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Memorial Bench for St. Ignatius of Loyola
Readings for Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
The LORD said to Moses,
"These are the festivals of the LORD which you shall celebrate
at their proper time with a sacred assembly.
The Passover of the LORD falls on the fourteenth day of the first month,
at the evening twilight.
The fifteenth day of this month is the LORD's feast of Unleavened Bread.
For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
On the first of these days you shall hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work.
On each of the seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD.
Then on the seventh day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work."
The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the children of Israel and tell them:
When you come into the land which I am giving you,
and reap your harvest,
you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest
to the priest, who shall wave the sheaf before the LORD
that it may be acceptable for you.
On the day after the sabbath the priest shall do this.
"Beginning with the day after the sabbath,
the day on which you bring the wave-offering sheaf,
you shall count seven full weeks,
and then on the day after the seventh week, the fiftieth day,
you shall present the new cereal offering to the LORD.
"The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement,
when you shall hold a sacred assembly and mortify yourselves
and offer an oblation to the LORD.
"The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the LORD's feast of Booths,
which shall continue for seven days.
On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly,
and you shall do no sort of work.
For seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD,
and on the eighth day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and offer an oblation to the LORD.
On that solemn closing you shall do no sort of work.
"These, therefore, are the festivals of the LORD
on which you shall proclaim a sacred assembly,
and offer as an oblation to the LORD burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day."
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Commentary on Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
This reading from the Book of Leviticus comes from the section identified as “Code of Legal Holiness.” The prescriptions of celebrations mentioned recall the various saving works of God either generally through His act of creation and the gift of life or actively through intervention on behalf of the faithful.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab
R.(2a) Sing with joy to God our help.
Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel,
the pleasant harp and the lyre.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our solemn feast.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
For it is a statute in Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob,
Who made it a decree for Joseph
when he came forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
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Commentary on Ps 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab
Psalm 81 is a song of thanksgiving. These strophes support the gift of the Law and its prescriptions, recalling also the salvation brought about by God.
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Gospel: Matthew 13:54-58
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
"Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter's son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?"
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house."
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commentary on Mt 13:54-58
This story from Matthew’s Gospel focuses on the people most familiar with Jesus the boy growing up among them. They are seeking the “Royal Messiah”, one coming with great power and majesty and are disappointed because of the Lord’s familiar and humble beginnings. Matthew’s story tells us that because of their lack of faith, the Lord did not perform any signs in their midst, ending the passage with the often quoted “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house."
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Reflection:
We have heard the lesson from today’s Gospel many times before in scripture. Perhaps the time it was most clearly stated was when Elijah was told to look for God as he stood on the mountain (1 Kings 19: 9-12). God does not come in the way or form we expect.
One of the most surprising things we learn from, not only this Gospel story, but the lesson behind it, is that when we fully expect God to manifest his presence in a certain way we completely miss Him as he presents himself genuinely. In this respect, the Gospel story is a perfect example. Jesus comes to his home town. He has just finished the Sermon on the Mount and has fed the multitudes. If ever there were finger prints of God left stunningly on the face of the earth, what the Lord did in the multiplication of the loaves was clearly that evidence. Yet, the people of Nazareth don’t see the Messiah who has come to save the world. They are expecting a person of great power to raise an army and throw off the yoke of the Roman occupiers and re-establish a Davidic Kingdom.
To us it seems amazing that they could not recognize Christ for who he was. But we do the same thing. We miss God’s involvement in our lives. We are so intent on Him working some miracle and helping win the Lottery or transform a bad situation into one we can easily deal with, that we miss his subtle hand gently pushing here and prodding there. It is not until much later, usually as we meditate upon our lives that we can clearly see His purpose or involvement.
It is like the metal worker who, in order to make some useful tool, must first destroy the impurities by melting it, taking away its natural form in the smelting furnace, so that it can be molded into its final useful form. Its like the potter who first must pound the clay to remove any air pockets that might later create unwanted flaws in the vase to be created. Taken apart from the final act of creation, such actions cannot be understood as part of the creative process.
