Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

“Beheading of Saint John the Baptist”
by Caravaggio, 1608

 
Readings for Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Hebrews 13:1-8
 
Let brotherly love continue.
Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,
and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,
for you also are in the body.
Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,
for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.
Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:
The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?
Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
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Commentary on Heb 13:1-8
 
In this selection from Hebrews, the author turns from social and moral topics to doctrine. The community is reminded of the requirements of their faith, especially hospitality. In this passage: “through it some have unknowingly entertained angels (v. 2),” a clear reference is made to Abraham’s encounter (Genesis 18: 1-5), and Tobit’s meeting with Raphael (Tobit 5:4-9). Following the exhortation to remain unified, and cling to the Christian values of morality and generosity, the author assures them of God’s presence with them. And even though their original leaders have passed away, Jesus Christ is unchanging: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
 
CCC: Heb 13:3 2447
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 3, 5, 8b-9abc  
 
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
 
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
 
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
 
For he will hide me in his abode
in the day of trouble;
He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,
he will set me high upon a rock.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
 
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
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Commentary on  Ps 27:1, 3, 5, 8b-9abc
 
Psalm 27 is a hymn of praise with two distinct parts. This passage captures the two major themes of the song, hope in God’s mercy and complete trust in his goodness. The singer, speaking for the people, pleads with the Lord to be constantly with them and provide the bounty of faith they hope for.
 
CCC: Ps 27:8 2730
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Gospel: Mark 6:14-29
 
King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
"John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
That is why mighty powers are at work in him."
Others were saying, "He is Elijah";
still others, "He is a prophet like any of the prophets."
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
"It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up."
Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother,
"What shall I ask for?"
Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
 -------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 6:14-29
 
Mark’s account of the capture and execution of St. John the Baptist is presented in this pericope, or excerpt. We note the story has many similarities with Jesus’ encounter with Pilate later in the Gospel (Mark 15:1-47). Both Herod and Pilate acknowledge the holiness of the ones they are to put to death. In both cases following the executions, faithful followers insure the body is given a respectful burial. St. Matthew’s Gospel gives a more complete introduction of Herod and Herodias (see Matthew 14:1-3).
 
"Herod projects onto Jesus his bad conscience for the gruesome murder of John the Baptist, under circumstances that show the deep connection between tyrannical eros and wanton cruelty.  The detail of the Baptist's head being brought to Herodias and her daughter on a platter (Matthew 14:11) makes of Herod's birthday feast a kind of satanic eucharist, where lust rules instead of self-sacrificial love and which links Herod, Herodias, her daughter, and their minions and guests in a communion of evil.  For, do not all of these participate in Herod's sworn covenant, motivated by lust and resulting in murder?" [4]
 
The actual account presented here is done as a flashback, as Herod questions the identity of Jesus whose disciples have just been sent into his region with great authority.
 
CCC: Mk 6:17-29 523
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Reflection:
 
We are given the story of the execution of St. John the Baptist to contemplate in the Gospel, and recall how the great “Voice” faithfully played his role to the very end.  He prefigured Christ from his birth, and now decreases so the Lord might increase (John 3:30).  For us, his death points to the passion of Christ who, like St. John, is subjected to human cruelty and ultimate death on the cross.  Unlike the “Voice,” the “Word” continues; we are adopted in his sacrifice and become heirs to the joys and sorrows of the path to the Father.
 
The author of Hebrews reminds us of that legacy of faith and obedience.  He speaks to the Hebrew audience, whose original leaders have died, to be faithful to the example they provided. They have held true to the core of Christian teaching, which has faith, hope and love at its heart.  king David reiterates this quest for faith in v.8 of Psalm 27. And even as we reflect upon the Hebrews message, we realize that all those who first read this letter have also passed on, as did those to whom the ancient text was handed on.
 
So many have gone before us in faith.  We feel the weight of their gaze upon us as we struggle to follow their example.  It is this very sense of historical tradition that gives us added strength, like a child doing their best to make their parents proud, even though their mother and father have passed away.  We accept the scrutiny of our predecessors as righteous encouragement and rededicate ourselves to living lives that will tell all those who meet us that the lineage from which we come has its roots in Christ.  Indeed, our actions should mark us clearly as belonging to him.
 
