(Optional Memorial for Saint Nicholas, Bishop)
 |
| “The Vigil of the Shepherds (detail)” by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1459-60 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Isaiah 40:1-11
Commentary on Is 40:1-11
The Prophet Isaiah describes two prophetic events with his oracle in this section. Most familiar to us is the description of John the Baptist since this passage is quoted in Matthew 3:3. It is also a description of the exiles returning from Babylon to Jerusalem.
This description is followed by a vision of the messianic kingdom to come and the rule of God who creates all things and has authority over all things. The coming of the Kingdom of God will be the cry of the Messiah, who will announce its coming to all peoples.
The selection concludes with the analogy between the benevolent leadership of the Messiah to come with that of the good shepherd who feeds and guides his flock.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2, 3 and 10ac, 11-12, 13
R. (see Isaiah 40:10ab) The Lord our God comes with power.
Commentary on Ps 96:1-2, 3 and 10ac, 11-12, 13
Psalm 96 is a hymn of praise. These strophes direct us back to the glorious rule of the Messiah to come. Looking forward, the singer rejoices in the rule of justice, mercy, and peace. The reason for this exhortation is that God will come to rule the earth with his justice. In this passage we see the forerunner of the understanding of the New Jerusalem – the Heavenly Kingdom.
CCC: Ps 96:2 2143
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14
Commentary on Mt 18:12-14
This passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew is part of a larger discourse about how to correct those who have gone astray, but are still within the Christian community. In this short passage the image of the Good Shepherd is used to demonstrate the Father’s love for all those given to his son: “…it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”
CCC: Mt 18:14 605, 2822
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The Gospel authors record that Jesus was fond of using analogy as a teaching tool. He gave the people a principle they could relate to their personal lives. That is why he often speaks of shepherds, as he does today. In other places there are frequent references to agriculture, sowing and reaping and the process of separating the grain from the chaff. The attitudes of the people he addressed were shaped by the importance of these events. They meant survival or starvation in many instances.
These stories and analogies have different impacts on peoples around the world. In many developing countries, the agrarian values strike a deeper cord than in the urban centers of the developed world. Many children in the US have never been to a working farm, let alone worked on one. To individuals who are products of a modern world, the story of the lost sheep may not be as impactful as it was to the original audience.
We believe, given the attitudes about material goods many have in this country, that it may seem that the shepherd of the lost sheep overreacted to the finding of the one. It goes to a sense of value. When the system of secular morality celebrates only self, when there is no effort to teach responsibility for the well-being of others, what relevance does the story of the Shepherd and the Lost Sheep have. It is actually countercultural.
We use this observation to highlight the importance of passing on our faith in the New Evangelization. When we think about this effort we are reminded of Emperor Penguins. To survive in the harsh Antarctic climate they have developed a social behavior. When conditions become especially harsh and temperatures plunge, they gather closely together in a large circle. Those at the interior of the circle are completely protected and are warmed by all their fellow penguins. Those at the outer edges are chilled and move inward gently working their way to the center. As they move in others move out in rotation.
We use this image as an analogy to the Church. We can see that those most in need of the warmth of the Gospel message are those out on the fringes. Those already strengthened by the flame of faith move outward passing on that warmth, encouraging those on the fringes to come closer to the warmth.
The bottom line is that we must be diligent in passing on what we have been given, because increasingly most of those we encounter don’t care about the lost sheep, even though they themselves may be lost.
Pax
[1] The picture is “The Vigil of the Shepherds (detail)” by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1459-60
No comments:
Post a Comment