Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for the Blessed Virgin Mary)

On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. [1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary. (USCCB recommends: #42 The Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians )

“Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”
artist and date are unknown

Readings for Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary [4]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
 
Jacob gave his sons this charge:
"Since I am about to be taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
the cave in the field of Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the Hittites."
 
Now that their father was dead,
Joseph's brothers became fearful and thought,
"Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!"
So they approached Joseph and said:
"Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
'You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.'
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father's God, committed."
When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him
and said, "Let us be your slaves!"
But Joseph replied to them:
"Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children."
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.
 
Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father's family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim's children to the third generation,
and the children of Manasseh's son Machir
were also born on Joseph's knees.
 
Joseph said to his brothers: "I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued,
"When God thus takes care of you,
you must bring my bones up with you from this place."
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.
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Commentary on Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a

In the passage from Genesis today we hear the final chapters of the life of Jacob and then Joseph. We see, following the death of Jacob, the fidelity of Joseph to God’s rule as he forgoes any thoughts of retribution against those brothers of his who had sold him into slavery. God’s plan was clearly revealed and the actions of Joseph’s brothers were forgiven. The line of Abraham continues as Joseph, on his death bed, predicts the exodus from the land of Egypt to come. (“God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.")
 
CCC: Gn 50:20 312
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7
 
R. (see Psalm 69:33) Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
 
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
 
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
 
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
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Commentary on Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7
 
Psalm 105 is a song of thanksgiving. In this section, the singer gives thanks to God for the tradition of Abraham’s descendants and the salvation that is shown through their story.
 
CCC: Ps 105:3 30
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Gospel: Matthew 10:24-33
 
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
 
"Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father."
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Commentary on Mt 10:24-33
 
Jesus concludes his instructions to the Apostles as he sends them out. Here he tells them that they go with his authority and his purpose, which may be hidden from others, but which they will proclaim from “the housetops.” He tells them not to fear the persecution he has told them they will face. Fear should be absent, because while the body may be killed, their souls are safe with him. He concludes this passage telling them that the Father is watching over them, and they have nothing to fear.

"The disciple is not above his teacher, nor the servant above his lord.  How well Jesus knows the human passion to surpass, to overtake, to win, to be-greater-than! How difficult it is for us as disciples to realize the truth that real growth and movement consist in staying where we are, that is, in our condition as disciples and servants! We naturally associate advancing and growing with "going up in the world," with "becoming someone." But the Lord reveals in his person that the way that truly leads up to God must first lead downward. The eternal, divine Word "humbled himself, and in obedience accepted even death. [...] Therefore God raised him  to the heights [...] so that [...] every  tongue should confess  'Jesus Christ is Lord " (Philippians 2:8-11). [5]
 
CCC: Mt 10:25 765; Mt 10:25 765; Mt 10:28 363, 1034; Mt 10:29-31 305; Mt 10:32-33 1816; Mt 10:32 14, 2145
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Reflection:
 
Today in St. Matthew’s Gospel we find the paradox of our faith clearly exemplified. Like the friends of Jesus (his disciples), we are called to him and sent into the world. Like the Twelve, we are uncertain and feel unworthy to accept this great task. On top of our feelings of inadequacy, we are afraid. What if we fail to speak the right words? What if we are rebuffed and rejected? What if our very mission brings us into a situation where we can be physically harmed?
 
These feelings were all present in the disciples. To calm those fears, Jesus explains to them that, going in his name, they go with his authority. In addition, the Lord points out that they should not fear physical harm. First, they should not fear it because the important part of who they are is safe from any harm. They (we) belong to him and our spirits are thus guarded from eternal death which should be their (and our) greatest fear. They are also told that since they go in the Lord’s name, the Father watches over them and will keep them from harm.
 
As we see in Genesis as God’s plan for Jacob and Joseph comes to a close, God will watch over us as he did our brothers and sisters gone before us in faith. The great covenant made with Abraham has been overshadowed by Christ’s covenant with us – the new covenant. Through that covenant a promise was made, that we who love God and our neighbors as Christ taught us would not perish.
 
We are called and sent like the first disciples of Christ. We go into the world now to carry the good news especially to those who live in darkness. May we never fear in this effort, confident that God is with us, watching over us. In him is our strength and hope.
 
Pax
 

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[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by ‘BVM.’ The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2] The Icon is “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” artist and date are unknown.
[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] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 573.