Third Sunday of Lent

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 1214-1216, 1226-1228: baptism, rebirth of water and Spirit
CCC 727-729: Jesus reveals the Holy Spirit
CCC 694, 733-736, 1215, 1999, 2652: the Holy Spirit, the living water, a gift of God
CCC 604, 733, 1820, 1825, 1992, 2658: God takes the initiative; hope from the Spirit

“The Samaritan Woman at the Well”
by Agostino Carracci, 1595

Readings for the Third Sunday of Lent [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading I: Exodus 17:3-7
 
In those days, in their thirst for water,
the people grumbled against Moses,
saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt?
Was it just to have us die here of thirst
with our children and our livestock?”
So Moses cried out to the Lord,
“What shall I do with this people?
a little more and they will stone me!”
The Lord answered Moses,
“Go over there in front of the people,
along with some of the elders of Israel,
holding in your hand, as you go,
the staff with which you struck the river.
I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb.
Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it
for the people to drink.”
This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel.
The place was called Massah and Meribah,
because the Israelites quarreled there
and tested the Lord, saying,
“Is the Lord in our midst or not?”
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Commentary on Ex 17:3-7
 
This passage continues the journey of the Hebrews in the desert following their departure from Egypt. They have already been fed by manna in the wilderness; here they complain bitterly against Moses for having taken them to a land with no water, and the hardship causes them to doubt that God is with them. In response to this challenge, God provides yet another miracle as he commands Moses to take his staff and strike the rock at Horeb, revealing a spring of water. The place was later named Massah and Meribah: Hebrew words meaning respectively: "the (place of the) test" and "the (place of the) quarreling."
 
CCC: Ex 17:1-6 694; Ex 17:2-7 2119
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
 
R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the Lord who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
 
This part of Psalm 95, commonly used as the invitatory psalm for the Liturgy of the Hours, is a song of thanksgiving. In these strophes the incident at Meribah is remembered (Exodus 17:3-7), and God’s undeserved mercy proclaimed. The community is rejoicing that the Lord is God and that he has brought us salvation in spite of our forebears' obstinacy. We are encouraged to listen to the Lord, even if what we are asked to do is difficult.
 
CCC: Ps 95:1-6 2628; Ps 95:7-8 2659; Ps 95:7 1165; Ps 95:9 2119
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Reading II: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
 
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.
 
And hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Rom 5:1-2, 5-8
 
In the previous chapter, St. Paul has established that through faith in Jesus Christ, the Christian is justified (recreated just as if they had not sinned).  The apostle now begins a discussion of how this justification is experienced. The reconciled Christian will be saved, sharing with hope in the risen Christ.
 
"The justified are endowed with theological virtues. By faith, they live in peace with God and have access to his grace; in hope, they long for the glory of God that awaits them; and in love, they show that the charity of the Spirit dwells in their hearts (CCC 1813). Equipped in this way, believers can become more like Christ through endurance and suffering (CCC 618)."[5]
 
“Popular piety frequently construed reverses and troubles as punishment for sin; cf John 9:2. Paul therefore assures believers that God's justifying action in Jesus Christ is a declaration of peace. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ displays God's initiative in certifying humanity for unimpeded access into the divine presence. Reconciliation is God's gift of pardon to the entire human race.”[6]
 
CCC: Rom 5:3-5 2734, 2847; Rom 5:5 368, 733, 1820, 1964, 2658; Rom 5:8 604
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 4:5-42
 
Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.
 
A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
“Give me a drink.”
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.”
 
Jesus said to her,
“Go call your husband and come back.”
The woman answered and said to him,
“I do not have a husband.”
Jesus answered her,
“You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’
For you have had five husbands,
and the one you have now is not your husband.
What you have said is true.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
 
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one speaking with you.”
 
At that moment his disciples returned,
and were amazed that he was talking with a woman,
but still no one said, “What are you looking for?”
or “Why are you talking with her?”
The woman left her water jar
and went into the town and said to the people,
“Come see a man who told me everything I have done.
Could he possibly be the Christ?”
They went out of the town and came to him.
Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat.”
But he said to them,
“I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
So the disciples said to one another,
“Could someone have brought him something to eat?”
Jesus said to them,
“My food is to do the will of the one who sent me
and to finish his work.
Do you not say, ‘In four months the harvest will be here’?
I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest.
The reaper is already receiving payment
and gathering crops for eternal life,
so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.
For here the saying is verified that ‘One sows and another reaps.’
I sent you to reap what you have not worked for;
others have done the work,
and you are sharing the fruits of their work.”
 
Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him
because of the word of the woman who testified,
“He told me everything I have done.”
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 4:5-42
 
The story of the Samaritan woman, told in its entirety, provides several theological points. First, the fact that Jesus came this way implies his broader mission, not just to the Jews but to the whole world. The fact that upon meeting the Samaritan woman he asked for a drink is significant, in that Jews would never have considered drinking from the same vessel as a Samaritan woman who would have been considered ritually unclean.
 
Often what we hear in Sacred Scripture seems to have only one purpose when in fact there is more. We note that the location of this event is set at “Jacob’s Well.” It is a clear reference to Genesis 33:19-20, a place where Jacob “set up an altar there and invoked “El, the God of Israel.”
 
The discourse with the woman is instructive, providing rich imagery of water and spirit recalling the gifts given in baptism. At the same time we see the recognition that Jesus is the Messiah (although the Samaritans would have had a different expectation of the Messiah, thinking more in the lines of a prophet like Moses [Deuteronomy 18:15]).
 
There is further symbolism, culturally focused, in Jesus' revelation to the woman. When he tells her she has been married five times it is a likely reference to the five images of Baal worshiped by the Samaritans. Women who practiced that religion were ritually married to the five idols.
 
The conclusion of the story demonstrates the clear perception by those who encounter Christ that he is the Messiah. This revelatory presence is noted in the concluding verses of the story as the Samaritans exclaim “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world."
 
CCC: Jn 4:6-7 544; Jn 4:10-14 694, 1137; Jn 4:10 728, 2560, 2561; Jn 4:14 728, 1999, 2557, 2652; Jn 4:21 586; Jn 4:22 528, 586; Jn 4:23-24 586, 728; Jn 4:24 1179; Jn 4:25-26 439; Jn 4:34 606, 2611, 2824
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Or
Shorter Form: John: 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42
 
Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.
 
A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
“Give me a drink.”
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.
 
“I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”
 
Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him.
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn: 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42
 
In this shorter version of the story of the Samaritan woman, part of the dialogue is omitted that revolves around the primacy of the Jews in receiving God’s word. Also omitted is the Lord’s description of the woman’s past life, the encounter with the Lord’s disciples and his decision to stay. Presented in this form the story focuses more on the identity of Christ and less on his universal mission.
 
CCC: Jn 4:6-7 544; Jn 4:10-14 694, 1137; Jn 4:21 586; Jn 4:22 528, 586; Jn 4:23-24 586, 728; Jn 4:24 1179; Jn 4:25-26 439
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
“Today, let us sing for joy to the rock who saves us. Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord.” This is the opening verse from Psalm 95 which we used today (although in a different translation).  It is the psalm that those who do the liturgy of the hours use as an invitation to prayer each day.  It is a reminder that we who are his children, adopted in baptism, have been given God’s grace and bounty despite our testing and quarreling with the Lord.
 
Yes, it is Lent, and yes, we tend to have much more subdued liturgy during this season of penance.  But, we have reason for joy, we have reason to sing.
 
Because we heard it last, the story of the Samaritan woman at the well can overpower the other Sacred Scripture given today.  The theme that seems to run through the Old Testament reading about the rock at Horeb, and the Gospel is the water theme.  In both cases, God gave living water to those who challenged him.
 
We note that the water given to the “stiff-necked” Hebrews at Horeb was a sign that God was with them.  We see in the story of the Samaritan woman that the water offered to her was symbolic of faith that once given, would give everlasting life (St. Paul’s letter to the Romans would say she was “justified”).  We can feel the similarities and the differences if we place these two encounters with God side by side.
 
Perhaps the most significant similarity is that, in both cases, God’s presence was needed either for life in the literal sense or life in the spiritual sense.  In both cases, God was asked for water. And in both cases, though the request was not merited, God responded.
 
As always, we see the Word of God as both an invitation and a promise.  The promise in this case is that, if we need God’s indwelling strength, all we need to do is ask.  We do not need to presume we have done anything to merit God’s saving help.  Rather we know that we are undeserving yet still hope in God. 
 
The Exodus story gives us a clear picture.  The Jews of the story had already seen God’s mighty hand part the Red Sea for them so they might leave bondage in Egypt.  They had marveled at the pillar of fire sent by God to them, keeping them safe from pharaoh’s chariots. They had been fed by manna when they were hungry. Yet, finding themselves thirsty in the desert, they perceive that God had left them.  What had they done to deserve God’s help?  Yet even this stiff-necked people received God’s saving grace through the water of life, flowing from the rock.
 
