Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

“The Prophet Elisha”
by Giorgio Vasari, c. 1566

 
Readings for Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Sirach 48:1-14
 
Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace.
Their staff of bread he shattered,
in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours?
You brought a dead man back to life
from the nether world, by the will of the Lord.
You sent kings down to destruction,
and easily broke their power into pieces.
You brought down nobles, from their beds of sickness.
You heard threats at Sinai,
at Horeb avenging judgments.
You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance,
and a prophet as your successor.
You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses.
You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you
And who falls asleep in your friendship.
For we live only in our life,
but after death our name will not be such.
O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind!
 
Then Elisha, filled with the twofold portion of his spirit,
wrought many marvels by his mere word.
During his lifetime he feared no one,
nor was any man able to intimidate his will.
Nothing was beyond his power;
beneath him flesh was brought back into life.
In life he performed wonders,
and after death, marvelous deeds.
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Commentary on Sir 48:1-14
 
The final nine chapters of Sirach are devoted to praise of the glory of God. The first of these chapters is devoted to God in nature, and the final chapters to great prophets and leaders of Israel. In this selection we hear of the prophet Elijah, who came with a fiery message. Reference is made to Elijah’s passing (2 Kings 2:1ff) and the continuation of his work in the prophet Elisha, his student and successor. The image of Elijah is the precursor to St. John the Baptist, who echoes his prophetic work.
 
CCC: Sir 48:1 696
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7
 
R. (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
 
The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
 
Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes round about.
His lightnings illumine the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
 
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
 
All who worship graven things are put to shame,
who glory in the things of nought;
all gods are prostrate before him.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
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Commentary on Ps 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7
 
Psalm 97 is hymn praising God in his majesty. The first strophes provide us with an image of God appearing in a storm and fire, a picture reminiscent of Elijah’s ascension recounted in Sirach and proclaimed in 2 Kings 2:1.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
 
“This is how you are to pray:
 
‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’
 
“If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
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Commentary on Mt 6:7-15
 
This Gospel passage from St. Matthew actually interrupts the pattern in the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus is clarifying the spirit of the law regarding almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. In the presentation of the Lord’s Prayer, St. Matthew differs from the presentation by St. Luke (Luke 11; 1-4) in which the Lord was asked by the disciples how to pray. This passage begins by telling the disciples, “do not babble like the pagans.” This may also be critical of the Jewish tradition of presenting long lists of petitions to God for help. The idea is the same: “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
 
“Here, talk ought to be as sparse as water dripping slowly into a deep well: the echo lasts longer than the sound because the drops fall at wide intervals. Words that really count, words that are 'stored up' eternally, are always the product of slow distillation.” [4]
 
The prayer in St. Matthew has seven petitions (compared to six in St. Luke). The first three are synonymous, asking that God’s ultimate reign at the eschaton be brought to fulfillment. The request for “daily bread” has a couple of possible meanings beyond the obvious. It may be related to the petition in Matthew 6: 31-33 (“So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?'”) and it may also be referring to the Messianic banquet of the Eucharist. Using this interpretation, the fourth petition continues the intent of the first three.
 
The fifth petition, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” is, in spite of the denominational tradition, best translated as “debts.” In St. Luke’s version, the word used is “sins,” an easier word for non-Jewish readers. Regardless of the translation, the precondition for forgiveness given is that we forgive others.
 
“Lead us not into temptation” is likely not intended to mean our daily encounter with “evil” or the “evil one.” St. Matthew would agree with St. Paul, that God could easily avoid the evil of the world (1 Corinthians 10: 13). Rather the likely meaning would be that we not be led to a great test, that is, despair at the tribulations of the eschaton (the end times). Similarly, the final petition, “deliver us from evil,” also would focus on the Christian hope of salvation rather than damnation.
 
CCC: Mt 6:7 2608, 2668, 2776; Mt 6:8 443, 2736; Mt 6:9-13 1969, 2759, 2759; Mt 6:9 268, 443; Mt 6:10 2632; Mt 6:11 1165, 2659; Mt 6:12 2845; Mt 6:14-16 2792; Mt 6:14-15 2608, 2841
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Reflection:
When we hear the likes of the son of Sirach praise the great prophets Elijah and Elisha, it seems like the weight of God’s message is bearing down on us from a great height. The passage from Sirach, coupled with the passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel, in which Jesus gives his disciples one of the oldest prayers in all of Christian history, gives us a perspective of the persistence of God in trying to teach us what his children must know in order to find peace in this life, and joy in his company in the next.
 
