The First Martyrs of the See of Rome
Additional Information about the First Martyrs of the See of Rome
Readings for Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Amos 2:6-10, 13-16
Placed in context, the prophet riles against the crimes of Moab (2 Kings 3:9ff). The selection from Amos begins with a detailed list of the crimes the Hebrew people of Jerusalem have committed. They disregard the poor and treat them without dignity; they take that which was given in tribute to God and use it for their own pleasure; they turned to idolatry (“…they recline beside any altar”). They did so in the face of God’s faithfulness. God stood with their armies as they defeated the Amorites and was with Moses who led them out of bondage in Egypt.
The prophet concludes with a warning oracle; (“I will crush you into the ground”) God will abandon them and they will not be able to hide from his punishment.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 50:16bc-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
Psalm 50 is a “covenant lawsuit”, that is a lament against those who have violated God’s law and the covenant made with Him upon which it was based. Much like the oracle from Amos, the strophes point to those who are unfaithful and contrast them with God who is always faithful.
Gospel Matthew 8:18-22
We come to an interlude between the miracle stories in St. Matthew’s Gospel. In this passage we find two sayings dealing with discipleship and what that means. The first of these is a reply to a scribe who wished to travel with the Lord. The Savior’s reply indicated that he must be prepared to have no permanent home if he was going to do so. He must give up material wealth.
In the second situation, the would-be disciple asks to be allowed to bury his father. This does not mean his father had already died but that he wished to wait for that to happen so he could carry out his family responsibilities. The Lord’s response makes it clear that ties to the family would be secondary to the disciples call to follow him.
Reflection:
Taken literally, the two saying of Jesus from St. Matthew’s Gospel sound almost as if the Lord is trying to dissuade a would-be disciple from following him. First the Lord tells him that he must be prepared to have no permanent home. And when this does not do the trick, again reading literally, Jesus tells the Scribe he cannot even pause to bury his father. We are given these two says to provide exaggerated examples of what is meant by the call to discipleship.
The point is made clear in the absolute – first, what must be first and foremost in the hearts and minds of the disciple, is Jesus’ discipline to the Father’s Kingdom and the values of that heavenly place. While people of the earth value property and material wealth, the Kingdom of Heaven values a pure spirit, one in love with the Father and those created in His image. Indeed, following Christ means placing that path in front of the pursuit of material things.
The second saying; “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead” is not meant to be taken literally either. Rather it prioritizes the call to follow Christ. The Scribe wishes to place his familial obligations before the call to follow Christ. In the absolute terms of St. Matthew those who have rejected Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promise are dead to him (hence a literal meaning for the terms used). But our enlightened understanding of this saying is that Christ must come first; before family, before wealth and power –everything else in our lives is predicated upon our call and response to Christ.
These two short sayings place Christ and God’s Kingdom first on our list of life’s priorities. The call to discipleship is not an easy one.
Pax
Additional Information about the First Martyrs of the See of Rome
Readings for Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Amos 2:6-10, 13-16
Placed in context, the prophet riles against the crimes of Moab (2 Kings 3:9ff). The selection from Amos begins with a detailed list of the crimes the Hebrew people of Jerusalem have committed. They disregard the poor and treat them without dignity; they take that which was given in tribute to God and use it for their own pleasure; they turned to idolatry (“…they recline beside any altar”). They did so in the face of God’s faithfulness. God stood with their armies as they defeated the Amorites and was with Moses who led them out of bondage in Egypt.
The prophet concludes with a warning oracle; (“I will crush you into the ground”) God will abandon them and they will not be able to hide from his punishment.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 50:16bc-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
Psalm 50 is a “covenant lawsuit”, that is a lament against those who have violated God’s law and the covenant made with Him upon which it was based. Much like the oracle from Amos, the strophes point to those who are unfaithful and contrast them with God who is always faithful.
Gospel Matthew 8:18-22
We come to an interlude between the miracle stories in St. Matthew’s Gospel. In this passage we find two sayings dealing with discipleship and what that means. The first of these is a reply to a scribe who wished to travel with the Lord. The Savior’s reply indicated that he must be prepared to have no permanent home if he was going to do so. He must give up material wealth.
In the second situation, the would-be disciple asks to be allowed to bury his father. This does not mean his father had already died but that he wished to wait for that to happen so he could carry out his family responsibilities. The Lord’s response makes it clear that ties to the family would be secondary to the disciples call to follow him.
Reflection:
Taken literally, the two saying of Jesus from St. Matthew’s Gospel sound almost as if the Lord is trying to dissuade a would-be disciple from following him. First the Lord tells him that he must be prepared to have no permanent home. And when this does not do the trick, again reading literally, Jesus tells the Scribe he cannot even pause to bury his father. We are given these two says to provide exaggerated examples of what is meant by the call to discipleship.
The point is made clear in the absolute – first, what must be first and foremost in the hearts and minds of the disciple, is Jesus’ discipline to the Father’s Kingdom and the values of that heavenly place. While people of the earth value property and material wealth, the Kingdom of Heaven values a pure spirit, one in love with the Father and those created in His image. Indeed, following Christ means placing that path in front of the pursuit of material things.
The second saying; “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead” is not meant to be taken literally either. Rather it prioritizes the call to follow Christ. The Scribe wishes to place his familial obligations before the call to follow Christ. In the absolute terms of St. Matthew those who have rejected Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promise are dead to him (hence a literal meaning for the terms used). But our enlightened understanding of this saying is that Christ must come first; before family, before wealth and power –everything else in our lives is predicated upon our call and response to Christ.
These two short sayings place Christ and God’s Kingdom first on our list of life’s priorities. The call to discipleship is not an easy one.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today “Neither Shall He Stand That Handleth The Bow” Artist and Date UNKNOWN (Public domain Biblical clip art)
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