If God showed this unbelieving people such love and mercy, how much more can we, who work hard to remain faithful, expect?  If Jesus offered the Samaritan woman, married five times and living with still another man, the faith and salvation of God, how much more can we who try to live by his statutes expect?
 
That is the promise. What then is the invitation?  The invitation is to be like Christ in our love and generosity to others, even others who do not share or appreciate our values.  Each day we are given the opportunity to demonstrate our faith.  We are asked for help by those whom society might call “undeserving,” and we are challenged by those who see our faith and beliefs as superstitious nonsense.  Each day we are invited to respond to these challenges with faith and compassion.  Each day we can choose to offer living water to those who are in need. This is our invitation to the New Evangelization.
 
As we reflect today about the gifts of water and spirit, let us pray that what flows in us may become a fountain, giving God’s gift to those who are in need.
 
Pax
 
In other years on March 8^th, Optional Memorial for Saint John of God, 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 today is “The Samaritan Woman at the Well” by Agostino Carracci, 1595.
[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] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. © 2010), 263.
[6] NAB Footnote on Romans 5:1-11.

Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

Optional Memorial for Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
 
Biographical information about Saints Perpetua and Felicity

“The Return of the Prodigal Son”
by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, c. 1669

 
Readings for Saturday of the Second Week of Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading I: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
 
Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
That dwells apart in a woodland,
in the midst of Carmel.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
as in the days of old;
As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt,
show us wonderful signs.
 
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and grace to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our fathers
from days of old.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mi 7:14-15, 18-20
 
This is the very end of the book of the prophet Micah.  In the previous chapters he has chastised and condemned the excesses and corruption of Jerusalem and Samaria (rich exploiters of the poor, fraudulent merchants, venal judges, corrupt priests and prophets).  Now at the end, he presents the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy to those who return to him.
 
The passage begins with a prayer of Micah. He asks that the people (likely a remnant returning to the region following their exile in 537 BC) might be given back their historical lands and live in peace. Following the two verses not used, in which the prophet proclaims that all surrounding nations will be in fear of the power of God, he continues with two petitions in a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s mercy and forgiveness. The first is a petition to Yahweh, probably dating from the time of return from exile. There is a note of longing that comes through: “and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.”
 
The second petition is Israel’s prayer for forgiveness: “Who does not persist in anger forever but delights rather in clemency.” It recalls God’s pledge of faithfulness and grace. His mercy flows from his love of the people. “The book ends by recalling the promises of the covenant binding Yahweh and the patriarchs. The Lord had pledged his ‘faithfulness’ ('emet) and ‘grace’ (hesed) to the Israel of old, and he was not about to renege now.” [4]
 
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
 
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
 
Psalm 103 is a song of praise and thanksgiving to God for his mercy. It recognizes both God’s mercy and our need, as sinners, for it. The psalmist rejoices in God’s saving help following a period of adversity. The link between forgiveness and healing is brought out, driving home the fact that forgiveness by God heals the soul and that his forgiveness is available always.
 
CCC: Ps 103 304
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
 
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable.
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’“
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
 
The topic of repentance and forgiveness comes to a climax with St. Luke’s parable of the Prodigal Son, one of the two “Parables of Mercy” found in this section.  The parables distill the essence of the Good News. Found only in St. Luke’s Gospel, the imagery is instantly clear that this is to be an analogy. The father in the story represents God and the prodigal son followers of Christ, when they repent their sins. Interestingly, the older brother also represents Christians when they do not forgive those who have also sinned. We are given the picture of the loving father welcoming his son home, an allusion used also in the parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7). The invitation implicit is that those who seek forgiveness find it in God. "Although the word 'mercy' does not appear, this parable nevertheless expresses the essence of the divine mercy in a particularly clear way" (St. John Paul II, "Dives In Misericordia," 5).
 
“The Pharisaical mentality can simply not tolerate anything that escapes the control of the ritual prescriptions of which they are the stewards—which is to say, anything that escapes their personal control, the tyranny of their virtues! Thus, the Greek Church prays on the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican, the day that launches the preparation for the season of Lent: ‘We see that the mad arrogance that comes from a wealth of virtues fosters the greatest indigence; but self-abasement is the means to acquire justification, because the plight is so extreme. Let us, then, build humility as our foundation.’” [5]
 
CCC: Lk 15 1443, 1846; Lk 15:1-2 589; Lk 15:11-32 545, 2839; Lk 15:11-31 1700; Lk 15:11-24 1439; Lk 15:18 1423, 2795; Lk 15:21 2795; Lk 15:23-32 589; Lk 15:32 1468
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
The prophet Micah’s oracle tries to tell us something of the depth of God’s love and mercy.  The parable of the Prodigal Son, told by Jesus, provides a living example of the unwavering love of God for his children.  The revelation of God’s love is one of the great pillars of our faith and a core reason Jesus was sent as man to walk among us.  It is the notion that God’s forgiveness is endless, his embrace is unreserved.
 
