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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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..
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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..
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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