Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Paulinus Of Nola, Bishop
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Paulinus Of Nola
Biographical information about St. Paulinus Of Nola
 
Or
 
Optional Memorial for Saint John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr and Saint Thomas More, Martyr
Proper readings for the Memorial of Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More
Biographical information about St. John Fisher
Biographical information about St. Thomas More

“The Kiss of Judas”
by Cornelis Engebrechtsz, c.1500

Readings for Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18
 
Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, occupied the whole land
and attacked Samaria, which he besieged for three years.
In the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel
the king of Assyria took Samaria,
and deported the children of Israel to Assyria,
setting them in Halah, at the Habor, a river of Gozan,
and the cities of the Medes.
 
This came about because the children of Israel sinned against the Lord,
their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt,
from under the domination of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
and because they venerated other gods.
They followed the rites of the nations
whom the Lord had cleared out of the way of the children of Israel
and the kings of Israel whom they set up.
 
And though the Lord warned Israel and Judah
by every prophet and seer,
“Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes,
in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers
and which I sent you by my servants the prophets,”
they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers,
who had not believed in the Lord, their God.
They rejected his statutes,
the covenant which he had made with their fathers,
and the warnings which he had given them, till,
in his great anger against Israel,
the Lord put them away out of his sight.
Only the tribe of Judah was left.
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Commentary on 2 Kgs 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18
 
In these verses from the Second Book of Kings, we see the history of faith revealed, as much of what is now modern-day Israel falls to Assyria. The root cause of this tragedy, in the eyes of the chronicler, is the Hebrew people’s failure to be faithful to God’s statutes, given to them in the form of Mosaic Law. Weakened by this lack of fidelity, they were conquered and enslaved. “Only the tribe of Judah was left.”
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 60:3, 4-5, 12-13
 
R. (7b) Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.
 
O God, you have rejected us and broken our defenses;
you have been angry; rally us!
R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.
 
You have rocked the country and split it open;
repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
You have made your people feel hardships;
you have given us stupefying wine.
R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.
 
Have not you, O God, rejected us,
so that you go not forth, O God, with our armies?
Give us aid against the foe,
for worthless is the help of men.
R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.
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Commentary on Ps 60:3, 4-5, 12-13
 
Psalm 60 is a community lament. In these strophes we hear the psalmist complain that the armies of Israel have failed in battle and implore the Lord for his assistance. The consequences of this failure are attributed to the fact that the people have fallen into distress caused by lack of faith. The concluding strophe gives witness to their dependence upon the Lord’s aid: “Give us aid against the foe, for worthless is the help of men.”
 
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 7:1-5
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged,
and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’
while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 7:1-5
 
The beginning of the seventh chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel finds Jesus teaching his disciples about being judgmental. They are told to first look at their own transgressions before judging others. “This is not a prohibition against recognizing the faults of others, which would be hardly compatible with Matthew 7:5 and 6, but against passing judgment in a spirit of arrogance, forgetful of one's own faults.” [4] “Jesus’ teaching on judgment is two-sided. He condemns judging others' faults (vs. 1-2; Luke 6:37). We are incapable of judging with fairness and accuracy since God alone knows the heart (Proverbs 21:2; Luke 16:15). However, Jesus commands us to exercise critical discernment (Matthew 7:6; 15-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). Examination is necessary to avoid profaning what is holy (7:6) and embracing what is false (7:15).” [5]
 
“A person whose sight is distorted sees things as deformed, even though in fact they are not deformed. St. Augustine gives this advice: 'Try to acquire those virtues which you think your brothers lack, and you will no longer see their defects, because you will not have them yourselves' ("Enarrationes In Psalmos", 30, 2, 7). In this connection, the saying, 'A thief thinks that everyone else is a thief’ is in line with this teaching of Jesus.” [6]
 
CCC: Mt 7:1-5 678
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
We reflect today upon the relationship between Jesus’ teaching about being judgmental provided in the Gospel passage, and his teaching about forgiveness, emphasized earlier in Matthew 6:14-15. The relationship between being judgmental and forgiveness is at the heart of the cliché, “Love the sinner but hate the sin.” Jesus reminds us in very clear terms that we do not have the authority (or the wisdom) to judge others. We do not have God’s ability to see into the hearts of others, to see their intent, or the factors that have led them to act in ways we might consider sinful. (See CCC 1749-1756: objective, intention, circumstances.)
 
