Sunday, July 31, 2022

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church


“St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori”
Artist and date are unknown
 
Readings for Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 28:1-17
 
In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah,
in the fifth month of the fourth year,
the prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, from Gibeon,
said to me in the house of the Lord
in the presence of the priests and all the people:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Within two years I will restore to this place
all the vessels of the temple of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, took away from this place to Babylon.
And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah,
son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord,
‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
 
The prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah
in the presence of the priests and all the people assembled
in the house of the Lord, and said:
Amen! thus may the Lord do!
May he fulfill the things you have prophesied
by bringing the vessels of the house of the Lord
and all the exiles back from Babylon to this place!
But now, listen to what I am about to state in your hearing
and the hearing of all the people.
From of old, the prophets who were before you and me prophesied
war, woe, and pestilence against many lands and mighty kingdoms.
But the prophet who prophesies peace
is recognized as truly sent by the Lord
only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled.
 
Thereupon the prophet Hananiah took the yoke
from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it,
and said in the presence of all the people:
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Even so, within two years
I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
from off the neck of all the nations.’”
At that, the prophet Jeremiah went away.
 
Some time after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke
from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah,
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
Go tell Hananiah this:
Thus says the Lord:
By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!
For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
A yoke of iron I will place on the necks
of all these nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
and they shall serve him; even the beasts of the field I give him.
 
To the prophet Hananiah the prophet Jeremiah said:
Hear this, Hananiah!
The Lord has not sent you,
and you have raised false confidence in this people.
For this, says the Lord, I will dispatch you from the face of the earth;
this very year you shall die,
because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.
That same year, in the seventh month, Hananiah the prophet died.
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Commentary on Jer 28:1-17
 
The reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah is a stern warning against false prophets. This reading (the complete chapter 28) tells the story of Hananiah, a false prophet, and Jeremiah. The story is biographical, and attributed once again to Baruch. Hananiah gives the people a very sugar coated vision, that within two years the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar (the Babylonian King who conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and exiled the people) would come to an end, and the temple wealth, the exiled leader, and the people would be restored. This prediction contradicts Jeremiah’s own oracle (see Jeremiah 27).
 
Jeremiah laments to the people that he too would hope for such an outcome (“May he fulfill the things you have prophesied…”). He goes on to warn them that, prophets who predict pleasing futures can only be validated as “truly sent by the Lord” when their oracles are seen to come true (see Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
 
Contradicting Hananiah's pleasing prediction, Jeremiah is given a true vision from God. The reign of Nebuchadnezzar will not be broken. It will be strengthened (“By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!”). Because Hananiah told the people he was hearing God’s voice when he was simply predicting things the leaders of the time wanted to hear, he was told (in an oracle that was fulfilled – proving that Jeremiah was a true prophet) that he would die within a year.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102
 
R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Let those turn to me who fear you
and acknowledge your decrees.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Let my heart be perfect in your statutes,
that I be not put to shame.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Sinners wait to destroy me,
but I pay heed to your decrees.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
From your ordinances I turn not away,
for you have instructed me.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
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Commentary on Ps 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102
 
Psalm 119 is an individual lament asking for God’s support in times of difficulty. From this, the longest of the psalms, the strophes ask for the psalmist to be strengthened in the truth, and given wisdom that comes from the law.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21
 
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
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Commentary on Mt 14:13-21
 
St. Matthew’s account of the feeding of the multitudes is framed with Jesus’ grief over hearing of the death of his cousin, St. John the Baptist. He hopes to grieve in solitude, and so takes a boat to “a deserted place by himself.” While it is not said explicitly, we assume at least some of the disciples accompanied him in the boat. When the crowds catch up with him (Jesus is well established as an important teacher now), he does not turn them away but continues his work among them.
 
Possibly continuing his formation process with the disciples, Jesus tells them to feed the hungry people rather than dismiss them. The miracle occurs with significant symbolic numbers associated with it. (Five loaves and two fish would add up to seven, in Hebrew numerology the perfect or most complete number. The fragments filled twelve baskets, enough for the twelve tribes of Israel. Five thousand men was a representation for a huge number and probably not meant as a census of the participants.)
 
For the early Christian there would have been even more subtle symbolism, as the loaves would represent the “Bread of Life,” the Eucharist, and the fish, the Christian symbol that identified themselves to each other as a consequence of the Greek letters used. Taken in its larger context the story is preparatory to Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem.
 
