Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]

CCC 1333-1336: Eucharistic signs of bread and wine
CCC 1691-1696: Life in Christ

"The Gathering of the Manna”
by Guido Reni, 1614-15

Readings for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary:[4]
 
Reading 1: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15
 
The whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
The Israelites said to them,
“Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt,
as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!
But you had to lead us into this desert
to make the whole community die of famine!”
 
Then the LORD said to Moses,
“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.
Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;
thus will I test them,
to see whether they follow my instructions or not.
 
“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.
Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,
and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,
so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God.”
 
In the evening quail came up and covered the camp.
In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,
and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert
were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.
On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, “What is this?”
for they did not know what it was.
But Moses told them,
“This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.”
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Commentary on Ex 16:2-4, 12-15
 
Having successfully escaped from Egypt and Pharaoh’s army, the Israelites now find themselves in difficult surroundings with little food. God's initial anger at the ungrateful people is turned to mercy. In response to their plight, God feeds them through the auspices of Moses, by providing manna to sustain them. This “bread from heaven” is seen as a gift from God; the manna is said to come down from the sky.(see also Psalm 78:25; Wisdom 16:20). This manna is later compared by Christ to the Eucharist he offers (see John 6: 31ff). This selection is a contraction of a longer dialogue between God, Moses, and the Hebrews being led out of Egypt.  Even after the miracle of manna, they are still not satisfied and in later verses they complain about manna as well, asking for meat to eat. Once again, God's initial indignation at the greed of the people gives way to compassion and he sends quail for them to eat. (See also Numbers 11:1-35.)
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54
 
R. (24b) The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
 
What we have heard and know,
and what our fathers have declared to us,
We will declare to the generation to come
the glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength
and the wonders that he wrought.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
 
He commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained manna upon them for food
and gave them heavenly bread.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
 
Man ate the bread of angels,
food he sent them in abundance.
And he brought them to his holy land,
to the mountains his right hand had won.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
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Commentary on Ps 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54
 
Psalm 78 is a historical recital recounting the encounter of the Israelites with God, their rejection of his gifts, and the punishments for these rejections. In this selection the psalmist recalls the journey in the wilderness, and the people's anger at God for leading them on without food. God answered their plea with manna (Exodus 16:1ff).
 
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Reading II: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24
 
Brothers and sisters:
I declare and testify in the Lord
that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do,
in the futility of their minds;
that is not how you learned Christ,
assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him,
as truth is in Jesus,
that you should put away the old self of your former way of life,
corrupted through deceitful desires,
and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
and put on the new self,
created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.
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Commentary on Eph 4:17, 20-24
 
St. Paul begins this passage of his letter to the Ephesians by describing the hope in the resurrection brought to them in Christ. This hope was absent in those who lived out of intellect (see also Wisdom 3:2-5). He goes on to point out that those who were “taught in him, as truth is in Jesus” (that is, those who received authentic teaching about Christ) live in the spirit as opposed to the flesh. He enjoins them to renew that spirit, to “put on the new self.”
 
"The sacred text emphasizes two basic points--one's duty to put off one's 'old nature' (the 'old man') and, in parallel with that, the urgent need to put on the 'new nature' (the 'new man'). These two expressions refer directly to the symbolism of Christian Baptism, which effects the transition from the life of sin to the life of grace, thanks to the merits of Christ (cf. Romans 6:3-11)." [5]
 
CCC: Eph 4:23 1695; Eph 4:24 1473, 2475, 2504
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Gospel: John 6:24-35
 
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
you are looking for me not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”
So they said to him,
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”
 
So they said to him,
“Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
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Commentary on Jn 6:24-35
 
This dialogue with the people begins St. John’s great discourse on the bread of life. In this selection Jesus begins by telling the crowd, which had just been witness to the feeding of the multitude with the barley loaves, that they should focus on spiritual food rather than filling their stomachs. His reference here is that through their belief in him as the Son of God, they are doing God’s will.
 