Our observations often cause us to identify, or stereotype, a person (or group) based upon actions we see, and that we judge to violate our norms of behavior. For instance, in the opening scene of the 1964 epic film Zulu, a missionary and his daughter are in a Zulu village witnessing a mass marriage between around fifty warriors and their prospective brides. From the perspective of the missionary’s daughter these people are barbarian, sinful because of several cultural factors. Yet in the eyes of the people themselves, they are being quite moral.
 
This theatrical example is brought into sharper relief when applied to individuals or groups we might encounter. In a more recent and non-fictional example, a man was reported to have attempted a robbery at a convenience store in suburban Detroit, Michigan. The owner of the store (of Arabic descent, highlighting yet another stereotype) refused to give the man the money from his cash register, whereupon the would-be robber dropped to his knees sobbing saying he was sorry but he had lost his job and had only resorted to stealing to feed his family. The shop owner had pity on the man, and gave him a loaf of bread, twenty dollars, and allowed him to leave. We could judge the man who tried to rob the store as a thief who deserved to be incarcerated. We could judge the shop owner as having done the “morally good” thing, and in both cases we may have been wrong.
 
In this example we see clearly the link between the Lord’s prohibition against being judgmental and his exhortation about forgiveness. While we have neither the authority nor the wisdom to judge others, we do have the ability and the responsibility to forgive those who may have harmed us. The logic of one supports the other. Since we cannot know the heart of the person who causes us injury, we may only forgive them.
 
Today, Jesus tells us to avoid being judgmental of others. We who have sinned do not have the right to judge the sins of others; that is for the one who is without sin. May we take his words to heart, and in place of our rush to judgment, may we rush to forgive.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used is “The Kiss of Judas” by Cornelis Engebrechtsz, 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.
[4] NAB footnote on Mt 7:1-12.
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. © 2010), 18.
[6] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 95.

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]

 
CCC 852: The Spirit of Christ sustains the Christian mission
CCC 905: Evangelizing by the example of life
CCC 1808, 1816: Courageous witness of faith overcomes fear and death
CCC 2471-2474: Bear witness to the truth
CCC 359, 402-411, 615: Adam, Original Sin, Christ the New Adam

“Landscape with Christ and His Disciples”
by Francisque Millet, c. 1660

Readings for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 20:10-13
 
I hear the whisperings of many:
"Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!"
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
"Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him."
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!
-----------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jer 20:10-13
 
Jeremiah is near despair as the plots of his family and friends are fomented against him. We can clearly hear the fear in his voice (“All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine”). Yet, in spite of his dire situation, he trusts that God will support him. Indeed, he is hoping that God will not only save him but will punish those who plot against him.
 
This is a typical Old Testament understanding of the God of Justice, who visits his wrath on the enemies of the faithful. We see also an interesting observation about the path of the faithful: “O Lord of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart,” implying that the path of faithfulness is always difficult.
 
CCC: Jer 20:7-18 2584
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35
 
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my children,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
 
I pray to you, O Lord,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O Lord, for bounteous is your kindness;
in your great mercy turn toward me.
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.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!"
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35
 
Psalm 69 is an individual lament. The psalmist sings of great trials and perils, describing the singer’s dire situation. Faith and hope in the Lord, says the song, sustains those in need. It draws heavily on the image of the faithful servant who suffers but remains dedicated to God’s law and works. Even in the face of this intense social embarrassment, the psalmist must be faithful because “zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.” The imagery in this song forces us to look forward to the passion, as Christ’s punishment is prophetically envisioned.
 
CCC: Ps 69:10 584
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Reading 2: Romans 5:12-15
 
Brothers and sisters:
Through one man sin entered the world,
and through sin, death,
and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—
for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,
though sin is not accounted when there is no law.
But death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who did not sin
after the pattern of the trespass of Adam,
who is the type of the one who was to come.
 
But the gift is not like the transgression.
For if by the transgression of the one the many died,
how much more did the grace of God
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ
overflow for the many.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Rom 5:12-15
 
St. Paul has just concluded a description of the sin of Adam, the “original sin.” Though this action, says St. Paul, sin entered the world; although before the Law of Moses, sin was not defined and therefore “sin is not accounted when there is no law.” Nevertheless, even though sin was not defined before Moses, “death reigned from Adam to Moses” (sin is sin even when unnamed).
 
