Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial of Saint Pontian, pope and martyr,
and Saint Hippolytus, priest and martyr
 
Proper for the Memorial of Sts. Pontian and Hippolytus
 
Biographical information about St. Pontian
 
Biographical information about St. Hippolytus

“Ezekiel” (detail)
by Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1510

 
Readings for Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Ezekiel 12:1-12
 
The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house;
they have eyes to see but do not see,
and ears to hear but do not hear,
for they are a rebellious house.
Now, son of man, during the day while they are looking on,
prepare your baggage as though for exile,
and again while they are looking on,
migrate from where you live to another place;
perhaps they will see that they are a rebellious house.
You shall bring out your baggage like an exile in the daytime
while they are looking on;
in the evening, again while they are looking on,
you shall go out like one of those driven into exile;
while they look on, dig a hole in the wall and pass through it;
while they look on, shoulder the burden and set out in the darkness;
cover your face that you may not see the land,
for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.
 
I did as I was told.
During the day I brought out my baggage
as though it were that of an exile,
and at evening I dug a hole through the wall with my hand
and, while they looked on, set out in the darkness,
shouldering my burden.
 
Then, in the morning, the word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, did not the house of Israel, that rebellious house,
ask you what you were doing?
Tell them: Thus says the Lord God:
This oracle concerns Jerusalem
and the whole house of Israel within it.
I am a sign for you:
as I have done, so shall it be done to them;
as captives they shall go into exile.
The prince who is among them shall shoulder his burden
and set out in darkness,
going through a hole he has dug out in the wall,
and covering his face lest he be seen by anyone.
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Commentary on Ez 12:1-12
 
As a consequence of their rebellion against the Law of Moses, the prophet Ezekiel predicts the nature of the defeat and exile of the Israelites from Jerusalem. Ezekiel is told to reenact the exile as “a sign” of what is to come. He is told to “dig a hole” in the wall, a symbol of the broken walls of Jerusalem, and to hide his face, a symbol of shame or grief (see Jeremiah 14:4). 
 
"Ezekiel's symbolic action stands for what will happen to King Zedekiah (v. 10: cf. 2 Kings 25:2-7), who is not mentioned here by either name or title of king. He is called 'the prince in Jerusalem,' not 'prince of Judah', to indicate that catastrophe will befall the city and its inhabitants." [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 78:56-57, 58-59, 61-62
 
R. (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!
 
They tempted and rebelled against God the Most High,
and kept not his decrees.
They turned back and were faithless like their fathers;
they recoiled like a treacherous bow.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
 
They angered him with their high places
and with their idols roused his jealousy.
God heard and was enraged
and utterly rejected Israel.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
 
And he surrendered his strength into captivity,
his glory in the hands of the foe.
He abandoned his people to the sword
and was enraged against his inheritance.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
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Commentary on Ps 78:56-57, 58-59, 61-62
 
Psalm 78 is a recital of historical events in the experience of Israel. In these verses the psalmist once more recounts the idea that the people had turned away from God, and in consequence received his punishment, defeat, and exile.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 18:21–19:1
 
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
 
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed,
and went to their master and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
 
When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee
and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
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Commentary on Mt 18:21–19:1
 
This selection from the Gospel from St. Matthew provides a teaching moment, as Jesus explains how his followers must forgive others. Peter asks Jesus how many times a person who sins must be forgiven. Jesus responds that forgiveness must be without limits. Jesus uses Hebrew numerology in this illustration. Seven in Hebrew terms is the perfect or complete number. So when Peter asks “how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” he is asking if he must forgive him completely. The metaphor the Lord uses in reply “seventy times seven” would imply an absolute forgiveness. "Jesus contrasts the behavior expected of the apostles with the boundless vengeance of Lamech in Genesis 4:24 (LXX), where the same figures of 'seven' and 'seventy times seven' are contrasted (CCC 982)." [5]
 
Jesus illustrates the requirement for Christian forgiveness with the parable of the unmerciful servant. As in many of the parables, the one who does what is wrong, in this case failing to show mercy and forgiveness even when it was shown to him, suffers a much worse fate in the final judgment.
 
