Monday of the First Week of Lent

“Moses with the Tables of the Law”
by Guido Reni, c. 1624

 
Readings for Monday of the First Week of Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
 
The LORD said to Moses,
“Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.
 
“You shall not steal.
You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another.
You shall not swear falsely by my name,
thus profaning the name of your God.
I am the Lord.
 
“You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor.
You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.
You shall not curse the deaf,
or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,
but you shall fear your God.
I am the Lord.
 
“You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment.
Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty,
but judge your fellow men justly.
You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin;
nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake.
I am the Lord.
 
“You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove him,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the Lord.”
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Commentary on Lv 19:1-2, 11-18
 
This passage describes the rules of conduct from Leviticus, the third book of the Torah or Pentateuch. The book was so named because its contents are almost entirely legislative, probably written by and for the priestly tribe of Levi.
 
This selection is part of what is known as the “Code of Legal Holiness.” Echoed here are statutes that incorporate and expand the Ten Commandments, the Decalogue. These verses establish the rules for relationships with others. They begin with a phrase that is repeated many times in Leviticus: “Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.”
 
The “code” continues with the ban against stealing, lying, defrauding, or having unfair business relationships. Perhaps most significant in this passage is v. 18b: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Christ uses this section of the law in tandem with the first commandment in the Decalogue as the “Great Commandment.” While it is defined by Mosaic Law as applying only to interactions with one’s countrymen, Jesus defines it to include even our enemies.
 
CCC: Lv 19:2 2811; Lv 19:13 2434; Lv 19:15 1807; Lv 19:18 2055
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15
 
R. (John 6:63b) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
 
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
 
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
 
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
 
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15
 
Psalm 19 is a song of praise. It rejoices in the laws and precepts set down by God and asks the Lord to find favor in those who follow them. This part of Psalm 19 is a formulaic profession of faith. It begins with the law of God, then the rules based upon the law, and finally on faith in God. Essentially this litany says if you follow God’s law in all its fullness, salvation is yours.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”
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Commentary on Mt 25:31-46
 
In this reading, Jesus is telling his disciples and us what will be judged at the end times, the Eschaton. The Lord’s vision echo’s Daniel’s “night visions” (Daniel 7:13-14 “One like a son of man…He received dominion, splendor, and kingship.”) but the tone is more immediate.  The reading gives us a vision of what will be asked and how judgment will be passed. This image is used as a teaching tool, to focus those who wish to follow Jesus on loving those who are in need of help: the hungry, the stranger, the naked, the ill, the imprisoned.
 
This reading provides yet one more example of how Christ intends the Great Commandment to be lived. Loving God and loving neighbor would be judged by: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” We note that while the general theme is broadly applied to all people, there is special emphasis placed upon the poor and marginalized. The concluding answer expands upon the Hebrew definition in Leviticus (Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18) as St. Matthew defines "neighbor" in a more inclusive sense.
 
CCC: Mt 25:31-46 544, 1033, 1373, 2447, 2831; Mt 25:31-36 2443; Mt 25:31 331, 671, 679, 1038; Mt 25:32 1038; Mt 25:36 1503; Mt 25:40 678, 1397, 1825, 1932, 2449; Mt 25:41 1034; Mt 25:45 598, 1825, 2463; Mt 25:46 1038
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Reflection:
 
One of the things we notice as we grow in faith is that the definitions of Christian or Catholic virtue we apply to ourselves change.  We see this most clearly when Scripture, like the selections given today, is proclaimed.  We have heard these passages before, both directly and in paraphrase.  For the faithful Mass-goer, they have been heard at least once a year, yet they continue to challenge us.  The reason for this is, even if we believe we have been very good, if we have carefully observed the commandments over the past year, we still hear the words once more and can see how far we still need to go to get to the high standard the Lord sets for us.
 
Let’s look at just one statement from the readings.  In Leviticus, the Law of Moses states, "You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him.”  On the surface this is very straightforward and although the language is not inclusive, it clearly applies to men and women alike.  We are forbidden to hate.  That means, if we feel an intense dislike for another person, we must somehow overcome it (this is especially true in family relationships where it is so easy to hate, because we have loved the family member who has harmed us).  Depending upon the relationship the other person has to us, removing hatred can be truly challenging.  Generally, the closer (more deeply loving) the relationship has been, the greater the risk that if some dispute arises between the parties, the deeper the hatred that can result.
 
The Lenten season is the perfect time to review our relationships. We should make sure we have done all we can to reconcile with anyone with whom we have had a falling-out or breaking-up. The feelings that arise from these situations can indicate we have fallen into sin. 
 
While the code from Leviticus addresses our personal and family relationships, Jesus expands this by redefining the relationships we have with the human race at large.  It turns out that we need to resolve to love (the inverse of hatred) the people in our family and immediate community of friends, and also those with whom we would choose not to associate: the marginalized, the criminals, the diseased. These forgotten or despised members of society become our direct concern if we choose to follow Jesus.  The bar for us has been raised. (If we wanted to be even more to the point, although somewhat premature, we could say it has risen.)
 
Each year we can look back and see if we have done well in following Christ’s law of loving others.  Each year we can see that we have grown some, but still have a long way to go.  Today we are reminded once more that the rhetorical question asked by Cain, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” has been answered by God, and the answer is “Yes!”  We pray for the strength to follow these simple laws and to become more like the saints who have gone before us.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture used is “Moses with the Tables of the Law” by Guido Reni, c. 1624.
[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.