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“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
[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.
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