Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
 
On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. [1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary. (USCCB recommends: #26 The Blessed Virgin Mary, Image and Mother of the Church, II)

“The Israelites after Crossing the Red Sea”
by Hans Jordaens III, 1620s

 
Readings for Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1:  Exodus 12:37-42
 
The children of Israel set out from Rameses for Succoth,
about six hundred thousand men on foot,
not counting the little ones.
A crowd of mixed ancestry also went up with them,
besides their livestock, very numerous flocks and herds.
Since the dough they had brought out of Egypt was not leavened,
they baked it into unleavened loaves.
They had rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity
even to prepare food for the journey.
 
The time the children of Israel had stayed in Egypt
was four hundred and thirty years.
At the end of four hundred and thirty years,
all the hosts of the LORD left the land of Egypt on this very date.
This was a night of vigil for the LORD,
as he led them out of the land of Egypt;
so on this same night
all the children of Israel must keep a vigil for the LORD
throughout their generations.
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Commentary on  Ex 12:37-42
 
Following the tenth plague visited upon the Egyptians in the story of the Exodus, Pharaoh has released the people of Israel, and, in this passage, they are leaving Egypt under Moses’ leadership. As they were instructed in the rules for Passover, the bread is unleavened and their parting is hurried.
 
The numbers referenced in the passage may have been symbolic of a very large number (as is seen in other parts of the Old Testament, cf. Numbers 1:46; 26:51).  The event is remembered by the Church today as it is captured in the Exultet, proclaimed at the Easter Vigil Mass: "This is the night, when once you led our forebears, Israel's children, from slavery in Egypt and made them pass dry-shod through the Red Sea. This is the night that with a pillar of fire banished the darkness of sin. This is the night that even now, throughout the world, sets Christian believers apart from worldly vices and from the gloom of sin, leading them to grace and joining them to his holy ones." [5]
 
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Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 136:1 and 23-24, 10-12, 13-15
 
R. His mercy endures forever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever;
Who remembered us in our abjection,
for his mercy endures forever;
And freed us from our foes,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Who smote the Egyptians in their first-born,
for his mercy endures forever;
And brought out Israel from their midst,
for his mercy endures forever;
With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Who split the Red Sea in twain,
for his mercy endures forever;
And led Israel through its midst,
for his mercy endures forever;
But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever. 
or:
R. Alleluia.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 136:1 and 23-24, 10-12, 13-15
 
Psalm 136 gives thanks for God’s intervention for the people in bondage in Egypt.  It recalls the events and signs God performed to facilitate their freedom from slavery.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 12:14-21
 
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus
to put him to death.
 
When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.
Many people followed him, and he cured them all,
but he warned them not to make him known.
This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
 
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom I delight;
I shall place my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not contend or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on   Mt 12:14-21
 
After the Lord challenged pharisaic law and declared the “Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8), the Pharisees see Jesus as a threat to their hold over the people. Jesus backs away from their intended violence.  In doing so, he fulfills the “Suffering Servant” role in the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4). This passage reemphasizes his meekness (see Matthew 11:28-30), and extends his mission to the Gentiles.
 
“The [Pharisees’] need to ’take counsel’ together in secret, to make a laborious effort to harmonize a variety of minds and wills (συµβούλιον) who are united only by a common hatred, plainly manifests the complexities of the darkness in its frenzy to snuff out the simplicity of the light. How straightforwardly easy and direct, by comparison, Jesus' healing of the man! No, God does not have to ‘take counsel’ in order to do good! God simply follows the innermost law of his own nature:
 
Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as his counselor has instructed him?
Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? (Isaiah 40:13-14)” [6]
 
"Matthew next shows how Jesus' withdrawal is not a setback but a part of God's Plan as foretold in the Old Testament prophecy.  Matthew uses the formulaic statement, 'what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet,' in order to set up his longest fulfillment quotation from the Old Testament: a passage from the Servant Song of Isaiah 42:1-4.
 
