Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Slaughter of the Innocents” (Detail)
by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-11

Readings for Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Exodus 1:8-14, 22
 
A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
He said to his subjects, "Look how numerous and powerful
the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves!
Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase;
otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies
to fight against us, and so leave our country."
 
Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel
to oppress them with forced labor.
Thus they had to build for Pharaoh
the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses.
Yet the more they were oppressed,
the more they multiplied and spread.
The Egyptians, then, dreaded the children of Israel
and reduced them to cruel slavery,
making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick
and all kinds of field work—the whole cruel fate of slaves.
 
Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects,
"Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews,
but you may let all the girls live."
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Commentary on Ex 1:8-14, 22
 
The Book of Exodus takes up the story of Joseph and his descendants in Egypt continued from the Genesis account. In this passage, we hear how the “children of Israel” fell into slavery though concerns over their numbers and foreign residence status. "God, with loving concern contemplating, and making preparation for, the salvation of the whole human race, in a singular undertaking chose for himself a people to whom he would entrust his promises" (Vatican II, "Del Verbum", 14). This account also describes pharaoh’s (probably Rameses II who ruled in the 13^th century B.C.) attempt to cull their numbers through infanticide, setting the stage for the rise of Moses.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8
 
R. (8a) Our help is in the name of the Lord.
 
Had not the LORD been with us–
let Israel say, had not the LORD been with us–
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
 
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;                                  
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept
the raging waters.
Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us
a prey to their teeth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
 
We were rescued like a bird
from the fowlers' snare;
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8
 
Psalm 124 is a song of thanksgiving. In these verses God is praised for rescuing his chosen from their enemies and natural disasters so they could live in the freedom he had promised in his covenant.
 
CCC: Ps 124:8 287
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Gospel: Matthew 10:34—11:1
 
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's enemies will be those of his household.
 
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
 
"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
 
When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
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Commentary on Mt 10:34—11:1
 
The final remarks of Jesus to the Apostles, as they go out to preach and heal, are given in this passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel. He reminds them that, even though the word they spread reflects God’s love, they will be badly received by many, dividing households and families.
 
The Lord goes on to tell them that those who will fully accept him and his word will undergo persecution because of him. And, even if they lose their lives on his account, they will be saved. The reward given to those who accept the Word and follow in his way will be great in heaven.
 
This discourse, recalled many years after Christ’s death and resurrection, has the advantage of seeing the persecution of those who spread the word. It demonstrates a fuller understanding of the meaning of Christ’s teaching.
 
CCC: Mt 10:37 2232; Mt 10:38 1506; Mt 10:40 858
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Reflection:
 
For the past several days (including this past Sunday’s Gospel) we have been reflecting upon the sending of the disciples into the world.  We were told that they were sent “as sheep among wolves,” without any physical means of support or protection.  To punctuate that idea, St. Matthew’s Gospel explains that the Gospel we bring to the world will not be accepted by many.  In fact, rather than instantly bringing peace and the Kingdom of God to those who hear it, the message will cause division between peoples and even within families. This fact is more true today in the United States, than any time since its founding.
 
It is said that “forewarned is forearmed.”  The Gospel serves as a warning that as we put on Christ and go into the world we face each day, be that the world of business, governance, school, or nurturing a family, we should expect the message we bring to cause discomfort to some.
 
“Why must that be?” We rhetorically ask that question to point out that if we do this correctly, if we truly put on Christ, the message we bring and the values the Gospel message requires, along with the virtue we must hold as sacred, we will meet resistance from the fallen nature of mankind.  In short, those who would rather follow another set of values, values focused on their own pleasure, on concern for their own comfort, or aimed at dominating and demeaning others will feel threatened by our purity of intent.
 
The Gospel we bring to the world is not “Good News” to those who love themselves and embrace materialism and hedonism.  The simple act of helping one less fortunate can earn the disdain of one inclined toward those self-centered values.  They feel guilt or even less noble attitudes using the rationale that the unfortunate person is in his or her situation because they were either not diligent enough or not “good” enough to take advantage of their situation.  They employ the Darwinian mentality of “survival of the fittest,” not realizing that by doing so they reduce themselves to the mentality of an animal.
 
Today we faithfully put on Christ and go into the world.  We do so with a prayer that the face others see on us is the face of Christ, and the good we do in his name will be for the greater Glory of his Father and ours.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Slaughter of the Innocents” (Detail) by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-11.
[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.