Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time - Independence Day

Independence Day [In Dioceses of the United States]
 
Alternate Texts may be taken from the Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, II. For Civil Needs: 13. For the Nation, nos. 882-886; or 14. For Peace and Justice, nos. 887-891. Author’s selection – Independence Day.
 
On this Independence Day, for the General Intercessions one may use an adaptation of the prayer composed by Archbishop John Carroll for the inauguration of George Washington as found in the Book of Blessings (#1965): [1]
 
We [likewise] commend to your unbounded mercy
all citizens of the United States,
that we may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in
  the observance of your holy law.
May we be preserved in union and that peace which the
  world cannot give;
And, after enjoying the blessings of this life,
be admitted to those which are eternal.
 
We pray to you, who are Lord and God
for ever and ever.
 
R. Amen
 
Optional Memorial for Saint Elizabeth of Portugal [Other Regions]*
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal

*In the United States, this memorial is perpetually transferred to July 5^th.

“Christ Healing the Paralytic”
by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, 1730-32

 
Readings for Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Amos 7:10-17
 
Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam,
king of Israel:
“Amos has conspired against you here within Israel;
the country cannot endure all his words.
For this is what Amos says:
Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land.”
 
To Amos, Amaziah said:
“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!
There earn your bread by prophesying,
but never again prophesy in Bethel;
for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”
Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet,
nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;
I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.
The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,
‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
Now hear the word of the LORD!”
 
You say: prophesy not against Israel,
preach not against the house of Isaac.
Now thus says the LORD:
Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city,
and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword;
Your land shall be divided by measuring line,
and you yourself shall die in an unclean land;
Israel shall be exiled far from its land.
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Commentary on Am 7:10-17
 
This selection shows the tension between prophet (Amos) and priest (Amaziah). The latter takes Amos’ words out of context and distorts them into what appears to be an attack on the king. As a consequence, Amos is expelled from Bethel (the national sanctuary of the northern kingdom) and would no longer be providing guidance to King Jeroboam II as “court visionary” or prophet.
 
In reply to the savage rebuke of the high priest, Amos lists his credentials. He denounces the professional prophets and disclaims any connection with them. Amos had no interest in being a prophet for the purpose of earning money. "[He was] a dresser of sycamores: This insipid fruit, which grows especially in the lowlands of Palestine, is related to, but smaller than, the fig; it was the food of the poor." [5]
 
Amos has the last word (v.17). He gives Amaziah the dooming prophecy for the king and his family. The reference to death “in an unclean land” is a reference to Assyria.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
 
R. (10cd) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
 
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
 
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
 
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
 
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
 
Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In this passage, we give praise for God’s gift of the law which guides us in our daily lives. The hymn extols the virtues of obedience and steadfastness to the law and its precepts. The passage also reflects the idea that following God’s statutes leads to peace and prosperity.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8
 
After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”—
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
 
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Commentary on Mt 9:1-8
 
Jesus continues his saving works in the healing of the paralytic. He leaves the territory of the Gadarenes, having been rejected out of fear.  He comes once more to his own town and is confronted with a singular demonstration of faith.  We are told, "And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher." Note, there was no outcry or plea from those who lovingly brought the paralytic to Jesus; rather, an unspoken faith in the Lord that moved Jesus to remove his burden.
 
 The leaders of the synagogue hear Jesus forgive the man’s sins, which in their thinking caused the man’s affliction (cf. John 9:1-3), and could only be taken away by God (cf. Luke 5:21). To demonstrate that he was from God, and acting for God, Jesus took away, not only the man’s sins, but what the scribes believed were the consequences of those sins, his paralysis. The crowds, if not the scribes, immediately understood and gave thanks to God for his mercy.
 
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Reflection:
 
Jesus first forgives the sins of a young paralytic then heals him, in the Gospel for today. In Hebrew thought, these two actions are linked. It was the Jewish belief that if something terrible happened, like being paralyzed, it was because the person did something wrong, sinned against God. They believed that God, in retribution, caused the affliction. This belief did not just attach to the one afflicted either; it attached to the whole of the person’s family, including extended family.
 
So, by saying first: “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven,” Jesus demonstrated that he spoke with the authority of God, since only God could forgive one so afflicted. That is why the scribes who were present were thinking that Jesus was blaspheming.
 
It got better though. Jesus, sensing the thoughts of the scribes, demonstrated that he could not only forgive sins, but also remove the outward signs of interior sin when he says:
 
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”—
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
 
No one present missed the revelation. Only God could forgive sins, and the outward sign of that sin was the paralysis. Jesus first removed the cause, then the effect, in the eyes of the witnesses.
 
This revelation is very important to us. Christ has told us that sin does not result in immediate and physical punishment from God as the Jews believed. The Lord’s coming changed that forever. He delivered us from sin and death.  Jesus starts us on our journey of faith in the forgiving bath of baptism, where all sins are washed away. He strengthens us with the gift of the Holy Spirit and adopts us as his children.
 
Through his gift to Peter of the keys of the kingdom, he has passed on to his Holy Church the faculty to continue his loving forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation. He has permanently removed the source of our temporal pain and disfigurement as a consequence of sin.
 
Finally, again through the gift of the sacraments, he has provided us with the instrument of healing in the anointing of the sick, again removing barriers to God and the kingdom of Heaven.
 
Indeed, today’s Gospel is an important one for us. We see in it our own salvation. The only price we are asked to pay is faith and love of him who loves us.
 
Pax

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[1] Book of Blessings, by the Order of St. Benedict, Inc., Collegeville, MN © 1989, p. 747.
[2] The picture is “Christ Healing the Paralytic” by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, 1730-32.
[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] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 14:34, p. 251.