Biographical Information about St. Ignatius of Loyola[1]
Readings for Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Jeremiah 18:1-6
The oracle of Jeremiah has been dwelling with the source of life in God and the importance of repentance. In the story of the visit to the Potter God symbolically demonstrates the absolute power of God to reshape civilization (to destroy and remake).
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 146:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
Psalm 146 is from the wisdom tradition. Here we are given a vision of God’s salvation. His saving power (envisioned in the oracle of Isaiah and fulfilled in Jesus the Christ) lifts up the poor and down trodden and heals those afflicted with every sort of malady.
Gospel Matthew 13:47-53
Jesus concludes his discourse about the Kingdom of Heaven with a final parable about the fisherman’s net. He then makes reference to the disciples' (and their successor's) role as “Christian scribes” or teachers of the Kingdom of God. In his description he refers to the “new and the old” being brought out. This reference is to the new teaching from Jesus and the old from the Law and Prophets.
Homily
We are given a perfect example to examine the deeper meaning of the parable of the Net today. In the reading from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah, we see in the analogy of the potter, God’s ability to reshape mankind (he speaks specifically of Israel but the important idea to understand is he is taking about destroying and remaking a society, not destroying mankind at an individual biological level). If we read the next six verses we see that God does not take this step on a whim but rather considers reflection, repentance, and conversion. The message, however, is clear, God has the power to tear down and build up until, like the potter he reaches a form pleasing to him.
In the Gospel of Matthew, we hear Jesus speaking to is disciples about the Kingdom of God. In this passage he refers to their role as scribes or teachers. Indeed this is what they became, spreading the Lord’s words of salvation, his promise of the Kingdom throughout the world. These words reshaped the world’s understanding of God. They tore down the old perceptions of God as simply a God of Justice and vengeance and, through the story of Christ, God’s Son, showed the face of God’s inestimable love. He continues even now to use his word to reshape the world.
The most ancient and authentic words those “Christian Scribes” left us are contained in Holy Scripture which we study fervently. The precepts contained in those pages are most authentically captured by the Teaching Magesterium of the Church. It is the legacy of Christ, Himself, who appointed Peter, the first Pontiff, as keeper of the Keys to the Kingdom. It has been faithfully passed down to us like a tool in the potter’s hand. The tool has been molding clay, reshaping the world.
The shaping tool changes over time like those who have gone before us (we remember today especially St. Ignatius of Loyola) we are given the guidance of the “scribes” teaching us from the books of the Law and Prophets in the Old Testament (the old we bring out) and the twelve and those who chronicled the story of Christ in the New Testament (the new vision of God’s Kingdom). We thank God today for His guidance and pray for the strength to be his tool working to bring the world to a shape pleasing to him.
Pax
[1] The picture used today is “Ignatius of Loyola” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
Readings for Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Jeremiah 18:1-6
The oracle of Jeremiah has been dwelling with the source of life in God and the importance of repentance. In the story of the visit to the Potter God symbolically demonstrates the absolute power of God to reshape civilization (to destroy and remake).
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 146:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
Psalm 146 is from the wisdom tradition. Here we are given a vision of God’s salvation. His saving power (envisioned in the oracle of Isaiah and fulfilled in Jesus the Christ) lifts up the poor and down trodden and heals those afflicted with every sort of malady.
Gospel Matthew 13:47-53
Jesus concludes his discourse about the Kingdom of Heaven with a final parable about the fisherman’s net. He then makes reference to the disciples' (and their successor's) role as “Christian scribes” or teachers of the Kingdom of God. In his description he refers to the “new and the old” being brought out. This reference is to the new teaching from Jesus and the old from the Law and Prophets.
Homily
We are given a perfect example to examine the deeper meaning of the parable of the Net today. In the reading from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah, we see in the analogy of the potter, God’s ability to reshape mankind (he speaks specifically of Israel but the important idea to understand is he is taking about destroying and remaking a society, not destroying mankind at an individual biological level). If we read the next six verses we see that God does not take this step on a whim but rather considers reflection, repentance, and conversion. The message, however, is clear, God has the power to tear down and build up until, like the potter he reaches a form pleasing to him.
In the Gospel of Matthew, we hear Jesus speaking to is disciples about the Kingdom of God. In this passage he refers to their role as scribes or teachers. Indeed this is what they became, spreading the Lord’s words of salvation, his promise of the Kingdom throughout the world. These words reshaped the world’s understanding of God. They tore down the old perceptions of God as simply a God of Justice and vengeance and, through the story of Christ, God’s Son, showed the face of God’s inestimable love. He continues even now to use his word to reshape the world.
The most ancient and authentic words those “Christian Scribes” left us are contained in Holy Scripture which we study fervently. The precepts contained in those pages are most authentically captured by the Teaching Magesterium of the Church. It is the legacy of Christ, Himself, who appointed Peter, the first Pontiff, as keeper of the Keys to the Kingdom. It has been faithfully passed down to us like a tool in the potter’s hand. The tool has been molding clay, reshaping the world.
The shaping tool changes over time like those who have gone before us (we remember today especially St. Ignatius of Loyola) we are given the guidance of the “scribes” teaching us from the books of the Law and Prophets in the Old Testament (the old we bring out) and the twelve and those who chronicled the story of Christ in the New Testament (the new vision of God’s Kingdom). We thank God today for His guidance and pray for the strength to be his tool working to bring the world to a shape pleasing to him.
Pax
[1] The picture used today is “Ignatius of Loyola” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
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