Today we pray once more for the strength to carry the message of love into the world.  Our hope is that when we retire this evening, we can return the loving gaze of those saints and angels who watch over us with a sense of oneness, having done this day as they would have done in our place.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” by Caravaggio, 1608.
[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] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume II, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2003 p.349.

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions
 
Biographical information about St. Paul Miki and Companions

"Nagasaki Martyrs"
artist and date are unknown

 
Readings for Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24
 
Brothers and sisters:
You have not approached that which could be touched
and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness
and storm and a trumpet blast
and a voice speaking words such that those who heard
begged that no message be further addressed to them.
Indeed, so fearful was the spectacle that Moses said,
"I am terrified and trembling."
No, you have approached Mount Zion
and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and countless angels in festal gathering,
and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven,
and God the judge of all,
and the spirits of the just made perfect,
and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
and the sprinkled Blood that speaks more eloquently
than that of Abel.
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Commentary on Heb 12:18-19, 21-24
 
The author, speaking to the Hebrews, launches a final appeal to compare the Covenant of Moses with the New Covenant in Christ. The Mosaic Covenant, argues the author, is based in fear of God while the New Covenant grants direct access to God the heavenly Father. The author points at Moses saying even he was afraid ("Indeed, so fearful was the spectacle that Moses said, 'I am terrified and trembling.'").
 
In the second section, a comparison is drawn between the Jews waiting at Mount Sinai for Moses and the faithful Christians at the end times gathering at the heavenly throne, the new Jerusalem, with all the angels and saints.
 
CCC: Heb 12:22-23 2188; Heb 12:23 1021
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 48:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 9, 10-11
 
R. (see 10) O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.
 
Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.
R. O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.
 
Mount Zion, "the recesses of the North,"
the city of the great King.
God is with her castles;
renowned is he as a stronghold.
R. O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.
 
As we had heard, so have we seen
in the city of the LORD of hosts,
In the city of our God;
God makes it firm forever.
R. O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.
 
O God, we ponder your mercy
within your temple.
As your name, O God, so also your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Of justice your right hand is full.
R. O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.
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Commentary on Ps 48:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 9, 10-11
 
Psalm 48 is a song of praise to God, exhorting the community to praise the Lord for his gift of salvation. The psalm sings of the glory of the heavenly kingdom, the new Jerusalem, and the Lord’s mercy and justice.
 
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Gospel: Mark 6:7-13
 
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
—no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
"Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them."
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons, 
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
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Commentary on Mk 6:7-13
 
In this account, the twelve disciples are sent two by two to begin the ministry for which Christ has been preparing them. They have been with him since they were called. Now he sends them into the world to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God as Jesus had done. We note a few differences from the same account in  Matthew 10:5ff and Luke 10:1ff. First, in St. Mark’s account they are allowed to take a staff and sandals (prohibited in the other Gospels). Second, St. Mark does not mention a prohibition against entering “pagan territory,” a reflection of conditions in the region at the time of Mark’s authorship.
 
The disciples are encouraged to stay in one house as opposed to moving from one place to another (presumably to find greater comfort), to avoid giving insult to their host or appearing ungrateful. The instruction to “shake the dust off your feet” to those who were unwelcoming was seen as a testimony against those who rejected repentance.
 
CCC: Mk 6:7 765, 1673; Mk 6:12-13 1506; Mk 6:13 1511, 1673
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Reflection:
 
In Jesus' mind, the disciples understand the basics.  He calls them together and sends them out on their mission to do as he has done, proclaim the good news and cast out unclean spirits.  It must be for Jesus like giving the keys of the car to a teenager for the first time.  They have been with him for a while and have seen what he has done in God’s name; now Jesus gives them the same authority and sends them out.
 
Of course, the analogy is flawed.  Unlike a parent trusting (and praying) that the training and practice of a new driver is sufficient to keep their child out of serious trouble, Jesus sees into the hearts of the disciples and knows they have the faith and courage necessary to do what he asks of them.  He must send them because he knows that, like the seed analogy he has used so often, the gift of salvation must be allowed to spread out from himself who is the source of that life.
 
