Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Jane Frances De Chantal, Religious
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Jane Frances De Chantal

Biographical Information about St. Jane Frances De Chantal

"The Tax Collectors"
by Marinus van Reymerswaele, 1540's

 
Readings for Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28c
 
On the fifth day of the fourth month of the fifth year,
that is, of King Jehoiachin’s exile,
The word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel,
the son of Buzi,
in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.
There the hand of the Lord came upon me.
 
As I looked, a stormwind came from the North,
a huge cloud with flashing fire enveloped in brightness,
from the midst of which (the midst of the fire)
something gleamed like electrum.
Within it were figures resembling four living creatures
that looked like this: their form was human.
 
Then I heard the sound of their wings,
like the roaring of mighty waters,
like the voice of the Almighty.
When they moved, the sound of the tumult was like the din of an army.
And when they stood still, they lowered their wings.
 
Above the firmament over their heads
something like a throne could be seen,
looking like sapphire.
Upon it was seated, up above, one who had the appearance of a man.
Upward from what resembled his waist I saw what gleamed like electrum;
downward from what resembled his waist I saw what looked like fire;
he was surrounded with splendor.
Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy day
was the splendor that surrounded him.
Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ez 1:2-5, 24-28c
 
The prophet Ezekiel’s vision of God is presented, written before the Babylonian exile (593 BC). "As is usual in the prophetical books, the heading identifies the author and indicates when and where he exercised his ministry. Ezekiel was a priest, and there is evidence of this throughout the book - for example, in the stress he puts on precepts to do with divine worship and in his frequent use of the teaching techniques used by people who held temple positions." [4] The four winged creatures symbolize the cherubim (see also Ezekiel 10:1-2 (20-21)). The descriptive elements are similar to those provided in other Old Testament sources (see Exodus 24:9-10 and Exodus 33:18-23. They are also closely aligned with those described in St. John's Revelation as participants in the heavenly liturgy (see Revelation 4:2, 8) 
 
CCC: Ez 1:26-28 1137
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14
 
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights;
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys,
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
And he has lifted up the horn of his people.
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14
 
Psalm 148 is a hymn of praise. In this selection, we find the psalmist (presumably King David) singing of the omnipotence of God, his power and majesty, and his promise of salvation. This poem is related to the Benedicite, or “Song of the Three Children,” in Daniel 3:52-90. In both, we find catalogs of natural phenomena praising God.[5]
 
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Gospel: Matthew 17:22-27
 
As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee,
Jesus said to them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.”
And they were overwhelmed with grief.
 
When they came to Capernaum,
the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,
 
“Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?”
“Yes,” he said.
When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,
Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?
From their subjects or from foreigners?”
When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him,
“Then the subjects are exempt.
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up.
Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.
Give that to them for me and for you.”
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Commentary on Mt 17:22-27

This passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel begins with the second passion prediction (the first immediately followed the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 16:21). The first time Jesus made this prediction there was argument from the disciples; in this instance they are overwhelmed with grief. (This can be contrasted with St. Mark’s statement that they did not understand. Mark 9:32)
 
The second element of the reading deals with Jesus and Peter (again we note the special emphasis on Peter as leader of the disciples) and the payment of the temple tax. According to Exodus 30:13-15, each adult male Jew owed a half-shekel each year for the maintenance of the temple. Jesus uses the example of “tolls or census tax” to indicate that they should be exempt from paying the tax. Roman taxes were for those who were not Roman citizens; hence Roman taxes were for those who were aliens or allies. Claiming the same logic, since Jesus is of God’s family, Jesus (with his disciples) was exempt from the temple tax.
 
Yet, the Lord instructs Peter that the tax should be paid regardless, “that we may not offend them.” This implies Christ’s compassion for those who do not understand his identity. God provides what is needed in these situations. The fish with a coin would be symbolic to the early Christian community of Christ (symbolized by the fish) providing all that was needed.
 
CCC: Mt 17:23 554; Mt 17:24-27 586
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Reflection:
 
A few years ago, I attended a retreat given by Fr. Dennis Brown who pointed out an important fact related to the Gospel today.  Fr. Dennis notes that the Lord never speaks of the passion without also including the resurrection.  There is never suffering without salvation.  After Jesus tells his disciples (for the second time in this Gospel) that he will undergo both passion and resurrection, they are “overwhelmed with grief.” 
 
This tells us something important, not just about the disciples, but ourselves as well.  Matthew tells us that the disciples did not hear or understand the meaning of God’s design.  They heard only that the Lord would be killed.  They could see from the resistance he was encountering that Jesus was envisioning what would shortly come to pass.  What they could not understand was that the Lord was not talking about the resurrection as the Pharisees believed (the Lord said in three days, not at the final judgment).
 
This idea is especially important to us because of the Lord’s great consolation.  When we encounter adversity (or even face death as we all must), we often behave just as the disciples did: we are “overwhelmed with grief.”  We fail to see that our merciful Father does not offer the passion without the resurrection to those who have faith in him.
 
It is a critical understanding we can take away from St. Matthew’s story today.  It is that we should remember our Heavenly Father loves and cherishes each of us.  He would not allow us to endure suffering without offering us his love and salvation when we are faced with distress.  This promise was guaranteed by the Blood of the Lamb!
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is "The Tax Collectors" by Marinus van Reymerswaele, 1540'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.
[4] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.599.
[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 35:164, p. 601.