Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

During the Fourth Week of Lent (especially in cycles B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent) optional Mass Texts are offered.

“Jesus by the Sea”
by Alexandre Bida, 1850s

 
Readings for Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: Isaiah 65:17-21
 
Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime;
He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years,
and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
They shall live in the houses they build,
and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.
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Commentary on Is 65:17-21
 
The prophet Isaiah envisions the “new Jerusalem” with the return of the captives from exile. The beatific vision of the perfection brought forth by the return to God is later echoed as the vision of the eternal kingdom of God. It is not by human ingenuity that this is accomplished but by the will of God.
 
"Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, 'new heavens and a new earth' (2 Peter 3:13; cf. Revelation 21:1). It will be the definitive realization of God's plan to bring under a single head 'all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth' (Ephesians 1:10). In this new universe, the heavenly Jerusalem, God will have his dwelling among men. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away' (Revelation 21:4)." [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12a, 13b
 
 R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
 
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
 
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
 
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
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Commentary on Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12a, 13b
 
Psalm 30 is an individual hymn of praise. In this selection we find the singer praising God for deliverance. In the second part, others are asked to join in the hymn and then there is a return to thanks and praise in the final strophe. The image of resurrection is clearly evident in the first strophe: “O Lord, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.”
 
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Gospel: John 4:43-54
 
At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in his native place.
When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him,
since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast;
for they themselves had gone to the feast.
 
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee,
where he had made the water wine.
Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
he went to him and asked him to come down
and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him,
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
The royal official said to him,
“Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.”
The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While the man was on his way back,
his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover.
They told him,
“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.
Now this was the second sign Jesus did
when he came to Galilee from Judea.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 4:43-54
 
This selection from St. John’s Gospel is the story of Jesus’ arrival in Cana in Galilee and the second sign of his messianic identity. Here we find the life-giving word of Jesus being displayed. Jesus challenges the official asking for his aid: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The official's faithful response provides the setting.  Jesus tells him: “You may go; your son will live.” This statement coincides with the healing that occurred some distance away.
 
We note that of the 37 miracles documented in the Gospels (not including the conversion of St. Paul documented in the Acts of the Apostles), this occurrence and the healing of the daughter of the Syrophoenician Woman (Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30)  are the only healing miracles done at a distance.  This is important in that it shows that Christ’s will is omnipresent, that is, he can direct the love of God to any place he chooses.
 
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
We have seen the need for on-going conversion throughout this Lenten season. We are constantly reminded that we need to have faith, and faith, we are told, can do amazing things. The lack of it can also be devastating.
 
A few years ago, an old friend who has a parish in the Lansing area called me and asked if I could run over and see the son of one of his parishioners who was gravely ill at the University of Michigan Medical Center. The man, in his early 50’s, was suffering from hepatitis and his liver was failing. In short, without a liver transplant, his prospects were grim. He was divorced and had a young family with 3 sons ranging from 8 to 15 years old who lived with him.
 
When I got to his room it was clear he was in trouble. Not just because his illness was really causing him discomfort, but because he was alone, and I don’t mean because there was no one in his room. You see, many years ago, this man had lost his faith and did not have anything to support him now. I asked him how he was doing and his first words to me were: “I am afraid.”
 
I need to tell you; I was taken aback. Some of you know that several years ago I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I went through many tests and ended up in the operating room at the same hospital where I visited the liver patient. I can tell you truthfully the one emotion I never felt was fear, even when two very senior docs at the university told me my prospects were not good. I felt regret, I even felt some anger. I figured that it was my pipe smoking that had gotten me there and I was angry that I had not quit years ago. But I was not afraid. You see, in spite of my constant battle to find faith, when I was confronted with a potentially devastating situation, faith was just… there. God buoyed me up. He gave me the strength to be an example to others, even as I struggled to overcome the weakness and discomfort the inflammatory pseudo-tumor (that’s how it was finally diagnosed – it’s another story and my miracle) caused me.
 
