of God.
 
“In Acts 15:15-17 St. James interprets this passage in a messianic sense. Fallen hut: the kingdom. The nations that shall bear my name: the Gentile peoples who shall be converted to the Lord, that is, conquered by him, and therefore shall bear his name.” [6]

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Responsorial Psalm: 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14
 
R. (see 9b) The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
 
I will hear what God proclaims;
the Lord –for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
 
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
 
The Lord himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
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Commentary on Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14
 
Psalm 85 is a communal lament that focuses on the woes of the nation. These strophes reflect the joy of salvation at the restoration of the land following the destruction of the temple, and the Diaspora. Those faithful to God see the reward: a land restored, justice returned, and the salvation of God.
 
CCC: Ps 85:11 214; Ps 85:12 2795
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Gospel: Matthew 9:14-17
 
The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.
No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth,
for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.
People do not put new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.
Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 9:14-17
 
Jesus is approached by St. John the Baptist’s disciples about the Pharisaic practices of ritual fasting. In Old Testament usage this action was a token of repentance or of mourning. No fast is actually prescribed in the Law of Moses, except the fast on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29 and 23:27 and Numbers 29:7). Given this understanding of the Law of Moses, what was being practiced by the Pharisees (and St. John’s disciples) was tradition. Jesus' response, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them,” speaks to the fact that his disciples do not have anything to repent from or mourn for, as long as they are following him.
 
The next section of the reading seems to contradict an earlier statement of Jesus (Matthew 5:17-20), when he said he had not come to abolish the Law (of Moses) but to fulfill it. But, his metaphors about the wineskins and the cloth refer to a completely new understanding of God’s revelation that cannot be a “patchwork” of ideas, but rather a consistent application of Christ’s law of love, mercy, and hope.
 
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Reflection:
 
In the Gospel today, the Lord is challenged by some of the disciples of St. John the Baptist (of which at least one of his own disciples, Andrew, was formerly a member). They ask why Jesus and his disciples do not practice the Pharisaic traditions of ritual fasting. Jesus, also of the Pharisaic tradition (based upon his knowledge of the resurrection), was not following their scrupulous rules and neither were his disciples. It was important that Jesus strike just the right tone in his reply. Recognizing that the Pharisees were following a tradition developed out of their understanding of the law (not prescriptions of the law), he explains that his disciples do not need to mourn or repent while he is with them (coming as he does to fulfill the Law and the Prophets).
 
Now, using metaphor, Jesus explains that his coming changes the understanding of God’s intent and character. Where the Hebrews’ understanding of God, based upon the Law and the Prophets, had been as a God of justice, humanized and given the emotions and motives of man, Christ changed all of that, as the incarnated Son shows the world God’s infinite love and compassion. His metaphors tell us that there can be no human motives assigned to God: that is old cloth, old wineskins.
 
To quote my favorite author: “If Christ and the mind of Christ are the new garment the disciple must henceforth wear more tightly and intimately than his own skin, then we can see how what the proverb calls a “patch” in the sense of a ‘complement’ or “piece added to complete and perfect’ does indeed deserve the name of Pleroma, which the Vulgate retains as plenitudo. The old garment of the law, in its interim fragility, simply cannot bear, without tearing, the energy of the fullness manifested in Christ, in whom, ‘by God’s own choice, came to dwell the plenitude (plêrôma) of God’ (Col 1:19).” [7]
 
We rejoice today as we see Christ once more reveal to us the love and promise of the Father, and the salvation he offers to those who believe in him. We pray, today, that we can be an example of that love to those we meet, and thereby bring the message of the Kingdom of God to the world. And, especially in this time of unrest, uncertainty, and fear, we pray that that message of love might heal the wounds of division that are fracturing this great country of ours.
 
Pax

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[1] Book of Blessings (he Order of St. Benedict, Inc., Collegeville, MN © 1989), 747.
[2] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5.
[3] The picture is “Mourning the Dead Christ” by Ortolano, c. 1522.
[4] S.S. Commemoratio
[5] 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.
[6] NAB footnote on Amos 9:11-12.
[7] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 446.

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Biographical Information about St. Thomas the Apostle

“Saint Thomas“
by Caravaggio, 1601-02

Readings for the Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Ephesians 2:19-22
 
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
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Commentary on Eph 2:19-22
 
In this passage, St. Paul describes the unity brought about among all believers in Christ. This unity is formed under a common teaching flowing from the Hebrew prophets, through the apostles, to Christ himself, who is described as the “capstone” or cornerstone. This unity of spirit becomes the Church, the “dwelling place for God in the Spirit.” The Church, in turn, is the unity of all Christians, those who were formerly Jews, and those who were formerly Gentiles. They are, says the apostle, joined through Christ on the same road to the Kingdom of God. They share the same foundation of faith, transmitted to them through the apostles, and held firm by Christ the “capstone.” Together they form the “Temple of the Spirit,” the essential understanding that the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ.
 
