Saturday, June 30, 2018

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time


Catechism Links[1]
CCC 548-549, 646, 994: Jesus raises the dead
CCC 1009-1014: Death transformed by Christ
CCC 1042-1050: Hope for a new heaven and a new earth

“Christ Resurrects the Daughter of Jairus” by Friedrich Overbeck, 1815


Commentary:


Commentary on Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24

The author of Wisdom speaks of “spiritual” death in this first part of the book (there is a general indifference to the physical life of the body throughout). The Wisdom passage is part of a general statement  that, through living a just life in accord with the wisdom of God, one achieves salvation. This notion of eternal life of the spirit is emphasized, and the idea that nothing on the physical plane can cause spiritual death is strengthened (“there is not a destructive drug among them nor any domain of the netherworld on earth, for justice is undying”). Wisdom proposes, however, that spiritual death enters through the devil, who may pervert the spirit and ultimately claim the victory of death.

CCC: Wis 1:13 413, 1008; Wis 2:23-24 1008; Wis 2:24 391, 413, 2538
----------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13

R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.


Psalm 30 is an individual hymn of praise. In this selection we find the singer praising God for deliverance. In the second part, others are asked to join in the hymn and then there is a return to thanks and praise in the final strophe. The image of resurrection is clearly evident in the first strophe: “O Lord, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.”

----------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15

St. Paul continues an appeal to the church at Corinth for funds to support the Church of Jerusalem. In this section of that appeal, he uses the gracious act of Jesus, who gave up his wealth (his preexistence with the Heavenly Father) for poverty (his earthly life). He then proceeds to introduce the discussion of equality between the various parts of the Body of Christ (the Church). The Apostle encourages this fiscal equality to the extent possible, but not to the extent where the donor becomes poorer than the recipient of the donation. He concludes with a quote from Exodus 16: 18, using the example of the rules imposed about manna gathered in the desert.

CCC: 2 Cor 8:1-15 2833; 2 Cor 8:9 517, 1351, 2407, 2546
----------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 5:21-43

Commentary on Mk 5:21-43

This selection from Mark’s Gospel begins with Jesus continuing his journey of healing. The passage relates two interwoven examples of the power of faith in healing. First, the synagogue official’s plea to Jesus to heal his daughter is presented. This is important from the standpoint that it is recognition of Jesus' status by the local faith community. An official from the synagogue would only consult with one widely recognized as an authority in spiritual matters.

On the way to the little girl, a woman with a hemorrhage that had been incurable by local physicians pressed in close and touched his cloak. She was cured; it was as if her faith reached out and touched Jesus. This was unlike the others crowded around, because he felt her touch among all the others. He turned and was able to specifically identify her. The Lord’s words to her were: “…your faith has saved you.”

Arriving at the synagogue official's house, Jairus’ faith was tested a second time as he was informed his daughter had died. Jesus ignored these reports and proceeded to reward Jairus’ faith by bringing his daughter back from death, a sign of his mission to all mankind.

CCC: Mk 5:21-42 994; Mk 5:25-34 548; Mk 5:28 2616; Mk 5:34 1504; Mk 5:36 1504, 2616
----------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Mk 5:21-24, 35b-43

This shortened form of the Gospel omits the discourse about the healing of the woman with a hemorrhage. This omission sharpens the Gospel focus on Christ’s mission for the salvation of humanity through the new resurrection.

CCC: Mk 5:21-42 994; Mk 5:36 1504, 2616
----------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:

We reflect today about the entire notion of life and death and how our Lord has triumphed over death. We begin with a consideration of the reading from the book of Wisdom. The author gives us words of hope when he says “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.” We immediately think of life and death in spiritual terms because, unlike the superstitious, we understand that the physical death of the body must come. It is a biological fact. Anyone who has reached “old age” recognizes that continuing life indefinitely in a body that will ultimately wear out is not a happy prospect.

Does that mean that what we do in this physical life does not matter? No. We offer as a crude analogy the early life of danaus plexippus, the Monarch Butterfly. Like all butterflies and moths the early stage of the monarch's life is spent as a larva. During this period of life, the caterpillar goes about eating and performing its life functions. If it is greedy or careless it may be caught by a predator or killed in some other way. Individuals who die that way never become butterflies. They have died. However, those individuals who survive the larval stage become pupas or chrysalides. To an untrained eye, they appear dead: there is no movement, no animation to alert the observer that life exists there. At the appointed time, metamorphosis occurs and the butterfly emerges alive now but transformed.

The point of this analogy is not to try to demonstrate what happens at the physical death of the human being. Rather it demonstrates the linkage between decisions made during physical life in the body to the prospects for eternal life in the spirit. If the spirit dies during our lives in the body, it is dead. It is the possession of the evil one and death has its victory. It is therefore imperative that we listen to God’s voice who is the author of life and who has authority over it.