This is where our faith must carry us. Unlike the neighbors of Jesus, we must be faith filled and patient so the Lord might work his signs through us.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is Christ Preaching by Rembrant Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1643-49
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, Doctor
Memorial Bench for Saint Peter Chrysologus
Readings for Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38
Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded him.
On the first day of the first month of the second year
the Dwelling was erected.
It was Moses who erected the Dwelling.
He placed its pedestals, set up its boards, put in its bars,
and set up its columns.
He spread the tent over the Dwelling
and put the covering on top of the tent,
as the LORD had commanded him.
He took the commandments and put them in the ark;
he placed poles alongside the ark and set the propitiatory upon it.
He brought the ark into the Dwelling and hung the curtain veil,
thus screening off the ark of the commandments,
as the LORD had commanded him.
Then the cloud covered the meeting tent,
and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.
Moses could not enter the meeting tent,
because the cloud settled down upon it
and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.
Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling,
the children of Israel would set out on their journey.
But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward;
only when it lifted did they go forward.
In the daytime the cloud of the LORD was seen over the Dwelling;
whereas at night, fire was seen in the cloud
by the whole house of Israel
in all the stages of their journey.
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Commentary on Ex 40:16-21, 34-38
This reading from Exodus gives the details of the establishment of the meeting tent referred to earlier in the story of the journey of the Children of Israel. The Ark of the Commandments is placed here and through the perception by the people of the will of God as symbolized by the cloud over the tent, they are guided on the path God has chosen for them.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11
R.(2) How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young–
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
They go from strength to strength.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
I had rather one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!
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Commentary on Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11
Psalm 84 gives thanks for the courts of the Temple in Jerusalem. Placed as it is, supporting the story of the establishment of the “meeting tent”, the praise given to the Temple may also be applied to the less permanent symbol of God’s guiding presence.
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Gospel: Matthew 13:47-53
Jesus said to the disciples:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
"Do you understand all these things?"
They answered, "Yes."
And he replied,
"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom
both the new and the old."
When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commentary on Mt 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.
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Homily:
The sacred history recorded in Exodus depicts a people seeking to follow God’s will for them. It is explicitly stated that “Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded him.”
Indeed the Bible is filled with stories of people seeking to do God’s will; sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing. The parable of the Fisherman’s Net is laid in our hands today. It gathers up all of the examples of earlier generations struggling to follow the will of God and tells us that the challenge of discerning that will and helping others to do so is ours as well.
The Lord reminds us, by his very existence among us, of how precious we are to him. We quote St. Peter Chrysologus here whose feast we celebrate on this day and who said of the incarnation of Christ:
“Why then man, are you so worthless in your own eyes and yet so precious to God? Why render your self such dishonor when you are honored by him? Why do you ask how you were created and do not seek to know why you were made?”
– St. Peter Chrysologus from a homily on the incarnation of Christ
All of us are precious in the eyes of Christ whose love for us cascades from the altar of his sacrifice. All of us were given life and purpose by him who loves and supports us with his Holy Spirit. We are asked to be the net as well as the catch in this parable.
Today our prayer is that we are constantly vigilant and prepared to be what the great lover of souls has called us to be.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is “Parable of the net” by Darlene Slavujac, 2005 (prints available at: http://www.biblicalartist.net/originaloils.html)
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Memorial Bench for the Memorial of St. Martha[1]
Readings for Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time[*][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Exodus 34:29-35
As Moses came down from Mount Sinai
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant
while he conversed with the LORD.
When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses
and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,
they were afraid to come near him.
Only after Moses called to them did Aaron
and all the rulers of the community come back to him.
Moses then spoke to them.
Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,
and he enjoined on them all that the LORD
had told him on Mount Sinai.
When he finished speaking with them,
he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,
he removed the veil until he came out again.
On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel
all that had been commanded.
Then the children of Israel would see
that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant;
so he would again put the veil over his face
until he went in to converse with the LORD.