"The opening line of this prophecy  ̶  'Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight'  ̶  was already alluded to by the heavenly voice at Jesus' baptism (Matthew 3:17) and will be repeated at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:5)." [7]
 
CCC: Mt 12:18-21 713
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Reflection:
 
What great solace this Gospel passage gives to anyone who has ever tried to bring another person to believe in God and Christ and has been rebuffed or rejected.  What a great example it is to anyone who intends to go out the door today to try to bring Christ to the world by word or example.  In this one short Gospel passage we are given both the method of our going and the attitude of our offered gift.
 
In this selection from St. Matthew, Jesus has just tried very hard to convince those faithful to the Law of Moses of his mission and identity.  Those who should understand best what he has been sent to accomplish rejected him, and began to plot against him because he challenged their authority.  Considering the power of the Lord, his reaction is remarkable.  With a gesture of his will, he could have presented these pious doubters with miraculous evidence not seen since Moses invoked God to part the Red Sea.  Yet he did not challenge further, nor did he become defensive.  True to his mission, fulfilling the prophetic description of his attitude, he meekly continued to offer himself to those who could accept what he offered.
 
This is the example and attitude that must be ours.  No matter how difficult it is, we can only offer the path to God’s grace and salvation.  Just as we marvel that the Pharisees, who should have instantly recognized Jesus for who he was, rejected him, we are incredulous that those we attempt to show the face of Christ cannot or will not accept what he offers them. 
 
The comparison is not really fair.  Our example and words are a poor reflection of Jesus’ ministry and life.  Yet the principle is the same.  We who are called to be like him, offer ourselves to the world, and, if we are doing it close to right, the world will reject us.  We should expect nothing more.  And when this happens we should not be angry, disappointed, defensive, or sullen.  We should rejoice.
 
Pax
 

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[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by ‘BVM.’ The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2] The picture is “The Israelites after Crossing the Red Sea” by Hans Jordaens III, 1620s.
[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.
[5] Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing Corp., NJ © 2011, p. 207.
[6] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume II, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2003 p. 79.
[7] The Gospel of Matthew, © 2010 Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI, p. 167.

Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Camillus De Lellis, Priest
[In the Dioceses of the United States]
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Camillus De Lellis
 
Biographical information about St. Camillus De Lellis

“The Disciples Pluck Corn”
by Edward Armitage, c. 1865

 
Readings for Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Exodus 11:10—12:14
 
Although Moses and Aaron performed various wonders
in Pharaoh's presence,
the LORD made Pharaoh obstinate,
and he would not let the children of Israel leave his land.
 
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
"This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel:  On the tenth of this month
every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb,
one apiece for each household.
If a family is too small for a whole lamb,
it shall join the nearest household in procuring one
and shall share in the lamb
in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.
You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then,
with the whole assembly of Israel present,
it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
It shall not be eaten raw or boiled, but roasted whole,
with its head and shanks and inner organs.
None of it must be kept beyond the next morning;
whatever is left over in the morning shall be burned up.
 
"This is how you are to eat it:
with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,
you shall eat like those who are in flight.
It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every first born of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.
 
"This day shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall celebrate
with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ex 11:10—12:14
 
In this reading from Exodus we have jumped forward to the end of Moses’ contest of wills with Pharaoh. The first nine plagues have been visited upon Egypt, and still Pharaoh will not allow the people of Israel to leave. Now God gives instructions to Moses and Aaron about what later will be called the Passover Feast. This is done in preparation for the repercussions from the slaughter of the firstborn of Egypt.
 
Our Lord chose the context of the Passover Supper to institute the Eucharist: "By celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus' passing over to his Father by his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the kingdom" (CCC, 1340).
 
CCC: Ex 12:3-14 608
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 15 and 16bc, 17-18
 
R. (13) I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
 
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
 
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
 
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 116:12-13, 15 and 16bc, 17-18
 
This selection from Psalm 116 recalls the Passover ritual referring to the “cup of salvation.”  The psalm rejoices in God’s saving works in releasing the people from their bondage. It gives us the image of the “Cup of Blessing” used in the Passover celebration. It is this cup that the Lord first blessed and used as our communion cup. 
 
