Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Optional Memorial for Saint Isadore, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)

Proper for the Memorial of St. Isadore

Biographical information about St. Isadore

“The Infant Jesus Distributing Bread to Pilgrims” 
by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1678

Readings for Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Commentary:

During the Fourth Week of Lent (especially in cycles B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent) optional Mass Texts are offered.

Reading I: Exodus 32:7-14

Commentary on Ex 32:7-14

“Yahweh informs Moses of the people's sin; these verses must originate from a source other than that of v.18, where Moses appears ignorant of what is happening in the camp. Yahweh has divorced himself from this sinful people, for he refers to them as "your people." He intends to destroy the wicked and form a new nation. Moses now assumes the role of mediator and appeals to God's honor for his own name before the pagan nations as a motive to prevent the destruction of his people. As a second motive, Moses recalls the promises accorded to Abraham. We note, however, the subsequent conflicting elements of the punishments invoked by Moses (Exodus 32:20, 25-29) and the testimony of Yahweh (Exodus 32:34).”[4]

CCC: Ex 32 210; Ex 32:1-34:9 2577

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23

 R. (4a)  Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Commentary on Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23

Psalm 106 is a national lament remembering the events from Exodus 32:7-14, where the Jews, brought out of Egypt by Moses, fell into idol worship, even as he received the Law on Mt. Horeb. The psalmist reminds the people that Moses interceded and turned away God’s wrath.

CCC: Ps 106:23 2577

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Gospel: John 5:31-47

Commentary on Jn 5:31-47

Jesus continues his discourse as his revelation continues. He now focuses on testimony other than his own to demonstrate that he is the Son of God. He starts with John the Baptist and then moves to the works he has performed in the Father’s name, indicating that those actions give testimony that he is from God. Jesus finally points to Holy Scripture and tells the Jews that even scripture testifies to his identity.

In the final section of this passage, Jesus chastises the Jews for their lack of belief in him. He points out that he did not come seeking praise or glory for his own sake (“I do not accept human praise”). He goes on to tell them they do not see the truth but will believe a lie if it conforms to what they believe the truth should be (“you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him”).

The logic of the Lord’s words in the final verses crashes down on them. If they reject Jesus in favor of the glory that comes from false prophets, then he does not need to condemn them; they are self-condemned. He tells them that if they believed Moses (the author of revelation in the Old Testament) they would believe in him (Jesus) and are now condemned by Moses as well, because by rejecting Jesus, they have disbelieved the word of Moses.

CCC: Jn 5:33 719; Jn 5:36 548, 582; Jn 5:39 702; Jn 5:46 702

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Homily:

Jesus, in throwing the words of Moses into the face of the Hebrews who would not accept him as the Messiah, also challenges each of us.  While we profess our faith in him as avowed Christians, by his words and example he asks us if we truly believe he is our Savior.  He says: “The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.”  We must ask ourselves: do our works testify that we are sent by Christ?

Through our Lenten discipline of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving it should be clear to those we meet that we are practicing Christians.  But we must ask ourselves: do we try to hide that fact?  Are we a little embarrassed to show our faith to the neighbor across the street or the co-worker in the next cubicle?  Do we clearly work as Christ would if he were employed in our jobs, or given the same tasks to fulfill?

Jesus had to work very hard to change the minds of the Jews.  They thought of God the Father as the punisher who had killed off an entire generation wandering in the desert.  They thought of him as a harsh judge, allowing innocent people to be deformed and humiliated because of the sins of their ancestors.  Jesus works to change that image through his own sacrifice.  He is the love of the Father personified.

If we accept this new image of God, given to us in Christ’s revelation, we must act in ways that demonstrate this belief.  We cannot hide Christ’s love under a basket or shrink away from opportunities to show others who we believe in.  This is the great challenge the Lord throws down once more in scripture.  We are called to testify to the Father and Son through what we do, not just what we say in the darkness of our evening prayers.

Let that be our pledge.  Let us testify to the world through our actions that we truly believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Pax

---

[1] The picture is “The Infant Jesus Distributing Bread to Pilgrims” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1678.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc.© 1968, 3:90, p. 65.

