(Optional Memorial for 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: #33. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Good Counsel.
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| “St John the Baptist Baptizes the People” by Nicolas Poussin, c. 1635 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Commentary on 2 Cor 5:14-21
This passage from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians has a distinctly initiative flavor. First he speaks of dying with Christ, becoming one with him in the spirit. This occurs in the sacrament of baptism. The whole idea of being reconciled to God in Christ is inherent in the sacrament of confirmation and concluded in the Eucharist. These of course are the three sacraments of Christian Initiation.
CCC: 2 Cor 5:14 616, 851; 2 Cor 5:15 605, 655, 1269; 2 Cor 5:17 1214, 1265; 2 Cor 5:17-18 1999; 2 Cor 5:18-21 2844; 2 Cor 5:18 981, 1442, 1461; 2 Cor 5:19 433, 620; 2 Cor 5:20 859, 1424, 1442; 2 Cor 5:21 602
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Commentary on Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
Psalm 103 is a song of praise and thanksgiving to God for his mercy. It recognizes both God’s mercy and our need, as sinners, for it. The psalmist rejoices in God’s saving help following a period of adversity. The link between forgiveness and healing is brought out driving home the fact that forgiveness by God heals the soul and that his forgiveness is available always.
CCC: Ps 103 304
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Gospel: Matthew 5:33-37
Commentary on Mt 5:33-37
Jesus paraphrases the Old Testament (see Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11; Leviticus 19:12). He is attacking the practices of guaranteeing one’s promise by calling on God to witness the pledge. The Lord tells his disciples that no oaths should be made, that what they say should need no guarantee beyond their own character (“Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one.”). This last reference speaks of the implied sinfulness of mankind in oath-breaking.
CCC: Mt 5:33-34 581, 2141, 2153; Mt 5:33 592, 2463; Mt 5:37 2153, 2338, 2466
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Reflection:
We are “ambassadors for Christ,” as St. Paul says. As such we represent to others that which has been given to us. If this is not enough to scare us, nothing ever will. We are called “Christians” by the world. They look at us and say: “This is what believing that Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God means.” How we live and interact with those we meet is to demonstrate that lived reality.
The Gospel from St. Matthew gives us just one characteristic that we are to evince as “ambassadors of Christ.” We are to be honest to a fault. Our word should be our bond. If we promise to do something, there should be no need of formal documents or commitments in the legal sense. These instruments are for use among those of the secular world who require such pledges because there is a lack of trust. In Jesus’ day, this was a practice of swearing an oath. It was more than children saying, “cross my heart and hope to die.” It held the force of a covenant between individuals. When Jesus told his disciples not to swear oaths he was telling them that honesty was to be an integral part of loving one another.
“Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No’” does not mean we should be frank to the point of hurting another person, especially when it is our opinion that we are expressing. There are those who would say: “I was only being honest,” knowing that what they said was hurtful or demeaning of another. What parent would look at their toddler’s stick drawing and say: “That’s terrible. What is it supposed to be?” Would they not say instead: “That’s very nice,” recognizing the effort that had gone into it and the generosity of offering that work to them?
We are ambassadors of Christ. As such our first obligation to Christ is to do as he asked, love one another! We are to see those we meet through those loving eyes, being honest and loving in our interactions. It is not easy. We must constantly subvert our human nature that strives to place our own interests above others'. But ambassadors do not have easy jobs, especially when the one they represent gave up his life for the world.
Pax
[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5.
[2] The picture is “St John the Baptist Baptizes the People” by Nicolas Poussin, c. 1635.
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