CCC: Mt 14:13-21 1335; Mt 14:19 1329
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Reflection:
 
Once upon a time a large ship set out for a land that promised to be a paradise.  People from all over came to the ship and all were given tickets.  The captain of the ship knew the course they must follow, and set sail on the long and difficult voyage.  It was a journey that took such a long time that when the captain died, a new captain was elected and given the charts to navigate the ship.
 
They had traveled some distance when arguments began to erupt about what the land would really be like.  One group said that the first mate had a clearer understanding of the destination and the course they must follow, so when the ship came close to an island, they got off and built their own ship.  The course they sailed was almost identical, and they kept in sight of each other. 
 
On board that larger ship, as captain after captain took the helm, discipline began to get lax and a large group of passengers decided that the captain no longer knew the way to the land of paradise.  They took life boats and struck off on their own, some smaller and some larger, some staying close to the mother ship, others striking out on radically different directions.  They each got a copy of the charts from the captain of the larger ship, but the charts were difficult and tricky to follow.
 
When last seen the various different flotillas were headed generally in the same direction.  Some had decided that, even in the smaller boats, they had their own ideas of the directions to follow, but there was no captain to consult and no course correction was possible.  Many of these become lost.
 
We use this simple story to describe the history of the Church (the mother ship).  After an intense early struggle to get everyone on board the mothership of Christianity, the first groups to leave were the Eastern Rite Churches who disagreed with some fundamental issues over the creed. Later (around the time of the Crusades) political issues caused a huge rift that has not been healed to this day.  The second group to break off was at the Reformation. (It is noteworthy that printing technology facilitated the Reformation.  Without inexpensive copies of the Bible, this challenge to Church authority may not have occurred.)  These protestant groups took the Bible and ran with it, disdaining the hierarchical Church, feeling that they could figure out how to find the Lord without any help from anyone.  The independent faith communities that evolved out of this group had no cohesive discipline of belief, and could essentially pick and choose what parts of Scripture to accept or interpret and which ones they didn’t like.  The charts, as the story says, are tricky and difficult to read.  Not having any recourse to authority, many of these little boats found radically different paths, many of them seemingly headed in the wrong direction.
 
The Holy See has been our constant source of direction, prayerfully considering each change of course, constantly consulting the charts left for us by the authors of Sacred Scripture.  But they have also been able to consult the notes left by great saints and brilliant doctors, like Saint Alphonsus Liguori, whose memorial we celebrate today. Throwing away the traditions and thoughts of the great saints is like throwing away the legend to the charts.  A map without a legend is not much more than a picture.
 
Today we give thanks for the Church which leads us faithfully, unlike those who have gone off trusting only themselves to find the destination.  We pray for the ship’s company to be reunited and rejoice at the thought of one Church, One Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
 
Pax
[1] The picture is “St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN
[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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

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Saturday, July 30, 2022

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
CCC 661, 1042-1050, 1821: Hope for a new heaven and a new earth
CCC 2535-2540, 2547, 2728: The disorder of covetousness
 
“Allegory of the Vanity of Earthly Things”
by an unknown French master, 1630

Readings for Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
 
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
 
Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill,
and yet to another who has not labored over it,
he must leave property.
This also is vanity and a great misfortune.
For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart
with which he has labored under the sun?
All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation;
even at night his mind is not at rest.
This also is vanity.
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Commentary on Ecc 1:2; 2:21-23
 
Three hundred years before Christ walked the earth, the Hebrew teacher Qoheleth (in other translations referred to simply as "preacher") reflects on the illusion of human wisdom and effort. Even one who works and has earthly success must ultimately leave that result to a person (heir) who did not toil. He develops the idea that God’s wisdom is hidden, and nothing mankind can do on this earth will reveal it in a meaningful way. “All is vanity.” The word “vanity” (in Hebrew “hebel”) is used 35 times in this book, and translated literally it means “breath” or “vapor.” It is used elsewhere (Psalm 39:6-7 and Psalm 94:11), and indicates something transient, worthless, or empty. [5]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
 
R. (1) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
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Commentary on Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
 
This selection of Psalm 90 is very important to us, in that it provides an understanding of God’s timetable for creation and man: “For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday.”  The psalm laments the mortality of the human life, and prays for wisdom, requesting success for the work of human hands (for human endeavor).
 
