“Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness” by Karel Dujardin, c. 1662 |
It is written that Abraham had two sons,
one by the slave woman and the other by the freeborn woman.
The son of the slave woman was born naturally,
the son of the freeborn through a promise.
Now this is an allegory.
These women represent two covenants.
One was from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery;
this is Hagar.
But the Jerusalem above is freeborn, and she is our mother.
For it is written:
Rejoice, you barren one who bore no children;
break forth and shout, you who were not in labor;
for more numerous are the children of the deserted one
than of her who has a husband.
Therefore, brothers and sisters,
we are children not of the slave woman
but of the freeborn woman.
For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm
and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
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Commentary on Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31–5:1
CCC: Gal 4:21-31 1972; Gal 4:26-28 723; Gal 4:26 757; Gal 5 1454; Gal 5:1 1741, 1748
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5a and 6-7
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5a and 6-7
Psalm 113 is a song of praise. The song is directed to the faithful of Israel (servants of the Lord), likely temple priests. In these strophes, the psalmist rejoices in all of God’s creation, an eternal testament to his power and glory. The psalmist sings of the Lord’s omnipresence (from the heavens above to the earth below), yet God's gaze is loving mercy for the poor.
CCC: Ps 113:1-2 2143
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Gospel: Luke 11:29-32
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
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Commentary on Luke 11:29-32
Jesus is asked again for a sign that would prove to his audience that he is what he claims to be. His response is vehement: the only sign that will be given to them will be the sign of Jonah, the message that they are under a condemnation from God unless they repent and return to faithfulness. This is followed by another reference to the Old Testament “the queen of the south,” a reference to the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10: 1ff), who came seeking the wisdom of Solomon. Using this imagery, the Lord refers to himself as God’s wisdom incarnate.
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Reflection:
[1] The picture used today is “Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness” by Karel Dujardin, c. 1662.
[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] Source is the on-line Free Dictionary.
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