Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)

Proper readings for the Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine
Additional information about St. Robert Bellarmine
 
Or
 
(Optional Memorial for Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin and Doctor of the Church)

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Hildegard of Bingen
Additional information about St. Hildegard of Bingen

“The Holy Women”
by James Tissot, 1886-96

Readings for Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Timothy 6:2c-12
 
Beloved:
Teach and urge these things.
Whoever teaches something different
and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the religious teaching
is conceited, understanding nothing,
and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes.
From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions,
and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds,
who are deprived of the truth,
supposing religion to be a means of gain.
Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world,
just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.
If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.
Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap
and into many foolish and harmful desires,
which plunge them into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is the root of all evils,
and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith
and have pierced themselves with many pains.
 
But you, man of God, avoid all this.
Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion,
faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life,
to which you were called when you made the noble confession
in the presence of many witnesses.
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Commentary on 1 Tm 6:2c-12
As part of his caution about false teachers, St. Paul exhorts St. Timothy to teach and exemplify the Gospel he was given (by St. Paul). Challenges to St. Paul’s gospel do not come from Christ but out of conceit.  The Apostle also tells his student that he should avoid public debates about this teaching because they would serve only to divide the community of faith and cause suspicion to be cast regarding St. Timothy’s motives in preaching (thinking, perhaps, he had a profit motive as ascribed to false teachers).
 
The Apostle encourages his disciple telling him that there is value in the peace of Christ that is beyond material gain. He espouses the view that Christians cannot serve God and the Gospel while striving for material riches. This kind of effort will divide the individual and the community and cause great pain.
 
He concludes this selection instructing his disciple to encourage the community to embrace the Christian virtues: “righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” These, he reminds St. Timothy, are what lead to the prize – “eternal life.”
 
CCC: 1 Tm 6:8 2837; 1 Tm 6:12 2145
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 49:6-7, 8-10, 17-18, 19-20
 
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
 
Why should I fear in evil days
when my wicked ensnarers ring me round?
They trust in their wealth;
the abundance of their riches is their boast.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
 
Yet in no way can a man redeem himself,
or pay his own ransom to God;
Too high is the price to redeem one’s life; he would never have enough
to remain alive always and not see destruction.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
 
Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him down.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
 
Though in his lifetime he counted himself blessed,
“They will praise you for doing well for yourself,”
He shall join the circle of his forebears
who shall never more see light.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
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Commentary on Ps 49:6-7, 8-10, 17-18, 19-20
 
Psalm 49 is a “Wisdom Psalm.” In this selection the strophes focus on the folly of those who trust in temporal wealth. All the wealth one can posses cannot ransom them from God’s judgment. In the end, the psalmist says, all die, the wise and the foolish alike, and the wealth of the world stays in the world.
 
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Gospel: Luke 8:1-3
 
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.
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Commentary on Lk 8:1-3
 
“St. Luke presents Jesus as an itinerant preacher traveling in the company of the Twelve and of the Galilean women who are sustaining them out of their means. These Galilean women will later accompany Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and become witnesses to his death (Luke 23:49) and resurrection (Luke 24:9-11, where Mary Magdalene and Joanna are specifically mentioned; cf also Acts 1:14). The association of women with the ministry of Jesus is most unusual in the light of the attitude of first-century Palestinian Judaism toward women. The more common attitude is expressed in John 4:27, and early rabbinic documents caution against speaking with women in public.” [4]
 
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Reflection:
 
What is the value of salvation?  What is it worth to insure a place in God’s heavenly kingdom for eternity?  In both the Gospel from St. Luke and St. Paul’s letter to Timothy the idea of temporal material support is dealt with.
 
In St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, the Apostle uses a play on words to contrast the value of material gain with the gain received from the salvific path to Christ.  He tells his student that those who teach falsely about Christ and make a profit for doing so have completely tarnished the very teachings they are professing.  Indeed there is gain to be made from teaching and exhorting the Gospel of Christ, but it is not monetary, rather its value is beyond that of money.  The value of the Gospel is Christ’s peace in this life and an eternity of peace with him in the next.
 
In the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear the description of Jesus’ teaching mission and how he and his disciples were able to do the important work entrusted to them.  They received support from others whose charism was to provide support for the Lord out of their own means.
 
These two examples bring to light a frequent tension in ministry: the idea that when we give the Gospel of Jesus to others, it is done without charge.  How could we charge for something that has value beyond any price?  This is weighed against the need for financial support to continue to do the work the Lord calls us to do. As long as the secular world demands currency of perceived value to provide the basic needs for God’s servants so that they can continue to do his work, there will be a need for benefactors, blessed and praised for their support, because without it God’s work could not be done.  There will need to be fund-raisers, telethons and pledge drives because those with means to do so must be given an opportunity to use their talents (that may otherwise seem to have only secular value) in the service of God.
 
Today Scripture brings us an invitation to embrace those who have a talent for secular success. May they always see that ability as a way they can contribute to God’s plan through their generosity.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Holy Women” by James Tissot, 1886-96.
[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] See NAB footnote on Luke 8:1-3.