Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

“Jesus Is Rejected In His Hometown”
from an unknown Illustrator of
Jerome Nadal's 'Evangelicae Historiae Imagines', 1593

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15
 
Brothers and sisters:
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:
My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when reproved by him;
for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.
Endure your trials as "discipline";
God treats you as his sons.
For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline?
At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain,
yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who are trained by it.
 
So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.
Make straight paths for your feet,
that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.
 
Strive for peace with everyone,
and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God,
that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble,
through which many may become defiled.
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Commentary on Heb 12:4-7, 11-15
 
St. Paul encourages the Hebrew Christians to look at the persecution they endure, not as a fall from favor, but rather as a means by which the Lord strengthens them as his adopted children.  “This teaching is supported by Proverbs 3:11-12, taken from a long discourse in which a father exhorts his son to acquire true wisdom. In the present passage the father is identified with God and we with the sons whom he is addressing.” [4]
 
The proverb teaches that divine discipline is inspired by divine love. Without this wisdom, one might mistake the trials of life (such as persecution; Hebrews 10:32-36) for signs of God’s anger hammering down on every fault and failure.  On the contrary, God is a wise and caring Father who desires only to make his children better. It is because he loves them too much to overlook their sins and selfishness that he sends difficulties to train them in righteousness and to raise them to spiritual adulthood.  In point of fact, the sons of God are being forged in the image of God the Son who ‘learned obedience through what he suffered.’ (5:8) (CCC 2825)" [5] He calls them to remain faithful in the face of these trials so that God’s work may continue in them. The passage ends with encouragement to seek the peace of Christ in all things and with everyone.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18a
 
R.(see 17) The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
 
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
 
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him,
For he knows how we are formed;
he remembers that we are dust.
R. The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
 
But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity
to eternity toward those who fear him,
And his justice toward children's children
among those who keep his covenant.
R. The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
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Commentary on Ps 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18a
 
Psalm 103 is a hymn of praise (and thanksgiving). It is a simple and beautiful reaction to God’s goodness. Contemplating human mortality, the psalmist reflects on the brevity of life and the goodness God bestows upon us in his eternal blessing of those who follow him and keep his covenant. It continues the analogy used in Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15, speaking to us of the loving and compassionate Father. It goes on to emphasize the omnipresence of God and his eternal nature, knowing us from eternity.
 
CCC: Ps 103 304
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Gospel: Mark 6:1-6
 
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, "Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?"
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house."
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.
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Commentary on Mk 6:1-6
 
This passage is St. Mark’s account of the Lord returning to his hometown. As is his custom, he goes to speak in the synagogue and amazes the people he grew up with. The Lord encounters intense skepticism, born out of the fact that the people knew him before he took up his mission. In St. Luke's version (Luke 4:28ff), reference is made to the feeling that Jesus, in assuming the role of the Messiah, had blasphemed. The resulting attempt on his life is omitted in St. Mark's Gospel, but we still see the Lord’s response to their lack of faith. Non-canonical documents of the early Church Fathers (c. 400) refer to the relationships of the brothers and sisters of Jesus.  See The History of Joseph the Carpenter.
 
CCC: Mk 6:3 500; Mk 6:5 699; Mk 6:6 2610
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Reflection:
 
In this account of Jesus returning home, we understand something about the Lord’s early years, that period between age 12 when he was presented at the temple the second time and his baptism in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist.  The last we were told following his first presentation was: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Luke 2: 40).  That does not tell us much about his interaction with the community in which he grew up.  This exchange, however, hints at what the young Jesus must have been like in those years.
 
When he came to teach in the synagogue that sabbath, we are told that those who heard him were “astonished.”  They asked themselves where he had come by the knowledge and wisdom he displayed.  In order for them to react this way, we can only assume that as a young man, Jesus was humble and unassuming.  He did not presume to instruct his elders or even his peers.  He was growing into what he must become, a humble and compassionate man who could weep for those who mourned at the death of his friend Lazarus (John 11: 35).
 
The people of his community would have certainly seen the young Jesus, unassuming, learning the carpenter’s trade at the side of his foster father, St. Joseph.  He would not have stood out among his peers, with the exception that he never seemed to get into mischief.  He could not take the lead in these early years, except by example. His ultimate role was to be much, much larger.
 
