Readings for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14
This selection from the Second Book of Maccabees provides examples of courage in the face of extreme cruelty based upon belief in the resurrection on the last day. This is one of the important theological ideas expounded upon in the book and provides a framework for our later understanding of the importance of Christ’s sacrifice and promise.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
The lament of David in this passage from Psalm 17 follows nicely from the prayers of the unjustly persecuted brothers in the first reading from Maccabees. Faith in God’s salvation will follow those who keep firm to God’s commands.
Reading II 2 Thes 2:16-3:5
This reading is comprised of the final verses of the second chapter of Second Thessalonians and the first verses of the third and final chapter. In this passage we see St. Paul encouraging the church of Thessalonica to keep firm to the gospel values with which he instructed them and then, beginning in the third chapter, he asks for prayers for his on-going mission to spread the Gospel message.
Gospel Lk 20:27-38
This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel feels very linked to the first reading from Maccabees. It has the same basic subject, the resurrection, and it uses seven brothers as part of the lesson. The real linkage comes as Christ refutes the Sadducees whose role, because of their rejection of the resurrection, would ironically parallel the evil king in the Maccabees reading. Jesus chides them as “children of this age,” a reference to their simplistic understanding of Mosaic Law.
Or Lk 20:27, 34-38
The shorter version of this Gospel story really focuses on the nature of the spirit at the resurrection. Jesus says that while the bonds of love and friendship remain, the resurrected are like angels for “they are children of God”.
Homily:
Let’s imagine a number of situations that either have occurred or could occur for each one of us. First, think about a youngster who comes home from school. He plop down his school books and go in and turn on the TV. He watches for a while (probably until someone yells at him to turn it off). Perhaps he watches a cartoon program where warriors from a distant planet attack a peaceful planet and are rescued by a young hero with incredible powers who destroys them with a magic sword or blasts them with a powerful laser. Scattered throughout this time in front of the TV (a wide screen, high def, plasma, with surround sound) he takes in commercials. Most of these are geared right at his age group. They offer him cloths that make him look really cool or fragrances that will make young women find him irresistible. We wonder what life messages are taken in. This is after all a shot glimpse. Now we imagine it as a routine practiced each school day. (We could also have switched genders here and made he a she – same scenario.)
Next, let’s imagine that we are in a drug store, like CVS or Walgreens. We are walking down the isle and we see an elderly person standing in the isle staring at a selection of remedies. They turn their head to look at us and pleadingly look as if they are about to cry. We ask “What is the problem?”
They answer “I have forgotten my glasses and cannot tell which medicine I need to buy.”
We try to help and notice that the person is still looking confused. We ask what the problem is, thinking that perhaps we are in the wrong section. We are told after a pause that the person cannot remember what medicine it was that they were supposed to purchase.
About this time some are probably starting to wonder where all this is taking us. These two vignettes form a modern allegory to our scripture. In the scripture selection from the Second Book of Maccabees we hear the story of seven brothers and their mother. They have been taken prisoner by an evil king who is trying to force them violate their religious beliefs by eating pork. This practice is forbidden under Mosaic Dietary Laws. One by one they are tortured to death but all remain firm in their convictions because of their hope and faith in the resurrection.
We mover forward in scripture, coming to St. Paul speaking to the Church of Thessalonica. He tells them to remain firm in the Gospel values he has given them and that following the principles that Christ gave him will bring them to a life of peace. He concludes by asking for their prayers as he continues his mission of spreading the Gospel.
At last we come to the Gospel where Jesus engages in a debate about the resurrection with some Sadducees who do not believe in it. These Sadducees are religious leaders in Jesus’ day and they carry some authority. First they try to use simplistic logic to trap Jesus into violating Mosaic Law – the whole seven brothers each marrying the same woman thing.
Of course, the Lord sees that they have incorrectly understood the Law. They have tried to take the literal word of God and apply it to practical situations and have forgotten (or did not know) that God’s intent is that we be happy, not to punish. They did not understand because of their lack of faith that God’s intent is that we be with him forever.
Let’s return now to my obscure analogies. First, the young boy watching the TV, we look at him and ask ourselves, is he being force fed with things that violate his religious teachings? Look at the values being stuffed down his throat and he does not even know it. It’s OK to lie (“No honey, I don’t know who ate the last cookie.” Commercials can be insidious). It’s OK or even encouraged to be sexually active before one is married (the Tag commercials are the most blatant followed by Victoria’s Secret).
We are not railing against TV here. Entertainment media has challenged the moral social status quo for as long as there have been entertainers. We are pointing out that society is trying to force feed us values that violate the very core of our beliefs and the unwary can be easily lead down that path. And it’s not just the young. All age groups are targeted, all age groups can be equally vulnerable.
What about the second analogy. The old person without glasses and memory of the right path can also be us if we do not take the time to look at the path to the resurrection. If we do not know the language the Lord uses, how will we make the right choices? If we do not constantly refresh ourselves with his presence, when we need to choose, will we remember the right path?
The prize we are offered once more today is one that while real and important may seem far off. The choices we make today, however, may have a drastic impact on that future. Like a very bad choice about the stocks in our 401K or retirement account, it could mess up our retirement plans royally. The message from scripture we hear today is first we must be steadfast in our faith, understanding that the secular world is trying to force feed us with values and ideals that will destroy us. In order to avoid those choices we must constantly be building up our understanding of the life God wants for us and exposing ourselves to him and his influence in prayer and the sacraments.