This authority is what we see demonstrated in the Gospel. Jesus rewards the faith of Jairus by pushing aside the physical death of his child. He does so in response to the spiritual plea of the man alive in faith. Life responds to life.

The message we take away from our reflection on life and death is that our life, the life God was pleased to give us, is precious and should be viewed as such – a gift to be cared for. But life of the spirit  is the true gift, the gift that animates the flesh and is interwoven with it as we walk the world as Jesus did. God gives us his commandments that we might receive the Lord’s promise and have eternal life in the spirit. We rejoice in the path that leads to life, even though it is difficult and fraught with pitfalls. We ask for his help as we walk upon the way.

Pax

In Other Years on July 1st: [In the Dioceses of the United States] Optional Memorial for Saint Junipero Serra, Priest, with texts from the Common of Pastors: for missionaries, or the Common of Holy Men and Women: for religious.

[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 is “Christ Resurrects the Daughter of Jairus” by Friedrich Overbeck, 1815


Posted by at No comments:

Friday, June 29, 2018

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time


(Optional Memorial for the First Holy Martyrs of Rome)
(Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary)


On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed.[1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Suggested for this date: #44 The Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick.

“Faith” by Giuseppe Angeli, c. 1754.



Commentary:


Commentary on Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

The reading from Lamentations begins with the author’s sorrow at the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (587 BC). The prophets who promised prosperity were wrong (“Your prophets had for you false and specious visions”). The sorrow and humble repentance of the faithful are expressed, as is the plight of the people who remain. They are afflicted with famine and drought. But hope remains as they continue to reach out to the Lord who has not completely forsaken them.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 74:1b-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21

R. (19b) Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.


“A communal lament sung when the enemy invaded the temple; it would be especially appropriate at the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. Israel's God is urged to look upon the ruined sanctuary and remember the congregation who worshiped there.”[5]

----------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 8:5-17

Commentary on Mt 8:5-17

This selection describes the second and third healing episodes (out of nine) found in St. Matthew’s Gospel. Once again, these encounters serve as proofs of the Lord’s identity as the Messiah. Clear evidence is given of this purpose with the use of the quote: “He took away our infirmities and bore our disease,” taken from the "suffering servant" oracle in Isaiah 53:4.

This didactic passage also contains the centurion's humble profession of faith used in the liturgy of the Mass: "'Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant [soul] will be healed.'"

"Centurion": an officer of the Roman army in control of one hundred men. This man's faith is still an example to us. At the solemn moment when a Christian is about to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the Church's liturgy places on his lips and in his heart these words of the centurion, to enliven his faith: Lord, I am not worthy...".[6]

CCC: Mt 8:8 1386; Mt 8:10 2610; Mt 8:11 543; Mt 8:17 517, 1505
----------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:

The lament of the first reading may be seen as a metaphor for all of those who suffer from war, hunger, disease, and poverty. The people of Judah and Israel, at the time the author recorded this poem, were facing all of these things; the tone of their pain comes through in the words, and is echoed by the earth’s populations today who face hopelessness (ironically not far from modern-day Israel).

Into this time of testing and pain comes Jesus who takes away our infirmities and accepts all of our suffering. He comes, as the Prophet Isaiah foretold, bringing hope to the hopeless and comfort to those in pain.

What then, we ask, prevents those burdened with the pain of the world from rejoicing in God’s salvation, personified in his Son? It is a lack of knowledge or of belief. They are like the miner trapped in a cave who does not know if a rescue party is coming. It is like the story of Romeo and Juliet. When they thought each other dead, they despaired and followed their partner in death. Hope is only kindled when there is faith that salvation will come, when there is a light in the terrible darkness of despair.

The Gospel becomes a tool and a remedy. It is to be used by those of us who have seen and have faith. We carry the light, as St. Luke says, “to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.” The healing presence of Christ is proclaimed once more, and we are given this torch to carry forward. Let us pledge to be instruments of Christ’s healing this day.

Pax

[2] The picture is “Faith” by Giuseppe Angeli, c. 1754.

[5] See NAB footnote for Psalm 74.
[6] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 101.

Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles


Mass During the Day[1]

Mass at the Vigil

Catechism Links[2]

“Saints Peter and Paul” 
by Guido Reni, c. 1600. 
Readings for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible[3]

Readings and Commentary:[4][5]

Reading 1: Acts 12:1-11

Commentary on Acts 12:1-11

The Christian Jews in Jerusalem have fallen from favor, probably due to St. Stephen’s teaching and the subsequent backlash. The execution of St. James marks the beginning of the third persecution of the early Church in Jerusalem, this one from a more formal source.