This tableau set before us is the heart of the great paradox we, as Christians, must face daily.  While the Lord commands us to be a people set apart from the world, set apart because we belong to him and not to the secular world, we too are sent into the world to be the new disciples, proclaiming the Good News through our words and actions.
 
It is the power of the new covenant that makes this possible.  While we may worry that we are not prepared for such a difficult task, the Lord gives us what we need to do as he asks.  We are given the strength of the Holy Spirit, God’s own strength, to tap into at need. 
 
Probably the hardest part for us is to remember that we are actually sent.  So often we climb out of bed in the morning and forget that part of what we are asked to do each day is to be the disciple sent into the world.  We walk out thinking only of going to work to school or even to do something around the house and we forget that part of what we do is in response to God’s call through his Son.
 
It is difficult to keep that constantly before us; to remember always that we are sent.  Perhaps we should adopt a little mechanism to help us.  Perhaps we should put something by the door or bed where we would be sure to see it.  That something, whether it is a written prayer, or a symbol would remind us that we are going out as one of God’s own children to do not just our daily tasks but his work as well.
 
Whatever we accomplish today, we can certainly end the day with a prayer of hope: that what good we accomplished today will have been for his greater glory; that our actions might be seen by others as signs of his continued presence.  May God grant us a safe and prosperous trip this and each day.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is "Nagasaki Martyrs" artist and date are unknown.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] 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.

Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

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

“The Martyrdom of St Agatha”
by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, c. 1756

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15
 
Brothers and sisters:
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:
My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when reproved by him;
for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.
Endure your trials as "discipline";
God treats you as his sons.
For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline?
At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain,
yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who are trained by it.
 
So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.
Make straight paths for your feet,
that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.
 
Strive for peace with everyone,
and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God,
that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble,
through which many may become defiled.
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Commentary on Heb 12:4-7, 11-15
 
St. Paul encourages the Hebrew Christians to look at the persecution they endure, not as a fall from favor, but rather as a means by which the Lord strengthens them as his adopted children.  “This teaching is supported by Proverbs 3:11-12, taken from a long discourse in which a father exhorts his son to acquire true wisdom. In the present passage the father is identified with God and we with the sons whom he is addressing.” [4]
 
The proverb teaches that divine discipline is inspired by divine love. Without this wisdom, one might mistake the trials of life (such as persecution; Hebrews 10:32-36) for signs of God’s anger hammering down on every fault and failure.  On the contrary, God is a wise and caring Father who desires only to make his children better. It is because he loves them too much to overlook their sins and selfishness that he sends difficulties to train them in righteousness and to raise them to spiritual adulthood.  In point of fact, the sons of God are being forged in the image of God the Son who “learned obedience through what he suffered. (5:8) (CCC 2825)” [5] He calls them to remain faithful in the face of these trials so that God’s work may continue in them. The passage ends with encouragement to seek the peace of Christ in all things and with everyone.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18a
 
R.(see 17) The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
 
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's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
 
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him,
For he knows how we are formed;
he remembers that we are dust.
R. The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
 
But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity
to eternity toward those who fear him,
And his justice toward children's children
among those who keep his covenant.
R. The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
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Commentary on Ps 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18a
 
Psalm 103 is a hymn of praise (and thanksgiving). It is a simple and beautiful reaction to God’s goodness. Contemplating human mortality, the psalmist reflects on the brevity of life and the goodness God bestows upon us in his eternal blessing of those who follow him and keep his covenant. It continues the analogy used in Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15, speaking to us of the loving and compassionate Father. It goes on to emphasize the omnipresence of God and his eternal nature, knowing us from eternity.
 
