Optional Memorial for Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Rose of Lime
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| “Jesus Upbraideth the Scribes and Pharisees” by Matthys Pool and Arnold Houbraken, 1728 |
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Judges 9:6-15
All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together
and proceeded to make Abimelech king
by the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem.
When this was reported to him,
Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim and, standing there,
cried out to them in a loud voice:
“Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you!
Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves.
So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
But the olive tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my rich oil,
whereby men and gods are honored,
and go to wave over the trees?’
Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come; you reign over us!’
But the fig tree answered them,
‘Must I give up my sweetness and my good fruit,
and go to wave over the trees?’
Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’
But the vine answered them,
‘Must I give up my wine that cheers gods and men,
and go to wave over the trees?’
Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, ‘Come; you reign over us!’
But the buckthorn replied to the trees,
‘If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith,
come and take refuge in my shadow.
Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’”
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Commentary on Jgs 9:6-15
In this passage from Judges, Jotham uses the poem/song analogy of trees for selecting a leader. He does this to reflect upon the process used by the citizens of Shechem in choosing Abimelech as their king and ignoring the line of the sons of Gideon who were faithful to God. The selection of Abimelech is made under the sacred tree (see also Genesis 12:6 and Deuteronomy 11:30).
The poem itself probably predates Jotham and expresses the nomadic disrespect for monarchy. The trees of value, the olive tree, the fig tree, and the grape vine do not have time for the kingship. It is only the buckthorn, considered a liability (it is a low shrub not even providing shade and catching fire easily) that is willing. By selecting him (King Abimelech) they will destroy “the cedars of Lebanon,” a metaphor for the Hebrew nation. The warning at the end of his analogy is explained in subsequent verses.
The poem itself probably predates Jotham and expresses the nomadic disrespect for monarchy. The trees of value, the olive tree, the fig tree, and the grape vine do not have time for the kingship. It is only the buckthorn, considered a liability (it is a low shrub not even providing shade and catching fire easily) that is willing. By selecting him (King Abimelech) they will destroy “the cedars of Lebanon,” a metaphor for the Hebrew nation. The warning at the end of his analogy is explained in subsequent verses.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him
length of days forever and ever.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
You made him a blessing forever,
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
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Commentary on Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
In this psalm of praise, the faithful king is honored. This is the first of two parts in the psalm. “In the first, addressed to God, it puts on record that the king’s success comes from God (v. 1-6) […] The general tone of the psalm goes beyond the way things were in the ancient kingdom of Israel and points to the ideal king. For this reason, both Judaism and the Church read it as a psalm about the Messiah.” [4]
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Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
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Commentary on Mt 20:1-16
The parable of the laborers hired late continues the dialogue from Matthew 19:30: “the last will be first, and the first will be last.” The inference here changes slightly: in Matthew 19:23-30 the Lord referred to those who would follow him into eternal life, while here he broadens the scope to imply that those called later to faithful service, discipleship, would receive the same reward as those first called.
“’Discipleship’ is not a specialized vocation within the general Christian calling. Rather, all are called to the kingdom, and discipleship is the lived, existential means of arriving there, of existing there. The Gospel knows no secondary category of Christians, that of ‘mere believer’ in contrast to that of ‘ardent disciple’.” [5]
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Reflection:
One of the very difficult lessons we learn as Christians is that not all our brothers and sisters are at the same place on their journey to Christ as we are. We look around us and see people who we think are on the wrong path altogether. They don’t see the great worth of spiritual blessings we see. They may not worship with the same depth of feeling we do. We may believe they have totally missed the point. Yet we are all on the same journey.
The Lord makes it very clear that he came for all people; in fact, recalling the invitation he extended to St. Matthew, he paid more attention to the “lost sheep” than to those safely on the right path. When he sends his disciples, he sends them to the whole world, not just to the people who worship and think the way his friends do. His call is, however, to conversion.
This is an important point. Many in our secular culture would tell us we are “elitist” or discriminating because we do not readily accept the moral interpretations of those who believe differently, who have chosen to follow another path. They tell us that because they do not believe in prayer, we should not offend them by praying publicly, or that our own celebrations should be “more inclusive.” The problem we run into is that the appropriate moral behavior for Christians is laid out rather explicitly in Sacred Scripture.
If we apply those moral principles fairly and consistently across the faith community, there will be some who say they are excluded because they chose not to follow a precept. Let’s take for example the call to chastity. It has become an acceptable secular social norm for individuals to have sexual relations outside of the married state. The Church has said that this is wrong, that one is either married or chaste, and if one is living the sacrament of matrimony, physical love is restricted to the partners. Further still, the Church defines marriage, in accordance with natural law and Sacred Scripture, as the sacramental union between a man and a woman. This applies to all members of the faith community. Unfortunately, with secular morality encouraging promiscuity many, especially younger adults, have gotten the impression that the Church somehow turns a blind eye to the violation of this moral principle.
Be assured, the Church still believes in the dignity and sanctity of the human person. Violation of this precept is considered sin, and it drives a wedge between the individuals in this state and God. The shepherds of our flock hold this to be true and teach it. To do otherwise would be to neglect their call to holiness.
The really good news is that even those who are on a path which has placed them at odds with the morality of the Church are still invited to conversion. We are all called to constantly review our own struggle on the path to holiness and to reform our lives. The Lord assures us today that even if we come to this realization late, we will receive the same reward as the saints who have gone before us in faith. Thank God for His love and mercy.
Pax
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[1] The picture is “Jesus Upbraideth the Scribes and Pharisees” by Matthys Pool and Arnold Houbraken, 1728.
[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] The Navarre Bible: “Psalms,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 89.
[5] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012 pp. 229-30.
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