Religious
Biographical Information about St. Francis of Assisi[1]
Readings for Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
In these verses we find Job’s final repentance and salvation from the burden placed upon him. In reward for his faithfulness he is given twice what was taken away in property, in family, and in lifespan.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Psalm 119, in this section, is an individual lament asking for God’s support in times of difficulty. From this, the longest of the psalms the strophes ask for the psalmist to be strengthened in the truth and given wisdom that comes from the law. The use of v. 71 (“It was good for me to be afflicted, in order to learn your laws.”) provides a clear reference to the suffering endured by Job and God’s final gift of salvation.
Gospel: Luke 10:17-24
The return of the Seventy (Two) gives rise to the prayer of Jesus who turns the victory of the disciples into a means to glorify the Father. The Lord gives thanks that God has seen fit to reveal his identity and pass on his power to these disciples of his.
Reflection:
“…do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
We can look back at this event and immediately empathize with the returning disciples. They were sent out to spread the Good News and given authority to cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. We can imagine their surprise and delight when what they had thought was impossible worked and of course, in this less skeptical time, their astonishing works would have given them great credibility among the populations they visited. Is it any wonder that they came back enthusiastic to report their success?
The Lord sees a danger here. His friends, while they are given his mission, might forget just who it is they serve and what the grander vision is so he brings them back to earth. He reminds them that the real reason they should rejoice was because God had seen fit to honor them with a place in his heavenly kingdom. All good things are only accomplished through God and with his help. Human pride and vanity have not place in God’s work. It was this revelation Jesus celebrates.
This is the lesson for us today. The disciples were sent out with a mission, just as we are sent out with a mission. They accomplished great things because their faith in Jesus was strong and the mission worthy. Jesus reminds us that our success is due to God’s loving help and that through that success we see the Father’s favor rest upon us. That favor, that grace is what should be celebrated, not our feeble efforts.
When we accomplish a victory and start to congratulate ourselves for a “fine job of work” we need to pull up short and remember that we should instead be thanking God the Father. Jesus did it when he heard the reports of success from his friends. Even he, the Messiah, did not say “See how wonderful I am. I sent you out and you were able to do miracles in my name. Am I not great?” No, even the Lord of Life stopped and thanked the Father in prayer. What a great example to us.
Pax
[1] The Picture today is “St. Francis of Assisi at Prayer” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1645-50
[2] ALTRE
Biographical Information about St. Francis of Assisi[1]
Readings for Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
In these verses we find Job’s final repentance and salvation from the burden placed upon him. In reward for his faithfulness he is given twice what was taken away in property, in family, and in lifespan.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Psalm 119, in this section, is an individual lament asking for God’s support in times of difficulty. From this, the longest of the psalms the strophes ask for the psalmist to be strengthened in the truth and given wisdom that comes from the law. The use of v. 71 (“It was good for me to be afflicted, in order to learn your laws.”) provides a clear reference to the suffering endured by Job and God’s final gift of salvation.
Gospel: Luke 10:17-24
The return of the Seventy (Two) gives rise to the prayer of Jesus who turns the victory of the disciples into a means to glorify the Father. The Lord gives thanks that God has seen fit to reveal his identity and pass on his power to these disciples of his.
Reflection:
“…do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
We can look back at this event and immediately empathize with the returning disciples. They were sent out to spread the Good News and given authority to cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. We can imagine their surprise and delight when what they had thought was impossible worked and of course, in this less skeptical time, their astonishing works would have given them great credibility among the populations they visited. Is it any wonder that they came back enthusiastic to report their success?
The Lord sees a danger here. His friends, while they are given his mission, might forget just who it is they serve and what the grander vision is so he brings them back to earth. He reminds them that the real reason they should rejoice was because God had seen fit to honor them with a place in his heavenly kingdom. All good things are only accomplished through God and with his help. Human pride and vanity have not place in God’s work. It was this revelation Jesus celebrates.
This is the lesson for us today. The disciples were sent out with a mission, just as we are sent out with a mission. They accomplished great things because their faith in Jesus was strong and the mission worthy. Jesus reminds us that our success is due to God’s loving help and that through that success we see the Father’s favor rest upon us. That favor, that grace is what should be celebrated, not our feeble efforts.
When we accomplish a victory and start to congratulate ourselves for a “fine job of work” we need to pull up short and remember that we should instead be thanking God the Father. Jesus did it when he heard the reports of success from his friends. Even he, the Messiah, did not say “See how wonderful I am. I sent you out and you were able to do miracles in my name. Am I not great?” No, even the Lord of Life stopped and thanked the Father in prayer. What a great example to us.
Pax
[1] The Picture today is “St. Francis of Assisi at Prayer” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1645-50
[2] ALTRE
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