All of this we know, we have been taught; the Church has provided an avenue for us to experience it. Yet, why is it so difficult for us to accept it?  Oh, we do not mean intellectually.  Intellectually we know that God’s invitation is always there. His hand is always outstretched.  Intellectually we know that, by dying on the cross, Jesus offered the great sacrifice of atonement that removed the sting of death brought upon us by Adam’s fall from grace.  Intellectually we know that the repentant sinner is loved and cherished by God, even if that person only repented at the last moment of life.
 
But when it comes down to our hearts, we cannot simply let go of our sin and allow the loving Father to welcome us home and embrace us.  There is in us that dark corner of our souls that holds back. It is that fear that tells us, “wait, the sins we have committed are unforgivable,” or, “wait, the sin we have committed gave us enjoyment and we may want to go there again. Don’t go back just yet.”  These warring emotions battle within us, keeping us from accepting the loving embrace of our Lord. They keep us from offering ourselves wholly to the Father who wants us to come home.
 
It is one of the most difficult things we can do, accepting forgiveness for our sins.  Part of the reason for this is that before we can fully accept the Father’s forgiveness, we must accept that his forgiveness is truly there.  Then and only then can we forgive ourselves as well.  It is only when our faith allows us to accept that God forgives our most vile faults that we can live in freedom from sin.  It is only in turning away from those sins that we can come home to our loving Father.
 
The parable of the Prodigal Son is one that, for all of us, should embody our Lenten journey.  It is, after all, a journey home to the Father after we have once more squandered our inheritance.
 
Pax
 
Stations of the Cross

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[1] The picture is “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, c. 1669.
[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] Jerome Biblical Commentary (Prentice Hall, Inc. © 1968), 17:33, p. 289.
[5] Leiva-Merikakis, Erasmo. Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word: Volume I (Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition), 528.

Friday of the Second Week of Lent

“Joseph is Sold”
by Sébastien Bourdon, 1637

 
Readings for Friday of the Second Week of Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a
 
Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons,
for he was the child of his old age;
and he had made him a long tunic.
When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons,
they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.
 
One day, when his brothers had gone
to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem,
Israel said to Joseph,
“Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem.
Get ready; I will send you to them.”
 
So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.
They noticed him from a distance,
and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.
They said to one another: “Here comes that master dreamer!
Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here;
we could say that a wild beast devoured him.
We shall then see what comes of his dreams.”
 
When Reuben heard this,
he tried to save him from their hands, saying,
“We must not take his life.
Instead of shedding blood,” he continued,
“just throw him into that cistern there in the desert;
but do not kill him outright.”
His purpose was to rescue him from their hands
and return him to his father.
So when Joseph came up to them,
they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;
then they took him and threw him into the cistern,
which was empty and dry.
 
They then sat down to their meal.
Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,
their camels laden with gum, balm and resin
to be taken down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers:
“What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?
Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,
instead of doing away with him ourselves.
After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.”
His brothers agreed.
They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a
 
This is the final storyline from Genesis. It is the story of Joseph, the son of Israel, being taken and sold into slavery by his brothers. 
 
"Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery. Ch. 37 begins the story of Joseph, a figure who dominates most of the remaining narrative in Genesis. In structure, the Joseph story is quite different from the preceding material centering on Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Whereas the latter takes the form, predominantly, of small, self-contained passages, the story of Joseph resembles a coherent novella, with a subtle and well-crafted plot. 
 
"Its theology, too, is different. Whereas the patriarchal narrative is replete with appearances of God or His messengers, and oracles from them, Joseph never sees or hears God or His messengers [...] Rather, God works here in a hidden way, secretly guiding the course of human events, even bringing good out of human evil (50.20). 
 
