Solemnity of All Saints

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 61, 946-962, 1090, 1137-1139, 1370: the Church, a communion of saints
CCC 956, 2683: the intercession of the saints
CCC 828, 867, 1173, 2030, 2683-2684: the saints, examples of holiness
 
Additional Information about the Solemnity of All Saints

“Madonna and Child with Saints”
by Andrea Del Castagno, c. 1445

Readings for the Solemnity of All Saints [2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]

Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
 
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.
 
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
 
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”
 
All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
 
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
 
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
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Commentary on Rv 7:2-4, 9-14
 
St. John’s vision of the heavenly kingdom unfolds in this passage with an image of those who have gone from this life to the next, and now stand before the throne of God. “A seal is a mark of ownership and protection. Here the seal of God is related to the seals of the scroll, giving protection to the believing remnant of Israel, who will pass through the tribulation. This may refer to a grace of spiritual perseverance rather than a guarantee of physical survival. In the broader context of Revelation, there is a contrast between the seal of God stamped on the foreheads of the righteous and the mark of the beast inscribed on the brows of the wicked (Revelation 13:16). The former bears the divine name of God (Revelation 14:1; 22:4) while the latter bears the demonic name of the beast (CCC 1296). […] The entire scene parallels Ezekiel 9:1-7 where the messenger seals the foreheads of the righteous in Israel to protect them from the wrath of God poured out on Jerusalem. The seal was shaped like the Hebrew letter taw, which in ancient script looked like a cross (x or +).” [5]
 
Hebrew numerology provides the number, one hundred and forty-four thousand (from each of the tribes of Israel) representing a huge number (1,000 times 12 times 12), possibly a number of completeness, and follows that with uncounted saints from the Gentiles beginning with the martyrs (those who have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb). “The blood of the Lamb, who has been offered in sacrifice for all, has exercised its universal and most effective redemptive power in every corner of the earth, extending grace and salvation to that 'great multitude'. After undergoing the trials and being purified in the blood of Christ, they - the redeemed - are now safe in the kingdom of God, whom they praise and bless for ever and ever" (Saint John Paul II, "Homily" 1 November 1981).
 
CCC: Rv 7:2-3 1296; Rv 7:9 775, 1138
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
 
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
 
The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
 
Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
 
He shall receive a blessing from the Lord,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
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Commentary on Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
 
Psalm 24 is a processional song. It recalls that God is the great Creator and he calls his people to be faithful. It asks the question: "Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?" The psalmist answers, only those who are sinless (completely reconciled to God). They who achieve that beatified state will receive the reward of eternal life from the Savior. It focuses on the character of the one who worthily seeks God, and the one who is worthy to come into God’s kingdom and stand before him. We are answered: “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.”
 
This is part of an entrance hymn, sung as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the temple at Jerusalem, followed by the faithful. Once again in this song, we find a reference borrowed by St. John’s Revelation (Revelation 14:5), and an image created in the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:22). Who are the ones allowed full access to God?
 
CCC: Ps 24:6 2582
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Reading 2: 1 John 3:1-3
 
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
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Commentary on 1 Jn 3:1-3
 
“The greatest sign of God's love is the gift of his Son (John 3:16) that has made Christians true children of God. This relationship is a present reality and also part of the life to come; true knowledge of God will ultimately be gained, and Christians prepare themselves now by virtuous lives in imitation of the Son.” [6] “The world” is the biblical term consistently used in reference to the non-Christian populations of that era. In modern terminology it would refer to secular society.
 
CCC: 1 Jn 3 2822; 1 Jn 3:1 1692; 1 Jn 3:2 163, 1023, 1161, 1720, 2519, 2772
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Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a
 
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
 
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
 
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:1-12a
 
This section of the Sermon on the Mount begins the first of five great discourses in St. Matthew’s Gospel. He begins using a formula common in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament with “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”(Job 5:17; Proverbs 3:13; Sirach 25:8-9) This designation identifies those without material resources, completely dependent upon God. (This distinction is for the devout poor.) The discourse continues, blessing those who mourn, who are meek, who “hunger” for righteousness (to adopt the Lord’s law of love in their hearts), the merciful, the clean of heart (those who are reconciled to God), the peacemakers, the persecuted, and finally those who will be reviled because they profess faith in Christ.
 
