Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

“St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori” 
Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

Proper for the Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori[1]

Biographical Information about St. Alphonsus Liguori 

Readings for Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible[2]

Commentary:

Reading 1: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28

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 did 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.

CCC: Ex 33:9-10 697; Ex 33:11 2576; Ex 34:9 210; Ex 34:28 2056

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.

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.

CCC: Ps 103 304

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Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43

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. The Lord’s 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 the need for patience by the faithful.

CCC: Mt 13:41-42 1034; Mt 13:41 333; Mt 13:42 1034

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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 mistakenly 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 ongoing 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 at Golgotha.

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

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[1] The picture is “St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

“Ignatius of Loyola” 
Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

 Proper for the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola[1]

Biographical Information about St. Ignatius of Loyola 

Readings for Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible[2]

Commentary:

Reading 1: Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34

Commentary on Ex 32:15-24, 30-34

In this passage from Exodus, Moses has gone up Mt. Sinai and has been absent from the people for some time.  In their ignorance, the people are afraid that they have no leadership in the wilderness and ask Aaron to 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.) Moses smashing the tablets upon which the Law had been engraved by the hand of God was a symbol that the covenant between the people and God had been broken through their sinful actions.

Moses' actions in destroying the idol and then having it ground to powder, put in water and drunk by the people creates an ordeal by which the innocent would be spared and the guilty would be punished (see also Numbers 5:11-28). Note also the weak argument Aaron provides.  In Exodus 32:4 he fashions the idol from gold, here he states he simply melted down the gold and the calf miraculously appeared.

God’s response to Moses' intercession is that those who committed the sin would be punished on the Day of Judgment. Moses offers his own life as an atonement saying: “If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written.” This statement presupposes God has a list of names, a book of life (see also Psalm 69:29) from which a name may be struck and that person shall die.

CCC: Ex 32 210; Ex 32:1-34:9 2577

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23

R. (1a) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Commentary on Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23

Psalm 106 is a national lament remembering the events from Exodus 32:7-14, where the Jews brought out of Egypt by Moses fell into idol worship, even as he received the Law on Mt. Horeb. The psalmist reminds the people that Moses interceded and turned away God’s wrath.

CCC: Ps 106:23 2577

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Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35

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 the 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 they had been passed down orally from generation to generation for two thousand years. We marvel at the truth contained in God’s interaction with humankind.  The children of Israel had been led out of Egypt with great hopes and expectations by Moses (accompanied by Aaron).  They had come to Horeb at the base of Mount Sinai footsore and hungry from their journey.  Things were not turning out as they had expected. They had anticipated a quick and easy journey to a land that flowed with milk and honey.  Instead they find a harsh desert, hardship, and in this passage, 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 Satan, 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

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[1] The picture is “Ignatius of Loyola” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links[1]

CCC 407: Cannot ignore wound of sin in discerning human situation

CCC 1777-1785: Moral decision making in rapport with God’s will

CCC 1786-1789: Seeking will of God in divine law in difficult circumstances

CCC 1038-1041: Separation of good and evil at Judgment

CCC 1037: God predestines no one to hell

“Hell” (detail view) by Hieronymus Bosch, 1500-04

Readings for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time[2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible[3]

Commentary:

Reading 1: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12

Commentary on 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12

King Solomon is in the process of uniting the Kingdom of Israel’s worship with the construction of the Temple. It is still unfinished at the point where this dream occurs. Solomon has just offered a huge holocaust (“…a thousand holocausts”) and in response God offers to grant him a request. Because Solomon, in humility, asks for “understanding” rather than a selfish boon, God grants him wisdom, a wise and understanding heart.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

R. (97a) Lord, I love your commands.

Commentary on Ps 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

Psalm 119, the longest of the psalms, is a hymn in praise of the Law. It is not legalism, but rather a love of doing what is right in the sight of God. In these strophes, the psalmist proclaims his faithfulness to the law in the face of his adversaries, and waits for final salvation.

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Reading II: Romans 8:28-30

Commentary on Rom 8:28-30

St. Paul outlines the call to a life in Christ. He reflects that God so loves his children. He called some individuals to participate in his redemptive plan at a deeper level. Because Christ existed eternally, those called to him were carefully chosen, or elected from the beginning of time, to be called to salvation. These “elect,” because of their unwavering service to God, will also be glorified. The Church recognizes this call to holiness.  It also recognizes that, while all are called, those who accept this call must do it from the heart (on-going conversion) in order to be justified and glorified. 

