Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for Saint Romuald, Bishop)
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Romuald
Biographical information about St. Romuald

“The Kiss of Judas”
by an unknown Italian master, 1300-50

 
Readings for Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10
 
Brothers and sisters:
As your fellow workers, we appeal to you
not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
 
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
 
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God, through much endurance,
in afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;
through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
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Commentary on 2 Cor 6:1-10
 
St. Paul’s main message in this passage is to encourage Christians to remain steadfast as he and his companions have done. He describes nine different trials they have encountered (“afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, vigils, fasts) and provides a litany of seven contrasting negative external perceptions with positive internal spiritual realities (virtues). The passage concludes (v. 8-10) with the first of seven accusations the apostle makes against his detractors, essentially refuting any challenge to his authority as an authentic teacher of the Gospel.
 
CCC: 2 Cor 6:2 1041; 2 Cor 6:4 859
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2b, 3ab, 3cd-4
 
R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
 
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
 
In the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
 
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
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Commentary on Ps 98:1, 2b, 3ab, 3cd-4
 
Psalm 98 is a song of praise and thanksgiving.  We sing a hymn of thanksgiving for God’s saving presence. In this selection God is praised for the strength he lends his people and the salvation he brings to those who are faithful. It is also a song of victory that is attributed to the Lord, and one of awe for the deeds he has done on behalf of his people. The final strophes invite all the earth to join in praising God for his mercy and justice.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."
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Commentary on Mt 5:38-42
 
Jesus quotes Mosaic Law from Leviticus 24:20. The Old Testament commandment was meant to moderate vengeance. The punishment was not to exceed the injury done. Jesus forbids even this proportionate retaliation, rejecting physical revenge completely: “turn the other one to him as well.” He goes further with four additional examples, saying that the Christian is not to resist litigation but to offer more than is asked, offer more service than what is asked, and loan to others who wish to borrow. With these examples, the Lord shows how it must be between those who follow him to the Kingdom of God. The Lord redefines the term “neighbor” who was traditionally held to be one’s countryman. Jesus extends his commandment, to “love your neighbor,” even to enemies and those who persecute. In doing so, Jesus once more broadens the invitation to follow him to include not just the Jewish people, but all peoples.
 
CCC: Mt 5:42 2443
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Reflection:
 
We marvel at the ancient wisdom passed down to us as Jesus reinterprets the Law of Moses.  So many times, he tells us that the only way to have communion with him and his Father is to love him first and then to love others who are also his adopted children.  It all comes together in a very consistent way.
 
If we love another, not just for something they can give us, but for what we can share, then we must forgive them when they violate that mutual covenant of love.  If we do not, if we hold on to the hurt, the betrayal, or the insult, we are not hurting the other person nearly as much as we are hurting ourselves.  There is a direct relationship between the depth of love and trust we have shared and the amount of forgiveness we must be willing to extend to the other person.  There is also a direct correlation between the amount of love and trust in which the other person was held and the difficulty we find in extending forgiveness. It is for this very reason that hurts, injuries, and apparent insults can cause lasting rifts within families.  Our loved ones are often the hardest to forgive.
 
We are reminded of the axiom handed down to us by St. Augustine, “Resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other person dies.”
 
But the Lord knows; he tells us that we must forgive.  When we hold onto those hurts, we do intense harm to ourselves.  If we cannot let it go, we will not be able to accept the peace of Christ.  We have placed a huge barrier between ourselves and the Lord, who is love itself.  In many cases we must hold this injury up to the light of Christ and ask ourselves what it is that is causing us such pain.  Is it that the person has truly sought to hurt us?  Or is it perhaps that they are merely inconsiderate; they did not realize the depth of the betrayal we perceived.
 
Regardless of reasons, our God commands that we forgive.  He commands that we offer up our hurts, betrayals and insults to him; who was betrayed by his closest friend, insulted by the people he came to save, and murdered for the love he bore.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Kiss of Judas” by an unknown Italian master, 1300-50.
[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.