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| “The Ghent Altarpiece: Adoration of the Lamb” (detail) by Jan van Eyck 1425-29 |
Reading 1: Nehemiah 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12
The whole people gathered as one in the open space before the Water Gate,
and they called upon Ezra the scribe
to bring forth the book of the law of Moses
which the LORD prescribed for Israel
On the first day of the seventh month, therefore,
Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,
which consisted of men, women,
and those children old enough to understand.
Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate,
he read out of the book from daybreak until midday,
in the presence of the men, the women,
and those children old enough to understand;
and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform
that had been made for the occasion.
He opened the scroll
so that all the people might see it
(for he was standing higher up than any of the people);
and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God,
and all the people, their hands raised high, answered,
“Amen, amen!”
Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD,
their faces to the ground.
As the people remained in their places,
Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,
interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.
Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe
and the Levites who were instructing the people
said to all the people:
“Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep”–
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks,
and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;
for today is holy to our LORD.
Do not be saddened this day,
for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”
And the Levites quieted all the people, saying,
“Hush, for today is holy, and you must not be saddened.”
Then all the people went to eat and drink,
to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy,
for they understood the words that had been expounded to them.
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Commentary on Neh 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12
We see in this reading the respective roles played by Ezra and Nehemiah in reestablishing Israel Jerusalem
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (9ab) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye;
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In this passage, we give praise for God’s gift of the Law which guides us in our daily lives. The hymn also extols the virtues of obedience and steadfastness to the Law and its precepts. The passage also reflects the idea that following God’s statutes leads to peace and prosperity. When placed after the Old Testament reading, the passage sounds ironic against the initial response of the people to the Law of Moses in the Nehemiah reading above. The psalmist does, however, capture his (Nehemiah’s) intent in proclaiming a holy day and the celebration that ensued.
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Gospel: Luke 10:1-12
Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The Kingdom of God
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.’
Yet know this: the Kingdom of God
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom
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Commentary on Lk 10:1-12
It is only in the Gospel of St. Luke that we hear the story of Jesus sending the seventy (two). This event is supported by other non-biblical writings (see Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 265-c. 340) Church History, Vol. 1). The instructions given to those sent out are very similar to the instructions given to the Twelve (Matthew 10:5-16; Luke 9:1-6), as was the message they were sent to proclaim.
This selection emphasizes Jesus' early struggle to accomplish what he came to do by himself. We sense the humanness as he says, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few." We also find this event and statement in St. Matthew’s Gospel where instead of the 72 he names the Twelve (Matthew 10:1-8). While in St. Matthew’s story Jesus sends them first to the Hebrew people, St. Luke makes no such distinction.
This effort by Jesus was modeled on Moses’ leadership structure in which 70 elders were appointed (Numbers 11:24-25). It is also possible that the reference number 70 relates to the number of nations mentioned in Genesis 10. The disciples were sent two by two, a custom that would be replicated later in the post-resurrection missionary activities of the Church (see Acts 8:14; 15:39-40).
In another historical similarity, the disciples were sent without possessions, presumably depending upon the traditionally required hospitality for their support. Similar instructions were given by the Prophet Elisha as he sent his servant in 2 Kings 4:29.
The Lord’s instructions concerning this hospitality, “the laborer deserves his payment,” is also quoted in St. Paul’s first letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 5:18b) and has further support in 1 Corinthians 9:7, 14. Those who labor on behalf of the Gospel and cannot take time to support themselves deserve the support of the community. In a final twist, the Lord’s instruction to “eat what is set before you” sets aside Mosaic dietary laws (also 1 Corinthians 10:27 and Acts 10:25). It is a clear indication that the scope of their mission is to call all peoples to the Gospel.
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Reflection:
Standing up for Gospel principles has never been easy. Those of us who believe that because this is a civilized world it is getting easier are in for a rude awakening the first time we challenge the social status quo. Try taking the high moral ground at work when the discussions get a bit “off color” and sexual innuendo starts to fly. You will find yourself like the bad comedian who lays an egg on stage and hears crickets chirping. In countries of the Middle East proclaiming the Gospel can get you killed. Our own troops who have been deployed to the Middle East were not allowed to mention their faith outside the compounds that housed them.
The Lord tells the seventy-two that he is sending them “like lambs among wolves.” That descriptor infers an attitude as well as a message. The message the Lord sent, and is sending, is one of love for God and love of one another. (It is interesting that Pope Francis used that same message as a prelude [reformatting it as the “Golden Rule”] to his consistent life ethic directed at the joint houses of the US Congress recently.) That message is not welcomed by those who seek power over others, who are focused only on their own hedonistic pleasures. They find such talk threatening to their life styles and critical of their behaviors (at least we hope so).
They will not thank us for our message, conveyed in word and actions. On the contrary they will, at best, shun us or at worst seek to do us harm: remove the irritant. Our response to this treatment is to love them! Like little children, we are called to reach out to them asking them why they cannot see the love God wants to share with them. As vulnerable and powerless apostles we offer the greatest prize imaginable. And when it is rejected, we offer it again.
Ah, the Lord did not give us an easy mission. He calls us to be a light to the world and a beacon of hope. We pray today for the strength to accept the small measure of pain he assigned to us so that we might continue the work he sends us to do.
Pax
[1] The picture is “The Ghent Altarpiece: Adoration of the Lamb” (detail) by Jan van Eyck 1425-29.
[2] S.S Commemoratio
[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.
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