Bishop and Martyr
Biographical Information about St. Irenaeus
Readings for Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19
The reading from Lamentations begins with the author’s sorrow at the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (587 BC). The sorrow and humble repentance of the faithful are expressed as is the plight of the people who remain. They are afflicted with famine and draught.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 74:1b-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21
R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.
“A communal lament sung when the enemy invaded the temple; it would be especially appropriate at the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. Israel's God is urged to look upon the ruined sanctuary and remember the congregation who worshiped there.”[3]
Gospel Matthew 8:5-17
St. Matthew’s Gospel provides us with the second and third healing episodes (out of nine). Once again these encounters serve as proofs of the Lord’s identity as the Messiah. Clear evidence is given of this purpose with the use of the quote “He took away our infirmities and bore our disease.” taken from the suffering servant oracle in Isaiah 53:4.
Reflection:
While Jesus continues his healing journey, we are struck that there was a parallel between what he said to his disciples after hearing the deep faith of the Centurion and what was reported in the first reading from Lamentations.
In the first reading we hear the lament of the destruction of Israel and the Diaspora. We hear how the lack of faithfulness on the part of the Hebrews ultimately leads to their downfall and this is their lament:
Cry out to the Lord;
moan, O daughter Zion!
Let your tears flow like a torrent
day and night;
Let there be no respite for you,
no repose for your eyes.
It is a bitter people that remain in what is left in that city and make that cry. They turned their backs on the Lord and believe that is the reason they lost their land and freedom. They had not learned or did not understand the concept of "free will". And that is the glue that brings the Old and New Testaments together in this instance.
We believe that God made us in his own image and likeness and part of His design was that we should not be slaves or puppets but rather like him. To that end he gave us the freedom to make our own decisions and act upon them. If we learn anything from history, sacred or secular, it is that actions by individuals and groups have consequences.
It has been so since Eve decided to follow the advice of the serpent in the garden. When we as individuals choose to follow a course, we must accept the scenery along that path. And that brings us back to what Jesus said to the disciples about the centurion. He basically told the disciples that the Hebrews had missed the point on many occasions and as a consequence, people like the centurion who understood the spirit of the law would inherit the Kingdom.
"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven,
but the children of the Kingdom
will be driven out into the outer darkness,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
When we choose to listen to the Holy Spirit and be guided by what we hear, we find the faith that Jesus says will place us at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven. It is not easy and society will not necessarily love us for the choices. But it is our way, the way of Christians, handed down for 2000 years and we must do our best to follow.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “The Faith of the Centurion” by Caspar Luiken (1712)
[3] Taken from the NAB footnote for Psalm 74
Biographical Information about St. Irenaeus
Readings for Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19
The reading from Lamentations begins with the author’s sorrow at the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (587 BC). The sorrow and humble repentance of the faithful are expressed as is the plight of the people who remain. They are afflicted with famine and draught.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 74:1b-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21
R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.
“A communal lament sung when the enemy invaded the temple; it would be especially appropriate at the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. Israel's God is urged to look upon the ruined sanctuary and remember the congregation who worshiped there.”[3]
Gospel Matthew 8:5-17
St. Matthew’s Gospel provides us with the second and third healing episodes (out of nine). Once again these encounters serve as proofs of the Lord’s identity as the Messiah. Clear evidence is given of this purpose with the use of the quote “He took away our infirmities and bore our disease.” taken from the suffering servant oracle in Isaiah 53:4.
Reflection:
While Jesus continues his healing journey, we are struck that there was a parallel between what he said to his disciples after hearing the deep faith of the Centurion and what was reported in the first reading from Lamentations.
In the first reading we hear the lament of the destruction of Israel and the Diaspora. We hear how the lack of faithfulness on the part of the Hebrews ultimately leads to their downfall and this is their lament:
Cry out to the Lord;
moan, O daughter Zion!
Let your tears flow like a torrent
day and night;
Let there be no respite for you,
no repose for your eyes.
It is a bitter people that remain in what is left in that city and make that cry. They turned their backs on the Lord and believe that is the reason they lost their land and freedom. They had not learned or did not understand the concept of "free will". And that is the glue that brings the Old and New Testaments together in this instance.
We believe that God made us in his own image and likeness and part of His design was that we should not be slaves or puppets but rather like him. To that end he gave us the freedom to make our own decisions and act upon them. If we learn anything from history, sacred or secular, it is that actions by individuals and groups have consequences.
It has been so since Eve decided to follow the advice of the serpent in the garden. When we as individuals choose to follow a course, we must accept the scenery along that path. And that brings us back to what Jesus said to the disciples about the centurion. He basically told the disciples that the Hebrews had missed the point on many occasions and as a consequence, people like the centurion who understood the spirit of the law would inherit the Kingdom.
"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven,
but the children of the Kingdom
will be driven out into the outer darkness,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
When we choose to listen to the Holy Spirit and be guided by what we hear, we find the faith that Jesus says will place us at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven. It is not easy and society will not necessarily love us for the choices. But it is our way, the way of Christians, handed down for 2000 years and we must do our best to follow.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “The Faith of the Centurion” by Caspar Luiken (1712)
[3] Taken from the NAB footnote for Psalm 74
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