Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr
Biographical Information about St. Justin
Readings for Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Tobit 1:3; 2:1a-8
I, Tobit, have walked all the days of my life
on the paths of truth and righteousness.
I performed many charitable works for my kinsmen and my people
who had been deported with me to Nineveh, in Assyria.
On our festival of Pentecost, the feast of Weeks,
a fine dinner was prepared for me, and I reclined to eat.
The table was set for me,
and when many different dishes were placed before me,
I said to my son Tobiah: "My son,
go out and try to find a poor man
from among our kinsmen exiled here in Nineveh.
If he is a sincere worshiper of God, bring him back with you,
so that he can share this meal with me.
Indeed, son, I shall wait for you to come back."
Tobiah went out to look for some poor kinsman of ours.
When he returned he exclaimed, "Father!"
I said to him, "What is it, son?"
He answered, "Father, one of our people has been murdered!
His body lies in the market place where he was just strangled!"
I sprang to my feet, leaving the dinner untouched;
and I carried the dead man from the street
and put him in one of the rooms,
so that I might bury him after sunset.
Returning to my own quarters, I washed myself
and ate my food in sorrow.
I was reminded of the oracle
pronounced by the prophet Amos against Bethel:
"All your festivals shall be turned into mourning,
and all your songs into lamentation."
And I wept.
Then at sunset I went out, dug a grave, and buried him.
The neighbors mocked me, saying to one another:
"He is still not afraid!
Once before he was hunted down for execution
because of this very thing;
yet now that he has scarcely escaped,
here he is again burying the dead!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Tb 1:3; 2:1a-8
This section of the Book of Tobit contains the trials of the author. In this passage we hear that the festival Pentecost (the Hebrew festival of Weeks, not the Christian Solemnity) is taking place. The virtues of the author in alms giving and charity are described. The second part of the selection speaks about the murder of one of the people and subsequent acts sets the stage for fulfillment of earlier prophecies and further events in the story the prophet tells.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 112:1b-2, 3b-4, 5-6
R. (1b) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 112:1b-2, 3b-4, 5-6
In this section of Psalm 112 the virtues of faithfully following God’s commandments are extolled. The one who follows the Lord will be upheld by God “in everlasting remembrance.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 12:1-12
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
"A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?"
They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 12:1-12
In the first part of the Gospel we hear the Parable of the Vineyard. Since this story is directed to the Chief Priests and Scribes, we see that the Vineyard represents the Kingdom of God and the tenants the Sanhedrin. They should have been working on behalf of God but instead misused their power and disregarded the Prophets, killing some, beating others. And when the Son of the owner comes and is killed, Jesus prophesies his own death.
The final section of the reading uses the image found in Ps 118; 23-24, “the stone rejected.” Jesus uses this scripture quote to drive home his point that the Sanhedrin had completely missed God’s intent and that the one they rejected, Jesus himself, the Messiah, was to be the cornerstone of the New Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom on earth and in heaven.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The Parable of the Vineyard has as much validity today as it did in the day of Jesus, although for a different reason. In Jesus day, when he first told this story, it was so that the Jewish leadership could understand the error of their understanding. They had a history of not seeing messengers from God and even attacking them because their message was frequently calling them away from self-serving ideals to a higher level of faith and love for God. As Jesus predicted in his parable, they rejected the Messiah and killed him as well.
We, the Christians of this age, must hear this parable and be warned by it. At Pentecost we were reminded that Jesus left us the great guide and advocate, the Holy Spirit. He left it for us but how often do we ignore that voice? How often do we believe, like the Chief Priests must have, that the way we live Christ’s commandments to us must be right and forget that the Lord came for all peoples of all nations?
The short answer is, it happens to us every day. We get involved in ourselves and we focus intensely on some element of our activity and pass an opportunity to express Christ’s love to others. Or even worse, we encounter a person who also believes they are doing right and instead of giving them the benefit of doubt as to their intentions, we assume they are purposely challenging our moral or religious values.
We must, as Christians be “pro-noid” that is, instead of believing that people are intentionally against what we do and believe, that they would help us given a chance and an explanation. Instead of thinking automatically that the person who looks down and out is a potential threat to our safety, let us see that person as an opportunity, as did Tobit, to express God’s love and generosity. Instead of seeing those who disagree with us as detractors and enemies, let us ask the Advocate to show us how to reach them with Christ’s love, to join us in God’s work.
Yes, the Parable of the Vineyard is appropriate for us today. Let us ask God to help us to be open and inviting in our attitudes and to avoid being closed and resistant to the call of the Holy Spirit. He is the cornerstone of our faith; we need to behave that way.
