Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome
 
Proper readings for the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major
 
Additional information about the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major

“Christ and the Canaanite Woman“
by Juan De Flandes, c. 1500

Readings for Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 31:1-7
 
At that time, says the LORD,
I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel,
and they shall be my people.
Thus says the LORD:
The people that escaped the sword
have found favor in the desert.
As Israel comes forward to be given his rest,
the LORD appears to him from afar:
With age-old love I have loved you;
so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers.
Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits.
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen
will call out on Mount Ephraim:
"Rise up, let us go to Zion,
to the LORD, our God."
For thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
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Commentary on Jer 31:1-7
 
Jeremiah addresses himself to the Israelites who have fled to the desert in the Diaspora. He likens them to those who went into the same desert following Moses as they fled Egypt (Exodus 16-18). They return to “Zion” – the New Jerusalem – with joy because of God’s great mercy toward them. The prophet envisions the great prosperity of the people as they return, delivered from their exile. Key in this passage is the great love the Father shows his people echoed in Hosea 2:21-25 and Isaiah 54:6-8.
 
CCC: Jer 31 1611
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Responsorial Psalm: Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12ab, 13
 
R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
 
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD'S blessings.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
 
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy.
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
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Commentary on Jer 31:10, 11-12ab, 13
 
The prophet Jeremiah foresees the return of the people from exile and the joyful restoration of Jerusalem.  The people rejoice as they return to prosperity, led by the Lord, the faithful shepherd who accomplishes this saving act. As in Isaiah 42:10 and Isaiah 49:1, all nations are called to witness God’s saving hand stretched out to his people.
 
The song from Jeremiah recalls the Diaspora, the exile of the Hebrews. In these strophes, the prophet sees the salvific work of God who shepherds his people as they return from exile in the “new exodus,” and the reunification of the people. He prophesies their return to the land from which they had been driven, giving praise to God for his mercy.
 
CCC: Jer 31 1611
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Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28
 
At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
"Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon."
But he did not say a word in answer to her.
His disciples came and asked him,
"Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us."
He said in reply,
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me."
He said in reply,
"It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs."
She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters."
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
"O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish."
And her daughter was healed from that hour.
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Commentary on Mt 15:21-28
 
There was a long history of tension between the Canaanites and the Hebrews that was at a high point when Jesus encountered the Canaanite woman in the Gospel. She clearly knew what she was doing as she addressed him as “Lord, Son of David,” identifying him by that name as a Hebrew.
 
In this selection Jesus has withdrawn from Palestine to escape the persecution of the Pharisees and scribes and to spend time training his disciples. The region they come to is predominantly Gentile and sets the scene for his encounter with this woman (in St. Mark’s Gospel it is the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30).
 
Jesus, while the words attributed to him are harsh, did not, as most of his own contemporaries would have, begin throwing stones at her to drive her away. His disciples were begging him to do that. Jesus recognized the great gulf between them but opened his healing touch to the woman’s child when her faith in him was demonstrated.
 
The exchange between Jesus and the woman is intended to describe the universal nature of the messianic mission. Within the dialogue we see Jesus initially refuse to accede to the woman’s request (even though she recognized his authority “the woman came and did him homage, saying, 'Lord, help me'”).
 
This same pattern of refusal and then acquiescence is found in St. John’s Gospel (John 2:4, John 4:48). The metaphor being exchanged in this banter refers to the “children” being the Hebrews, and the “dogs” a reference to the Gentiles (frequently referred to as such by Hebrews of the day). While this seems out of character for the Lord, our translation leaves out some conversational nuances that soften the dialogue. The word translated as “dogs” in this translation could be more accurately expressed as “pups” or “little dogs.” It is also significant that the children and pups are eating at the same table, again expressing the universal nature of the mission of the Messiah.
 
CCC: Mt 15:22 439, 448; Mt 15:28 2610
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Reflection:
 
In spite of the way the exchange between Jesus and the Canaanite woman sounds, the message given is actually one of unity. We hear Jesus refuse the woman who has come to him. She caught him at a very bad time. He had just traveled to Tyre; he needed a rest, time away from the confrontations with the Pharisees in Palestine. And here comes this woman, a Gentile, who throws herself at him. It is interesting to note that each, Jesus and the woman, are both turning their backs on their native lands.  Each of them is moving toward an encounter arranged by the Father.
 