I was at peace. I was confident that, whatever happened, it would be God’s will. It was this sense of peace I tried to give the man at the hospital that night (and again the following morning). I told him, in much the same way the Lord told the official in Galilee, that he needed to let go of his fear and give it to God. God was there with him, just as surely as I was there with him. Michael (that was his name) told me that, while he did not go to church, he talked to God all the time. But it was clear from his state of mind that talking to God is not making a commitment to God and that talking to God did not mean listening to what God had to say to him.
 
We continue to pray for Michael. He miraculously got his transplant and made a good recovery. However, two years later, that same man lost two of his three sons in a car accident. God tests the faith he gives.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “Jesus by the Sea” by Alexandre Bida, 1850s.
[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, Major Prophets (Scepter Publishers, Princeton NJ, © 2002), 279.

Fourth Sunday of Lent (Lætare Sunday)

(Lætare Sunday)*
 
Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 280, 529, 748, 1165, 2466, 2715: Christ the light of the nations
CCC 439, 496, 559, 2616: Jesus is the Son of David
CCC 1216: baptism is illumination
CCC 782, 1243, 2105: Christians are to be light of the world

“Christ Healing the Blind”
by El Greco, 1567

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading I: 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
 
The Lord said to Samuel:
“Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
 
As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice,
Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.”
But the Lord said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because man sees the appearance
but the Lord looks into the heart.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The Lord has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The Lord said,
“There—anoint him, for this is the one!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed David in the presence of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
 
The story of Samuel the seer moves to the final section of First Book of Samuel (1 Samuel 16:1–31:13). Note, he is not yet referred to as a prophet in this passage. He is deeply troubled over God’s decision to remove Saul as King of Israel. God sends Samuel to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint the next king, whom God has now identified.
 
Samuel looks upon the first seven of Jesse’s sons (a perfect number in Hebrew numerology). The Lord finally instructs Samuel to anoint the youngest (eighth son), David, who is not present but tending the sheep. It is important to note that David, who is not a member of any ruling class, nor does he have any lineage that would cause him to merit such honor, is chosen by God to lead the people of Israel. This emphasizes the fact that this divine call is not won by human merit.
 
"The grace and strength of heaven rushes upon David and raises him up as king. The anointing of the Spirit is symbolized by pouring oil upon his head (Isaiah 61:1) (CCC 695). from that day: David enjoys an ongoing presence of the Spirit, unlike earlier figures whose possession of the Spirit was intermittent and temporary (e.g., Saul,  1 Samuel 10:6; 16:14; and Samson, Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14; 16:20). • The Spirit descending and abiding with David anticipates the Spirit coming down and remaining on Jesus from the day of his anointing at the Jordan (John 1:32–33)." [5]
 
This anointing is the first of three David will receive. The other two will come after the death of Saul.
 
CCC: 1 Sm 16:1 436; 1 Sm 16:12-13 436; 1 Sm 16:13 695
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
 
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
 
Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar songs in the entire psalter. “God's loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Psalm 23:1-4) and a host's generosity toward a guest (Psalm 23:5-6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Isaiah 40:11; 49:10; Jeremiah 31:10).”[6] While the theme of shepherd is mentioned in the first strophe, the psalm really speaks to the peace given to those who follow the Lord and place their trust in Him, even into the “dark valley.”
 
The reference in the third strophe above: “'You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes' occurs in an exodus context in Psalm 78:19. As my enemies watch: my enemies see that I am God's friend and guest. Oil: a perfumed ointment made from olive oil, used especially at banquets (Psalm 104:15; Matthew 26:7; Luke 7:37, 46; John 12:2).”[7]
 
CCC: Ps 23:5 1293
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Reading II: Ephesians 5:8-14
 
Brothers and sisters:
You were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light,
for light produces every kind of goodness
and righteousness and truth.
Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness;
rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention
the things done by them in secret;
but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore, it says:
 
“Awake, O sleeper,and arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.
and Christ will give you light.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Eph 5:8-14
 
As is typical in St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the apostle uses language in this passage that is almost liturgical or hymn-like, especially the last verse (v. 14) which was probably taken from a hymn used at baptisms (compare also Ephesians 2:5-6; 3:9 and Isaiah 60:1). He proclaims that Christ, who is the light of truth to the world, has handed on this light to his followers who, in their turn, are to live as children of the light. (This passage is the justification for the modern baptismal prayer at the presentation of the baptismal candle as well as foundational for the Easter Candle.)
 
