Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Gregory the Great

Biographical Information about St. Gregory the Great

"Saint Gregory the Great"
by Jacopo Vignali, c. 1630

 
Readings for Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 3:18-23
 
Brothers and sisters:
Let no one deceive himself.
If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age,
let him become a fool, so as to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,
for it is written:
 
God catches the wise in their own ruses,
 
and again:
 
The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
 
So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,
Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death,
or the present or the future:
all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.
 
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Commentary on 1 Cor 3:18-23
 
St. Paul continues his treatise on Christian wisdom telling the church at Corinth that, if they wish true wisdom, they must reject human wisdom (“If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise”). They must be guided by the Spirit of Truth. He does this by quoting first Job 5:12 and then Psalm 94:11.
 
The evangelist concludes by assigning Christian value to all things: life and the Church, the leaders (Paul or Apollos or Cephas), past and future experience, and, most importantly, the ownership of the Christian by Christ, linked to God through him. “Paul assigns all the persons involved in the theological universe a position on a scale: God, Christ, church members, church leaders. Read from top to bottom, the scale expresses ownership; read from bottom to top, the obligation to serve. This picture should be complemented by similar statements such as those in 1 Corinthians 8:6 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-28.” [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
 
R. (1) To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.
 
The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.
 
Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.
 
He shall receive a blessing from the Lord,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.
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Commentary on Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
 
Psalm 24 is a processional song. It recalls that God is the great creator, and he calls his people to be faithful. It is part of a hymn of entrance, sung as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the temple, followed by the faithful. The song asks the question: who can come into his presence, and answers: only those who are sinless (completely reconciled to God). Those who achieve that beatified state will receive the reward of eternal life from the savior.
 
The hymn focuses on the character of the one who worthily seeks God, and the one who is worthy to come into God’s kingdom and stand before him. This same concept is borrowed in a passage from John’s Revelation (Revelation 14:4ff): who are the ones allowed full access to God? They are those: “whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.” In other words they are clean in heart, body, and spirit.
 
CCC: Ps 24:6 2582
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Gospel: Luke 5:1-11
 
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
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Commentary on  Lk 5:1-11
 
St. Luke’s Gospel presents the call of St. Peter, St. James, and St. John to discipleship. The Lord has demonstrated his authority through his teaching, and then through the miraculous catch of fish. We note the similarity of this incident with the post-resurrection incident recounted in St. John’s Gospel (John 21:1-11).
 
At Jesus' summons, Simon and the two sons of Zebedee leave all they have and follow the Lord. No mention is made here of Simon’s (Peter’s) brother Andrew who would also have been there, and in fact, as a disciple of John the Baptist, actually introduced the two (John 1:41 ff). We do hear that James and John, Zebedee’s sons were also there as Simon’s partners and are called at the same time.
 
Simon Peter’s response to the Lord’s call is one of being sinful and therefore unworthy of the presence of the Lord. In response to Simon’s fearful humility, Jesus invites them all to leave what they have and become fishers of men.
 
CCC: Lk 5:8 208
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Reflection:
 
There is a great deal of symbolism provided by St. Luke in his story about the call of St. Peter (Simon), his brother (Andrew), and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John. The fact that they were fishing symbolizes their later evangelical activity. That they had been ineffective at fishing until they had Christ with them is another strongly symbolic fact in the story. The entire account, taken as a whole, is one of the call of the Lord and the response of the people of God. But there is something else here; something important in the attitudes of those being called.
 
When Simon-Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah following the great catch of fish, we are told “he fell at the knees of Jesus.” Scripture did not say if he fell prostrate, or simply to his knees, but what is clear is that he recognized Jesus, and realized that he was in a sacred space. The Lord’s presence made it so.
 
I recently attended Mass in another town, in another diocese. It was a church in which reforms had been made. The tabernacle had been moved out of the sanctuary and placed in an adjoining chapel, and the kneelers had been removed. When people arrived, there was no genuflection, when they celebrated the Mass, even making Christ present in the Eucharist, there was no sense of the space being sacred, sanctified for worship. When contrasted with St. Thomas the Apostle, here in Ann Arbor where the tabernacle is central to our space and the sense that, as the Latin inscription around the dome above the sanctuary says “This is nothing more than the house of God and the gate of Heaven” (Genesis 28:17), there was a feeling that something important was missing. Yes, the people were inviting and, with the exception of kneeling during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Mass was a celebration. But that feeling of sacred space was achingly missing.
 
