Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Junipero Serra, Priest (USA)
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Junipero Serra
 
Biographical information about St. Junipero Serra

“Studies of a Fox”
by Pieter Boel, 1669-71

 
Readings for Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Amos 2:6-10, 13-16
 
Thus says the Lord:
For three crimes of Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke my word;
Because they sell the just man for silver,
and the poor man for a pair of sandals.
They trample the heads of the weak
into the dust of the earth,
and force the lowly out of the way.
Son and father go to the same prostitute,
profaning my holy name.
Upon garments taken in pledge
they recline beside any altar;
And the wine of those who have been fined
they drink in the house of their god.
 
Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them,
who were as tall as the cedars,
and as strong as the oak trees.
I destroyed their fruit above,
and their roots beneath.
It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and who led you through the desert for forty years,
to occupy the land of the Amorites.
 
Beware, I will crush you into the ground
as a wagon crushes when laden with sheaves.
Flight shall perish from the swift,
and the strong man shall not retain his strength;
The warrior shall not save his life,
nor the bowman stand his ground;
The swift of foot shall not escape,
nor the horseman save his life.
And the most stouthearted of warriors
shall flee naked on that day, says the Lord.
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Commentary on Am 2:6-10, 13-16
 
Placed in context, the prophet protests against the crimes of Moab (2 Kings 3:9ff). The selection from Amos begins with a detailed list of the crimes the Hebrew people of Jerusalem have committed. They disregard the poor, and treat them without dignity; they take that which was given in tribute to God, and use it for their own pleasure; they turn to idolatry (“they recline beside any altar”). They did so in the face of God’s faithfulness: God stood with their armies as they defeated the Amorites and was with Moses who led them out of bondage in Egypt.
 
The prophet concludes with a warning oracle. (“I will crush you into the ground.”) God will abandon them, and they will not be able to hide from his punishment.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 50:16bc-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23
 
R. (22a) Remember this, you who never think of God.
 
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
 
“When you see a thief, you keep pace with him,
and with adulterers you throw in your lot.
To your mouth you give free rein for evil,
you harness your tongue to deceit.”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
 
“You sit speaking against your brother;
against your mother’s son you spread rumors.
When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
 
“Consider this, you who forget God,
lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. Remember this, you who never think of God.
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Commentary on Ps 50:16bc-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23
 
Psalm 50 is in the form of a “covenant lawsuit” that is a lament against those who have violated God’s law, and the covenant made with him upon which it was based. Much like the oracle from Amos 2:6ff, the strophes point to those who are unfaithful, and contrast them with God who is always faithful.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 8:18-22
 
When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Another of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.”
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Commentary on Mt 8:18-22
 
This is an interlude between the miracle stories in St. Matthew’s Gospel. In this passage we find two sayings dealing with discipleship, and what that means. The first of these is in the form of a reply to a scribe who wished to travel with the Lord. The Savior’s response indicated that he must be prepared to have no permanent home if he was going to do so. The scribe must give up material wealth and embrace Christ's consistently stated love of the poor.
 
In the second situation, the would-be disciple asks to be allowed to bury his father. This does not mean his father had already died, but that he wished to wait for that to happen so he could carry out his family responsibilities. The Lord’s response makes it clear that ties to the family would be secondary to the disciples' call to follow him (see also commentary on Luke 9:51-62).
 
CCC: Mt 8:20 2444
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Reflection:
 
In the Gospel of St. Matthew, the Lord asks the scribe, in the form of a metaphor, if he is willing to give up all the world holds as important so he can follow him. His inference with the statement: “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head,” is that accepting the way of Christ means placing everything of earthly value second. Homes, jobs, and families become secondary to the work of spreading the news of God’s salvation.
 
Using a more contemporary image, we were reminded recently of the great example set for us by St Josemaría Escriva who, though he did not know what he was being called to, repeatedly said yes to the call of the Lord. In his life, like so many of the great saints, worldly values beckoned to him, and he was forced to say no. The Lord asks for our love, and understands that, when we say yes, we take up a cross that is very familiar to him. It may mean family and friends turn away; they will not understand single- hearted love of God. It will almost certainly mean that secular definitions of success will not apply. Financial wealth, material goods, and worldly pleasures will have little value in the life of Christ’s disciples.
 
Why then, one might ask, would a person willingly choose to follow Jesus? It seems almost as if the Lord is trying to push us away. No, he is simply trying to teach us where true happiness and peace can be found. By embracing God, we find an inner peace that eludes those whose passion is building wealth, whose treasure is fiscal gain. Wealth demands attention, effort, and work. Trusting Jesus to walk with us, and the Father to watch over us, our spirit soars and a great burden is lifted.
 