The people misunderstand and think Jesus is asking for faith in order to perform a sign (see also Mark 8:11, Matthew 16:1, and Luke 11:16). The Jews in dialogue with Jesus refer to the favor shown by God, as in the desert following the exodus, God showered manna upon the people. They quote Nehemiah 9:15, again seeking physical bread when Jesus is offering the spiritual. In this selection St. John provides the most solemn of statements by Jesus which are unambiguous statements about his real presence in the Eucharist: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” In this offer, Jesus provides sustenance for the spirit while physical bread only supports the mortal body.
 
CCC: Jn 6 1338; Jn 6:26-58 2835; Jn 6:27 698, 728, 1296; Jn 6:32 1094; Jn 6:33 423
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Reflection:
 
Perhaps you have herd the saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and he’ll sit out in a boat drinking beer all day.”
 
All kidding aside, there is a connection between that poor joke and the verse from Scripture today:
 
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
you are looking for me not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.”
 
Just before this dialogue between Jesus and the crowds following him took place, Jesus had blessed some barley loaves and a few fish and miraculously feed five thousand people.  Jesus is looking at them now and telling them that they are not really interested in what that meant.  They were only interested in seeing more of these amazing events. Many of the people who had reclined and eaten their fill were not seeking God; they wished simply to be entertained by this holy man from Galilee.
 
In many ways they were no different than the Hebrews who were hungry in the desert.  They went to Moses asking themselves why they had been convinced to leave the relative safety of slavery in Egypt.  They were not seeking God’s will when they came to him and challenged him.  They were thinking they were hungry and tired and afraid.  And when the miracle did occur and manna was found on the ground, enough to feed them, enough to attract other game so they would not starve, they were not grateful for long.  Their awe and gratitude faded with their hunger.
 
St. Paul saw this human response and wrote to the Ephesians concerning the transformation they had to undergo as they united themselves in Christ and gave up the purely hedonistic life of the flesh.  He reminded them that it was Christ who brought them hope that stemmed from his own resurrection.  It was in the Eucharist, the living symbol of Christ’s promised salvation that offered them the peace of life in the spirit.
 
This interchange forces us to look in a mirror and ask ourselves a question.  In a few moments, Father will recreate that miracle.  Simple bread and wine will be placed on the altar and as we all call out in prayer that the Lord will accept the sacrifice at his hands, our prayer will be answered and the essence of what we see will change.  The bread becomes the body of the Risen Christ the wine, in essence, his Blood.
 
Father will raise the cup and the bread and affirm that what we asked for, the sacrifice that Jesus offers, has been accepted once more and that what he holds in his hands is the bread of life that takes away the sins of the world.  The question we now ask is what did we come to see as the Blessed Sacrament is elevated?  Do see the hope of salvation?  Do we see our spiritual sustenance?  Or is it just part of the Mass – sort of the hump that begins us thinking about the rest of the weekend?
 
 “What do you see in the Eucharist?”  It is an intensely person question.  For Catholics it is much more than a simple ritual.  We believe the miracle of the loaves is dwarfed by the enormity of what takes place in the consecration of the Eucharist.  It is apparent in how we act in the presence of the sacrament.  It is central not only to our worship but in our spiritual lives because it is more than food, more than a symbol.  It is the absolute assurance that all God promised is true and real.
 
“What do you see in the Eucharist?”  St. Thomas failed that question the first time when he was told – “We have seen the Lord” in the locked room.  It was only when he finally recognized the Lord that he responded, “My Lord and my God.”  Jesus understood that it would be difficult for those who had not seen him to have faith and believe.  His parting gift, the gift he gave to the disciples at their Last Supper, insured that anyone who believed and had faith would also be able to see that real presence.
 
One final time we ask ourselves; what did we come to see?  Do we see the signs and think only of what we can get from it or do we see the great love of God expressed in the sacrifice of His Son?  One final question relating back to my initial joke; do we fish so that we may feed ourselves and others?  Or do we sit in the boat and drink beer?
 
Pax
 
In other years on this date: Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is "The Gathering of the Manna” by Guido Reni, 1614-15.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] 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.
[5] The Navarre Bible, Letters of St. Paul, Four Courts Press, 2003, p. 397.