When we become complacent, accepting Christ as merely another friend among friends, our own sense of holiness suffers. When we forget that what happens at the Eucharist is no less miraculous than the multiplication of the loaves, or the miraculous catch of fish, we lose our sense of awe and the appreciation for what the Lord has done. We lose our faith in what he is capable of doing for us.
 
Today’s Gospel reminds us that where Jesus is truly present, that space becomes sacred space, due our respect and reverence. We must never forget that the building itself is not “the church” but our reverence as a people of God makes it so.
 
Pax
 
You may also like my recent post on the "Real Presence"

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[1] The picture used today is "Saint Gregory the Great" by Jacopo Vignali, c. 1630.
[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 1 Corinthians 3:21-23.

Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

“Paul and Apollos” by Sir Edward Poynter, 1872

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Twenty- second Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
 
Brothers and sisters,
I could not talk to you as spiritual people,
but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.
I fed you milk, not solid food,
because you were unable to take it.
Indeed, you are still not able, even now,
for you are still of the flesh.
While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,
are you not of the flesh, and walking
according to the manner of man?
Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another,
“I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men?
 
What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul?
Ministers through whom you became believers,
just as the Lord assigned each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who causes the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one,
and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.
For we are God’s co-workers;
you are God’s field, God’s building.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 3:1-9
 
St. Paul addresses divisions in the church of Corinth. He speaks to them as “fleshly people” (sarkinos), as a people immature in the faith. In Romans 7:14 the apostle defines “sarkinos” as “sold into the slavery of sin.” Because of their worldly nature, they evaluate preachers motivated by vanity and prejudice, not by the spirit.
 
Apollos is a leader of that congregation who came after St. Paul had left. Both come from the same master as servants (diakonoi). Paul is sent to establish the church, Apollos to develop it. It is obvious from this reading that divisions and rivalries had occurred, as some favored St. Paul, and others Apollos. St. Paul refutes this division saying he and Apollos are one and the same, being sent by the same God. He calls for unity, because it is God who brings salvation. He states that each of them will receive wages for the hard work of the apostolic mission (see also 1 Thessalonians 3:5; Galatians 4:11; Romans 16:12).
 
CCC: 1 Cor 3:9 307, 755, 756
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:12-13, 14-15, 20-21
 
R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
 
Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the Lord looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
 
From his fixed throne he beholds
all who dwell on the earth,
He who fashioned the heart of each,
he who knows all their works.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
 
Our soul waits for the Lord,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
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Commentary on Ps 33:12-13, 14-15, 20-21
 
Psalm 33 is a hymn of praise in which God, as the creator, is celebrated. In this selection, the just are invited to share the Lord’s salvation, and are promised his protection. The psalm rejoices in the active help God gives to his chosen people.
 
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Gospel: Luke 4:38-44
 
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.
 
At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases
brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.”
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak
because they knew that he was the Christ.
 
At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.
The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,
they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, “To the other towns also
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent.”
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
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Commentary on Lk 4:38-44
 
This Gospel passage continues the healing mission of Christ in Capernaum. He first heals Simon’s mother-in-law (at this point in St. Luke’s Gospel Simon has not yet been called). He then proceeds to heal all who are brought to him. The demons he cast out were aware of Jesus’ identity as the Son of God (as was the demon in Luke 4:31-37).
 
When Jesus tries to leave, the people try to keep him with them. Contrast this response with the people of Nazareth, his hometown, earlier. The Lord then proceeds to teach throughout the region, proclaiming the kingdom of God.
 
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Reflection:
 
Today we begin with more of Paul’s distance-learning program for the church at Corinth.   Notice he has moved away from his discourse on “Christian wisdom,” and now focuses the problems facing the church itself.  Apparently, there is some division among them because, while Paul and his entourage came and started the church, a person named Apollos carried the work forward. Somehow there was a rift with part of the community claiming orthodoxy based upon Paul’s teachings (“I belong to Paul”), and others supporting Apollos.
 
