Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

“The Orphanage”
by Jan de Bray, 1663

 
Readings for Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Romans 8:12-17
 
Brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
 
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a spirit of adoption,
through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.
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Commentary on Rom 8:12-17
 
The verse immediately preceding this short excerpt from Romans is helpful in providing context. v.11: “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.” Most scholars interpret v.11-12 as reinforcing the fact that Christians, adopted by God in baptism, live in God's grace.  However, they are not spared the death of the body (flesh) as a consequence of original sin.
 
St. Paul continues his discourse about the importance of making life in the spirit a priority as opposed to the life of the “un-spiritual.” He reminds his Christian audience that, when they became Christians, they were not made slaves, but adopted as children of God. They are able, he tells them, to call God the Heavenly Father, “Abba,” the familial term used by Jesus, emphasizing that they are co-heirs with Christ whose sufferings and glory they share.
 
CCC: Rom 8:9 693; Rom 8:11 632, 658, 693, 695, 989, 990; Rom 8:14-17 1996; Rom 8:14 259, 693, 1831, 2543; Rom 8:15 257, 693, 1303, 1972, 2777; Rom 8:16 2639; Rom 8:17 1265, 1460, 1831
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 68:2 and 4, 6-7ab, 20-21
 
R. (21a) Our God is the God of salvation.
 
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
 
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
 
Blessed day by day be the Lord,
who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation.
God is a saving God for us;
the LORD, my Lord, controls the passageways of death.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
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Commentary on Ps 68:2 and 4, 6-7ab, 20-21
 
This song of thanksgiving praises the Lord for his salvation of his children with the theme of adoption. It is an idea that would later be personified in Christ (Romans 8:12-17). It specifically references God assuming the fatherly role with widows and orphans (the father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling). His faithful followers, the singer calls, enjoy his strength, even his power over death.
 
CCC: Ps 68:6 238
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Gospel: Luke 13:10-17
 
Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
“There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”
The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?”
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.
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Commentary on Lk 13:10-17
 
The story of the cure of the crippled woman is parallel to the story of Jesus curing the man with dropsy on the Sabbath (see Luke 14:1-6). He is challenged by the local Jewish leadership for doing “work” on God’s holy day (cf. Exodus 20:8; 31:14 Leviticus 19:3-30). As before, he uses the need to tend to the necessities of life on the Sabbath as parallel to his need to cure the woman. He reinterprets the law establishing the need to please God through acts of mercy and kindness (cf. Hosea 6:6; James 2:13).
 
“Luke rounds off the account schematically by suggesting that Jesus puts all his opponents to shame (of course most of them would not even have been present!). By echoing the language of the Greek text of Isaiah 45:16, he suggests that Scripture is being fulfilled. Similarly, the response of the crowd strays outside the bounds of the actual episode. The use of “glorious [splendid] things” may be a deliberate echo of the same term in the Greek version of Exodus 34:10.” [4]
 
CCC: Lk 13:15-16 582
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Reflection:
 
We are forced to look at what it means to be “adopted” by God.  St. Paul makes it clear that those who are baptized into Jesus are adopted as sons and daughters of God.  In an earlier era, that adoption was extended only to the Hebrews as is made clear in both the psalm and the gospel, as Jesus refers to the woman he cures specifically as “This daughter of Abraham.” 
 
Abstractly, before our adoption as natural beings, we were slaves of the flesh, thinking only in terms of what gratified the flesh.  When one takes that view, the stark reality of death becomes a finite ending.  The body, the flesh, will die, and all the effort that went into making the flesh happy or strong will have ended with it.  Yet, we have chosen to accept adoption by Jesus, and in doing so our main concern must now be with our soul or spirit.  It is the spirit that animates the flesh and to a great degree controls its appetites.
 