CCC: Mt 18:21-22 982, 2227, 2845; Mt 18:23-35 2843; Mt 19:1-12 2364
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Reflection:
 
How many times have we been told: “Jesus forgave us our sins and we must forgive those who sin against us?”  Each time we say the Lord’s Prayer that request is made: “Forgive us our trespasses”; and we in turn make a promise, “as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  Perhaps it’s the word “trespass” that throws us off.  The first definition found in most dictionaries is something like: “an unlawful act causing injury to the person, property, or rights of another, committed with force or violence, actual or implied.” [6]  We note that here trespass means sin or offense, rather than the common usage where we think of trespassing as meaning simply “an encroachment or intrusion.”[7]
 
When we pray we ask God to overlook our sins, to forgive them.  We do so with confidence because we have come to believe that Jesus came and offered himself as the sacrifice to God that atones for those sins.  In the Gospel, St. Peter asks Jesus how often he must forgive: “As many as seven times?”  His question is couched in symbolic terms using the Hebrew symbol for completeness, “7”.  In response Jesus says, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”  It is interesting that he says 77 times and not 777 times.  The implication of only using two sevens rather than three is that we will never perfectly forgive, only God can do that (three sevens would be ultimate perfection just as Holy, Holy, Holy is perfect holiness and 666 is the ultimate evil).
 
But rather than dwell on the interesting subject of Hebrew numerology and symbolism, let’s ask ourselves what Jesus wants of us.  While his answer was directed at St. Peter, his instruction, followed by a parable, is clearly meant for us as well.  Forgiveness can be given at different levels.  When a stranger inadvertently bumps into us and says, “Excuse me,” we forgive that person without really taking offense.  It would be a different story if that person stole our wallet during that bump and later returned it to us saying, “I’m sorry I stole your wallet.”  And different still if that person did not return the wallet and we later realized it was missing.  Would we still find it in our hearts to forgive that person, completely?
 
The Lord is asking us to forgive as a parent forgives.  When a child does something wrong, knowingly “trespasses,” a parent will forgive that child with an added flavor to that forgiveness.  The parent accepts that their child has erred, and accepts that child’s humanness, knowing that the child will sin again, but nonetheless loving that child completely.  That is forgiveness at the 77 level.  When Christ offered himself on the Cross for our salvation, that was forgiveness at 777.  No human person can achieve such perfection.
 
Today our prayer is simple.  May we be given the grace to forgive those who trespass against us, and accept that we share in their failings.  Today we thank God for his Son who died, showing us forgiveness.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Ezekiel” (detail) by Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1510.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Navarre Bible, Major Prophets (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 637.
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. © 2010), 8
[6] trespass. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trespass (accessed: August 11, 2020).
[7]Iibid

Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Jane Frances De Chantal, Religious
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Jane Frances De Chantal
 
Biographical Information about St. Jane Frances De Chantal

“The Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem” by Nicolas Poussin,1637

Readings for Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time  [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22
 
The Lord cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city!
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer’s case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a “thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the Lord say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the “thau”; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city.
 
Then the glory of the Lord left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.
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Commentary on Ez 9:1-7; 10:18-22
 
In this vision from Ezekiel the Lord calls down retribution upon the idolatrous people of Jerusalem. His oracle predicts the Assyrian invasion by King Nebuchadnezzar symbolically. There were seven attackers coming from the north. Seven is the number of completeness in Hebrew numerology, indicating that the destruction of Jerusalem would be complete. The scribe (“a man dressed in linen, with a writer’s case at his waist”) would indicate that these invaders were sent by God rather than a wicked invading army. They marked the innocent with an “X” on their foreheads (the letter thau forms an X) reminiscent of the mark of Cain (Genesis 4:15). God then strikes both the temple and Jerusalem sparing those who were marked.
 
All this is done as the Lord prepares to abandon the city (“Then the glory of the Lord left the threshold of the temple”). The abandonment is in the same detail as the beatific vision of God’s presence; the “glory of the Lord,” the “cherubim” with their wings, lifting their wheels. The vision foresees the utter abandonment of Jerusalem by God.
 
CCC: Ez 9:4-6 1296
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
 
R. (4b) The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Praise, you servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
both now and forever.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the Lord to be praised.
High above all nations is the Lord;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
 
Psalm 113 is a hymn of praise. The psalmist calls the “servants of the Lord” to sing God’s praises constantly, "from the rising to the setting of the sun." The omnipotence of the Lord is exalted as he is seated on his throne above the heavens.
 
