Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Readings for Saturday after Ash Wednesday[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 58:9b-14

If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake,
and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
"Repairer of the breach," they shall call you,
"Restorer of ruined homesteads."

If you hold back your foot on the sabbath
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the sabbath a delight,
and the LORD's holy day honorable;
If you honor it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice
Then you shall delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
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Commentary on Is 58:9b-14

The Prophet continues exhorting the people to understand that God desires a spirit of compassion and generosity. He tells the people that if they follow this course they will be greatly rewarded and will receive rich blessings from God.

In the second paragraph Isaiah explains what it means to keep the Sabbath day holy. Again, following this command brings the faithful rich rewards from God.

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Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (11ab) Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
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Commentary on Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Psalm 86 is a lament. The psalmist sings of a life afflicted and asks God to give his servant relief. The song indicates the faithfulness of the singer, even in times of distress.

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Gospel: Luke 5:27-32

After this he (Jesus) went out
and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.
Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house,
and a large crowd of tax collectors
and others were at table with them.
The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,
"Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
Jesus said to them in reply,
"Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners."
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Commentary on Luke 5:27-32

The story of the call of St. Matthew in Luke’s Gospel immediately follows Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees that culminated with the cure of the paralytic lowered through the roof. “A man named Matthew: Mark names this tax collector Levi (Mark 2:14). No such name appears in the four lists of the twelve who were the closest companions of Jesus (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13 [eleven, because of the defection of Judas Iscariot]), whereas all four list a Matthew, designated in Matthew 10:3 as "the tax collector." The evangelist may have changed the "Levi" of his source to Matthew so that this man, whose call is given special notice, like that of the first four disciples (Matthew 4:18-22), might be included among the twelve. Another reason for the change may be that the disciple Matthew was the source of traditions peculiar to the church for which the evangelist was writing”[5] .It is much more focused on the reaction of the Pharisees than the same story in Matthew (Matthew 9:9). The message, however, is clear. Jesus came so that we (who are all sinners) might understand that God’s love is for them as well.

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Reflection:

“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.”

Jesus uses the analogy of healing to emphasize the impact faith has on the individual. The Pharisees, with whom Jesus is in tension, have seen a man who is clearly God. In the story just prior to the call of St. Matthew that is presented today, Jesus responded to their rhetorical question; “Who but God alone can forgive sins?" Jesus demonstrates to them that he is God by curing the paralytic who they see as being afflicted by God because of his sin.

These astounded Pharisees next see Jesus go to a tax collector “named Levi” (see the commentary above for the name change information). Tax collectors of the day were considered toadies of the Romans who extorted money from their own people. They were not welcome in polite company. Not only does Jesus address this outcast, he calls him to be one of his students – a disciple.

We can empathize with the Pharisees; they are desperately seeking the Messiah. They have seen this holy man from Galilee fulfilling all the predictions of the Prophets and performing miracles – they are almost certain he is the one but then he does not fit their expectation. Surely the Messiah would come in royal garb, with power and majesty. He would be an arch-type of the High Priest at the Temple in Jerusalem, only grander still. The Messiah would cause those who were steeped in sin to be punished; not call them as students or friends.

To their complaints Jesus tells them “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.” “What does that mean?” they must ask. They understand that Jesus sees the sin in this man. But the Messiah comes for them as well and they are not like this man, they have not sinned. His phrase is a statement of mission and an accusation of those who believe that their pious acts exempt them from God’s deeper law of love.

This same promise and diagnosis comes to us as the message embedded in the call of St. Matthew. Our Lenten call to conversion is intensified by our own need for the spiritual physician who is the Lord. We need to be healed and he has come to do so. But like our own visits with the doctor, the advice we get may be hard to live with and a healthy lifestyle may require us to change what we do and how we do it. Our Lenten discipline should direct us along that course. Our prayer today is that we are faithful in following “Doctor’s Orders” and we again choose life.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Visit of the Physician” by Gabriel Metsu, 1860-67
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[5] See NAB footnote on Matthew 9:9

Friday after Ash Wednesday

Readings for Friday after Ash Wednesday[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 58:1-9a

Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,
lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;
Tell my people their wickedness,
and the house of Jacob their sins.
They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the law of their God;
They ask me to declare what is due them,
pleased to gain access to God.
"Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?"

Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Would that today you might fast
so as to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
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Commentary on Is 58:1-9a

This passage is from what is known as Deutero-Isaiah. It was written in the latter part of the Babylonian exile (700 BC). The prophet begins this passage with a recounting of God’s call to him and his mission statement; “Tell my people their wickedness, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Better is the Jerusalem Bible translation; “Proclaim their faults to my people, their sins to the House of Jacob.”

Isaiah’s lament continues as he chastises the people for missing the point of their fasts of atonement. They perform the rituals and follow the law but then violate the spirit of God’s Law by being uncaring and cruel to each other.

Finally the prophet explains what that spirit is and how it is to impact their actions and closes with the reward for following the spirit of God’s Law – “Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you. Cry, and the Lord will answer; call, and he will say, ‘I am here’.”

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Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19

R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
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Commentary on Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19

The psalm, 51, the most famous of the seven penitential psalms, repeats the sentiment expressed in Isaiah regarding first the need for heartfelt repentance on the part of the faithful. It goes on to emphasize the need for forgiveness. The final strophe is parallel to Isaiah’s description of the acceptable fast in Isaiah 58:6-7 (above).

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Gospel: Matthew 9:14-15

Then the disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast (much),
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast."
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Commentary on Mt 9:14-15

Jesus is challenged by the disciples of John the Baptist and asked why his disciples do not keep the ritual fasts of Pharisaic Law (According to the apostolic response in their early teaching documents, the early Christians were to fast on different days than the Jews. “But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites; Matthew 6:16 for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week; but do ye fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday).” Didache (8.1)[5])

The Lord responds with the analogy of a marriage banquet were there can be no mourning as long as the bridegroom is present. He refers, of course, to his own presence and the need for fasting only after he is gone.

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Reflection:

One of the characteristics of our Lenten celebration is that we feel the requirements of our faith press more firmly upon us. In scripture today we first hear the Prophet Isaiah exhort us to adopt an interior fast as opposed to a simple exterior expression of repentance by abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent as we are required to do. The Lord expects us to undergo a spiritual fast that expresses itself in actions pleasing to God.

To make certain that we recognize the need to adopt this discipline the Gospel reminds us that while the Apostles were not required to keep the Pharisaic fasting regulations, the rational the Lord uses to explain this is his own presence. While he is there, mourning his loss is in appropriate. It is the same logic we apply on the Lord’s Day – Sunday. We do not fast nor are we required to follow the discipline of self denial we have established for the other days of the week during the Lenten Season. Sundays we are with the Lord in the Eucharist and how can we mourn when we rejoice at his presence.

We return to Isaiah’s exhortation on this first Friday of the Lenten Season. God commands us through his prophetic words to adopt the attitude of Christ (although the author would not have known it was Christ’s attitude he was describing).

He asks for actions that are very specific:

“This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.”

How, one might ask, can we “…release those bound unjustly”? or “set free the oppressed”? Have we not bound others in our anger, have we not oppressed others with our ambition or greed? We are called to look at our motives and see there the results of our own actions. And this is not limited to those with whom we work or go to school; rather the first place we look to release those bound unjustly and free the oppressed is within our own families. It is there that the yoke rests more heavily and the bonds cut most deeply. It is also there that forgiveness is most difficult and reconciliation most painful.

As for “sheltering the oppressed”, “Clothing the naked”, and “not turning your back on your own”, these gifts of time and charity are easily associated with what we are called to be as Christians living in an unforgiving community in difficult economic times. Our special attention is directed there during this season of our fast.

Today, indeed, we feel the weight of the discipline of our faith pressing upon us. We pray that our strength is equal to the task and ask the Holy Spirit to add its strength to our own.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture today is “Chained Prisoner” by Francisco de Goya Y Lucentes, 1806-12
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[5] The Didache was written in the first or second century A.D. and was recommended by Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 265-c. 340)

Thursday After Ash Wednesday

Readings for Thursday After Ash Wednesday[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

"Here, then, I (Moses) have today I have set before you
life and prosperity, death and doom.
If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God,
which I enjoin on you today,
loving him, and walking in his ways,
and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees,
you will live and grow numerous,
and the LORD, your God,
will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy.
If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen,
but are led astray and adore and serve other gods,
I tell you now that you will certainly perish;
you will not have a long life
on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy.
I call heaven and earth today to witness against you:
I have set before you life and death,
the blessing and the curse.
Choose life, then,
that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God,
heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.
For that will mean life for you,
a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore
he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
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Commentary on Dt 30:15-20

Moses is presenting the Law of the Lord to the Hebrew people whom he has lead out of bondage in Egypt. He makes it clear that by following the Law, the Ten Commandments, they will find favor in God’s eyes and they will prosper. If they disregard the law, they will find disfavor with God and will die out. He completes the ritualistic covenant phrasing by inviting them to choose life by following God’s law and statues.