Paul points out in his letter that by behaving in this rather childish (but true to human nature) way, they were not behaving as a community of faith, but more like the unconverted community at large. (“While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh, and walking according to the manner of man?”)  Even in Paul’s time, there were forces of human nature doing their level best to divide the church.  Does this sound familiar?
 
If we were to bring the time forward about a thousand years, we see that same ugly situation appear, this time in Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade, when members of the Roman Church despoiled the city and churches of the Eastern Church causing a rift that exists to this day.  The fracture exists in spite of numerous attempts on both sides to reconcile the differences.  Some hurts, when allowed to go untreated for too long, may never heal entirely.
 
Fast forward about six hundred years.  We hear cries from within the ranks of the Church: “I am for Leo X,” and others, “I am for Luther.”  This time there was no St. Paul to remind the community that they were behaving childishly, and they should remember the Lord’s teaching.  Once more, the Church was divided and, because of the reactions on both sides, no reconciliation was possible. That wound also exists today in the separation of the Lutheran denomination along with all the Bible-based subdivisions that have occurred after the initial schism.  A new wound with similar roots has reasserted itself more recently as the controversy over the reemphasis or restrictions of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass rage in some parts of the Church even now.
 
Less than one hundred years after the Reformation schism, the most recent of the major divisions of the church occurred. When King Henry VIII of England could not win the Church’s blessing for a divorce, he broke away from the Church of Rome and established the Church of England. The Anglican Church also exists to this day as a separate band of Christians, looking to a leader outside of Rome.
 
Looking back at the history of these schismatic times, what lesson is there for us today?  How do we approach the whole idea of Christian unity when so many different ideologies have evolved, and there are so many varying interpretations of the will of God in Christ?  The Roman Catholic Church has long maintained, based upon apostolic succession and the teaching magisterium handed down through it, that ours is the authentic path to salvation, and that our spawned brothers and sisters, separated dogmatically from us for good reasons or bad, need to follow our lead. 
 
The problem is once more, as it was in the time of Paul, a human one.  There are so many people in positions of authority in those denominations who would rather be in those prestigious leadership roles, rather than being seen as having caved in to the Roman Church, or reconciling years of rejection of papal primacy with a call to unity.   I believe the path must continue to be walked.  As a friend of mine likes to point out, we are all sailing to the same destination.  Some of us are on the “big boat” and some are on small boats following as best they can.  We pray for those who travel with us that the truth of Paul’s words come to them, and they come at last to know: “we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Paul and Apollos” by Sir Edward Poynter, 1872.
[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.

Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

“St. Paul”
by Domenico Beccafumi, 1515

 
Readings for Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 2:10b-16
 
Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
Among men, who knows what pertains to the man
except his spirit that is within?
Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.
We have not received the spirit of the world
but the Spirit who is from God,
so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.
And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom,
but with words taught by the Spirit,
describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.
 
Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God,
for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it,
because it is judged spiritually.
The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything
but is not subject to judgment by anyone.
 
For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?”
But we have the mind of Christ.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 2:10b-16
 
St. Paul continues his discourse on Christian wisdom and perfection in the spirit. In this passage he talks about the discernment of things of the spirit, and how Christian wisdom allows the faithful to discern the will of God ("no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God”). The “will of God” seems foolish to human wisdom (“to him it is foolishness”). The Christian, however, has access to the wisdom of God and is guided by it. (“But we have the mind of Christ.”)
 
CCC: 1 Cor 2:10-15 2038; 1 Cor 2:10-11 152; 1 Cor 2:11 687; 1 Cor 2:16 389
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14
 
R. (17) The Lord is just in all his ways.
 
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 Lord is just in all his ways.
 
Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
 
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
 
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The Lord lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
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Commentary on Ps 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14
 
Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise. These strophes call on the faithful to give thanks to God for opening the gates of his heavenly kingdom.  The psalmist sings his praise to God, who is faithful to his people, and who saves those who are in need. The selection gives praise to God for his mercy and compassion, and thanks for his creation and redemption. There is also a subtle link to "Christian wisdom" that comes with putting on the mind of Christ. The entire song is in the acrostic form (although loosely assembled), each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
 
CCC: Ps 145:9 295, 342
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Gospel: Luke 4:31-37
 
Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,
and he cried out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another,
“What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
and they come out.”
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
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Commentary on Lk 4:31-37
 