The litany of praises for those to be blessed by the Lord has an overarching theme. It holds up the spiritual strength of complete dependence on God for life, health, and prosperity. St. Matthew captures the strength in that dependence, and God’s promise of salvation through the words of the Savior.
 
It is noteworthy that the word “blessed” [μακάριοι (makάrios) in Greek and beati in Latin] is translated “happy” in many Old Testament texts.  The idea of happiness or peace as a blessing from God is an important understanding about the intent of this discourse.
 
CCC: Mt 5:1 581; Mt 5:3-12 1716; Mt 5:3 544, 2546; Mt 5-7 2763; Mt 5-6 764; Mt 5:8 1720, 2518; Mt 5:9 2305, 2330; Mt 5:11-12 520
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Reflection:
 
On this the Solemnity of All Saints we celebrate those who have listened to God’s word, heard his call, and faithfully followed him. We differentiate the saints, known and unknown, from those who we remember tomorrow on the Feast of All Souls because we do not know all those whom God has admitted to his heavenly court. Some of those whose lives we celebrate are in the list of saints. The exact number is not easy to find but it is thought to be over 8,000 (saints and blessed according to Saints.SPQN.Com) but a recent article from Catholic Exchange challenges that number. While one might think this is a huge number, consider that this list started two thousand years ago. If there are, as supposed over 8,000, that’s really only about four a year, roughly lottery statistics.
 
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says the following:
 
By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by solemnly proclaiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God's grace, the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models and intercessors. "The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church's history." Indeed, "holiness is the hidden source and infallible measure of her apostolic activity and missionary zeal." (CCC 828) [7]
 
The important fact about this celebration is that we remember all of the men and women who have demonstrated heroic virtue for the cause of the Holy Church. Their examples of faith and fidelity span almost every conceivable circumstance, era, and lifestyle. There is, within the ranks of those at the foot of the throne of God, a saint with whom every person on earth may identify and say – “That one is almost like me.” And that is the idea behind All Saints: to recall the various paths offered by God to the holy men and women who so faithfully served him on earth. We are given this day to reflect on our own lives and what they may yet become in the service of the Lord.
 
There is a reason that St. Matthew’s recollection of the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount is given to us on this feast day. The Lord invites all of us to participate in being called “blessed.” He calls and has called all peoples of all nations and ranks from the loftiest halls of power to the lowliest beggar in the street to follow him and serve his great plan. As Moses gave the Hebrews the Decalogue saying what we must not do, here our Savior gives us his nine commandments on what we should do.
 
Today we think about all those wondrous men and women who have gone before us in faith and provided Holy Mother Church with the great and small saints who have done the Lord’s will throughout the ages. We give them thanks for their examples, praise for their faithfulness, and ask for their prayers that we too might come into that heavenly presence and join them in their hymns of praise.
 
Pax
 
A history of Halloween
 
In other years: Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
 

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[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 is “Madonna and Child with Saints” by Andrea Del Castagno, c. 1445.
[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] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. © 2010), 501.
[6] NAB footnote on 1 Jn 3:1-3.
[7] English Translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (United States Catholic Conference Inc., Libreria Editrice Vaticana © 1994), 828.

Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

“Christ at Simon the Pharisee”
by Pieter Pauwel Rubens, 1618-20

Readings for Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Romans 9:1-5
 
Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are children of Israel;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
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Commentary on Rom 9:1-5
 
In previous chapters, St. Paul has proclaimed the Gospel to the Jews in Rome and his success has been spotty.  He continues to drive home the benefits of fidelity in Christ Jesus, having already explained his own faithfulness. Indeed, he appears in this passage to contradict an earlier statement (cf. Romans 8:31ff). However, the two statements actually form a whole and here he expresses his sorrow for those who have rejected Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promised Savior.
 
In this passage St. Paul borrows from the passion of Moses for the people of God in Exodus 32:32 when Moses says: "Now if you would only forgive their sin! But if you will not, then blot me out of the book that you have written.” The apostle is using oratorical exaggeration and contradicting himself (see Romans cf. 8:31ff) when he wishes himself accursed.  He is once more expressing his love of the mission God has given him in converting all non-believers to Christ. [4]
 
“The apostle speaks in strong terms of the depth of his grief over the unbelief of his own people. He would willingly undergo a curse himself for the sake of their coming to the knowledge of Christ (Romans 9:3; cf. Leviticus 27:28-29). His love for them derives from God's continuing choice of them and from the spiritual benefits that God bestows on them and through them on all of humanity.” [5]
 
CCC: Rom 9:4-5 839; Rom 9:5 449
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
 
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
 
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
 
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
 
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
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Commentary on Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
 
Psalm 147 is a hymn of praise. In these strophes the singer celebrates God’s gifts to his people, the gift of faith to the patriarch Jacob, and the gift of his presence in the Holy City Jerusalem. These strophes are from the third section (each section offering praise for a different gift from God to his special people). This section focuses on the gift of the Promised Land with Jerusalem as its spiritual center. We see the call to praise Jerusalem, the Holy City, because in it was revealed the Word of God and a call to holiness. The Lord is praised for sending food that sustains the people. The final strophe also rejoices that the law was handed on to them through Jacob.
 
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Gospel: Luke 14:1-6
 
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”
But they were unable to answer his question.
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Commentary on Lk 14:1-6
 
The miracle of the cure of the man with dropsy (a condition in which there is severe swelling caused by the retention of water) is unique to St. Luke’s Gospel. The issue he addresses at the banquet, however, is also taken up in a different context in Mark 3:1-6 and Matthew 12:9-14. The point (logion) expounded upon here is that fanatical observance of Mosaic Law is not serving God. Rather, the spirit of God’s law is love and compassion which he demonstrates by curing the man.
 
There is also a pun used in the language Jesus uses. When he says “if your son or ox falls into a well,” the words in Aramaic are be’îrā (“ox”) and berā (“son”) followed by bērā (“well”) giving us insight into Jesus' sense of humor.
 
CCC: Lk 14:1 575, 588; Lk 14:3-4 582
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Reflection:
 
Sacred Scripture gives us a look at the complexity of issues associated with the coming of the Messiah to the Jewish people. St. Paul becomes emotional over the problem his people have with this issue in his letter to the Romans. He is almost crying out to God to make them understand that Jesus came to fulfill all that had been promised by the historical relationship with God. He cites the gifts given by God (fulfilled in Jesus): “the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ.” Yet even though they had been prepared as the chosen people, they could not recognize the Christ when he came in the person of Jesus, and St. Paul grieves for them – for their loss.
 
We follow St. Paul’s diagnosis of the Jewish problem with a typical example of that same issue. Jesus, in the story from St. Luke’s Gospel, goes to the house of a well-known Pharisee. An obvious test or trap for the Lord has been set up (the people there were observing him carefully). They have invited a man with dropsy, a chronic and painful condition, and seated him directly across from the Lord. Jesus understands their motives at which we can only speculate. They may have simply been curious (most likely, since he concluded his conversation with them with a pun) or it may indeed have been a more sinister motive, to see if he would violate the laws of the Sabbath and perform “work” on the day of rest.
 
Regardless of their motive, Jesus cures the man. His statement following the cure, in spite of the play on words, is instructive. His use of the statement: “if your son or ox falls into a cistern,” would seem to imply both his love for the many he cured (son) and his feeling of responsibility for their well-being (ox). The larger lesson is the fundamental example Jesus always provides - love one another.
 
The situation remains complex for the Jewish people. Even with his physical presence, faced with the fact that Jesus fulfills the covenants of God, the Law of Moses, and the oracular predictions of the prophets, they cannot come to believe he is the Christ. While this seems, on the surface, to be less of an issue for us as modern-day disciples, it is also complex but in a different way. We have the benefit of Scripture and the two thousand years of historical faithfulness passed down to us through the Church. Yet, we live in a world that is constantly trying to “spin” the Jesus story in a different way.
 
We pray today for the faith and courage to see the absolute love Jesus has for all peoples, whether they believe in him or not. We have faith that the Holy Spirit, which he left us as guide and advocate, will provide us with the help we need in our day's labors and activities. And above all, we seek the peace that comes from knowing that Jesus loves us and offers himself to us this and every day in his Body and Blood.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Christ at Simon the Pharisee” by Pieter Pauwel Rubens, 1618-20.
[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: “Letters of St. Paul” (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003), 106.
[5] NAB footnote on Romans 9:1-5.

Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

“No. 26 Scenes from the Life of Christ: 10.
Entry into Jerusalem”
by Bondone di Giotto, 1304-06

 
Readings for Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Romans 8:31b-39
 
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:
 
For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.
 
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Commentary on Rom 8:31b-39
 
St. Paul bursts into a hymn proclaiming the victory over death and suffering experienced by the faithful, lifted up by God in Christ. The premise that the love of God assures salvation to the faithful is strengthened as the evangelist asks the rhetorical question: “What will separate us from the love of Christ?” Over all obstacles (human, physical, and metaphysical, “height" and "depth,” probably referred to ancient astrological terms indicating the closest proximity and the most distant star from the zenith), is the love of God expressed in Christ as the unshakable foundation of Christian life and hope.
 
The apostle quotes Psalm 44:23 as his song denies that even death is a barrier between the faithful and God’s love. No earthly or spiritual force can stand against such love as that shown in Christ Jesus.
 
CCC: Rom 8:26-39 2739; Rom 8:31 2852; Rom 8:32 603, 706, 2572; Rom 8:34 1373, 2634
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31
 
R. (26b) Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
 
Do you, O GOD, my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;
in your generous mercy rescue me;
For I am wretched and poor,
and my heart is pierced within me.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
 
Help me, O LORD, my God;
save me, in your mercy,
And let them know that this is your hand;
that you, O LORD, have done this.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
 
I will speak my thanks earnestly to the LORD,
and in the midst of the throng I will praise him,
For he stood at the right hand of the poor man,
to save him from those who would condemn his soul.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
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Commentary on Ps 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31
 
Psalm 109 is an individual lament. The strophes presented ask for the Lord’s mercy (the earlier part of this psalm speaks out vehemently against the enemies of the faithful with a series of curses). The singer has faith that God will lead him to salvation and offers praise to God for his justice.
 
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Gospel: Luke 13:31-35
 
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’
 
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
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Commentary on Lk 13:31-35
 
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, we hear Jesus responding to Pharisees, who are warning of a plot by Herod. Their motives are not made clear, but we see Jesus using the opportunity to reinforce his role as fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. He declares, in essence, that he is the Messiah. There is a subtle message carried in St. Luke’s use of the number three and one half as well. This number (half of the perfect number “7”) symbolizes a time of dark persecution that will end with God’s glorification (see Daniel 7:25, 8:14, 12:12, and Luke 4:25).
 
The poem at the end, ending in a quote from Psalm 118:26, is found in St. Matthew’s Gospel linked with the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 23: 37-39). Placed here (and actually paraphrased again after Palm Sunday), it takes on a prophetic tone, an image of the passion to come.
 
CCC: Lk 13:31 575; Lk 13:33 557; Lk 13:35 585
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Reflection:
 
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”  These words from St. Paul might cause the naïve person to think that simply by adopting faith in Jesus, everyone will love you; all opposition to your pursuits would be scattered because the Lord God has adopted us as his children.  It is a good thing then that we are also given St. Luke’s Gospel in which Jesus tells those who are trying to warn him about a plot on the part of the Herodians that he recognizes that he must be killed as part of his mission.
 
What is St. Paul saying then?  Clearly God is for us.  He sent his Son so that we might see his face clearly – in human form.  He offered his beloved Son as sacrifice for us so that we could be freed from sin and death.  Yet many stand against us, many hate us for what we believe and practice.  This will become increasingly evident as it does each time around the holiday season when those who deny God want no part of images that remind them that we lift him up in celebration.
 
St. Paul is not being naïve; rather he looks to that part of our being that is indestructible, our souls.  God provides an impenetrable armor around that essence of our being, protecting it from any harm, for it is precious to him.  Who indeed can stand against us when we are so protected?
 
Today we rejoice in the sure and constant hope that since we join ourselves to Jesus at the spiritual level, we will be with him always in the new Jerusalem, our heavenly home.  May our faith remain firm and our armor strong this day as we continue to work for his greater glory.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “No. 26 Scenes from the Life of Christ: 10. Entry into Jerusalem” by Bondone di Giotto, 1304-06.
[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.

Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

“The Narrow Door”
by Deacon Robert Lackney,
(Paris) 1986

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Romans 8:26-30
 
Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God’s will.
 
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
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Commentary on Romans 8:26-30
 
In the first paragraph of this selection St. Paul speaks about the impact the Holy Spirit has upon prayer. Even if one cannot express their needs, the Paraclete will search them out and intercede for Christ’s followers.
 
In the second part of the reading the apostle outlines the Christian vocation as God intended it to be. Because Christ existed eternally those called to him were carefully chosen or elected from the beginning of time to be called to salvation. “Predestined: [means] Selected for divine adoption by an eternal decree of God (Ephesians 1:4). Predestination is a mystery revealed but not fully understood; what we know for certain is that God is free to act as he chooses (Psalm 135:6) and man is free to accept or reject his blessings (Romans 2:6-8; Sirach 15:11-13).No one is predestined by God for eternal damnation (CCC 1037).” [4]
 
CCC: Rom 8:26-39 2739; Rom 8:26-27 2634; Rom 8:26 741, 2559, 2630, 2736; Rom 8:27 2543, 2736, 2766; Rom 8:28-30 1821, 2012; Rom 8:28 313, 395; Rom 8:29 257, 381, 501, 1161, 1272, 2790
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 13:4-5, 6
 
R. (6a) My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy.

Look, answer me, O Lord, my God!
Give light to my eyes that I may not sleep in death
lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him”;
lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.

R. All my hope, O Lord, is in your loving kindness.

Though I trusted in your mercy,
Let my heart rejoice in your salvation;
let me sing of the Lord, “He has been good to me.”

R. All my hope, O Lord, is in your loving kindness.
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Commentary on Ps 13:4-5, 6
 
Psalm 13 is an individual lament. The singer, who is ill, asks the Lord for salvation so their enemies will not think the illness is a punishment from the Lord. Confident in God's abundant mercy, the selection is concluded with a witness to hope in the Lord.
 
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Gospel: Luke 13:22-30
 
Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”
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Commentary on Lk 13:22-30
 
Jesus has just told the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast.  Here, the questioner asks if many will be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus’ answer has two levels of meaning. Entering through the “narrow gate” implies that there is but one set of directions that must be followed to achieve heaven. He says many will attempt to follow these directions but will not be able to because they are difficult.

The Lord’s example of the master locking the door is an analogy for the end times, the eschaton, when final judgment will be leveled against those who seek entry to the heavenly kingdom. We hear that people from all over the world will be called (see also Matthew 22:14). He concludes saying that some of the last (called to discipleship) will be first (have higher places of honor) and vice versa (similar in intent to Matthew 20:16).
 
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Reflection:
 
The image used above by Deacon Bob does a nice graphical job of illustrating the point Jesus made in his answer to the question: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”  We envision in the foreground a throng of all races and backgrounds coming through the wide gate; the gate that does not restrict those who do not follow God’s laws.  The way gets narrower and many turn back. In the distance we see the “narrow gate” and the path beyond that will be difficult to travel.  It is difficult because the way Jesus showed us was a humble and selfless path, peaceful only if one can master our fallen nature and put on the mind of our Savior. Very few want the difficulty of that way.
 
If we think about the two choices offered, it is easy to see why so many reject the narrow gate.  They may know that it leads to eternal life, but it’s hard. That way that forces us to carry the poor and the downtrodden, to love one another.  Many of our brothers and sisters will look at that way and say; “That is more sacrifice than I am willing to make.”  They will see the Laws of God and of the Church as being too restrictive of their freedoms.  It is not just in modern times that the narrow gate has stood as an unpopular choice.  It has been so since the time of Christ.  Is it any wonder that his answer to that question, “will only a few be saved?” is that a majority will choose the easier path.  All are free to choose; some were willing to choose the more difficult path.
 
Today our prayer must be twofold.  First, we pray thanking God for showing us the path to the narrow gate and we ask for his strength to stay on that path.  Second, we pray for those for whom that gate seems to be too much.  We pray that they find the strength to see that, while the way is difficult, it leads to peace in this life and eternal life with the Father.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture used today is “The Narrow Door” by Deacon Robert Lackney, (Paris) 1986.
[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] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. © 2010), 268.

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Biographical Information about Sts. Simon and Jude

“Saints Simon and Jude”
by Bartolomeo Manfredi, c. 1620’s

 
Readings for the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Ephesians 2:19-22
 
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
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Commentary on Eph 2:19-22
 
In this passage, St. Paul describes the unity brought about among all believers in Christ. This unity is formed under a common teaching flowing from the Hebrew prophets, through the apostles, to Christ himself, who is described as the “capstone” or cornerstone. This unity of spirit becomes the Church, the “dwelling place for God in the Spirit.” The Church, in turn, is the unity of all Christians, those who were formerly Jews, and those who were formerly Gentiles. They are, says the apostle, joined through Christ on the same road to the kingdom of God. They share the same foundation of faith, transmitted to them through the apostles, and held firm by Christ the “capstone.” Together they form the “temple of the Spirit,” the essential understanding that the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ.
 
CCC: Eph 2:19-22 756; Eph 2:20 857; Eph 2:21 797
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5
 
R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
 
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
 
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
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Commentary on Ps 19:2-3, 4-5
 
Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In these opening strophes, the psalmist rejoices in God’s visible hand, revealed in all creation. It is the first of two themes expressed in the psalm (the other is in praise of the law). While no word of God announces his presence, his glory is revealed in the creation of all things.
 
CCC: Ps 19:2-5 299; Ps 19:2 326
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Gospel: Luke 6:12-16
 
Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
 
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
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Commentary on Lk 6:12-16
 
This passage is the call of the twelve apostles from St. Luke’s Gospel. It is noteworthy that Jesus begins this process with a prayer of discernment.  He then names the Twelve (including Judas Iscariot who was replaced after his suicide).  This important event extends Jesus' mission through these chosen ones (selected from the ranks of Jesus’ disciples: see Mark 3:14-15).  This selection marked them with special authority (Matthew 10:1ff) and responsibility to transmit the gospel to the world. The Lord is conscious of establishing the “New Israel.” His selection of the Twelve is symbolic of appointing new leaders of the twelve tribes of the Hebrew people who are rejecting him as Messiah.
 
CCC: Lk 6:12-16 1577; Lk 6:12 2600
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Reflection:
 
The celebration of the Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude reminds us our own call to be an apostolic people.  We’ve heard that term used, especially in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium).  Through Christ’s call in Scripture, and through our own understanding of what we, as a people of God, believe our call to be, we recognize a special responsibility to participate in the same mission for which the twelve apostles were selected.
 
While it is argued that we are all given different gifts and aptitudes by God, and therefore we are not all cut out to go into the world verbalizing God’s call to holiness to each person we meet, we are all called to do our part in this great work.  We believe this is not optional.  We cannot simply say: “I believe in God and that Jesus came as God’s Only Son.  Therefore, because I accept him as my personal Savior (he did not come for just one person), I am saved.”  No, our faith, breathed in through Sacred Scripture, breathed in through the sacraments, breathed in through prayer, must be breathed out in actions, a living witness that testifies to our faith.
 
The apostles were taken aside by Jesus and given a special authority, special gifts that would allow them to take Jesus’ message into the world, so that all might hear the message and live.  He did not restrict this truth to his followers, somehow implying this was a secret or special insight given to them alone! Rather he gave his followers the mission of taking that message to all the corners of the earth. 
 
To Jesus, the world was a giant canvas upon which he painted, using the brushes of the apostles in bold strokes.  But much of what the apostles could do was also passed on.  The blank pieces of canvas were to be filled in by those they touched, and then further by those touched by students of the students of the Twelve, continuing until at last the brush is handed to us, so that every speck can be coated with the love of Christ.
 
Today we celebrate the great work of Saints Simon and Jude, apostles.  In their lives and missions, we see the hand of God reach out to the world, inviting all to come and live.  We see also, in their call, our own invitation to participate in this great apostolic work of the Church in the world.  We pray today for all who work to spread God’s message.  We pray also for ourselves, that we might accept the call to witness the love of Christ in all we do.
 
Pax
 
In other years on this date: Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
 

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[1] The picture is “Saints Simon and Jude” by Bartolomeo Manfredi, c. 1620’s.
[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.