Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

"The Charge to Peter"
by James Tissot, c. 1860’s

Readings for Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Peter 1:10-16
 
Beloved:
Concerning the salvation of your souls
the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours
searched and investigated it
investigating the time and circumstances
that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated
when it testified in advance
to the sufferings destined for Christ
and the glories to follow them.
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you
with regard to the things that have now been announced to you
by those who preached the Good News to you
through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,
things into which angels longed to look.
 
Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly,
and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Like obedient children,
do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
but, as he who called you is holy,
be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
for it is written, Be holy because I am holy.
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Commentary on 1 Pt 1:10-16
 
In this selection, St. Peter continues to exhort the five churches to respond to the call to holiness, a call brought to them by the apostles who were filled with “the Spirit of Christ.” It was this Holy Spirit that motivated them as it had motivated the prophets of old in their understanding of God's salvation to come.
 
The passage concludes with very practical instructions about their behavior, instructing them to avoid their former way of life: “do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance,” but rather be holy as God is holy, quoting Leviticus (Leviticus 11: 44).
 
CCC: 1 Pt 1:10-12 719
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 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.
 
The Lord has made his salvation known:
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, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
 
Psalm 98 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. We see in this selection how God is praised for the strength he lends his people, and the salvation he brings to those who are faithful. The psalm rejoices in God’s salvation. The Lord has revealed his compassion toward the people, and they sing his praises in response. The Hebrews saw this as salvation for the people of Israel from its enemies. Christians see the deeper expression of God’s love, as he sent his Son for salvation and justice for the whole world.
 
This is an excellent example of how Christians, heirs to the Judeo-Christian truth, can see clearly in these ancient texts the references to the Christ: “The Lord has made his salvation known.” It is this event about which we “sing joyfully to the Lord.”
 
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Gospel: Mark 10:28-31
 
Peter began to say to Jesus,
“We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
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Commentary on Mk 10:28-31
 
The passage contains the disciples' response to Jesus’ teaching about the discipline of discipleship embodied in the story of the wealthy young man (Mark 10:17-27). After seeing the young man leave because he could not part with his possessions, Peter finds it necessary to remind Jesus that they (the disciples) had given up everything to follow him. The Lord replies that those who have sacrificed to follow him will receive not just the seven-fold repayment promised by Sirach 35:10, but a hundred times more than what they have given up.
 
This reference made by St. Mark is likely to the growth of Church under the apostles’ evangelization, and the communal sense of the Church in its early years. The same reference is true of Jesus’ final statement where we hear: “But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first." Here St. Mark is probably referring to the martyrdom many will find before joining the Lord in his heavenly kingdom.
 
CCC: Mk 10:28-31 1618
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Reflection:
 
What’s in it for me?
 
As we hear the response of the disciples to Jesus’ requirement of the “Rich Young Man,” we empathize with them.  Jesus has just told the young man that he must give up what is most important to him in order to follow Jesus.  Seeing this requirement of self-sacrifice, the disciples exclaim that they have given up everything to follow the Lord and are now wondering what they will receive in return.  To this Jesus reassures them, saying the material wealth and social position they have given up in this world will be made up many times over in the next.
 
Responding so completely to the call of the Lord is something most of us just cannot do.  We have accepted the vocation of marriage, or we live in a secular world that places responsibilities upon us that force us to keep a job, dedicating much of our time to that effort. Or we are called to care for a home and children, an equally important vocation.  How then can we fulfill the requirements of social responsibility and also dedicate ourselves to Jesus?
 
We come closest to doing this when we dedicate our effort, whether at home, at work, or other committed action, to God’s greater glory, rather than our own.  We offer our success to the Lord and give him credit.  We ask for his help in being examples to others, bringing the Holy Spirit to the world as we are called while, in our heart of hearts, remaining apart from it.  We reject the call of Satan, who beckons to us constantly, and we embrace the austerity we can while supporting our families.
 
It is a very difficult thing the Lord asks, and we must be constantly mindful of our own tendency to procure an excess of material wealth in the name of familial support or the rationale of need.  We pray today for the spirit of the disciples, that we might offer up our lives for the sake of the one who gave up his life for us.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is "The Charge to Peter" by James Tissot, c. 1860’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.