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Reading II: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
 
Brothers and sisters:
If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
 
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and the greed that is idolatry.
Stop lying to one another,
since you have taken off the old self with its practices
and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew,
circumcision and uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all and in all.
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Commentary on Col 3:1-5, 9-11
 
The theme of seeking the higher gifts continues in this section of St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, as the focus on building spirituality by those raised to new life in Christ through baptism is exhorted.  He instructs the church to turn away from the hedonistic instincts of human nature, to make a radical change, dying to the old self (also Romans 6:3), and become the new creation of the baptized.  In this baptism we are unified, one in Christ (similar to Ephesians 2:14ff).
 
CCC: Col 3-4 1971; Col 3:1-3 655; Col 3:1 1002; Col 3:3 665, 1003, 1420, 2796; Col 3:4 1003, 2772; Col 3:5-8 1852; Col 3:5 2518; Col 3:10 2809
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Gospel: Luke 12:13-21
 
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”
He replied to him,
“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”
Then he said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
 
Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’
But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves
but are not rich in what matters to God.”
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Commentary on Lk 12:13-21
 
The passage begins with Jesus refusing to provide rabbinical guidance to a person in the crowd. Such guidance is provided in Numbers 27:1-11 and Deuteronomy 21:15ff, but the Lord saw greed at the root of the request. He uses the parable (found only in Luke) of the rich landowner (fool in some translations) to emphasize the need to focus on the spiritual gifts that do not perish, not just on material goods. He tells the one who wishes to have Jesus arbitrate a dispute with that person’s brother to take care against greed.
 
The parable has elements of other stories used by Jesus in which the unpredictability of the end of life is emphasized. Speaking to the crowd, the Lord tells them to focus on those spiritual attributes without delay. St. Athanasius used these words: “A person who lives as if he were to die every day- given that our life is uncertain by definition- will not sin, for good fear extinguishes most of the disorder of our appetites; whereas he who thinks he has a long life ahead of him will easily let himself be dominated by pleasures (Adversus Antigonum).” [6]
 
CCC: Lk 12:13-14 549
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Reflection:
 
There was once a very good and very wealthy man who died and went to heaven. When he arrived at the pearly gates, St. Peter looked in his book and saw all the good things the man had done and invited him in. As the man walked by, St. Peter noticed a look of great sorrow on his face. He said to the man, “Mr. Jones, I don’t understand your depression. You had a wonderful life on earth, filled with good deeds and great wealth, and today you are ushered into heaven. Why are you sad?”
 
The man said in reply, “St. Peter, I know I should be happy, and I always knew I could not take my wealth with me, but I fear I will miss it. I wish I could have brought up just one souvenir of my earthly success.”
 
St. Peter again consulted his book and thought for a moment. He turned to the man and said, “You know, I think you can be allowed to go back and bring just a small memento of your earthly life, nothing big like a yacht, but just a reminder.”
 
Poof! The man disappeared and poof, he was back. He was holding a small shoe box that was clearly quite heavy. St. Peter could not resist and asked the man what he had chosen to bring back. With his face reddening somewhat, the man opened the box lid to show St. Peter four bars of gold bullion. Whereupon St. Peter looked up in surprise and exclaimed, “You brought pavement?”
 
The story, of course, has a moral and that moral is tied directly to the Gospel from St. Luke.  The Lord is, at this point in his ministry, a person of renown.  He is respected and looked upon as a person of some authority.  He is approached by one of the crowd he is addressing and asked to take on the role of a rabbi, to settle a dispute about Mosaic Law in a family dealing with how an estate should be settled.  Jesus does not choose to deal directly with the issue, but rather sees the motive of the one who asked the question.  That motive is greed.
 
Greed, defined as “excessive desire, as for wealth or power,” is a symptom of perverted values, and Jesus chooses to address the entire crowd with a story to illustrate the foolishness of the motives the questioner expressed.  The story of the wealthy fool is instructive in a few different ways.  It applies the same sentiment expressed by the ancient author of Ecclesiastes in the first reading today: Even a person who is successful in his labors on earth may not take those treasures to heaven.
 
Without going into details, there is another humorous story about the man who gave his lawyer a large sum of cash to put into his casket when he was buried.  After the funeral he was asked if he did and he replied, “Yes, I left him a check for the total amount.”  What is important in our lives is not how much we can accumulate; not even how much we leave to our heirs. Rather our goal should be what the Lord was suggesting in his Gospel story; the treasure we need to accumulate is spiritual, not material.
 