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Parable of the Vineyard” by UNKNOWN; Illustrator of 'Speculum humanae salvationis', Cologne, c. 1450
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Biographical Information about St. Justin
Readings for Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Tobit 1:3; 2:1a-8
I, Tobit, have walked all the days of my life
on the paths of truth and righteousness.
I performed many charitable works for my kinsmen and my people
who had been deported with me to Nineveh, in Assyria.
On our festival of Pentecost, the feast of Weeks,
a fine dinner was prepared for me, and I reclined to eat.
The table was set for me,
and when many different dishes were placed before me,
I said to my son Tobiah: "My son,
go out and try to find a poor man
from among our kinsmen exiled here in Nineveh.
If he is a sincere worshiper of God, bring him back with you,
so that he can share this meal with me.
Indeed, son, I shall wait for you to come back."
Tobiah went out to look for some poor kinsman of ours.
When he returned he exclaimed, "Father!"
I said to him, "What is it, son?"
He answered, "Father, one of our people has been murdered!
His body lies in the market place where he was just strangled!"
I sprang to my feet, leaving the dinner untouched;
and I carried the dead man from the street
and put him in one of the rooms,
so that I might bury him after sunset.
Returning to my own quarters, I washed myself
and ate my food in sorrow.
I was reminded of the oracle
pronounced by the prophet Amos against Bethel:
"All your festivals shall be turned into mourning,
and all your songs into lamentation."
And I wept.
Then at sunset I went out, dug a grave, and buried him.
The neighbors mocked me, saying to one another:
"He is still not afraid!
Once before he was hunted down for execution
because of this very thing;
yet now that he has scarcely escaped,
here he is again burying the dead!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Tb 1:3; 2:1a-8
This section of the Book of Tobit contains the trials of the author. In this passage we hear that the festival Pentecost (the Hebrew festival of Weeks, not the Christian Solemnity) is taking place. The virtues of the author in alms giving and charity are described. The second part of the selection speaks about the murder of one of the people and subsequent acts sets the stage for fulfillment of earlier prophecies and further events in the story the prophet tells.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 112:1b-2, 3b-4, 5-6
R. (1b) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 112:1b-2, 3b-4, 5-6
In this section of Psalm 112 the virtues of faithfully following God’s commandments are extolled. The one who follows the Lord will be upheld by God “in everlasting remembrance.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 12:1-12
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
"A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?"
They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 12:1-12
In the first part of the Gospel we hear the Parable of the Vineyard. Since this story is directed to the Chief Priests and Scribes, we see that the Vineyard represents the Kingdom of God and the tenants the Sanhedrin. They should have been working on behalf of God but instead misused their power and disregarded the Prophets, killing some, beating others. And when the Son of the owner comes and is killed, Jesus prophesies his own death.
The final section of the reading uses the image found in Ps 118; 23-24, “the stone rejected.” Jesus uses this scripture quote to drive home his point that the Sanhedrin had completely missed God’s intent and that the one they rejected, Jesus himself, the Messiah, was to be the cornerstone of the New Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom on earth and in heaven.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The Parable of the Vineyard has as much validity today as it did in the day of Jesus, although for a different reason. In Jesus day, when he first told this story, it was so that the Jewish leadership could understand the error of their understanding. They had a history of not seeing messengers from God and even attacking them because their message was frequently calling them away from self-serving ideals to a higher level of faith and love for God. As Jesus predicted in his parable, they rejected the Messiah and killed him as well.
We, the Christians of this age, must hear this parable and be warned by it. At Pentecost we were reminded that Jesus left us the great guide and advocate, the Holy Spirit. He left it for us but how often do we ignore that voice? How often do we believe, like the Chief Priests must have, that the way we live Christ’s commandments to us must be right and forget that the Lord came for all peoples of all nations?
The short answer is, it happens to us every day. We get involved in ourselves and we focus intensely on some element of our activity and pass an opportunity to express Christ’s love to others. Or even worse, we encounter a person who also believes they are doing right and instead of giving them the benefit of doubt as to their intentions, we assume they are purposely challenging our moral or religious values.
We must, as Christians be “pro-noid” that is, instead of believing that people are intentionally against what we do and believe, that they would help us given a chance and an explanation. Instead of thinking automatically that the person who looks down and out is a potential threat to our safety, let us see that person as an opportunity, as did Tobit, to express God’s love and generosity. Instead of seeing those who disagree with us as detractors and enemies, let us ask the Advocate to show us how to reach them with Christ’s love, to join us in God’s work.
Yes, the Parable of the Vineyard is appropriate for us today. Let us ask God to help us to be open and inviting in our attitudes and to avoid being closed and resistant to the call of the Holy Spirit. He is the cornerstone of our faith; we need to behave that way.
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Parable of the Vineyard” by UNKNOWN; Illustrator of 'Speculum humanae salvationis', Cologne, c. 1450
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
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