CCC: Ps 103 304
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Gospel: Mark 6:1-6
 
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, "Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?"
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house."
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.
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Commentary on Mk 6:1-6
 
This passage is St. Mark’s account of the Lord returning to his hometown. As is his custom, he goes to speak in the synagogue and amazes the people he grew up with. The Lord encounters intense skepticism, born out of the fact that the people knew him before he took up his mission. In St. Luke's version (Luke 4:28ff), reference is made to the feeling that Jesus, in assuming the role of the Messiah, had blasphemed. The resulting attempt on his life is omitted in St. Mark's Gospel, but we still see the Lord’s response to their lack of faith. Non-canonical documents of the early Church Fathers (c. 400) refer to the relationships of the brothers and sisters of Jesus.  See The History of Joseph the Carpenter.
 
CCC: Mk 6:3 500; Mk 6:5 699; Mk 6:6 2610
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Reflection:
 
In this account of Jesus returning home, we understand something about the Lord’s early years, that period between age 12 when he was presented at the temple the second time and his baptism in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist.  The last we were told following his first presentation was: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Luke 2: 40).  That does not tell us much about his interaction with the community in which he grew up.  This exchange, however, hints at what the young Jesus must have been like in those years.
 
When he came to teach in the synagogue that sabbath, we are told that those who heard him were “astonished.”  They asked themselves where he had come by the knowledge and wisdom he displayed.  In order for them to react this way, we can only assume that as a young man, Jesus was humble and unassuming.  He did not presume to instruct his elders or even his peers.  He was growing into what he must become, a humble and compassionate man who could weep for those who mourned at the death of his friend Lazarus (John 11: 35).
 
The people of his community would have certainly seen the young Jesus, unassuming, learning the carpenter’s trade at the side of his foster father, St. Joseph.  He would not have stood out among his peers, with the exception that he never seemed to get into mischief.  He could not take the lead in these early years, except by example. His ultimate role was to be much, much larger.
 
Is it any wonder then, that when he came home after his remarkable transformation at the Jordan, after going into the desert and confronting his nemesis, the people who knew him before he assumed his Father’s mission would be amazed and then angered?  They were not with him to see the Holy Spirit descending upon him (Luke 3: 22). They were not there when he returned from the desert “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4: 14-5).  They had not heard or believed the rumors about his teaching and healing.
 
Now, robed as he was in his Father’s mighty mission, we can feel the Lord’s disappointment as the great lack of faith displayed by those friends with whom he had grown up was shown in their petty attacks on him.  Such lack of faith would naturally prevent the full effect of his healing power from being effective with those people.  We are told: “he was not able to perform any mighty deed there” (Mark 6:5).
 
And what message do we take away from this encounter?  Do we think our friends and families will be kinder to us as we go through our ongoing conversion?  Especially if we are away for a while and come home with great zeal for our faith, we should expect to be received as Christ was; human nature has not changed.  Our hope remains in the Lord, and when we do encounter this kind of response, we rejoice as the author of the Letter to the Hebrews encouraged. For the trials we face for our faith are blessings from God our Father.  In this case – we know we are doing something right.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used is “The Martyrdom of St Agatha” by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, c. 1756.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] 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.
[4] NAB Footnote for Hebrews 12:18.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Revelation and Hebrews and Catholic Letters,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 262.

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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

 
Readings for Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Hebrews 12:1-4
 
Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
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Commentary on Heb 12:1-4
 
Speaking to the Hebrews, St. Paul exhorts them to follow the example of witnesses both ancient (from the Old Testament) and contemporary. He uses Christ as the banner of steadfast faith, who, seeing the joys of the Kingdom of Heaven, endured the Cross for the sake of salvation for the people.
 
The author returns to his principal theme in this selection. He encourages the faithful to redouble their zeal for the faith. It is interesting that the author mentions specifically how the community (cloud of witnesses) strengthens the faith. The reading goes on to place Christ’s passion as a model of steadfastness, encouraging the faithful to resist against all opposition. This resistance, says the author, should include shedding one’s own blood for the faith.
 
