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| “An Angel and a Devil Fighting for the Soul of a Child” by Giacinto Gimignani, c. 1650’s |
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Jeremiah 14:17-22
Let my eyes stream with tears
day and night, without rest,
Over the great destruction which overwhelms
the virgin daughter of my people,
over her incurable wound.
If I walk out into the field,
look! those slain by the sword;
If I enter the city,
look! those consumed by hunger.
Even the prophet and the priest
forage in a land they know not.
Have you cast Judah
Is Zion
Why have you struck us a blow
that cannot be healed?
We wait for peace, to no avail;
for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.
We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness,
the guilt of our fathers;
that we have sinned against you.
For your name's sake spurn us not,
disgrace not the throne of your glory;
remember your covenant with us, and break it not.
Among the nations' idols is there any that gives rain?
Or can the mere heavens send showers?
Is it not you alone, O LORD,
our God, to whom we look?
You alone have done all these things.
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Commentary Jer 14:17-22
This reading is part of the Prophet Jeremiah’s great lament for the destruction and death that has come to Judah. He uses the metaphor of a young woman, mortally wounded, to describe the damage to the land and people. The concluding verses constitute a plea for mercy, and a confession of past sins (“We recognize, O Lord, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers”). The implication is that the destruction visited upon them was a consequence of their sin. The prophet’s final plea recognizes the one true God who is all powerful.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 79:8, 9, 11 and 13
R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name's sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Let the prisoners' sighing come before you;
with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
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Commentary Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13
Psalm 79 is a lament over the destruction of the temple. In this part of the hymn the psalmist asks God for forgiveness of past offenses and compassion in their need. This sin has resulted in their imprisonment and separated them from God. This hymn was offered after the destruction of the temple and the loss of the Ark of the Covenant. It is a plea for compassion and help while repenting from sins (“Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake”).
CCC: Ps 79:9 431
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Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43
Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his Kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Commentary on Mt 13:36-43
Jesus dismisses the crowd which, in this instance, represents the unbelieving of Israel. The remainder of this passage is directed at instruction of the disciples. The Lord’s explanation of the parable of the weeds clearly shows the intent of the story. The judgment of the wicked by God through his angels will take place in the eschaton (the end times – the end of the age). The righteous will be vindicated (shine like the sun). The final statement: “Whoever has ears ought to hear,” is both a warning and a statement of the need for patience by the faithful.
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Reflection:
Heavenly Father, we humbly pray that those suffering from the coronavirus be returned quickly to full health by the power of your Son’s healing presence, and those in fear be calmed through the Holy Spirit.
In Christ’s name we pray. – Amen.
So often we forget that there is a dynamic struggle taking place in the world between God and his nemesis, the Evil One, as the Gospel names him. We think that evil is passive in the world, and while we should avoid it, it does not seek us out.
Jesus makes it clear that the struggle is ongoing, and that the children of God are at risk, not just of sinning of their own accord, but of being seduced by the Evil One and falling into eternal fire. The warning is apt. The evil of the world has trapped so many right-intentioned people. We see the devil portrayed in scripture as a fallen angel. If, therefore, we consider how an angel might appear to us, we must also consider what form he might take should the fallen one present himself to us. How are we to know that it is not one of God’s messengers who is persuading us to take a course of action?
Recall that in the desert, when Christ was tempted by the same Evil One, the devil even quoted scripture to the Lord to try to seduce him away from his salvific mission. He offered food to a hungry man, and water to one who thirsted. He offered all the kingdoms of the earth, essentially the fulfillment of Christ’s mission, to Jesus who came to save all people for the Heavenly Father. All this he offered, if our Lord would but bow to him, the fallen angel. How tempting that must have been to the Lord as he looked past his trial in the desert, and saw at the end of his earthly mission the cross of his passion standing starkly on Calvary’s hill.
The Lord’s warning to the disciples, and hence to us, is indeed apt. We, who strive to keep Christ’s mission of love visible in the world, are challenged constantly. Not by some benign evil that sits like a pit for us to avoid, but by a malignant evil, active and insatiable, a spirit that seeks to ambush us, choke us as weeds, as we attempt to do God’s will. Our attitude must be one of constant vigilance and prayer. It is only by keeping this vigil and remaining in a state of constant discernment that we can see evil for what it is, and avoid the terrible harvest at the end of time. “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
In this strange year where many of us will not be able to receive the Blessed Sacrament or celebrate as a community in our houses of worship, we must be prepared to receive spiritual communion in prayer:
My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
Pax
[1] The picture is “An Angel and a Devil Fighting for the Soul of a Child” by Giacinto Gimignani, c. 1650’s.
[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.
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