Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Boniface
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"Saint Boniface"
by Cornelis Bloemaert, c. 1630. |
Readings for Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Tobit 12:1, 5-15, 20
Tobit called his son Tobiah and said to him,
"Son, see to it that you give what is due to the man
who made the journey with you; give him a bonus too."
So he called Raphael and said,
"Take as your wages half of all that you have brought back,
and go in peace."
Raphael called the two men aside privately and said to them:
"Thank God! Give him the praise and the glory.
Before all the living,
acknowledge the many good things he has done for you,
by blessing and extolling his name in song.
Honor and proclaim God's deeds,
and do not be slack in praising him.
A king's secret it is prudent to keep,
but the works of God are to be declared and made known.
Praise them with due honor.
Do good, and evil will not find its way to you.
Prayer and fasting are good,
but better than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness.
A little with righteousness is better than abundance with wickedness.
It is better to give alms than to store up gold;
for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every sin.
Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life;
but those habitually guilty of sin are their own worst enemies.
"I will now tell you the whole truth;
I will conceal nothing at all from you.
I have already said to you,
'A king's secret it is prudent to keep,
but the works of God are to be made known with due honor.'
I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed,
it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer
before the Glory of the Lord;
and I did the same thing when you used to bury the dead.
When you did not hesitate to get up
and leave your dinner in order to go and bury the dead,
I was sent to put you to the test.
At the same time, however,
God commissioned me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah.
I am Raphael, one of the seven angels
who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord."
"So now get up from the ground and praise God.
Behold, I am about to ascend to him who sent me;
write down all these things that have happened to you."
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Commentary on Tb 12:1, 5-15, 20
At this point in the story of Tobit, the prophet asks his son to pay the “man” that had accompanied him, not realizing that who they thought was a man was really Raphael, the archangel. When they approached him to give a generous reward, Raphael unmasked himself and instructed them to give praise to God for the saving acts.
Special emphasis is made, in Raphael’s instruction, to act in accordance with the Law of Moses (righteousness) and acts of charity (almsgiving). These two public actions are even better than prayer and fasting, private worship of God. Echoing this idea, we find the recurring statement: “A king’s secret it is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be declared and made known.”
CCC: Tb 12:8 1434; Tb 12:12 336
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Responsorial Psalm: Tobit 13:2, 6efgh, 7, 8
R. (1b) Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
He scourges and then has mercy;
he casts down to the depths of the nether world,
and he brings up from the great abyss.
No one can escape his hand.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
So now consider what he has done for you,
and praise him with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
and exalt the King of ages.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
In the land of my exile I praise him
and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones,
and may all of you praise his majesty.
Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
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Commentary on Tb 13:2, 6efgh, 7, 8
This psalm and response are taken from the Book of Tobit. It is Tobit's response to the Archangel Raphael’s instruction to give thanks to God for his blessings. It is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God for his help and salvation. It recalls the Diaspora and the restoration of Israel. Echoing the prayer of Ezra (Ezra 9:6), it recalls that it was through God’s mercy that these things were accomplished rather than the merit of a sinful people.
CCC: Tb 13:2 269
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Gospel: Mark 12:38-44
In the course of his teaching Jesus said,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext,
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."
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Commentary on Mk 12:38-44
In this passage from Mark, Jesus warns against scribes (holy men) who wear their faith on the outside and accept homage for their religious acts. Their acts of charity are missing. In contrast to those who flaunt their faith and their wealth the Lord praises the poor widow who gives alms from her need, not from her excess as they wealthy did. “The widow is another example of the poor ones in this gospel whose detachment from material possessions and dependence on God leads to their blessedness (Luke 6:20). Her simple offering provides a striking contrast to the pride and pretentiousness of the scribes denounced in the preceding section.” [4]
CCC: Mk 12:38-40 678; Mk 12:41-44 2444
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Reflection:
Scripture today is in complete accord: our faith must be supported by acts of charity and service to others, or it is empty. In the first instance, today the Archangel Raphael is enjoining Tobit and his son Tobiah to praise God loudly, and that while prayer and fasting are good things, God wishes his love for people to be known through acts of charity and righteousness performed in his name.
The same theme is the subject in the passage we are given from the Gospel of St. Mark. Jesus takes aim at the practices of the scribes who proclaim their faith by dressing in distinctive ways and accepting accolades for following scrupulously the letter of Mosaic Law as it applies to individual piety. He is emphatic in his rejection of this practice saying, “They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers,” indicating that they accept donations from the needy for giving what only God can give.
St. Mark goes on relating Christ’s observance of the rich members of the faith community placing alms in the temple treasury (making sure, we are told, that their acts of generosity are observed). The Lord contrasts this practice to a poor widow who gives a fraction of the material wealth deposited by the rich, but her contribution amounts to all she had. Hers was a gift from the heart; the rich gave from their excess.
The message today is to the point and emphatic. We who are called to be the adopted sons and daughters of God are called to be a people who proclaim God’s love to humanity through our acts of service and charity. Nothing proclaims the glory of God more loudly and publicly than our actions in his name. The more anonymously these actions are performed the louder the praise to God who made the blessing possible.
Pax
[1] The picture used is "Saint Boniface" by Cornelis Bloemaert, c. 1630.
[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] NAB footnote on Luke 21:1ff.
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