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| “Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness” by Karel Dujardin, c. 1662 |
Readings for Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31–5:1
Brothers and sisters:
It is written that Abraham had two sons,
one by the slave woman and the other by the freeborn woman.
The son of the slave woman was born naturally,
the son of the freeborn through a promise.
Now this is an allegory.
These women represent two covenants.
One was from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery;
this is Hagar.
But the Jerusalem above is freeborn, and she is our mother.
For it is written:
Rejoice, you barren one who bore no children;
break forth and shout, you who were not in labor;
for more numerous are the children of the deserted one
than of her who has a husband.
Therefore, brothers and sisters,
we are children not of the slave woman
but of the freeborn woman.
For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm
and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
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Commentary on Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31–5:1
St. Paul uses the analogy of the two sons of Abraham to describe the difference between two covenants. First, the covenant of Sinai is represented by the birth of Ishmael to Hagar (see Genesis 16:3ff). This was where the Torah (the Book of the Law) was given to Jewish people. Then, the New Covenant represented by the birth of Isaac to Sara, a miraculous intervention of the Spirit, which represents the New Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom revealed in Christ. The clear reference here is that those born under the Law of Moses are slaves to the Law, while those born under faith in Christ are set free (“For freedom Christ set us free”).
CCC: Gal 4:21-31 1972; Gal 4:26-28 723; Gal 4:26 757; Gal 5 1454; Gal 5:1 1741, 1748
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5a and 6-7
R. (see 2) Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.
or:
R. Alleluia, 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. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia, 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. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5a and 6-7
Psalm 113 is a song of praise. The song is directed to the faithful of Israel (servants of the Lord), likely temple priests. In these strophes, the psalmist rejoices in all of God’s creation, an eternal testament to his power and glory. The psalmist sings of the Lord’s omnipresence (from the heavens above to the earth below), yet God's gaze is loving mercy for the poor.
CCC: Ps 113:1-2 2143
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Gospel: Luke 11:29-32
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
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Commentary on Luke 11:29-32
Jesus is asked again for a sign that would prove to his audience that he is what he claims to be. His response is vehement: the only sign that will be given to them will be the sign of Jonah, the message that they are under a condemnation from God unless they repent and return to faithfulness. This is followed by another reference to the Old Testament “the queen of the south,” a reference to the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10: 1ff), who came seeking the wisdom of Solomon. Using this imagery, the Lord refers to himself as God’s Wisdom incarnate.
The final verse of this passage summarizes the message. Christ’s call to repentance carries more weight than Jonah’s call did for the Ninevites (Jonah 3:1-10) and his wisdom is greater than that of Solomon.
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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.
If Paul had been living today and made the statement: “One was from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar,” there would be riots in Palestine, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. People would die because Paul dared to say anything against Hagar, the mother of Ishmael who, we all know, was in the line of their revered prophet.
Paul’s use of this allegory today is directed once more at some of the Christian converts from Judaism who continued their dedication to the Law of Abraham. His point was that God gave us the law, not to enslave us, but to set us free. This same kind of argument would become necessary again in the late 1500s as the Calvinists asserted, not so much that we were slaves to the law, but that we were predestined to either be saved or forever damned. Ironically the biggest scriptural signpost for the Calvinists was Jesus teaching his disciples to pray: “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:9-10).
This sentiment leaked into the Church during that same period in history in which Jansenism reared its head in France. The theological principles of Jansenism "emphasize predestination, deny free will, and maintain that human nature is incapable of good.” [4] Like all attacks on doctrine, this one served to build up the Church’s understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit. Ironically many of the Jansenists were vehemently opposed to the devotion of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who was also French, but she was devoted to the intercession of the Holy Spirit, and the merit of works in support of salvation.
We must ask what practical impact the word for today has for us. First, it is always good to be reminded that whatever we do each day is a free choice made by us. It is also important that we remember that these actions have consequences, not only in this life but the next. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to those who reject him on his fateful trip to Jerusalem. He reminds them that, if they ignore the warning he gives them, to repent from their unbelief and accept that the kingdom of God is at hand, because they want proof from him, they will suffer the fate promised to those warned by Jonah.
Although the scriptures today are somewhat dark, our response today must be one of light. It is up to us to accept the mantle of discipleship, and carry the Word of God to the world today (or at least our part of it).
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 today is “Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness” by Karel Dujardin, c. 1662.
[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] Source is the on-line Free Dictionary.
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