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| “St. Peter” by El Greco, 1610-1613 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: 1 Peter 1:10-16
Commentary on 1 Pt 1:10-16
In this selection, St. Peter continues to exhort the five churches to respond to the call to holiness, a call brought to them by the Apostles who were filled with “the Spirit of Christ.” It was this Holy Spirit that motivated them as it had motivated the prophets of old in their understanding of God's salvation to come.
The passage concludes with very practical instructions about their behavior, instructing them to avoid their former way of life: “…do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance,” but rather be holy as God is holy, quoting Leviticus (Leviticus 11: 44).
CCC: 1 Pt 1:10-12 719
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Commentary on Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
Psalm 98 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. We see in this selection how God is praised for the strength he lends his people, and the salvation he brings to those who are faithful. The psalm rejoices in God’s salvation. The Lord has revealed his compassion toward the people, and they sing his praises in response. The Hebrews saw this as salvation for the people of Israel from its enemies. Christians see the deeper expression of God’s love, as he sent his Son for salvation and justice for the whole world.
This is an excellent example of how Christians, heirs to the Judeo-Christian truth, can see clearly in these ancient texts the references to the Christ: “The Lord has made his salvation known.” It is this event about which we “sing joyfully to the Lord.”
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Gospel: Mark 10:28-31
Commentary on Mk 10:28-31
The passage contains the disciples’ response to Jesus’ teaching about the discipline of discipleship embodied in the story of the wealthy young man (Mark 10:17-27). After seeing the young man leave because he could not part with his possessions, Peter finds it necessary to remind Jesus that they (the disciples) had given up everything to follow him. The Lord replies that those who have sacrificed to follow him will receive not just the seven-fold repayment promised by Sirach 35:10, but a hundred times more of what they have given up.
This reference made by St. Mark is likely to the growth of Church under the Apostles’ evangelization, and the communal sense of the Church in its early years. The same reference is true of Jesus’ final statement where we hear: “But many that are first will be last, and (the) last will be first." Here St. Mark is probably referring to the martyrdom many will find before joining the Lord in his heavenly kingdom.
CCC: Mk 10:28-31 1618
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Reflection:
As we hear the response of the disciples to Jesus’ requirement of the “Rich Young Man,” we empathize with them. Jesus has just told the young man that he must give up what is most important to him in order to follow Jesus. Seeing this requirement of self-sacrifice, the disciples exclaim that they have given up everything to follow the Lord, and are now wondering what they will receive in return. To this Jesus reassures them, saying the material wealth and social position they have given up in this world will be made up many times over in the next.
Responding so completely to the call of the Lord is something most of us just cannot do. We have accepted the vocation of marriage, or we live in a secular world that places responsibilities upon us that force us to keep a job, dedicating much of our time to that effort. Or, we are called to care for a home and children, an equally important vocation. How then can we fulfill the requirements of social responsibility and also dedicate ourselves to Jesus?
We come closest to doing this when we dedicate our effort, whether at home, at work, or other committed action, to God’s greater glory, rather than our own. We offer our success to the Lord and give him credit. We ask for his help in being examples to others, bringing the Holy Spirit to the world as we are called while, in our heart of hearts, remaining apart from it. We reject the call of Satan, who beckons to us constantly, and we embrace the austerity we can while supporting our families.
It is a very difficult thing the Lord asks, and we must be constantly mindful of our own tendency to procure an excess of material wealth in the name of familial support or the rationale of need. We pray today for the spirit of the disciples, that we might offer up our lives for the sake of the one who gave up his life for us.
Pax
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