Consider for a moment the many attempts God has made trying to get us to understand that it is his love for us and our love for each other that will show us the way to him, even if we forget, for the moment, the body of Mosaic Law through which God defines right and wrong behavior. (As St. Paul put it, by the law defining sin, sin entered the world. Romans 5:12-14) Also forgetting all of the prophets who came before Elijah, we look at the message he brought to our Jewish forebears. Elijah tried to turn the people away from worshiping “things,” and back to genuine love of God, the one and only Father. For his efforts, this servant of God was chased, persecuted and hated by those in power. (Does this reception sound familiar?)
 
All of those who followed God likewise met resistance. Why? Because in God resides all power and in him alone is the path to salvation we must follow. For a person or group who depend upon secular power to enhance or maintain their own egos or lifestyles, this path diminishes them and inspires from them constant attempts (even today) to suppress or eradicate proponents of the Father.
 
This truth is nowhere more evident than the reception given to God’s Only Begotten Son. Through his sacred authors, he teaches us to relate to God, the loving Father, in prayer. Prayer is transformative. When we use the words of prayer, spoken from the heart (not simply rote or from memory), our relationship with the Father is strengthened, and we can see more clearly what he intends for us.
 
Today, as we pray the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, consider carefully what you say and ask for. See in those words a means by which we can deepen our understanding of God’s will for us. His will, as the loving Father, is for our happiness and peace.  In his prayer, we find the love and forgiveness that can bring us that gift.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Prophet Elisha” by Giorgio Vasari, c. 1566.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] 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.
[4] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I. (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 251.

Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

“Elijah Taken Up in a Chariot of Fire”
by Giuseppe Angeli, c. 1740/1755

Readings for Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14
 
When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,
he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here;
the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.”
“As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.
And so the two went on together.
Fifty of the guild prophets followed and
when the two stopped at the Jordan,
they stood facing them at a distance.
Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up
and struck the water, which divided,
and both crossed over on dry ground.
 
When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha,
“Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.”
Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”
“You have asked something that is not easy,” Elijah replied.
“Still, if you see me taken up from you,
your wish will be granted; otherwise not.”
As they walked on conversing,
a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them,
and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
When Elisha saw it happen he cried out,
“My father! my father! Israel’s chariots and drivers!”
But when he could no longer see him,
Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.
 
Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him,
and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan.
Wielding the mantle that had fallen from Elijah,
Elisha struck the water in his turn and said,
“Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?”
When Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over.
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Commentary on 2 Kgs 2:1, 6-14
 
The story of Elijah being taken bodily to heaven gives some unique insights into the reverence with which he is held. We note first that he parts the waters of the Jordan with his cloak, a clear reference to other great leaders of the people: Moses who, through God, opened the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), and Joshua at the Jordan (Joshua 3:7-14).
 
We also note that Elisha asked for a “double portion” of his spirit as an inheritance. “Double portion of your spirit: as the first-born son inherited a double portion of his father's property (Deuteronomy 21:17), so Elisha asks to inherit from Elijah his spirit of prophecy in the degree befitting his principal disciple. In Numbers 11:17, 25 God bestows some of the spirit of Moses on others.” [4]
 
Following the ascension of Elijah, Elisha’s request is apparently granted as he uses the cloak of Elijah to repeat the miracle, opening the Jordan once more. The succession of prophets is complete.
 