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Commentary on Ex 34:29-35
Moses returns a second time (see Exodus 32:19) bearing the tablets of the Law to his charges, the children of Israel whom he has lead out of Egypt. The startling change in Moses appearance (“…the skin of Moses’ face was radiant”) will later be remembered as Jesus is transfigured in front of his disciples (Matthew 17:1-9, Luke 9:28b-36, and Mark 9:1-8). The episode concludes with Moses veiling his face. “St. Paul sees in this a symbol of the failure of the Jews to recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah: the true spiritual meaning of the writings of Moses and the prophets is still veiled from the unbelieving Jews. Cf 2 Cor 3:7-18.”[4]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 99:5, 6, 7, 9
R. (see 9c) Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
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Commentary on Ps 99:5, 6, 7, 9
This psalm of praise and thanksgiving holds up the traditions of Moses and Aaron. The psalmist recalls the great boon given to the Children of Israel as God gave the Law to Moses on the holy mountain.
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Gospel: John 11:19-27
Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”
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Commentary on Jn 11:19-27
Within the story or the death and resurrection of Lazarus we see the very human emotions of Jesus they range from confidence in his relationship with the Father at the end of the story to the all too human grief and fear as he expresses his concern at what this revelatory event has cost his close friends, Martha and Mary, as they see their brother die. The encounter describes Martha’s fear and remorse change to faith as she makes her profession of faith (“I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God”) This exchange of fear for faith seen in the witnesses is the same conversion the Gospel attempts to initiate in the Christian faithful in response to these events.
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Or: Luke 10:38-42
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commentary on Lk 10:38-42
In this encounter with Martha and Mary in St. Luke’s Gospel we see two distinct messages. First, we see the importance of the role of women and Jesus’ attitude toward them. Second we see the importance of listening to the word of God "Mary has chosen the better part".
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Reflection:
St. Martha’s role in the life of Christ resonates with those who have chosen to take an active role in service to the Church. Whether that role is in the form of lay or ordained ministry, active participation means we have chosen to assist with the labor involved in ministering to God’s people. When we choose that role, we frequently (especially over time) take ownership of the tasks and when disruptive forces come along or when it seems we have taken on more than our share we assume the Martha persona we see in the Gospels.
To place it in the form of analogy, Martha’s sister Mary represents the congregation we serve. They sit at the Lord’s feet without all the turmoil and distraction of the tasks necessary to serve the guests in which Martha (representing those of us who serve) is involved. There are times when we long for that peaceful place at the Master’s feet; there are times when we would like to go to them and say “Would you mind helping? There is much work to do here.”
It is at these times when we must remember that other role that Martha had in the life of Christ. When Mary and the other mourners were sitting with their brother Lazarus who had died, it was Martha who met the Lord (SHE MET THE LORD!) and spoke with him. Not only that but after she chastised him (completely out of place to complain to the Lord, right – we would never do that), it was Martha who was honored to make the great profession of faith. What an exalted role she played in Christ’s life.
The life and ministry of St. Martha should be a constant reminder to all of us who work for Christ in our time on earth. There will be times when we too become tired and frustrated; when we pray for a little help in doing what we have set our hearts to do for God. Like St. Martha, we are very human and prone to these outbursts. Let us pray that when our work is done and we at last are face to face with the Lord, we too many be allowed to proclaim to the heavens and earth “I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God the one who is coming into the world.”
Pax
[*] The Gospel for the Memorial of St. Martha is “Proper” on this date superseding the Gospel for the day.
[1] The picture is “Christ in the House of Mary and Martha” Vincenzo Campi, c. 1580
[2] ALTRE[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[4] See NAB footnote on Exodus 34:33
Readings for Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28
The tent, which was called the meeting tent,
Moses used to pitch at some distance away, outside the camp.
Anyone who wished to consult the LORD
would go to this meeting tent outside the camp.
Whenever Moses went out to the tent, the people would all rise
and stand at the entrance of their own tents,
watching Moses until he entered the tent.
As Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down
and stand at its entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses.
On seeing the column of cloud stand at the entrance of the tent,
all the people would rise and worship
at the entrance of their own tents.
The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face,
as one man speaks to another.
Moses would then return to the camp,
but his young assistant, Joshua, son of Nun,
would not move out of the tent.
Moses stood there with the LORD and proclaimed his name, “LORD.”
Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,
“The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity,
continuing his kindness for a thousand generations,
and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin;
yet not declaring the guilty guiltless,
but punishing children and grandchildren
to the third and fourth generation for their fathers’ wickedness!”
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.
Then he said, “If I find favor with you, O LORD,
do come along in our company.
This is indeed a stiff-necked people;
yet pardon our wickedness and sins,
and receive us as your own.”
So Moses stayed there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights,
without eating any food or drinking any water,
and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant,
the ten commandments.
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Commentary on Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28
The excerpts from the Book of Exodus paint a picture of Moses relationship with God. It is clear from this and previous readings about Moses that he had a unique relationship with the Lord and was able, as he is in this passage, to intercede on behalf of the people. The construction of the meeting tent described in this passage is taken up in later scripture. The Ten Commandments are restored to the people following their destruction in Exodus 32:19 as Moses fasts. We note the duration of his fast is of the same duration as Christ’s fast in the desert following his Baptism by John.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
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Commentary on Ps 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Psalm 103 echoes in gratitude the gift of the Law from Exodus and the relationship of Moses to God the Father. Though we are unworthy, God shows us love and compassion.
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Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43
Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his Kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commentary on Mt 13:36-43
Jesus dismisses the crowd who, in this instance, represent the unbelieving of Israel. The remainder of this passage is directed at instruction of the disciples. His explanation of the parable of the weeds clearly shows the intent of the story. The judgment of the wicked by God through his angels will take place in the Eschaton (the end times – the end of the age. The righteous will be vindicated (shine like the sun). The final statement; “Whoever has ears ought to hear” is both a warning and a statement of need for patience by the faithful.
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Reflection:
So often we forget that there is a dynamic struggle taking place in the world between God and his nemesis, the Evil One, as the Gospel names him. We think that evil is passive in the world and while we should avoid it, it does not seek us out.
Jesus makes it clear that the struggle is on-going and that the children of God are at risk, not just of sinning of their own accord, but of being seduced by the Evil One and falling into eternal fire. The warning is apt. The evil of the world has trapped so many right-intentioned people. We see the devil portrayed in scripture as a fallen angel. If, therefore, we consider how an angel might appear to us, we must also consider that should the fallen one present himself to us, how are we to know that it is not one of God’s messengers who persuades us to take a course of action?
In the desert, when Christ was tempted by the same Evil One, the devil we recall even quoted scripture to the Lord to try to seduce him away from his salvific mission. He offered food to a hungry man and water to one who thirsted. He offered all the kingdoms of the earth; essentially the fulfillment of Christ’s mission to Jesus who came to save all people for the Heavenly Father. All this he offered if our Lord would but bow to him, the fallen angel. How tempting that must have been to the Lord as he looked past his trial in the desert and saw at the end of his earthly mission the cross of his passion standing starkly on Calvary’s hill.
The Lord’s warning to the disciples and hence to us is indeed apt. We, who strive to keep Christ’s mission of love visible in the world, are challenged constantly not by some benign evil that sits like a pit for us to avoid; but by a malignant evil active and insatiable that seeks to ambush us, choke us as weeds, as we attempt to do God’s will. Our attitude must be one of constant vigilance and prayer. It is only by keeping this vigil and remaining in a state of constant discernment that we can see evil for what it is and avoid the terrible harvest at the end of time. “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is a woodcut “Parable of the weeds” by Johann Christoph Weigel Published in1695
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Readings for Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34
Moses turned and came down the mountain
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
tablets that were written on both sides, front and back;
tablets that were made by God,
having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God himself.
Now, when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting,
he said to Moses, “That sounds like a battle in the camp.”