CCC: Ps 116:12 224; Ps 116:13 1330; Ps 116:17 1330
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 12:1-8
 
Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath.
His disciples were hungry
and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,
"See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath."
He said to the them, "Have you not read what David did
when he and his companions were hungry,
how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering,
which neither he nor his companions
but only the priests could lawfully eat?
Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath
the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath
and are innocent?
I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.
If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
you would not have condemned these innocent men.
For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 12:1-8
 
Following the comment by Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30 about asking those burdened by strict Pharisaic interpretation of the Law of Moses to come to him, we find a practical example as the Pharisees attack the disciples because they picked some grain to eat on the sabbath. In Pharisaic law, that act is considered work, and is forbidden on the Lord’s Day. Jesus reinterprets the law, citing the First Book of Samuel (1 Samuel 21:2-7) and Leviticus (Leviticus 24:8). The implication of his final statement in this passage is clear to us. “The ultimate justification for the disciples' violation of the sabbath rest is that Jesus, the Son of Man, has supreme authority over the law.” [4]
 
CCC: Mt 12:5 581, 582, 2173; Mt 12:6 586, 590; Mt 12:7 2100
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Reflection:
 
What is most important about what we believe?  What is important about our faith lived and practiced?  Is it that we attend Mass each Sunday as we are obligated to do?  Is it that we scrupulously observe the rituals, fasts, and abstinence rules?  In fact, some have challenged our practices based upon the Gospel passage from St. Matthew. They have asked: do we need rules and laws, or even the precepts of our faith at all?  In point of fact, many of the various Christian denominations developed out of a “sola scriptura (Bible only)” idea.
                                                                                                      
Their argument is that Jesus’ disciples were not confined to the religious rituals and laws of the Pharisees and chief priests of the temple.  In fact, on many occasions, as in the passage given today, Jesus challenged them on their practice of the faith.  Even when he reached out to the poor and downtrodden offering a lighter burden and an easier yoke, he was speaking at least in part about the strict regulations of the Pharisees. 
 
As is generally the case, when one takes the Lord’s demands based on only one aspect of his teaching, we can justify almost any action in the name of being faithful to the Bible.  The Church, in her wisdom, has looked for millennia at the whole of Christ’s teaching, understanding in the broader sense the Lord’s will for God’s people.  This broad and foundational view, long studied and reflected upon, lets us see beyond the “face value” of such readings.
 
When Jesus challenges the Pharisees he first testifies (by example) that he has come, not to destroy the “law,” but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17ff). He tells us that he has the authority to allow his disciples, because of the vital role they are playing in God’s plan, to be exempted or dispensed from the strict rules regarding “work” on the Sabbath.  He did not say that those rules regarding work were wrong or that they should not be followed.  He simply dispensed his disciples from this obligation, just as those having authority in the Church may dispense one of the faithful from a specific obligation based upon need.
 
Jesus, in this instance, used this point of contention as a teaching moment, trying to point out to the Pharisees that what they had long hoped for, the coming of a Messiah, was realized in the person of Jesus. (“I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.”)
 
As in Jesus’ day, there are those who would argue this point and lobby for an easier discipline, a more flexible set of rules governing the practice of the faith.  We submit to you today that, as difficult as it is to adhere to the Precepts of the Church, it is those very ideals that define us as Christian and Catholic.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “The Disciples Pluck Corn” by Edward Armitage, c. 1865.
[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] NAB footnote on Matthew 12:1-8.

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Christ the Consoler”
by Ary Scheffer, 1837

 
Readings for Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Exodus 3:13-20
 
Moses, hearing the voice of the Lord from the burning bush, said to him,
“When I go to the children of Israel and say to them,
‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel:
I AM sent me to you.”
 
God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the children of Israel:
The Lord, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
 
“This is my name forever;
this my title for all generations.
 
“Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and tell them:
The Lord, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
has appeared to me and said:
I am concerned about you
and about the way you are being treated in Egypt;
so I have decided to lead you up out of the misery of Egypt
into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites,
Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,
a land flowing with milk and honey.
 
