Note: Texts for the Vigil of the Solemnity of the Assumption are included below.
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| “Maximillian Kolbe” photographer and date are unknown |
Reading 1: Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo
the headland of Pisgah which faces Jericho
and the LORD showed him all the land—
the land of Ephraim
all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea
the Negeb, the circuit of the Jordan
with the lowlands at Jericho
and as far as Zoar.
The LORD then said to him,
“This is the land
which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
that I would give to their descendants.
I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over.”
So there, in the land of Moab
died as the LORD had said; and he was buried in the ravine
opposite Beth-peor in the land of Moab
but to this day no one knows the place of his burial.
Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died,
yet his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated.
For thirty days the children of Israel
in the plains of Moab
the period of grief and mourning for Moses.
Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom,
since Moses had laid his hands upon him;
and so the children of Israel
thus carrying out the LORD’s command to Moses.
Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel
whom the LORD knew face to face.
He had no equal in all the signs and wonders
the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt
against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land,
and for the might and the terrifying power
that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel
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Commentary on Dt 34:1-12
This passage from Deuteronomy describes the death of Moses and the conclusion to the entire Pentateuch (Torah). All that the Lord had said to Moses had come to pass. Reference is made to God’s promise of the land. This statement supports other references about the land to be given (see Deuteronomy 1:37, 3:25-27, 4:21-22, 32:48-52).
After the set period of mourning, Joshua assumes leadership of the people for the completion of their journey from Egypt to the promised land. Joshua’s installation as Moses' successor was described earlier in Deuteronomy 31:1-8.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 66:1-3a, 5 and 8, 16-17
R. (see 20a and 10b) Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God: “How tremendous are your deeds!”
R. Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
Bless our God, you peoples;
loudly sound his praise.
R. Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.
R. Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
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Commentary on Ps 66:1-3a, 5 and 8, 16-17
Psalm 66 is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving. In the first part presented here, the psalmist praises God for his salvation, recalling the exodus from Egypt and the great signs he gave the people.
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Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
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Commentary on Mt 18:15-20
St. Matthew relates the Lord's instructions to his disciples (and to the Christian community at large). “Passing from the duty of Christian disciples toward those who have strayed from their number, the discourse now turns to how they are to deal with one who sins and yet remains within the community. First there is to be private correction; if this is unsuccessful, further correction before two or three witnesses; if this fails, the matter is to be brought before the assembled community (the church), and if the sinner refuses to attend to the correction of the church, he is to be expelled. The church's judgment will be ratified in heaven, i.e., by God. The section ends with a saying about the favorable response of God to prayer, even to that of a very small number, for Jesus is in the midst of any gathering of his disciples, however small.”[4]
CCC: Mt 18:16 2472; Mt 18:18 553, 1444; Mt 18:20 1088, 1373
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Reflection:
Scripture speaks of transitions today. First, we encounter the story of Moses’ passing and Joshua taking up the mantle of leader of the people of Israel. The Gospel from St. Matthew describes the transition of magisterial authority.
The Gospel is important for us as Catholics, who trace our papacy back to the apostles. St. Matthew describes Jesus giving authority to his successors to provide guidance as to what is right and wrong. It is the foundation of the magisterium of the Church. Without giving this authority and charge, we would have no evidence that the will of God was entrusted to those first disciples who in turn, through apostolic succession, handed on that authority to our Pope, Francis.
Jesus also gives some very practical advice, echoed in Paul’s letters, about how to settle disputes among members of the community of faith. It is advice that has unfortunately gotten lost in our litigious society. It presupposes a unified Church since its authority assumes that excommunication would be a deterrent, and the law of the Church would be the ultimate standard of conduct. (“If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”)
The lesson should ring loudly for us. How often in our dealings with others, even with people whom we know as members of our faith community, do we take offense and sulk or devolve into petty squabbles? Should we not rather do as the Lord prescribes? Should we not take our problem directly to the person we perceived has done us an injustice and make that argument directly with them? (Haven’t we all heard that advice in the confessional?)
If we examine the fundamental underpinnings of the rule the Lord gives the disciples, we can see it is based on mutual respect and love of one another. Ultimately that is where he always pushes us. How can we say we love someone if we harbor a perceived hurt or injustice? It is like getting a sliver of wood in our finger. If we leave it in there, it is going to fester and become even more painful than the initial removal process. If we don’t take action to remove it even after it becomes painful, it can become infected. If we don’t take drastic action once it is infected, it can cause serious and permanent damage, and in extreme cases, even death.
No, it is better to take that perceived injury to the person who caused it. Even if they don’t accept responsibility, then we have at least unburdened ourselves of any resentment that might have festered. We have acted in accordance with our faith and we are given the opportunity to forgive the unrepentant which is something very Christ-like. We get great blessings and tough lessons from the Lord today.
Pax
AUGUST 15 Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Vigil
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| “Assumption” of the Virgin, by Juan Martin Cabezalero, 1665-70 |
CCC 411, 966-971, 974-975, 2853: Mary, the New Eve, assumed into heaven
CCC 773, 829, 967, 972: Mary, eschatological icon of the Church
CCC 2673-2679: At prayer with Mary
CCC 773, 829, 967, 972: Mary, eschatological icon of the Church
CCC 2673-2679: At prayer with Mary
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: 1 Chronicles 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2
David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the Lord
to the place which he had prepared for it.