This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel begins a series of events around Capernaum that expand his public image from prophet to teacher, exorcist, healer and proclaimer of God’s kingdom. Here he expels an evil spirit that asks him if he has come to destroy evil. “[What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?] How does your concern affect me?: literally, ‘What is this to me and to you?’--a Hebrew expression of either hostility (Judges 11:12; 2 Chronicles 35:21; 1 Kings 17:18) or denial of common interest (Hosea 14:9; 2 Kings 3:13). Cf Mark 1:24; 5:7 used by demons to Jesus.”[4] It is interesting that the spirit uses the Lord's full name, perhaps in an attempt to control him. Instead, the Lord commands the evil spirit and it leaves, amazing the crowd and spreading his fame in the region.
 
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Reflection:
 
Those of you who are fortunate enough to have fluency in a second language or specialized training in a field of employment are going to have an easier time with St. Paul’s letter today than those of us who only speak a single language.  Paul says today
 
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.
 
There is a second language that we must learn to speak when discussing the things of God.  It is “The Language of God.”  The language of God is different from the language of logic or even philosophy used in describing the things of man.  Let’s look at a few examples.
 
If we observe a person who is making a living wage, not wealthy, not highly paid, but a living wage, and see that person giving a large piece of that wage, say 10%, to a charity, thereby depriving that person of any luxury items, and some things we might even classify as necessities,  using the language of logic, that is the language of the secular world, we would call that person foolish, or even stupid.
 
Using the language of the Holy Spirit in the same situation, we instantly are reminded of the Scripture from the Gospel of Mark:
 
He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." (Mk 12 42-44)
 
We would say, using the language of the Holy Spirit, how blessed that person is, and what a wonderful example of faith.  We would praise that person as an example to be followed.  It’s a different language.
 
Let’s look at another situation. A person is at work and sees the boss doing something very wrong and unjust, let’s say doctoring timecards of other employees so he can make his labor budget.  The person goes to that boss and tells the boss that what he is doing is wrong and illegal and must be corrected.  Because the boss wants to keep looking good so he can make more money, he has the employee fired under false pretenses.  Using secular logic, the person that confronted the boss would, again, be considered foolish or stupid.  After all, it was someone else’s timecard not theirs and the rule is: “Look out for number one.”
 
Again, looking at the same situation using the language of the Holy Spirit, the person in our example would have done exactly the right thing.  That person imitated our Lord, Jesus Christ, who came to bring justice; attacking the act (notice in our story, the sin was attacked, not the sinner) was a noble action.  It was made even more admirable because the personal consequences were ignored.  The person in our story clearly knew a better rule: “Love one another.”  It is after all a different language.
 
The lesson from St. Paul today is a good one for us. We must learn the language of the Holy Spirit, the language of Jesus himself.  And, just as when we are learning a foreign language, the best way to do that is to immerse ourselves in the culture of that language.  We need to force ourselves to speak only that language until we can think in it.  How to do that is very difficult, but let’s give it our best effort.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used today is “St. Paul” by Domenico Beccafumi, 1515.
[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 John 2:4.

Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

“Jews in the Synagogue“
by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn c. 1640s

 
Readings for Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible  [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
 
When I came to you, brothers and sisters,
proclaiming the mystery of God,
I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you
except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
and my message and my proclamation
were not with persuasive words of wisdom,
but with a demonstration of spirit and power,
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 2:1-5
 
The apostle goes into an explanation of his axiomatic expression: “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25) The difficulty he had in proclaiming his gospel in Athens using Hellenistic rhetoric (Acts 17:16-34) caused him to proclaim Christ to the Corinthians in an unvarnished way, “Christ and him crucified.” Coming to them in humility, he provides an example and faith based, not upon logic but upon the spirit that goes beyond human wisdom. He offers this same “kenosis” in Philippians 2:6-11.
 