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Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Psalm 1 serves as a preface to the whole book of the psalms. The psalmist here exalts those who follow the Lord’s commands and reflects upon the blessings they will receive. As is usual, this selection emphasizes the contrast between the salvation of the just and the punishment of the wicked, an echo of Moses instruction to the people above.

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Gospel: Luke 9:22-25

He (Jesus) said (to his disciples),
"The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised."
Then he said to all,
"If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?"
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Commentary on Lk 9:22-25

The Gospel takes up the theme of life and death as Jesus first informs his disciples that he will undergo the “Passion” at the hands of the Jewish hierarchy and be raised. He then provides an invitation to life by contrasting, as Moses did in Deuteronomy 30:15-20, the (spiritual) salvation brought about through faith and the (eternal) death that awaits the faithless.

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Reflection:

“Choose life then…”

At the very base of our need for the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the fact that God created us in His own image and likeness. In doing so he gave us boundless potential to explore and divine the secretes he placed before us in His creation. Included in his own likeness is “free will”. He did not make us a race of people to slavishly follow his law and whim. He created us with all the faculties needed to make our own choices. He gave us dominion over all his creation from the beginning of time. It was his will and pleasure to bestow this gift upon his favorite creation.

In giving us this gift, the ability to choose, he also unleashed human nature. Through Adam’s original sin, sin entered the world and the choices placed before humankind became complex. God punished and nearly destroyed the people he created in the great flood. He vowed never to take that course again and sent Moses with the Law to provide a frame work for his people, so they might understand his will in more explicit terms. This is the course of revelation the people of God followed.

In the readings from Deuteronomy and the Gospel of St. Luke God once more offers a choice to us. In offering that choice he reminds us that we can also choose death. It is just that he does so. Call it full disclosure – we are told what will happen if we choose to walk a path that leads away from his call to holiness. Moses said it “If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen… I tell you now that you will certainly perish.” Jesus, God’s Only Son reiterates that consequence “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it.” In this case Jesus is emphasizing that following God’s Law is difficult, it requires going against the forces of evil. And those forces who will kill the Son of Man, will also be arrayed against those who choose to follow him.

Those same choices face us all as we walk the way of Lent; trying to discern how we can walk more closely with Jesus. Always we are called to abandon that path. We are called seductively to death of spirit, death of human dignity, and physical death through abuse. Today we hear the Lord’s call clearly. He calls us to choose life!

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Christ Carrying the Cross” by Jan Sanders van Hemessen, 1553
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ash Wednesday

Readings for Ash Wednesday[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

The Lenten Season: The Lectionary readings for Lent fall into two basic themes broken into the first half of Lent and the second. In the first half, beginning today and running through the Saturday of the third week of Lent focuses on the model of discipleship. As we are confronted time and again with the demands of that call we come to understand that in spite of our best efforts, the call will always be out of our reach.

The second half of Lent the Lectionary shows us Jesus the Christ in the Gospel of St. John. We review his ministry, not so much as a synopsis, but rather to come to a closer understanding of the salvation He alone provides.

Taken together, the first half of Lent is ethical and the second is Christological. The first half empties us the second fills us up. At the end lies the great gift of Easter.

Reading 1: Joel 2:12-18

Yet even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?'"

Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.
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Commentary on Jl 2:12-18

The land has suffered a great plague of locusts and Joel calls the people of Israel to repentance. He calls all the faithful to return to the Lord and have faith in him because they were in despair thinking the locusts were a punishment from God. Joel asks the faithful for an interior conversion not just outward signs or ritual worship (“Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God.”)