Created with free will, many will choose an easier path.  This passage is among several that are central to the Calvinist idea of predestination. (Note: This reading used on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary clearly points to her glorious vocation and the honored place she has in heaven and on earth.)

CCC: Rom 8:26-39 2739; Rom 8:28-30 1821, 2012; Rom 8:28 313, 395; Rom 8:29 257, 381, 501, 1161, 1272, 2790

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Gospel: Matthew 13:44-52

Commentary on Mt 13:44-52

The Parable of the Buried Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl have the same point. One who understands the Kingdom of Heaven and sees its worth, places obtaining the promise of the kingdom before all else. It is the primacy of Christ’s teaching that guides the disciple in all things. The third parable in this group speaks of the eschaton, or end times. Those who have remained faithful in their pursuit of the Kingdom of God will be saved. Those who have chosen evil over good will suffer eternal death.

The question Jesus poses to his disciples following the parables requires an understanding of the structure of the Christian community at the time of Matthew. That is well described in the following: “The church of Matthew has leaders among whom are a group designated as "scribes" (Matthew 23:34). Like the scribes of Israel, they are teachers. It is the Twelve and these their later counterparts to whom this verse applies. The scribe . . . instructed in the kingdom of heaven knows both the teaching of Jesus (the new) and the law and prophets (the old) and provides in his own teaching both the new and the old as interpreted and fulfilled by the new. On the translation head of a household (for the same Greek word translated householder in Matthew 13:27), see the note on Matthew 24:45-51.”[5]

CCC: Mt 13:44-45 546; Mt 13:50 1034; Mt 13:52 1117

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Or

Shorter Form: Matthew 13:44-46

Commentary on Mt 13:44-46

The shorter form provides only the Parable of Buried Treasure and the Parable of the Pearls.  It does not offer the Lord's explanation (v. 51-52) nor the consequences of failure in this key understanding.

“Anyone who understands the Kingdom which Christ proposes realizes that it is worth staking everything to obtain it […]. The Kingdom of heaven is difficult to win.  No one can be sure of achieving it, but the humble cry of the repentant man can open wide its doors” (St. Josemaria Escriva, Christ Is Passing By, 180).[6]

CCC: Mt 13:44-45 546

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Reflection:

Oh, that we all could have been granted the boon given to Solomon.  We would always be able to discern the proper action. We would always make the right choices, and we would always be in accord with God’s plan for us.  But that is not the case.  Even though we may pray for it constantly, God does not wish to take away the freedom he gave us to choose our own course.

The parables we are given in St. Matthew’s Gospel show us what we should do.  The person who finds a buried treasure should do everything in their power to possess it.  The same is true with the analogy of the pearl.  If we follow the parables, that is, state their meaning in clear language, God’s desired response to them becomes clear. 

Let us look at buried treasure.  First, we understand that the treasure (and the pearl) are metaphors for our understanding of what it takes to reach God’s Kingdom (both on earth and in the eternal sense).  God’s Kingdom on earth is achieved through a harmony with the whole of God’s creation.  That harmony is possible only if we put on Christ.  His love for all people gave him such peace that God’s expressed hope for his children from the beginning of time was revealed through him.  The way for us to achieve God’s Kingdom on earth, therefore, is to emulate the mind and heart of Christ as best we can.  Now that we know where the treasure of God’s Kingdom can be found, like the parable says, attaining that stated goal becomes the point, the goal of all we do.  The parable says “…out of joy (he) goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”  We understand the object of the parable.

The same basic meaning is true for the Parable of the Pearl.  The pearl, like the treasure, drives all of our actions on this earth toward our goal of attaining the Kingdom of Heaven.  We do this because striving to achieve it on earth places us on a path to achieve eternal peace in heaven.

We pledge ourselves once more then to do all we can to emulate Christ who places us on the path to the insurmountable joy embodied in the love of God.  Through the one who is love we find the peace and contentment possible only by sacrificing hedonistic pursuits for those which build the spirit and build treasure in heaven.  We once again wish Solomon’s gift might be ours in some small measure.

Pax

In other years on this date: Optional Memorial for Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014

[2] The picture used today is “Hell” (detail view) by Hieronymus Bosch, 1500-04

[3] S.S. Commemoratio

[5] See footnote from the NAB on Matthew 13:52

[6] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 136