“Thus they will heed your message.
Then you and the elders of Israel
shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him:
“The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent us word.
Permit us, then, to go a three-days’ journey in the desert,
that we may offer sacrifice to the Lord, our God.
 
“Yet I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go
unless he is forced.
I will stretch out my hand, therefore,
and smite Egypt by doing all kinds of wondrous deeds there.
After that he will send you away.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ex 3:13-20
 
This passage continues Moses' interview with God at the burning bush on Mount Horeb. Moses first tries to get God to give a name that he can use to tell the leaders of the people of Israel who it is that sent him. God’s response is a non-response: “I am who am.” Existing without a proper name, God is beyond control of mankind.
 
He continues his instruction telling Moses that the king of Egypt (pharaoh) will not simply allow the people of Israel to leave. He prophetically promises to smite Egypt and in response the people will be sent away.
 
CCC: Ex 3:13-15 205; Ex 3:14 446, 2666, 2810
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105:1 and 5, 8-9, 24-25, 26-27
 
R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He greatly increased his people
and made them stronger than their foes,
Whose hearts he changed, so that they hated his people,
and dealt deceitfully with his servants.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He sent Moses his servant;
Aaron, whom he had chosen.
They wrought his signs among them,
and wonders in the land of Ham.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 105:1 and 5, 8-9, 24-25, 26-27
 
Psalm 105 is a hymn of thanksgiving. In the first strophe we see a call to invoke the name of God whose name can only be God or I AM (see Exodus 3:14). The song continues to remember the story of Moses’ call to go to Egypt.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30
 
Jesus said:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 11:28-30
 
In this passage, Jesus invites those burdened by the yoke of Pharisaic law to believe in him. Obedience to the word of Christ is much easier than the complex rules of the law under scribal interpretation. This “wisdom” saying of Jesus builds upon that found in Sirach 51:23-27.
 
With heart-piercing tenderness, Jesus' invitation to peace and salvation is best expressed in these two verses. The Lord invites us to be placed under the authority of his word ("Take my yoke"), and there we will find rest. Jesus addresses all who are burdened by the requirements of the lives they live. He offers them the help of God, who takes those burdens of pain, fear, and fatigue upon himself, replacing them with the yoke of God’s kingdom. Quoting Jeremiah 6:16, he calls the weary to follow his way.
 
CCC: Mt 11:28 1658; Mt 11:29-30 1615; Mt 11:29 459
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Reflection:
 
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”
 
What a gracious invitation from Jesus.  Scripture scholars tell us that the reference in this passage is to the burden of Pharisaic law with all its complex requirements that made it difficult even to go about one’s daily business without violating some minute requirement.  This, say those who study the ancient texts, was the original purpose for the statement.
 
For those of us who walk in the world the simple words, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest,” say much more, don’t they?  They invite us to place all of life’s burdens at the feet of Christ.  His invitation tells us he will take away the fears and sorrows, the anxiety and dread we feel, and leave in their place peace.
 
It is so simple an offer.  We can almost feel it being made as he hung upon the cross for us. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”  He takes away the intense guilt we feel, he washes us from all the ways in which we have turned from him and leaves us light and pure.
 
What is the catch, our skeptical inner voice may ask?  The catch is that we must open our hearts and accept that invitation.  We need to put the burdens down, not cling to them as we often do.  We must lay our hatred, our jealousy, our greed, and our fear at his feet.  If we can do that, his tender yoke is indeed no burden at all, and we will have peace.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used today is “Christ the Consoler” by Ary Scheffer, 1837.
[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.

Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
 
Additional information about the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

“Moses before the Burning Bush”
by Domenico Feti, 1613-14

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12
 
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to him in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
"I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned."
 
When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
He answered, "Here I am."
God said, "Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your father," he continued,
"the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.
The cry of the children of Israel has reached me,
and I have truly noted that the Egyptians are oppressing them.
Come, now! I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people,
the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
 
But Moses said to God,
"Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh
and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
He answered, "I will be with you;
and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you:
when you bring my people out of Egypt,
you will worship God on this very mountain."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ex 3:1-6, 9-12
 
Moses learns of God’s will for him. This passage describes his call from God on Mount Horeb. The image of the burning bush attracted him, and God calls the reluctant servant to return to Egypt as his instrument. The purpose, Moses is told, is to lead the “children of Israel out of Egypt.” Moses’ response demonstrates the humility generally associated with God’s chosen servants.
 