“God continues to act through the Christian message, which ‘is unique. It cannot be replaced. It does not permit either indifference, syncretism or accommodation. It is a question of people's salvation. It is the beauty of the Revelation that it represents. It brings with it a wisdom that is not of this world. It is able to stir up by itself faith ̶ faith that rests on the power of God (cf. 1 Cor 2:5). It is truth. It merits having the apostle consecrate to it all his time and all his energies, and to sacrifice for it, if necessary, his own life’ (Paul VI ‘Evangelic Nuntiandi’, 5).” [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102
 
R. (97) Lord, I love your commands.
 
How I love your law, O Lord!
It is my meditation all the day.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
 
Your command has made me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
 
I have more understanding than all my teachers
when your decrees are my meditation.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
 
I have more discernment than the elders,
because I observe your precepts.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
 
From every evil way I withhold my feet,
that I may keep your words.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
 
From your ordinances I turn not away,
for you have instructed me.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
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Commentary on Ps 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102
 
Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem.  Each of the eight verses of the first strophe begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (aleph). Each verse of the second strophe begins with the second letter (beth), and so on for all 22 letters of the alphabet.
 
The entire work is in praise of the Law of Moses, and the joys to be found in keeping it. It is not "legalism" but a love and desire for the word of God in Israel's law, which is the expression of the Lord's revelation of himself and his will for man. These particular verses focus on the wisdom transmitted through the law: “Your command has made me wiser than my enemies.”
 
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Gospel: Luke 4:16-30
 
Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
 
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
 
Rolling up the scroll,
he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said,
“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.
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Commentary on Lk 4:16-30
 
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel we find the Lord back in his home town of Nazareth. He reads from the Book of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2) and then tells those present that he has come to fulfill the oracle he proclaimed (“he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind”). These were clear references to the miraculous works he had already performed in other parts of the country. The Lord saw that they were expecting that he would perform signs there as well but the lack of faith would prevent him. Those congregated knew him from boyhood and did not believe he was the Messiah or even a prophet.
 
In response to this unbelief, Jesus brought out two examples from the stories about the prophets that demonstrated that those unworthy of God’s grace were ignored in favor of more worthy subjects. This caused the wholesale uprising against him, and he left them. In the eyes of those former friends and neighbors, Jesus had committed blasphemy, punishable by death. But, because they were uncertain, given the power and authority they had witnessed, none dared lay a hand on him. “He passed though the midst of them and went away.”
 
CCC: Lk 4:16-22 1286; Lk 4:16-21 436; Lk 4:18-19 695, 714; Lk 4:18 544, 2443; Lk 4:19 1168
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Reflection:
 
The episode in Jesus’ ministry we see depicted in St. Luke’s Gospel when Jesus goes to the place where he grew up is a foretaste of where his mission will lead him. He comes home, not to a hero’s welcome, but to anger and near tragedy. The story is analogous to a common business cliché that defines an “expert” as someone who comes from out of town and carries a briefcase. The implication is that a person who is in your midst cannot be an expert; that level of knowledge must reside outside the local area.
 
The situation in Nazareth, on a human level, was understandable. The son of Mary and Joseph returns home. Rumor of his exploits may have reached them. He had become a rabbi, a teacher of the faith. He wandered around (consorting with all kinds of people) and was now coming back to his friends and neighbors. We can imagine some of the men (and women) of Nazareth talking to each other before he arrived. “He’d better not try to put on airs around us. We know him and his family.”
 
When he is invited to speak at the synagogue, he tells them that the boy they watched grow up and the young man who had learned the carpenter trade at the elbow of Joseph, was a great prophet – even quoting from Isaiah at them – like he was something special. They were sorry for Joseph and Mary but he had to be stopped so they took him out of town with the idea of killing him for his blasphemy. It was permitted, in fact it was their obligation, probably condoned and encouraged by the local rabbi.
 
But there was something else at work. The words he spoke and the way he said them – this was different. Never mind that they had heard the book of Isaiah before. Others had always used future tense –looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. Jesus taught with authority, as if the prophet had come back to life in him, making the words real and present. It stirred them inside. It frightened them. While their rational minds said, “We know this young man,” in the backs of their minds the truth was screaming at them – here is something new, the likes of which they had never seen before. And they stopped what they were doing, staring at him in fear and hesitation. Seeing this reaction, Jesus pushed through them without resistance and left the area. No doubt he was saddened by the reaction but probably not surprised.
 
For us, this reaction of those who knew Jesus is seen as the greatest lost opportunity of all time. Yet don’t we find in ourselves that same incredulous rejection of Christ’s presence in those around us? Don’t we often fail to see the Lord present in those we encounter, especially members of our own families?
 