Today we ask for the strength to let go of our earthly desires and turn away from the urgings of the flesh (as St. Paul would say), and to embrace Christ and follow his way to salvation.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used today: “Studies of a Fox” by Pieter Boel, 1669-71.
[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.

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
CCC 548-549, 646, 994: Jesus raises the dead
CCC 1009-1014: death transformed by Christ
CCC 1042-1050: hope for a new heaven and a new earth

“Christ Resurrects the Daughter of Jairus”
by Friedrich Overbeck, 1815

 
Readings for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24
 
God did not make death,
nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.
For he fashioned all things that they might have being;
and the creatures of the world are wholesome,
and there is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of the netherworld on earth,
for justice is undying.
For God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made him.
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
and they who belong to his company experience it.
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Commentary on Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24
 
The author of the Book of Wisdom speaks of “spiritual” death in this first part of the book (there is a general indifference to the physical life of the body throughout). The Wisdom passage is part of a general statement  that, through living a just life in accord with the wisdom of God, one achieves salvation. This notion of eternal life of the spirit is emphasized, and the idea that nothing on the physical plane can cause spiritual death is strengthened (“there is not a destructive drug among them nor any domain of the netherworld on earth, for justice is undying”). Wisdom proposes, however, that spiritual death enters through the devil, who may pervert the spirit and ultimately claim the victory of death.
 
CCC: Wis 1:13 413, 1008; Wis 2:23-24 1008; Wis 2:24 391, 413, 2538
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13
 
R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
 
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
 
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
 
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
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Commentary on Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13
 
Psalm 30 is an individual hymn of praise. In this selection we find the singer praising God for deliverance. In the second part, others are asked to join in the hymn and then there is a return to thanks and praise in the final strophe. The image of resurrection is clearly evident in the first strophe: “O Lord, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.”
 
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Reading II: 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15
 
Brothers and sisters:
As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse,
knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you,
may you excel in this gracious act also.
 
For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Not that others should have relief while you are burdened,
but that as a matter of equality
your abundance at the present time should supply their needs,
so that their abundance may also supply your needs,
that there may be equality.
As it is written:
Whoever had much did not have more,
and whoever had little did not have less.
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Commentary on 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15
 
St. Paul continues an appeal to the church at Corinth for funds to support the church of Jerusalem. In this section of that appeal, he uses the gracious act of Jesus, who gave up his wealth (his preexistence with the Heavenly Father) for poverty (his earthly life). He then proceeds to introduce the discussion of equality between the various parts of the Body of Christ (the Church). The apostle encourages this fiscal equality to the extent possible, but not to the extent that the donor becomes poorer than the recipient of the donation. He concludes with a quote from Exodus 16: 18, using the example of the rules imposed about manna gathered in the desert.
 
CCC: 2 Cor 8:1-15 2833; 2 Cor 8:9 517, 1351, 2407, 2546
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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 and pressed upon 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 Jesus,
"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, it presents the synagogue official’s plea to Jesus to heal his daughter. This is important in that it is recognition of Jesus' status by the local faith community. An official from the synagogue would consult only 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. Unlike the others crowded around, 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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Or: Mark 5:21-24, 35b-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 and pressed upon him.
 
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 5:21-24, 35b-43
 
This shortened form of the Gospel omits the discourse about the healing of the woman with a hemorrhage. This omission sharpens the Gospel focus on Christ’s mission for the salvation of humanity through the new resurrection.
 
CCC: Mk 5:21-42 994; Mk 5:36 1504, 2616
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Reflection:
 
We reflect today about the entire notion of life and death and how our Lord has triumphed over death. We begin with a consideration of the reading from the Book of Wisdom. The author gives us words of hope when he says, “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.” We immediately think of life and death in spiritual terms because, unlike the superstitious, we understand that the physical death of the body must come. It is a biological fact. Anyone who has reached “old age” recognizes that continuing life indefinitely in a body that will ultimately wear out is not a happy prospect.
 
Does that mean that what we do in this physical life does not matter? No. We offer as a crude analogy the early life of danaus plexippus, the Monarch Butterfly. Like all butterflies and moths the early stage of the monarch's life is spent as a larva. During this period of life, the caterpillar goes about eating and performing its life functions. If it is greedy or careless it may be caught by a predator or killed in some other ways. Individuals who die that way never become butterflies. They have died. However, those individuals who survive the larval stage become pupas or chrysalides. To an untrained eye, they appear dead: there is no movement, no animation to alert the observer that life exists there. At the appointed time, metamorphosis occurs, and the butterfly emerges alive now but transformed.
 