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Biographical information about St. Ignatius of Loyola

“Ignatius of Loyola”
artist and date are unknown

 
Readings for Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Leviticus 25:1, 8-17
 
The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai,
“Seven weeks of years shall you count–seven times seven years–
so that the seven cycles amount to forty-nine years.
Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, let the trumpet resound;
on this, the Day of Atonement, the trumpet blast shall re-echo
throughout your land.
This fiftieth year you shall make sacred
by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants.
It shall be a jubilee for you,
when every one of you shall return to his own property,
every one to his own family estate.
In this fiftieth year, your year of jubilee,
you shall not sow, nor shall you reap the aftergrowth
or pick the grapes from the untrimmed vines.
Since this is the jubilee, which shall be sacred for you,
you may not eat of its produce,
except as taken directly from the field.
 
“In this year of jubilee, then,
every one of you shall return to his own property.
Therefore, when you sell any land to your neighbor
or buy any from him, do not deal unfairly.
On the basis of the number of years since the last jubilee
shall you purchase the land from your neighbor;
and so also, on the basis of the number of years for crops,
shall he sell it to you.
When the years are many, the price shall be so much the more;
when the years are few, the price shall be so much the less.
For it is really the number of crops that he sells you.
Do not deal unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God.
I, the LORD, am your God.”
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Commentary on Lv 25:1, 8-17
 
The establishment of the jubilee (taken from the Hebrew word yobel or “ram's horn” blown in response to the instruction) was important for preserving economic equilibrium among the Israelites. The rule was that land had to be returned to its original owner in the jubilee year.  According to later prophets who denounced those who did not abide by this law, the people did not follow this law very well.  The whole concept was that the land was a divine gift, and those to whom it was given were to hold it in trust for the Lord.  Featured prominently is the use of seven, the “perfect number,” in Hebrew numerology.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 7-8
 
R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
 
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
 
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
 
The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
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Commentary on Ps 67:2-3, 5, 7-8
 
This psalm is a song of thanksgiving. These strophes request a blessing, that through the Lord’s graciousness the nation might be an example of faith others will follow. Psalm 67 recalls the gift of creation in its thankfulness for the harvest, the fruits of God’s bounty. The land given to the people was a divine gift that provided sustenance and home.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12
 
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
 
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
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Commentary on Mt 14:1-12
 
In this passage, recalling the manner of the death of John the Baptist, Herod unwittingly predicts Jesus' future glory as he assumes that the Lord is John the Baptist, raised from the dead. His guilt over the murder of John weighs heavily on him.
 
In St. Matthew’s flashback of the murder of John the Baptist, we note that there is a much more detailed explanation than that found in the Gospel of St. Mark (Mark 6:14ff). We also see that, according to St. Matthew, the murder of St. John was the intent of Herod from the beginning, where St. Mark’s Gospel infers it was Herodias that manipulated him into the act. Matthew portrays this event as what has been called a satanic eucharist, an exhibition of hedonism and lust diametrically opposed to the selfless love of John the Baptist and Jesus.
 
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Reflection:
 
The evil one does not need much of an opening to find ways to tilt those who are ambivalent about the faith.  Look at today’s Gospel.  King Herod was not inclined to harm John the Baptist.  He was worried about him, yes.  He thought John might stir up the people in revolt against him because of his reputation as holy man and prophet.  That is why John was arrested. 
 
Tradition also holds that John was critical of Herod for entering into an adulterous relationship with Herodias who had first married her uncle Herod II, had given birth to Salome her daughter, then married another uncle Herod Antipas (the Herod in our Gospel story).  It was Herodias that really wanted John killed.  She was shamed by his call to repentance, and her sin was an open door for the evil one who used the occasion of the birthday of Herod Antipas to have Salome tempt Herod into offering her anything she wanted, publicly.
 
In this way, John the Baptist, who had from the beginning prefigured Christ, first announcing his coming as the Messiah, then providing some of his first disciples (remember, Andrew, brother of Simon Peter, was one of John’s disciples first), now precedes him in death.  As we hear later in the Gospel story, this event greatly affected the Lord.  The evil one could not get directly to Jesus, but he found a way to hurt him nonetheless. 
 