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Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
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Commentary on Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

Supporting the lament in Joel, Psalm 51 provides a call to repentance as well. “A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought.”[5] We acknowledge our sinfulness and vow to return to the grace of God.

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Reading II: 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2

So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:

In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
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Commentary on 2 Cor 5:20—6:2

St. Paul calls the Corinthians to reconciliation with God. He reminds them that through reconciliation grace is received and through grace God pours out salvation. The Apostle reminds the people why God came, as a sacrifice of atonement for sins (“For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin “) His urgent call tells his audience that now (not later) is the time for this to occur. “In an acceptable time: Paul cites the Septuagint text of Isaiah 49:8; the Hebrew reads "in a time of favor"; it is parallel to "on the day of salvation." Now: God is bestowing favor and salvation at this very moment, as Paul is addressing his letter to them.”[6]

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Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

"(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
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Commentary on Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

This passage is the instruction on almsgiving, prayer and fasting from St. Matthew’s Gospel, the three major Lenten themes. We are reminded that what we do for God is for Him to see not for others to see. In all three instances, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting the same instruction is given. We are to give generously but in private, we are to pray fervently but alone, and we are to fast with purpose but to hide our discomfort. (The section left out of this reading, Matthew 6; 7-15, is Jesus giving the disciples the Lord’s Prayer.)

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Reflection:

Today we begin our Lenten celebration. During Mass we will be reminded once more to “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” or “Remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return”. These pronouncements are summaries of what the goal of Lent is meant to be. The readings give us the same message. In Joel, the prophet calls; “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart,” and in the Psalm we hear, “Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.” The same message of reconciliation and conversion is echoed in St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians; “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

All of these calls to holiness come from scripture and we ask ourselves; how shall we respond? The Lord answers in his sermon. He calls us to be a people who give generously of our material goods, to be a people of prayer, and to recognize our own failings and in a real way, through fasting, repent our sin and vow to return.

Today is a day of fasting and abstinence in the Church. We will not be required to refrain from eating, and abstain from meat again until Good Friday, the day after Lent ends. Today we offer our hunger to those for whom hunger is constant. We offer our goods for those who have none. We offer our prayers for all peoples, that they too might turn away from sin and return to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Beggars Receiving Alms at the Door of a House” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1648
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[5] See NAB footnote on Psalm 51
[6] See NAB footnote on 2 Corinthians 6:2

Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Readings for Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Sirach 2:1-11

My son, when you come to serve the LORD,
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold and silver are tested,
and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help you;
trust in him, and he will direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old therein.

You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love him,
and your hearts will be enlightened.
Study the generations long past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?
has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble
and he is a protector to all who seek him in truth.
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Commentary on Sir 2:1-11

The son of Sirach begins the second chapter of his work with an injunction to keep faithful and steadfast in God. He asks that we not waiver in the face of adversity which will come. He also uses that analogy from Zachariah 13:9 of being tested as gold and silver are tested.

The second paragraph begins with a litany for the faithful – first to wait for the Lord, then to trust him, hope in him, and finally to love him. He reminds the reader of God’s compassion and mercy in the past and assures his forgiveness to those who seek it.

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Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

R. (see 5) Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
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Commentary on Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

Psalm 37 is a lament. It responds to the question; why to the wicked prosper. In these strophes it continues the plea to be faithful to God and remain steadfast in the time of adversity. The psalmist adds that those who turn away should return and God will give them salvation.

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Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

They (Jesus and his disciples) left from there
and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."
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Commentary on Mk 9:30-37

This selection describes Jesus’ interaction with the disciples following the cure of the boy with the Mute Spirit. Jesus and his disciples continue their journey through Galilee and he teaches them in private about what is to come.

While the disciples clearly understand the Lord is to leave them, they do not yet grasp the nature of his mission as they are arguing about who among them will be greatest once victory is achieved. The Lord sees this in them and when they don’t respond to his direct question he gives them the example of first a servant and then a child so they can understand that it is through humility and innocence that God’s servants lead.

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Reflection:

We find ourselves, on this last day before we begin our Lenten journey, with a message from Sirach that sets us up spiritually for tomorrow’s Ash Wednesday celebration. The author reminds us that we will be tested if we remain faithful to God. And the definition of what faithfulness to God and his Son is what we must understand today.