Jesus is true man as well as true God. He became tired just as we do. Curing the sick and casting out demons took much effort on his part. So, he declines. He has not been as successful with the “children of Israel” as he had hoped. The gospel he brought to his native land had not been well received, and here comes this Gentile woman making claims on that message of salvation.
 
Jesus uses a slang expression but softens it. In Scripture we hear the word he used was “dogs”; however, the Aramaic expression would have been more like pups. The woman persists and uses the metaphor to her own advantage, and the Lord expels the unclean spirit from her daughter.
 
It is clear from this encounter that Jesus brought the message to everyone, not just a select few. And his call to us is to take up that message and pass it on to others. We find that difficult to do at times. We even find it difficult to express that message to others who are tasked with sharing the same message, our brothers and sisters in Christ.
 
This then is what the Gospel calls us to do on this day: to bring the message of God’s love to those we meet, to express it in words and actions in a way that cannot be misunderstood. In this way we respond to the Lord as he responds to us, in love and understanding.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Christ and the Canaanite Woman“ by Juan De Flandes, c. 1500.
[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.

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

Proper for the Memorial of St. John Mary Vianney

 
Biographical Information about St. John Vianney

“St. John Vianney”
artist and date are unknown

Readings for Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
 
The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel:
Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book.
 
For thus says the Lord:
Incurable is your wound,
grievous your bruise;
There is none to plead your cause,
no remedy for your running sore,
no healing for you.
All your lovers have forgotten you,
they do not seek you.
I struck you as an enemy would strike,
punished you cruelly;
Why cry out over your wound?
your pain is without relief.
Because of your great guilt,
your numerous sins,
I have done this to you.
 
Thus says the Lord:
See! I will restore the tents of Jacob,
his dwellings I will pity;
City shall be rebuilt upon hill,
and palace restored as it was.
From them will resound songs of praise,
the laughter of happy men.
I will make them not few, but many;
they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.
His sons shall be as of old,
his assembly before me shall stand firm;
I will punish all his oppressors.
His leader shall be one of his own,
and his rulers shall come from his kin.
When I summon him, he shall approach me;
how else should one take the deadly risk
of approaching me? says the Lord.
You shall be my people,
and I will be your God.
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Commentary on Jer 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
 
This passage from the book of the prophet Jeremiah speaks of the restoration of Israel. The first verses, following the introduction, describe the terrible hardship visited upon the country using the metaphor of a person severely wounded. This was caused, according to the oracle, because the people had turned away from God, following practices that were anathema to the Lord (“Because of your great guilt, your numerous sins, I have done this to you.”).
 
In the concluding verses the oracle predicts the restoration of the land, a return to favored status in the eyes of God (scholars seem to agree that this does not refer to the reestablishment of the temple but of an earlier reversal of fortunes, probably after the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC). The references to leaders being chosen from their own people was probably not a reference to the Messiah in this context, but rather a return to Hebrew rulers. The conclusion (“the deadly risk of approaching me”) is a reference to the earlier tradition, that seeing God in person would cause death (see Leviticus 16:1-2). This chapter from Jeremiah and the next (Jeremiah 31) are considered to be the climax of the prophet's oracle, dealing as they do with salvation through God’s mercy and forgiveness.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23
 
R. (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
 
The nations shall revere your name, O Lord,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the Lord has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
 
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the Lord:
“The Lord looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
 
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence,
That the name of the Lord may be declared on Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together
and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
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Commentary on Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23
 
Psalm 102 is an individual lament. In these strophes, we find the cry of the people in the desert once more being directed to the Lord. The psalmist, expressing trust in the mercy of God, asks for a release from suffering and bondage for the people (“The Lord looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.”). The singer gives us a prayer of thanksgiving for the restoration of the people to Israel after the Diaspora. God brought them back from their captivity and reestablished them in Zion. The prayer prefigures God’s salvation offered in the New Jerusalem – God’s heavenly kingdom.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 14:22-36
 
Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
 
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
 
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.
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Commentary on Mt 14:22-36
 
This passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel follows the feeding of the five thousand. The disciples return to the boat that brought them to this remote site, while Jesus stays alone to pray (recall he had just gotten word of the murder of St. John the Baptist by Herod and had come to this place to mourn him).
 