But Moses answered, “It does not sound like cries of victory,
nor does it sound like cries of defeat;
the sounds that I hear are cries of revelry.”
As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing.
With that, Moses’ wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down
and broke them on the base of the mountain.
Taking the calf they had made, he fused it in the fire
and then ground it down to powder,
which he scattered on the water and made the children of Israel drink.
Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people ever do to you
that you should lead them into so grave a sin?”
Aaron replied, “Let not my lord be angry.
You know well enough how prone the people are to evil.
They said to me, 'Make us a god to be our leader;
as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt,
we do not know what has happened to him.’
So I told them, 'Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.’
They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”
On the next day Moses said to the people,
“You have committed a grave sin.
I will go up to the LORD, then;
perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin.”
So Moses went back to the LORD and said,
“Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin
in making a god of gold for themselves!
If you would only forgive their sin!
If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written.”
The LORD answered, “Him only who has sinned against me
will I strike out of my book.
Now, go and lead the people to the place I have told you.
My angel will go before you.
When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
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Commentary on Ex 32:15-24, 30-34
In this passage from Exodus, Moses has gone up Mt. Sinai and has been absent for some time. In their ignorance, the people are afraid that they have no leadership in the wilderness and have Aaron make for them an image of God (most scholars agree that the Calf was intended to be an image of God rather than a false God. Graven images of God were forbidden.).
God’s response to Moses intercession is that those who committed the sin would be punished on the Day of Judgment.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
R. (1a) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Our fathers made a calf in Horeb
and adored a molten image;
They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating bullock.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Then he spoke of exterminating them,
but Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
to turn back his destructive wrath.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
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Commentary on Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
King David, the psalmist, reflects upon the action of the people in the story from Exodus just given. He gives praise to Moses for interceding on the part of the people and preventing God from destroying them for their foolishness.
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Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”
He spoke to them another parable.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commentary on Mt 13:31-35
The Lord continues his descriptions of the Kingdom of Heaven using two parables. The parable of the mustard seed and the parable of yeast have the same point. What appears to be small grows to miraculous size. What has been insignificant is vastly important, what cannot be seen is unknowingly immense. The parables of the “Mustard Seed” and “Yeast” (see also Mark 4:30-32 and Luke 13:18-21) emphasize that from the smallest of beginnings with the proclamation of the word, the Kingdom of God expands to encompass all peoples.
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Reflection:
We see the events that took place in the Exodus, couched in the language of the Hebrew author who recorded them after having been passed down orally from generation to generation for two thousand years, and marvel at the truth contained in God’s interaction with humankind. The children of Israel had been lead out of Egypt with great hopes and expectations by Moses (accompanied by Aaron). They have come to Horeb at the base of Mount Sinai footsore and hungry from their journey. Things were not turning out as they had expected – anticipating a quick and easy journey to a land that flowed with milk and honey. Instead they find a harsh desert, hardship, and now, Moses disappears up the mountain and is gone for a good deal of time.
In easier situations in the modern times, people would act the same way. Deprived of leadership, a new leader would be selected or self proposed. Deprived of God, a new god would be selected as the object of adoration. We see it time and again, those searching for God and failing to find him, in spite of all attempts to show them the Kingdom of God, the face of Jesus, they pick the Golden Calf instead. The calf may be represented by material wealth; or perhaps a passionate pursuit of a hedonistic lifestyle, completely self engrossed. Failing to find God or dissatisfied by what God stands for they invent a personal god that ultimately is unsatisfying, hollow, and in the end denies them the love, comfort, and peace they are seeking.
We might ask how and why supposedly bright people can be seduced by the Golden Calf. It does not take long thought to understand that those who give free reign to their desires for only their own pleasure can easily see and reject God who tells us that only when all are comforted can we find comfort; only when no one is thirsty can our thirst be satisfied. The Golden Calf represents the selfish and shallow side of human nature. The standard bearer is Satin and its golden invitation is to eternal damnation.