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

“Madonna and Child with the Lamb of God” 
by Cesare da Sesto, 1515

Readings for Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Readings and Commentary:[3]

During the Fourth Week of Lent (especially in cycles B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent) option Mass Texts are offered.

Reading I: Isaiah 49:8-15

Commentary on Is 49:8-15

This reading from Isaiah is a part of the second “Servant of the Lord” oracles. In this segment, the servant promises salvation to the captives and light to those in darkness. He has led the people by pleasant and safe paths and has shown mercy. The response from Zion is “the Lord has forsaken me,” to which we hear the tender response: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” God’s fidelity and faithfulness are assured.

CCC: Is 49:13 716; Is 49:14-15 219 , 370; Is 49:15 239

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18

 R. (8a) The Lord is gracious and merciful.

Commentary on Ps 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18

This song of praise has an acrostic pattern (aleph, beth, etc.). In the first strophes the goodness of the Lord is extolled, quoting Exodus 34:6-7. God’s covenant is extended to all peoples. The passage continues celebrating God’s mercy to those who are “bowed down” – overcome by hardship –and concludes with the psalmist’s faith in God’s faithfulness to those who call upon him in genuine need.

CCC: Ps 145:9 295, 342

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Gospel: John 5:17-30

Commentary on Jn 5:17-30

In the Gospel from John, Jesus has already angered the Jews by violating the Sabbath. (This passage immediately follows the story about the cure of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda.) Now he really upsets them by apparently blaspheming, saying God is his own Father. Almost as if to cement his fate, he makes sure we understand that he did not make that statement casually. Rather he paints a complete analogy of biological father and son. Jesus goes on to state that the authority to judge the actions and lives of others has also been given to him. The inheritance is complete.

Failure to hear and believe will result in resurrection to condemnation. "Another work of the Son is that of judgment, a divine prerogative that the father has given him (cf. John 3:35).  Again it is brought out (cf. John 3:18) that judgment takes place not only at the end of time but in the here and now, on the basis of acceptance or rejection of Christ." [4]

The passage concludes with the promise of salvation to those who hear and understand; that salvation is eternal life.

CCC: Jn 5:16-18 594; Jn 5:18 574, 589; Jn 5:19 859, 1063; Jn 5:22 679; Jn 5:24-25 994; Jn 5:24 1470; Jn 5:25 635; Jn 5:26 612, 679; Jn 5:27 679; Jn 5:28-29 1038; Jn 5:29 998; Jn 5:30 859, 2824

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Reflection:

The oracle of the “Servant of the Lord” from Isaiah predicts the statement made by Jesus in the Gospel.  The servant comes, according to the prophet, to lead the people by safe paths to salvation.  He even predicts the lack of recognition by Zion. They have forgotten God’s earlier mercies in bringing the people out of bondage in Egypt, and now cry out that God has forsaken them.

In the Gospel, Jesus has revealed that he is the Son of God in unequivocal terms.  He goes further to say that God has willed to His Son the authority to judge, the ability to hand out rewards for faithfulness, and punishment for wickedness.  Just as Isaiah uses the analogy of parent and child at the end of the first reading (“Can a mother forget her infant”), Jesus makes it clear that he is the Son of God, and the power and authority that is in the Father is also in the Son.  Unequivocally they are one; an extension of one another.

From a practical perspective we must ask ourselves: what must we do in response to the scriptural message?  The answer is also scriptural. The Lord calls on us to cease our unbelief and believe. In this belief there is a great blessing, because just as the Lord reserves the right of judgment at the end of time, he also judges in the here and now.  His promise of the resurrection starts, not just when we die, but even now.  His judgment, which can bring blessed peace or the groan of pain, begins in this life and extends to eternal life.

We say to this: “But I do believe.” 

And the Lord will say, “By your actions I will know you.” 

Today’s scripture reminds us of the promise of eternal life, and encourages us not to forget the good things the Lord has already done for us.  He has given us life and we praise him.  He has given us the path to salvation and we praise him.  He has laid down his human life for us, endured suffering and death, so that we might join him with all the angels and saints and be spared from condemnation.

Pax

---

[1] The picture is “Madonna and Child with the Lamb of God” by Cesare da Sesto, 1515.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 63:84, p. 434.