The events that follow, Jesus’ approach to the boat and walking on the water, support the Lord’s earlier demonstration that he has power over the sea and elements (see Matthew 8:26). St. Peter’s response to the Lord is to try to do as the Lord wishes, but his fear prevents him from accomplishing what the Lord has called him to do. This entire episode has one purpose, to allow the readers to share in the awe of the disciples as they make their profession of faith: “Truly, you are the Son of God." This is account stands in stark contrast to St. Mark’s account of their response (see Mark 6:51).
 
CCC: Mt 14:30 448
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Reflection:
 
This story of the disciples caught in a storm at sea is not the first time this setting has been seen.  Recall in Matthew 8:23-27, there was another storm, but this time Jesus was in the boat with the disciples (although asleep).  Still his presence was a calming influence and his reaction to the storm was one of almost casual dismissal. (“Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.”) This time, however, Jesus is a distance away.  He was up on a mountain praying.  The result of his absence is stunning.  The disciples, many of them fishermen and used to sailing, were terrified.  It was as if the evil one had chosen that moment, as the light waned and darkness descended, to strike fear and doubt into their minds. It as if the lake itself is at war with God.
 
Does this example of fear’s ability to overcome rational thought, and even at times faith, strike a chord? I’d like to tell you a personal story that some of you may resonate with.  In 2022 I went through hip replacement surgery. This was not my first bout with the surgeon’s knife.  But something was different that time. In my previous illness, even though it was considered much more life threatening, I was at peace.  Indeed, the Lord was with me, and even though highly qualified doctors had indicated that if their diagnosis was verified through the surgery, my life would soon be at an end (the diagnosis was stage 4 lung cancer).  But as I said, I was at peace and the Lord granted me a miracle – this was 2005.
 
This time the surgery was considered almost routine and the surgeons doing the work were some of the best in the world.  The difference was, at that time, I had been fighting one of those spiritual bouts.  I was having difficulty praying (especially for myself) and did not feel I was walking at peace with the Lord.  That feeling had started almost a year previously when my father died, and I was left with the responsibility of making his end-of-life decisions.  Additionally, he died following a fall at home which broke his hip and the last procedure he went through was a hip replacement.
 
In a sense I felt I was alone in a storm without our Savior’s presence.  I received an anointing prior to the surgery and was told it went very well.  I continued to recover well and was back in the liturgical saddle in a few months.  It was the fear that made the lead-up to those two experiences so different.  Faith and trust that the Lord’s will is being accomplished was present in one and lacking in the other.  I am glad I was not put to St. Peter’s test, for I would have been sunk (literally).
 
Today’s story provides us further proof of our Lord’s divinity and power.  It also is a caution about letting loose of our faith and forgetting we are not alone; the Lord is with us.  It was a lesson I needed to be reminded of and one I now leave with you.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture today is “St. John Vianney” 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.

Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“St Peter is Walking on the Water”
by Lluis Borrassa, 1411-13

Readings for Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 28:1-17
 
In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah,
in the fifth month of the fourth year,
the prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, from Gibeon,
said to me in the house of the Lord
in the presence of the priests and all the people:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Within two years I will restore to this place
all the vessels of the temple of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, took away from this place to Babylon.
And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah,
son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord,
‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
 
The prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah
in the presence of the priests and all the people assembled
in the house of the Lord, and said:
Amen! thus may the Lord do!
May he fulfill the things you have prophesied
by bringing the vessels of the house of the Lord
and all the exiles back from Babylon to this place!
But now, listen to what I am about to state in your hearing
and the hearing of all the people.
From of old, the prophets who were before you and me prophesied
war, woe, and pestilence against many lands and mighty kingdoms.
But the prophet who prophesies peace
is recognized as truly sent by the Lord
only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled.
 
Thereupon the prophet Hananiah took the yoke
from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it,
and said in the presence of all the people:
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Even so, within two years
I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
from off the neck of all the nations.’”
At that, the prophet Jeremiah went away.
 
Some time after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke
from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah,
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
Go tell Hananiah this:
Thus says the Lord:
By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!
For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
A yoke of iron I will place on the necks
of all these nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
and they shall serve him; even the beasts of the field I give him.
 
To the prophet Hananiah the prophet Jeremiah said:
Hear this, Hananiah!
The Lord has not sent you,
and you have raised false confidence in this people.
For this, says the Lord, I will dispatch you from the face of the earth;
this very year you shall die,
because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.
That same year, in the seventh month, Hananiah the prophet died.
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Commentary on Jer 28:1-17
 
The reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah is a stern warning against false prophets. This reading (the complete chapter 28) tells the story of Hananiah, a false prophet, and Jeremiah. The story is biographical, and attributed once again to Baruch. Hananiah gives the people a very sugar-coated vision, that within two years the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar (the Babylonian King who conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and exiled the people) would come to an end, and the temple wealth, the exiled leader, and the people would be restored. This prediction contradicts Jeremiah’s own oracle (see Jeremiah 27).
 