CCC: Eph 2:19-22 756; Eph 2:20 857; Eph 2:21 797
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 117:1bc, 2
 
R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
 
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
 
For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
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Commentary on Ps 117:1bc, 2
 
“This shortest of hymns calls on the nations to acknowledge God's supremacy. The supremacy of Israel's God has been demonstrated to them by the people's secure existence, which is owed entirely to God's gracious fidelity.”[4] Using a refrain from St. Mark’s Gospel, the psalm is one of praise for the Good News of God’s salvation.
 
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Gospel: John 20:24-29
 
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But Thomas said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
 
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
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Commentary on Jn 20:24-29
 
This story from St. John’s Gospel is set just after Mary Magdalene has brought news to the disciples of the Risen Christ, and his appearance to them in the locked room. He (the Lord) has departed and now Thomas returns to find his friends speaking of Jesus’ return from the dead.
 
Thomas acquires his nickname ("Doubting Thomas") by doubting what the other disciples tell him, and he persists in doing so until the Lord again comes to the locked upper room. To his credit, following the Lord’s own challenge, St. Thomas applies to Jesus the title “My Lord and my God.” It is the first time this title, reserved for God the Father, is given to the Son, proclaiming his divinity. The passage concludes with Jesus acknowledging the title, but praising those not present who will believe in him without requiring physical proof.
 
CCC: Jn 20:24-27 644; Jn 20:26 645, 659; Jn 20:27 645; Jn 20:28 448
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Reflection:
 
On July 12, 1835, or 190 years ago, about a block west of the current Kingsley St. location in Ann Arbor, Father Patrick O’Kelly celebrated the first Mass for the small Irish Catholic faith community in Ann Arbor that would become St. Thomas the Apostle Church.  Sixty-four years later, in 1899, this building was dedicated when Bishop Foley from Detroit started with this prayer:
 
O Lord God, who although the heavens and earth cannot contain Thee, are pleased to have Thy dwelling on earth, in which Thy name may be perpetually invoked; we beseech Thee, by the merits of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, of Thy apostle Saint Thomas, and all Thy Saints, visit this place with Thy benign clemency, and purify it by the infusion of Thy grace, from all defilement and preserve it undefiled; and O Thou who didst satisfy the devotion of Thy beloved David in the performance of his son Solomon, be pleased to hearken to our petitions and banish hence all spiritual wickedness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
 
I was not able to find a record of what motivated our forefathers in faith to choose St. Thomas the Apostle as patron.  But we pray that the living tradition of faith which has been handed down to us is pleasing to our parish patron, whose feast we celebrate today.
 
From a scriptural perspective, not much is known about St. Thomas.  His name occurs in all the lists of the synoptics (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6, cf. Acts 1:13), but, as we heard, in St. John’s Gospel he plays a distinctive part.
 
First, when Jesus announced his intention of returning to Judea to visit Lazarus, Thomas who is called Didymus [the twin], thinking about the danger to Jesus in Judea, loyally said to his fellow disciples: "Let us also go to die with him” (John 11:16). (As a side note, Thomas is thought to have been called “the twin” because he strongly resembled Jesus, not because he was a twin.)
 
Again, it was St. Thomas who during the discourse before the Last Supper raised an objection: "Thomas said to him, ‘Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?’" (John 14:5).
 
But more especially St. Thomas is remembered for his incredulity, proclaimed on his feast, when the other apostles announced Christ's resurrection to him: "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." (John 20:25) But eight days later he made his act of faith professing “My Lord and my God.”  Even so, the Lord chided him saying: "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (John 20:29)
 
What does the scriptural record say about the faith of our patron?  He is continually saying more than he knows.  When he suggested that the disciples should go and die with Jesus in Judea, he could not have known that, in light of what was to happen, all Christians would die with Christ and rise with him at the resurrection.  He was the first to identify Christ as God in his profession of faith, even though he doubted, winning him the unfortunate nickname “doubting Thomas” that has followed him since.
 
We see in what is known of his later ministry that St. Thomas was not always in agreement with his brother apostles. According to tradition, when the apostles were planning their evangelistic directions, St. Thomas was selected to go to India.  He immediately objected, saying he could not go.  At this point, his master, Jesus, appeared in a supernatural way to Abban, the envoy of Gundafor, an Indian king, and sold Thomas to him to be his slave and serve Gundafor as a carpenter.
 
When he arrived in India, his apostolic zeal took over and he accomplished great works throughout the northern part of the continent.  He finally converted the wife and son of a local king who, again, according to tradition, had our patron executed by four of his soldiers who used spears to kill him.
 
How fortunate we are to have so human a patron.  His less-than-perfect faith allows us to identify with him.  As we heard in the Letter to the Hebrews: "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”  And faith is a gift from God, freely given but in different measures.  It is a very fortunate few who have not had doubts about God, his presence, and his promise. For many of us logic wars with faith, and we are forced to overcome our own disbelief, fighting to force a reluctant mind to embrace what we know in our hearts is true. Yes, we believe.  But do we all not wish we could have the Lord stand in front of us so that we could see the nail marks in his hands and put our hand into his side?
 
