(Optional Memorial for the Most Holy Name of Mary)
(Optional Memorial for the Blessed Virgin Mary)
On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. [1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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| “The House Upon the Rock and The House Upon the Sand” by William James Webb, c. 1860 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: 1 Timothy 1:15-17
Commentary on 1 Tm 1:15-17
This pastoral statement from the First Letter of Timothy states the fundamental truth that Jesus came into the word to save humankind from the death of sin and bring us to everlasting life. The conclusion is another statement of faith there is only one true God and he deserves all glory and honor. Presented on this memorial, the statement clearly points, as does his Blessed Mother, to the primacy of Christ.
CCC: 1 Tm 1:15 545
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5 and 6-7
R. (2) Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Commentary on Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5 and 6-7
Psalm 113 is a song of praise. The song is directed to the faithful of Israel
CCC: Ps 113:1-2 2143
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Gospel: Luke 6:43-49
Commentary on Lk 6:43-49
St. Luke’s Gospel brings us the conclusion of Jesus’ discourse on judgment of others using the analogy of the fruits born by a tree – good and bad. The intent of this allegory was to expose false prophets – hypocrites who say one thing but do another. "What matters is not whether or not we wear a religious habit; it is whether we try to practice the virtues and surrender our will to God and order our lives as His Majesty ordains, and not want to do our will but his" (St Teresa of Avila, "Interior Castle", II, 6).
The second section of this reading is the conclusion of Jesus’ long discourse. He uses the analogy of the house built upon sand and the house built upon rock to indicate that those how have a deep faith and act out of that faith have a strong foundation and can stand against adversity; while those who give the faith lip service and for others to see but do not have that deep faith will fall.
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Reflection:
We explore what the Lord means when he says the one “…who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock.” On the surface this seems to by saying that those who seek to serve the Lord, to follow him closely, need to have a strong connection between what they hear and understand from Jesus and how they act upon those impulses. There is more to what the Lord meant than that!.
A child understands Jesus at the level at which their maturity allows. If they are being true to their faith, they act upon their understanding of what Jesus commands in a given situation. An adult with greater life experience may interpret the command of Jesus in a different way and react differently in the same situation. Even further, one who has intensely reflected upon the words and works of faith may see a deeper meaning and their actions may differ from both the child and the adult. There are different and deeper levels of faith and understanding to be had, but digging deeply is the key to unlocking those rewards.
All of this seems fairly logical and straight forward. There is, however, a caveat – digging deeper is, first of all work and second the digger must be aware that they have not reached bed rock. Using the Lord’s analogy and going a bit further. Many of us dig down until the ground gets pretty hard and assume we have hit rock when we either hit just a stone (that would be like an epiphany – a flash of insight) or we may have hit clay that fells like rock but is really not foundation material.
The work part of the caveat is very clear. We either decide to do the work or not. We either commit to digging deeper (ie. taking more advantage of sacramental offerings, delving into Sacred Scripture, reading works of faith to help us understand what others have gleaned from their faith journeys, or intensifying our prayer lives.) or we do not – putting it off for later when we have nothing better or more fun to do.
The good news is this, the Lord gives us a shovel built for our hands and while we may get calluses, it will never dull. All we need to recognize is that the rock is there and is ours to find. May our prayer be this, that we always have the will and courage to seek that bed rock upon which our faith may sit and our actions be directed.
Pax
[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5
[2] S.S Commemoratio
[3] The picture is “The House Upon the Rock and The House Upon the Sand” by William James Webb, c. 1860
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