"In the dialogue between God and Moses after the theophany of the burning bush (vv. 1-10), the Lord endows Moses with all the gifts he needs to carry out his mission: he promises him help and protection (vv. 11-12), he makes his name known to him (vv. 13-22), he gives him the power to work wonders (4:1-9), and he designates his brother Aaron as his aide, who will be his spokesman (4:10-17)." [4]
 
CCC: Ex 3:1-10 2575; Ex 3:5-6 208; Ex 3:5 2777; Ex 3:6 205, 207; Ex 3:7-10 1867
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1b-2, 3-4, 6-7
 
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of  Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
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Commentary on Ps 103:1b-2, 3-4, 6-7
 
This psalm of thanksgiving recalls God’s saving works. Three of God’s blessings are enumerated: forgiveness, healing, and salvation. The third strophe links the verse to the role of Moses in salvation history.
 
CCC: Ps 103 304
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Gospel: Matthew 11:25-27
 
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
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Commentary on Mt 11:25-27
 
Jesus has just completed a fairly scathing criticism of the people in the places he has been and performed miracles; yet many have not accepted him as the Messiah. He now concludes this section on a more joyous note as he reflects that, while the scribes and Pharisees (“the wise and learned”) have not understood who he is, those with simple faith have accepted him freely. “Jesus can speak of all mysteries because he is the Son and there is perfect reciprocity of knowledge between him and the Father; what has been handed over to him is revealed only to those whom he wishes.” [5]
 
CCC: Mt 11:25-27 2603, 2779; Mt 11:25-26 2701; Mt 11:25 153, 544, 2785; Mt 11:27 151, 240, 443, 473
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Reflection:
 
It is much more difficult to accept that God has spoken to you and directs you when he asks you to do something you really do not want to do.  It has always been this way as Scripture clearly shows.  In the Exodus reading God calls Moses to free the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt.  That is a noble task and one for which Moses is uniquely qualified, having been brought up by Pharaoh’s sister.  Yet does he want to give up being a herdsman and go be the hero of his people?  The reply from Moses was “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?”  He knew and did not want to go.
 
In the Gospel, Jesus is actually praying a lament.  The learned ones, the scribes and Pharisees, have rejected the notion that God has answered their prayer in sending the Messiah.  Jesus does not fit their notion of what God should have sent.  Jesus is calling them to do things they do not want to do – set aside their authority, love one another.  These are not the ideals that seem to serve what these religious leaders have worked to achieve.
 
God does not always tell us what we want to hear.  He tells us what is right and true, which is frequently just what we do not want to hear.  It is for this reason it is so important that we pray for discernment.  If we speak with God in prayer and get to know him through his Holy Word which he left for us; if we have strengthened our own grace in the sacraments; we will hear his voice and come to understand where he sends us.
 
It is a difficult message we receive today only because God calls us out of our comfort zones.  The path our Savior walked is filled with bumps and is not easy.  As the Lord pointed out – the narrow gate is the one we are called to enter, and it is hard.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “Moses before the Burning Bush” by Domenico Feti, 1613-14.
[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: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 254.
[5] NAB footnote on Matthew 11:25 ff.

Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

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

“Saint Bonaventure”
artist and date are unknown

 
Readings for Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Exodus 2:1-15a
 
A certain man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,
who conceived and bore a son.
Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him for three months.
When she could hide him no longer, she took a papyrus basket,
daubed it with bitumen and pitch,
and putting the child in it,
placed it among the reeds on the river bank.
His sister stationed herself at a distance
to find out what would happen to him.
 
Pharaoh's daughter came down to the river to bathe,
while her maids walked along the river bank.
Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaid to fetch it.
On opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying!
She was moved with pity for him and said,
"It is one of the Hebrews' children."
Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter,
"Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women
to nurse the child for you?"
"Yes, do so," she answered.
So the maiden went and called the child's own mother.
Pharaoh's daughter said to her,
"Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will repay you."
The woman therefore took the child and nursed it.
When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter,
who adopted him as her son and called him Moses;
for she said, "I drew him out of the water."
 