CCC: 2 Kgs 2:9 2684
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31:20, 21, 24
 
R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
How great is the goodness, O Lord,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
Love the Lord, all you his faithful ones!
The Lord keeps those who are constant, but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 31:20, 21, 24
 
Psalm 31 is an individual lament. The faithful are comforted that God may be trusted, and that even in the face of enemies, God, who has shown his love from age to age, will save his people. Placed with Matthew (6:1-6, 16-18), a clear reference is made to God’s love of those who are humble.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
 
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
 
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
 
The Lord continues the Sermon on the Mount. In this selection, the Lord specifically addresses the pious acts of charity, prayer, and fasting, contrasting each with the spurious or pandering acts of the scribes and Pharisees. He tells his audience that when they do these things, do them for God to see, not other people. They are to do what is right for God’s glory, not their own, not so that others will place them in high esteem because of their piety or generosity. In all three instances, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, the same instruction is given. We are to give generously but in private, we are to pray fervently but alone, and we are to fast with purpose but hide our discomfort. (Omitted from this reading, Matthew 6; 7-15, is Jesus giving the disciples the Lord’s Prayer.) In all of these instances, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, the Lord is showing us where he can be found and where he is not.
 
“This striking coincidence of opposites instructs us by what it omits, the oblique reference to the place where God is not. God is not to be found in the street-corners where trumpets are blown between hands that rub against one another in greedy self-satisfaction or on the contorted face of the fasting man who wants to be admired. God is not to be found in hypocrisy, in relationships based on mutual self-promotion, in a religious devotion whose practitioner steals for himself the glory due to God alone.” [5]
 
CCC: Mt 6:1-18 1434; Mt 6:1-6 1430, 1969; Mt 6:2-4 1753, 2447; Mt 6:2 1063; Mt 6:5 1063; Mt 6:6 1693, 2608, 2655, 2691; Mt 6:14-16 2792; Mt 6:16-18 1430; Mt 6:16 1063; Mt 6:18 575
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Reflection:
 
It is common for people who become involved in an area of service within the Church, a ministry or apostolate, to take ownership of it. It becomes their offering to God. It can be simple, like bringing meals to the needy on a monthly basis or visiting the homebound. The more and longer we involve ourselves in these projects the more ownership we take, and they can become a source of pride. We are doing what the Lord commands and we are doing it well. In fact, we are doing it so well that others who may be attempting the same kind of service can be seen as interlopers or impediments to our service.
 
Aha! We have fallen into the trap the Lord warns about in the Gospel. We have forgotten who we serve, and who gives us the gifts we share. Our service can become a source of pride in our own ability, and not about glorifying God through that service. It is for this reason the Lord enjoins us to reserve our piety to the privacy of our rooms. It must be seen by others, not shown to others if it is in public.
 
Telling a story on myself, a number of years ago I had just completed a Benediction service following our weekly First Friday adoration. I felt very good because the homily I had given on the Eucharist was particularly touching (to me). As I was in the sacristy getting out of my vestments, one of the parishioners brought in the clipboard with the sign-up sheet. I happened to glance down and noticed a name by the 2:00 AM time slot. I knew this person, an elderly man. He used to be very active on the finance committee, but then his wife had passed and he had some health setback, and sort of fell from “parish icon” status. Out of curiosity I looked at the sheets from previous months and discovered that this great Christian had come each month on First Friday for over two years. Always he came at 2:00 AM. (I later found out that that was the hour his wife had passed.) Very few people saw him; not many people just drop in at 2:00 AM to adore the Blessed Sacrament.
 
When I saw this anonymous dedication, I was humbled. Here I was feeling good about speaking publicly about the sacrifice of Jesus in the Eucharist, while this man had, for years, been genuinely adoring the Lord in anonymity. To myself I said: “And who do you think will be ushered into the heavenly kingdom with the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant?”
 
We are pointedly reminded today of who should receive the credit for what we accomplish. Not only should the Lord be given credit for the good works we accomplish but giving glory to the Father should be our motivation for taking on the task, any task, in the first place. A hard lesson for us today; one we pray we learn without the public humiliation that frequently accompanies the proud.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used is “Elijah Taken Up in a Chariot of Fire” by Giuseppe Angeli, c. 1740/1755.
[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] NAB footnote on 2 Kg 2;9.
[5] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 270.

