Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

“St. Michael Fighting Demons“
by Master of the Legend of St. Ursula,
1480-1500

Readings for Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Romans 6:19-23
 
Brothers and sisters:
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature.
For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity
and to lawlessness for lawlessness,
so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.
But what profit did you get then
from the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of those things is death.
But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God,
the benefit that you have leads to sanctification,
and its end is eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Commentary on Rom 6:19-23
 
St. Paul now adds an active dimension to his discussion of salvation. Up to this point he has focused on faith in Christ. He now expands his argument to include the consequences of the actions of the person. He points out that sinful acts end in death (death of the spirit through guilt “from the things of which you are now ashamed”), but righteous acts gain sanctification (holiness). He concludes this passage with the famous verse: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
 
CCC: Rom 6:19 1995; Rom 6:22 1995; Rom 6:23 1006, 1008
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
 
R. (Ps 40:5) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
 
Psalm 1 serves as a preface to the whole book of psalms. The psalmist here exalts those who follow the Lord’s commands and reflects upon the blessings they will receive. As in Romans 6:19ff, this selection emphasizes the contrast between the salvation of the just and the punishment of the wicked.
 
This wisdom psalm begins by extolling the virtue of those who follow the law. The focus is to look to God for guidance, and not to trust only in the counsel of men. Those who reject the law will be blown away like “chaff,” an image used in the Gospel as well (Matthew 3:12).
 
This portion of the psalm is later echoed in Jeremiah 17:7 and Isaiah 48:17-19, like an overlapped formula of covenant.  Blessed is the man who “delights in the law day and night,” but “the way of the wicked vanishes.” It also takes up the theme of following right paths and staying true to the teachings of God: “Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law day and night.”
 
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Gospel: Luke 12:49-53
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
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Commentary on Lk 12:49-53
 
This discourse from St. Luke’s Gospel emphasizes the divisive nature of Christ’s message. He has already encountered resistance, and the author sees that his message of peace will have an even more profound influence on the world. It is clear that the Lord knows many will not be able to accept his words, and this will cause enmity among people, even within families.
In this passage, there is a glimpse of the passion (the baptism mentioned in  v.50  shares the image presented in Psalm 124:4-5), and the anguish the Lord feels for the message he is bringing. He sees the flame of faith igniting the whole world. Jesus knows there will be those who accept the proclamation of the Kingdom of God, and those who will reject both it and him.
 
CCC: Lk 12:49 696; Lk 12:50 536, 607, 1225, 2804
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Reflection:
 
No one knows the truth of the Gospel passage from St. Luke just proclaimed better than the parents of children they have attempted to raise in the faith.  It is so clear to the parent when their children embark upon courses of action that will lead them down dark paths.  We can warn them, we can attempt to dissuade them through logic, or even discipline them, but frequently, the more serious the issue the more intense the disagreement.  Ultimately the parent must trust that the example they have tried to show their children will, at some point, serve to guide them back on the right path.  The road for the parent is very difficult when the forces of the world conspire to steal the innocence from their children and lead them into danger.
 
The pain and sorrow felt by parents in the situation just described are magnified in Jesus as he is depicted in the Gospel.  His love for the children of the world is greater than any parent’s love for their children, and his anxiety over what his message brings is made clear.  He knows that what he brings is not going to bring peace because it is opposed, often violently, by the status quo of the world.  As St. Paul tells the Romans, what the Lord offers is salvation through forgiveness and freedom from sin. That offering will be opposed by sin.
 
We hear the anguish in the Lord as he contemplates the difficulty he brings to his family on earth.  Parents feel a shadow of this pain when they deny their children things they would like but would lead them in wrong directions.  We feel a touch of his pain when we publicly take a stand that we know will alienate those who are clinging to the world view of things.  Does that mean the parent should give in to the child’s request, or that we should go along with the popular secular view of issues in the world?  Did the Lord seek to turn away from the Cross? 
 
No, we pray fervently today that we be given the strength of spirit to do what the Lord asks, knowing that frequently those actions will generate division not unity, and hatred instead of love.  We also pray that we are given the grace to respond to those who hate us for our stance with love.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “St. Michael Fighting Demons“ by Master of the Legend of St. Ursula, 1480-1500.
[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.