One may think, at this point, that gathering spiritual treasure is all fine and good, but it does not pay the mortgage or put food on the table.  That is, of course, correct.  We must all work to provide for ourselves and for those who depend upon us.  Working in such a way is not vanity, as Qoheleth said, nor is it greed.  What Jesus refers to is our passion: What are we passionate about?  Where our passions lie we will spend our time, our energy, and our thoughts.  Taken to an extreme, our passions become obsessions, and obsessions may turn even the best intention into an unwholesome pursuit.
 
The Gospel begs us to ask ourselves a question today.  Where do we spend our time?  What are our passions?  If we are passionate about our work, have we neglected more important elements of our lives?  If we are passionate about a hobby or sport, have we neglected some other aspect of our lives? Have work, or friends, or family suffered as a result?  Are we passionate about the Lord?  Ah, there is the question.
 
One might argue that, just like other healthy passions, passion for the Lord can be overdone.  I submit that it probably could be, but like eating healthily, or getting proper exercise, you would have to go a long way before passion for Jesus would cause a problem.  I seriously doubt that one who truly followed the Lord, no matter how obsessively, if they did so for the right reasons, for God’s greater glory, could overdo it.
 
Our concern today is not that our congregation will become obsessive / compulsive about the Lord.  But rather do we give Jesus enough of our time, our passion, our thought, so that our lives will be transformed?  That is the message contained in Scripture today. Do we spend our time on gifts that we will always have, or do we go after pavement?
 
Pax
 
In other years on this date: Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
 
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture today is “Allegory of the Vanity of Earthly Things” by an unknown French master, 1630.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] 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.
[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 32:8, p. 535.
[6] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.437.

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Friday, July 29, 2022

Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
“St John Reproaching Herod”
by Mattia Preti, 1662-66

Readings for Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary:[4]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24
 
The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people,
“This man deserves death;
he has prophesied against this city,
as you have heard with your own ears.”
Jeremiah gave this answer to the princes and all the people:
“It was the Lord who sent me to prophesy against this house and city
all that you have heard.
Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds;
listen to the voice of the Lord your God,
so that the Lord will repent of the evil with which he threatens you.
As for me, I am in your hands;
do with me what you think good and right.
But mark well: if you put me to death,
it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves,
on this city and its citizens.
For in truth it was the Lord who sent me to you,
to speak all these things for you to hear.”
 
Thereupon the princes and all the people
said to the priests and the prophets,
“This man does not deserve death;
it is in the name of the Lord, our God, that he speaks to us.”
 
So Ahikam, son of Shaphan, protected Jeremiah,
so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
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Commentary on Jer 26:11-16, 24
 
The story of Jeremiah’s persecution is continued after he first prophesied in the temple that if the people did not turn away from their sinful practices, God would destroy the kingdom of Judah, including the temple. Here the leaders of the community try to have him put to death.
 
In the face of this angry mob, the prophet repeats the essence of the prophecy (repent so the Lord will not punish them), and then reminds them that it was not on his own that he came to them, but as a servant, a prophet of God, who commanded him. If they put him to death, they were committing an offense against the law. They were finally convinced (in the omitted verses, 17-23, the example of the prophet Micah, who also predicted dire consequences, was used) and we are told Ahikam came to his defense. “Ahikam, son of Shaphan: one of Josiah's officials (2 Kings 22:12) and father of Gedaliah, Jeremiah's friend, who was governor of Judah after Zedekiah's deportation (cf Jeremiah 39:14; 40:5-7).” [5]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34
 
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink!
may I be rescued from my foes,
and from the watery depths.
Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me,
nor the abyss swallow me up,
nor the pit close its mouth over me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the Lord hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
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Commentary on Ps 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34
 
Psalm 69 is a lament in which the psalmist sings of being unjustly persecuted, and calls on God’s saving help. The faith in God’s mercy is reflected in the confidence of the psalmist as in the final strophe the poor are reassured of the Lord's kindness.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12
 
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
 
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
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Commentary on Mt 14:1-12
 
In this passage, recalling the manner of the death of John the Baptist, Herod unwittingly predicts Jesus' future glory as he assumes that the Lord is John the Baptist, raised from the dead. His guilt over the murder of John weighs heavily on him.
 