David also called together the sons of Aaron and the Levites.
The Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with poles,
as Moses had ordained according to the word of the Lord.
David commanded the chiefs of the Levites
to appoint their kinsmen as chanters,
to play on musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals,
to make a loud sound of rejoicing.
They brought in the ark of God and set it within the tent
which David had pitched for it.
Then they offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings to God.
When David had finished offering up the burnt offerings and peace offerings,
he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.---------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Chr 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2
David assembles all of the twelve tribes and proposes to bring the ark into their midst. The Ark of the Covenant is recovered from Kiriath-jearim, of Judah where, according to the chronicler, it had been since Saul’s reign (1 Chronicles 13:1ff). David establishes the Levites (the traditional tribe of priests) to bring it in procession before the people and, recalling their desert tradition (Numbers 1:50) has it placed in a tent. Placed within the context of sacred history, this event changes the understanding and structure of the Hebrew peoples. They are united in God’s presence represented by the Ark of the Covenant; not simply because of its attributes thought to bring blessings to the people (2 Samuel 6:12).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 132:6-7, 9-10, 13-14
R. (8) Lord, go up to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your holiness.
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
Let us enter his dwelling,
let us worship at his footstool.R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your holiness.
May your priests be clothed with justice;
let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.
For the sake of David your servant,
reject not the plea of your anointed.R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your holiness.
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he prefers her for her dwelling.
“Zion is my resting place forever;
in her will I dwell, for I prefer her.”R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your holiness.
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Commentary on Ps 132:6-7, 9-10, 13-14
Psalm 132 is a song of thanksgiving sung by the community as they remember the establishment of God’s salvation expressed in the Davidic dynasty. The second strophe envisions the great temple built by David and the installation of the Ark of the Covenant in its permanent home.
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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57
Brothers and sisters:
When that which is mortal clothes itself with immortality,
then the word that is written shall come about:
Death is swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 15:54b-57
This passage is St. Paul’s hymn of victory over death. It concludes his discourse on the resurrection. When the bodies of the elect, by resurrection or change become incorrupt, death is defeated, prophecy is fulfilled (Isaiah 25:8), and the final victory is won. He loosely quotes Hosea 13:14 in which the “sting” of death is vanquished; a reference to the venomous sting of a serpent’s bite, the allegory to sin. The serpent without its sting can no longer harm those clothed in Christ.
St. Paul sees this as a perversion of the Law by which sin was defined and applied but without giving mankind the strength to avoid the sins so defined (see also Romans 7:7-25). The hard work of the faithful Christian is not in vain as Christ’s victory is granted and salvation assured.
CCC: 1 Cor 15:56 602
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Gospel: Luke 11:27-28
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Gospel: Luke 11:27-28
While Jesus was speaking,
a woman from the crowd called out and said to him,
“Blessed is the womb that carried you
and the breasts at which you nursed.”
He replied,
“Rather, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and observe it.”---------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 11:27-28
This short saying of Jesus is not a contradiction of the woman who blesses Mother Mary; rather it is an assertion by the Lord that the message is more important, in his eyes, than that biological relationship. Mary is more blessed because she heard “the word of God” (see also Luke 1:28-29 and Luke 1:42-45). This passage is consistent in meaning with Luke 8:19-21.
"In the course of her Son's preaching she [Mary] received the words whereby, in extolling a Kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh and blood, he declared blessed those who heard and kept the word of God (cf. Mark 3:35; Luke 11:27-28) as she was faithfully doing (cf. Luke 2:19, 51)" (Lumen gentium, 58) [8].
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Reflection:
You are invited to imagine what it might have been like if you were transported back to the time when Jesus walked the earth . See the woman who has watched the Lord cast out demons and cure the sick. Perhaps one of those cured was her own child, made whole by this holy man. We can see in this picture the gratitude and awe of the woman who, in a surge of love for the Lord, blurts out; “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.”
The Lord must have looked at her with tenderness and compassion. It is his way, so intense is his love for all people. He must have seen in her the faith that makes his work on earth possible and in a selfless act, supporting her faith he tells her, gently and consolingly, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
We know that Mary his mother was probably nearby. She was likely in the vanguard of his disciples. Would these words have offended her? No, the Mother of our Lord would understand what her Son was saying to this woman. She would know that God’s Son would give the woman exactly the words she needed to hear to bring forth the Kingdom of God within her. How many times had she heard him say, after he had cured a sick child or had brought a person back from the shadow of death, “Your faith has cured you.”
No, Mary would have heard the woman’s blessing of her role in his mission of salvation and have been pleased, but her own humility would have been echoed in the words her Son gave the grateful woman. And does she not speak for all of us? His mission has not ended. He is still here with us, his Holy Spirit works miracles each day and each day we marvel at God’s creation.
Let our prayer today be a blessing on the womb that bore him and on the breasts that nursed him. Mary our Mother would certainly point to her Son and tell us “Blessed are you who hear the words of my Son and follow him.” This greeting will meet us if we are fortunate to come before the Queen of Heaven.
Pax
[1] The picture is “Maximillian Kolbe” photographer and date are unknown.
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] See NAB footnote on Matthew 18:15ff.
[5] The picture used is “Assumption” of the Virgin, by Juan Martin Cabezalero, 1665-70.
[6] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[8] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 431.
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