Jeremiah laments to the people that he too would hope for such an outcome (“May he fulfill the things you have prophesied…”). He goes on to warn them that prophets who predict pleasing futures can only be validated as “truly sent by the Lord” when their oracles are seen to come true (see Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
 
Contradicting Hananiah's pleasing prediction, Jeremiah is given a true vision from God. The reign of Nebuchadnezzar will not be broken. It will be strengthened (“By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!”). Because Hananiah told the people he was hearing God’s voice when he was simply predicting things the leaders of the time wanted to hear, he was told (in an oracle that was fulfilled – proving that Jeremiah was a true prophet) that he would die within a year.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102
 
R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Let those turn to me who fear you
and acknowledge your decrees.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Let my heart be perfect in your statutes,
that I be not put to shame.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Sinners wait to destroy me,
but I pay heed to your decrees.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
From your ordinances I turn not away,
for you have instructed me.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
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Commentary on Ps 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102
 
Psalm 119 is an individual lament asking for God’s support in times of difficulty. From this, the longest of the psalms, the strophes ask for the psalmist to be strengthened in the truth and given wisdom that comes from the law.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21
 
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
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Commentary on Mt 14:13-21
 
St. Matthew’s account of the feeding of the multitudes is framed with Jesus’ grief over hearing of the death of his cousin, St. John the Baptist. He hopes to grieve in solitude, and so takes a boat to “a deserted place by himself.” While it is not said explicitly, we assume at least some of the disciples accompanied him in the boat. When the crowds catch up with him (Jesus is well established as an important teacher now), he does not turn them away but continues his work among them.
 
“Strategically placed in the middle of this series of seven parables (just after the fourth, the Woman with the Leaven, but before the explanation of the second, the Wheat and the Weeds), this general statement makes for a pause in Jesus’ teaching that momentarily halts the sweep of the parables’ images. The pronouncement from the beginning of Psalm 77[78], here put in Jesus’ mouth by Matthew, makes it very clear that Jesus is using parables in order to reveal and not to conceal.” [4]
 
Possibly continuing his formation process with the disciples, Jesus tells them to feed the hungry people rather than dismiss them. The miracle occurs with significant symbolic numbers associated with it. Five loaves and two fish would add up to seven, in Hebrew numerology the perfect or most complete number. The fragments filled twelve baskets, enough for the twelve tribes of Israel. Five thousand men was a representation for a huge number and probably not meant as a census of the participants.
 
For the early Christian there would have been even more subtle symbolism, as the loaves would represent the “Bread of Life,” the Eucharist, and the fish, the Christian symbol that identified themselves to each other as a consequence of the Greek letters used. Taken in its larger context the story is preparatory to Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem.
 
CCC: Mt 14:13-21 1335; Mt 14:19 1329
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Reflection:
 
Once upon a time a large ship set out for a land that promised to be a paradise.  People from all over came to the ship and all were given tickets.  The captain of the ship knew the course they must follow, and set sail on the long and difficult voyage.  It was a journey that took such a long time that when the captain died, a new captain was elected and given the charts to navigate the ship.
 
They had traveled some distance when arguments began to erupt about what the land would really be like.  One group said that the first mate had a clearer understanding of the destination and the course they must follow, so when the ship came close to an island, they got off and built their own ship.  The course they sailed was almost identical, and they kept in sight of each other. 
 
On board that larger ship, as captain after captain took the helm, discipline began to get lax and a large group of passengers decided that the captain no longer knew the way to the land of paradise.  They took life boats and struck off on their own, some smaller and some larger, some staying close to the mother ship, others striking out on radically different directions.  They each got a copy of the charts from the captain of the larger ship, but the charts were difficult and tricky to follow.
 
When last seen the various different flotillas were headed generally in the same direction.  Some had decided that, even in the smaller boats, they had their own ideas of the directions to follow, but there was no captain to consult and no course correction was possible.  Many of these became lost.
 
