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“Innocence”
by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 1790 |
Readings for Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Sirach 2:1-11
My son, when you come to serve the LORD,
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold and silver are tested,
and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help you;
trust in him, and he will direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old therein.
You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love him,
and your hearts will be enlightened.
Study the generations long past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?
has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble
and he is a protector to all who seek him in truth.
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Commentary on Sir 2:1-11
The son of Sirach begins the second chapter of his work with an instruction to those who would serve the Lord, that they remain faithful and steadfast in God. He asks that we not waver in the face of adversity which will come. He also uses that analogy from Zachariah 13:9 of being tested as gold and silver are tested.
The second paragraph begins with a litany for the faithful, first to wait for the Lord, then to trust him, to hope in him, and finally to love him. He reminds the reader of God’s compassion and mercy in the past and assures his forgiveness to those who seek it.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
R. (see 5) Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
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Commentary on Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
This didactic selection from Psalm 37 promises the salvation of those who hear God’s voice and trust in him. Central to this passage is the fidelity of God to those who are faithful. Salvation for them is assured if they trust in him and take refuge in their faith. The author responds to the question: why do the wicked prosper? In these strophes, it continues the plea to be faithful to God, and remain steadfast in the time of adversity. The psalmist adds that those who turn away should return, and God will give them salvation.
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Gospel: Mark 9:30-37
They (Jesus and his disciples) left from there
and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."
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Commentary on Mk 9:30-37
This selection describes Jesus’ interaction with the disciples following the cure of the boy with the mute spirit. Jesus and his disciples continue their journey through Galilee, and he teaches them in private about what is to come. It begins with the second prediction of the passion Jesus is to face. The disciples, characteristic of St. Mark’s description, do not understand, and begin to debate among themselves who was greatest. Jesus tells them directly that their role (and by extension the role of all Christian disciples) is one of service.
The Lord sees that they do not understand. When they don’t respond to his direct question, he gives them the example of first a servant, and then a child, so they can understand that it is through humility and innocence that God’s servants lead. He probably uses the example of children to represent the “anawim,” the poor in spirit, the most vulnerable of the Christian faithful.
CCC: Mk 9:9-31 649; Mk 9:31-32 557; Mk 9:31 474; Mk 9:37 1825
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Reflection:
The Son of Sirach reminds us at the outset of the Liturgy of the Word that we will be tested if we remain faithful to God. What does it mean to be faithful to God and his Only Begotten Son? That is the question we try to understand today.
Faithfulness to God means following his commandments, his law. His law is not simply the one that the son of Sirach understood. Sirach’s son saw the law as the Torah which contains the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) and the associated laws from Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers. We have that set of laws, but they were interpreted for us by God’s only Son who placed a law above the law of Moses (the Torah), his law of love in the Great Commandment.
When Jesus wrapped God’s law in love, he transformed it from a burden to be borne on bowed back, into a garment to be worn lightly, protecting us. When we consider the purpose of the Lord’s incarnation, we see in the Gospel an armor like that needed by ancient soldiers. They put on that armor, not because it was comfortable or fashionable, but because they knew they were going into battle and the armor protected them.
The Anointed One took away the strict but purposeless discipline of the Pharisees and replaced it with a life that naturally conforms itself to God’s own. Suddenly the face of mercy is truly revealed, and the giant Hammer of Justice is replaced with the Cross of Salvation.
The words of Sirach remind us that we are called to be a people who wait for the Lord; who trust in him, hope in him, and finally love him with all our hearts, all our strength, and all our spirit. This goal is filled in with Jesus’ reminder from Mark’s Gospel, that if we wish to lead others to him, we must first be servants, and finally form our faith as an innocent child. In this way we are faithful to him; this is our goal.
Pax
[1] The picture used is “Innocence” by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 1790.
[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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