Following this story, we see how “the worm turns,” twisting the will of weak and sinful people to do his will. It is a lesson for us.  It was not the evil intent of Herod to murder John; he was tricked into the act.  Was he culpable? Absolutely.  Was he the tool of the evil one? Again, absolutely.  It has been so from the time when Eve was deceived in the Garden and brought Adam with her into sin.
 
This lesson reminds us that we must constantly be on our guard.  It is easy for those whose guilt is allowed to fester to be twisted and turned into tools to use against us.  How simple it seems for that evil, which injured even the Lord of life, to injure him again because of his love for us.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Ignatius of Loyola” artist and date are unknown.
[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.

Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)

[Michigan Region] Blessed Solanus Casey, Priest]
Optional readings from the Common of Holy Men, Religious
 
Proper Readings for the Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus
Biographical information about St. Peter Chrysologus

“Christ Preaching”
by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1643-49

Readings for Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
 
The LORD said to Moses,
"These are the festivals of the LORD which you shall celebrate
at their proper time with a sacred assembly.
The Passover of the LORD falls on the fourteenth day of the first month,
at the evening twilight.
The fifteenth day of this month is the LORD's feast of Unleavened Bread.
For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
On the first of these days you shall hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work.
On each of the seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD.
Then on the seventh day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work."
 
The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the children of Israel and tell them:
When you come into the land which I am giving you,
and reap your harvest,
you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest
to the priest, who shall wave the sheaf before the LORD
that it may be acceptable for you.
On the day after the sabbath the priest shall do this.
 
"Beginning with the day after the sabbath,
the day on which you bring the wave-offering sheaf,
you shall count seven full weeks,
and then on the day after the seventh week, the fiftieth day,
you shall present the new cereal offering to the LORD.
 
"The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement,
when you shall hold a sacred assembly and mortify yourselves
and offer an oblation to the LORD.
 
"The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the LORD's feast of Booths,
which shall continue for seven days.
On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly,
and you shall do no sort of work.
For seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD,
and on the eighth day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and offer an oblation to the LORD.
On that solemn closing you shall do no sort of work.
 
"These, therefore, are the festivals of the LORD
on which you shall proclaim a sacred assembly,
and offer as an oblation to the LORD burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day."
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Commentary on Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
 
This reading from the Book of Leviticus comes from the section identified as “Code of Legal Holiness.” It is a calendar of celebrations paralleled by another calendar from the priestly tradition, in Numbers 28–29. Non-priestly resumes of festal and holy observances are found in Exodus 23:10–17; 34:18–24 and Deuteronomy 16:1–17. [4] The prescriptions of celebrations mentioned recall the various saving works of God either generally through his act of creation and the gift of life, or actively through intervention on behalf of the faithful.
 
"It deals first with the sabbath, which becomes the paradigm for all the other feasts, especially as far as rest is concerned. Such importance was given to what could or could not be done on the sabbath that all sorts of absurd and formalistic exaggerations developed. More than once Jesus criticized the severe interpretations devised by the scribes  ̶  a complicated and intolerable casuistry (cf. Matthew  15:1-9; 23:41; Acts 15:10)." [5]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab
 
R.(2a) Sing with joy to God our help.
 
Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel,
the pleasant harp and the lyre.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our solemn feast.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
 
For it is a statute in Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob,
Who made it a decree for Joseph
when he came forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
 
There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
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Commentary on Ps 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab
 
Psalm 81 is a song of thanksgiving. These strophes celebrate the gift of the Law of Moses and its prescriptions, recalling also the salvation brought about by God.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 13:54-58
 
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
"Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter's son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?"
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house."
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.
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Commentary on Mt 13:54-58
 
This story from Matthew’s Gospel focuses on the people most familiar with Jesus, the boy growing up among them. They are seeking the “Royal Messiah,” one coming with great power and majesty, and are disappointed because of the Lord’s familiar and humble beginnings. Matthew’s story tells us that because of their lack of faith, the Lord did not perform any signs in their midst, ending the passage with the often quoted “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." (See also John 1:11; those who were overly familiar with Jesus could not place their faith in him.)
 
