Independence Day [In Dioceses of the United States]
Alternate Texts may be taken from the Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, II. For Civil Needs: 13. For the Nation, nos. 882-886; or 14. For Peace and Justice, nos. 887-891.
* (Optional Memorial for Saint Elizabeth of Portugal)
* In the United States, this memorial is perpetually transferred to July 5th.
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| Sleep of Jesus During the Storm” by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Genesis 19:15-29
Commentary on Gn 19:15-29
This passage describes the salvation of Lot along with his wife and daughters from the destruction heaped upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot is given the boon of salvation because of his righteous actions in the previous section (Genesis 19 1-14). Lot is instructed to flee and not look back at God’s destructive wrath. Lot’s wife violates this instruction (looking upon that which was forbidden by God) and is turned into a pillar of salt.
The language used to describe the destruction “He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain…” (literally, turned upside down) would be consistent with an earthquake followed by fire. The passage concludes indicating that a principal reason for Lot’s salvation was his relationship to Abraham (Genesis 12:5).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 26:2-3, 9-10, 11-12
R. (3a) O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
Commentary on Ps 26:2-3, 9-10, 11-12
Psalm 26 is an individual lament. In these strophes the psalmist seeks the Lord's protection as they approach him (see also Exodus 30:17-21), The singer prays for mercy and purity before God as fidelity and praise of the Lord are pledged.
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Gospel: Matthew 8:23-27
Commentary on Mt 8:23-27
Jesus calming the sea is the first of this set of miracles recorded in St. Matthew’s Gospel. There are notable differences between St. Matthew’s account and that of St. Mark (Mark 4:35-41). First we note that Jesus leads the disciples into the boat, rather than the disciples taking him there. We also see a more reverent attitude on the part of the twelve as they wake him, contrasted with the accusatory tone in St. Mark. (“…do you not care that we are perishing?") This account of the disciples' experience, in both cases, points directly at the identity of Jesus as the Son of God, and serves as a proof for the reader.
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Reflection:
When the story of Jesus sleeping in the boat during the storm was written (and his subsequent command over the elements), it may have been seen as a proof of his identity as the Messiah. We see another meaning in this story. If we view this story as a metaphor we see Jesus bringing calm to the storm.
In the fevered pace of our daily lives we frequently encounter storms, do we not? They may arise at school, at work, or with family and friends. The storms may take the form of situations beyond our control or they may be a result of mistakes we have made or events poorly handled. Whatever their source, we are at constant risk of being thrown to our deaths in sin.
It is difficult to see clearly when we are in the middle of these storms. Much like a physical storm, our vision is clouded by the turbulence of the storm. We cannot clearly chart our actions when our sight is so impaired. If we try to make important decisions while we are tossed by the storms of emotion, if we react to the situation out of desperation, we frequently cause more damage than good and end up worse off than when we started.
Where, we may ask, is Jesus, when we are twisting in the wind of these storms? Is he asleep in the boat? We certainly hope so because if we are convinced of this, we can wake him up, calling upon the Holy Spirit to bring peace and quiet to the storm. Even if it continues to rage around us, we feel the interior calm of the Lord that allows us to see clearly, to act correctly. Our usual problem is we forget he is sleeping there and try to ride the storm out as best we can.
Today as we remember the Lord is with us always, we pray that when our life’s storms hurtle themselves in our direction we may remember quickly that Jesus sleeps with us in our souls, and when we become afraid, angry or desperate we will reach out to him saying "Lord, save us!” In our faith he will rebuke the storm and bring us peace.
Pax
[2] The picture is “Sleep of Jesus During the Storm” by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875
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