Saints Sixtus II, Pope, and his Companions, Martyrs
Saint Cajetan, Priest
Biographical Information about Saint Sixtus II, Pope [1]
Biographical Information about Saint Cajetan, priest[2]
Readings for Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time[3]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Nm 12:1-13
In this selection from Numbers, the authority of Moses is challenged because he has married a woman from outside the Hebrew community. In response to this, God fist calls the accusers to the “meeting tent”, reaffirms his connection with Moses, and then punishes those who challenged him. This passage sets Moses apart from the later Prophets by differentiating the means by which God communicates with him – that is face to face.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 6cd-7, 12-13
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Psalm 51 is an individual lament. In these strophes we hear the singer beg forgiveness, linking it to the plea of Aaron and Moses in the first reading.
Gospel Mt 14:22-36
In St. Matthew’s story (see also (Mark 6:45-52), the disciples are caught in a violent storm a few miles from shore. Jesus exhibits his power over the elements by coming out to them on the water. Here St. Matthew builds his particular view of Peter by having him walk out to Jesus but loosing heart and failing. Also unlike St. Mark’s version of this event, the disciples make a remarkable profession “Truly, you are the Son of God.", where in St. Marks version they were “astounded”.
Reflection:
Faith is a very hard thing to wrap our heads around. We are taught that it is a gift, freely given, a consequence of our Baptism in the Lord. We know that some people (look at Sts. Sixtus, his deacons, and St. Cajetan) seem to have faith in abundance while others have little or no faith at all. We cannot see it, faith is an intangible quality of the soul, but we can feel it inside ourselves.
In scripture today we see two examples of faith in action. In the first reading, Miriam and Aaron apparently lost faith in Moses. They presumed to pass judgment on him because he had married outside the Hebrew community and how could the person to whom God spoke do such a thing. In response or out of bigotry they publicly refuted his spiritual leadership. Scripture tells us that God had an immediate response, calling them to account and then punishing Miriam with the outward sign of her sinfulness – leprosy. Was her sin the lack of faith in God’s selected holy one – the one to whom he spoke, face to face? Or was her sin the bigotry in her heart as she rejected the wife Moses had selected? Scripture does not say but had her faith been stronger, she would not have fallen to that trap.
In the Gospel, we see the disciples in a bad way. They had ventured out into the sea and were caught in a storm. Jesus comes to their aid in an unexpected way, walking on the water. Unprepared for his appearance, the disciples think he is a ghost at first. Peter, first among the disciples, sees (or thinks he sees) the Lord and calls out to him “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water" (not quite sure is he). When Peter goes out to the Son of God, his faith is fastened on Christ. He does not see the sea or the waves. He does not feel the wind. But when he loses that focus and starts looking around, he sees that he is doing the impossible and becomes frightened and starts to sink. God, of course, saves him. We can almost hear the Lord speaking to his friend in secular tones saying “Gosh, Peter, you almost had it. Why didn’t you just keep coming?”
We often feel that way don’t we? We almost had it – our faith was almost strong enough to withstand the temptation of doing something we should not have. It was almost strong enough to carry us through a difficult situation without faltering. But in the end, like Peter, the Lord had to help us out as well.
Faith may be a gift but it also acts like a muscle. If we don’t use it, we loose it. If we don’t exercise it, when we need that strength it will not be there. Our challenge today is to renew our dedication to get into the gym (Church) and get on the machines (prayer) do some jogging (exercise charity), so that when we are called out onto the water we will not fail.
Pax
[1] The first picture is The Martyrdom of St. Sixtus II and his Deacons, by Richard de Montbaston, 1400’s
[2] The second picture of St. Cajetan is in the public domain by an UNKNOWN artist
[3] After Links to Readings Expire
Saint Cajetan, Priest
Biographical Information about Saint Sixtus II, Pope [1]
Biographical Information about Saint Cajetan, priest[2]
Readings for Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time[3]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Nm 12:1-13
In this selection from Numbers, the authority of Moses is challenged because he has married a woman from outside the Hebrew community. In response to this, God fist calls the accusers to the “meeting tent”, reaffirms his connection with Moses, and then punishes those who challenged him. This passage sets Moses apart from the later Prophets by differentiating the means by which God communicates with him – that is face to face.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 6cd-7, 12-13
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Psalm 51 is an individual lament. In these strophes we hear the singer beg forgiveness, linking it to the plea of Aaron and Moses in the first reading.
Gospel Mt 14:22-36
In St. Matthew’s story (see also (Mark 6:45-52), the disciples are caught in a violent storm a few miles from shore. Jesus exhibits his power over the elements by coming out to them on the water. Here St. Matthew builds his particular view of Peter by having him walk out to Jesus but loosing heart and failing. Also unlike St. Mark’s version of this event, the disciples make a remarkable profession “Truly, you are the Son of God.", where in St. Marks version they were “astounded”.
Reflection:
Faith is a very hard thing to wrap our heads around. We are taught that it is a gift, freely given, a consequence of our Baptism in the Lord. We know that some people (look at Sts. Sixtus, his deacons, and St. Cajetan) seem to have faith in abundance while others have little or no faith at all. We cannot see it, faith is an intangible quality of the soul, but we can feel it inside ourselves.
In scripture today we see two examples of faith in action. In the first reading, Miriam and Aaron apparently lost faith in Moses. They presumed to pass judgment on him because he had married outside the Hebrew community and how could the person to whom God spoke do such a thing. In response or out of bigotry they publicly refuted his spiritual leadership. Scripture tells us that God had an immediate response, calling them to account and then punishing Miriam with the outward sign of her sinfulness – leprosy. Was her sin the lack of faith in God’s selected holy one – the one to whom he spoke, face to face? Or was her sin the bigotry in her heart as she rejected the wife Moses had selected? Scripture does not say but had her faith been stronger, she would not have fallen to that trap.
In the Gospel, we see the disciples in a bad way. They had ventured out into the sea and were caught in a storm. Jesus comes to their aid in an unexpected way, walking on the water. Unprepared for his appearance, the disciples think he is a ghost at first. Peter, first among the disciples, sees (or thinks he sees) the Lord and calls out to him “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water" (not quite sure is he). When Peter goes out to the Son of God, his faith is fastened on Christ. He does not see the sea or the waves. He does not feel the wind. But when he loses that focus and starts looking around, he sees that he is doing the impossible and becomes frightened and starts to sink. God, of course, saves him. We can almost hear the Lord speaking to his friend in secular tones saying “Gosh, Peter, you almost had it. Why didn’t you just keep coming?”
We often feel that way don’t we? We almost had it – our faith was almost strong enough to withstand the temptation of doing something we should not have. It was almost strong enough to carry us through a difficult situation without faltering. But in the end, like Peter, the Lord had to help us out as well.
Faith may be a gift but it also acts like a muscle. If we don’t use it, we loose it. If we don’t exercise it, when we need that strength it will not be there. Our challenge today is to renew our dedication to get into the gym (Church) and get on the machines (prayer) do some jogging (exercise charity), so that when we are called out onto the water we will not fail.
Pax
[1] The first picture is The Martyrdom of St. Sixtus II and his Deacons, by Richard de Montbaston, 1400’s
[2] The second picture of St. Cajetan is in the public domain by an UNKNOWN artist
[3] After Links to Readings Expire
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