"Lastly, whereas the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob take place in Canaan and Mesopotamia, the novella of Joseph and his brothers takes place mostly in Egypt. The events that result in the return to the promised land will begin only after Joseph's death."[4]
 
 The story is actually told by both authors of Genesis, the Yahwist and the Elohist, and there are some inconsistencies as a result (specifically which brother tried to save him). On the main points they agree. Instead of killing Joseph as they had initially intended, they sold him to Ishmaelites (Arabs) who took him as a slave to Egypt.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
 
R. (5a) Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
 
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
 
They had weighed him down with fetters,
and he was bound with chains,
Till his prediction came to pass
and the word of the LORD proved him true.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
 
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
 
Psalm 105 is a historical hymn that recalls, in this selection, the Genesis story (Genesis 37:3ff), speaking of the fate of Joseph in Egypt and how God rescued and supported him in his slavery. It also recounts the actions of Joseph’s brothers, selling him into slavery in Egypt, and speaks of the rise of Joseph in the house of Pharaoh.
 
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
 
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?”
They answered him,
He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times.”
Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures:
 
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
 
Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
 
Jesus again confronts the Jewish leadership.  It has been proposed that his continued criticism of the chief priests, scribes, elders and Pharisees is being done with the same motivation as expressed by the prophet Jeremiah: “I will put fear of me in their hearts so that they never turn away from me. I will take delight in doing good to them.” (Jeremiah 32:40-41) [5]
 
In the parable of the Wicked Husbandmen from Matthew, Jesus reflects upon God's invitation to the Jewish people. The tenants who wish to first withhold what they owe and then kill the son of the landowner so they can take his inheritance reflect jealousy and greed, a thinly veiled allusion to Jesus' rejection by the chief priests and the elders of the people.
 
This story is an allegory of Christ’s mission and purpose. God sent him to open the gates of heaven through the forgiveness of sin for all peoples, fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. The Jews, seeing themselves as the custodians of salvation, would reject such a messenger, even the Son of God. They would ultimately kill him to maintain their false belief that in doing so they would continue as sole owners of the keys to the kingdom of God.
 
The symbolism that runs through the parable is rich and we will not try to capture it in this short commentary (see the archive for more complete analysis).
 
CCC: Mt 21:33-43 755; Mt 21:34-36 443; Mt 21:37-38 443; Mt 21:42 756
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
Today Scripture tells us that those who choose to follow the Lord will meet with resistance and possibly death at the hands of those who oppose God’s will.  We see it in Genesis, an oral tradition that was handed down from some four thousand years before Christ walked the earth.  We hear it from Christ, who related his parable two thousand years ago.  We see it around us today.
 
It is hard for us to understand why people have such impulses.  The brothers of Joseph were jealous of his favored status with their father. We can understand that.  And the tenants in the parable told by Jesus were driven by greed.  That too is a human emotion we can understand.  Where we find difficulty is in those who attack us and our beliefs because of what we represent.  In case you are wondering where this thought came from, I direct your attention to the New York Times Best Seller List.
 
When doing some research on this topic a couple of years ago I went to a web source called Science News Online.  There in the banner at the top of the page was a flashing advertisement, from a publisher (aptly) named Prometheus Books, promoting their most recent best seller: “God: The Failed Hypothesis” subtitled “How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist.” (If you want a real eye opener, listen to Paul Harvey’s 1965 radio vignette “If I were the devil…”)
 
We must wonder why a person (its author claims to be a physicist) would wish to attack belief in God (a God coincidentally who loves him as well). And why a publisher would take such a work to the public; and finally why a publication claiming to be an objective source would advertise it. We can also see a more current example in the attacks on organizations that do not embrace the newly coined “gender diversity.” Some of these groups face even governmental opposition to ensuring the teaching of the Church on sexual morality is upheld by those called to minister in Catholic schools as teachers.
 
If, as we follow our own blissful spirituality of Lent, we feel that the evil one has ignored us, we only need to look at things like this to know that he has taken a more insidious approach.  I am sure zealous people of faith will refute the “science” that the person who wrote the book chooses to support his claims.  And the atheistic community will rise up and squeal: “See how the Christians try to suppress logic and degrade true science with their superstitions.”   They will twist the truth and, perhaps for a day, gain some strength.  Our best defense is to continue to proclaim, in a humble and compassionate way, the love of God, a love so great that he gave his only Son, knowing that the people he loved would deny him and claim he did not exist.  (As an aside, if you get a chance, we highly recommend the recent film Risen, the fictional account of the Roman tribune responsible for the cohort that crucified Christ.  It’s a good story.)
 
Pax
 
Stations of the Cross

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[1] The picture is “Joseph is Sold” by Sébastien Bourdon, 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] The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford University Press, New York, NY, © 2004), 74.
[5] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012), 461-62.