CCC: Eph 5:8 1216, 1695; Eph 5:9 1695; Eph 5:14 2641
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Gospel: John 9:1-41
 
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered,
“Neither he nor his parents sinned;
it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.
We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day.
Night is coming when no one can work.
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
When he had said this, he spat on the ground
and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes,
and said to him,
“Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent—.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
 
His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
“Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?”
Some said, “It is, “
but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”
He said, “I am.”
So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
He replied,
“The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes
and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’
So I went there and washed and was able to see.”
And they said to him, “Where is he?”
He said, “I don’t know.”
 
They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
So some of the Pharisees said,
“This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the sabbath.”
But others said,
“How can a sinful man do such signs?”
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
“What do you have to say about him,
since he opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”
 
Now the Jews did not believe
that he had been blind and gained his sight
until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight.
They asked them,
“Is this your son, who you say was born blind?
How does he now see?”
His parents answered and said,
“We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
We do not know how he sees now,
nor do we know who opened his eyes.
Ask him, he is of age;
he can speak for himself.”
His parents said this because they were afraid
of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed
that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ,
he would be expelled from the synagogue.
For this reason his parents said,
“He is of age; question him.”
 
So a second time they called the man who had been blind
and said to him, “Give God the praise!
We know that this man is a sinner.”
He replied,
“If he is a sinner, I do not know.
One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.”
So they said to him,
“What did he do to you?
How did he open your eyes?”
He answered them,
“I told you already and you did not listen.
Why do you want to hear it again?
 
Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
They ridiculed him and said,
“You are that man’s disciple;
we are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses,
but we do not know where this one is from.”
The man answered and said to them,
“This is what is so amazing,
that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners,
but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.
It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind.
If this man were not from God,
he would not be able to do anything.”
They answered and said to him,
“You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?”
Then they threw him out.
 
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered and said,
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him,
“You have seen him,
the one speaking with you is he.”
He said,
“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.
Then Jesus said,
“I came into this world for judgment,
so that those who do not see might see,
and those who do see might become blind.”
 
Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this
and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”
Jesus said to them,
“If you were blind, you would have no sin;
but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.
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Commentary on Jn 9:1-41
 
The story of the healing of the man born blind is the sixth sign that Jesus is the Son of God from St. John’s Gospel. In this story we are presented with Jesus as “The light of the world.” The story provides a number of key theological points that help understand the mission of Christ.
 
The first of these points is the understanding that sin is not inherited. The Jews believed that the man born blind had inherited sin. ("Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?") This understanding would have been shared by the Pharisees in that it was supported by both tradition and Old Testament Scripture (Exodus 20:5).
 
Next we see that the Pharisees are accusing Jesus of violating the Sabbath, considering it “work” to cure a person on that day when all work was to cease. The logic that flowed from this was that Jesus could not be a prophet (much less the Messiah) if he did not keep the scrupulous Pharisaic laws governing the Sabbath.
 
The references to the miracle were clearly disturbing to the people of the Jewish community as we hear even the parents of the man born blind avoiding validating Jesus’ standing as prophet or Messiah for fear of being called blasphemous and being thrown out or shunned by the faith community. This is what happened to the man born blind as he continued to argue that Jesus was from God and that he was the Messiah. This reaction/rejection attitude about Jesus as Messiah was formalized by the Jewish hierarchy around 85 A.D. when the curse against the minim or heretics was introduced into the "Eighteen Benedictions."
 
CCC: Jn 9:6 1151, 1504; Jn 9:7 1504; Jn 9:16-17 595; Jn 9:16 596, 2173; Jn 9:22 575, 596; Jn 9:31 2827; Jn  9:34 588; Jn 9:40-41 588
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Or
Shorter Form : John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38
 
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes,
and said to him,
“Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” — which means Sent —.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
 
His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
“Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?”
Some said, “It is, “
but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”
He said, “I am.”
 
