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| ”St. Bonaventure Enters the Franciscan Order” by Francisco de Herrera, the Elder, 1628 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Exodus 1:8-14, 22
Commentary on Ex 1:8-14, 22
The Book of Exodus takes up the story of Joseph and his descendants in Egypt continued from the Genesis account. In this passage, we hear how the “children of Israel” fell into slavery though concerns over their numbers and foreign residence status. This account also describes Pharaoh’s attempt to cull their numbers through infanticide, setting the stage for the rise of Moses.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8
R. (8a) Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Commentary on Ps 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8
Psalm 124 is a song of thanksgiving. In these verses God is praised for rescuing his chosen from their enemies and natural disasters so they could live in the freedom he had promised in his covenant.
CCC: Ps 124:8 287
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Gospel: Matthew 10:34—11:1
Commentary on Mt 10:34—11:1
The final remarks of Jesus to the Apostles, as they go out to preach and heal, are given in this passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel. He reminds them that, even though the word they spread reflects God’s love, they will be badly received by many, dividing households and families.
The Lord goes on to tell them that those who will fully accept him and his word will undergo persecution because of him. And, even if they lose their lives on his account, they will be saved. The reward given to those who accept the Word and follow in his way will be great in heaven.
This discourse, recalled many years after Christ’s death and resurrection, has the advantage of seeing the persecution of those who spread the word. It demonstrates a fuller understanding of the meaning of Christ’s teaching.
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Reflection:
For the past several days (including this past Sunday’s Gospel) we have been reflecting upon the sending of the disciples into the world. We were told that they were sent “as sheep among wolves,” without any physical means of support or protection. To punctuate that idea, St. Matthew’s Gospel explains that the Gospel we bring to the world will not be accepted by many. In fact, rather than instantly bringing peace and the Kingdom of God to those who hear it, the message will cause division between peoples and even within families. This fact is more true today in the United States, than any time since its founding.
It is said that “forewarned is forearmed.” The Gospel serves as a warning that as we put on Christ and go into the world we face each day, be that the world of business, governance, school, or nurturing a family, we should expect the message we bring to cause discomfort to some.
“Why must that be?” We rhetorically ask that question to point out that if we do this correctly, if we truly put on Christ, the message we bring and the values the Gospel message requires, along with the virtue we must hold as sacred, we will meet resistance from the fallen nature of mankind. In short, those who would rather follow another set of values, values focused on their own pleasure, on concern for their own comfort, or aimed at dominating and demeaning others will feel threatened by our purity of intent.
The Gospel we bring to the world is not “Good News” to those who love themselves and embrace materialism and hedonism. The simple act of helping one less fortunate can earn the disdain of one inclined toward those self-centered values. They feel guilt or even less noble attitudes using the rationale that the unfortunate person is in his or her situation because they were either not diligent enough or not “good” enough to take advantage of their situation. They employ the Darwinian mentality of “survival of the fittest,” not realizing that by doing so they reduce themselves to the mentality of an animal.
Today we faithfully put on Christ and go into the world. We do so with a prayer that the face others see on us is the face of Christ, and the good we do in his name will be for the greater Glory of his Father and ours.
Pax
[1] The picture is ”St. Bonaventure Enters the Franciscan Order” by Francisco de Herrera, the Elder, 1628.
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