The point of this analogy is not to try to demonstrate what happens at the physical death of the human being. Rather it demonstrates the linkage between decisions made during physical life in the body to the prospects for eternal life in the spirit. If the spirit dies during our lives in the body, it is dead. It is the possession of the evil one and death has its victory. It is therefore imperative that we listen to God’s voice who is the author of life and who has authority over it.
 
This authority is what we see demonstrated in the Gospel. Jesus rewards the faith of Jairus by pushing aside the physical death of his child. He does so in response to the spiritual plea of the man alive in faith. Life responds to life.
 
The message we take away from our reflection on life and death is that our life, the life God was pleased to give us, is precious and should be viewed as such – a gift to be cared for. But life of the spirit  is the true gift, the gift that animates the flesh and is interwoven with it as we walk the world as Jesus did. God gives us his commandments that we might receive the Lord’s promise and have eternal life in the spirit. We rejoice in the path that leads to life, even though it is difficult and fraught with pitfalls. We ask for his help as we walk upon the way.
 
Pax
 
In other years on June 30^th: Optional Memorial for the First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

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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 is “Christ Resurrects the Daughter of Jairus” by Friedrich Overbeck, 1815.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for 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.

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles - Mass During the Day

Mass at the Vigil
 
Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 153, 424, 440, 442, 552, 765, 880-881: Saint Peter
CCC 442, 601, 639, 642, 1508, 2632-2633, 2636, 2638: Saint Paul

“Saints Peter and Paul”
by Guido Reni, c. 1600

 
Readings for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary:[4][5]
 
Reading 1: Acts 12:1-11
 
In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.
He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,
and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews
he proceeded to arrest Peter also.
-It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.-
He had him taken into custody and put in prison
under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.
He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.
Peter thus was being kept in prison,
but prayer by the Church was fervently being made
to God on his behalf.
 
On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,
Peter, secured by double chains,
was sleeping between two soldiers,
while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him
and a light shone in the cell.
He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying,
"Get up quickly."
The chains fell from his wrists.
The angel said to him, "Put on your belt and your sandals."
He did so.
Then he said to him, "Put on your cloak and follow me."
So he followed him out,
not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real;
he thought he was seeing a vision.
They passed the first guard, then the second,
and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,
which opened for them by itself.
They emerged and made their way down an alley,
and suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter recovered his senses and said,
"Now I know for certain
that the Lord sent his angel
and rescued me from the hand of Herod
and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting."
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Commentary on Acts 12:1-11
 
The Christian Jews in Jerusalem have fallen from favor, probably due to St. Stephen’s teaching and the subsequent backlash. The execution of St. James marks the beginning of the third persecution of the early Church in Jerusalem, this one from a more formal source.
 
The liberation of Peter from prison echoes many events of Jewish history (the deliverance of Joseph, Genesis 39:21-41:57; the three young men, Daniel 3; and Daniel himself, Daniel 6) that consciously reflect the paschal liberation (Exodus 12:42). Peter now undergoes the same trial and deliverance as his Master and in his own person becomes a sign of God’s deliverance of his people.
 
CCC: Acts 12:5 2636; Acts 12:6-11 334
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
 
R. (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
 
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
 
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
 
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
 
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
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Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Psalm 34 is a song of thanksgiving and a favorite for celebrating the heroic virtue of the saints. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone. This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted, echoes hope for deliverance and freedom. The Lord in his faithful love always hears those who call to him for help and salvation.

CCC: Ps 34:3 716; Ps 34:8 336
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Reading II: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
 
I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.
 
The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
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Commentary on 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18
 
Paul is writing from prison at the end of his life. The only deliverance he can expect is death, and he confidently proclaims that it is the greatest deliverance of all. The death of the Christian who has lived and worked in union with the death of Christ, through baptism, is truly release to freedom and glory. The apostle views this deliverance as an act of worship. At the close of his life Paul could testify to the accomplishment of what Christ himself foretold concerning him at the time of his conversion: "I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name" (Acts 9:16).
 