Is it any wonder then, that when he came home after his remarkable transformation at the Jordan, after going into the desert and confronting his nemesis, the people who knew him before he assumed his Father’s mission would be amazed and then angered?  They were not with him to see the Holy Spirit descending upon him (Luke 3: 22). They were not there when he returned from the desert “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4: 14-5).  They had not heard or believed the rumors about his teaching and healing.
 
Now, robed as he was in his Father’s mighty mission, we can feel the Lord’s disappointment as the great lack of faith displayed by those friends with whom he had grown up was shown in their petty attacks on him.  Such lack of faith would naturally prevent the full effect of his healing power from being effective with those people.  We are told: “he was not able to perform any mighty deed there” (Mark 6:5).
 
And what message do we take away from this encounter?  Do we think our friends and families will be kinder to us as we go through our ongoing conversion?  Especially if we are away for a while and come home with great zeal for our faith, we should expect to be received as Christ was; human nature has not changed.  Our hope remains in the Lord, and when we do encounter this kind of response, we rejoice as the author of the Letter to the Hebrews encouraged. For the trials we face for our faith are blessings from God our Father.  In this case – we know we are doing something right.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used is “Jesus Is Rejected In His Hometown” from an unknown Illustrator of
Jerome Nadal's 'Evangelicae Historiae Imagines', 1593.
[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 Footnote for Hebrews 12:18.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Revelation and Hebrews and Catholic Letters,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 262.

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. John Bosco
 
Biographical information about St. John Bosco

“St. John Bosco”
artist and date were not cited

Readings for Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Hebrews 12:1-4
 
Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
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Commentary on Heb 12:1-4
 
Speaking to the Hebrews, St. Paul exhorts them to follow the example of witnesses both ancient (from the Old Testament) and contemporary. He uses Christ as the banner of steadfast faith, who, seeing the joys of the Kingdom of Heaven, endured the Cross for the sake of salvation for the people.
 
The author returns to his principal theme in this selection. He encourages the faithful to redouble their zeal for the faith. It is interesting that the author mentions specifically how the community (cloud of witnesses) strengthens the faith. The reading goes on to place Christ’s passion as a model of steadfastness, encouraging the faithful to resist against all opposition. This resistance, says the author, should include shedding one’s own blood for the faith.
 
CCC: Heb 12:1-2 165; Heb 12:1 1161, 2683; Heb 12:2 147; Heb 12:3 569, 598
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22:26b-27, 28 and 30, 31-32
 
R. (see 27b) They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
 
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
"May your hearts be ever merry!"
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
 
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
All the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.
To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
Before him shall bend
all who go down into the dust.
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
 
And to him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
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Commentary on Ps 22:26b-27, 28 and 30, 31-32
 
Psalm 22 is an individual lament. The psalmist, in unusually passionate terms, describes the devotion of the faithful and the trust that God’s rule over all will be just. The final strophe is a pledge of faithfulness for all generations to come. The psalmist gives the response to God’s covenant. It supports the idea from Hebrews 12:1-4 that this act of worship is done in community by the individual. In fact, the song presumes a communal worship of God. (“Let the coming generation be told of the Lord that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice he has shown.”)
 
CCC: Ps 22 304; Ps 22:27 716
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Gospel: Mark 5:21-43
 
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him
and a large crowd followed him.
 
There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to him,
"You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, Who touched me?"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."
 
While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?"
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child's father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.
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Commentary on Mk 5:21-43
 
This selection from Mark’s Gospel begins with Jesus continuing his journey of healing. The passage relates two interwoven examples of the power of faith in healing. First, the synagogue official’s plea to Jesus to heal his daughter is presented. This is important from the standpoint that it is recognition of Jesus' status by the local faith community. An official from the synagogue would only consult with one widely recognized as an authority in spiritual matters.
 
On the way to the little girl, a woman with a hemorrhage that had been incurable by local physicians pressed in close and touched his cloak. She was cured; it was as if her faith reached out and touched Jesus. This was unlike the others crowded around because he felt her touch among all the others. He turned and was able to specifically identify her. The Lord’s words to her were: “your faith has saved you.”
 
Arriving at the synagogue official's house, Jairus’ faith was tested a second time as he was informed his daughter had died. Jesus ignored these reports and proceeded to reward Jairus’ faith by bringing his daughter back from death, a sign of his mission to all mankind.
 
