Saint Angela Merici, Virgin
Biographical Information about St. Angela Merici
Readings for Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Hebrews 10:1-10
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come,
and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect
those who come to worship by the same sacrifices
that they offer continually each year.
Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered,
since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer
have had any consciousness of sins?
But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins,
for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when he came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
Behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”
First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
burnt offerings and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Heb 10:1-10
The author (and we are not sure if it is Paul) continues his apologetic by comparing the Law to the fulfillment of the Law in Christ. In vs. 5-7 a passage from Psalm 40:7-9 is placed in the mouth of the Son at his incarnation. This again refutes the need of Christians to follow the Hebrew Law of Sin offerings (or guilt offerings see Lev 5:14-19) since the Lord offered his own body “once for all”.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 40:2 and 4ab, 7-8a, 10, 11
R. (8a and 9a) Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 40:2 and 4ab, 7-8a, 10, 11
We are given, in support of the reading from Hebrews, the very Psalm that was quoted in today’s selection (although the translation quoted in Hebrews is from the Septuagint traslation). The intent and action God wants from us is not burnt offerings but our own faithfulness.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 3:31-35
His (Jesus’) mother and brothers arrived.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers (and your sisters)
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and (my) brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
(For) whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 3:31-35
This passage, while affirming our own adoption as brothers and sisters in Christ, does cause some confusion among those who take scripture at face value without understanding the culture of the time.
“In Semitic usage, the terms "brother" and "sister" are applied not only to children of the same parents, but to nephews, nieces, cousins, half-brothers, and half-sisters.”[5] Because of this, when Mary comes looking for Jesus in this selection, she is, as would be expected, joined by members of the extended family. Jesus extends the family even further though his adoption of those who, as those “seated in the circle” who listen to his word and believe.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Today we can pause and thank God for his great gift that brought us into a new relationship with him. If Christ had not come as the perfect offering for our sins, we would still be obliged to offer sacrifices as our Hebrew predecessors did. We would be one step removed from the relationship we have in Christ who at once saved us and adopted us as children of God; “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
The sense of adoption contrasted with the former relationship of the Hebrew people can be analogized by examining the relationship between ourselves and family and ourselves and a guest. While we treat a guest with courtesy and respect, we do not have the same love for the guest as we would for our close family member.
A guest would be welcomed to our home. A family member lives with us sharing not just our food, but all that we have. A guest comes and stays a while and leaves, but a family member is with us and shares our lives with us, the good and the bad. A guest does not share our pain or our joy to the extent a member of our own family does. The guest is held at arms length, never quite achieving that place of familial intimacy that is part of the family’s members.
Jesus changed that relationship for us. He came making God, His Father, our Father. He brought not a guest to the table but a bride. He himself, out of his great love for us provided the sacrificial meal. He did this so we would have the intimate access to him and through that access find life eternal with the Father.
Because of this, we should take as our prayer today the family prayer of the Church, the Lord’s Prayer. As we say; “Our Father…”, let us embrace the Father who has adopted us, and through his great mercy has given us life with him.
Pax.
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Mary Seeks Her Son” by Max Fürst, c. 1890
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[5] From the reference note on Mark 6; 3 in the NAB
Biographical Information about St. Angela Merici
Readings for Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Hebrews 10:1-10
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come,
and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect
those who come to worship by the same sacrifices
that they offer continually each year.
Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered,
since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer
have had any consciousness of sins?
But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins,
for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when he came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
Behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”
First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
burnt offerings and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Heb 10:1-10
The author (and we are not sure if it is Paul) continues his apologetic by comparing the Law to the fulfillment of the Law in Christ. In vs. 5-7 a passage from Psalm 40:7-9 is placed in the mouth of the Son at his incarnation. This again refutes the need of Christians to follow the Hebrew Law of Sin offerings (or guilt offerings see Lev 5:14-19) since the Lord offered his own body “once for all”.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 40:2 and 4ab, 7-8a, 10, 11
R. (8a and 9a) Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 40:2 and 4ab, 7-8a, 10, 11
We are given, in support of the reading from Hebrews, the very Psalm that was quoted in today’s selection (although the translation quoted in Hebrews is from the Septuagint traslation). The intent and action God wants from us is not burnt offerings but our own faithfulness.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 3:31-35
His (Jesus’) mother and brothers arrived.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers (and your sisters)
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and (my) brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
(For) whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 3:31-35
This passage, while affirming our own adoption as brothers and sisters in Christ, does cause some confusion among those who take scripture at face value without understanding the culture of the time.
“In Semitic usage, the terms "brother" and "sister" are applied not only to children of the same parents, but to nephews, nieces, cousins, half-brothers, and half-sisters.”[5] Because of this, when Mary comes looking for Jesus in this selection, she is, as would be expected, joined by members of the extended family. Jesus extends the family even further though his adoption of those who, as those “seated in the circle” who listen to his word and believe.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Today we can pause and thank God for his great gift that brought us into a new relationship with him. If Christ had not come as the perfect offering for our sins, we would still be obliged to offer sacrifices as our Hebrew predecessors did. We would be one step removed from the relationship we have in Christ who at once saved us and adopted us as children of God; “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
The sense of adoption contrasted with the former relationship of the Hebrew people can be analogized by examining the relationship between ourselves and family and ourselves and a guest. While we treat a guest with courtesy and respect, we do not have the same love for the guest as we would for our close family member.
A guest would be welcomed to our home. A family member lives with us sharing not just our food, but all that we have. A guest comes and stays a while and leaves, but a family member is with us and shares our lives with us, the good and the bad. A guest does not share our pain or our joy to the extent a member of our own family does. The guest is held at arms length, never quite achieving that place of familial intimacy that is part of the family’s members.
Jesus changed that relationship for us. He came making God, His Father, our Father. He brought not a guest to the table but a bride. He himself, out of his great love for us provided the sacrificial meal. He did this so we would have the intimate access to him and through that access find life eternal with the Father.
Because of this, we should take as our prayer today the family prayer of the Church, the Lord’s Prayer. As we say; “Our Father…”, let us embrace the Father who has adopted us, and through his great mercy has given us life with him.
Pax.
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Mary Seeks Her Son” by Max Fürst, c. 1890
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[5] From the reference note on Mark 6; 3 in the NAB
No comments:
Post a Comment