The lesson we receive today from St. Luke’s Gospel is that we must be constantly vigilant, looking for the Lord not just in prayer, not just in the sacraments, but in the people we meet. We must listen for the Word of God at all times and in all peoples because we do not know the hour or the day of his coming.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “Jews in the Synagogue“ by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn c. 1640s.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Navarre Bible, Letters of St. Paul (Four Courts Press, © 2003), 183.

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]

CCC 618: Christ calls his disciples to take up the Cross and follow him
CCC 555, 1460, 2100: The Cross as the way to Christ’s glory
CCC 2015: Way to perfection by way of the Cross
CCC 2427: Carrying our cross in daily life

“Simon of Cyrene Carries Jesus’ Cross”
Artist and date are unknown

Readings for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 20:7-9
 
You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped;
you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.
All the day I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.
 
Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage is my message;
the word of the Lord has brought me
derision and reproach all the day.
 
I say to myself, I will not mention him,
I will speak in his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.
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Commentary on Jer 20:7-9
 
Jeremiah’s oracle has foreseen the fall of Jerusalem, and the great exile as Israel is sent into slavery in Babylon. In this passage he makes an emotional outpouring to God. He recognizes that God’s word makes him outcast, and people think of him as a lunatic, but even though he has tried to be silent God’s call forces him to cry out in the prophetic voice.
 
“His [Jeremiah’s] message is always ‘violence and devastation,’ ambiguous whether it is a threat of judgment, the content of the people’s mocking, a report of the people’s sins, or a report of what he has received from their hands (or even from God’s hands).” [5]
 
CCC: Jer 20:7-18 2584
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
 
R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
 
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
 
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
 
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
 
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
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Commentary on Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
 
Psalm 63 is an individual lament. In this selection we see the emotion of one who longs to be reunited with God, separation from whom is like being cast into a desert without water. The singer professes faith in God’s salvation and expresses faith that the prayers offered will be answered.
 
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Reading II: Romans 12:1-2
 
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
Do not conform yourselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and pleasing and perfect.
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Commentary on Rom 12:1-2
 
St. Paul begins a new topic with these verses from his letter to the Romans. The demands of the “new life” of the Christian are laid out, beginning with the idea of complete dedication to the ideals of their faith. This dedication is expressed here in language reminiscent of the ritual sacrifice of animals as holocaust (burnt offering) in the Hebrew and pagan ceremonies but using the bodies of the faithful in this context. The clear idea is that the Christian, like an animal sacrificed to God as a holocaust  ̶  completely burned and offered up to the Lord  ̶  is to be wholly given to Christ (see also Leviticus 1:3ff). Purified in the fire of faith they are untainted by the sins of the world (“Do not conform yourselves to this age”) but, in following the will of God, are a pleasing sacrifice to him.
 
"For the great mass of the Jewish people it was the law which served both as the ethnic boundary and as the ethical framework: the people of God were those who lived 'within the law,' 'under the law,' performing the works of the law as maintaining their membership of the covenant ('covenantal nomism'). Paul had called this understanding of the law in question: the boundary marked by the law and by the physical rite of circumcision no longer existed for him (2:28–29); works of the law which demonstrated Jewishness no longer counted (2:23; 3:20, 27–30). Faith in Christ is the new boundary, circumcision of the heart by the Spirit is the real mark of the true Jew, of eschatological membership of God’s people (2:28–29; 3:21–26; chap. 4)".[6]
 
CCC: Rom 12-15 1454, 1971; Rom 12:1 2031; Rom 12:2 2520, 2826
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Gospel: Matthew 16:21-27
 
Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
He turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
 
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”
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Commentary on Mt 16:21-27
 
The passage begins with Jesus’ explanation of his coming passion. Jesus, using the title “Son of Man” (see Daniel 7:13-14), foresees his trials and passion. This frightens the disciples and probably confuses many of the entourage (remember, there were more than just the Twelve following Jesus around). St. Peter confronts him, asking him to take a different approach in what he tells his students. Seeing this request as an invitation to take an easier path, Jesus rebukes Peter.
 