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

“Jezebel”
by John Byam Liston Shaw, 1896

Readings for Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Kings 21:17-29
 
After the death of Naboth the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite:
“Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel,
who rules in Samaria.
He will be in the vineyard of Naboth,
of which he has come to take possession.
This is what you shall tell him,
‘The Lord says: After murdering, do you also take possession?
For this, the Lord says:
In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth,
the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.’”
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?”
“Yes,” he answered.
“Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the Lord’s sight,
I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you
and will cut off every male in Ahab’s line,
whether slave or freeman, in Israel.
I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat,
and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah,
because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin.”
(Against Jezebel, too, the Lord declared,
“The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.”
“When one of Ahab’s line dies in the city,
dogs will devour him;
when one of them dies in the field,
the birds of the sky will devour him.” Indeed, no one gave himself up to the doing of evil
in the sight of the Lord as did Ahab,
urged on by his wife Jezebel.
He became completely abominable by following idols,
just as the Amorites had done,
whom the Lord drove out before the children of Israel.
 
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments
and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh.
He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.
Then the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite,
“Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me?
Since he has humbled himself before me,
I will not bring the evil in his time.
I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son.”
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Commentary on 1 Kgs 21:17-29
 
Following Jezebel’s successful plot to murder Naboth and seize his vineyard, Elijah is sent by God to pronounce judgment. He comes to Ahab who is found taking possession of the spoils of the plot, and Elijah, speaking for God, promises him the same punishment as that given to the families of Jeroboam I (1 Kings 14:9-11) and Baasha (1 Kings 16:2-4).
 
It appears that the punishment promised includes that given for the sin of Idolatry (“He became completely abominable by following idols”). The punishment for Ahab may also have had its roots earlier in 1 Kings 20:35-42. Jezebel for her part does not escape God’s notice, although the fulfillment of this sentence does not take place until 2 Kings 9:30-37. It is also clear that following stoning, the bodies of those killed are left for the animals. There will be no posterity for those so shunned.
 
When Ahab demonstrates true repentance, the Lord relents, postponing the judgment and leveling it against his sons. This too finds fulfillment later in 2 Kings 9:7-10.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 11 and 16
 
R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
 
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. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
 
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
 
Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
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Commentary on Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 11 and 16
 
Psalm 51 is an individual lament imploring God for mercy and forgiveness. We note the request is coupled with an explicit understanding that the singer has sinned in the eyes of God, and complete dependence on his mercy for the expiation of those offenses.
 
CCC: Ps 51:6 431, 1850
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Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:43-48
 
This passage is the second of six examples in St. Matthew’s Gospel of conduct demanded of the Christian disciple. The Lord extends the understanding of Mosaic Law. He first quotes Leviticus 19:18. Jesus tells the disciples once more that their behavior must be reflected in how they treat others, and must go beyond what was customarily understood. He tells his friends directly to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (not curse them as was customary, also echoed in Romans 12:17-21). This exhortation differentiates Christians, who love even their enemies based upon requirements of their faith.
 
Jesus continues to reinterpret Mosaic Law.  Here, he goes after the closed community.  He tells the disciples, consistent with the instruction to “turn the other cheek,” to love not just those who love us but those who are our enemies as well.
 
He goes on to contrast the response expected from his disciples to the response customarily given (e.g. loving those who love you, greeting only one’s friends), asking: “Do not the pagans do the same?” The passage concludes with “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” He points out that to do less than that is human nature, but the Christian calling is to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. Only in St. Matthew’s Gospel is the word “perfect” used. In St. Luke’s Gospel the word is “merciful.”
 
CCC:  Mt 5:43-44 1933, 2844; Mt 5:44-45 2303, 2608; Mt 5:44 1825, 1968, 2262; Mt 5:45 2828; Mt 5:46-47 2054; Mt 5:47 1693; Mt 5:48 443, 1693, 1968, 2013, 2842
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Reflection:
 
Perhaps one of the most difficult paradoxes of our faith is to master the attitude of Christ when he asks us to love those who hate us and pray for those who persecute us. We have a very difficult time rejecting the natural tendency (likely rooted in a primitive survival instinct) to react in kind to those who hurt us and avoid those who wish us harm.
 
Within us is the capacity to adopt this attitude of love of others to varying degrees. Our arch-example is Jesus who loved most perfectly all whom he met, even forgiving his tormentors as he hung upon the cross. His apostles followed his example very closely, with all but one being killed by the people to whom they brought the word of God. Similarly, many of the saints adopted this complete mindset exhibiting the heroic virtue of love, denying themselves health and sustenance in the cause of faith.
 