On one occasion, after Moses had grown up,
when he visited his kinsmen and witnessed their forced labor,
he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own kinsmen.
Looking about and seeing no one,
he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
The next day he went out again, and now two Hebrews were fighting!
So he asked the culprit,
"Why are you striking your fellow Hebrew?"
But the culprit replied,
"Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us?
Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?"
Then Moses became afraid and thought,
"The affair must certainly be known."
 
Pharaoh, too, heard of the affair and sought to put Moses to death.
But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian.
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Commentary on Ex 2:1-15a
 
In response to Pharaoh’s order to have all Hebrew newborn male babies killed, Moses' mother places him in a basket and hides him in the river. There discovered by the daughter of Pharaoh, he is ultimately adopted by her. The passage compresses the timeline of his story moving from infancy to saying simply: “On one occasion, after Moses had grown up” It is clear that the adult Moses knows of his birthright as he sides with the Hebrews against the Egyptians. The passage concludes with Moses hiding from Pharaoh in Midian.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34
 
R. (see 33) Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
 
I am sunk in the abysmal swamp
where there is no foothold;
I have reached the watery depths;
the flood overwhelms me.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
 
But I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
 
But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me;
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
 
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
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Commentary on Ps 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34
 
Psalm 69 is an individual lament.  The psalmist sings of great trials and perils, describing the singer’s dire situation.  Faith and hope in the Lord, says the song, sustains those in need.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 11:20-24
 
Jesus began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
 
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:
 
Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.
 
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
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Commentary on Mt 11:20-24
 
This passage follows the parable of the Children in the Marketplace, in which Jesus addresses those who have heard the words of both John the Baptist and himself. He accuses them of not being willing to hear that they must turn away from sin and repent.
 
In this passage he goes further, chastising the towns in which he has performed great signs. As in the parable that preceded it, this selection speaks of the punishment reserved for those who refuse to hear the word he has spoken. In addition to ignoring the Lord’s revelation, they also continue to ignore the Law and the Prophets. Their fate, he tells them, will be worse than that of Sodom.
 
CCC: Mt 11:20-24 678
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Reflection:
 
Scripture accelerates the development of faith and understanding for those who have sought to do God’s will over the millennia.  In the first reading from Exodus we see God’s plan for Moses unfold.  We hear of his birth and, with no mention of his upbringing by Pharaoh’s daughter, we find him outraged at the treatment of his kinsmen (he knew his heritage and birthright).  In response to the treatment of this member of his extended family he kills the Egyptian. 
 
Granted, this is a historical account of God’s revelation stated in human terms.   Still, are we surprised that there is no moral outrage expressed at one person killing another?  Recall that the Law of Moses (see the irony) has not yet been handed on to Israel.  Killing had not yet been defined as sin (although the implication is present in the account of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:8-13)).  As St. Paul points out, through the Law of Moses sin enters the world (Romans 5:13ff).  Not because the law was sinful but because sin was defined by the law.
 
We jump ahead now, two thousand years, to the time of Jesus.  With the law now firmly in place and sins against God clearly defined, Jesus himself has made it clear that, in God’s eyes (his eyes), the very thought of violence against one’s brother or sister is sinful.
 
This compression in understanding God who was revealed, first through the Law and the Prophets, and then completed in Christ Jesus who came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, gives us the foundation for our own moral center.  Our actions are not judged just upon the heart of the law that Moses brought, the Decalogue or Ten Commandments.  Our justification comes from following the law fulfilled in Christ.   The Lord’s commandment is this measure by which we will be judged and this measure to which we must apply all our actions.  And the Gospel lets us know that failure to learn this lesson will have consequences.
 
Today we rededicate ourselves to truly internalizing God’s law fulfilled in Jesus.  We pray that God will give us the strength and discipline to follow that law and bring him glory.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “Saint Bonaventure” artist 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.