In St. Matthew’s flashback of the murder of John the Baptist, we note that there is a much more detailed explanation than that found in the Gospel of St. Mark (Mark 6:14ff). We also see that, according to St. Matthew, the murder of St. John was the intent of Herod from the beginning, where St. Mark’s Gospel infers it was Herodias that manipulated him into the act. Matthew portrays this event as, what has been called, a satanic eucharist, an exhibition of hedonism and lust diametrically opposed to the selfless love of John the Baptist and Jesus.
 
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Reflection:
 
It is a tense day in Scripture.  First, we hear Jeremiah who has been really haranguing the leadership for a couple of weeks. He is, at this point, about ready to be put to death.  His response: “Don’t blame me, God is the one who sent me, and it is God who wants you to change.”   He dodged a proverbial bullet.  Then in the Gospel, just when it seems like King Herod is getting very concerned about Jesus (thinking he is the re-incarnation of John the Baptist), we get a flashback to the execution of John.
 
As we watch the lives of the servants of God unfold, we come to one inescapable conclusion: working for God can be hazardous to your health.  Granted, special honor was accorded to the great prophet Jeremiah, and similar honor was given to the precursor of the Lord, his cousin, John the Baptist.  Still, when the message of God is placed against the backdrop of society’s norms, it is not what most people want to hear.  And when those people are of a far distant time, a time when human life was less revered, the common outcome was pain, frequently resulting in death.
 
What message does that bring to us today?  First, we must understand that if we take our faith into the secular world, we will not win any popularity contests.  Those that don’t avoid us will probably do what they can to make us figures of ridicule or contempt.  They will make jokes at our expense, and the names they use for us such as Jesus freak, fanatic, or hater are not meant to be badges of honor (although some of them [not hater – that’s just a lie put out by those who would pervert sexual morality] we should be proud to earn).
 
In other parts of the world, especially those parts where radical Islam seems to be taking hold, being labeled Christian can be a death sentence.  In the predominantly Islamic states around the holy land (Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, not to mention the ISIS terror state containing parts of Iraq and Syria where there is currently a pogrom taking place), professing Christianity is actually a civil crime punishable by death.  In China, Christianity is tolerated but subordinate to the state.  We in the “Christian West” are actually quite lucky.
 
We have an obligation to be faithful to our creed, and to proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  We are required to live a life of faith at home (the domestic church), at school and at work.  We need to show the face the face of Christ to our families, our friends, neighbors, and especially the stranger we meet.  But as we do what we are obligated to do in the name of our faith, let us remember Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and above all Jesus.  They gave us an example of what the faith is worth to us and the world.
 
Pax
[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by ‘BVM.’ The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2] The picture used is “St John Reproaching Herod” by Mattia Preti, 1662-66.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] 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.
[5] NAB footnote on Jeremiah 26:24.

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Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

“Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany”
iconifer and date are unknown

Readings for Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Note: for this memorial the Gospel from the proper of the day is used.
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 26:1-9
 
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,
son of Josiah, king of Judah,
this message came from the Lord:
Thus says the Lord:
Stand in the court of the house of the Lord
and speak to the people of all the cities of Judah
who come to worship in the house of the Lord;
whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.
Perhaps they will listen and turn back,
each from his evil way,
so that I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon them
for their evil deeds.
Say to them: Thus says the Lord:
If you disobey me,
not living according to the law I placed before you
and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets,
whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them,
I will treat this house like Shiloh,
and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth
shall refer when cursing another.
 
Now the priests, the prophets, and all the people
heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord.
When Jeremiah finished speaking
all that the Lord bade him speak to all the people,
the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying,
“You must be put to death!
Why do you prophesy in the name of the Lord:
‘This house shall be like Shiloh,’ and
‘This city shall be desolate and deserted’?”
And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
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Commentary on Jer 26:1-9
 
The opening comment in this selection sets the date of this incident at about 609 BC. Most scholars agree the narrative is from a third party (probably Baruch). The prophet causes a scandal in the temple by calling on those who consider themselves devout to repent and return to following the Law of Moses. According to Jeremiah, if they do not, the Lord’s anger will be unleashed against them, and Judah will be decimated. 
 
