(Optional Memorial for Saint Jane Frances De Chantal, Religious)
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| “The Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem” by Nicolas Poussin,1637 |
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22
The Lord cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city!
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer’s case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the Lord say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city.
Then the glory of the Lord left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.
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Commentary on Ez 9:1-7; 10:18-22
All this is done as the Lord prepares to abandon the city (“Then the glory of the Lord left the threshold of the temple”). The abandonment is in the same detail as the beatific vision of God’s presence; the “glory of the Lord,” the “cherubim” with their wings, lifting their wheels. The vision foresees the utter abandonment of Jerusalem by God.
CCC: Ez 9:4-6 1296
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (4b) The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
both now and forever.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the Lord to be praised.
High above all nations is the Lord;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
CCC: Ps 113:1-2 2143
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Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
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Commentary on Mt 18:15-20
St. Matthew relates the Lord's instructions to his disciples (and to the Christian community at large). “Passing from the duty of Christian disciples toward those who have strayed from their number, the discourse now turns to how they are to deal with one who sins and yet remains within the community. First there is to be private correction; if this is unsuccessful, further correction before two or three witnesses; if this fails, the matter is to be brought before the assembled community (the church), and if the sinner refuses to attend to the correction of the church, he is to be expelled. The church's judgment will be ratified in heaven, i.e., by God. The section ends with a saying about the favorable response of God to prayer, even to that of a very small number, for Jesus is in the midst of any gathering of his disciples, however small.”[4]
CCC: Mt 18:16 2472; Mt 18:18 553, 1444; Mt 18:20 1088, 1373
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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.
We have some very good practical direction given by St. Matthew’s Gospel today. That advice is coupled with a reiteration of Jesus passing his authority on to his disciples (and by that action through apostolic succession, to the Holy See and the Chair of Peter). It is teaching that we frequently do not take. It is easier, after all, to run first to some authority than to try to correct a person who is violating laws or regulations directly. Many of us want to avoid the confrontation involved.
This instruction, however, is in keeping with the fundamental respect Jesus teaches us we must have for the human person. The fact that we should go to a person who has done something wrong before saying anything to anyone else is based upon the presumption that the person did not know they had erred, or had done so out of ignorance. The underlying idea is people are all God’s creations are to be loved, but sometimes they make bad or uninformed choices.
Understanding these underlying assumptions the way Jesus teaches them is important. Having the attitude of profound respect for the other person will dictate how we approach them with the correction. When we do this, as St. Paul said in Philippians, “Our attitude should be that of Christ” When we correct we correct the action or the behavior, not the person. If, for instance, the person we approach has caused hurt by saying things that are disparaging of someone else, we should tell them that that untruth was hurtful and that they should check the facts before repeating damaging comments. That is much different than telling them that they are a bad person because of their actions.
Scripture is clear. If after we have done our best to correct them in a one-on-one situation, the next step is to bring one or two others along and try again. (This actually harkens back to Mosaic Law where two witnesses were required to press a charge against an offender of the law.). If that fails, the Church needs to be informed and appropriate action taken. In very serious (and rare) situations excommunication is the end result of this process.
While this method of correction is taught as a way to deal with members of our faith community, because of the underlying assumptions about the dignity of the human person, it is also recommended for use with others we meet. Especially in situations where confrontation takes place, our opportunity to demonstrate the love for others our Lord commanded us to have will be most effectively demonstrated.
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 used is “The Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem” by Nicolas Poussin,1637.
[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] NAB Footnote on Matthew 18:15-20.
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