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Optional Memorial for Saint Francis of Paola, Hermit)

Proper for the Memorial of St. Francis of Paola

Biographical information about St. Francis of Paola

“Christ healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda” 
by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1667-70

Readings for Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Commentary:

During the Fourth Week of Lent (especially in cycles B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent) optional Mass Texts are offered.

Reading I: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12

Commentary on Ez 47:1-9, 12

In this vision from Ezekiel, the allusion is made to one faith, the one stream flowing from the temple into the Kedron Valley, which is normally a dry wash. The imagery applied here has been used in other places in scripture (Amos 9:13; Joel 4:18; Zechariah 14:8; Psalm 36:9-10; Revelation 22:1) and probably represents the water flowing from the Garden of Eden, first stopped by original sin then re-started with Moses striking the stone in the desert during the Exodus (Numbers 20:11), and finally in Jerusalem in the end times, the eschaton. The analogy is to one faith, flowing into the world bringing life and well-being to any who partake.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

R. (8) The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

Commentary on Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

Psalm 46 is a hymn of praise. In this passage we see the analogy also presented in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12) as the Lord is praised for supporting the people with his strength and creation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Gospel: John 5:1-16

Commentary on Jn 5:1-16

This passage from St. John is the third sign used in the Lord’s self-revelation. Jesus cures the paralytic by his word, something that could not be accomplished by the waters of faith in Judaism. When Jesus first approached the paralytic, he complained that he could not get to the waters at the pool called Bethesda “when they were stirred up.” This is taken from a belief at the time that periodically an angel of God would come down and stir up the waters of the pool, and the first person to touch them in that state was cured.

It is explicitly mentioned that Jesus does this on the Sabbath which precipitates the controversy with the Jewish leadership. It is also noteworthy that Jesus does not say to the paralytic that his sin has caused his condition, he tells him “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you." This last reference is probably to final judgment.

CCC: Jn 5:1 583; Jn 5:10 575; Jn 5:14 583; Jn 5:16-18 594

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Reflection:

As population pressure continues to strain the resources of the world one of the most important commodities seeming to be in short supply is potable water, that is water clean enough to drink and to cook with without becoming sick, not to mention bathing.  In many developing countries water means the difference between life and death.  Without it, human beings perish in short order.  Without water crops don’t grow and livestock also die.  In short, water is truly the source of physical life.  It is so important that determining its presence is a singular goal of space exploration. We look for it on the moon and Mars, seeing its presence as the key to establishing long term presence on those bodies.

In scripture the term is used metaphorically and symbolically but with the same emphasis. Without faith, represented by water, there can be no life.  The Prophet Ezekiel saw this in his vision with the metaphor of a garden flourishing along the stream that was faith in God, flowing from the temple.  Jesus later redefined the temple as residing in the New Jerusalem, and the faith that flows into the world springs from a wound in his side as a soldier’s lance opened that source. Just as surely as Moses' staff brought water from the rock as sign of God’s love in the desert, the water flowing from the side of Jesus as he gave up his life expressed his love.  It was even used in the movie Noah (which I do not recommend except for the special effects – a film in which the names should have been changed to protect the truth).

The interesting thing about this metaphor of the river of faith is that it has some additional lessons to teach us as we examine the analogy more closely.  First, the stream can be fouled if people try to throw contaminants in upstream.  This could be analogized by attempting to put things in that do not belong (again don’t see Noah), twisting the faith to one’s own purpose as we see in some unscrupulous evangelists.  Water can likewise be diverted from its course, bottled up and sold to those who can afford it.  We can use our own imaginations here as to the meaning of this sort of misuse.

Perhaps one of the more interesting analogies about flowing water is that it can naturally pool when it gets to a depression, temporarily halting its progress.  This happens when it reaches a person or group that is afraid to let it flow through them to others; that person or group feels it is necessary to become insulated, trying to shut out the world but at the same time, denying water its course.  They don’t realize that it is the actual flow that is necessary.  Without it the water can become stagnant and foul; contained too long it can actually become deadly.

When we recognize that in order for our faith to remain vibrant and alive it must flow though us, we act on that knowledge, passing on what we have been freely given.  Our prayer this day is that what we have received, we can pass on faithfully in our words, our actions, and our prayers.

Pax

---

[1] The picture is “Christ healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1667-70.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio