Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for Saint Elizabeth of Portugal) – in the United States transferred from July 4

(Optional Memorial for Saint Anthony Zaccaria, Priest)

 

Proper for the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal

 

Proper for the Memorial of St. Anthony Zaccaria

 

“Le Christ Guerissant un Malade” 
[Christ Healing the Sick] 
by Mathieu Ignace van Bree (1773-1839)

 

Readings for Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

 

Commentary:

 

Reading 1: Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13

 

Commentary on Hos 8:4-7, 11-13

 

The Prophet Hosea, speaking with the voice of God, condemns the people of Israel, Samaria, and Ephraim for falling away from the Law of Moses, and taking up the worship of Baal and other false practices (probably those of the local majority population). The prophet is eloquent in describing how these practices not only displease God, but will not bring the result hoped for. (“When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind.”) He beckons them back to “innocence” in the precepts of the Lord.

 

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 115:3-4, 5-6, 7ab-8, 9-10

 

R. (9a) The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

 

Commentary on Ps 115:3-4, 5-6, 7ab-8, 9-10

 

Psalm 115 is a hymn of praise to our God who is above all things and creator of all. While he is not seen, all creation is evidence of his power and salvation. The singer attacks those who worship false gods and idols, promoting the first of the Ten Commandments: "You shall not have other gods beside me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or serve them." (Exodus 20:4-5)

 

CCC: Ps 115:3 268, 303; Ps 115:4-5 2112; Ps 115:8 2112

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Gospel: Matthew 9:32-38

 

Commentary on Mt 9:32-38

 

In this selection Jesus continues his healing practice as he travels from town to town. We see growing opposition from the Pharisees as he does so. Almost ironically, Jesus looks with compassion upon the people ("...his heart was moved with pity for them") as he sees that the religious leaders, the Scribes and Pharisees, have not led them to God but abandoned them, seeking instead their own selfish ends.  The Lord recalls the prophecy of Ezekiel, predicting one from the line of David as a new shepherd. This prophetic statement was fulfilled in himself (Ezekiel 34:23). And, using the same language we heard in Luke 10:1-9, Jesus prepares to send out the disciples to proclaim the Good News.

 

CCC: Mt 9:38 2611

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Reflection:

 

Do you recall having your parents tell you that, before you could go out and play, you had to clean your room (or some other equally difficult chore)?  If it was something that you should have been doing right along, and now it had become a huge task, you might get an idea of what Jesus must have been feeling as he went from town to town trying to get people to understand what he meant by “The kingdom of God is at hand.”

 

Just as when we were children, and wanted to do something important, like go and play with our friends, and Saturday had only so many hours, Jesus was anxious to get his task accomplished, but there was so much to do.  He says (and we can almost hear the exasperation in him) “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.”  In other words, there is much good to be gained in announcing the Kingdom of God, but too few will take up the call, and too many are resisting.

 

While the call has been taken up by others over the two thousand years since Christ walked among us, there is still much to be done and too few to do it.  Each of us is enlisted in the battle, and it is a battle.  In Jesus’ day, the Gospel tells us that there were many who resisted his message, and many denied his identity.  Today the resistance is, if anything, stronger, and the message of the enemy more seductive.

 

Everyone is called, baptized into this mighty work.  So how do we serve?  God has given each of us gifts.  Those gifts vary from person to person, and each is valuable.  Some have the gift of persuasion, others the gift of a pious spirit.  St. Augustine put it well when he said at his consecration as Bishop:

 

“The turbulent have to be corrected, the faint-hearted cheered up, the weak supported; the Gospel's opponents need to be refuted, its insidious enemies guarded against; the unlearned need to be taught, the indolent stirred up, the argumentative checked; the proud must be put in their place, the desperate set on their feet, those engaged in quarrels reconciled; the needy have to be helped, the oppressed to be liberated, the good to be encouraged, the bad to be tolerated; all must be loved. 

“The Gospel terrifies me.” – St. Augustine

 

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.”  Today we are called again to pick up the standard of Christ and carry it into the world.  Today we pray for the strength of character to labor in God’s harvest.

 

Pax

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[1] S.S. Commemoratio

[2] The picture used today is “Le Christ Guerissant un Malade” [Christ Healing the Sick] by Mathieu Ignace van Bree (1773-1839)

 

Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 

(Optional Memorial for Saint Elizabeth of Portugal)

Proper for the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal

Note: in the United States, this memorial is perpetually transferred to July 5th.

 

Independence Day [In Dioceses of the United States]

Alternate Texts may be taken from the Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, II. For Civil Needs: 13. For the Nation, nos. 882-886; or 14. For Peace and Justice, nos. 887-891.

“Woman Healed Touching Jesus” 
by Alexandre Bida 1874

 

Readings for Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

 

Commentary:

 

Reading 1: Hosea 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22

 

Commentary on Hos 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22

 

The Prophet Hosea, voicing God’s hope for the people of Israel as husband might speak to a wife who was unfaithful, exhorts the people to turn from idolatry (the worship of Baal). He tells them that if they will be faithful, God’s love and mercy will be theirs: it is eternal, and God is always faithful. In Hebrew tradition "espousing" would include the gifts for the bride (cf Genesis 24:53). It is thought by many scholars that the prophet went through a personal trial with an unfaithful spouse which colored his prophetic writings, using the analogy of Israel as the espoused people throughout this book.

 

CCC: Hos 2 218; Hos 2:21-22 2787

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

 

R. (8a) The Lord is gracious and merciful.

 

Commentary on Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

 

Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise. These strophes (because it is in the acrostic form, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet) although loosely assembled, praise God for his mercy and compassion and give thanks for his creation and redemption.

 

CCC: Ps 145:3 300; Ps 145:9 295, 342

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Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26

 

Commentary on Mt 9:18-26

 

Jesus continues his journey in this passage from Matthew’s Gospel. Again he engages in healing those who have faith in him. First, in a situation similar to the incident with the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-11; Luke 7:1-10), he is asked to help an official. As he is responding to that request, a woman with a hemorrhage approaches Jesus and reaches out to him. As she touches the tassel of his cloak, she experiences healing in that touch. In Mark and Luke the story is much more detailed. The Lord feels this touch and seeks out the woman (see Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48).

 

Jesus arrives at the official's home and heals his daughter. In Mark’s Gospel (Mark 5:23) she was at the point of death, here she had already “fallen asleep” meaning she had died. Again, Jesus seeing the faith of the requester, raises her from her death bed to new life.

 

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Reflection:

 

If we truly believe in the authority of Christ over death, death itself ceases to be a cause for fear. If we truly believe Christ can heal us, a touch of his cloak will accomplish that healing. How difficult it is to take that leap of faith. The Lord was wise indeed when he said “whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." (Mark 10:15)

 

How can we come to such faith? We know and understand that faith is a gift from God, and that through it flows all the grace and strength we need. We know that faith, like physical strength, can be grown through proper exercise and diet (exercise for faith is practice and diet is the word and sacraments). And herein lies the paradox. As we mature in our faith, we see all the depth and complexity of the truth Christ was pleased to reveal to us. We hear his command to love God and others. We can comprehend that this is done most completely by an innocent child (before they are taught by us not to trust or even speak to strangers). How insidious is the evil one, who forces us to take away that innocence for their protection.

 

Yet our own experiences of life force us to take a more mature view of the world and people around us. Our experiences of being hurt, having our trust violated, and being hated by others causes us to reject the innocent faith we need to embrace Christ’s teachings. Always it seems that even as we reach out to touch that tassel of Jesus’ cloak, we pull back, afraid of what will happen (or what will not).

 

Today we pray for faith, the innocent faith of a child, that through it we might experience the healing miracle of the woman with a hemorrhage, who through her faith was cured. May God grant us trust in his infinite love and compassion this day.

 

Pax

 

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[1] S.S. Commemoratio

[2] The picture used today is “Woman Healed Touching Jesus” by Alexandre Bida 1874

 

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Catechism Links[1]

CCC 541-546: the Kingdom of God is at hand

CCC 787, 858-859: the Apostles, united to the mission of Christ

CCC 2122: “the laborer deserves his food”

CCC 2816-2821: “Your kingdom come”

CCC 555, 1816, 2015: the Cross as the way to follow Christ

“The Seventy Disciples are Sent out Two by Two” 
by James Tissot, 1886-96

 

Readings for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time[2][3]

 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

 

Commentary:

 

Reading 1: Isaiah 66:10-14c

 

Commentary on Is 66:10-14c

 

Isaiah speaks metaphorically to those returning from exile. They hear of the creation (birth without pain) of God’s children in a New Jerusalem. He uses the image of a mother nursing her child as an image of God's loving care for the people he has called home.  His oracle relates to a time of prosperity that comes about due to God’s love for those he has created. It is a calling home, a call to return to that place that gave them birth.

 

CCC: Is 66:13 239, 370

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20

 

R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

 

Commentary on Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20

 

Psalm 66 is a song of thanksgiving. As it continues, the selection starts with part of the community blessing the Lord, and follows with the second and third strophes being individual responses to the communal prayer. In the final strophe, v.20, we see the usual action of the person who has been rescued coming forward to teach the community what God has done.

 

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Reading II: Galatians 6:14-18

 

Commentary on Gal 6:14-18

 

St. Paul, in this selection, tells the Galatians that the Good News of Christ (and Him crucified) is for all people, not just for those who came from the Jewish tradition (“For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation”). He then tells his audience that, not through the ancient marks of branding does he belong to Christ, but through the marks of his persecution (from stonings and beatings).

 

CCC: Gal 6:15 1214

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Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

 

Commentary on Lk 10:1-12, 17-20

 

It is only in Luke’s Gospel that we find the sending of the 72.  This event is supported in other non-biblical accounts of the period (see Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 265-c. 340)  - Church History).  It is noteworthy that the instructions given to these disciples are very similar to those given to the twelve in Luke 22:35.  As the 72 return, the Lord reminds them that the power they have demonstrated over the forces of evil (“…even the demons are subject to us because of your name”) is a consequence of their adoption (“your names are written in heaven”) not some personal merit or natural ability.

 

This selection emphasizes Jesus early struggle to accomplish what he came to do by himself. We sense his humanness as he says: "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few," We also find this event and statement in St. Matthew’s Gospel, where, instead of the 72, he names the 12 (Matthew 10:1-8). While in St. Matthew’s story Jesus sends them first to the Hebrew people, St. Luke makes no such distinction.

 

This effort by Jesus was modeled on Moses’ leadership structure in which 70 elders were appointed (Numbers 11:24-25). It is also possible that the reference number, 70, relates to the number of nations mentioned in Genesis 10. The disciples were sent two by two, a custom that would be replicated later in the post-resurrection missionary activities of the Church (see Acts 8:14; 15:39-40).

 

In another historical similarity, the disciples were sent without possessions, presumably depending upon the traditionally required hospitality for their support. Similar instructions were given by the Prophet Elisha as he sent his servant in 2 Kings 4:29.

 

The Lord’s instructions concerning hospitality, “…laborer deserves his payment,” is also quoted in St. Paul’s first letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 5:18b), and has further support in 1 Corinthians 9:7, 14. Those who labor on behalf of the Gospel, and cannot take time to support themselves, deserve the support of the community. In a final twist, the Lord’s instruction, to “…eat what is set before you,” sets aside Mosaic dietary laws (also 1 Corinthians 10:27 and Acts 10:25). It is a clear indication that the scope of their mission is to call all peoples to the Gospel.

 

CCC: Lk 10:1-2 765; Lk 10:2 2611; Lk 10:7 2122; Lk 10:17-20 787

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OR: (Shorter Form) Luke 10:1-9

 

Commentary on Lk 10:1-9

 

It is only in Luke’s Gospel that we find the sending of the 72.  This event is supported in other non-biblical accounts of the period (see Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 265-c. 340)  - Church History).  It is noteworthy that the instructions given to these disciples are very similar to those given to the twelve in Luke 22:35.

 

This shorter form omits the consequences spelled out for those who reject the messengers.  It also omits the account of the success of these emissaries, bringing to sharper focus the shared mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all (note: Jesus does not, as St. Matthew reports, send them just to the Jewish population.).

 

CCC: Lk 10:1-2 765; Lk 10:2 2611; Lk 10:7 2122

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Homily

Living in the information age, we receive so many messages and so much information each day it is difficult to keep our own issues and challenges in focus.  We are affected by, not just local issues, new taxes, problems facing schools and infrastructure (roads), but we have instant access to news, events, and images from around the world.  The natural rhythm of our lives has reached a pace our forebears could not have imagined.  When the Declaration of Independence was signed those 240 years ago, the news of that event would have taken weeks and months to reach the ears of the people in the thirteen colonies.  Had something of that magnitude taken place today, it would have been seen live by anyone on the earth who cared to see it.

It is easy to become caught up in the web technology has thrown over our human interactions, so that we forget that there is a purpose in life beyond being blown about here and there by things that occur in the net of over-communication that exists in our modern society.  With the advent of electronic social networking, social norms of behavior have been challenged as they have never been in the past.  The most intimate details of individual thoughts, dreams, and desires are blasted out to multitudes who echo and amplify the basic human condition, unfettered by social morals that encourage modesty, chastity, and spiritual grace.  The attack is pervasive, instantaneous, and relentless.

 

As our Bishops remind us in the Fortnight for Freedom which ends on Independence Day, this social noise attempts to establish a new norm for morality in our country.  The uninhibited expression of disrespect for human dignity (ironically called bullying when it is used among the young in our society) is now being used against anyone who does not subscribe to the amoral code being pushed by those who would disregard natural law when it comes to marriage, and disregard human life when it comes to contraception, abortion, and sterilization.  They call us bigots because we cling to our Christian morality, and “haters” if we reject compromising our long established belief in the natural law supported by sacred scripture.

 

And here we sit, in this Holy Space, being sent from here like “like lambs among wolves.”  We come together in worship to be strengthened by Word, Sacrament, and a shared mission.  Whether we accept it or not, our membership in this faith community requires that we take the message of Christ into a world that is virtually seething with counter messages.  The generation coming up cannot imagine being surprised to hear of an event that took place a week, or even a day ago.  They will know instantly of any influence anywhere in the world that affects them.  Without a filter, the filter of faith we can help them develop, they will be at the mercy of those who would claim them for the world.

 

So what do we do?  Electronic communication is everywhere.  It’s not just radio or TV, it’s not even computers. The smart phones of today reach into every part of the world, and the messages and images from the world are not necessarily positive influences.  Even adults can be lured into areas of information they should avoid. 

 

The first thing we do is discipline ourselves.  New technology requires new discipline.  The availability of information can lead us into temptation in the modern age, temptation to greed, to lust, and to disregard human dignity and life.  Ironically the forces that lead us in these directions are guaranteed by the very document signed in Pennsylvania those centuries ago that hoped to preserve life and human dignity.  It is so pervasive we have to work to avoid it.  Our values of freedom of religion are challenged like never before, while the rights of those who would demean the human person are held up as symbols of modern open-mindedness.

 

We are called, as Christ’s modern disciples, to go into the world bearing the Gospel message.  We are challenged by the Lord to accept the task he hands us.  We witness first to our families and friends, then to our associates, school mates and co-workers, and finally to any with whom we have contact.  We must be confident that we are well equipped to take on this mission.  The Lord has called us: he sends us, he asks us only to do what we can to make his message of love and forgiveness known.  We pray for the strength and wisdom to take up the task of the 72 whom he sent and who came back rejoicing at their victory.

Pax

 

In other years on this date (And for parishioners of St. Thomas the Apostle):

Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

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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] S.S. Commemoratio

[3] The picture is “The Seventy Disciples are Sent out Two by Two” by James Tissot, 1886-96

 

Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 (Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

 

On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. [1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“Mourning the Dead Christ” 
by Ortolano, c. 1522

Readings for Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time [2]

 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible[3]

 

Commentary:

 

Reading 1: Amos 9:11-15

Commentary on Am 9:11-15

The Prophet speaks of God’s purpose in causing the fall of the Kingdom of Israel (in actuality all kingdoms of that region in his day). The people were sinful, and those that did not follow God’s Law were either killed or carried off into bondage. But the faithful remnant would be saved and rebuilt (“On that day I will raise up the fallen hut of David”), saying that the House of Israel would be restored. The oracle predicts that it will be greater than before. All this is accomplished only through the will and might of God.

“In Acts 15:15-17 St. James interprets this passage in a messianic sense. Fallen hut: the kingdom. The nations that shall bear my name: the Gentile peoples who shall be converted to the Lord, that is, conquered by him, and therefore shall bear his name.”[5]

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14

R. (see 9b) The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Commentary on Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14

Psalm 85 is a communal lament that focuses on the woes of the nation. These strophes reflect the joy of salvation at the restoration of the land following the destruction of the temple and the Diaspora. Those faithful to God see the reward, a land restored, justice returned, and the salvation of God. When used in the context of the Advent season, the theme of preparation for a time of peace is announced. It is a clear tie to the herald of the Messiah, echoing Isaiah’s oracle (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11).

 

CCC: Ps 85:11 214; Ps 85:12 2795

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Gospel: Matthew 9:14-17

Commentary on Mt 9:14-17

Jesus is approached by St. John the Baptist’s disciples about the Pharisaic practices of ritual fasting. In Old Testament usage this action was a token of repentance or of mourning. No fast is actually prescribed in the Law of Moses, except the fast on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29 and 23:27 and Numbers 29:7). Given this understanding of the Law of Moses, what was being practiced by the Pharisees (and St. John’s disciples) was tradition and Jesus response, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them,” speaks to the fact that his disciples do not have anything to repent from or mourn for, as long as they are following him.

 

The next section of the reading seems to contradict an earlier statement of Jesus (Matthew 5:17-20), when he said he had not come to abolish the Law (of Moses) but to fulfill it. But, his metaphors about the wineskins and the cloth refer to a completely new understanding of God’s revelation that cannot be a “patchwork” of ideas, rather a consistent application of Christ’s law of love, mercy, and hope.

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Reflection:

In the Gospel today, the Lord is challenged by some of the disciples of St. John the Baptist (of which at least one of his own disciples, Andrew, was formerly a member). They ask why Jesus and his disciples do not practice the Pharisaic traditions of ritual fasting. Jesus, also of the Pharisaic tradition (based upon his knowledge of the resurrection), was not following their scrupulous rules and neither were his disciples. It was important that Jesus strike just the right tone in his reply. Recognizing that the Pharisees were following a tradition developed out of their understanding of the Law (not prescriptions of the Law), he explains that his disciples do not need to mourn or repent while he is with them (coming as he does to fulfill the law and the prophets).

Now, using metaphor, Jesus explains that his coming changes the understanding of God’s intent and character. Where the Hebrew’s understanding of God, based upon the Law and the Prophets, had been as a God of Justice, humanized and given the emotions and motives of man, Christ changed all of that, as the incarnated Son shows the world God’s infinite love and compassion. His metaphors tell us that there can be no human motives assigned to God, that is old cloth, old wineskins.

We rejoice today as we see Christ once more reveal to us the love and promise of the Father, and the salvation he offers to those who believe in him. We pray, today, that we can be an example of that love to those we meet, and thereby bring the message of the Kingdom of God to the world.

Pax

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[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5

[2] The picture is “Mourning the Dead Christ” by Ortolano, c. 1522

[3] S.S. Commemoratio

[5] NAB footnote on Amos 9:11-12