Faithfulness to God means following his commandments, his law. His Law is not simply the one that the son of Sirach understood. Sirach’s son saw the law as the Torah which contains the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) and the associated laws from Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers. We have that set of laws but they were interpreted for us by God’s only Son who placed a law above the Law of the Torah – the Law of Love in the Great Commandment.

When Jesus wrapped God’s Law in love he transformed it from a burden to be borne on bowed back into a garment to be worn lightly, protecting us. When we consider the purpose of the Lord’s incarnation, we see in the Gospel an armor like that needed by ancient soldiers. They put on that armor not because it was comfortable or fashionable but because they knew they were going into battle and the armor protected them.

The Anointed One took away the strict but purposeless discipline and replaced it with a life that naturally conforms itself to God own. Suddenly the face of mercy is truly revealed and the giant Hammer of Justice is replaced with the Cross of Salvation.

The words of Sirach remind us that we are called to be a people who to wait for the Lord; who trust in Him, hope in Him, and finally to love Him with all our hearts, all our strength and all our spirit. This goal is filled in with Jesus reminder from Mark’s Gospel that if we wish to lead others to him we must first be servants and finally form our faith as an innocent child. In this way we are faithful to him – this is our goal.

As we anticipate our Lenten season of introspection and penitence and think about those things we will do over the next forty days to prepare our selves for Easter joy let us pray first that we have the strength of faithfulness, the humility of the servant, and the innocent faith of a child.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Innocence” by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 1790
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Memorial of Saint Polycarp

Bishop and Martyr

Biographical Information about St. Polycarp[1]

Readings for Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Sirach 1:1-10

All wisdom comes from the LORD
and with him it remains forever.
The sand of the seashore, the drops of rain,
the days of eternity: who can number these?
Heaven's height, earth's breadth,
the depths of the abyss: who can explore these?
Before all things else wisdom was created;
and prudent understanding, from eternity.
The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom
and her ways are everlasting.
To whom has wisdom's root been revealed?
Who knows her subtleties?
To whom has the discipline of wisdom been revealed?
And who has understood the multiplicity of her ways ?
There is but one, wise and truly awe-inspiring,
seated upon his throne:
There is but one, Most High
all-powerful creator-king and truly awe-inspiring one,
seated upon his throne and he is the God of dominion.
It is the LORD; he created her through the Holy Spirit,
has seen her and taken note of her.
He has poured her forth upon all his works,
upon every living thing according to his bounty;
he has lavished her upon his friends.
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Commentary on Sir 1:1-10

This passage begins the Book of Sirach. Written in about 175 B.C., this sacred text’s author, the son of Sirach, writes extensively about the Law and our relationship to it. It is not considered to be part of the Jewish Bible after the first century and is not contained in the protestant cannon either. The church has always considered it sacred and it has been included in the Catholic Cannon since it was first established.

In these opening verses, the author explains that the Wisdom of God is poured out on all God’s creation through the Holy Spirit. Wisdom, the author notes, can only come from God and there is, of course only one God. The wisdom spoken of here is God’s external revelation of himself, present in all His creation.

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Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
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Commentary on Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

The external revelation of God mentioned in Sirach is celebrated in this song of praise. The image of God’s throne on high, repeated here reinforces God’s omnipotence.

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Gospel: Mark 9:14-29

When they (Jesus, Peter, James, and John) came to the disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?"
Someone from the crowd answered him,
"Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so."
He said to them in reply,
"O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? Bring him to me."
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around
and foam at the mouth.
Then he questioned his father,
"How long has this been happening to him?"
He replied, "Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
Jesus said to him,
"'If you can!' Everything is possible to one who has faith."
Then the boy's father cried out, "I do believe, help my unbelief!"
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
"Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!"
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, "He is dead!"
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
"Why could we not drive the spirit out?"
He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer."
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Commentary on Mk 9:14-29

In this selection from St. Mark’s Gospel, the Lord encounters a “situation”. When he comes down the mountain where Peter, James, and John had just witnessed the transfiguration of the Lord, he discovers the rest of the twelve being challenged by scribes and Pharisees because they cannot cast out a “mute spirit”.

Jesus’ reaction seems a bit exasperated. He remarks on the faithlessness of the crowd (including the Scribes and Pharisees) and proceeds to cure the boy. He then explains to the disciples (possibly chastising them as well) that in such cases, cure can only be effected through prayer and in some texts “fasting” is added to this account..