This is the second time within the Gospel of St. Matthew that the Lord instructs the disciples that, if they wish to follow him, they must take up the cross (the first time is in Matthew 10:38). This passage focuses the followers of Christ on the idea that serving the Lord must come before any other purposes in life, since it is through following Jesus that eternal life is gained. It is also explicit that bringing the Word of God, the message of the kingdom of God to the world, will lead to persecution and even the possibility of death.
 
CCC: Mt 16:21-23 540, 607; Mt 16:21 554; Mt 16:22-23 554; Mt 16:24-26 736; Mt 16:24 226, 618, 2029; Mt 16:25-26 363; Mt 16:25 2232; Mt 16:26 1021
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Reflection:
 
Summer has flown by and here we are fast approaching Labor Day weekend.  For many of us it is a sort of transition; students are back at school, and we mentally transition from a summer vacation to a “back to work” mind-set.  Because of our early training, even those of us who have been out of school for a long time feel this same change in outlook.
 
From a spiritual perspective, our “back to work” direction is set for us scripturally.  We have to start with that wonderful opening phrase from the book of the prophet Jeremiah:
 
“You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed. All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me.”
 
Anyone who has made a resolution to really take the message of Jesus with them into their workplace, school, or social group, can completely identify with what Jeremiah is saying.  The basic message relayed in the Old Testament’s Law and Prophets, the message of following God’s moral and ethical laws, is a source of great amusement, derision, and quite likely even violent rejection by our secular peers.  And that is to say nothing of the New Testament message in which Jesus revealed God’s will to us.
 
In this secular age where traditional moral values are seen as countercultural and worse, we are often compelled to just “keep our heads down” rather than risking confrontation by those ardent hedonists that make up a majority of the populations outside these walls. 
 
We ask ourselves the question that Jesus asked the disciples of St. John the Baptist who had come to find out if Jesus was the Messiah: “’What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.’” (Matthew 11:7-8a)  Jesus was setting expectations for his followers.  They were not going to be “Princes of Israel” honored by all the people and the Jewish hierarchy.  As Matthew reports in today’s Gospel: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
 
So, when we do take the Lord’s message with us into the world, we cannot claim, as the prophet Jeremiah did: “You have duped me.”  We have been warned that the message we take will be unpopular. And this takes on a new meaning if we do as St. Paul says in his letter to the Romans:
 
“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
 
So, to summarize what we have from Scripture today this is the basic take-away:
 
First, we can’t be fooled that the message we are called to live is easy.  In fact, if we do it right, as exemplified by Jeremiah who apparently was not invited to many parties, we will not be popular among our peers.
 
Next, we need to work very hard to figure out what we are to do to “discern what is the will of God.”  It is only in doing this that we can do what the Lord requires of all Christians.
 
Finally, we can have no illusions about the task we are asked to take up.  It is, as the Lord explicitly states, a cross, his cross that he hands on to us.
 
All that being said, we ask ourselves another question:  Do I have the courage to do the right thing?  Can I live according to God’s will and the rule of love he has laid out for me?
 
Knowing it is difficult, we look at ways we can get to God’s will using “baby steps.” (I really hate to quote the movie “What about Bob”).   The first thing we must do is figure out a small thing we can do that will get us closer to what we think God might want us to do.  Perhaps it’s as simple as praying each day or perhaps reading the Bible at home to get to know the Lord’s will better.  If you are feeling confident, perhaps it’s as simple as not laughing at work or school when someone says or does something intended to be funny but is really hurtful to another person or group.
 
The challenge is not to take up Christ’s cross all at once.  It is way too heavy for us.  Like starting an exercise program, we don’t start by running a marathon the first week.  We just need to try to lift up one corner with something we can do and keep on doing.  Ultimately, when we come before the “Just Judge” we will be asked if we tried to conform ourselves to Christ.  We will not be expected to be him.
 
So, leaving with a short take-away, let’s all try to take a “baby step” toward bringing Jesus’ message into our daily lives.  And remember, we are not being duped, we are, as the prophet reminds us, letting ourselves be duped.
 
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 is “Simon of Cyrene Carries Jesus’ Cross.” Artist and date are unknown.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Peter C. Craigie, Jeremiah 1–25, vol. 26, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas, TX: Word, Incorporated, 1991), 275.
[6] James D. G. Dunn, Romans 9–16, vol. 38B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1988), 716.