The specific mention of Shiloh is significant in that Shiloh was once a high place, central to the worship of Yahweh (see Joshua 18:1 and Judges 18:31) [4] , but was destroyed, a reminder that God will not spare even places where he is worshiped if the people turn away from his desired path. As a result of this vitriolic discourse, Jeremiah is accused of blasphemy and seized by the leadership of the temple. 
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69:5, 8-10, 14
 
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
Those outnumber the hairs of my head
who hate me without cause.
Too many for my strength
are they who wrongfully are my enemies.
Must I restore what I did not steal?
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
Since for your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
But I pray to you, O Lord,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
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Commentary on Ps 69:5, 8-10, 14
 
Psalm 69 is a lament in which the psalmist sings of being unjustly accused of crimes, and forced to make restitution. “The psalm, which depicts the suffering of the innocent just person vividly, is cited often by the New Testament especially in the passion accounts, e.g., Psalm 69:5 in John 15:25.” [5]
 
CCC: Ps 69:10 584
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GOSPEL

First Option

John 11:19-27
Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
"Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you." Jesus said to her,
"Your brother will rise."
Martha said to him,
"I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day."
Jesus told her,
"I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?"
She said to him, "Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world."
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Commentary on Jn 11:19-27

Within the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus, we see the very human emotions of Jesus. They range from confidence in his relationship with the Father at the end of the story, to the all-too-human grief and fear, as he expresses his concern at what this revelatory event has cost his close friends, Martha and Mary, as they see their brother die. The encounter describes how Martha’s fear and remorse change to faith as she makes her profession of faith (“I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God”). This exchange of fear for faith, seen in the witnesses, is the same conversion the Gospel attempts to initiate in the Christian faithful in response to these events.
 
CCC: Jn 11 994; Jn 11:24 993, 1001; Jn 11:25 994; Jn 11:27 439
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OR
Second Option

Luke 10:38-42
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”
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Commentary on Luke 10:38-42
 
In this encounter with Martha and Mary in St. Luke’s Gospel, we see two distinct messages. First, we see the importance of the role of women and Jesus’ attitude toward them. Second we see the importance of listening to the word of God: "Mary has chosen the better part."
 
The selection emphasizes the importance of listening to the teachings of the Lord. While in some early texts the Lord tells Martha there is “need for only a few things,” or of one, the message is clear: Mary, in assuming the role of disciple (listening at the master’s feet) has chosen the correct or better role. Martha, concerning herself with the requirements of hospitality (old law) has chosen the lesser.
 
“Mystically (St. Gregory the Great, Moralia 2, 6): the two women signify two dimensions of the spiritual life. Martha signifies the active life as she busily labors to honor Christ through her work. Mary exemplifies the contemplative life as she sits attentively to listen and learn from Christ. While both activities are essential to Christian living, the latter is greater than the former. For in heaven the active life terminates, while the contemplative life reaches its perfection.” [6]
 
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Reflection:
 
St. Martha’s role in the life of Christ resonates with those who have chosen to take an active role in service to the Church. Whether that role is in the form of lay or ordained ministry, active participation means we have chosen to assist with the labor involved in ministering to God’s people. When we choose that role, we frequently (especially over time) take ownership of the tasks, and when disruptive forces come along, or when it seems we have taken on more than our share, we assume the Martha persona we see in the Gospels.

To place this tendency in the form of analogy, Martha’s sister Mary represents the congregation we serve. They sit at the Lord’s feet, without all the turmoil and distraction of the tasks necessary to serve the guests in which Martha (representing those of us who serve) is involved. There are times when we long for that peaceful place at the Master’s feet. There are times when we would like to go to them and say: “Would you mind helping? There is much work to do here.”

It is at these times we must remember that other role that Martha had in the life of Christ. When Mary and the other mourners were sitting with their brother Lazarus who had died, it was Martha who met the Lord (she met the lord!) and spoke with him. Not only that, but after she chastised him (completely out of place to complain to the Lord, right? We would never do that), it was Martha who was honored to make the great profession of faith. What an exalted role she played in Christ’s life.
 
The life and ministry of St. Martha should be a constant reminder to all of us who work for Christ in our time on earth. There will be times when we too become tired and frustrated; when we pray for a little help in doing what we have set our hearts to do for God. Like St. Martha, we are very human and prone to these outbursts. Let us pray that when our work is done, and we at last are face to face with the Lord, we too may be allowed to proclaim to the heavens and earth “I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God the one who is coming into the world.”
 
Pax
[1] The picture is “Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany” iconifer and date are unknown.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio 405/607
[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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] McKenzie, John L., Dictionary of the Bible, Macmillan Publishing, 1965, p. 807.
[5] NAB footnote on Psalm 69.
[6] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 129.
 

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