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Reflection:

The Gospel tells a story of what happens when people try to do something without enlisting God’s help. The son of Sirach explains in the first reading that all wisdom (and grace) comes from God and resides in God in fullness. When the disciples who were not with Jesus as he was being transfigured and revealed to Peter, James, and John are confronted with a request to cure a possessed boy, they fail. Recall Jesus already “gave them authority over unclean spirits” and sent them out with successful results (cf Mark 6:7-13). They fully expected to be able to cure the boy. When they failed, it reflected poorly on their teacher, Jesus.

When Jesus returns and finds them embroiled in an argument with the people (including the scribes and Pharisees) he recognizes the situation at once. First, the people who came with the boy did not have faith that the boy could be cured (by God) and second, his disciples, under pressure, had failed to ask God for assistance and tried to accomplish the task by human will alone.

In the Gospel Jesus rebukes both groups; the crowd with "O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?” And later, privately, the disciples with what must have been for them a pretty scathing testimony from their teacher’ "This kind can only come out through prayer." The implication was they had not been praying, they had forgotten that grace and wisdom from God must flow through them if good is to be accomplished.

That same lesson is the one we walk away with today. It is one about which we need to be constantly reminded. We are not asked to perform miracles on a daily basis. But we are confronted and challenged to proclaim the Good News. When we try to do this on our own, forgetting that it is only through Christ Jesus who left us the Holy Spirit that this can be accomplished, we fall into the same trap as the nine who forgot to pray.

This then is our challenge for today. That we be a people of prayer, constantly asking God for aid in glorifying his name though our actions. May all we do this day be a song of praise to him.

Pax

[1] The picture used is “Saint Polycarp”, by Michael Burghers, c. 1685
[2] ALTRE
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings for the Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25

Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
The people I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.
Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob,
for you grew weary of me, O Israel.
You burdened me with your sins,
and wearied me with your crimes.
It is I, I, who wipe out,
for my own sake, your offenses;
your sins I remember no more.
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Commentary on Is 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25

This selection from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is addressed to the exiles in Babylon. It is part of an elegant poem on redemption of the people and restoration to Jerusalem. This section the author’s voice shifts to Yahweh as the salvation of the Exodus is recounted and redemption (a new exodus from Babylon) is once more promised (“I am doing something new!”). In recounting the fallen faith of the people (“Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob, for you grew weary of me, O Israel.”) it is made clear that God’s forgiveness and continued support is an expression of his mercy alone- not because of their fidelity and love.

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Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 41:2-3, 4-5, 13-14

R. (5b) Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
Blessed is the one who has regard for the lowly and the poor;
in the day of misfortune the LORD will deliver him.
The LORD will keep and preserve him;
and make him blessed on earth,
and not give him over to the will of his enemies.
R. Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
The LORD will help him on his sickbed,
he will take away all his ailment when he is ill.
Once I said, "O LORD, have pity on me;
heal me, though I have sinned against you."
R. Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
But because of my integrity you sustain me
and let me stand before you forever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from all eternity. Amen. Amen.
R. Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
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Commentary on Ps 41:2-3, 4-5, 13-14

Psalm 41 is a song of thanksgiving. The author gives thanks for God’s healing (from an illness). The themes of mercy shown even to those who have sinned and help for the lowly are central as is the Hebrew understanding that this affliction was a consequence of having sinned. The final strophe is a closing doxology that closes this section of the Psalter.

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Reading II: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22

As God is faithful,
our word to you is not "yes" and "no."
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
who was proclaimed to you by us, Silvanus and Timothy and me,
was not "yes" and "no," but "yes" has been in him.
For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him;
therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory.
But the one who gives us security with you in Christ
and who anointed us is God;
he has also put his seal upon us
and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.
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Commentary on 2 Cor 1:18-22

St. Paul has been criticized by the people at Corinth. His critics have accused him of failing to deliver on promises he made. In this part of his response to that charge he recounts his singleness of purpose in confessing the absolute truth in Christ Jesus. God, says the Apostle, is always faithful (“For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him;”). The point he intends is that as God is faithful so is his servant who proclaims his fidelity in Christ Jesus who is God’s Amen (using the Hebrew word for yes).