St. Paul continues describing how through one man, Adam, sin entered the world. But the mercy of God was even greater in providing Jesus, his Son, the “New Adam,” through whom all sins were forgiven in his one heroic sacrifice of atonement.
 
"We believe that in Adam all have sinned. From this it follows that, on account of the original offense committed by him, human nature, which is common to all men, is reduced to that condition in which it must suffer the consequences of that Fall [...]. Consequently, fallen human nature is deprived of the economy of grace which it formerly enjoyed. It is wounded in its natural powers and subjected to the dominion of death which is transmitted to all men. It is in this sense that every man is born in sin. We hold, therefore, in accordance with the Council of Trent, that Original Sin is transmitted along with human nature, ‘not by imitation but by propagation,’ and is, therefore, incurred by each person individually." [5]
 
CCC: Rom 5:12-21 388; Rom 5:12 400, 402, 602, 612, 1008
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Gospel: Matthew 10:26-33
 
Jesus said to the Twelve:
“Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 10:26-33
 
Jesus concludes his instructions to the apostles as he sends them out. Here he tells them that they go with his authority and his purpose which may be hidden from others but which they will proclaim from “the housetops.” He tells them not to fear the persecution he has told them they will face, because while the body may be killed, their souls are safe with him. He concludes this passage telling them that the Father is watching over them and they have nothing to fear.
 
“Jesus’ command to his disciples 'not to fear men' is not only a personal encouragement privately given by a teacher to his helping followers.  It is important to see this whole passage or election, instruction, and sending forth in the context of God’s choosing of prophets for himself, to do his work in the world. What might be called the 'subtext' of this passage is the divinity of Christ Jesus, the incarnate Word of the Father, active in history and performing sovereign actions that only God himself performed in the Old Testament.” [6]
 
CCC: Mt 10:28 363, 1034; Mt 10:29-31 305; Mt 10:32-33 1816; Mt 10:32 14, 2145
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
How many times in movies have we heard the phrase: “Don’t look down!”  We picture the scene: A person is on a rickety ladder or an unstable scaffold spanning a deadly drop.  The novice is petrified and cannot move, staring down to almost certain death.  And behind them, the calm hero or heroine says: “Don’t look down.”  “Look up,” or “look ahead.” The Lord is telling his disciples that they will face resistance and persecution when they go out on the mission to which they are being sent.
 
The Gospel tells of the Lord’s calm assurance as he sends his friends out upon the mission upon which he was also sent.  We suspect that, while his disciples were not fully trained rabbis, they had a good background in Mosaic Law and the prophets.  They would have been familiar with the stories of how the great prophetic figures (like Jeremiah in the first reading) had been attacked and persecuted.  They would have known that in many cases this persecution led even to death. 
 
In the Gospel the Lord tells them that they are correct.  The mission upon which he is sending them will be difficult.  There will be persecution and attacks, even from the people he is sending them to help. Then Jesus tells them: “Don’t look down.”  In a very real sense, he tells them to look up.  Look up in faith to God the Father.  Your spirit is safe in his loving hands.
 
Paul defines the difference between the soul before Christ’s sacrifice and after.  He reminds us that these disciples, who are being sent into harm’s way, may be in physical danger, but because Jesus opens the gates of heaven, slammed shut in Adam’s “Original Sin,” they are safe from death in the eternal life promised by God and guaranteed by the sacrifice of his Only Begotten Son.
 
Because the Lord has not yet fulfilled that part of his mission, the disciples must accept on faith that what the Lord is promising, he will fulfill.
 
The message for us in Scripture is very clear.  First, through our baptism in which we had the sin of the first Adam washed away, we received the blessing of the New Adam, Jesus, who provides us with what we could call “eternal life insurance.”  It is our safety net.  Like those first friends of his, we are sent into a world that does not want to hear the message of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Like those first disciples we will face persecution for our beliefs and likely even attacks as the secular world becomes ever more unaccepting of the truth Christianity offers.
 
