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“St John the Evangelist”
by Alonso Cano, 1636 |
Readings for Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: 2 John 4-9
[Chosen Lady:]
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth
just as we were commanded by the Father.
But now, Lady, I ask you,
not as though I were writing a new commandment
but the one we have had from the beginning:
let us love one another.
For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments;
this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning,
in which you should walk.
Many deceivers have gone out into the world,
those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh;
such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for
but may receive a full recompense.
Anyone who is so “progressive”
as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God;
whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.
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Commentary on 2 Jn 4-9
This short letter (contained on one sheet of papyrus) is a rather intimate product of the Johannine community addressed to “the chosen lady and her children.” It addresses problems within the community. In this selection, the evangelist speaks to a problem of false teachers, individuals who have fallen into a heretical view that Christ did not walk the earth as man (“those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh”). These “deceivers” are to be rejected, and the proper view of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, which gives us both Father and Son, is to be embraced.
CCC: 2 Jn 7 465, 675
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18
R. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
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Commentary on Ps 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18
An acrostic poem: each of the eight verses of the first strophe begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (aleph). Each verse of the second strophe begins with the second letter (beth) and so on for all 22 letters of the alphabet.
The entire work is in praise of the law, and the joys to be found in keeping it. It is not "legalism" but a love and desire for the word of God in Israel's law, which is the expression of the Lord's revelation of himself and his will for man.
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Gospel: Luke 17:26-37
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.”
They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather.”
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Commentary on Lk 17:26-37
In this section of his discourse, Jesus speaks of the Eschaton (the end times). Relating the coming of the Son of Man (the Parousia) to the purges of evil and disbelief of the Great Flood (Genesis 6:5-8, 7:6-24) and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-19:28), he tells his disciples that, in that time, the things of this world (including the physical body) do not matter. Using the example of Lot’s wife (cf. Genesis 19:26), he explains that any attempt to preserve physical reality will be disastrous. It is only important that one believes and has faith in Christ, for the soul is eternal, and the body must die. (“Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.”)
CCC: Lk 17:19-31 2463; Lk 17:33 1889
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Reflection:
As this season draws close to its end (the end of this liturgical year is only a few weeks away), we feel Jesus in the Gospel more focused on life in the world that is to come. We get the clear picture that this earthly life we lead is important because it prepares us for what may follow. We might struggle with this at times. Living for each day seems so shortsighted and looking forward to life in Heaven seems so fatalistic.
The question we pose today is this: what does our Triune God want from us in this life? That sounds much like the eternal question: What is the meaning of life? But, in reality, it is quite different. The Lord has told us his yoke is light, as he guides us through life. He has given us very basic underlying moral principles, and basic spiritual principles to guide us. St. John, in his Second Letter, makes clear reference to the main guiding commandment for our lives: “love one another.” We know how to interpret that word “love” because it was demonstrated by the life of Jesus. That pragmatic command should guide all our interpersonal actions, how we interact with others.
The spiritual guidance is simple as well: “Love God.” If we love God, then we respect his creation, we honor his foremost place in our lives by offering him glory in all of our efforts. Using the gifts we are given, we demonstrate to all we meet how gracious the Lord is; how merciful his love for us.
It sounds so simple; all we need to do is love God and love one another. Yet it is so complex because God gave us something that makes all of this difficult – he gave us free will coupled with an intellect that allows us to understand that God made us in his image. This in turn allows us to aspire to be like God, with unlimited power. So, we struggle to use what God gives us without abusing it. We constantly fight the urges to redefine love, to reverse it and direct it at ourselves.
We come back to the initial question posed: What does our Triune God want from us in this life? We answer: “Love God and love one another.” Considering this “light yoke,” we continue to try to submit to it, knowing our baser selves fight it all the way.
Pax
[1] The picture is
“St John the Evangelist” by Alonso Cano, 1636.
[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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