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

“Dives and Lazarus”
by Leandro Bassano, c. 1595

Readings for Thursday of the Second Week of Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: Jeremiah 17:5-10
 
Thus says the LORD:
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the LORD, alone probe the mind
and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds.
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Commentary on Jer 17:5-10
 
This passage from Jeremiah is part of the wisdom sayings (sapiential sayings).  The first of these sayings uses opposition or comparison imagery to demonstrate that the wise person trusts in God while the foolish one trusts in his own strength or the help of others.  The psalms and other wisdom literature often borrow this imagery to portray the true heart of faithfulness (see Psalm 1 below).
 
The second saying describes the root of evil, the human heart whose secret plotting is transparent to God. The prophet describes how the Lord God, who is all-knowing, sees the heart of each person and will reward or punish each as they deserve.
 
CCC: Jer 17:5-6 150
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
 
R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
Not so, the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
 
Psalm 1 serves as a preface to the whole book of the psalms. The psalmist here exalts those who follow the Lord’s commands and reflects upon the blessings they will receive. As in Romans 6:19ff, this selection emphasizes the contrast between the salvation of the just and the punishment of the wicked.
 
This wisdom psalm begins by extolling the virtue of those who follow the law. The focus is to look to God for guidance, and not to trust only in the counsel of men. Those who reject the law will be blown away like “chaff,” an image used in the Gospel as well (Matthew 3:12).
 
This portion of the psalm is later echoed in Isaiah 48:17-19, like an overlapped formula of covenant.  Blessed is the man who “delights in the law day and night,” but “the way of the wicked vanishes.” It also takes up the theme of following right paths and staying true to the teachings of God: “Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law, day and night.”
 
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Gospel: Luke 16:19-31
 
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.’“
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 16:19-31
 
The story of Lazarus and the Rich Man is found only in the Gospel of Luke. (The name "Dives," applied to the rich man, derives from the Latin word "rich" originating in the Vulgate from "Homo quidam erat dives, qui induebatur purpura et bysso, et epulabatur quotidie splendide"; some ancient texts name him "Nineveh." [4]) Jesus addresses this story to the Pharisees who were known to be fond of money. In this context we need to understand that all Jewish landowners were considered to be tenants of Yahweh, the true landowner, and they all owed a tax to God’s representatives, the poor.
 
The rich man’s great sin was ignoring the suffering of Lazarus, and when they both had passed from this life to the next, the rich man, suffering torment, begged Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers. The “punchline” that follows must have been especially harsh for the Pharisaic audience. "If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead." This last statement, of course, is also alluding to his own rejection by the scribes and Pharisees even after his own resurrection.
 
CCC: Lk 16:23-27 2615; Lk 16:24 2615, 2815; Lk 16:26 2815; Lk 16:28 661, 2795
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Reflection:
 
Scripture today has a hook at the end.  In the readings from Jeremiah and the psalm we are reminded that if what we do does not come from the Lord, it will be for naught.  It is a strong injunction against pride and a reminder that all that we can accomplish that is good comes, not from our own efforts, but from God.  It is he who gives us the strength and will of purpose to accomplish the good work he puts in front of us. 
 
That is not to say it is preordained.  No, as we see in the parable of Lazarus in the Gospel, we all have choices.  God made us in his own image and likeness.  Part of that gift is the ability to choose right from wrong.  In his life, the rich man in the story of Lazarus chose to ignore the beggar at his door.  He chose the best for himself during his life on earth, even though it would not have cost him dearly to help Lazarus.  And finally, when it was too late, the rich man found the truth. He was reminded forcibly by Abraham that kindness and help for those who are poor were parts of the Law of Moses, even before it was strengthened by Christ’s specific injunction to love one another.
 
Then we come to the hook at the end of the story.  The last line says, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’” Jesus admonishes the Pharisees whose piety is inwardly directed, and at the same time sends a message.  Across two millennia, he lets us know that we too have been given the Law and the Prophets, and a Savior who has risen from the dead.  The story of Lazarus is meant as a reminder to us about what our choices can mean for our eternal life. 
 
In this season, as we reflect upon our past mistakes, let us take the story of Lazarus as an injunction to evaluate our future decisions and choose life.  We have, after all, been given One who was raised from the dead as a sign. 
 
Pax
 
Stations of the Cross

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[1] The picture is “Dives and Lazarus” by Leandro Bassano, c. 1595.
[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] T.L. Hubeart, "Lazarus and the Rich Man" (Notes © 1996, 1999, 2002).