Monday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

“Feast in the House of Simon the Pharisee”
(south wall, detail)
by Giovanni Da Milano, 1365

Monday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Wisdom 1:1-7
 
Love justice, you who judge the earth;
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
Because he is found by those who test him not,
and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.
For perverse counsels separate a man from God,
and his power, put to the proof, rebukes the foolhardy;
Because into a soul that plots evil, wisdom enters not,
nor dwells she in a body under debt of sin.
For the holy Spirit of discipline flees deceit
and withdraws from senseless counsels;
and when injustice occurs it is rebuked.
For wisdom is a kindly spirit,
yet she acquits not the blasphemer of his guilty lips;
Because God is the witness of his inmost self
and the sure observer of his heart
and the listener to his tongue.
For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world,
is all-embracing, and knows what man says.
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Commentary on Wis 1:1-7
 
These first verses from the Book of Wisdom begin with an exhortation to: “Love justice, you who judge the earth.” It is likely that "you who judge the earth" refers to the kings or rulers of the Hebrew people. To "love justice," in this usage, means conforming decisions according to the will of God and his plan, not human or secular motives.
 
“The author begins with an exhortation, which the rest of the book will reinforce: Live a virtuous life and trust in God because these qualities make possible union with God and with Wisdom. […] Grumblings against God’s providence do not go unnoticed and God, who is jealous of his honor, punishes such transgressions by not granting immortality.” [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 139:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10
 
R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
 
O Lord, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
 
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
 
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
 
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
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Commentary on Ps 139:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10
 
Psalm 139 is the song of one in uncertain circumstances, possibly in exile or fleeing from a pursuer.  The psalmist sees in this plight that the Lord has probed him and knows him completely.  The singer recognizes that God is always present, always observing.  Therefore, God guides and protects those to whom he has revealed himself.
 
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Gospel: Luke 17:1-6
 
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’
you should forgive him.”
 
And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
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Commentary on Lk 17:1-6
 
Jesus begins teaching his disciples about forgiveness in the selection from St. Luke’s Gospel. He tells his friends to hold each other accountable and to forgive them if they ask for forgiveness. Even if it is a great sin (“seven times in one day” using Hebrew numerology, this would be absolute sin followed by absolute apology and forgiveness), forgiveness should be given.
 
St. Luke’s Gospel gives us three sayings of Jesus to consider. The first is an exhortation not to lead others to sin (even though “sin will inevitably occur”). Jesus anticipates a situation that will later plague St. Paul – one of “false teachers.” Jesus’ view for these people is that it would be better for them if they had never been born. (Note: while in St. Luke’s Gospel he refers to “little ones” meaning poor or helpless, in St. Matthew this saying references adults: “those who believe in me.”)
 
The second saying involves forgiveness, both of self (“Be on your guard!”) and of others. The use of the number “seven” relates to Hebrew numerology and demonstrates the depth of forgiveness required of the Christian (cf. Genesis 4:24). The implication is perfect or complete forgiveness as referenced in 1 Corinthians 13:4f, 7.
 
The disciples' request for increased faith is answered in a way that implies that faith is evidenced first by results and understood later. “It is the quality rather than the quantity of faith that must be revitalized. The nuance of the Greek verbs indicates that if you ‘would say…it would already have obeyed you’ almost as though fulfillment anticipates faith.” [5]
 
CCC: Lk 17:1 2287; Lk 17:3-4 2845; Lk 17:4 2227; Lk 17:5 162
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Reflection:
 
The Holy Scripture gives us a circle of cause and effect today.  In the first reading from Wisdom and selection from Psalm 139 we are told, first, that the Holy Spirit is everywhere in God’s creation.  We are also told that if we have faith in that omnipresent hand of God, we will be guided to do what is right and just.  Wisdom literature is so rich in guidance.
 
These first two selections provide a backdrop for the Gospel as the Lord instructs his disciples to forgive those who sin against them.  The presumption in this message goes a little deeper.  The Lord is assuming that his disciples know that their “brother” is not just a person to whom they are related but includes all those with whom they have contact.
 
Jesus expresses the depth of this forgiveness in symbolic terms using the perfect number (most complete) “seven.”  He tells them even if their brother sins against them seven times in one day (which would amount to a complete action) but begs forgiveness seven times (which would amount to a complete apology) they must forgive.  The Lord, in addition to understanding the importance of loving one another, also understands that lack of forgiveness opens the door to the inverse of love, hate; and hatred destroys the soul.
 
We all understand that the instinctive reaction of the human person, when wronged, is to strike back in kind or even to a greater extent than the wrong offered by our attacker.  The disciples also saw that what Jesus was commanding them to do would be supremely difficult.  Faced with this dilemma, they asked for what they needed, in order to be able to respond to the commandment – more faith. 
 
We find ourselves in a circle.  If we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, we are able to respond with justice to situations in which we find ourselves.  But justice is not retribution, we are told by Jesus.  Justice is forgiveness and forgiveness is difficult so we need more faith to listen more intensely to the Holy Spirit to respond more perfectly to the Lord.  If we are diligent this circle becomes an upward spiral that will ultimately lead us to our Eternal Father.  Difficult as it may be, we ask today for the strength to hear the Holy Spirit and forgive those who wrong us.  It is what we are commanded to do.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Feast in the House of Simon the Pharisee” (south wall, detail) by Giovanni Da Milano, 1365.
[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.
[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 34:12, p.559.
[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:123, p.150.