Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
Biographical Information about Saint Elizabeth of Portugal[1]
Readings for Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Amos 8:4-6, 9-12
The Prophet Amos’ oracle now turns to God’s response to greed. The Israelites wait impatiently for the end of the Holy Days (“When will the new moon be over” see Numbers 28: 11-15) so they can engage in business. Their practices of cheating on the measure of grain (the Ephah is slightly more than a bushel) is strictly forbidden by Mosaic Law (Leviticus 19: 36 and Deuteronomy 25: 13-15).
The response by God is a judgment against them. Although the original intent was an attack on those who were dishonest, we see the deeper allusion to God’s response to the rejection of Christ and the death of his Son. The total eclipse is always a sign of God’s impending judgment, and the lamentations that follow (“I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentations”). Finally the prediction that the Word of the Lord (the sacred name is used in the Hebrew text) will be gone from them and they will search for it in vein can be seen not only as the loss of the prophet (the original intent) but the loss of the Logos, the Messiah.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The strophes selected from this very long psalm focus on the fidelity of the singer to the “ordinances, statutes and decrees” of the Law in direct reference the oracle of Amos above who condemns those who violate God’s Law.. Psalm 119 is an individual lament asking for God’s support in times of difficulty
Gospel Matthew 9:9-13
The journey of Jesus continues with the Lord’s encounter with Matthew (Levi in St. Mark’s Gospel), the tax collector. The Pharisees are scandalized because this renowned teacher has chosen to associate with “sinners” who clearly violate some of the numerous laws about ritual purity (Matthew 5:46). Jesus’ response using the quote from Hosea 6:6 “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” makes it clear that interior faith is more highly prized than purely ritualistic rigor.
Reflection:
It is interesting that in spite of having heard the call of St. Matthew twice already within the last year (First at the Feast of St. Matthew in September and then just last month on the 10th Sunday in Ordinary time) when that story is set against the back drop of the oracle of the Prophet Amos, a new understanding of God’s plan is revealed.
If we look just at the Gospel story we see Christ’s encounter with St. Matthew, future Apostle and Gospel author. We note that Matthew does not come from the ranks of the Pharisees, the Scribes, or any profession that would be obvious for one chosen to become a religious disciple. In fact, if we thought the Lord’s first choice of common fishermen was counter-intuitive, this choice is really strange. Yet, even though the choice of St. Matthew is a strange one, when the Lord calls him with a simple “Follow me”, he immediately follows, supposedly leaving his customs post and his livelihood behind.
Looking just at the story of the call of St. Matthew we see the Lord call a flawed person. One considered to be a sinner; one who took advantage of the poor and was deceitful in business; One who should be punished by God. Without Jesus’ call he most certainly would have, in Hebrew tradition, been subject to all forms of punishment by the Lord. By applying the reference by Amos to God’s displeasure with those who were greedy (a perfect picture of the tax collector) we see how Jesus not only made him his own, but rescued all who sin, taking on the sins of all.
And for us, these two stories, linked by the psalmists sung thought about the need to be faithful to God’s laws and statutes, demonstrates the love of God for all who find their past sins too much a burden. He reaches out to all of us, regardless of how far we may have fallen, and invites us to follow him. He does so without judgment, without conditions, and without reservation. And he stood behind his invitation with the pledge of his life, given up for all.
Pax
[1] The picture used is “Elizabeth of Portugal” by Francisco de Zurbarán, c. 1650
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
Biographical Information about Saint Elizabeth of Portugal[1]
Readings for Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Amos 8:4-6, 9-12
The Prophet Amos’ oracle now turns to God’s response to greed. The Israelites wait impatiently for the end of the Holy Days (“When will the new moon be over” see Numbers 28: 11-15) so they can engage in business. Their practices of cheating on the measure of grain (the Ephah is slightly more than a bushel) is strictly forbidden by Mosaic Law (Leviticus 19: 36 and Deuteronomy 25: 13-15).
The response by God is a judgment against them. Although the original intent was an attack on those who were dishonest, we see the deeper allusion to God’s response to the rejection of Christ and the death of his Son. The total eclipse is always a sign of God’s impending judgment, and the lamentations that follow (“I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentations”). Finally the prediction that the Word of the Lord (the sacred name is used in the Hebrew text) will be gone from them and they will search for it in vein can be seen not only as the loss of the prophet (the original intent) but the loss of the Logos, the Messiah.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The strophes selected from this very long psalm focus on the fidelity of the singer to the “ordinances, statutes and decrees” of the Law in direct reference the oracle of Amos above who condemns those who violate God’s Law.. Psalm 119 is an individual lament asking for God’s support in times of difficulty
Gospel Matthew 9:9-13
The journey of Jesus continues with the Lord’s encounter with Matthew (Levi in St. Mark’s Gospel), the tax collector. The Pharisees are scandalized because this renowned teacher has chosen to associate with “sinners” who clearly violate some of the numerous laws about ritual purity (Matthew 5:46). Jesus’ response using the quote from Hosea 6:6 “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” makes it clear that interior faith is more highly prized than purely ritualistic rigor.
Reflection:
It is interesting that in spite of having heard the call of St. Matthew twice already within the last year (First at the Feast of St. Matthew in September and then just last month on the 10th Sunday in Ordinary time) when that story is set against the back drop of the oracle of the Prophet Amos, a new understanding of God’s plan is revealed.
If we look just at the Gospel story we see Christ’s encounter with St. Matthew, future Apostle and Gospel author. We note that Matthew does not come from the ranks of the Pharisees, the Scribes, or any profession that would be obvious for one chosen to become a religious disciple. In fact, if we thought the Lord’s first choice of common fishermen was counter-intuitive, this choice is really strange. Yet, even though the choice of St. Matthew is a strange one, when the Lord calls him with a simple “Follow me”, he immediately follows, supposedly leaving his customs post and his livelihood behind.
Looking just at the story of the call of St. Matthew we see the Lord call a flawed person. One considered to be a sinner; one who took advantage of the poor and was deceitful in business; One who should be punished by God. Without Jesus’ call he most certainly would have, in Hebrew tradition, been subject to all forms of punishment by the Lord. By applying the reference by Amos to God’s displeasure with those who were greedy (a perfect picture of the tax collector) we see how Jesus not only made him his own, but rescued all who sin, taking on the sins of all.
And for us, these two stories, linked by the psalmists sung thought about the need to be faithful to God’s laws and statutes, demonstrates the love of God for all who find their past sins too much a burden. He reaches out to all of us, regardless of how far we may have fallen, and invites us to follow him. He does so without judgment, without conditions, and without reservation. And he stood behind his invitation with the pledge of his life, given up for all.
Pax
[1] The picture used is “Elizabeth of Portugal” by Francisco de Zurbarán, c. 1650
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
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