We face the challenge to love others daily as well. Yet to operate effectively in our society, we must also recognize there is a difference between accepting persecution and challenging the evil of the world, standing up for our own rights, and resisting unjust attacks. There are some of us who trust completely in God’s mercy and submit to all sorts of humiliation at the hands of evil people who care only for their own gratification. But most of us will defend ourselves and our families against unjust persecution, understanding that for our faith to prosper, evil must not be allowed to wreak its havoc unhindered.
 
We struggle with this intersection between resistance and acceptance. When is it necessary to resist injustice and when is it necessary to “turn the other cheek?” Ultimately the answer must come from our faith, enlightened by prayer, and strengthened by the sacraments. Even the Lord drove out the money changers from the temple when his Father’s house was being desecrated; even Peter was ready to fight when the Lord was taken in the garden.
 
Today, however, we are reminded that our call is not to hate but to love our fellow man. We are allowed to find the actions of others and the consequences of systems despicable, and we are encouraged to fight injustice, but always love the individual persons. Ultimately, we must trust in God to deal out justice, hoping in his mercy that we may avoid being judged too harshly for our own failures.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used today is “Jezebel” by John Byam Liston Shaw, 1896.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] 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.

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

“Elijah Meeting Ahab and Jezebel in Naboth's Vineyard”
by Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee, 1873

 
Readings for Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Kings 21:1-16
 
Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel
next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,
since it is close by, next to my house.
I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,
if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”
Naboth answered him, “The Lord forbid
that I should give you my ancestral heritage.”
Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer
Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him:
“I will not give you my ancestral heritage.”
Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.
 
His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him,
“Why are you so angry that you will not eat?”
He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite
and said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or,
if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’
But he refused to let me have his vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him,
“A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!
Get up.
Eat and be cheerful.
I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
 
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and,
having sealed them with his seal,
sent them to the elders and to the nobles
who lived in the same city with Naboth.
This is what she wrote in the letters:
“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
Next, get two scoundrels to face him
and accuse him of having cursed God and king.
Then take him out and stone him to death.”
His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city—
did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing,
through the letters she had sent them.
They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.
Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation,
“Naboth has cursed God and king.” And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent the information to Jezebel
that Naboth had been stoned to death.
 
When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death,
she said to Ahab,
“Go on, take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you,
because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his way
down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
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Commentary on 1 Kgs 21:1-16
 
The story of the murder of Naboth by Jezebel is within the "Elijah Cycle" of this historical book. In this part of the story, we are given some insights into ancient Hebrew tradition. First, Naboth did not refuse to sell his vineyard because the price was not fair. Rather, he would not sell it because of the tradition of retaining ancestral inheritance. Even the king could not command its sale.
 
In Jezebel’s treachery we see first that proclaiming a fast would have been done to atone for sin. In this case, there was some negative event, thought to be brought on by a violation of God’s law. Placing Naboth “at the head of the people” would have identified him as the one to whom this sin was attributed. Then having two dishonest witnesses (recall Mosaic Law requires two witnesses (Numbers 35:30, Deuteronomy 17:6) accuse him of blasphemy would have cost Naboth his life. Apparently, as a result of this type of death, the condemned person's property was forfeit to the crown.
 
CCC: 1 Kgs 21:1-9 2538; 1 Kgs 21:8 1295
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 5:2-3ab, 4b-6a, 6b-7
 
R. (2b) Lord, listen to my groaning.
 
Hearken to my words, O Lord,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
 
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
 
You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the Lord abhors.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
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Commentary on Ps 5:2-3ab, 4b-6a, 6b-7
 
“Psalm 5 offers not only a prayer that may be used in worship of God, but also a mirror of mankind without God.” [4]  It is an individual lament contrasting the saving power of God with the lies of evil people. In these strophes, the psalmist pleads that God will visit judgment on those who lie and commit evil deeds.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
 
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:38-42
 
Jesus quotes Mosaic Law from Leviticus 24:20. The Old Testament commandment was meant to moderate vengeance. The punishment was not to exceed the injury done. Jesus forbids even this proportionate retaliation, rejecting physical revenge completely: “turn the other one to him as well.” He goes further with four additional examples, saying that the Christian is not to resist litigation but to offer more than is asked, offer more service than what is asked, and loan to others who wish to borrow. With these examples, the Lord shows how it must be between those who follow him to the kingdom of God. The Lord redefines the term “neighbor,” who was traditionally held to be one’s countryman. Jesus extends his commandment, to “love your neighbor,” even to enemies and those who persecute. In doing so, Jesus once more broadens the invitation to follow him to include not just the Jewish people, but all peoples.
 