The liberation of Peter from prison echoes many events of Jewish history (the deliverance of Joseph, Genesis 39:21-41:57; the three young men, Daniel 3; and Daniel [himself], Daniel 6) that consciously reflect the paschal liberation (Exodus 12:42). Peter now undergoes the same trial and deliverance as his Master and in his own person becomes a sign of God’s deliverance of his people.

CCC: Acts 12:5 2636; Acts 12:6-11 334
----------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Psalm 34 is a song of thanksgiving and a favorite for celebrating the heroic virtue of the saints. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone. This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted, echoes hope for deliverance and freedom. The Lord in his faithful love always hears those who call to him for help and salvation.

CCC: Ps 34:3 716; Ps 34:8 336
----------------------------------------------------------------
Reading II: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 

Commentary on 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18
Paul is writing from prison at the end of his life. The only deliverance he can expect is death, and he confidently proclaims that it is the greatest deliverance of all. The death of the Christian who has lived and worked in union with the death of Christ, through baptism, is truly released to freedom and glory. The Apostle views this deliverance as an act of worship. At the close of his life Paul could testify to the accomplishment of what Christ himself foretold concerning him at the time of his conversion: "I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name" (Acts 9:16).

CCC: 2 Tm 4 2015
----------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19

Commentary on Mt 16:13-19
St. Matthew’s story of how Jesus asked about what people were saying about him has a profound impact on the Church. Here, when challenged by Jesus with the question, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon answers, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” The second title is not present in St. Mark’s version of this encounter. The title adds an understanding that Jesus is not just the Messiah, but also the Son of God. Given this response, Jesus confers upon Simon a new name “Kephas” which comes from the root Aramaic word Kepa or “Rock.” When translated into Greek it is Petros, and from there to Peter. The name, however, becomes the foundation for the Church. As a consequence of this exchange, Peter is given Christ’s authority, an authority that is passed down through papal succession to the Pope who sits on the Chair of Peter today.

CCC: Mt 16-18 1969; Mt 16:16-23 440; Mt 16:16 424, 442; Mt 16:17 153, 442; Mt 16:18-19 881; Mt 16:18 424, 442, 552, 586, 869; Mt 16:19 553, 1444
----------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:

Where would we be without St. Peter and St. Paul? Peter was given the keys to the kingdom to pass down to us while Paul was sent to proclaim that kingdom to non-Jewish people. Without Peter, there would be no first pontiff; without Paul, Christianity might have been nothing more than an insignificant scandalous offshoot of Judaism.

While they were both critical to God’s plan, how differently they are painted by scripture. Peter was so very human. He could suddenly be open to the Holy Spirit and then just as suddenly fall prey to doubt. We saw it many times in the Gospel. 

Remember the time in the boat on the Sea of Galilee, when he saw Jesus and got out of the boat and actually began walking on the water? (Matthew 14:22-36) We are reminded of a child learning to ride a bike. The parent patiently takes the child out onto the sidewalk, tells the child to begin pedaling as the parent walks next to them holding on to the back. At some point the parent lets go and the child rides on. Until, that is, they realize the parent is not there and then they generally lose faith (and concentration) and crash. Peter was like that; he started walking on water and as soon as he realized that it was impossible, he started to sink. The Lord rescued him, of course, like he always does for all of us. And he chastised Peter for his lack of faith.

Remember that awful night in the garden when Jesus was taken? How earlier in the evening when they were reclining at table Peter told Jesus how he would follow Jesus down any road? Remember how the Lord told him that before that night was out he would deny him three times? Again Peter was caught up in the spirit and said the noble thing only to fall prey to his own human weakness later. (Matthew 26:14—27:66) I love him for that weakness; it gives me hope for myself.

Then we have Paul who was a melodramatic firebrand. Paul, it seemed to me, threw himself into situations he knew would be spectacular. It was his style. Once there, with the predictable outcome (usually that meant he was either in jail or on the verge of being executed), he would lament his troubles (like today: I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation). He wanted us to see graphically that being Christian and following Christ in our lives would be difficult, should be difficult. He had a keen intellect and enjoyed matching wits with the best philosophical minds in Rome. Like so many of us in the Church today, Paul, as a convert, was the most fervent in his faith.

Two very different tools in the Lord’s toolbox are celebrated today. We, his modern-day followers will do well if we can emulate either of them in their love of God and their dedication to the faith. We celebrate the fact that both followed Christ in life and death, and sit now in the heavenly kingdom with all the angels and saints. We ask for their intercession on our behalf.

Pax
In other Years: Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

[1] The picture used is “Saints Peter and Paul” by Guido Reni, c. 1600.
[2] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.

[5] In part, from the commentary from Fr. Tom Welbers at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Berkley, California.

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)