It is a great blessing for us to know that one as flawed as we are in faith could be loved so deeply by our Lord and Savior. Today we rejoice in God’s gift of St. Thomas.  He struggled to understand and in the end received the martyr’s crown; his faith ultimately saved him.  We consider those who have worshiped in this space for the past hundred and twenty-seven years and think of all the prayers offered up, asking our patron to intercede on their behalf.  Today we add our prayers to theirs as we ask him to help our unbelief so that we, like him, might offer up the profession: “My Lord and my God.”
 
Pax
 
In other years on this date: Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
 

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[1] The picture is “Saint Thomas“ by Caravaggio, 1601-02.
[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 Psalm 117.

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Christ Healing the Paralytic”
by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, 1730-32

Readings for Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Amos 7:10-17
 
Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam,
king of Israel:
“Amos has conspired against you here within Israel;
the country cannot endure all his words.
For this is what Amos says:
Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land.”
 
To Amos, Amaziah said:
“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!
There earn your bread by prophesying,
but never again prophesy in Bethel;
for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”
Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet,
nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;
I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.
The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,
‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
Now hear the word of the LORD!”
 
You say: prophesy not against Israel,
preach not against the house of Isaac.
Now thus says the LORD:
Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city,
and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword;
Your land shall be divided by measuring line,
and you yourself shall die in an unclean land;
Israel shall be exiled far from its land.
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Commentary on Am 7:10-17
 
This selection shows the tension between prophet (Amos) and priest (Amaziah). The latter takes Amos’ words out of context and distorts them into what appears to be an attack on the king. As a consequence, Amos is expelled from Bethel (the national sanctuary of the northern kingdom) and would no longer be providing guidance to King Jeroboam II as “court visionary” or prophet.
 
In reply to the savage rebuke of the high priest, Amos lists his credentials. He denounces the professional prophets and disclaims any connection with them. Amos had no interest in being a prophet for the purpose of earning money. "[He was] a dresser of sycamores: This insipid fruit, which grows especially in the lowlands of Palestine, is related to, but smaller than, the fig; it was the food of the poor." [4]
 
Amos has the last word (v.17). He gives Amaziah the dooming prophecy for the king and his family. The reference to death “in an unclean land” is a reference to Assyria.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
 
R. (10cd) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
 
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
 
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
 
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
 
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
 
Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In this passage, we give praise for God’s gift of the law which guides us in our daily lives. The hymn extols the virtues of obedience and steadfastness to the law and its precepts. The passage also reflects the idea that following God’s statutes leads to peace and prosperity.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8
 
After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”—
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
 
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Commentary on Mt 9:1-8
 
Jesus continues his saving works in the healing of the paralytic. He leaves the territory of the Gadarenes, having been rejected out of fear.  He comes once more to his own town and is confronted with a singular demonstration of faith.  We are told, "And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher." Note, there was no outcry or plea from those who lovingly brought the paralytic to Jesus; rather, an unspoken faith in the Lord that moved Jesus to remove his burden.
 
 The leaders of the synagogue hear Jesus forgive the man’s sins, which in their thinking caused the man’s affliction (cf. John 9:1-3), and could only be taken away by God (cf. Luke 5:21). To demonstrate that he was from God, and acting for God, Jesus took away, not only the man’s sins, but what the scribes believed were the consequences of those sins, his paralysis. The crowds, if not the scribes, immediately understood and gave thanks to God for his mercy.
 
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Reflection:
 
Jesus first forgives the sins of a young paralytic then heals him, in the Gospel for today. In Hebrew thought, these two actions are linked. It was the Jewish belief that if something terrible happened, like being paralyzed, it was because the person did something wrong, sinned against God. They believed that God, in retribution, caused the affliction. This belief did not just attach to the one afflicted either; it attached to the whole of the person’s family, including extended family.
 
So, by saying first: “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven,” Jesus demonstrated that he spoke with the authority of God, since only God could forgive one so afflicted. That is why the scribes who were present were thinking that Jesus was blaspheming.
 
It got better though. Jesus, sensing the thoughts of the scribes, demonstrated that he could not only forgive sins, but also remove the outward signs of interior sin when he says:
 
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”—
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
 
No one present missed the revelation. Only God could forgive sins, and the outward sign of that sin was the paralysis. Jesus first removed the cause, then the effect, in the eyes of the witnesses.
 
This revelation is very important to us. Christ has told us that sin does not result in immediate and physical punishment from God as the Jews believed. The Lord’s coming changed that forever. He delivered us from sin and death.  Jesus starts us on our journey of faith in the forgiving bath of baptism, where all sins are washed away. He strengthens us with the gift of the Holy Spirit and adopts us as his children.
 
Through his gift to Peter of the keys of the kingdom, he has passed on to his Holy Church the faculty to continue his loving forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation. He has permanently removed the source of our temporal pain and disfigurement as a consequence of sin.
 
Finally, again through the gift of the sacraments, he has provided us with the instrument of healing in the anointing of the sick, again removing barriers to God and the kingdom of Heaven.
 
Indeed, today’s Gospel is an important one for us. We see in it our own salvation. The only price we are asked to pay is faith and love of him who loves us.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Christ Healing the Paralytic” by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, 1730-32.
[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] Jerome Biblical Commentary (Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968), 14:34, 251.