CCC: Heb 12:1-2 165; Heb 12:1 1161, 2683; Heb 12:2 147; Heb 12:3 569, 598
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22:26b-27, 28 and 30, 31-32
 
R. (see 27b) They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
 
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
"May your hearts be ever merry!"
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
 
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
All the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.
To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
Before him shall bend
all who go down into the dust.
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
 
And to him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.
R. They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.
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Commentary on Ps 22:26b-27, 28 and 30, 31-32
 
Psalm 22 is an individual lament. The psalmist, in unusually passionate terms, describes the devotion of the faithful and the trust that God’s rule over all will be just. The final strophe is a pledge of faithfulness for all generations to come. The psalmist gives the response to God’s covenant. It supports the idea from Hebrews 12:1-4 that this act of worship is done in community by the individual. In fact, the song presumes a communal worship of God. (“Let the coming generation be told of the Lord that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice he has shown.”)
 
CCC: Ps 22 304; Ps 22:27 716
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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.
 
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 him,
"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, the synagogue official’s plea to Jesus to heal his daughter is presented. This is important from the standpoint that it is recognition of Jesus' status by the local faith community. An official from the synagogue would only consult 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. This was unlike the others crowded around because 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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Reflection:
 
One of the many rewards of faith in a loving and merciful God is the consolation of Christ in times of grief.  Pope Benedict XVI expressed this much better than I could in his encyclical Spe Salvi:
 
“Indeed, to accept the ‘other’ who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love. The Latin word con-solatio, ‘consolation’, expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude.” [4]
 
In simple language, the grief or sorrow we experience, especially at the loss of a loved one, a friend, or even a relationship, is indeed the feeling of being alone, deprived of the person whose loss we have suffered.  Into this void comes Jesus, his loving hand outstretched, bridging the gap between life and death.  In him we are never alone.  It is his consolation that lifts us out of hopelessness and gives us grace to overcome even the greatest of obstacles.
 
As the Holy Father said, Christ’s consolation is expressed most visibly though his followers (that would be us).  Our compassion for those who suffer becomes a miracle in itself.  It is not easy to accept another’s suffering, though, is it?  Accepting that burden necessarily means to experience the pain felt by the one who suffers.  That pain, we submit, is quantifiable.  That is, there is only so much to go around and the more who share in that suffering, the less burdensome it becomes to the group within which it is shared.  It is Christ’s (con-solatio) consolation – we are no longer alone.
 
Today as we think about the grief of Jairus, who briefly was stabbed with the pain of losing a daughter, let us remember those who grieve the loss of those they love: husbands, wives, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters.  May all those who suffer the loss be blessed with Christ’s steadfast presence, and our offer to share their suffering so it might be lessened though the consolation and mercy of God.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture used today is “Christ Resurrects the Daughter of Jairus” by Friedrich Overbeck 1815.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] 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.
[4] Spe Salvi, II, 38.

Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Blaise
 
Biographical information about St. Blaise
 
OR
 
Optional Memorial for Saint Ansgar, Bishop
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Ansgar
 
Biographical information about St. Ansgar

“Exorcism at Gerasenes”
by James Tissot, c. 1890’s

 
Readings for Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Hebrews 11:32-40
 
Brothers and sisters:
What more shall I say?
I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
of David and Samuel and the prophets,
who by faith conquered kingdoms,
did what was righteous, obtained the promises;
they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires,
escaped the devouring sword;
out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle,
and turned back foreign invaders.
Women received back their dead through resurrection.
Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance,
in order to obtain a better resurrection.
Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point;
they went about in skins of sheep or goats,
needy, afflicted, tormented.
The world was not worthy of them.
They wandered about in deserts and on mountains,
in caves and in crevices in the earth.
 
Yet all these, though approved because of their faith,
did not receive what had been promised.
God had foreseen something better for us,
so that without us they should not be made perfect.
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Commentary on Heb 11:32-40
 
The Pauline author considers his theme of faith (Hebrews 11:1). He tells his audience he did not come to proclaim the prophets, whom he describes as righteous and brave while giving a short list of examples. He explains that, while they did what was good in the eyes of God, they did not receive the promise that is made to the followers of Christ. It is only through Christ that resurrection and salvation may be achieved.
 