CCC: Ps 113:1-2 2143
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Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
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Commentary on Mt 18:15-20
 
St. Matthew relates the Lord's instructions to his disciples (and to the Christian community at large). “Passing from the duty of Christian disciples toward those who have strayed from their number, the discourse now turns to how they are to deal with one who sins and yet remains within the community. First there is to be private correction; if this is unsuccessful, further correction before two or three witnesses; if this fails, the matter is to be brought before the assembled community (the church), and if the sinner refuses to attend to the correction of the church, he is to be expelled. The church's judgment will be ratified in heaven, i.e., by God. The section ends with a saying about the favorable response of God to prayer, even to that of a very small number, for Jesus is in the midst of any gathering of his disciples, however small.”[4]
 
CCC: Mt 18:16 2472; Mt 18:18 553, 1444; Mt 18:20 1088, 1373
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Reflection:
 
We have some very good practical direction given by St. Matthew’s Gospel today.  That advice is coupled with a reiteration of Jesus passing his authority on to his disciples (and by that action through apostolic succession, to the Holy See and the Chair of Peter).  It is teaching that we frequently do not take.  It is easier, after all, to run first to some authority than to try to correct a person who is violating laws or regulations directly.  Many of us want to avoid the confrontation involved.
 
This instruction, however, is in keeping with the fundamental respect Jesus teaches us we must have for the human person.  The fact that we should go to a person who has done something wrong before saying anything to anyone else is based upon the presumption that the person did not know they had erred or had done so out of ignorance.  The underlying idea is people are all God’s creations are to be loved, but sometimes they make bad or uninformed choices.
 
Understanding these underlying assumptions the way Jesus teaches them is important.  Having the attitude of profound respect for the other person will dictate how we approach them with the correction.  When we do this, as St. Paul said in Philippians, “Our attitude should be that of Christ” When we correct, we correct the action or the behavior, not the person.  If, for instance, the person we approach has caused hurt by saying things that are disparaging of someone else, we should tell them that that untruth was hurtful and that they should check the facts before repeating damaging comments.  That is much different than telling them that they are a bad person because of their actions.
 
Scripture is clear.  If after we have done our best to correct them in a one-on-one situation, the next step is to bring one or two others along and try again.  (This actually hearkens back to Mosaic Law where two witnesses were required to press a charge against an offender of the law.).  If that fails, the Church needs to be informed and appropriate action taken.  In very serious (and rare) situations excommunication is the end result of this process.
 
While this method of correction is taught as a way to deal with members of our faith community, because of the underlying assumptions about the dignity of the human person, it is also recommended for use with others we meet.  Especially in situations where confrontation takes place, our opportunity to demonstrate the love for others our Lord commanded us to have will be most effectively demonstrated.
 
Pax
 

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[1]  The picture used is “The Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem” by Nicolas Poussin,1637.
[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 Matthew 18:15-20.

Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin

Proper for the Memorial of St. Clare
 
Biographical Information about St. Clare 

"Saint Clare"
by Simone Martini, 1317

Readings for Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Reading from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Ezekiel 2:8—3:4
 
The Lord God said to me:
As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you:
be not rebellious like this house of rebellion,
but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you.
 
It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me,
in which was a written scroll which he unrolled before me.
It was covered with writing front and back,
and written on it was:
Lamentation and wailing and woe!
 
He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you;
eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.
So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat.
Son of man, he then said to me,
feed your belly and fill your stomach
with this scroll I am giving you.
I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel,
and speak my words to them.
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Commentary on Ez 2:8—3:4
 
The visions depicting the call of the prophet Ezekiel by God continue as the prophet is offered the word of God to bring to the people.  “The experience of Yahweh’s “hand” is regularly associated with the personal receipt of a vision in the book of Ezekiel (3:22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1); in 33:22 it triggers an extraordinary divine action. It has antecedents in earlier descriptions of prophetic experiences. The closest to the examples in Ezekiel is in 2 Kgs 3:15, where Yahweh’s hand causes a trance in which an oracle is communicated.”[4] The offer to have Ezekiel "eat the scroll" is symbolic of his internalization of the word of God. He takes it into himself and knows its meaning in his heart. (The ancient Hebrew made the “stomach” the equivalent of the heart in modern usage.)
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131
 
R. (103a) How sweet to my taste is your promise!
 
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
 
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
 
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
 
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
 
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
 
I gasp with open mouth,
in my yearning for your commands.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
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Commentary on Ps 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131
 