CCC: Mk 5:21-42 994; Mk 5:25-34 548; Mk 5:28 2616; Mk 5:34 1504; Mk 5:36 1504, 2616
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Reflection:
 
One of the many rewards of faith in a loving and merciful God is the consolation of Christ in times of grief.  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI expressed this much better than I could in his encyclical Spe Salvi:
 
“Indeed, to accept the “other” who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love. The Latin word con-solatio, ‘consolation’, expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude. “[4]
 
In simple language, the grief or sorrow we experience, especially at the loss of a loved one, a friend, or even a relationship, is indeed the feeling of being alone, deprived of the person whose loss we have suffered.  Into this void comes Jesus, his loving hand outstretched, bridging the gap between life and death.  In him we are never alone.  It is his consolation that lifts us out of hopelessness and gives us grace to overcome even the greatest of obstacles.
 
As the Holy Father said, Christ’s consolation is expressed most visibly though his followers (that would be us).  Our compassion for those who suffer becomes a miracle in itself.  It is not easy to accept another’s suffering, though, is it?  Accepting that burden necessarily means to experience the pain felt by the one who suffers.  That pain, we submit, is quantifiable.  That is, there is only so much to go around and the more who share in that suffering, the less burdensome it becomes to the group within which it is shared.  It is Christ’s (con-solatio) consolation – we are no longer alone.
 
Today as we think about the grief of Jairus, who briefly was stabbed with the pain of losing a daughter, let us remember those who grieve the loss of those they love: husbands, wives, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters.  May all those who suffer the loss be blessed with Christ’s steadfast presence, and our offer to share their suffering so it might be lessened though the consolation and mercy of God.
 
Pax
 
On the Feast of St. John Bosco in 2006 I started this project (the proclamation of the daily Mass readings with commentary and reflections).  It’s been a wonderful journey of faith and discovery. Thank you for joining me.

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[1] The picture used today is “St. John Bosco” Artist and Date were 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] Spe Salvi, II, 38.

Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

“Exorcism at Gerasenes”
by James Tissot, c. 1890’s

 
Readings for Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Hebrews 11:32-40
 
Brothers and sisters:
What more shall I say?
I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
of David and Samuel and the prophets,
who by faith conquered kingdoms,
did what was righteous, obtained the promises;
they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires,
escaped the devouring sword;
out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle,
and turned back foreign invaders.
Women received back their dead through resurrection.
Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance,
in order to obtain a better resurrection.
Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point;
they went about in skins of sheep or goats,
needy, afflicted, tormented.
The world was not worthy of them.
They wandered about in deserts and on mountains,
in caves and in crevices in the earth.
 
Yet all these, though approved because of their faith,
did not receive what had been promised.
God had foreseen something better for us,
so that without us they should not be made perfect.
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Commentary on Heb 11:32-40
 
The Pauline author considers his theme of faith (Hebrews 11:1). He tells his audience he did not come to proclaim the prophets, whom he describes as righteous and brave while giving a short list of examples. He explains that, while they did what was good in the eyes of God, they did not receive the promise that is made to the followers of Christ. It is only through Christ that resurrection and salvation may be achieved.
 
"In God's mysterious plan those who belonged to the time of 'shadow' (Hebrews 10:1) and we who belong to the time of fulfillment would be 'made perfect' together by the one sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:14). What they had in anticipation we now have in reality.  Yet Christians too walk by faith, since we too still await the full consummation of the promise (Hebrews 10:36)" [4]
 
CCC: Heb 11:39 147; Heb 11:40 147
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Responsorial Psalm: Ps 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24
 
R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous mercy
he has shown me in a fortified city.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
Once I said in my anguish,
“I am cut off from your sight”;
Yet you heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried out to you.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24
 
The complete psalm is an individual lament. This selection is a song of thankfulness and praise for God whose mercy is boundless and his forgiveness complete. We hear some of the pleading of the psalmist who has endured hardship and thought this was due to God forsaking him.  But the Lord had not forgotten him and returned to comfort him.
 
