Readings for Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Col 1:15-20
St. Paul, in this selection, now begins to address some confusion in teachings that have been addressed to the Colossians, specifically about angles and their place in the hierarchy. The evangelist reaffirms Christ’s primacy and his relationship as God’s only Son with authority over all things (note – “visible and invisible”). We see in this statement a clear vision of the Lord’s authority over us and our souls and his rule both in heaven and on earth.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Psalm 100 is a communal song of thanksgiving. In this selection we give thanks for God’s favor and his unending support in all good things.
Gospel Lk 5:33-39
In this exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees we see the liberal use of metaphors to describe a new relationship and a new covenant and how they relate to the old. The bridal metaphor clearly establishes a different relationship between God and man than that expressed in the Hebrew tradition. God and man are in a love relationship as opposed to God being superior to man and man subservient to God.
The Lord uses the Metaphors of the new and old cloth and the new and old wine skins to illustrate that this Gospel message cannot be grafted on to Mosaic law but it becomes something entirely new and attempting to hold both views will destroy both.
Reflection:
Our relationship with Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, changes everything. One may think this statement a bit melodramatic but when we examine what goes on with our lives, the truth is, Jesus does radically change our whole life.
Our journey of is one that constantly builds on its previous understanding. We know that the Lord used a number of metaphors in the Gospel of Luke today but allow us the use of just one additional application of that literary device to illustrate this point.
When we look at a piece of cloth from a distance, say as part of a garment, we see color and shape; we see purpose and interaction with the surrounding environment. As we draw closer we may see subtle patterns and perhaps signs of wear. Closer still and we can see texture and detect how the cloth was formed. Closer yet, now with the aid of a magnifying glass we can see the individual threads and how they are linked together. Placed under a microscope, we see the fibers that make up the threads and the pigments that make up the color. Finally under the most powerful magnification we can see strands of molecules forming the fibers and we get an understanding of how the structure holds together.
The same is true of our faith journey. When we begin, we see Jesus and we are told about God the Father and the idea of the incorporation of the Holy Spirit. We understand at a distance that God’s love, reflected by all Three Persons, is directed at us to protect and guide us through life. As we grow in faith and understanding, this becomes internalized and we begin to realize that understanding God requires a response from us and our faith grows. We are converted again and again.
In the Gospel we see the Lord communicate this radical need for changes with metaphors. We reach out for them and apply them to our lives and see that we cannot simply append the old secular values to those demanded by our faith; they must be subservient to a whole new outlook. Our faith in Christ changes everything.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is Conversion of the Magdalene by Pedro de Campana, 1580-1600
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Col 1:15-20
St. Paul, in this selection, now begins to address some confusion in teachings that have been addressed to the Colossians, specifically about angles and their place in the hierarchy. The evangelist reaffirms Christ’s primacy and his relationship as God’s only Son with authority over all things (note – “visible and invisible”). We see in this statement a clear vision of the Lord’s authority over us and our souls and his rule both in heaven and on earth.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Psalm 100 is a communal song of thanksgiving. In this selection we give thanks for God’s favor and his unending support in all good things.
Gospel Lk 5:33-39
In this exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees we see the liberal use of metaphors to describe a new relationship and a new covenant and how they relate to the old. The bridal metaphor clearly establishes a different relationship between God and man than that expressed in the Hebrew tradition. God and man are in a love relationship as opposed to God being superior to man and man subservient to God.
The Lord uses the Metaphors of the new and old cloth and the new and old wine skins to illustrate that this Gospel message cannot be grafted on to Mosaic law but it becomes something entirely new and attempting to hold both views will destroy both.
Reflection:
Our relationship with Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, changes everything. One may think this statement a bit melodramatic but when we examine what goes on with our lives, the truth is, Jesus does radically change our whole life.
Our journey of is one that constantly builds on its previous understanding. We know that the Lord used a number of metaphors in the Gospel of Luke today but allow us the use of just one additional application of that literary device to illustrate this point.
When we look at a piece of cloth from a distance, say as part of a garment, we see color and shape; we see purpose and interaction with the surrounding environment. As we draw closer we may see subtle patterns and perhaps signs of wear. Closer still and we can see texture and detect how the cloth was formed. Closer yet, now with the aid of a magnifying glass we can see the individual threads and how they are linked together. Placed under a microscope, we see the fibers that make up the threads and the pigments that make up the color. Finally under the most powerful magnification we can see strands of molecules forming the fibers and we get an understanding of how the structure holds together.
The same is true of our faith journey. When we begin, we see Jesus and we are told about God the Father and the idea of the incorporation of the Holy Spirit. We understand at a distance that God’s love, reflected by all Three Persons, is directed at us to protect and guide us through life. As we grow in faith and understanding, this becomes internalized and we begin to realize that understanding God requires a response from us and our faith grows. We are converted again and again.
In the Gospel we see the Lord communicate this radical need for changes with metaphors. We reach out for them and apply them to our lives and see that we cannot simply append the old secular values to those demanded by our faith; they must be subservient to a whole new outlook. Our faith in Christ changes everything.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is Conversion of the Magdalene by Pedro de Campana, 1580-1600
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