They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
So some of the Pharisees said,
“This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the sabbath.”
But others said,
“How can a sinful man do such signs?”
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
“What do you have to say about him,
since he opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”
 
They answered and said to him,
“You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?”
Then they threw him out.
 
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered and said,
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him,
“You have seen him, and
the one speaking with you is he.”
He said,
“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.
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Commentary on Jn 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38
 
The shorter form of the story omits the iterative nature of the questioning of the Pharisees, their own condemnation as being blind, and skips straight to Jesus’ profession of faith and that of the man born blind as he replied to Jesus' question concerning his identity with the profession: “’I do believe, Lord,’ and he worshiped him.”
 
CCC: Jn 9:6 1151, 1504; Jn 9:7 1504; Jn 9:16-17 595; Jn 9:16 596, 2173; Jn  9:34 588; Jn 9:40-41 588
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Reflection:
 
I’d like to have you reflect with me about what took place in the Gospel story we just heard.  I know, it has just been proclaimed, and it is a story familiar to us with many symbolic parts (coming as it does from St. John’s Gospel).  But I’d like to tell the story of the man born blind as I have imagined it, not as simply the sixth miracle story, not as another one of Jesus’ miracles, but as it must have impacted a real person and a real community.
 
First, let’s give the man born blind a name. No name is provided by St. John, so let’s call him Abner. (In Hebrew it means “father of light.” In the bible, he was King Saul's cousin, and the commander of his army. Abner was a valiant warrior and clever strategist.)  When our "Abner" was still in the womb, his parents would have been filled with expectation. As with all parents, there was hope that he would become a great man.
 
Those hopes turned to ashes when they discovered some time after his birth that he could not see.  In those times, this terrible affliction not only meant Abner would grow up to be a beggar (that was all he would be able to do once he came of age and his parents could no longer support him).  It also meant that Abner’s parents, or perhaps even his grandparents, had committed some unforgiven sin.  What other reason could there be for God to punish them so – causing their son to be born blind.
 
This stain of humiliation would have caused Abner’s family to lose any esteem they may have had within their community.  People would have wondered: what awful thing did they do to merit Abner’s affliction?  It is no wonder that, after the miracle happened, they would have been less than cooperative with the local Jewish leaders, telling them to ask Abner about the miracle cure since he was of age.
 
Growing up in that village, Abner would have had a difficult time as well.  Children would have heard from their parents how Abner was being punished by God, and they would not have been overly kind. Certainly, Abner would have been lucky to have any friends.  From his teenage years he would have been forced to beg for subsistence.  He was completely dependent upon the charity of others.
 
Then, one day, his life would be changed forever. Abner was sitting in his customary place on the outskirts of modern-day Jerusalem. He heard a discussion in which he was keenly interested: 
 
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
 
They were talking about him, and he listened, already feeling humiliation for what he expected to follow, blame would be cast at either himself or his family.  To his surprise the next voice he heard filled him with awe:
 
“Neither he nor his parents sinned; (the man said) it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
 
Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching and someone was smearing something damp on his eyes.  Abner would have been startled.  Only the very brave would seek to intervene against God’s will.  Then the man said:
 
“Go wash in the Pool of Siloam.”
 
Siloam was a small pool cut out of rock not too far away.  Abner knew the way, and the authority with which he was told to go propelled him in that direction, feeling his way along what must have been a familiar path.
 
When he washed his eyes, for the first time in his experience he saw light. Abner must have gasped at least.  Unfamiliar shapes surrounded him.  Knowing more by touch and smell than any other sense, he would have seen his own face for the first time in that small pool. Knowledge and memory would have flooded into him: “I am the light of the world,” suddenly the words would have meaning to Abner.  He would have rushed back to the Lord, moving faster than he had ever been able to move.  But who had cured him?  Abner would have looked frantically seeking the voice because that would be the only way he could recognize the Lord.
 