Becoming adopted children of God carries with it both wealth and obligation.  An orphan adopted by a titled family inherits the title of that family. They also inherit the responsibility that goes along with the title. It is the same for those who are adopted by God. We inherit the responsibility that goes along with the title “Christian.”  If the adopted child of a titled family does not live up to their obligations, the family may “disown” that child, making them ineligible to inherit the wealth of the adopting family.  Here is where the analogy breaks down a bit since our adoptive Father will never disown us.  His hand is always outstretched.  It is we who disown him through sin. We separate ourselves from his love by our own choice. We forfeit our inheritance, squander it like the “Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:11-32), in favor of death in the flesh.
 
Today we pray that we may always be aware of our adoption as children of God and co-heirs to his kingdom.  May we conduct ourselves as is befitting one called a child of God and bring honor to his name in so doing.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Orphanage” by Jan de Bray, 1663.
[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] John Nolland, Luke 9:21–18:34, vol. 35B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1993), 725.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 588, 2559, 2613, 2631: humility as the foundation of prayer
CCC 2616: Jesus hears prayer made in faith
CCC 2628: adoration as the attitude of man who knows he is a creature
CCC 2631: prayer for pardon as the first kind of prayer of petition

“The Pharisee and the Tax Collector”
by James Tissot c. 1896-1898

 
Readings for Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
 
The LORD is a God of justice,
who knows no favorites.
Though not unduly partial toward the weak,
yet he hears the cry of the oppressed.
The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan,
nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint.
The one who serves God willingly is heard;
his petition reaches the heavens.
The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds;
it does not rest till it reaches its goal,
nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds,
judges justly and affirms the right,
and the Lord will not delay.
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Commentary on Sir 35:12-14, 16-18
 
In this passage from the Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) the effectiveness of prayer is extolled. The author explains that God hears the prayers of all, and that one’s station in life makes no difference (“he hears the cry of the oppressed”). In this instruction, the son of Sirach echoes Leviticus 9:15 which articulates a constant call to the faithful to show preferential treatment to the poor and the widow. God, we are told, always hears those who believe in him and answers.
 
“The Torah grants special protection to these vulnerable social groups [fatherless…widow] (Exodus 22:22-23; Deuteronomy 10:17-18; 24:17; 27:19; Ps 68:5). Tears of the widow: an allusion to Lam 1:1-2 where Jerusalem is described as a bereaved widow (also Baruch 4:12, 16)” [5]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23
 
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
 
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
 
The Lord confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the Lord hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
 
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The Lord redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
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Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23
 
Psalm 34 is a song of thanksgiving. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone. This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted, echoes hope for deliverance and freedom. Response: “The LORD redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him."
 
CCC: Ps 34:3 716
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Reading II:  2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
 
Beloved:
I am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.
 
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
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Commentary on 2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18
 
St. Paul sees the end of his life as imminent and gives thanks to God for giving him the strength and words to provide an adequate defense against his prosecutors. It is clear that he views his own impending martyrdom as an act of worship, visibly proclaiming the message he was sent to deliver to the Gentiles. At the close of his life Paul could testify to the accomplishment of what Christ himself foretold concerning him at the time of his conversion: "I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name." (Acts 9:16)
 
CCC: 2 Tm 4 2015
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Gospel Luke 18:9-14
 
Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
"Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity --
greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
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Commentary on Lk 18:9-14
 
The Gospel story is the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (tax collector). Here we find Jesus addressing those who think of themselves as closer to God, and therefore better than those who are not so scrupulous in their worship. It is the second of two consecutive parables on prayer. In this one, the Lord takes a critical stance against the prideful Pharisee, telling his disciples that, like the tax collector, their prayer must recognize that all have sinned and all must be humble before God. The parable carries a message and image similar to the earlier parable (Luke 7:36-50) where Christ forgives the sinful woman in the house of Simon.
 
Jesus points out that the Pharisee, who focuses on pious acts to demonstrate his own holiness, misses the point of God’s desire for authentic worship (CCC 588), while the humility and authenticity of the tax collector will be “justified.” It is easier to hear in the Jerusalem Bible version which says; “This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not.”
 