If we hear this message to boldly go out and proclaim the Good News with our words and actions and become afraid, the Lord whispers in our ear: “Don’t be afraid.  Don’t look down.  Look up.”  That is how we are encouraged today.  We are sent, and we are given food for the journey that allows us to go out knowing the Lord is with us.
 
Pax
 
In other years on this date: Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

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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 “Landscape with Christ and His Disciples” by Francisque Millet, c. 1660.
[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] "Creed of the People of God,” 16, St. Paul VI, Pope.
[6] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 577.

Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 
On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed.[1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Suggested for this date: # 35 The Blessed Virgin Mary, Pillar of Faith

“The Worship of Mammon”
by Evelyn De Morgan, 1909

Readings for Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: 2 Chronicles 24:17-25
 
After the death of Jehoiada,
the princes of Judah came and paid homage to King Joash,
and the king then listened to them.
They forsook the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers,
and began to serve the sacred poles and the idols;
and because of this crime of theirs,
wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Although prophets were sent to them to convert them to the Lord,
the people would not listen to their warnings.
Then the Spirit of God possessed Zechariah,
son of Jehoiada the priest.
He took his stand above the people and said to them:
“God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the Lord’s commands,
so that you cannot prosper?
Because you have abandoned the Lord, he has abandoned you.’”
But they conspired against him,
and at the king’s order they stoned him to death
in the court of the Lord’s temple.
Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him
by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and slew his son.
And as Zechariah was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and avenge.”
 
At the turn of the year a force of Arameans came up against Joash.
They invaded Judah and Jerusalem,
did away with all the princes of the people,
and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.
Though the Aramean force came with few men,
the Lord surrendered a very large force into their power,
because Judah had abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers.
So punishment was meted out to Joash.
After the Arameans had departed from him,
leaving him in grievous suffering,
his servants conspired against him
because of the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest.
He was buried in the City of David,
but not in the tombs of the kings.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on 2 Chr 24:17-25
 
King Joash does not direct the people to worship God, but embraces idol worship, and disregards the prophets sent to him.  Then Zechariah, emboldened by God’s spirit, rises and challenges King Joash and the people, telling them that unless they turn back to God, they will be punished.  The king, even though he owed his own life to Zechariah’s father, Jehoiada (see 2 Kings 11:4-17), had Zechariah murdered. (This event is referenced by Jesus, speaking about the Jews ignoring and killing prophets in Luke 11:51, although there is some confusion over this because of Matthew 23:35, where Zechariah is identified as “son of Barachiah” the minor prophet. See Zechariah 1:1.)
 
The actions of the king and the people are seen to be avenged by God through the Arameans.  The chronicler records that a small force later attacks Judah, and inexplicably defeats the much larger army of Judah. They then proceed to kill the king and his court, not according him the honor of his kingship.
 
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34
 
R. (29a) For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
 
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
 
“Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
I will make his posterity endure forever
and his throne as the days of heaven.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
 
“If his sons forsake my law
and walk not according to my ordinances,
If they violate my statutes
and keep not my commands.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
 
“I will punish their crime with a rod
and their guilt with stripes.
Yet my mercy I will not take from him,
nor will I belie my faithfulness.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 89:4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34
 
Psalm 89 is a communal lament sung after the defeat of the Davidic king. Because defeat calls into question God’s promise, made in the strophes cited here wherein God promised David’s throne to stand forever, the community asks God to remember his promise.
 
CCC: Ps 89 709
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Gospel: Matthew 6:24-34
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.
 
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
 
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 6:24-34
 
Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount being very clear about what must be placed first in the life of his disciples. Here the word mammon is used, an Aramaic word meaning wealth. The Lord does not deny that people need the physical things of the world (i.e., food, clothing, and water), but tells them that, if they have faith in God and pursue the things of God’s kingdom, the heavenly Father will provide for them. He goes further to say that, if they are constantly focused on material goods, they will not extend their lives even a little.
 
