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: # 46. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Gate of Heaven)
 |
| “A Teacher and his Pupil” by Claude Lefebvre, c.1665 |
Readings for Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Reading 1: James 3:1-10
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,
for you realize that we will be judged more strictly,
for we all fall short in many respects.
If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man,
able to bridle the whole body also.
If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us,
we also guide their whole bodies.
It is the same with ships:
even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds,
they are steered by a very small rudder
wherever the pilot’s inclination wishes.
In the same way the tongue is a small member
and yet has great pretensions.
Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze.
The tongue is also a fire.
It exists among our members as a world of malice,
defiling the whole body
and setting the entire course of our lives on fire,
itself set on fire by Gehenna.
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature,
can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species,
but no man can tame the tongue.
It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless the Lord and Father,
and with it we curse men
who are made in the likeness of God.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.
My brothers and sisters, this need not be so.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jas 3:1-10
St. James begins this passage with a warning to those who lead and teach the faith that they will be held to a higher standard of faith and behavior. Further, the influence of such people on the body of Christ that is the Church is great beyond proportion to the numbers of leaders so installed.
The Apostle continues to emphasize the impact each person, good and bad, can have on the community by focusing on the tongue (the spoken word) as a potential source of evil, which guides the whole person. He uses the examples of a horse’s bit, a ship’s rudder, and a small fire; each can have effects beyond their size. It is also with the spoken word that we bless God so it is used for both good and evil.
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 12:2-3, 4-5, 7-8
R. (8a) You will protect us, Lord.
Help, O Lord! for no one now is dutiful;
faithfulness has vanished from among the children of men.
Everyone speaks falsehood to his neighbor;
with smooth lips they speak, and double heart.
R. You will protect us, Lord.
May the Lord destroy all smooth lips,
every boastful tongue,
Those who say, “We are heroes with our tongues;
our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
R. You will protect us, Lord.
The promises of the Lord are sure,
like tried silver, freed from dross, sevenfold refined.
You, O Lord, will keep us
and preserve us always from this generation.
R. You will protect us, Lord.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 12:2-3, 4-5, 7-8
Psalm 12 is a community lament, in these strophes the link in made to the evil words from those who are far from God’s law. The psalmist prays for God’s justice to be shown to the world. Laments comprise the largest category of psalms (40 individual laments, 12 national or communal laments). As with all laments, this psalm starts with the invocation of God's name followed by a description of the need (in this case the loss of faith among the children). It concludes with the prayer for help and the reasons the Lord should intervene, a vow to offer praise and sacrifice, and grateful praise of the Father. [5]
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 9:2-13
Jesus took Peter, James, and John
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
then from the cloud came a voice,
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Suddenly, looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Then they asked him,
“Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things,
yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man
that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt?
But I tell you that Elijah has come
and they did to him whatever they pleased,
as it is written of him.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 9:2-13
The Gospel gives us the story of the Transfiguration as told by St. Mark. Present in all three of the synoptic Gospels, this event follows Jesus’ prediction of the passion, and provides assurance of his divine nature. Shown, as it is, to the Lord's closest disciples, it prepares them to understand the necessary connection between the passion and his rise to messianic glory. The imagery of this event provides a recognizable reference to the greater mission of the Lord, as he comes to fulfill both the Prophets (personified in Elijah) and the Law (represented by Moses). The cloud that comes to rest over the disciples is reminiscent of the cloud that came to rest over the meeting tent in the Old Testament (Exodus 40:34-35) that signified the presence of Yahweh.
The question: “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” refers to the prediction in Malachi 3:23-24 that, before the Messiah comes, the prophet will return. (Note: in many Protestant Bible translations this citation is Malachi 4:1ff)
A side note – the Lectionary for Mass begins this reading with “Jesus took Peter,” omitting “after six days.” This omission removes an interesting numerological reference to the event. The Transfiguration is the revelation of Christ as God’s Son. It completes the teaching referenced in the previous verses. After six days of teaching Christ was revealed. In the Hebrew tradition, seven represents the complete or perfect number. The revelation in the passion of the Lord becomes the seventh day.
CCC: Mk 9:2 552; Mk 9:7 151, 459; Mk 9:9-31 649
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
We are reminded by St. James today of the importance and impact made by those who teach the faith. It is so important that they be formed well and filled with Holy Spirit. Their impact upon the community of faith far outweighs their small numbers.
St. James focuses on authenticity of the teaching. He does so primarily because at this time in the history of Christianity, most of those professing faith in Jesus were Jewish and faith doctrine was not as well codified as it is today. It was easy for individuals to misinterpret the events surrounding Jesus. We see numerous examples of this in St. Paul’s letters as he speaks on a number of occasions to the various churches about false teachers.
The danger of the influences counter to the teaching of our Lord are as prevalent (if not more so) in today’s culture. There was a news headline in the BBC recently that said “Darth Vader not to be charged in attack on Jedi Church”. I thought it was a joke until I read the story. Apparently, in Wales a group of about 30 people banded together and established a “church” based upon the principles espoused by the fictional Jedi Order in George Lucas’ “Star Wars” movies. Another individual who took issue with this sect dressed up like the arch villain of the series and attacked the founders, causing bruises and contusions. What was really worrisome was at the end of the article the BBC reported that in the last census 390,000 respondents listed “Jedi” as their religious preference.
It is scary that such incidents are found newsworthy in our modern society. There are much more dangerous and subtle influences at work than these. In the US the NEA (National Education Association) fights diligently to insure that any reference to God or religion be kept out of schools. Any mention of God is frowned upon and the claim is made that the children are taught an unbiased world view as a consequence. Anyone who teaches knows that their personal values color what they teach, no matter how esoteric. If God is not taught, no God, by default is. Given this historical effort, is it so surprising that the current administration seeks to negate our religious liberties through the HHS mandate that requires us all to pay for health insurance that will pay for abortifacients, sterilization, and contraceptives, regardless of our religious beliefs?
And if we think it stops at high school, you are invited to go see “Expelled.” Expelled is a documentary that talks about Intelligent Design (NOT Creationism) and how the very mention of that term is enough to get those who dare to use it in an academic context harshly dealt with in those high circles. Ben Stein, the host and a religious Jew, likens the forbidden nature of the idea that God had a hand in creation to state sponsored thought control. He also demonstrated how the very theory, “Neo-Darwinism,” whose proponents are so threatened by the idea that God was the creative impetus behind the creation of all things, has led directly to atheism (as freely admitted in the film by Richard Dawkins, author of “The God Delusion, and further to “Eugenics.”
Anyone not familiar with Eugenics should take time to look it up. It was, in its most violent form, practiced by the Nazis during World War II and in this country in the early 50s, where some 20,000 Americans considered to be mentally or physically deficient were sterilized by our government without consent.
False teachers are something we are once more warned against. Jesus uses the transfiguration to teach the disciples the nature of his being and what he came to do. This is a message we are called to transmit. We must not allow those who would suppress the One God to prevail. Our prayer today is that we be given the wisdom to see and understand false teachings and to authentically teach the Lord’s word through our words and actions.
Pax
[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 picture used today is “A Teacher and his Pupil” by Claude Lefebvre, c.1665.
[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] New Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice-Hall, Inc. © 1990, 34:9, p. 525.
No comments:
Post a Comment