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Gospel: Mark 5:1-20
 
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
 
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
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Commentary on Mk 5:1-20
 
This is St. Mark’s version of Jesus casting out the multitude of demons and sending them into the herd of swine. Swine [pigs] are considered unclean animals under Hebrew dietary laws (Leviticus 11:7-8.  This action not only reinforces Jesus’ universal mission but adds a dimension of symbolism. It is important to note that this is a pagan region, so what the Lord is doing in helping the man with unclean spirits is ministering to non-Hebrews, indicating the breadth of his mission. Also in this story, the demon addresses him as “Jesus, Son of the Most High God,” a title that identifies him clearly and without equivocation as the Messiah.
 
“Allegorically (St. Bede, In Marcum): the demoniac represents the Gentile nations saved by Christ. As pagans, they once lived apart from God amid the tombs of dead works, while their sins were performed in service of demons. Through Christ the pagans are at last cleansed and freed from Satan’s domination.” [5]
 
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Reflection:
 
At the heart of the story of Jesus casting out the legion of demons and causing them to flee into swine is the fact that evil is real, and there is a war against Satan going on in the world.  As much as our hedonistic society is more and more denying the existence of God and rejecting Jesus Christ, it disbelieves the existence of personified evil, Satan, and the consequences of following his invitations. 
 
When one denies the existence of something more powerful than themselves, it is like walking around in a pandemic without observing any safety precautions. (And Satan, to the person who has already rejected the vaccine against him which is faith, “the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen,” is more powerful than their own will and, as we have seen, comes to us as something infinitely desirable.) When we refuse to believe in the existence of Satan, we are at his mercy and the results, as the possessed man demonstrated, are mentally and physically devastating.
 
Perhaps one of the most important statements we are given today may seem anticlimactic.  The man Jesus had cured asked, even pleaded, with Jesus to stay with him. In this action we see that the vacuum left when the demon’s possession ended had been filled by faith in Christ, protection against further attacks by Satan.  Rather than accepting his offer, the Lord sent him back to his own people with the words: “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
 
The message we can take from this incident, in addition to a reminder of the threat Satan constantly poses, is that, what God, in his mercy [pity], does for us, he does out of his great love for us.  We do not earn his mercy or his salvation; it is given to us because God has a special love for us. It is our inoculation against Satan. We can think of it as we think of what a good parent does for his or her child.  What right do children have to expect all of the good things parents give them?  What effort on the part of children causes the parent to lavish their love upon them?  It is not some merit in the child that causes or entitles the child to this love; rather it is the natural love the parent feels for the life that they, with God’s help and grace, brought into the world.
 
We have seen children try to do things that please their loving parents.  They are eager to please them, especially when they are young.  Do we not act the same way toward God our Father?  Are we not anxious to act in ways that we feel should make that heavenly parent happy?  But think of the reward God promises.  It is not an allowance or a special treat, it is the grace and peace of Christ; it is the resurrection on the last day.  There is nothing we as human beings could do to make ourselves worthy of so great a prize.
 
Today let us give thanks to God the loving Father, who, through his great love for us, gave his only Son so that we, who are totally unworthy, might enjoy an eternity with him. We also pledge to take to heart the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel which asks for God’s defense against Satan.  Indeed, we must believe there is a war and we are both part of it and the enemy’s goal.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Exorcism at Gerasenes” by James Tissot, c. 1890’s.
[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] Hebrews, by Mary Healy © 2016, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids MI, p.255.
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, p.74.

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]

 
CCC 459, 520-521: Jesus a model of the beatitudes for followers
CCC 1716-1724: Call to beatitude
CCC 64, 716: The poor and humble remnant bear hope of Messiah

“Sermon on the Mount”
by Pietro Annigoni, 1953

 
Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13
 
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth,
who have observed his law;
seek justice, seek humility;
perhaps you may be sheltered
on the day of the Lord’s anger.
 
But I will leave as a remnant in your midst
a people humble and lowly,
who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord:
the remnant of Israel.
They shall do no wrong
and speak no lies;
nor shall there be found in their mouths
a deceitful tongue;
they shall pasture and couch their flocks
with none to disturb them.
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Commentary on Zep 2:3; 3:12-13
 
In this selection the prophet Zephaniah sends a caution to Jerusalem similar to Amos 1-2 and Isaiah 1:21-26. The leadership must renounce pride and return in humility to the Lord. In this way they will avoid God’s anger (an anger that nearly destroyed Nineveh and is described as bringing down destruction on any groups who have assaulted God's chosen people). 
 