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Gospel: Mark 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
"Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
"Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus immediately knew in his mind
what they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk?'
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
—he said to the paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."
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Commentary on Mk 2:1-12

The story of Jesus healing the paralytic begins Jesus’ conflicts with the scribes and Pharisees in Mark’s Gospel. In this story the link between sin and physical affliction is referred to directly as is healing and faith. Later in the Gospel Mark attaches even more importance to faith as a component of healing.

The text contains a remarkable statement; “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” This statement was clearly intended for the Christian as opposed to the scribes who would have rejected this notion or the paralytic who already accepted him.

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Reflection:

The healing miracle that is described in Mark’s Gospel provides a renewed emphasis on our understanding of the relationship between the Savior and each of us and the Church. From a very detached point of view we all understand and know that Jesus came into the world so that we might be reunited with God – reconciled to him by having the great barrier removed that fell when Adam and Eve fell and brought sin into the world. We know again at an intellectual level, that when Jesus offered himself up on the cross it was as a sacrifice of atonement; intended to pay the price for Adam’s sin and open a portal so that all might once more enter God’s Kingdom.

All of these grand theological statements have been poured into us from our earliest years for those of us born in the Christian faith. Looking at the Gospel today as the Lord once more encounters one afflicted, this time with a paralysis, we see on a personal - a real level what that forgiveness accomplishes. Jesus uses the healing miracles as metaphor. We are all wounded, broken, damaged by choices we have made that separate us from Christ. We have all done things that can be classified as sin (the simple definition for sin is “… a conscious failure to love – love self, love others, love God).

When we allow this brokenness to go untended, it is like breaking a bone and not having it set. It does not mend properly and may always be twisted or bent, weakened and unable to work as it was intended. In sever cases it can cripple a person for life. Cripple their ability have relationships with others, ruin the relationships they have with their loved ones. The Lord can heal this injury; these self-inflicted wounds (for even when another person harms us and we allow our bitterness to fester, refusing to forgive them – we sin, injuring ourselves).

The paralytic was brought to the Lord by friends with faith. We have access to forgiveness without such extreme measures. It takes two separate actions on our part. First we must recognize that we have injured our relationship to Christ through sin. Cradle Catholics may recall that in their elementary days they were told to count the number of times they had committed certain sinful acts and report these at the confessional, by the numbers. A priest friend who was returning from hearing confessions at a Catholic Elementary School confided once that hearing these confessions was like “being pelted with popcorn”. As adults our failures generally are much more serious and have a more profound impact in our lives. None the less, the first step is recognizing that we have damaged our relationship with Christ through sin.

The second step, and this may sound simplistic, is true contrition. For Christ, who forgave even those who murdered him, there is nothing he will not forgive of the truly repentant person. The hardest thing we do in our faith is offer the sins we have committed to the one who is without sin. But to receive forgiveness we must ask for it. We must lower ourselves through the roof if necessary to lay helpless before the Son of God, our brokenness laid before him, our helplessness and vulnerability offered to him in faith. When we do this our sins will be forgiven and our relationship with him restored.

If we are brave enough to hear those words, we will also take that experience to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The sacrament offers us several benefits which time prohibits us to fully reflect upon. But chief among them is we speak the words to one who stands in the place of the Lord and are absolved. Like the doctor who reviews the test results and finds the treatment successful, we thought we felt well following our act of contrition, now we hear the official word, words of love from the Church.

Today our prayer is simple. We pray that God will give us the spiritual strength to recognize our sins and weaknesses and offer them to him for healing. We wish to be made whole by the one who is love personified.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Jesus Heals the Paralytic” by Alexandre Bida, c. 1880
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Saint Peter Damian, Bishop, Doctor

Biographical Information about St. Peter Damian

Readings for Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Hebrew 11:1-7

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God,
so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.
By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain's.
Through this, he was attested to be righteous,
God bearing witness to his gifts,
and through this, though dead, he still speaks.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death,
and he was found no more because God had taken him.
Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him,
for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who seek him.
By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen,
with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household.
Through this, he condemned the world
and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.
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Commentary on Heb 11:1-7

The beginning of this reading gives us a classic definition of faith: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” We note that this definition describes what faith does rather than a pure theological description. “Through faith God guarantees the blessings to be hoped for from him, providing evidence in the gift of faith that what he promises will eventually come to pass.[4] Looking at the translation above it is instructive to look at the same verse as translated in the Jerusalem Bible; “Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen.”

