Readings for Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Tb 1:3; 2:1a-8
This section of the Book of Tobit contains the trials of the author. We hear the festival Pentecost (the Hebrew festival of Weeks, not the Christian Solemnity) is taking place and the virtues of the author in alms giving and charity.
The second part of the Story about the murder and subsequent acts sets the stage for fulfillment of earlier prophecies and further events in the story the prophet tells.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1b-2, 3b-4, 5-6
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
In this section of Psalm 112 the virtues of faithfully following God’s commandments are extolled. The one who follows the Lord will be upheld by God “in everlasting remembrance.”
Gospel Mk 12:1-12
In the first part of the Gospel we hear the Parable of the Vineyard. Since this story is directed to the Chief Priests and Scribes, we see that the Vineyard represents the Kingdom of God and the tenants the Sanhedrin. They should have been working on behalf of God but instead misused their power and disregarded the Prophets, killing some, beating others. And when the Son of the owner comes, that Son being Jesus, he prophesies his own death.
The final section of the reading uses the image found in Ps 118; 23-24, “the stone rejected.” Jesus uses this scripture image to drive home his point that the Sanhedrin had completely missed God’s intent and that the one they rejected, Jesus himself, the Messiah, was to be the cornerstone of the New Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom on earth and in heaven.
Reflection:
Given the theme of the reading from the Book of Tobit in which the Prophet was being scrupulous in following the Law of Moses but incurred the enmity of his neighbors, and the theme from the Gospel where the Lord illustrated that by rejecting his word, the Hebrew people had forfeited their claim on the Kingdom of God. We see that today we are warned once more that living the life of faith can be challenging.
If we think about it too much, we may even become discouraged. First we are told that we must follow Christ’s commandments if we are to be his followers. (Oh, and he also tells us that the only way to the Father is through Him.). His principle commandment to us is to “Love one another as he loved us.” That is super tough since our natural inclination is to be self serving and do what we see is to our personal advantage. That impulse is frequently at odds with that principle commandment of the Lord.
Let’s say we are very good and put a huge effort into following God’s commandments. Now we are told that in doing so, we are not loved in return. Not only are we not loved in return but those we treat with respect and kindness may even hate us for that action. Was there ever a more compelling reason for us to absolutely require the Holy Spirit to help us at times?
Today we pray that we continue to have the strength to live the faith authentically. We ask for the indwelling strength of the Holy Spirit to help and guide us as we walk our path today. And when others do not reciprocate with the same love we offer them, let us follow Christ’s example and pray even more fervently for them.
Pax
[1] After Links Expire
[2] The image used today is “The Parable of the Tenants”, by Caspar Luken, 1712
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Tb 1:3; 2:1a-8
This section of the Book of Tobit contains the trials of the author. We hear the festival Pentecost (the Hebrew festival of Weeks, not the Christian Solemnity) is taking place and the virtues of the author in alms giving and charity.
The second part of the Story about the murder and subsequent acts sets the stage for fulfillment of earlier prophecies and further events in the story the prophet tells.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1b-2, 3b-4, 5-6
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
In this section of Psalm 112 the virtues of faithfully following God’s commandments are extolled. The one who follows the Lord will be upheld by God “in everlasting remembrance.”
Gospel Mk 12:1-12
In the first part of the Gospel we hear the Parable of the Vineyard. Since this story is directed to the Chief Priests and Scribes, we see that the Vineyard represents the Kingdom of God and the tenants the Sanhedrin. They should have been working on behalf of God but instead misused their power and disregarded the Prophets, killing some, beating others. And when the Son of the owner comes, that Son being Jesus, he prophesies his own death.
The final section of the reading uses the image found in Ps 118; 23-24, “the stone rejected.” Jesus uses this scripture image to drive home his point that the Sanhedrin had completely missed God’s intent and that the one they rejected, Jesus himself, the Messiah, was to be the cornerstone of the New Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom on earth and in heaven.
Reflection:
Given the theme of the reading from the Book of Tobit in which the Prophet was being scrupulous in following the Law of Moses but incurred the enmity of his neighbors, and the theme from the Gospel where the Lord illustrated that by rejecting his word, the Hebrew people had forfeited their claim on the Kingdom of God. We see that today we are warned once more that living the life of faith can be challenging.
If we think about it too much, we may even become discouraged. First we are told that we must follow Christ’s commandments if we are to be his followers. (Oh, and he also tells us that the only way to the Father is through Him.). His principle commandment to us is to “Love one another as he loved us.” That is super tough since our natural inclination is to be self serving and do what we see is to our personal advantage. That impulse is frequently at odds with that principle commandment of the Lord.
Let’s say we are very good and put a huge effort into following God’s commandments. Now we are told that in doing so, we are not loved in return. Not only are we not loved in return but those we treat with respect and kindness may even hate us for that action. Was there ever a more compelling reason for us to absolutely require the Holy Spirit to help us at times?
Today we pray that we continue to have the strength to live the faith authentically. We ask for the indwelling strength of the Holy Spirit to help and guide us as we walk our path today. And when others do not reciprocate with the same love we offer them, let us follow Christ’s example and pray even more fervently for them.
Pax
[1] After Links Expire
[2] The image used today is “The Parable of the Tenants”, by Caspar Luken, 1712
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