Moving forward to the next chapter, the focus is changed from a warning to the promise of salvation. The righteous “remnant” (of the house of Judah, v 2:7) who trust in God are given peace and prosperity as a reward for their humility and obedience to the Lord.
 
CCC: Zep 2:3 64, 711, 716
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
 
R. (Mt 5:3) Blessed the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The Lord keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets captives free.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The Lord gives sight to the blind;
the Lord raises up those who were bowed down.
The Lord loves the just;
the Lord protects strangers.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The fatherless and the widow the Lord sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The Lord shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
 
Psalm 146 is from the wisdom tradition. Here we are given a vision of God’s salvation. His saving power (envisioned in the oracle of Isaiah and fulfilled in Jesus the Christ) lifts up the poor and the downtrodden. The Lord heals those afflicted with every sort of malady.
 
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Reading: II 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
 
Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.
It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
“Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.”
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Commentary on 1 Cor 1:26-31
 
St. Paul continues his attack on “worldly wisdom” by reminding the members of the church at Corinth that the community is comprised of all strata of society. He points out that all are called to the same Lord, and that the wisdom that is Jesus (“who became for us wisdom from God”) makes them righteous, sanctified, and redeemed in him. It is for this reason that the only boast a Christian should make is in God. The evangelist does so, paraphrasing Jeremiah 9:23.
 
CCC: 1 Cor 1:27 489; 1 Cor 1:30 2813
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Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a
 
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:1-12a
 
This section of the Sermon on the Mount begins the first of five great discourses in St. Matthew’s Gospel. He begins using a formula common in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament with “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”(Job 5:17; Proverbs 3:13; Sirach 25:8-9) This designation identifies those without material resources, completely dependent upon God. (This distinction is for the devout poor.) The discourse continues, blessing those who mourn, who are meek, who “hunger” for righteousness (to adopt the Lord’s law of love in their hearts), the merciful, the clean of heart (those who are reconciled to God), the peacemakers, the persecuted, and finally those who will be reviled because they profess faith in Christ.
 
The litany of praises for those to be blessed by the Lord has an overarching theme. It holds up the spiritual strength of complete dependence on God for life, health, and prosperity. St. Matthew captures the strength in that dependence, and God’s promise of salvation through the words of the Savior.
 
It is noteworthy that the word “blessed” [μακάριοι (makάrios) in Greek and beati in Latin] is translated “happy” in many Old Testament texts.  The idea of happiness or peace as a blessing from God is an important understanding about the intent of this discourse.
 
CCC: Mt 5:1 581; Mt 5:3-12 1716; Mt 5:3 544, 2546; Mt 5-7 2763; Mt 5-6 764; Mt 5:8 1720, 2518; Mt 5:9 2305, 2330; Mt 5:11-12 520
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Reflection:
 
It is said that in ancient times the King of Babylon called his seers and wise men together and asked them to provide him with a statement he could make that would be true at all times, and for any occasion.  After great deliberation they presented him with the phrase: “This too shall pass.”
 
It is a fatalistic statement but meets the test of truth.  All things eventually pass – except the love and mercy of God.  God alone is the exception to that temporal and human truth.  In the physical world and among mortal men the statement is accurate.  All physical and experiential realities change over time.  But at the metaphysical level, God is omnipresent and unchanging.  Only our perception of his intent for us and love for us may change.
 
It is this distinction the Lord makes in the words of the Sermon on the Mount, recorded by St. Matthew.  When he calls out: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” he offers hope for the hopeless.  He reminds them that while their condition of poverty, physical, emotional, or spiritual, may seem a desolate state; God’s mercy will always offer a path to peace in God’s Kingdom.  When he says “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted,” he tells those worn down by humanly inconsolable grief that God’s consolation is there to support them.
 
Throughout the Beatitudes the Lord offers the ever-present mercy of God. For it is Jesus’ presence among us that confirms the promise that, with faith, all of God’s mercy abounds.  There is no situation so difficult or so depressing that consolation is not offered by turning to God in faith. In the Lord, there is always hope and redemption.
 
Had they known of the One True God, the seers of that ancient Babylonian king would not have given their liege lord the statement they did.  Instead they would have told him “God loves us and his mercy has no bounds.”  Here at last is a statement that is true for all time and on all occasions.
 
Pax
 

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture today is “Sermon on the Mount” by Pietro Annigoni, 1953.
[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.