CCC: Lk 18:9-14 2559, 2613; Lk 18:9 588; Lk 18:13 2631, 2667, 2839
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Reflection:
 
Jesus takes aim at pride in his parable about the prayers of the Pharisee and the tax collector.  The Pharisee was not praying in sincerity to God.  He was boasting about his scrupulous practice of Mosaic Law.  He was claiming to be better than those who were either unable or unwilling to submit to the rigorous pharisaic practices.
 
On the other hand, the tax collector recognized his failings and humbly submitted himself to God’s mercy.  He confesses from his heart: “'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'” His simple prayer is unassuming and strikes to the heart of abject surrender to God’s love.  The plea for forgiveness is full of contrition.  In the spirit of Psalm 51 which states “a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse.”
 
About this passage the Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
 
2667 This simple invocation of faith developed in the tradition of prayer under many forms in East and West. The most usual formulation, transmitted by the spiritual writers of the Sinai, Syria, and Mt. Athos, is the invocation, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners." It combines the Christological hymn of Philippians 2:6-11 with the cry of the publican and the blind men begging for light.¹⁸ By it the heart is opened to human wretchedness and the Savior's mercy.

18. Cf. Mk 10:46-52; Lk 18:13.
 
The message is clear.  The Lord asks us to submit to his mercy, to become vulnerable as a child, offering our contrition without expectations.  Secular society sees this as foolishness, they see humility as “an esteem problem,” and contrition as weakness.  This attitude bespeaks unmerited pride.  Just as the Pharisee in the Lord’s parable was prideful, and in his pride fell to sin, so are secular attitudes that look down on the poor and marginalized. 
 
It is a hard thing that the Lord asks.  He asks us to see in ourselves the sins we have committed and hold them before us.  It is only in this way, constantly reminded of our human failings, that we can keep pride out of the equation.  Even as we do this we must be cautious not to fall into the trap of self-deprecation.  We remember also, that while we must recognize our sins, we are beloved of God, his adopted children, prized above all his creation.  Basking in that love and mercy, we can go about our lives confident that if we balance our knowledge of being God’s special favorites, with our personal failings to live up to that role, we can strike the right tone of humility that honors God, not dishonors ourselves.
 
Today our prayer is simple.  Today we borrow the prayer of the tax collector and pray earnestly: “'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'”
 
Pax
 

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “The Pharisee and the Tax Collector” by James Tissot c. 1896-1898.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Old and New Testament, (Ignatius Press, © 2024), 1127

Saturday of the Twenty-ninth 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: #39B Holy Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy, I, II)

“St Giustina and the Guardian Angel
Commending the Soul of an Infant
to the Madonna and Child”

Readings for Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Romans 8:1-11
 
Brothers and sisters:
Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has freed you from the law of sin and death.
For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do,
this God has done:
by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh
are concerned with the things of the flesh,
but those who live according to the spirit
with the things of the spirit.
The concern of the flesh is death,
but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.
For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God;
it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it;
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin,
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
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Commentary on Rom 8:1-11
 
In the first section of this passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans he differentiates between the disconnected law that leads to death and the law connected and fulfilled in Christ that leads to salvation.  He goes on to say that those who concern themselves more with the material world have chosen death while those who have elected to pursue life in the spirit have chosen life eternal.
 
The apostle expands upon the idea that through the Law of Moses sin entered the word. This occurred through the existential mechanism of defining sin. Here he expresses the idea that only through Christ Jesus can one be freed from sin and death. The Law of Moses cannot accomplish this freedom, is “powerless to do so” since it is “weakened by the flesh”; that is, implemented as it is understood by mankind. Christ, who came to fulfill the law provides the means of freedom from sin and death for Christians, since they live in the spirit, coming to righteousness. He focuses on what disciples of Christ must do to please God which must come through the spirit, not the flesh. Paul makes it clear that the Spirit is "of God," for the new principle of Christian vitality is derived from the same source as all the other divine manifestations of salvation. The baptized Christian is not only "in the Spirit," but the Spirit is now said to dwell in him.
 