It is always good to recall that ancient time when the Hebrew people, our predecessors in faith, fell prey to their basest impulses and turned to a false god. We are reminded of the frailty of our own wills and cautioned to be on guard unless we begin to build our own version of the Golden Calf. Our standard is the Cross. We have the Lamb of God who calls us to holiness.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is “Moses and the Golden Calf” Domenico Beccafumi, 1536-37
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Readings for Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1:
2 Kings 4:42-44
A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God,
twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits,
and fresh grain in the ear.
Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.”
But his servant objected,
“How can I set this before a hundred people?”
Elisha insisted, “Give it to the people to eat.”
“For thus says the LORD,
'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’”
And when they had eaten, there was some left over,
as the LORD had said.
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Commentary on 2 Kgs 4:42-44
The story of the multiplication of the loaves from 2 Kings is part of a series of miraculous events attributed to the Prophet Elisha by his disciples. This section (2 Kings 4: 1 – 8: 15) is known as the “Fioretti of Elisha” similar to the “Fioretti (popular legends) about St. Francis of Assisi”.
In this passage Elisha is in Gilgal and there is a famine in the land. He is presented with barley loaves from the first fruits of the harvest and instructs his servant to feed one hundred people with the loaves over the servant’s objections that there would not be enough. As predicted by the Prophet, there was more than enough. This event prefigures the later account of Jesus feeding the multitudes (as below in John 6:1-15 as well as Mark 6:34-44, Luke 9:10-17, Matthew 14:13-21 and Matthew 15:32-39) a demonstration of God’s love and mercy..
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Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18
R. (cf. 16) The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
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. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
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Commentary on Ps 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18
Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise. These strophes call on the faithful to give thanks to God for opening the gates of his Heavenly Kingdom. The second strophe is a clear reference to the ancient promise in 2 Kings 4:42-44 and the future promise of God feeding the poor in John 6:1-15. They continue praising God for his justice and his creating hand.
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Reading II:
Ephesians 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
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Commentary on Eph 4:1-6
St. Paul begins this chapter of his letter to the Ephesians with an exhortation to live (walk) in unity with each other. The theological foundation laid in the previous parts of the letter is now translated into the need to act upon that reality. The apostles plea for unity uses the litany of bonds that bring Christian unity; one Body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one baptism, one God and Father.
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Gospel:
John 6:1-15
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes
and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip,
“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves
that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commentary on Jn 6:1-15
The Gospel from St. John today is the fourth sign from his Gospel, the multiplication of the loaves. It is the only miracle story carried in all four Gospels and closely follows the synoptic Gospels (Mark 6:34-44, Luke 9:10-17, Matthew 14:13-21 and Matthew 15:32-39) in most details.We see in this passage the strong reference to the Eucharist as well as a demonstration of God’s great love and mercy in feeding the poor. Barley loaves were traditionally the fare of the poor. It is also interesting to note that in the Jerusalem translation the Lord “escaped” into the hills at the end of the story, implying the people were immediately aware of the great sign he had facilitated.
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Reflection:
“God feeds his people” is the one phrase summary of what scripture says to us today. In the story from 2 Kings, we see the great Prophet Elisha feeding a hundred people with the first fruits of the harvest. The story presented to the early Hebrew peoples would have been a testament to the prophet’s favor with God. We further note that he takes no credit for this event. Rather he says simply “For thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” This formula “Thus says the Lord” is a common reference within prophetic literature for a prediction and prediction fulfillment story.
The sparse details of the setting for this event contrast with the Gospel account from St. John in which the Lord feeds the multitude with five barley loaves and two fishes. Here the motive and setting are well established and the symbolism of the action on Jesus part is compelling. God, in Jesus, recognized the need of the people. St. John’s account, committed to paper after long theological reflection, presumes that Christ knew what he was about to do. The people are fed after the Lord first blesses the food.