CCC: Mt 5:42 2443
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Reflection:
 
Every once in a while, we are given readings which, by their contrast, provide us with a glimpse of just how radical Jesus’ teaching was. Today we see such a contrast. In the first reading, note how Mosaic Law could be twisted and used for evil purposes. Jezebel clearly knew what she was doing when it came to the law. She used the tradition that any negative impact on the community, such as famine, crop failure, disease, or even accidents that resulted in crippling injury or death, were thought to be purposeful punishments initiated by God for sins committed by an individual or group. As we can deduce from the story in the First Book of Kings, sometimes it was not clear who the punishment was aimed at, or what the sin was.
 
Jezebel arranged for these two facts to become clear, first by singling out Naboth as a person upon whom the blame should be cast, and then providing witnesses who would perjure themselves, accusing Naboth of blasphemy, a crime under Mosaic Law punishable by death. (See Leviticus 24:14-23. Note also that this is the same section of the law Jesus is interpreting in the Gospel of St. Matthew.)
 
We see the evil plans of Jezebel playing out as she intended, and Naboth was killed as a result. The law was used, not as God intended, but to fulfill the greedy desires of people. Those who committed this brash act were quite aware of what they were doing. The psalmist sings about such people, imploring God to punish those who lie and deceive. We suspect that Jezebel and her schemes will not have gone unpunished.
 
But we can see the law used time and again for purposes other than that for which it was handed down. Jesus takes the very law Jezebel uses and tells his followers that God’s will does not include vendetta. It does not include exacting justice. Had the Lord’s interpretation of the law been in effect at the time of Naboth, he could not have been killed at all. In extending God’s law of love to the whole of humankind, Jesus changes how Christians, his followers, must behave toward others. In such a faith community, abuses of the law are not possible because the principal or foundational law is: “Love one another.”
 
It does not feel like we have adequately described the huge contrast here, but, as always, we leave it to prayer. Today we pray that when we encounter those who are uncharitable, we meet them with charity. When we meet those who hate, we counter with love. It is what we are called to do as followers of Christ.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Elijah Meeting Ahab and Jezebel in Naboth's Vineyard” by Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee, 1873.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] 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.
[4] The Word Biblical Commentary, Psalms 1-50, Volume 19 (Thomas Nelson, Inc. © 2004), 88.

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 551,761-766: the Church prefigured in Old Testament community
CCC 783-786: the Church a priestly, prophetic, royal people
CCC 849-865: the apostolic mission of the Church

“Heads and hands of the Apostles”
by Raffaello Sanzio, c. 1515

 
Readings for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1 Exodus 19:2-6a
 
In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.
While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,
Moses went up the mountain to God.
Then the Lord called to him and said,
“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;
tell the Israelites:
You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians
and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself.
Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,
you shall be my special possession,
dearer to me than all other people,
though all the earth is mine.
You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”
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Commentary on Ex 19:2-6a
 
This passage marks the opening verses of God’s covenant with Israel following the flight from Egypt. Through Moses, God makes a divine offer (“if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession”). The offer includes the entire people of Israel, consecrated to God as “kingdom of priests.” When Christ was rejected by the Jewish leadership, the promise fell to the faithful Christians: a priestly people, guided liturgically by priests of the Aaronic tradition (like Melchizedek of old).
 
CCC: Ex 19-20 708; Ex 19 751, 2060; Ex 19:5-6 709, 762, 2810; Ex 19:6 63, 1539
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Responsorial Psalm Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 5
 
R. (3c) We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
 
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
 
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
 
The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
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Commentary on Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 5
 
Psalm 100 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. In this section we praise God because he created us. We praise God because he continues to guide us. It affirms God’s saving grace given to his sons and daughters through all generations. It is also an alternate invitatory psalm offered by the faithful in the Liturgy of the Hours as appropriate to begin the day’s prayer of the Church.
 