Psalm 119 is a song of praise directed at the Law of Moses. In this longest of psalms dedicated to the love of the law, the psalmist provides the image of “tasting” the law of God. We note especially the sweetness experienced by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:3); the word of the Lord is sweet to those who receive it and understand.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
 
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
 
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
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Commentary on Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
 
Jesus, in this selection from St. Matthew’s Gospel, summarizes what is known as “church order.”  It is called this because, in response to the question “who will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus refutes the rank and privilege of the secular world and indicates that those whose faith is like a small child will find greatness in heaven.  He goes on to remind the disciples that angels of God watch over those with childlike faith, and that there is no greater sin than leading a child to sin.  He also tells the disciples there is no greater duty than seeking a child who is lost (to sin).
 
“In this context He speaks of children having guardian angels. However, everyone, adult or child, has a guardian angel. ‘By God's providence angels have been entrusted with the office of guarding the human race and of accompanying every human being so as to preserve him from any serious dangers [...]. Our Heavenly Father has placed over each of us an angel under whose protection and vigilance we are’ (‘St. Pius V Catechism,’ IV, 9, 4).” [5]
 
CCC: Mt 18:3-4 526; Mt 18:3 2785; Mt 18:10 329, 336; Mt 18:14 605, 2822
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Reflection:
 
In the first reading, from the book of the prophet Ezekiel, we find the prophet deep in a vision.  He hears God call him to take his word to the people.  The imagery shows how Ezekiel was offered the word of God – to eat.  The meaning behind this action is that, for the prophet to lead the people of God back to God’s will, he must completely take the word in.  It must become part of him.  It is only in this way that what he tells people comes from God not from man.
 
Leadership is also implicit in the reading from St. Matthew’s Gospel.  Jesus tells those seeking the kingdom of God that, in order to take a place of honor there, one must become like a small child,  meaning that, like a small child, one’s faith must be absolute.  In a child there is no questioning; when their father asks them to do something they do not question: “Is he right?”  No, they follow his direction (when they are very young).  This innocent faith is the way to the kingdom of Heaven, and the Lord tells us that those with that kind of faith have angels watching over them, keeping them from harm.
 
Then he instructs the leaders of the flock, saying that they must never lead one of the innocents astray.  He tells us that to do so is the worst possible sin, and the punishment will be swift and remorseless.
 
Any of us who are parents find this passage very sobering.  We are charged with leading our children in the faith.  The rite of Infant baptism enjoins us seven times to be the first and best teachers of our children.  We are told that we teach them by what we say and do.  This task, of course, falls to those outside the home in the faith community as well.  Children and those with childlike faith look to us to see the example of a lived faith we demonstrate.  It is one of the most compelling instructions we have for doing our very best to follow the precepts set down.  Leading one of these astray through our actions, after all, will cost us a great price.
 
Today our prayer is this: that we may be the best teachers of the faith in what we say and do.  We pray that those children or childlike in their faith will see our example and be led unalterably to the Father’s throne where we hope to join them with all the angels and saints.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is "Saint Clare" by Simone Martini, 1317.
[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] Leslie C. Allen, Ezekiel 1–19, vol. 28, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 23.
[5] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 156.

Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Biographical Information about St. Lawrence

“St Lawrence”
by Francisco de Zubrarán,1639-40

Readings for the Feast of St. Lawrence [1]

 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

 

Readings and Commentary: [3]

 

Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10

 

Brothers and sisters:

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,

and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,

for God loves a cheerful giver.

Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,

so that in all things, always having all you need,

you may have an abundance for every good work.

As it is written:

 

He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.

 

The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food

will supply and multiply your seed

and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

 

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Commentary on 2 Cor 9:6-10

 

This reading describes Paul’s call for action from the community at Corinth: “The behavior to which he exhorts them is grounded in God's own pattern of behavior. God is capable of overwhelming generosity, as Scripture itself attests (2 Corinthians 9:9), so that they need not fear being short. He will provide in abundance, both supplying their natural needs and increasing their righteousness. Paul challenges them to godlike generosity and reminds them of the fundamental motive for encouragement: God himself cannot be outdone.”[4]

 

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9

 

R. (5) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

 

Blessed the man who fears the LORD,

who greatly delights in his commands.

His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;

the upright generation shall be blessed.

R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

 

Well for the man who is gracious and lends,

who conducts his affairs with justice;

He shall never be moved;

the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.