CCC: Mt 13:55 495, 500
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Reflection:
 
We have heard the lesson from today’s Gospel many times before in Scripture.  Perhaps the time it was most clearly stated was when Elijah was told to look for God as he stood on the mountain (1 Kings 19: 9-12).  God does not come in the way or form we expect.
 
One of the most surprising things we learn from not only this Gospel story  ̶  the lesson behind it  ̶  is that when we fully expect God to manifest his presence in a certain way we completely miss him as he presents himself genuinely.   In this respect, the Gospel story is a perfect example.  Jesus comes to his home town.  He has just finished the Sermon on the Mount and has fed the multitudes.  If ever there were fingerprints of God left stunningly on the face of the earth, what the Lord did in the multiplication of the loaves was clearly that evidence.  Yet, the people of Nazareth don’t see the Messiah who has come to save the world.  They were expecting a person of great power to raise an army, throw off the yoke of the Roman occupiers, and reestablish a Davidic Kingdom.
 
To us it seems amazing that they could not recognize Christ for who he was.  But we do the same thing.  We miss God’s involvement in our lives.  We are so intent on him working some miracle, like helping win the lottery or transforming a bad situation into one we can easily deal with, that we miss his subtle hand gently pushing here and prodding there.  It is not until much later, usually as we meditate upon our lives, that we can clearly see his purpose or involvement.
 
It is like the metal worker who, in order to make some useful tool, must first destroy the impurities by melting it, taking away its natural form in the smelting furnace, so that it can be molded into its final useful form.  It’s like the potter who first must pound the clay to remove any air pockets that might later create unwanted flaws in the vase to be created.  Taken apart from the final act of creation, such actions cannot be understood except as part of the creative process.
 
This is where our faith must carry us.  Unlike the neighbors of Jesus, we must be faith-filled and patient so the Lord might work his signs through us.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Christ Preaching” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1643-49.
[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 Leviticus 23:1ff.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 495.

Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

Proper readings for the Memorial of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus 

Additional Information about St. Martha
Additional information about St. Mary of Bethany
Additional information about St. Lazarus of Bethany

“Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany”
iconifer and date are unknown.

Readings for the Memorial of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Note: The Gospel for this Memorial is taken from the Proper.
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21
 
Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth!
a man of strife and contention to all the land!
I neither borrow nor lend,
yet all curse me.
When I found your words, I devoured them;
they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,
Because I bore your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.
I did not sit celebrating
in the circle of merrymakers;
Under the weight of your hand I sat alone
because you filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain continuous,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook,
whose waters do not abide!
Thus the Lord answered me:
If you repent, so that I restore you,
in my presence you shall stand;
If you bring forth the precious without the vile,
you shall be my mouthpiece.
Then it shall be they who turn to you,
and you shall not turn to them;
And I will make you toward this people
a solid wall of brass.
Though they fight against you,
they shall not prevail,
For I am with you,
to deliver and rescue you, says the Lord.
I will free you from the hand of the wicked,
and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.
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Commentary on Jer 15:10, 16-21
 
This selection continues the Prophet Jeremiah’s lament (his “Second Confession"). In these verses the prophet is having a crisis of faith about his own mission. He cries out that he wishes he had never been born (since he was called from the womb to his mission, Jeremiah 1:4-5). Because he constantly challenges the social traditions that are evolving, because he calls for the people to reform themselves and predicts God’s punishment if they do not, he is outcast (“I did not sit celebrating in the circle of merrymakers; Under the weight of your hand I sat alone because you filled me with indignation”).

In response to his lament, the Lord calls Jeremiah to continue his prophetic work. First, Jeremiah himself must repent from his own rebellious way, and return to ritual purity (“If you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece”). The Lord pledges unfailing support for the prophet’s mission, and ultimate victory over God’s foes (“For I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the Lord.”).

CCC: Jer 15:15-18 2584
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18
 
R. (17d) God is my refuge on the day of distress.
 
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
 
For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O Lord.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
 
O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
 
But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
 
O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
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Commentary on Ps 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18
 
Psalm 59 is a lament which alternates prayers for salvation with petitions to punish the enemies of the faithful. The plea for salvation in the psalm strikes a counterpoint to the lament of Jeremiah, who is isolated because of his actions in response to his call to serve the Lord.
 