We use this simple story to describe the history of the Church (the mother ship).  After an intense early struggle to get everyone on board the mothership of Christianity, the first groups to leave were the Eastern Rite churches who disagreed with some fundamental issues over the creed. Later (around the time of the Crusades) political issues caused a huge rift that has not been healed to this day.  The second group to break off was at the Reformation. (It is noteworthy that printing technology facilitated the Reformation.  Without inexpensive copies of the Bible, this challenge to Church authority may not have occurred.)  These Protestant groups took the Bible and ran with it, disdaining the hierarchical Church, feeling that they could figure out how to find the Lord without any help from anyone.  The independent faith communities that evolved out of this group had no cohesive discipline of belief and could essentially pick and choose what parts of Scripture to accept or interpret and which ones they didn’t like.  The charts, as the story says, are tricky and difficult to read.  Not having any recourse to authority, many of these little boats found radically different paths, many of them seemingly headed in the wrong direction.
 
The Holy See has been our constant source of direction, prayerfully considering each change of course, constantly consulting the charts left for us by the authors of Sacred Scripture.  But they have also been able to consult the notes left by great saints and brilliant doctors, like Saint Alphonsus Liguori, whose memorial we celebrated recently. Throwing away the traditions and thoughts of the great saints is like throwing away the legend to the charts.  A map without a legend is not much more than a picture.
 
Today we give thanks for the Church which leads us faithfully, unlike those who have gone off trusting only themselves to find the destination.  We pray for the ship’s company to be reunited, and rejoice at the thought of one Church, One Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “St Peter is Walking on the Water” by Lluis Borrassa, 1411-13.
[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] Leiva-Merikakis, Erasmo, Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word, Vol. 2 (Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition), 258.

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links[1]
CCC 2828-2837: Give us this day our daily bread
CCC 1335: Miracle of loaves prefigures the Eucharist
CCC 1391-1401: The fruits of Holy Communion

“The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes”
by Tintoretto, 1579-81

Readings for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary:[4]
 
Reading 1: Isaiah 55:1-3
 
Thus says the Lord:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
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Commentary on Is 55:1-3
 
The author, writing after the Babylonian exile, offers God’s invitation to the heavenly banquet in the new Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom. All that is necessary for admittance is a thirst for the Lord. The theme of gift is emphasized as it is made clear that it is without cost or merit that eternal life is offered. The promise of the messiah is alluded to as the prophet recalls that God’s covenant with David – the continuation of his line, is assured.
 
The imagery set forward in this passage recalls the promise of adoption through living water in baptism (“All you who are thirsty, come to the water!”), and continued grace offered through the Eucharist (“Why spend your money for what is not bread”).
 
CCC: Is 55:1 694, 2121; Is 55:3 762
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18
 
R. (cf. 16) The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
 
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
 
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
 
The Lord is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
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Commentary on Ps 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18
 
Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise. These strophes (because it is in the acrostic form – each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet) are loosely assembled, giving praise to God for his mercy and compassion, and giving thanks for his creation and redemption. It looks forward to the coming of the kingdom of God. God, says the psalmist, rules all things for all time. There is also a subtle link to the eucharistic banquet as the promise of food is once more extended.
 
CCC: Ps 145:9 295, 342
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Reading II: Romans 8:35, 37-39
 
Brothers and sisters:
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Commentary on Rom 8:35, 37-39
 
The premise that the love of God assures salvation to the faithful is strengthened as St. Paul asks the rhetorical question: “What will separate us from the love of Christ?” Over all obstacles (human, physical, and metaphysical – “height and depth” probably referred to ancient astrological terms indicating the closest proximity and the most distant star from the zenith),the love of God expressed in Christ is the unshakable foundation of Christian life and hope.
 
CCC: Rom 8:31 2852; Rom 8:32 603, 706, 2572; Rom 8:34 1373, 2634-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21
 
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
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Commentary on Mt 14:13-21
 
St. Matthew’s account of the feeding of the multitudes is framed with Jesus’ grief over the death of his cousin, St. John the Baptist. He hopes to grieve in solitude, and so takes a boat to “a deserted place by himself.” While it is not said explicitly, we assume at least some of the disciples accompanied him in the boat. When the crowds catch up with him (Jesus is well established as an important teacher now), he does not turn them away but continues his work among them.
 
Possibly continuing his formation process with the disciples, Jesus tells them to feed the hungry people rather than dismiss them. The miracle occurs with significant symbolic numbers associated with it. Five loaves and two fish would add up to seven, in Hebrew numerology the perfect or most complete number. The fragments filled twelve baskets, enough for the twelve tribes of Israel. Five thousand men was a representation for a huge number and probably not meant as a census of the participants.
 