CCC: 2 Tm 4 2015
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Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19
 
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
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Commentary on Mt 16:13-19
 
St. Matthew’s story of how Jesus asked about what people were saying about him has a profound impact on the Church. Here, when challenged by Jesus with the question, “But who do you say that I am?”, Simon answers, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” The second title is not present in St. Mark’s version of this encounter. The title adds an understanding that Jesus is not just the Messiah, but also the Son of God. Given this response, Jesus confers upon Simon a new name “Kephas” which comes from the root Aramaic word kepa or “rock.” When translated into Greek it is petros, and from there to Peter. The name, however, becomes the foundation for the Church. As a consequence of this exchange, Peter is given Christ’s authority, an authority that is passed down through papal succession to the pope who sits on the Chair of Peter today.
 
CCC: Mt 16-18 1969; Mt 16:16-23 440; Mt 16:16 424, 442; Mt 16:17 153, 442; Mt 16:18-19 881; Mt 16:18 424, 442, 552, 586, 869; Mt 16:19 553, 1444
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Reflection:
 
Where would we be without St. Peter and St. Paul? Peter was given the keys to the kingdom to pass down to us while Paul was sent to proclaim that kingdom to non-Jewish people. Without Peter, there would be no first pontiff; without Paul, Christianity might have been nothing more than an insignificant scandalous offshoot of Judaism.
 
While they were both critical to God’s plan, how differently they are painted by Scripture. Peter was so very human. He could suddenly be open to the Holy Spirit and then just as suddenly fall prey to doubt. We saw it many times in the Gospel.
 
Remember the time in the boat on the Sea of Galilee when he saw Jesus and got out of the boat and actually began walking on the water? (Matthew 14:22-36) We are reminded of a child learning to ride a bike. The parent patiently takes the child out onto the sidewalk, tells the child to begin pedaling as the parent walks next to them holding on to the back. At some point the parent lets go and the child rides on. Until, that is, they realize the parent is not there and then they generally lose faith (and concentration) and crash. Peter was like that; he started walking on water and as soon as he realized that it was impossible, he started to sink. The Lord rescued him, of course, like he always does for all of us. And he chastised Peter for his lack of faith.
 
Remember that awful night in the garden when Jesus was taken? How earlier in the evening when they were reclining at table Peter told Jesus how he would follow Jesus down any road? Remember how the Lord told him that before that night was out he would deny him three times? Again Peter was caught up in the spirit and said the noble thing only to fall prey to his own human weakness later. (Matthew 26:14—27:66) I love him for that weakness; it gives me hope for myself.
 
Then we have Paul who was a melodramatic firebrand. Paul, it seemed to me, threw himself into situations he knew would be spectacular. It was his style. Once there, with the predictable outcome (usually that meant he was either in jail or on the verge of being executed), he would lament his troubles (like today: "I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation"). He wanted us to see graphically that being Christian and following Christ in our lives would be difficult, should be difficult. He had a keen intellect and enjoyed matching wits with the best philosophical minds in Rome. Like so many in the Church today, Paul, as a convert, was the most fervent in his faith.
 
Two very different tools in the Lord’s toolbox are celebrated today. We, his modern-day followers, will do well if we can emulate either of them in their love of God and their dedication to the faith. We celebrate the fact that both followed Christ in life and death and sit now in the heavenly kingdom with all the angels and saints. We ask for their intercession on our behalf.
 
Pax

In other years on this date: Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

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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 used is “Saints Peter and Paul” by Guido Reni, c. 1600.
[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.
[5] In part, from the commentary from Fr. Tom Welbers at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Berkeley, California.

Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Irenaeus
 
Biographical information about St. Irenaeus

“St. Irenaeus"
iconifer and date are unknown

 
Readings for Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 2 Kings 25:1-12
 
In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign,
on the tenth day of the month,
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his whole army
advanced against Jerusalem, encamped around it,
and built siege walls on every side.
The siege of the city continued until the eleventh year of Zedekiah.
On the ninth day of the fourth month,
when famine had gripped the city,
and the people had no more bread,
the city walls were breached.
Then the king and all the soldiers left the city by night
through the gate between the two walls
that was near the king’s garden.
Since the Chaldeans had the city surrounded,
they went in the direction of the Arabah.
But the Chaldean army pursued the king
and overtook him in the desert near Jericho,
abandoned by his whole army.
 
The king was therefore arrested and brought to Riblah
to the king of Babylon, who pronounced sentence on him.
He had Zedekiah’s sons slain before his eyes.
Then he blinded Zedekiah, bound him with fetters,
and had him brought to Babylon.
 