The author goes on to applaud the faith of Old Testament figures. “The "Praise of the Ancestors" in Sirach 44:1-50:21 gives a similar list of heroes. The Cain and Abel narrative in Genesis 4:1-16 does not mention Abel's faith. It says, however, that God "looked with favor on Abel and his offering" (Genesis 4, 4); in view of v 6 the author probably understood God's favor to have been activated by Abel's faith. Though dead, he still speaks: possibly because his blood "cries out to me from the soil" (Genesis 4:10), but more probably a way of saying that the repeated story of Abel provides ongoing witness to faith.”[5]

A major point of this selection is that Christians must believe, not only that God exists, but that he wants behavior from them consistent with his decrees. To fail in this is a denial of truth defined in the Hebrew Scriptures as folly (see Psalm 53).

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Responsorial Psalm:[6] Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11

R. (see 1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11

Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise. This singer, in these strophes, pours out his heart to God whose greatness is unknowable and who, through his creation, has demonstrated majesty beyond any human undertaking.

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Gospel: Mark 9:2-13

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
then from the cloud came a voice,
"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
Suddenly, looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Then they asked him,
"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
He told them, "Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things,
yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man
that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt?
But I tell you that Elijah has come
and they did to him whatever they pleased,
as it is written of him."
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Commentary on Mk 9:2-13

The Gospel gives us the story of the Transfiguration as told by St. Mark. Present in all three of the synoptic Gospels, this event follows Jesus’ prediction of the passion and provides assurance of his divine nature. Shown as it is to the select disciples, it prepares them to understand the necessary connection between the passion and his rise to messianic glory.The imagery of this event provides a recognizable reference to the greater mission of the Lord, as he comes to fulfill both the Prophets (personified in Elijah) and the Law (represented by Moses). The cloud that comes to rest over the disciples is reminiscent of the cloud that came to rest over the meeting tent in the Old Testament (Exodus 40:34-35) that signified the presence of Yahweh.

A side note – the Lectionary for Mass begins this reading with “Jesus took Peter…”, omitting “After six days”. This omission removes an interesting numerological reference to the event that takes place. The Transfiguration is the revelation of Christ as God’s Son. It completes the teaching referenced in the previous verses –After six days of teaching Christ was revealed- seven representing the complete or perfect number.

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Reflection:

Jesus is revealed in scripture today even more spectacularly than when he came up out of the Jordan after he was baptized by St. John. The story of the Transfiguration marks a point in the Gospel story of St. Mark where the reader, now lead by inexorable logic is brought to understand that this man, Jesus, is also the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ.

This story has its own feast day (August 6th) so instead of dwelling on what took place that miraculous day we look to the faith required to understand this event and the impact it has on our lives. In the reading from Hebrews we are given that marvelous definition of faith as “is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”

When we consider what we as Christians believe, it is crucial that we understand that there is a war going on with the world’s logic as we cling to our beliefs. We believe that God who created us (this in itself is more than some can embrace) cares what we do. We believe that it is His desire that we live in harmony with his creation and with one another. At a time in human history, after God had sent numerous human messengers (and even some angelic ones) he saw that mankind still did not grasp his will and desire.

We believe that God’s response was to bring his message to us personally. To force us to see how much he loves us and how he wants us to behave as his adopted children. His presence among us in the person of Christ Jesus was unparalleled in the history creation. His words reach out to us through scripture on that high place; "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."

But we, Christians coming over two thousand years later were not with Peter and his friends on that mountain. We are asked to accept the “evidence of things not seen” and act on that belief. It is at times the most difficult thing we do – acting on a “realization of what is hoped for”.

Today we hear the story of Christ transformed into his heavenly appearance once more and are reminded that, as improbable as it may seem to the rational, this Savior of ours came so that we might find hope in salvation and peace in our lives on earth. We pray in our heats that this hope will buoy us up and our peace may invite others to the joy of our realization.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Transfiguration of Christ” by Giovanni Bellini, c.1487
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] See NAB footnote on Heb 11:1-40
[5] See NAB footnote on Hebrews 11:4
[6] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.