 |
| “Sodom and Gomorrah “ by Gillis Mostaert, 1597. |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Isaiah 7:1-9
Commentary on Is 7:1-9
This selection from the book of the Prophet Isaiah describes a national crisis under the rule of King Ahaz. The situation is concisely as described in 2 Kings 16:5-9. An alliance had been formed between Aram and Israel (initially formed against Assyria), which threatens Jerusalem and throws the country into a crisis. The meeting between Isaiah and his son Shear-jashub with Ahaz has subtle significance. The son’s name translated means "a remnant will return," which implies that destruction will fall on the people, but some will be saved.
God’s message to King Ahaz through Isaiah’s oracle is to remain calm; it is only through complete faith in God that salvation can occur. (“This shall not stand, it shall not be!”) The final instruction, to stand firm placing absolute faith in God’s saving power, is problematic because the dates are probably not translated accurately. Scholars agree that the passage: “But within sixty years and five…” was more likely intended to be “Yet six, nay five more years,” [4] a time frame which would have given Ahaz comfort. This summons is believed to be a pointed reminder of the oracle of Nathan in 2 Samuel 7: 12-17.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 48:2-3a, 3b-4, 5-6, 7-8
R. (see 9d) God upholds his city for ever.
Commentary on Ps 48:2-3a, 3b-4, 5-6, 7-8
Psalm 48 is a Zion hymn, praising the holy city as the invincible dwelling place of God. Unconquerable, it is an apt symbol of God who has defeated all enemies. The psalm describes the victory by the Divine Warrior over hostile kings.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 11:20-24
Commentary on Mt 11:20-24
This passage follows the parable of the “Children in the Marketplace,” in which Jesus addresses those who have heard the words of both John the Baptist and himself. He accuses them of not being willing to hear that they must turn away from sin and repent.
In this passage he goes further, chastising the towns in which he has performed great signs. As in the parable that preceded it, this selection speaks of the punishment reserved for those who refuse to hear the word he has spoken. In addition to ignoring the Lord’s revelation, they also continue to ignore the law and prophets. Their fate, he tells them, will be worse than that of Sodom.
CCC: Mt 11:20-24 678
----------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
As happens so many times in the truth of scripture, this situation occurs all the time. Even with the most devout Christian, conversion must take place every day. What greater sign can be performed than the sacrifice of the Mass? Yet we walk out of Mass forgetting the promises we made, ignoring the lingering grace dispensed with the sacrament, and continue as if nothing had changed.
Each day we are called to repentance. Each day we are called to place our complete faith in God. It is something we must never forget. Practicing our faith means we engage in a daily struggle to overcome our natural tendencies to think of our own personal comfort, our secular goals. We must constantly weigh those goals against what must be our first and overriding concern, our faith in the Lord and the achievement of his desires for us.
From the beginning of God’s relationship with mankind, prophets and teachers have called us to repentance, to change our lives and to live as God intended. We hear that message once more today, and ask for God’s grace and strength that will allow us to respond.
Pax
[1] The picture is “Sodom and Gomorrah “ by Gillis Mostaert, 1597.
[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 16:18, p. 270
No comments:
Post a Comment