On the seventh day of the fifth month
(this was in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon),
Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard,
came to Jerusalem as the representative
of the king of Babylon.
He burned the house of the Lord,
the palace of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem;
every large building was destroyed by fire.
Then the Chaldean troops who were with the captain of the guard
tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem.
 
Then Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard,
led into exile the last of the people
remaining in the city,
and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon,
and the last of the artisans.
But some of the country’s poor, Nebuzaradan,
captain of the guard,
left behind as vinedressers and farmers.
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Commentary on 2 Kgs 25:1-12
 
This reading from 2 Kings details the final destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in 587 B.C. by the Babylonians. The actual event occurred after the city had been besieged and invested for three years. All of the major buildings in the city were destroyed, its walls torn down, and the people killed or taken into captivity. Much of what is documented here is predicted by the Prophet Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 38:2-3ff). There is also a more detailed description of the event in  Ezekiel 17:11-21.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6
 
R. (6ab) Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
 
By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps.
R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
 
Though there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
“Sing for us the songs of Zion!”
R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
 
How could we sing a song of the Lord in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!
R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
 
May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.
R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
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Commentary on Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6
 
The sadness that drove Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild is reflected in this communal lament. The people of God, dispersed throughout the region, recall the joys of being in God’s presence in Zion (Jerusalem). We feel in this hymn our own anticipation of being together in God’s presence as a community of faith.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 8:1-4
 
When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I will do it. Be made clean.”
 
His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”
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Commentary on Mt 8:1-4
 
Following the first great discourse from St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has attracted a large crowd. In the following chapters, we see ten miracles. The cure of the leper is the first of these. This action on the part of Jesus is proof of his identity as the Messiah; hence the usual formula “Your faith has cured you” is missing (Mark 10:52; Luke 7:50). The language and demeanor of the leper demonstrates his absolute certainty of Jesus' identity and authority over his condition. 
 
The final instruction by Jesus to the cured leper is in accordance with Mosaic Law (see Leviticus 14:2-9) His instruction to tell no one about this was probably to insure that the priest who had to examine him would not reject the cure and the man.
 
CCC: Mt 8:2 448; Mt 8:4 586
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Reflection:
 
The story of the cure of the leper in St. Matthew’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus did not come just to heal that one person of faith who said “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”  He came because of God’s great love for us and the recognition that every person, born of woman, needs to be made clean.  Without Christ’s sacrifice, without Jesus seeing the cross and saying: “I will do it. Be made clean,” there would be no help for us, no path to the Father’s Heavenly Kingdom, no peace for us on earth.
 
While we can never fully understand God’s intense love for us nor can we completely understand his purpose, we can imagine the internal debate that must have taken place before Jesus chose incarnation.  We can imagine God who sees, not as we see, but feels internally all of the hopes, fears, loves and thoughts of all his creation at once.  Since they were created, humankind had been his favorites, created in his own image and likeness.  He had tried repeatedly to guide his children.  He had done signs to insure they knew of his existence.  He had inspired members of their communities to speak of the wonders of the Father who had adopted them.  He gave them prophets and kings to try to show them a path to happiness, but they would not grasp that this was done out of love for them.  They insisted on seeing only the hand that punished, never the hand that embraced.
 
A great decision was made in Heaven.  God would make himself present to the human race in the form of a man; a man like them begotten of woman, but in the essence of this man was God himself.  And this man who was God would walk among them and show them the hand that embraced, the love of God.  He would show them that if they would do what this Only Begotten Son of God would do, to love each person completely, they could share in the joy of the Heavenly Kingdom.
 
Of course, God knew.  He knew before he sent his Son.  He knew from before time because time does not exist for the one who was, is, and will be.  He knew his Son would be rejected by those who love earthly things.  His Son would only have a short time, literally milliseconds of historical time, to show God’s children what they must embrace, the love that they must share. 
 
So Jesus said: “I will do it. Be made clean.”  He exposed the loving hand of God, not just for this one person, but so we would see and know that it was God’s love, not vengeance, not punishment (which is what the people thought leprosy was, a punishment from God) that was his will.
 
With his will, Jesus has opened the way to the Heavenly Father.  He has done it through his will which is God’s will.  Our choice is before us.  Do we accept the healing hand of Christ?  Or do we cling to death?  Stated so clearly, it seems to be an easy choice; but so many do not see it.  Therein lies our mission, we are asked to share that choice with others.  Our prayer today is that the Holy Spirit gives us the grace and strength to make that offer through our actions and words.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “St. Irenaeus" iconifer and date are unknown.
[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.