People were staring at him now too.  They knew him. How was it possible he could now see?  They would have asked Abner how it had happened, and he knew only the name “Jesus.”  It must have been mentioned by one of those following the Lord but not recorded in Scripture.  They asked him where Jesus was, but poor Abner had never seen his face.
 
Jewish Law required Abner to go to the priests to demonstrate his well-being when cures were effected.  This one would have really disturbed them.  Abner had not recovered from some accident or gotten over some disease. He had been blind from birth.  And these priests knew something Abner did not.  They knew the identity of Jesus and knew he was a threat to their authority.
 
They needed to prove Jesus did not cause this miracle.  First, they challenged Abner’s identity. They even brought in his parents.  Then they tried to prove Jesus had blasphemed by doing work on the Sabbath.  Nothing changed the fact that God had been revealed in this carpenter’s son from Galilee. 
 
Abner knew what had happened.  He had heard Jesus speak even though he was blind. He had heard the words of the law and prophets his whole life.  Jesus, who had smeared mud in his eyes and restored his sight must certainly be the Messiah.  He challenged those in authority.  When they started in the third time, Abner asked them: “Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
 
With that the priests effectively excommunicated him from the synagogue, a punishment for challenging their authority.  Abner left the synagogue and found the Lord. Something in this man erased any doubt Abner had left.  When the Lord asked: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (using Isaiah’s words for the Messiah), Abner only needed to be sure by asking:
 
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
 
And when Jesus identified himself, Abner worshiped him – probably falling at his feet.
 
We do not know what became of Abner after that.  He was undoubtedly one of the Lord’s followers, walking proof of God’s love.  He saw and believed.
 
We are offered this story so we too might be reminded.  Jesus was a real person.  He walked the earth and lived as we do.  We are asked to believe without seeing and follow him, the Light of the World, and in doing so become light ourselves.
 
Pax
 
*This Sunday gets its name from the first few words (incipit) of the traditional Latin entrance verse (Introit) for the Mass of the day. "Lætare Jerusalem" ("Rejoice, O Jerusalem") is Latin from Isaiah 66:10.

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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 today is “Christ Healing the Blind” by El Greco, 1567.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for 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] The First and Second Books of Samuel, Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA), 38.
[6] NAB footnote on Psalm 23.
[7] Ibid.

Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

During the Third Week of Lent (especially in Years B and C when the Gospel of the Samaritan woman is not read on the Third Sunday of Lent) optional Mass Texts are offered.

“The Pharisee and the Publican”
Artist and Date are unknown

Readings for Saturday of the Third Week of Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: Hosea 6:1-6
 
 “Come, let us return to the LORD,
it is he who has rent, but he will heal us;
he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.
He will revive us after two days;
on the third day he will raise us up,
to live in his presence.
Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD;
as certain as the dawn is his coming,
and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!
He will come to us like the rain,
like spring rain that waters the earth.”
What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your piety is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that early passes away.
For this reason I smote them through the prophets,
I slew them by the words of my mouth;
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Hos 6:1-6
 
Hosea portrays the people of Israel as the faithless harlot. Repenting past sins she thinks to return to God who will raise Israel up to salvation after three days in the tomb. The image prefigures the Messiah. The prophet continues with the voice of God. Recognizing their faithlessness, he calls for authentic love, not empty sacrifices.
 
"Central to the entire passage is the hurtful, angry proclamation by God in 6:6-7. God rejected Isreal's partial fulfillment of the covenant as no fulfillment at all. By concentrating only on the rituals, the people treated the covenant like 'dirt.' " [4]
 
CCC: Hos 6:1-6 2787; Hos 6:2 627; Hos 6:6 589, 2100
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab
 
R. (see Hosea 6:6) It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
 
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
 
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
 
Be bountiful, O LORD, to Zion in your kindness
by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem;
Then shall you be pleased with due sacrifices,
burnt offerings and holocausts.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab
 
The psalm response is taken from the end of Hosea. The psalm itself is a lament, asking God for compassion as a consequence of the baptismal bath (“Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.”). It then echoes the need for the spirit of authentic worship, not empty sacrifices.
 