CCC: Rom 8:2 782; Rom 8:3 602; Rom 8:9 693; Rom 8:11 632, 658, 693, 695, 989, 990
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
 
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
 
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
 
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
 
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
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Commentary on Ps 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
 
Psalm 24 is a processional song. It recalls that God is the great Creator and he calls his people to be faithful. It asks the question: "Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?" The psalmist answers, only those who are sinless (completely reconciled to God). They who achieve that beatified state will receive the reward of eternal life from the Savior. It focuses on the character of the one who worthily seeks God, and the one who is worthy to come into God’s kingdom and stand before him. We are answered: “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.”
 
This is part of a hymn of entrance, sung as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the temple at Jerusalem, followed by the faithful. Once again in this song, we find a reference borrowed by St. John’s Revelation (Revelation 14:5), and an image created in the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:22). Who are the ones allowed full access to God?
 
CCC: Ps 24:6 2582
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Gospel: Luke 13:1-9
 
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
 
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree  
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”
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Commentary on Lk 13:1-9
 
In the story from St. Luke, there is once more a reminder that urgency is required in seeking repentance. The story begins with an explanation by the Lord that victims of Roman punishment ("whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices"), and victims of an accident ("those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them"), were not singled out by God for punishment. These statements are followed by the parable of the barren fig tree as a way of saying that God, at some point, will become impatient, and will call sinners to account for their actions.
 
The incidents recorded at the beginning of this reading (likely the accidental death of those on whom the tower fell) are found only in St. Luke’s Gospel. Based upon historical works of the time, the actions of Pilate were in keeping with his character. Jesus uses the event to call his audience to repentance.
 
“Following on the call to repentance, the parable of the barren fig tree presents a story about the continuing patience of God with those who have not yet given evidence of their repentance (see Luke 3:8). The parable may also be alluding to the delay of the end time, when punishment will be meted out, and the importance of preparing for the end of the age because the delay will not be permanent.” [5]
 
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Reflection:
 
There was recently a news report about an unusual car chase.  A woman was captured on camera driving down a freeway during the day.  She was driving erratically and when the person in another car pulled up next to her, she was clearly asleep at the wheel.  The observing car honked at her and while she jerked away for a short time, soon she was weaving again.  This incredible saga lasted for 58 miles until a highway patrol vehicle finally pulled her over.
 
Anyone who has been driving for a number of years has probably had a situation where they caught themselves nodding off.  We all know how dangerous it can be to fall asleep at the wheel.  The Lord is making that same point in the Gospel.  We cannot afford to fall asleep at the wheel of our faith and we all know that happens in those circumstances as well-we are in danger of crashing (i.e. embracing the Evil One’s plan).
 
When we are driving and begin to get drowsy, we know we need to pull over and get some sleep.  When we feel ourselves weaving on the road of faith it’s time to stop what we are doing and spend some time with the Lord.  That can be in prayer, in meditation, with the Holy Scripture or with the sacraments.  The point is that we need to be constantly vigilant.
 
Today we thank God for watching over us and keeping us safe.  We thank the Lord in a special way when he sends us reminders like the one we received today.  We vow to remain awake and vigilant and continue to fill up our spiritual selves as we continue our journey in life to the one who promises us eternal life.
 
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 “St Giustina and the Guardian Angel Commending the Soul of an Infant to the Madonna and Child” by Gaetano Gandolfi, 1792-93.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] NAB footnote on Luke 13:6-9.

Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop 
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret
 
Biographical Information about St. Anthony Mary Claret

“The Last Judgment”
by Lucas van Leyden, 1526

 
Readings for Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Romans 7:18-25a
 
Brothers and sisters:
I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.
The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
For I do not do the good I want,
but I do the evil I do not want.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it,
but sin that dwells in me.
So, then, I discover the principle
that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.
For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self,
but I see in my members another principle
at war with the law of my mind,
taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Miserable one that I am!
Who will deliver me from this mortal body?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Commentary on Rom 7:18-25a
 
This passage outlines the internal struggle between our physical instincts and our spiritual discipline.  Our body’s desires are for things which are, in some cases, morally evil.  These impulses are held in check through the grace given to us by Christ Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit. St. Paul continues his existential apologia about over-dependence on the letter of the law: “Persons who do not experience the justifying grace of God, and Christians who revert to dependence on law as the criterion for their relationship with God, will recognize a rift between their reasoned desire for the goodness of the law and their actual performance that is contrary to the law. Unable to free themselves from the slavery of sin and the power of death, they can only be rescued from defeat in the conflict by the power of God's grace working through Jesus Christ.” [4]
 
CCC: Rom 7 1963; Rom 7:16 1963; Rom 7:22 1995; Rom 7:23 2542
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94
 
R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
Never will I forget your precepts,
for through them you give me life.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
 
I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
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Commentary on Ps 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94
 
In ironic counterpoint to St. Paul’s discourse about the need to be dependent upon the spirit rather than the letter of the law (Romans 7:18-25a), this passage from Psalm 119 give thanks for the law and rejoices in its structure as a saving grace.
 
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Gospel: Luke 12:54-59
 
Jesus said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
 
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”
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Commentary on: Lk 12:54-59
 
The Lord continues his reflection on the end times (the Parousia) and using the analogy of seeing what weather will come based upon the direction of the wind, he asks the people if they cannot see the signs of the coming of the kingdom of God. Applying the image of an impending court date, at which time a judge will pass a sentence, he urges the people to reconcile themselves with the Lord. Using the urgency generated by the uncertainty of the hour of that call to judgment, he exhorts the crowd to order their lives now, and do not delay.
 
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Reflection:
 
St. Paul sets the tone for us today.  In his Letter to the Romans, he gets into a very deep apologia about how the Law of Moses actually defines right and wrong, and therefore opens the door to sin by so defining it.  Those who study Aristotelian syllogistic logic and modern symbolic logic would have loved that argument postulated in classical Greek forms.
 
For us, however, we look at a much more practical application of that same kind of logic.  As Christians we are defined by the language and logic of Christ.  The concepts he taught go against modern norms surrounding some important concepts.  Let’s take the Lord’s definition of leadership for example.  In his day, political leaders ruled with an iron fist.  There was no democracy, no benevolent governance.  There were rules and armies to enforce those rules, and the leaders lived in lavish comfort, usually having attained their posts through ruthless dealings with their competitors.
 
Christ taught his disciples to lead through service, telling them that the greatest among them would be the servant of the rest.  This is a complete inversion of the view of leadership in his day (and to a large degree, ours).
 
Let’s also look at how the Lord defines victory or success.  It is not as the world counts success.  His victory was the baptism of his passion.  It is his great suffering, sacrifice, and ultimate crucifixion that marked his victory.  By the standards of his day (and ours) that would have seemed a defeat, but in dying he destroyed death for those who love him, and fulfilled the plan God had set in motion from the beginning of time.
 
St. Paul drives a good argument as he twists the logic of his opponents.  As he so eloquently points out: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  In Jesus we have found the hope and reality of salvation through the forgiveness of our sins and new life in his resurrection.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Last Judgment” by Lucas van Leyden, 1526.
[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 Romans 7:18ff.

Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial of Saint John of Capistrano, Priest
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. John of Capistrano
 
Biographical information about St. John of Capistrano

“Youth between Virtue and Vice”
by Paolo Veronese, 1580-82

 
Readings for Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Romans 6:19-23
 
Brothers and sisters:
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature.
For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity
and to lawlessness for lawlessness,
so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.
But what profit did you get then
from the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of those things is death.
But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God,
the benefit that you have leads to sanctification,
and its end is eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Commentary on Rom 6:19-23
 
St. Paul now adds an active dimension to his discussion of salvation. Up to this point he has focused on faith in Christ. He now expands his argument to include the consequences of the actions of the person. He points out that sinful acts end in death (death of the spirit through guilt “from the things of which you are now ashamed”), but righteous acts gain sanctification (holiness). He concludes this passage with the famous verse: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
 
CCC: Rom 6:19 1995; Rom 6:22 1995; Rom 6:23 1006, 1008
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
 
R. (Ps 40:5) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
 
Psalm 1 serves as a preface to the whole book of psalms. The psalmist here exalts those who follow the Lord’s commands and reflects upon the blessings they will receive. As in Romans 6:19ff, this selection emphasizes the contrast between the salvation of the just and the punishment of the wicked.
 
This wisdom psalm begins by extolling the virtue of those who follow the law. The focus is to look to God for guidance, and not to trust only in the counsel of men. Those who reject the law will be blown away like “chaff,” an image used in the Gospel as well (Matthew 3:12).
 
This portion of the psalm is later echoed in Jeremiah 17:7 and Isaiah 48:17-19, like an overlapped formula of covenant.  Blessed is the man who “delights in the law day and night,” but “the way of the wicked vanishes.” It also takes up the theme of following right paths and staying true to the teachings of God: “Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law day and night.”
 
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Gospel: Luke 12:49-53
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
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Commentary on Lk 12:49-53
 
This discourse from St. Luke’s Gospel emphasizes the divisive nature of Christ’s message. He has already encountered resistance, and the author sees that his message of peace will have an even more profound influence on the world. It is clear that the Lord knows many will not be able to accept his words, and this will cause enmity among people, even within families.
In this passage, there is a glimpse of the passion (the baptism mentioned in  v.50  shares the image presented in Psalm 124:4-5), and the anguish the Lord feels for the message he is bringing. He sees the flame of faith igniting the whole world. Jesus knows there will be those who accept the proclamation of the kingdom of God, and those who will reject both it and him.
 
CCC: Lk 12:49 696; Lk 12:50 536, 607, 1225, 2804
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Reflection:
 
No one knows the truth of the Gospel passage from St. Luke just proclaimed better than the parents of children they have attempted to raise in the faith.  It is so clear to the parent when their children embark upon courses of action that will lead them down dark paths.  We can warn them, we can attempt to dissuade them through logic, or even discipline them, but frequently, the more serious the issue the more intense the disagreement.  Ultimately the parent must trust that the example they have tried to show their children will, at some point, serve to guide them back on the right path.  The road for the parent is very difficult when the forces of the world conspire to steal the innocence from their children and lead them into danger.
 
The pain and sorrow felt by parents in the situation just described are magnified in Jesus as he is depicted in the Gospel.  His love for the children of the world is greater than any parent’s love for their children, and his anxiety over what his message brings is made clear.  He knows that what he brings is not going to bring peace because it is opposed, often violently, by the status quo of the world.  As St. Paul tells the Romans, what the Lord offers is salvation through forgiveness and freedom from sin. That offering will be opposed by sin.
 
We hear the anguish in the Lord as he contemplates the difficulty he brings to his family on earth.  Parents feel a shadow of this pain when they deny their children things they would like but would lead them in wrong directions.  We feel a touch of his pain when we publicly take a stand that we know will alienate those who are clinging to the world view of things.  Does that mean the parent should give in to the child’s request, or that we should go along with the popular secular view of issues in the world?  Did the Lord seek to turn away from the Cross? 
 
No, we pray fervently today that we be given the strength of spirit to do what the Lord asks, knowing that frequently those actions will generate division not unity, and hatred instead of love.  We also pray that we are given the grace to respond to those who hate us for our stance with love.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Youth between Virtue and Vice” by Paolo Veronese, 1580-82.
[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.