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Reading II Romans 5:6-11
 
Brothers and sisters:
Christ, while we were still helpless,
yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
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Commentary on Rom 5:6-11
 
In this selection of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, the apostle speaks of how Christ’s love is not just for those who are righteous, but for those who are sinners as well. His love of all mankind was demonstrated vividly as he lay down his life so we might be reconciled to God.
 
The apostle speaks of the hope of Christians who have been made holy, sanctified, “justified” by their faith in Christ Jesus. This faith was “poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” [in baptism]. (This linkage between Christ and the Holy Spirit begins the apostle’s trinitarian theology)
 
Justification was not through some human merit but through God’s infinite mercy. The demonstration of this mercy was Christ’s sacrifice for those who called him “enemy.” While still burdened by sin (the Law of Moses defined sin and all were sinners because of this), Jesus became the sacrifice of atonement. His blood reconciled us to the Father by removing the sin that kept us apart.
 
CCC: Rom 5:8 604; Rom 5:10 603, 1825
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Gospel Matthew 9:36—10:8
 
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”
 
Then he summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits
to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the twelve apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
 
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
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Commentary on Mt 9:36—10:8
 
This selection from St. Matthew’s Gospel includes Christ’s sense that the disciples are ready to take a more active role in proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He asks them to pray for God’s spirit and strength (“so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.").
 
At the beginning of Chapter 10, St. Matthew names the Twelve and calls them apostles, which means “one who is sent” (the only time in St. Matthew’s Gospel this term is used). They are then sent, but only to the “chosen people.” It is not until after Christ’s death and resurrection that the Gospel is brought to the Gentiles.
 
CCC: Mt 9:38 2611; Mt 10:5-7 543; Mt 10:8 1509, 2121, 2443
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Reflection:
 
As we think about the history of God’s revelation, our readings today give us a glimpse of one of his first offers of salvation.  Through Moses he tells the people he has just rescued from bondage that all they need to do is “if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession.”  What an amazing offer, to be beloved of God in a special way.  Moses even tells them that God created all things (“though all the earth is mine”).  But they can enjoy a special relationship, consecrated, made sacred, adopted as sons and daughters of God, a holy people, a royal priesthood.  What joy such attention should have brought; what love the children of Jacob should have shown for the Creator of the universe.
 
But like the deluded child who becomes spoiled with riches, even the small effort necessary to maintain that place of favor was too much.  They could not see the Law of Moses as a path to happiness and peace; they saw it as rules of the disciplinarian.  Rules any child knows can be interpreted to circumvent the intent of the one making it.  If for example the rule said a young lady must be home before 10:00 PM. The young lady could easily bring her boyfriend home with her and spend as much time together as they wanted.  Until, that is, the parents discovered them and sent the young man home.  She had followed the letter of the rule, hadn’t she?  It was the same with the Hebrews who found God’s rules could be interpreted to their advantage.  Like parents who must constantly refine the rules to avoid misinterpretation and remind the child that the rules are for the child’s own good, God sent the prophets to call the people back to the love of God.
 
Finally, God sent his only Son.  Jesus came into the world and attracted a small following.  In today’s Gospel he looks around and sees how the law has been misused and how unhappy the people are, “like sheep without a shepherd.”  He laments “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.”  So, he calls the small group he has been teaching and sends them out to expedite his own mission. “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” is the message he sends, and with it the signs of what that means: “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.”
 
Just like Moses in ancient times, Jesus offers in more eloquent and succinct terms a special relationship with God, his Father.  We know, of course, that this offer too was rejected, violently, cruelly, indelibly. As a glorious consequence, the offer was extended to us, the adoption was offered to us, Christ’s love is offered to us.
 
We see the lesson once more unfold in Sacred Scripture.  The mission begun all those millennia ago is still not completed.  As Jesus pushed the apostles into the world to continue his work, we are pushed to extend the promise.  What a noble and difficult path we walk.  Our prayer today must be for the strength to accept the offer from Christ who reconciled us to the Father with his blood.
 
Pax

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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 used today is “Heads and hands of the Apostles” by Raffaello Sanzio, c. 1515.
[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.