The Most Holy Name of Mary
Additional Information about the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary[1]
Readings for Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Col 3:1-11
St. Paul continues his exhortation to the Colossians by telling them to focus on their spiritual selves rather than on things of the flesh. He goes on to provide a litany of conduct that has no place in the Christian community, sins of the flesh and violations of the commandments. He concludes by reminding them that in the community there must be unity and that in Christ all are equal.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:2-3, 10-11, 12-13ab
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Psalm 145 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. This part of the song focuses on the Kingdom of God and its splendor.
Gospel Lk 6:20-26
This passage is the introductory section of St. Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain”. Addressed primarily to a gentile audience, this discourse differs from St. Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” in that it addresses economic conditions of the day. It begins, as does St. Matthew’s sermon, with the Beatitudes but follows these with the woe’s which contrasts the blessed with those who ignore the poor and hungry.
Reflection:
As we recall the Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary today we look to where she points, her Son, Jesus who is the Christ, the only Son of the Living God. We hear clearly the exhortation of St. Paul, called by the Lord to bring his message to the world. He reminds us that our ambitions must be for the higher gifts and that we must constantly guard against the temptations of the secular world.
St. Paul is eloquent in summarizing those same earthly issues to which we are exposed on almost a daily basis; “…immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry”. He goes on to attack unguarded emotions; “…anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths” and calls us to be the new creation of our baptism in Christ. There is, he tells us, no disunity or bias among the Lord’s adopted children, all are one in Jesus.
The Gospel takes our call further. The Lord not only expects our behavior and thoughts to be patterned after his own, but for us to care for those less fortunate. His Sermon on the Plain, directed at the disciples, reflects on God’s love toward all who are suffering or hungry. He concludes those blessings with one directed at those who follow his example and work in his name and suffer insult as a consequence.
We have a very basic and frank message from scripture today. It provides us with a contemplative overview of what we are called to be in God’s service, as individuals and as community. Our prayer this day is that through our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary whose Holy Name inspires us to focus our eyes on her Son, that we may be strong in our promise to follow Jesus’ example of love and respect for all, from the members of our own community of faith to the poor, the hungry, and those who weep.
Pax
[1] The picture used today is Madonna Enthroned between St. John and St. Sebastian (detail), Pietro Perugino, 1493
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
Additional Information about the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary[1]
Readings for Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Col 3:1-11
St. Paul continues his exhortation to the Colossians by telling them to focus on their spiritual selves rather than on things of the flesh. He goes on to provide a litany of conduct that has no place in the Christian community, sins of the flesh and violations of the commandments. He concludes by reminding them that in the community there must be unity and that in Christ all are equal.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:2-3, 10-11, 12-13ab
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Psalm 145 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. This part of the song focuses on the Kingdom of God and its splendor.
Gospel Lk 6:20-26
This passage is the introductory section of St. Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain”. Addressed primarily to a gentile audience, this discourse differs from St. Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” in that it addresses economic conditions of the day. It begins, as does St. Matthew’s sermon, with the Beatitudes but follows these with the woe’s which contrasts the blessed with those who ignore the poor and hungry.
Reflection:
As we recall the Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary today we look to where she points, her Son, Jesus who is the Christ, the only Son of the Living God. We hear clearly the exhortation of St. Paul, called by the Lord to bring his message to the world. He reminds us that our ambitions must be for the higher gifts and that we must constantly guard against the temptations of the secular world.
St. Paul is eloquent in summarizing those same earthly issues to which we are exposed on almost a daily basis; “…immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry”. He goes on to attack unguarded emotions; “…anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths” and calls us to be the new creation of our baptism in Christ. There is, he tells us, no disunity or bias among the Lord’s adopted children, all are one in Jesus.
The Gospel takes our call further. The Lord not only expects our behavior and thoughts to be patterned after his own, but for us to care for those less fortunate. His Sermon on the Plain, directed at the disciples, reflects on God’s love toward all who are suffering or hungry. He concludes those blessings with one directed at those who follow his example and work in his name and suffer insult as a consequence.
We have a very basic and frank message from scripture today. It provides us with a contemplative overview of what we are called to be in God’s service, as individuals and as community. Our prayer this day is that through our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary whose Holy Name inspires us to focus our eyes on her Son, that we may be strong in our promise to follow Jesus’ example of love and respect for all, from the members of our own community of faith to the poor, the hungry, and those who weep.
Pax
[1] The picture used today is Madonna Enthroned between St. John and St. Sebastian (detail), Pietro Perugino, 1493
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
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