CCC: Ps 51:19 1428, 2100
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 18:9-14
 
Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -
greedy, dishonest, adulterous - or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 18:9-14
 
The Gospel story is the parable of the Pharisee and the publican (tax collector). Here we find Jesus addressing those who think of themselves as closer to God, and therefore better than those who are not so scrupulous in their worship. It is the second of two consecutive parables on prayer. In this one, the Lord takes a critical stance against the prideful Pharisee, telling his disciples that, like the tax collector, their prayer must recognize that all have sinned, and all must be humble before God. The parable carries a message and image similar to the earlier parable (Luke 7:36-50) where Christ forgives the sinful woman in the house of Simon.
 
Jesus points out that the Pharisee, who focuses on pious acts to demonstrate his own holiness, misses the point of God’s desire for authentic worship, while because of his humility and authenticity, the tax collector will be “justified.” It is easier to hear in the Jerusalem Bible version which says; “This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not.”
 
CCC: Lk 18:9-14 2559, 2613; Lk 18:9 588; Lk 18:13 2631, 2667, 2839
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
The readings, starting with Hosea, moving through Psalm 51, and concluding with the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican from St. Luke’s Gospel have one focal theme. The Lord wants BELIEF, not just a demonstration.
 
There is a temptation that we may experience at this point in our Lenten journey. For those of us who have been faithful to the discipline of Lent, it is easy to look at what we have done to this point with a sense of accomplishment. We have, after all, been rigorous in observing meatless Fridays. We have stalwartly maintained our self-denial (holding fast to what we “gave up” for Lent). We may have attended Stations of the Cross each Friday or some other part of a self-imposed discipline. Having done these things, it is easy to look back at three weeks of “holiness” and say, “How good am I? I’m so much better than those who have fallen away, or than those who are so casual about their faith that they do not even observe the Lenten fast.” Placing the reminder of the need for humility contained in Scripture at this point in our journey was a stroke of genius by the compilers of the Roman Missal.
 
What we do for the sake of our faith must be done for God and God alone. It should not be done for others to see. We should not be tempted to the sins of pride or vanity because we have been given the gift of religious freedom and the luxury of time to be able to follow the discipline of our faith.
 
Our worship must be for the greater glory of God and with a clear recognition that it is with the utmost humility that we should approach the Lord of the universe. We who claim to know him best through our prayer and devotion should be the most awed by his beneficence, not believing we have some special insight and privilege to God’s favor.
 
When we start feeling “full of ourselves,” let us remember how far we have to travel to reach the level of understanding of the saints whom we hope to join one day. We leave you today with the words of Saint Augustine, quoted by Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical Spe Salvi:
 
“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”[5]
 
Pax
 
Stations of the Cross
 

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[1] The picture is “The Pharisee and the Publican” Artist and Date are unknown.
[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] Douglas Stuart, Hosea-Jonah, Vol 31, Word Biblical Commentary (Thomas Nelson Inc. 1988), 113.
[5] Sermo 340, 3: PL 38, 1484; cf. F. Van der Meer, Augustine the Bishop, (London and New York 1961),268.

Friday of the Third Week of Lent

During the Third Week of Lent (especially in Years B and C when the Gospel of the Samaritan woman is not read on the Third Sunday of Lent) optional Mass Texts are offered.

“Hosea” from Menologion of Basil II, 985

 
Readings for Friday of the Third Week of Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: Hosea 14:2-10
 
Thus says the LORD:
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.”
 
I will heal their defection, says the LORD,
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
 
Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
“I am like a verdant cypress tree”–
Because of me you bear fruit!
 
Let him who is wise understand these things;
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Hos 14:2-10
 
This prophetic work has an emotional motive on the part of the author. An ongoing analogy is playing out, using the backdrop of the author’s unfortunate marriage. Hosea’s prophecy paints Israel as an unfaithful wife (seduced away by idolatry and hardened by ignoring the poor), and God as the jealous husband who wants her back in spite of her faults. The language used in this selection, which is from the very end of the book, has that flavor to it. The passage can be summed up with: in spite of your sins, come back to God.
 