For the early Christian, there would have been even more subtle symbolism, as the loaves would represent the “Bread of Life,” the Eucharist; and the fish, the Christian symbol that identified themselves to each other as a consequence of the Greek letters used. Taken in its larger context the story is preparatory to Jesus' final trip to Jerusalem.
 
CCC: Mt 14:13-21 1335; Mt 14:19 1329
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Reflection:
 
Here at the beginning of August, as we contemplate what we will do with the balance of our short summer months, I would offer you an ancient rhyme:
 
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
 
You have probably all heard this before.  It has been around since at least the 14^th century (and no, I was not the original author).  I think it should speak to each one of us as we consider what it is that God asks us to do each day.
 
It is probably not what you were thinking about as we heard about the multitudes following Jesus that day.  There are lots of different images in this story of one of the Lord’s great miracles.  But today I ask you to think of  the crowd who followed the Lord. They all were seeking the same thing: that compelling search established in all of God’s creatures for their creator.  Those who followed Jesus as he mourned the loss of his cousin, St. John the Baptist, were filled with hope that this man who cured the sick and healed the lame was the one promised by the prophets, the Messiah.
 
The Lord did not disappoint.  When it came time for the vast crowd to eat, Jesus took the opportunity to provide a spectacular teaching moment to his disciples.  Do you recall his first words to them when they urged him to send the crowd away?
 
He said: “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”
 
Even these men of faith who had been with the Lord for some time did not understand what the Lord was really saying.  They did not realize that they too had received from Jesus the faith that could bring salvation to that crowd of thousands.  They did not realize that Jesus was offering them the chance to participate in his task of bringing the Kingdom of God to earth.
 
When they balked and said: “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
 
The Lord demonstrated miraculously the lesson he wanted them to learn.  In his miracle about the multiplication of the loaves he not only showed us his ability to feed us with his body in ways that could not be explained by physical science, he also taught his disciples (and us) that with faith in God, everyone can be fed; everyone can receive God.  It is a gift that we, like the disciples, have been given to share with the world.
 
Now I am not saying that we should immediately go out a march down the street to Zingerman’s and try to see how many can be fed with one of their sandwiches (although that might be an interesting experiment). 
 
I’d like to give you a quote from a recent clip I saw from Fr. Robert Barron about “Forming Intentional Disciples.”
 
He said:
 
We all know the bad news that ex-Catholics make up the second largest religious group in America, that only twenty-five percent of baptized Catholics attend Mass on a regular basis, and that the fastest-growing religious group in the United States is the "nones" (those who claim no religious affiliation). There's a huge mission field out there, and it begins as soon as you walk out your front door.”
 
I would suggest that each of us in the coming week look for people who could be fed with the love of Christ and share that spiritual food with them.  It does not matter if they are young or old, rich or poor.  Remember, Jesus came so that all peoples of all nations might find God’s love through him.  He passed it to us so we might participate in his mission and pass it on.  Think of the rhyme at the beginning – for want of your act of kindness, generosity or sacrifice; the kingdom may be lost – for someone.
 
With that firmly in mind, let us now go forward with our celebration of the Lord’s sacrifice and participate as he feeds the multitudes here with his Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist.
 
Pax
 
In other years on this date: optional Memorial for Saint Eusebius Of Vercelli, Bishop

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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 “The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes” by Tintoretto, 1579-81.
[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.

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori
 
Biographical information about St. Alphonsus Liguori

“St. Alphonsus Liguori,”
artist and date unknown

Readings for Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24
 
The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people,
“This man deserves death;
he has prophesied against this city,
as you have heard with your own ears.”
Jeremiah gave this answer to the princes and all the people:
“It was the Lord who sent me to prophesy against this house and city
all that you have heard.
Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds;
listen to the voice of the Lord your God,
so that the Lord will repent of the evil with which he threatens you.
As for me, I am in your hands;
do with me what you think good and right.
But mark well: if you put me to death,
it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves,
on this city and its citizens.
For in truth it was the Lord who sent me to you,
to speak all these things for you to hear.”
 
Thereupon the princes and all the people
said to the priests and the prophets,
“This man does not deserve death;
it is in the name of the Lord, our God, that he speaks to us.”
 