R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

 

An evil report he shall not fear;

his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

His heart is steadfast;

he shall not fear till he looks down upon his foes.

R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

 

Lavishly he gives to the poor,

his generosity shall endure forever;

his horn shall be exalted in glory.

R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

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Commentary on Ps 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9

 

Psalm 112 is a wisdom psalm which rejoices over actions in accordance with the law.  These strophes single out acts of generosity, pointing to God’s call to share good fortune with the poor in acts of charity.

 

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Gospel: John 12:24-26

 

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,

it remains just a grain of wheat;

but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it,

and whoever hates his life in this world

will preserve it for eternal life.

Whoever serves me must follow me,

and where I am, there also will my servant be.

The Father will honor whoever serves me."

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Commentary on Jn 12:24-26

 

Jesus has made his final entry into Jerusalem.  His hour is at hand and, in the presence of Gentiles as well as his disciples he reflects on his salvific mission.  St. John’s passage, given here, is foundational to our understanding of the paschal mystery. Using the analogy of the grain of wheat, the Lord invites us to his own sacrifice.

 

"Beautifully, Christ begins to elucidate the mystery of his atoning death.  If it be thought strange that he must die in order to bring life, let it be remembered that this paradox already exists in nature.  The grain of wheat left to itself produces nothing; only when it appears to have died and has been buried does it bring forth fruit - in far greater abundance than itself (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:36)." [5]

 

Out of the Lord's analogy, wheat that comes from the seemingly dead and buried seed becomes the eucharistic sacrifice. Into the body's death to sin in baptism, we are invited to share the salvation that comes from following Christ from death to life.

 

CCC: Jn 12:24 2731

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Reflection:

 

While St. Stephen may have been the first deacon of the Church (and first martyr), St. Lawrence, whose feast we celebrate today, epitomizes that role in ministry, ancient and modern. Tradition holds that St. Lawrence was a deacon when St. Sixtus II was Pontiff. During the persecution of Emperor Valerian, in a valiant attempt to continue the support of the poor, Pope Sixtus handed over the wealth of the church of Rome to his archdeacon, Lawrence, as he was taken to his own martyr’s death.

 

According to St. Ambrose, as St. Sixtus II was being led away to his martyrdom, St. Lawrence cried out to him: “Father, where are you going without your son? O holy priest, where are you going in such a hurry without your deacon?” (a model of the vow of obedience taken by deacons of today to their bishops [and their successors]). Three days later, when St. Lawrence was arrested, the prosecutor demanded that he hand over the church’s treasure. “He promised to do so. The following day he returned with some poor people. He was asked where the treasures were that he had to bring. He showed the poor people, saying: ‘These are the Church's treasures. What greater treasures could Christ have than those of whom he said: 'Whatever you have done to one of these little ones, you have done to me' (Matthew 25:40)?” [6]

 

In the face of the threat to his life, St. Lawrence openly continued his acts of charity in the name of Christ and his church, until his arrest and ultimate torture and martyrdom. Tradition also holds that, while he was being roasted to death, he said to his torturers: “Turn me over; I’m done on that side.” We must admire his sense of humor, and the effect this must have had on those who participated in the act. By his actions, St. Lawrence not only gained for himself a prominent place among the saints, but he also provides for us a superior example of what it means to follow Christ’s instruction and example.

 

St. Paul instructs the Corinthians, in the first reading, to be generous with their gifts. These must include the material wealth of the community, and the spiritual wealth of the grace they are given. Sharing with those less fortunate is the Pauline response to Christ’s instruction from St. John’s Gospel: to sow the wheat that is both food for the body, and through the Gospel and Eucharist, food for the soul. In this complex imagery the sower becomes the wheat that dies and rises.

 

Today we are challenged once more to share what we have been given, whether that is material wealth or spiritual abundance. For the deacons of the church (me included), this message needs to bring a sense of renewal to the ministry in which we were called: to receive the Gospel of Christ whose heralds we become, to teach what we were given, and to practice what we teach.

 

Pax

 

In other years: Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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[1] The picture is “St Lawrence” by Francisco de Zubrarán,1639-40.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] NAB footnote on 2 Corinthians 9:6ff.

[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary (Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968), 63:131, 449.

[6] Saint Ambrose (c.340-397), Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church, On the duties of the clergy I, 84; II, 28; PL 16,84.