The prophet continues to call Israel back to faithfulness through repentance (“Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good”). God is their only salvation and their strength. The message to the people is one of complete forgiveness, if they but turn back to the Law of Moses. The conclusion of the passage is a possible inspiration for John the Baptist, for whom the message of forgiveness and repentance was central, and whose role as precursor to Messiah is echoed in the message: “Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them."
 
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17
 
R. (see 11 and 9a) I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
 
An unfamiliar speech I hear:
“I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
 
“Unseen, I answered you in thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, will you not hear me?”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
 
“There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
 
“If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17
 
Psalm 81 is a prophetic liturgy. The voice is a priest speaking in God’s name. We hear in it the Lord’s promise of compassion and the warning to listen to God and turn back to him.
 
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 12:28-34
 
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 12:28-34
In the continuing dialogue with the Sadducees from the Gospel of St. Mark, we find the scribe is impressed with the way Jesus handled the challenge by the Sadducees (found in the previous verses). The Lord answers his question about the law with the Great Commandment, the opening of the Shema, the great Jewish prayer, and then he follows that statement with the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (see also Leviticus 19:18). When the scholar clearly understands what Jesus is saying, the Lord tells him he is "not far from the kingdom of God" (see also the commentary on Matthew 22:34ff).
 
CCC: Mk 12:28-34 575; Mk 12:29-31 129, 2196; Mk 12:29-30 202; Mk 12:29 228
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
A number of years ago I learned to play (poorly) a Korean board game that is likely the most difficult and complex game in the world – Go.  Two players attempt to capture the largest part of the game board by laying down black and white stones.   What makes Go so difficult is its simplicity.  The game only has four rules and is played on a nineteen by nineteen grid board.  There are so many different options that it boggles the mind.
 
The reason I mention the game and its difficulty based upon simplicity is that the same is true of the “First Commandment,” or as we call it, the Great Commandment, that is presented in Scripture today.  It sounds very simple: love God and love your neighbor.  The complexity and the difficulty come with the equally simple word, love.
 
First we separate love into two major Greek definitions, eros and agape (there are four, but for the sake of this discussion we will not take up philia or storge).  At some point they can come close to being seen as the same. Intense non-erotic love can be dangerous, and I suspect, misinterpreted.  Expressions of it in, for instance, Victorian England, where women frequently hugged and kissed, today could be interpreted as something different, and tragically increasingly acceptable, quite likely as erotic love.  For our purpose today let’s put eros away; it is not what the Lord was talking about.
 
So, we now focus on just agape, familial love, love of a platonic nature.  How we define that relationship in today’s culture is also complex.  For the sake of our discussion, let’s define it as caring more for the other person’s interests than one’s own.  It is simplistic but it will work for purposes of understanding what Jesus was talking about when he left us the Great Commandment.
 
If we are to place God’s interests in front of our own, we must first, at least at a high level, figure out what God wants.  We believe that God wants us to love him.  We have been told countless times this is the ultimate truth.  Since loving God is explicit in the commandment, we go to the other things we know have pleased him. Our success pleases him; the good we accomplish in his name reflects on him, just as our children's accomplishments reflect upon us.  And when we fail, when we fall, that has the opposite effect.
 
We could go much deeper on the first part of the commandment but let’s get to the second: love our neighbor as ourself.  Using our definition, that would mean putting the interests of our neighbor before our own.  On the surface that does not sound very easy, or even wise (if we consider the greedy nature of some of our neighbors).  We must therefore consider this from a slightly more complex definition of our neighbor’s interests.  What is in our neighbor’s best interests is to embrace God and make him happy.  We must believe this because the Lord is the source of eternal life, and it is only through the Lord that our neighbor can achieve the ultimate reward.
 
We must, as a consequence of our belief, lead our neighbor to God through our example and invitation.  We must, in a loving way, help our neighbor understand God in this way.  And that is why what the Lord asks us to do is so difficult.  Using the Lord’s example of humble love for all mankind, we are to live that life that will bring all those we meet to join us in loving God.
 
Pax
 
Stations of the Cross
 

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[1] The picture is “Hosea” from Menologion of Basil II, 985.
[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.