These acts of God feeding the people are at once both miraculous and predictive in themselves. God continues to feed us. The offer is there; like manna provided in the desert, it is there for us to take – freely offered in unconditional love only fully possible in the Savior. In our lives this food takes many forms. It comes to us in the form of the Eucharist; real bread transubstantiated into Jesus’ resurrected body and blood. In this spiritual meal we are feed with the sacramental grace that strengthens us and prepares us to continue our journey toward the Father.
He feeds us in other ways that are not quite so obviously linked to the symbolism in the scripture passages we have heard. He feeds us with the very word that describes his love and concern. In sacred scripture he reveals himself to us. Like a great sculpture who molds clay into exquisite art, the inspired words of scripture describe the wonders of God’s creation, his mercy, and his love for us. In understanding the Word, we find the Word Made Flesh in the completeness of his revelation.
Finally, he feeds us with his very presence in prayer. His great consolation comes to us in times of need and we feel his abiding presence as he buoys us up in times of distress and magnifies our joy when we are happy. He feed the soul in this way and we grow in faith and understanding as a result of prayer.
God feeds us! But, as the old saying goes, “You can lead a house to water…” We are offered so much from God but ultimately it is up to us to accept what is offered. Our acceptance constitutes a bond with God that, in order for the food he offers to be efficacious, we must allow him to direct our lives along wholesome paths. His gentle yoke guides us to eternal life.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The image used is ” Feed the Hungry” by Antonio Canova, 1795-96
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Biographical Information about St. James
Readings for the Feast of Saint James, Apostle [1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15
Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
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Commentary on 2 Cor 4:7-15
On the feast of the first Apostle to be martyred we hear St. Paul speaking to the Corinthians about suffering and death in the human existence of this life, in spite of living in the faith. The image he uses, fragile earthen pots, speak of God’s instruments being easily broken but none the less effective (the image of small terracotta lamps in which light is carried is mentioned elsewhere).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6
R. (5) Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
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Commentary on Ps 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6
Psalm 126 is a song of praise. It rejoices here in the return of the captives placed in servitude during the Diaspora and seeks the Lord’s blessings in hopes of returning to their former prosperity.
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Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28
The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her,
"What do you wish?"
She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."
Jesus said in reply,
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
He replied,
"My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commentary on Mt 20:20-28
The sons of Zebedee, James and John, are pushed forward by their mother who (naturally) wishes them to achieve places of honor in the Kingdom of God. Jesus uses this event to speak first of his own passion and then about Christian leadership. The Servant Leader, as Jesus describes, leads through example.
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Reflection:
On this Feast Day as we recall the inspired life of St. James we reflect upon two aspects of the faith that both motivated him and supported him. We think of them as the outward face of the evangelist and the inward face of spirituality. They are of course interrelated, but one, the outward face is giving. The other, the inward face, is seeking and receiving. It is, to use the Lord’s metaphor, like the vine. The outward face is the leaves and branches, reaching out into the world, producing great fruit to nourish others. The inward face is like the roots that support it, drinking in the earths nourishment sustaining the life in leaves and branches.
St. James, using this metaphor, was rooted in Christ. The Lord established him and nurtured him. Along with his brother, St. John, another of the sons of Zebedee, he was called into a special relationship with Jesus. As “one of the Twelve” we know he took a leadership position in the Christian community that grew up in Jerusalem. It was this role and his outspoken love of Jesus that earned for him the title of First Martyred of the Apostles, fulfilling the prophetic words recorded in the Gospel from St. Matthew “My chalice you will indeed drink”.
This outward and zealous face was supported by an interior spirituality rooted in the love of Christ and constant communion with him in prayer. We know that James was with Jesus at all of the important times – on the high place where the Lord was transfigured (Matthew 17: 1ff), he was with him praying in the Garden at Gethsemane (Matthew 26: 37). Along with St. Peter and his brother St. John, St. James was clearly one of great prayer and spiritual strength.
