Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus
Biographical Information for St. Teresa of Jesus
Biographical Information for St. Teresa of Jesus
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| “The Ecstasy of St Therese” by Francesco Fontebasso, c.1750s |
Readings for Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Ephesians 1:15-23
Brothers and sisters:
Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and of your love for all the holy ones,
I do not cease giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the Church,
which is his Body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
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Commentary on Eph 1:15-23
After his introductory address and blessing, St. Paul offers a prayer that the community may receive full spiritual understanding of the mystery decreed in Christ. His opening statement, “of your faith in the Lord Jesus and of your love for all the holy ones,” provides a strong link between “faith” and “love.” Faith in Christ and love of each other form a cornerstone of the community, connected perpetually. The prayer for “wisdom and revelation” goes beyond a simple understanding of God’s plan, but knowledge of God, himself.
The prayer for enlightenment promotes the idea that only through an understanding of God’s great sacrifice can the hope offered by the savior be realized. The apostle emphasizes the power and majesty of Jesus, placing his sacrifice in perspective: “he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things.” How much love was shown to God’s creation by offering up one whose state is so exalted? St. Paul’s concluding verse also introduces his concept of the Church as the living body of Christ, a theme that was developed in earlier letters to other congregations (cf. Romans 12: 4f; 1 Corinthians 12:12ff).
CCC: Eph 1:16-23 2632; Eph 1:18 158; Eph 1:19-22 272, 648; Eph 1:20-22 668; Eph 1:22-23 830; Eph 1:22 669, 753, 2045
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 8:2-3ab, 4-5, 6-7
R. (7) You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
O LORD, our LORD,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
You have exalted your majesty above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
you have fashioned praise because of your foes.
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
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Commentary on Ps 8:2-3ab, 4-5, 6-7
Psalm 8 is another of the songs of thanksgiving. In this selection we hear the title “son of man” used. It is, in this instance, referring to the people not to Jesus. The song reflects on the creation account from Genesis, and how God gave man dominion over the life he had created.
CCC: Ps 8:2 300, 2566; Ps 8:3 559; Ps 8:6 2566, 2809
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Gospel: Luke 12:8-12
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.
“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”
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Commentary on Lk 12:8-12
Jesus, still addressing the disciples about their mission, brings in the person of the Holy Spirit. “The sayings about the Holy Spirit are set in the context of fearlessness in the face of persecution (Luke 12:2-9; cf Matthew 12:31-32). The Holy Spirit will be presented in Luke's second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, as the power responsible for the guidance of the Christian mission and the source of courage in the face of persecution.”[4] The Lord concludes by telling his disciples that in times of trial especially, they should not fear. If they depended upon their faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit would direct them.
CCC: Lk 12:8-9 333; Lk 12:10 1864; Lk 12:12 1287
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Reflection:
St. Luke’s Gospel provides us with a look into the mind of Christ as he instructs his disciples about their upcoming mission. He tells them that, if anyone denies him [Jesus], the “Son of Man,” they may be forgiven, but if anyone blasphemes against God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, they will be condemned.
This small set of sayings about the Holy Spirit provides us with an understanding of the power the Lord left to us, his modern-day disciples. He promised that this Divine Advocate would be provided so that we could have ongoing guidance from God (recall his words “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,” John 14:16).
He reminds us, his faithful followers, that what he asks of us will not be easy. We, like so many who have gone before us, will be resisted, persecuted, and rejected by those who would rather embrace darkness. On our own we will be ineffective in overcoming this resistance. The Lord did not leave physical proof that the Kingdom of God is coming, and so many who do not want to believe in the Son of God demand that physical proof (see this link to Bishop Barron for more). Like the unbelieving in this same Gospel, they ask for a sign.
He tells his disciples not to worry about these times of confrontation. He tells them “the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say” (v.12). The faith that St. Paul speaks about in the reading from Ephesians taps into the power of that Holy Advocate, and our words can have power beyond all reckoning. That is the hard part of course, being so at peace with the knowledge of God’s love that we can reach in and open that indwelling source of grace, giving it the power to silence the evil one and proclaim God’s glory. Today we pray for that peace, that state of grace, that will allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into instruments of God’s purpose.
Pax
[1] The picture is “The Ecstasy of St Therese” by Francesco Fontebasso, c.1750s.
[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] NAB footnotes on Luke 12:8ff.
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