So Ahikam, son of Shaphan, protected Jeremiah,
so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
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Commentary on Jer 26:11-16, 24
 
The story of Jeremiah’s persecution is continued after he first prophesied in the temple that if the people did not turn away from their sinful practices, God would destroy the kingdom of Judah, including the temple. Here the leaders of the community try to have him put to death.
 
In the face of this angry mob, the prophet repeats the essence of the prophecy (repent so the Lord will not punish them), and then reminds them that it was not on his own that he came to them, but as a servant, a prophet of God, who commanded him. If they put him to death, they were committing an offense against the law. They were finally convinced (in the omitted verses, 17-23, the example of the prophet Micah, who also predicted dire consequences, was used) and we are told Ahikam came to his defense: “Ahikam, son of Shaphan: one of Josiah's officials (2 Kings 22:12) and father of Gedaliah, Jeremiah's friend, who was governor of Judah after Zedekiah's deportation (cf Jeremiah 39:14; 40:5-7).” [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34
 
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink!
may I be rescued from my foes,
and from the watery depths.
Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me,
nor the abyss swallow me up,
nor the pit close its mouth over me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the Lord hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
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Commentary on Ps 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34
 
Psalm 69 is a lament in which the psalmist sings of being unjustly persecuted, and calls on God’s saving help. The faith in God’s mercy is reflected in the confidence of the psalmist as in the final strophe the poor are reassured of the Lord's kindness.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12
 
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
 
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
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Commentary on Mt 14:1-12
 
In this passage, recalling the manner of the death of John the Baptist, Herod unwittingly predicts Jesus' future glory as he assumes that the Lord is John the Baptist, raised from the dead. His guilt over the murder of John weighs heavily on him.
 
In St. Matthew’s flashback of the murder of John the Baptist, we note that there is a much more detailed explanation than that found in the Gospel of St. Mark (Mark 6:14ff). We also see that, according to St. Matthew, the murder of St. John was the intent of Herod from the beginning, where St. Mark’s Gospel infers it was Herodias that manipulated him into the act. Matthew portrays this event as, what has been called, a satanic eucharist, an exhibition of hedonism and lust diametrically opposed to the selfless love of John the Baptist and Jesus.
 
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Reflection:
 
It is a tense day in Scripture.  First, we hear Jeremiah who has been really haranguing the leadership for a couple of weeks. He is, at this point, about ready to be put to death.  His response: “Don’t blame me, God is the one who sent me, and it is God who wants you to change.”   He dodged a proverbial bullet.  Then in the Gospel, just when it seems like King Herod is getting very concerned about Jesus (thinking he is the reincarnation of John the Baptist), we get a flashback to the execution of John.
 
As we watch the lives of the servants of God unfold, we come to one inescapable conclusion: working for God can be hazardous to your health.  Granted, special honor was accorded to the great prophet Jeremiah, and similar honor was given to the precursor of the Lord, his cousin, John the Baptist.  Still, when the message of God is placed against the backdrop of society’s norms, it is not what most people want to hear.  And when those people are of a far distant time, a time when human life was less revered, the common outcome was pain, frequently resulting in death.
 
What message does that bring to us today?  First, we must understand that if we take our faith into the secular world, we will not win any popularity contests.  Those that don’t avoid us will probably do what they can to make us figures of ridicule or contempt.  They will make jokes at our expense, and the names they use for us such as Jesus freak, fanatic, or hater are not meant to be badges of honor (although some of them [not hater – that’s just a lie put out by those who would pervert sexual morality] we should be proud to earn).
 
In other parts of the world, especially those parts where radical Islam seems to be taking hold, being labeled Christian can be a death sentence.  In the predominantly Islamic states around the holy land (Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, not to mention the ISIS terror state containing parts of Iraq and Syria where there is currently a pogrom taking place), professing Christianity is actually a civil crime punishable by death.  In China, Christianity is tolerated but subordinate to the state.  We in the “Christian West” are actually quite lucky.
 
We have an obligation to be faithful to our creed, and to proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  We are required to live a life of faith at home (the domestic church), at school and at work.  We need to show the face of Christ to our families, our friends, neighbors, and especially the stranger we meet.  But as we do what we are obligated to do in the name of our faith, let us remember Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and above all Jesus.  They gave us an example of what the faith is worth to us and the world.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used is “St. Alphonsus Liguori,” artist and date 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] NAB footnote on Jeremiah 26:24.