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| “Saint Leo the Great” by Francisco de Herrera el Mozo, c. 1670s |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Philemon 7-20
Commentary on Phmn 7-20
This reading contains a majority of St. Paul’s Letter to Philemon. It is a short letter, written by the apostle during his imprisonment (probably in Rome between 61 and 63 A.D.). He writes to Philemon, the owner of a slave named Onesimus who apparently ran away and possibly stole something along the way. St. Paul has converted Onesimus, and now sends him back with this letter to his owner.
While the apostle does not attack slavery as a social structure, he clearly deals it a death blow in the Christian community by describing the relationship he has with Onesimus, and by setting this slave as an equal to all who are brothers in Christ Jesus (“…no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord”). This testimony by St. Paul is an important addition to the Church’s understanding of unity in faith, and the dignity of all persons.
CCC: Phmn 16 2414
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R. (5a) Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Commentary on Ps 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
Psalm 146 is a hymn of praise. The psalmist provides a litany of attributes, showing how God provides salvation. This psalm is often quoted, and the litany it contains is also assigned to the Messiah who comes fulfilling the prophets and the Law. Used in that sense, the psalm itself is prophetic, establishing the divine relationship between Christ and the God of Jacob.
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Gospel: Luke 17:20-25
Commentary on Lk 17:20-25
In this selection from St. Luke’s Gospel, the Pharisees ask Jesus to tell them when the Kingdom of God will come. Throughout Luke, Jesus has been denying that the messianic age will come simply by following Mosaic Law and the Prophets (even the greatest of them – John the Baptist).[4] He is now confronted with the question: “Where is the Kingdome of God?” He answers that it is already among them (referring to his own ministry and the effect it has on his followers).
Jesus’ description of the “coming days” is also a reference to the coming destruction of Jerusalem:”(1) Many of the sayings collected here appear in the Olivet Discourse, where they more explicitly refer to the doom that awaits the city and the Temple (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13). (2) Mention of the days of the Son of man (17:22) is echoed later in Luke when reference is made to the “days” when foreign armies will besiege the city (Luke 19:43) and the “days” when the Temple will be devastated (Luke 21:6).” [5]
To his disciples, Jesus makes it clear that his coming passion will cause them to flee, and that doubt will assail them. He reassures them of his eternal presence as he tells them that, once he has gone from them, he will not be coming back, but at the same time he will always be with them (“…just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be [in his day]”).
CCC: Lk 17:19-31 2463
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Homily:
If the Pharisees were confronting Jesus in modern times, one might think they would have asked: “Show us a link to the map of the Kingdom of God. Oh, and is there a Google street
Their question, however, does give the Lord a bit of a problem. How can he change their understanding of the true nature of the Kingdom of God St. Luke recounts his attempt to describe something that is metaphysical (that is, not of this physical existence) using terms that can only describe the physical world.
How difficult it must have been for them, as it is for us, to understand what he meant when he told them: “For behold, the Kingdom of God
In the same way, the Pharisees were totally confused. How could the Kingdom of God kingdom of God
There is no time to go to great lengths about the creation of the Kingdom of God on earth, and how we are called to participate in that transformation. Nor is there time to speak about the Kingdom of Heaven
Today we simply pray that we see Christ and his Kingdom around us, and experience the peace of that Kingdom in our hearts.
Pax
[2] The picture is “Saint Leo the Great” by Francisco de Herrera el Mozo, c. 1670s
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:125, pp.150
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco , CA. pp.140
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