“This passage, like the preceding one, stresses the importance of undistracted, absolute discipleship. The key to avoiding anxiety [achieving peace] is to make the kingdom one’s priority (v 33). The disciples have a ‘heavenly Father’ who knows of their ongoing needs and who will supply them.” [5]
 
CCC: Mt 6:24 2113, 2424, 2729, 2821, 2848; Mt 6:25-34 2547, 2830; Mt 6:25 2608; Mt 6:26-34 322; Mt 6:26 2416; Mt 6:31-33 305; Mt 6:32 270; Mt 6:33 1942, 2604, 2608, 2632; Mt 6:34 2659, 2836
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
The sacred history of God’s involvement with mankind repeatedly demonstrates the lesson Jesus tries to teach in the selection proclaimed from the Sermon on the Mount. People who place physical wealth and power first in their lives perish with it. Those who worship the idols of avarice and greed, ignoring God, who created all things, find only dust at the end of their earthly lives.
 
We see the historical evidence of this warning played out in the reading from Second Book of Chronicles. King Joash, who himself was rescued from the tyranny of a predecessor (ironically kept hidden and safe in the temple for six years by a priest, the father of Zechariah, whom he had killed for calling the people to return to authentic worship) is punished for his idol worship. Like so many stories related in the historical books of the Bible (1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles), leaders who allow or encourage the people to turn away and forget that the one true God created them, offers them peace, and asks only for obedience and love, find that destruction follows their disobedience.
 
Jesus, who is trying desperately to show the people the depth of God’s love, tells the disciples and those with them that loving wealth, power, and material goods leaves the soul empty. What comfort and consolation does a bar of gold give when one is frightened or ill? What strength does a mansion of bricks and mortar give when our mortal shell begins to fail? What genuine love is received from hirelings paid to serve?
 
It is only in the Lord, whose love for us is unimaginable, that comfort, consolation, and strength may be found and anxiety avoided. It is only strength of spirit, bolstered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, that allows us to look into the eye of defeated death, and walk forward unafraid.
 
As disciples of the Lord, we are reminded once more that our energy and focus in life must be to embrace the spiritual treasure that the Lord offers us. It is by prizing him above all else that this treasure is accumulated. We pray today that our minds constantly flow to Jesus who, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, is the author of our creation.
 
Pax

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[1] Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by “BVM.” The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2] The picture is “The Worship of Mammon” by Evelyn De Morgan, 1909.
[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] Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 1–13, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 33A, (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1993), 166.

Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

“Proclaiming Joash King”
by Edward Bird, c. 1815

Readings for Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20
 
When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah,
saw that her son was dead,
she began to kill off the whole royal family.
But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah,
took Joash, his son, and spirited him away, along with his nurse,
from the bedroom where the princes were about to be slain.
She concealed him from Athaliah, and so he did not die.
For six years he remained hidden in the temple of the Lord,
while Athaliah ruled the land.
 
But in the seventh year,
Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carians
and of the guards.
He had them come to him in the temple of the Lord,
exacted from them a sworn commitment,
and then showed them the king’s son.
 
The captains did just as Jehoiada the priest commanded.
Each one with his men, both those going on duty for the sabbath
and those going off duty that week,
came to Jehoiada the priest.
He gave the captains King David’s spears and shields,
which were in the temple of the Lord.
And the guards, with drawn weapons,
lined up from the southern to the northern limit of the enclosure,
surrounding the altar and the temple on the king’s behalf.
Then Jehoiada led out the king’s son
and put the crown and the insignia upon him.
They proclaimed him king and anointed him,
clapping their hands and shouting, “Long live the king!”
 
Athaliah heard the noise made by the people,
and appeared before them in the temple of the Lord.
When she saw the king standing by the pillar, as was the custom,
and the captains and trumpeters near him,
with all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets,
she tore her garments and cried out,
“Treason, treason!”
Then Jehoiada the priest instructed the captains
in command of the force:
“Bring her outside through the ranks.
If anyone follows her,” he added, “let him die by the sword.”
He had given orders that she
should not be slain in the temple of the Lord.
She was led out forcibly to the horse gate of the royal palace,
where she was put to death.
 
Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord as one party
and the king and the people as the other,
by which they would be the Lord’s people;
and another covenant, between the king and the people.
Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal
and demolished it.
They shattered its altars and images completely,
and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.
Jehoiada appointed a detachment for the temple of the Lord.
All the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet,
now that Athaliah had been slain with the sword
at the royal palace.
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Commentary on 2 Kgs 11:1-4, 9-18, 20
 
This story of the succession of the kingship of Israel to King Joash begins with the fulfillment of the prophecy that the house of the sons of King Ahaziah would suffer God’s wrath. We see in the beginning of this story Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah learning of her son’s death. He was in fact a prince of Judah (see 2 Chronicles 22:9ff) killed by Jehu. This action sets off the sequence of events that ends with the rightful king, Joash, installed, and the return of Israel to faithful worship, and another suppression of Baal worship. (Note: Baal was not a single god but had many guises depending upon the region. In Holy Writ the various forms are not usually distinguished.)
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 132:11, 12, 13-14, 17-18
R. (13) The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
 
The Lord swore to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
“Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne.”
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
 
“If your sons keep my covenant
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne.”
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
 
For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he prefers her for his dwelling.
“Zion is my resting place forever;
in her will I dwell, for I prefer her.”
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
 
“In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David;
I will place a lamp for my anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but upon him my crown shall shine.”
R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.
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Commentary on Ps 132:11, 12, 13-14, 17-18
 
Psalm 132 is a song of thanksgiving sung by the community as they remember the establishment of God’s salvation expressed in the Davidic Dynasty. The promise of God is fulfilled in Jesus, the fruit of Mary's womb, the Messiah, who comes from the house of David to rule forever.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 6:19-23
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
 
“The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”
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Commentary on Mt 6:19-23
 
Jesus concludes his sermon with a caution about placing importance on “treasures on earth.” In this context, St. Matthew’s Gospel also recalls the Lord’s analogy of faith being light, using it as a symbol of seeking one’s desires. Here we see that if what we seek is of darkness (material wealth), as contrasted with seeking the light (spiritual wealth), how dark will that spirit inside us be?
 
The passage weaves in imagery used in the preceding text of the Gospel.  The moth and the rust “disfigure and make unrecognizable” their subjects, an image used earlier (Matthew 6:1-2) to describe the fasting hypocrites who disfigure their faces.  The thieves on earth are said to dig through walls to steal your treasure (using the Greek verb) reminding us of the storeroom in the middle of the house where no thief can come; and finally he constantly reminds us to store up “treasures in heaven,” God’s storeroom which by inference is also that “secret inner chamber of the heart.”
 
“All of this powerfully reminds us that the Gospel, far from being a blueprint for any particular kind of action in the world, is above all the furnace where Christ transforms the heart and mind of man.” [4]
 
CCC: Mt 6:21 368, 2533, 2551, 2604, 2608, 2729, 2848
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Reflection:
 
As we grow older, our view of time changes. We have heard many times how a brush with death causes a person to come to grips with his or her own mortality. Yet, for the most part, we go through our lives thinking in terms of tomorrow, next week, next month, or on rare occasions, next year. It seems the furthest out we seem to go is when we are looking at retirement, and what kind of stability we can provide for ourselves. With the current crop of “baby boomers” coming to retirement age, we hear more and more about 401(k)s, retirement planning, and how we need to plan so we can enjoy the rewards of the “Golden Years.”
 
One would think, with all this attention paid to retirement planning, a person might think in even longer terms. If we think about it, in the United States today a typical retirement expectation is that a person will retire at around 68 or 70 (some wealthier might even retire at 55). With current life expectations, that means that the “Golden Years” may last for 20-40 years at the longest. At the end of that time, another phase in our lives begins – eternity. Once the body dies, we do not have to worry about things like health insurance and a fixed income. The planning we did for our financial health is now meaningless. What is important at that time is what we planned for by what we did with our lives.
 
That is what Jesus spoke about in the Gospel of St. Matthew. That is what the story from the Second Book of Kings should have reminded us. Only the greatest figures in history are even remembered (who even remembers what was accomplished by some of the kings of Israel?), so out of the six billion people on earth, who are we trying to impress with our wealth, our treasure, our power, our prosperity? Before someone says it, yes, we need to provide for ourselves and our families. Yes, we should use the gifts God gave us to the fullest extent of our abilities. But where is the true treasure? What are we storing up and how do we see the “Golden Years?”
 
Jesus reminds us today that what we need to store up is “treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.” We need to come as close to the Lord as we possibly can in terms of our character. That means love of God, love of others, service to all. Our prayer today is that we see our response to the Lord, not just as our duty as Christians, but that it becomes our passion so that like the Lord says: “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used today is “Proclaiming Joash King” by Edward Bird, c. 1815.
[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] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 272.