"In God's mysterious plan those who belonged to the time of 'shadow' (Hebrews 10:1) and we who belong to the time of fulfillment would be 'made perfect' together by the one sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:14). What they had in anticipation we now have in reality.  Yet Christians too walk by faith, since we too still await the full consummation of the promise (Hebrews 10:36)" [4]
 
CCC: Heb 11:39 147; Heb 11:40 147
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Responsorial Psalm: Ps 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24
 
R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous mercy
he has shown me in a fortified city.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
Once I said in my anguish,
“I am cut off from your sight”;
Yet you heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried out to you.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
 
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24
 
The complete psalm is an individual lament. This selection is a song of thankfulness and praise for God whose mercy is boundless and his forgiveness complete. We hear some of the pleading of the psalmist who has endured hardship and thought this was due to God forsaking him.  But the Lord had not forgotten him and returned to comfort him.
 
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Gospel: Mark 5:1-20
 
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
 
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 5:1-20
 
This is St. Mark’s version of Jesus casting out the multitude of demons and sending them into the herd of swine. Swine [pigs] are considered unclean animals under Hebrew dietary laws (Leviticus 11:7-8.  This action not only reinforces Jesus’ universal mission but adds a dimension of symbolism. It is important to note that this is a pagan region, so what the Lord is doing in helping the man with unclean spirits is ministering to non-Hebrews, indicating the breadth of his mission. Also in this story, the demon addresses him as “Jesus, Son of the Most High God,” a title that identifies him clearly and without equivocation as the Messiah.
 
“Allegorically (St. Bede, In Marcum): the demoniac represents the Gentile nations saved by Christ. As pagans, they once lived apart from God amid the tombs of dead works, while their sins were performed in service of demons. Through Christ the pagans are at last cleansed and freed from Satan’s domination.” [5]
 
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
At the heart of the story of Jesus casting out the legion of demons and causing them to flee into swine is the fact that evil is real, and there is a war against Satan going on in the world.  As much as our hedonistic society is more and more denying the existence of God and rejecting Jesus Christ, it disbelieves the existence of personified evil, Satan, and the consequences of following his invitations. 
 
When one denies the existence of something more powerful than themselves, it is like walking around in a pandemic without observing any safety precautions. (And Satan, to the person who has already rejected the vaccine against him which is faith, “the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen,” is more powerful than their own will and, as we have seen, comes to us as something infinitely desirable.) When we refuse to believe in the existence of Satan, we are at his mercy and the results, as the possessed man demonstrated, are mentally and physically devastating.
 
Perhaps one of the most important statements we are given today may seem anticlimactic.  The man Jesus had cured asked, even pleaded, with Jesus to stay with him. In this action we see that the vacuum left when the demon’s possession ended had been filled by faith in Christ, protection against further attacks by Satan.  Rather than accepting his offer, the Lord sent him back to his own people with the words: “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
 
The message we can take from this incident, in addition to a reminder of the threat Satan constantly poses, is that what God, in his mercy [pity], does for us, he does out of his great love for us.  We do not earn his mercy or his salvation; it is given to us because God has a special love for us. It is our inoculation against Satan. We can think of it as we think of what a good parent does for his or her child.  What right do children have to expect all of the good things parents give them?  What effort on the part of children causes the parent to lavish their love upon them?  It is not some merit in the child that causes or entitles the child to this love; rather it is the natural love the parent feels for the life that they, with God’s help and grace, brought into the world.
 
We have seen children try to do things that please their loving parents.  They are eager to please them, especially when they are young.  Do we not act the same way toward God our Father?  Are we not anxious to act in ways that we feel should make that heavenly parent happy?  But think of the reward God promises.  It is not an allowance or a special treat, it is the grace and peace of Christ; it is the resurrection on the last day.  There is nothing we as human beings could do to make ourselves worthy of so great a prize.
 
Today let us give thanks to God the loving Father, who, through his great love for us, gave his only Son so that we, who are totally unworthy, might enjoy an eternity with him. We also pledge to take to heart the prayer to St. Michael the archangel which asks for God’s defense against Satan.  Indeed, we must believe there is a war and we are both part of it and the enemy’s goal.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Exorcism at Gerasenes” by James Tissot, c. 1890’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] Hebrews, by Mary Healy © 2016, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids MI, p.255.
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, p.74.