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“Parable of the Lost Drachma”
by Domenico Feti, 1618-22 |
Readings for Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Philippians 3:3-8a
Brothers and sisters:
We are the circumcision,
we who worship through the Spirit of God,
who boast in Christ Jesus and do not put our confidence in flesh,
although I myself have grounds for confidence even in the flesh.
If anyone else thinks he can be confident in flesh, all the more can I.
Circumcised on the eighth day,
of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
a Hebrew of Hebrew parentage,
in observance of the law a Pharisee,
in zeal I persecuted the Church,
in righteousness based on the law I was blameless.
But whatever gains I had,
these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ.
More than that, I even consider everything as a loss
because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
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Commentary on Phil 3:3-8a
There is a change in tone from the previous chapters of this letter to the Philippians as St. Paul begins to strike out at “false teachers.” In this passage, he first testifies to his own claim to the Gospel, he brought them (“For we are the circumcision”). He identifies his Pharisaic heritage, his circumcision in accordance with Mosaic Law on the eighth day (see Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3), his roots in the tribe of Benjamin, and his schooling in the law as a Pharisee. He also makes vague reference to his efforts (now twenty years in the past) to persecute the Christians, stating that this was grounded in Mosaic Law, and he was blameless under that law.
But all his success in life was considered a loss at his conversion. He goes further, stating that all his previous gains in whatever area, he considers as nothing when compared to the faith he received and the salvation he is promised in Christ Jesus.
CCC: Phil 3:6 752; Phil 3:8-11 428; Phil 3:8 133
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (3b) Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Psalm 105 is a historical psalm of thanksgiving in hymnic style. This selection is an introduction. It remembers God’s covenant with Abraham, the promise of the land of Canaan, and calls for continued faithfulness. Recalling this historical relationship, the psalmist calls the people to faithful worship. Reference to Abraham’s descendants also provides an image used by St. Paul providing substance to the promise fulfilled in Christ (see Philippians 3:3-8a and Galatians 3:22-29).
CCC: Ps 105:3 30
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Gospel: Luke 15:1-10
The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus addressed this parable to them.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”
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Commentary on Lk 15:1-10
Jesus uses criticism by the scribes and Pharisees as a teaching moment. He uses parables to announce God’s infinite mercy, driving the point home that God rejoices in the return of those who have turned their backs to him in sin. The two parables (the parable of the Lost Sheep and the parable of the Lost Coin) show clearly the Lord’s love for all people, and special joy in those who repent. These two stories are followed immediately by the parable of the Prodigal Son that emphasizes this point further.
A principal difference between St. Luke’s rendition of the parable of the Lost Sheep and that of St. Matthew (Matthew 18:12-14) is that St. Matthew emphasizes (to the apostles) the seeking, while St. Luke emphasizes (to the Pharisees) the joy of finding. This emphasis is graphically depicted as the author writes: “And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy.” As St. Gregory the Great comments: “He put the sheep on his shoulders because in taking on human nature he burdened himself with our sins” (In Evangelia homiliae, 2, 14). [4]
CCC: Lk 15 1443, 1846; Lk 15:1-2 589; Lk 15:7 545
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Reflection:
There was once a woman named Jo who was happily married and the mother of five children. She and her husband tried hard to be the positive examples and teachers of a lived faith, doing their best to show their children what was important in life and how to live, using their faith as both guide and support.
In spite of the fact that their children were brought up in a fairly low-income community, in circumstances that might otherwise have headed them down roads that led to an existence of moral poverty, the children listened, learned, and made their parents proud. That is, all but one. This one, Janie, was contrary. She did not like the rules of the house. She did not like the fact that she did not get as much attention from her parents and siblings as she thought other members of her family did. She did not like school, and she did not think life was fair.
Early in middle school, when she was 14, things began to get out of hand. She started going around with “friends” who had the same attitude. Everything Jo did seemed to backfire. The harder she and her husband pushed Janie to change her attitudes and behaviors, the worse things became. She was easy prey for an older boy who took advantage of her emotionally and physically with awful consequences. Janie ended up at an abortion clinic (unbeknownst to her parents) when she was 15. Things went steadily downhill. Jo and her husband despaired. They tried professional help to no effect. Finally, when Janie was 16, they were forced to kick her out of the house. (Actually, those were Janie’s words; when her parents told her that she either had to follow the rules of the house or she could no longer stay there, she chose to leave.) Her attitude, her disregard for her parents, the safety of the home, and her younger siblings made her continued presence impossible.
Jo made did her best to stay in touch with Janie. She reminded her always that the door was always open, and her home was there for her (the rules of the house, however, did not change). From a distance Jo continued to reach out. When Janie turned 21 and decided to get married, Jo worked extra jobs to make sure she would have a nice wedding and reception. Janie had her wedding. She informed all who attended that this was “her special moment” (to her parent’s distress, they had been married long enough to see a dangerous attitude about the relationship in those words). The marriage didn’t last long. Janie was searching for something that was not there.
Ultimately, some years later, Janie realized where the path she was on was leading her. She also saw in her mother’s unwavering love, the model of life she needed to follow. Final reconciliation is a joyous thing. But none of this would have happened if Jo had given up. Her daughter would have fallen deeper and deeper into a pit she was digging for herself, and it would have ended up burying her.
We use this story to provide a contemporary analogy and example to what Jesus tells us in the Gospel. Just as the Lord is eternal in his love for us, we are called to have that same attitude. No matter how many times Jo reached out to Janie and had her hand slapped, she continued as only one possessed by the Holy Spirit and infused with love could do. We are called to that same example. We are called to reach out to others who to us seem lost. To paraphrase St. Paul: we are in Christ’s baptism, an outstretched hand to the world.
Pax
[1] The picture used today is “Parable of the Lost Drachma” by Domenico Feti, 1618-22.
[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] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 452.
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