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Gospel:
First Option
John 11:19-27
Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
"Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you." Jesus said to her,
"Your brother will rise."
Martha said to him,
"I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day."
Jesus told her,
"I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?"
She said to him, "Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world."
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Commentary on Jn 11:19-27
Within the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus, we see the very human emotions of Jesus. They range from confidence in his relationship with the Father at the end of the story, to the all-too-human grief and fear, as he expresses his concern at what this revelatory event has cost his close friends, Martha and Mary, as they see their brother die. The encounter describes how Martha’s fear and remorse change to faith as she makes her profession of faith (“I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God”). This exchange of fear for faith, seen in the witnesses, is the same conversion the Gospel attempts to initiate in the Christian faithful in response to these events.
 
CCC: Jn 11 994; Jn 11:24 993, 1001; Jn 11:25 994; Jn 11:27 439
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OR
Second Option
Luke 10:38-42
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”
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Commentary on Luke 10:38-42
 
In this encounter with Martha and Mary in St. Luke’s Gospel, we see two distinct messages. First, we see the importance of the role of women and Jesus’ attitude toward them. Second, we see the importance of listening to the word of God: "Mary has chosen the better part."
 
The selection emphasizes the importance of listening to the teachings of the Lord. While in some early texts the Lord tells Martha there is “need for only a few things,” or of one, the message is clear: Mary, in assuming the role of disciple (listening at the master’s feet) has chosen the correct or better role. Martha, concerning herself with the requirements of hospitality (old law) has chosen the lesser.
 
“Mystically (St. Gregory the Great, Moralia 2, 6): the two women signify two dimensions of the spiritual life. Martha signifies the active life as she busily labors to honor Christ through her work. Mary exemplifies the contemplative life as she sits attentively to listen and learn from Christ. While both activities are essential to Christian living, the latter is greater than the former. For in heaven the active life terminates, while the contemplative life reaches its perfection.” [4]
 
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Reflection:
 
The role of the family from Bethany, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus is critical to the life and ministry of Jesus.  In his interactions with the sisters and their brother we see a very human Jesus who has a sense of mission color his interactions.  There is a tension between his human and divine natures.  We first encounter this family when Jesus goes to their house and Martha complains bitterly about her sister’s lack of participation in the required hospitality to the teacher and his guests.  Instead of helping her sister, Mary assumes the role of disciple, sitting at the master’s feet.  This action in itself is countercultural, a woman sitting in a place where, in that day and time, would have been unseemly.  Only men would traditionally be taking part in religious dialogue of this type.
 
Jesus teaches Martha, using the moment as a simile of old law versus the new, established at the coming of the Messiah. He contrasts the importance of interior faith over the activities of living, both are necessary, but he points Martha at the “better part.”
 
Later, when Jesus hears of the death of Lazarus, we again see the tension between Jesus, the good friend of the family, and Jesus the Son of God.  The friend of the family, upon hearing of the tragedy, would have immediately started off for their home to mourn the death of his friend and comfort the sisters in their grief.  But, God’s plan will use this event for a different, revelatory purpose.  So the Messiah Jesus waits before departing, and there will be a human cost to this waiting.
 
When he finally encounters Martha as he returns to Bethany, she berates him for being late.  She demonstrates her knowledge of his identity and her belief in his deity as she tells him: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” He consoles her with emotion held in check with assurance of his mission.  But when he sees the grief this situation has caused, his consolation moves to another level and we see a very human Jesus weep with those who love Lazarus and mourn his passing.
 
This relationship with the family serves as a teaching moment for the Christian. Just as Jesus is in a state of tension between his mission on earth and the act of living as a human, so must the Christian be.  We are to live in the world but, like Mary when Jesus was in her home, we must also choose the “better part.”  Our ultimate goal is to see the higher spiritual gifts, even while living as an example to others, as difficult as that can sometimes be.
 
Today we celebrate the lives of three saints who participated in the life of Jesus and by doing so, showed us a path to holiness.  Let us pray that we have the strength to follow them and ask for their intercession that, through their prayers, we too might find our place in the heavenly kingdom. 
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany” iconifer and date are unknown.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio 403 / 607
[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] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 129.