It was from this deep rooted faith that he was able to draw the fire with which he enlightened those he meet. It was through his inner peace that he was given the courage to face even cruel martyrdom at the hands of Herod, the grandson of Herod the Great forty four years after the Lord had charged him, with the others to “go out and teach all the nations” (Matthew 28: 19)
One of the great lessons our consideration of this Apostle teaches is that we too must constantly tend to the inward face of our spirituality if we are to be effective evangelists and disciples of the Lord. Our care must be for that inward face, for with out strength in the roots, the vine will wither and die.
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is “St James“ by Andrea Del Sarto, 1528-29
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Saint Charbel Makhlouf, Priest
Biographical Information about St. Charbel Makhlouf
Readings for Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Exodus 20:1-17
In those days:
God delivered all these commandments:
"I, the LORD, am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not carve idols for yourselves
in the shape of anything in the sky above
or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;
you shall not bow down before them or worship them.
For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God,
inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness
on the children of those who hate me,
down to the third and fourth generation;
but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation
on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.
"You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
him who takes his name in vain.
"Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Six days you may labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.
No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter,
or your male or female slave, or your beast,
or by the alien who lives with you.
In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
but on the seventh day he rested.
That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
"Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you.
"You shall not kill.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him."
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Commentary on Ex 20:1-17
In this reading we are given the Exodus version of the delivery of the Ten Commandments by Moses. While the division into Ten Commandments is somewhat uncertain, we believe that verses 1-6 is one commandment while verse 7 describes two (see also Deut 5:6-21).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
Psalm 19 is a song of praise. In this selection we praise the Law of God as being a path to salvation, more valuable than “purest gold.”
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Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commentary on Mt 13:18-23
This passage from St. Matthew is the explanation of the “Parable of the Sower”. This explanation is given to the disciples as St. Matthew’s way of explaining it to his broader audience. It follows Jesus’ earlier response to their question about why he teaches using parables and his lament that many will not see or hear these teachings.
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Reflection:
We come back to the Parable of the Sower in St. Matthew’s Gospel and we should take a closer look. Jesus is telling his disciples what the parable of the sower means. The first example he uses is the seed that falls upon the path. He says that represents one who hears about the Kingdom of God but does not understand. The leap of faith is just too much.
In our day and age, people who are raised without even the concept of God could be in that same situation. In this instance, we could also think about children who have been traumatized at a young age. If there parents were not loving, merciful, and nurturing during their first two years, children have a very difficult time understanding a loving, merciful and nurturing God.
The second instance is when the seed falls on rocky ground. Jesus tells us that without the deep roots of faith (while faith is a gift, it must also be grown) initial joy gave way to despair as the sallow faith is washed away in tribulation. We see that frequently in individuals who catch fire without foundation. Frankly it happens much more frequently in other Christian denominations that do not require the serious commitment of something like the RCIA. When a person needs to go through 9 months of weekly classes and several interviews, they tend to have a good foundation, deeper roots than the person who attends a prayer services and is “saved”, immediately accepted into the congregation without needing any discipline of faith. Just so we don’t get complacent, it also happens to a cradle Catholics who have an adult conversion experience but stopped their formation in the faith in grade school or early high school..
Next we hear the Lord talk about the seed sown among the thorns. Some things never change. What was true in the Lords day is true in ours. Many people are exposed to the temptations of our secular world and without that foundational faith to keep them strong, they also fall pray to; “worldly anxiety and the lure of riches” and they bear no fruit. It is this situation that we must all be weary of since that allure is always with us.
But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Ah, this is where we all hope to be. There is, however, one interesting little trap here. Notice the key phrase: “the one who hears”, that phrase implies that the hearer is actively listening. Saying, “I have heard.” is like saying “I have watered my garden.” Once we have listened, we must continue to actively listen. Failing to do that puts us on rocky ground (sorry for that, but it was too obvious.)
Today our prayer is the Ephphatha- paraphrased here it is the prayer used in baptism while touch the ears and lips:
May the Lord open our ears to receive His word,
And our lips to proclaim His praise.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Pax
[1] ALTRE[2] The picture is “Landscape with the Parable of the Sower” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder,1557
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