We pray today for the strength of the seven brothers, to reject the poison of sin and rejoice in the promise of the Lord who, for our salvation, opened the gates of heaven in the new resurrection.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is The Resurrection by El Greco 1596-1600
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14
This selection from the Second Book of Maccabees provides examples of courage in the face of extreme cruelty based upon belief in the resurrection on the last day. This is one of the important theological ideas expounded upon in the book and provides a framework for our later understanding of the importance of Christ’s sacrifice and promise.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
The lament of David in this passage from Psalm 17 follows nicely from the prayers of the unjustly persecuted brothers in the first reading from Maccabees. Faith in God’s salvation will follow those who keep firm to God’s commands.
Reading II 2 Thes 2:16-3:5
This reading is comprised of the final verses of the second chapter of Second Thessalonians and the first verses of the third and final chapter. In this passage we see St. Paul encouraging the church of Thessalonica to keep firm to the gospel values with which he instructed them and then, beginning in the third chapter, he asks for prayers for his on-going mission to spread the Gospel message.
Gospel Lk 20:27-38
This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel feels very linked to the first reading from Maccabees. It has the same basic subject, the resurrection, and it uses seven brothers as part of the lesson. The real linkage comes as Christ refutes the Sadducees whose role, because of their rejection of the resurrection, would ironically parallel the evil king in the Maccabees reading. Jesus chides them as “children of this age,” a reference to their simplistic understanding of Mosaic Law.
Or Lk 20:27, 34-38
The shorter version of this Gospel story really focuses on the nature of the spirit at the resurrection. Jesus says that while the bonds of love and friendship remain, the resurrected are like angels for “they are children of God”.
Homily:
Let’s imagine a number of situations that either have occurred or could occur for each one of us. First, think about a youngster who comes home from school. He plop down his school books and go in and turn on the TV. He watches for a while (probably until someone yells at him to turn it off). Perhaps he watches a cartoon program where warriors from a distant planet attack a peaceful planet and are rescued by a young hero with incredible powers who destroys them with a magic sword or blasts them with a powerful laser. Scattered throughout this time in front of the TV (a wide screen, high def, plasma, with surround sound) he takes in commercials. Most of these are geared right at his age group. They offer him cloths that make him look really cool or fragrances that will make young women find him irresistible. We wonder what life messages are taken in. This is after all a shot glimpse. Now we imagine it as a routine practiced each school day. (We could also have switched genders here and made he a she – same scenario.)
Next, let’s imagine that we are in a drug store, like CVS or Walgreens. We are walking down the isle and we see an elderly person standing in the isle staring at a selection of remedies. They turn their head to look at us and pleadingly look as if they are about to cry. We ask “What is the problem?”
They answer “I have forgotten my glasses and cannot tell which medicine I need to buy.”
We try to help and notice that the person is still looking confused. We ask what the problem is, thinking that perhaps we are in the wrong section. We are told after a pause that the person cannot remember what medicine it was that they were supposed to purchase.
About this time some are probably starting to wonder where all this is taking us. These two vignettes form a modern allegory to our scripture. In the scripture selection from the Second Book of Maccabees we hear the story of seven brothers and their mother. They have been taken prisoner by an evil king who is trying to force them violate their religious beliefs by eating pork. This practice is forbidden under Mosaic Dietary Laws. One by one they are tortured to death but all remain firm in their convictions because of their hope and faith in the resurrection.
We mover forward in scripture, coming to St. Paul speaking to the Church of Thessalonica. He tells them to remain firm in the Gospel values he has given them and that following the principles that Christ gave him will bring them to a life of peace. He concludes by asking for their prayers as he continues his mission of spreading the Gospel.
At last we come to the Gospel where Jesus engages in a debate about the resurrection with some Sadducees who do not believe in it. These Sadducees are religious leaders in Jesus’ day and they carry some authority. First they try to use simplistic logic to trap Jesus into violating Mosaic Law – the whole seven brothers each marrying the same woman thing.
Of course, the Lord sees that they have incorrectly understood the Law. They have tried to take the literal word of God and apply it to practical situations and have forgotten (or did not know) that God’s intent is that we be happy, not to punish. They did not understand because of their lack of faith that God’s intent is that we be with him forever.
Let’s return now to my obscure analogies. First, the young boy watching the TV, we look at him and ask ourselves, is he being force fed with things that violate his religious teachings? Look at the values being stuffed down his throat and he does not even know it. It’s OK to lie (“No honey, I don’t know who ate the last cookie.” Commercials can be insidious). It’s OK or even encouraged to be sexually active before one is married (the Tag commercials are the most blatant followed by Victoria’s Secret).
We are not railing against TV here. Entertainment media has challenged the moral social status quo for as long as there have been entertainers. We are pointing out that society is trying to force feed us values that violate the very core of our beliefs and the unwary can be easily lead down that path. And it’s not just the young. All age groups are targeted, all age groups can be equally vulnerable.
What about the second analogy. The old person without glasses and memory of the right path can also be us if we do not take the time to look at the path to the resurrection. If we do not know the language the Lord uses, how will we make the right choices? If we do not constantly refresh ourselves with his presence, when we need to choose, will we remember the right path?
The prize we are offered once more today is one that while real and important may seem far off. The choices we make today, however, may have a drastic impact on that future. Like a very bad choice about the stocks in our 401K or retirement account, it could mess up our retirement plans royally. The message from scripture we hear today is first we must be steadfast in our faith, understanding that the secular world is trying to force feed us with values and ideals that will destroy us. In order to avoid those choices we must constantly be building up our understanding of the life God wants for us and exposing ourselves to him and his influence in prayer and the sacraments.
We pray today for the strength of the seven brothers, to reject the poison of sin and rejoice in the promise of the Lord who, for our salvation, opened the gates of heaven in the new resurrection.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is The Resurrection by El Greco 1596-1600
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