Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

“Sermon on the Mount” by Carl Bloch 1834–1890

Readings for Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Colossians 3:1-11

Brothers and sisters:

If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,

where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ your life appears,

then you too will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:

immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,

and the greed that is idolatry.

Because of these the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.

By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way.

But now you must put them all away:

anger, fury, malice, slander,

and obscene language out of your mouths.

Stop lying to one another,

since you have taken off the old self with its practices

and have put on the new self,

which is being renewed, for knowledge,

in the image of its creator.

Here there is not Greek and Jew,

circumcision and uncircumcision,

barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;

but Christ is all and in all.

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Commentary on Col 3:1-11

St. Paul continues his exhortation to the Colossians by telling them to focus on their spiritual selves rather than on things of the flesh. He goes on to provide a litany of conduct that has no place in the Christian community, sins of the flesh and violations of the commandments. He concludes by reminding them that in their faith community there must be unity, and that despite the vast differences in social, economic, and former religious status, in Christ all are equal.

CCC: Col 3-4 1971; Col 3:1-3 655; Col 3:1 1002; Col 3:3 665, 1003, 1420, 2796; Col 3:4 1003, 2772; Col 3:5-8 1852; Col 3:5 2518; Col 3:10 2809

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:2-3, 10-11, 12-13ab

R. (9) The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

Every day will I bless you,

and I will praise your name forever and ever.

Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;

his greatness is unsearchable.

R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,

and let your faithful ones bless you.

Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom

and speak of your might.

R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

Making known to men your might

and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,

and your dominion endures through all generations.

R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

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Commentary on Ps 145:2-3, 10-11, 12-13ab

Psalm 145 is a song of praise and thanksgiving.  This part of the song focuses on the Kingdom of God, its splendor and its inclusive nature, indestructible – existing for all eternity.

"God is infinitely greater than all his works: 'You have set your glory above the heavens.' Indeed, God's 'greatness is unsearchable.' But because he is the free and sovereign Creator, the first cause of all that exists, God is present to his creatures' inmost being: 'In him we live and move and have our being.' In the words of St. Augustine, God is 'higher than my highest and more inward than my innermost self'" [4]

CCC: Ps 145:3 300

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Gospel: Luke 6:20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for the Kingdom of God is yours.

Blessed are you who are now hungry,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who are now weeping,

for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you,

and when they exclude and insult you,

and denounce your name as evil

on account of the Son of Man.

Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!

Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.

For their ancestors treated the prophets

in the same way.

But woe to you who are rich,

for you have received your consolation.

But woe to you who are filled now,

for you will be hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will grieve and weep.

Woe to you when all speak well of you,

for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

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Commentary on Lk 6:20-26

This passage is the introductory section of St. Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain.” Addressed primarily to a Gentile audience, this discourse differs from St. Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5:1-7:27) in that it addresses economic conditions of the day. It begins, as does St. Matthew’s sermon, with the Beatitudes but follows these with antithetical woes which contrast the blessed with those who ignore the poor and hungry.

CCC: Lk 6:20-22 2444; Lk 6:20 2546; Lk 6:24 2547

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Reflection:

The Christian is confronted with paradox in an ongoing way.  We are called to be in the world, but apart from it.  We are called to be meek but strong, humble but resolute.  The list can go on.  In so many ways our call is one of stark contrasts and seeming opposites.  How are we to resolve these paradoxical exhortations?  Is there a common thread that runs through St. Paul’s instructions to the Colossians and Jesus’ beatitudes?

St. Paul tells the Colossians that all of the attitudes and passions associated with “normal” secular behavior must be cast off.  What standard does he apply to these attitudes? It is so fundamental: he tells them to put on the love of God and the love of one another.  He does not say it in those terms, but that is exactly what he is telling them.  If they are to avoid sin, they must avoid the failure to love.  How else does one avoid “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry”?  Applying Christ’s rule of loving God first and loving one another will place these behaviors out of the minds and hearts of the faithful witnesses of Christ.

In the same way those attributes blessed by the Lord, the poor (in spirit), the hungry (for spiritual food), those who mourn (earthly loss), and those persecuted for their faith in Jesus are all reconciled when love is put on.  Love is for the Christian the common denominator.  Love of God and love of one another is the standard by which we should measure ourselves.

When we have internalized this concept fully, all the paradoxes are resolved.  Love of God separates us from the world.  Our minds and souls focus on the Lord, not on earthly demands.  Love of others makes us part of the world and witnesses of God’s love for all his creation.  We can be meek, accepting the easy yoke of slavery to God’s wishes, but strong, unbending in our rejection of hatred and evil. We can be humble (who could not be in the face of God’s majesty and power), and at the same time be like a rock in our resolve to transform the world.

All of this is possible through love.  Today our simple prayer is that our love of God may be increased, and with it, our love of others.  It is his great command.

Pax

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[1] The picture is “Sermon on the Mount” by Carl Bloch 1834–1890.

[2] S.S Commemoratio

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] CCC 300, St. Augustine, Conf. 3,6,11: PL 32,688.