Memorial of Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Polycarp of Smyrna 

 
Biographical information about St. Polycarp of Smyrna

“Saint Polycarp”
 from Pictorial Lives of the Saints, artist not cited

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: James 4:13-17
 
Beloved:
Come now, you who say,
“Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town,
spend a year there doing business, and make a profit”–
you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.
You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.
Instead you should say,
“If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.”
But now you are boasting in your arrogance.
All such boasting is evil.
So for one who knows the right thing to do
and does not do it, it is a sin.
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Commentary on James 4:13-17
 
St. James points out the need to submit humbly to God’s plan, rather than being arrogant in human strength. He exhorts the people to pray for guidance in all things, and tells them that, when the Lord's will is revealed, going against it, the Christian falls into sin (“for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin”). Therefore, Christ’s followers are asked put their lives into God’s hands.
 
“If the Lord wills”: this expression is to be found elsewhere in the New Testament; St Paul uses the same words (cf. 1 Cor 4:19) or ones like them, when speaking about his personal plans (cf. Acts 18:21; Rom 1:10; 1 Cor 16:7). It is a saying which has passed into popular Christian speech, and it shows a readiness to leave one's future in God's hands, trusting in divine providence. [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 49:2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11
 
R. (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
 
Hear this, all you peoples;
hearken, all who dwell in the world,
Of lowly birth or high degree,
rich and poor alike.
R. Blessed are 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 are 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 are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
 
For he can see that wise men die,
and likewise the senseless and the stupid pass away,
leaving to others their wealth.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
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Commentary on Ps 49:2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11
 
Psalm 49 is a “Wisdom Psalm.” The psalmist addresses all the faithful, rich and poor alike. Those who trust in God will be saved, those who trust in their own strength and wealth will fall to ruin. The spirit of God is eternal but physical wealth perishes with the body.
 
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Gospel: Mark 9:38-40
 
John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.”
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Commentary on Mk 9:38-40
 
Still responding to the disciples' confusion following the casting out of the unclean spirit that could only be cast out through prayer (see Mark 9:17-29), Jesus warns his friends about excluding others from spreading the Good News. He tells them that those who do good in his name are joined with them in proclaiming the truth of the Kingdom of God.  They should not be considered as enemies, but as coworkers in the mission upon which he was sent. The Lord warns the disciples about jealousy and intolerance toward others who use the Lord’s name but are not traveling with them. “For whoever is not against us is for us.”
 
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Reflection:
 
It is said that the proof that God has a sense of humor is that he allows mankind to make plans.  It is interesting to see St. James pointing out that, for the Christian, it is important to pray about life decisions, and to listen to God’s plan.  He contrasts this with those who believe that it is through their own will that their goals will be accomplished.
 
This same theme is carried out in Psalm 49.  The psalmist says: “Why should I fear in evil days, with the iniquity of my assailants surrounding me, of those who trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches?”  Those who trust in their own ability to amass wealth will find, in the end, an empty heart, and the treasure they build up on earth will stay on earth.  What did they sacrifice to attain? Look at the wealthy who live for their wealth.  It controls them and directs them.  It happens to all of us.
 
Think for a moment about the “things” you have.  Let’s take for instance a car.  A car is a wonderful thing.  It takes us where we want to go.  It can go great distances and provide us with comfort and safety. 
 
We are reminded of the story of the Irishman who walked into a pub in Cork County and said the barman, “Can you tell me the quickest way to Dublin?” (Imagine an Irish brogue.)
 
The barman replied, “Well, are you walking or are you driving?”
 
The Irishman answered, “I’m driving, you see.”
 
The barman answered, “Well, that’s the quickest way.”
 
If we look at the car as a status symbol, as many people do, way beyond transportation, it can take control over our lives.  It needs to be scrupulously maintained if it is to project the image of the vain owner.  It needs to be protected from dings and dents, maintained by top mechanics, and even though it loses much of its value in the first two years of ownership, many who own such vehicles trade them in at the time when they have lost that big chunk of value. 
 
All of this costs money and money comes through labor or shrewd dealings.  It takes time and effort.  Supporting this “thing” requires the owner to devote a portion of their time to earning the money to have it.  The more “things” one has, the greater the portion of time necessary to fund them.  Since time is something there is only so much of, the more time necessary for supporting “things” the less time is available for other activities.  Family suffers, friends suffer, and God suffers.  Is it any wonder wealthy people are frequently the loneliest people in the world?
 
There is a good reason most religious orders require a vow of poverty.  The distraction of physical wealth can devastate the soul.  It is even said that when we own something of value (i.e., a car, house, boat, etc.) it owns us first. Today we pray for God’s guidance in all that we do.  We pray also that the “things” we own do not own us, and that we can always put them aside and keep God, who gives us treasure in heaven, first in our lives.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Saint Polycarp” from Pictorial Lives of the Saints, artist not cited.
[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] The Navarre Bible: “Revelation and Hebrews and Catholic Letters,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp. 300-01.