Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

[Independence Day [In Dioceses of the United States]

Alternate Texts may be taken from the Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, II. For Civil Needs: 13. For the Nation, nos. 882-886; or 14. For Peace and Justice, nos. 887-891.

* (Optional Memorial for Saint Elizabeth of Portugal)

Proper for the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal

* In the United States, this memorial is perpetually transferred to July 5^th.

“The Sacrifice of Abraham“ by Andrea Del Sarto,1527-28

Readings for Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Commentary:

Reading 1: Genesis 22:1b-19

Commentary on Gn 22:1b-19

Abraham is put to the test to prove his faithfulness to God. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust, an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even for his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations. (Note: the use of the term “beloved,” “Only one: uniquely precious, especially loved; therefore the same term is rendered in Genesis 22:12, 17 as "beloved." This connotation is used extensively in the New Testament identifying Jesus as God’s “beloved” son, again, only one and uniquely precious (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Colossians 1:13). In his obedience to the will of God, Abraham is found worthy of the honor God will afford him.

This example demonstrates that God expects those faithful to him to place love and obedience to him above all other worldly interests, and in return, those like Abraham, who demonstrate that God is their first priority, will be blessed as only God can bless.

CCC: Gn 22:1-18 1819; Gn 22:8 2572; Gn 22:11 332; Gn 22:17-19 706

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Responsorial Psalm: Ps 115:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. (9) I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Psalm 115 is a hymn of praise to our God who is above all things, and creator of all that exists. The strophes exhort the people to be faithful to God, unlike the pagans. False idols are lifeless and dead. Those who create and worship them will be dead as well. The faithful have life because of their trust in the Lord.

CCC: Ps 115:3 268, 303; Ps 115:4-5 2112; Ps 115:8 2112

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Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8

Commentary on Mt 9:1-8

Jesus continues his saving works in the healing of the paralytic. The leaders of the synagogue hear Jesus forgive the man’s sins, which in their thinking caused the man’s affliction (cf. John 9:1-3), and could only be taken away by God (cf. Luke 5:21). To demonstrate that he was from God, and acting for God, Jesus took away, not only the man’s sins, but what the scribes believed were the consequences of those sins, his paralysis. The crowds, if not the scribes, immediately understood and gave thanks to God for his mercy.

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Reflection:

Think of what Christ did for the paralytic.  The man was crippled and had to be carried on a stretcher and Jesus, out of his will, freed the man from his prison and gave him his life.  Once again, we see this act of healing as a metaphor for Jesus’ gift to each of us: the gift of forgiveness.

In his argument with the scribes who were saying that only God could forgive sins, outwardly manifested in the paralysis, Jesus demonstrated what he would do for us.  The scribes presumed in their ignorance that paralysis was caused by God because of some hidden sin committed by either the paralytic himself or by his parents (the punishment transferred to their child). Jesus demonstrated his authority over sin and death, the physical and metaphysical, in his healing act.

Christ came for us in the same way.  God understands the debilitating effect of sin in our lives. (Just so we share a common point of reference, we will define sin as conscious failure to love.)

When we fail to love ourselves, we do things that will harm us physically or psychologically.  We act out of hedonism seeking pleasure for the senses by crippling the mind and creating a sense of self-loathing.  We offer those sins to Jesus who tells us we are precious and beloved.  He forgives us and begs us to love ourselves because of the life he gave us.

When we fail to love others and are hurtful, cruel, or forget the dignity with which our brothers and sisters should be treated, we harm ourselves as well.  That hurt and hate eat us like a cancer and cripple us spiritually.  Knowingly hurting another stains us and makes us unclean in our own eyes.  Jesus asks to carry those sins as well.  He reminds us that all people are like Isaac was to Abraham, beloved and cherished.  In accepting our sin and guilt, he frees us to love once more.

In choosing not to love ourselves or others, we ultimately sin against God our Father and his Son, Jesus.  In the sacrament of reconciliation, this stain is removed and we are once more placed in God’s grace and mercy.  Christ heals us and bids us, "Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."

Pax

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[1] The Picture is “The Sacrifice of Abraham“ by Andrea Del Sarto,1527-28.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

“The Incredulity of Saint Thomas“ by Caravaggio, 1601-1602

Biographical Information about St. Thomas the Apostle [1]

Readings for the Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Commentary:

Reading 1: Ephesians 2:19-22

Commentary on Eph 2:19-22

In this passage, St. Paul describes the unity brought about among all believers in Christ. This unity is formed under a common teaching flowing from the Hebrew Prophets, through the Apostles, to Christ himself, who is described as the “capstone” or cornerstone. This unity of spirit becomes the Church, the “dwelling place for God in the Spirit.” The Church, in turn, is the unity of all Christians, those who were formerly Jews, and those who were formerly Gentiles. They are, says the apostle, joined through Christ on the same road to the Kingdom of God. They share the same foundation of faith, transmitted to them through the Apostles, and held firm by Christ the “capstone.” Together they form the “Temple of the Spirit,” the essential understanding that the Church is the mystical Body of Christ.

CCC: Eph 2:19-22 756; Eph 2:20 857; Eph 2:21 797

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 117:1bc, 2

R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Commentary on Ps 117:1bc, 2

“This shortest of hymns calls on the nations to acknowledge God's supremacy. The supremacy of Israel's God has been demonstrated to them by the people's secure existence, which is owed entirely to God's gracious fidelity.”[4] Using a refrain from St. Mark’s Gospel, the psalm is one of praise for the Good News of God’s salvation.

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Gospel: John 20:24-29

Commentary on Jn 20:24-29

This story from St. John’s Gospel is set just after Mary Magdalene has brought news to the disciples of the Risen Christ, and his appearance to them in the locked room. He (the Lord) has departed and now Thomas returns to find his friends speaking of Jesus’ return from the dead.

Thomas acquires his nickname ("Doubting Thomas") by doubting what the other disciples tell him, and he persists in doing so until the Lord again comes to the locked upper room. To his credit, following the Lord’s own challenge, St. Thomas applies to Jesus the title “My Lord and my God.” It is the first time this title, reserved for God the Father, is given to the Son, proclaiming his divinity. The passage concludes with Jesus acknowledging the title, but praising those not present who will believe in him without requiring physical proof.

CCC: Jn 20:24-27 644; Jn 20:26 645, 659; Jn 20:27 645; Jn 20:28 448

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Homily:

On July 12, 1835, or 183 years ago, about a block west of here, Father Patrick O’Kelly celebrated the first Mass for the small Irish Catholic faith community in Ann Arbor that would become St. Thomas the Apostle Church.  Sixty-four years later, in 1899, this building was dedicated when Bishop Foley from Detroit started with prayer:

O Lord God, who although the heavens and earth cannot contain Thee, are pleased to have thy dwelling on earth, in which thy name may be perpetually invoked; we beseech Thee, by the merits of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, of Thy Apostle Saint Thomas, and all Thy Saints, visit this place with thy benign clemency, and purify it by the infusion of Thy grace, from all defilement and preserve it undefiled; and O Thou who didst satisfy the devotion of Thy beloved David in the performance of his son Solomon, be pleased to hearken to our petitions and banish hence all spiritual wickedness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

I was not able to find a record of what motivated our forefathers in faith to choose St. Thomas the Apostle as patron.  But we pray that the living tradition of faith which has been handed down to us is pleasing to our parish patron, whose feast we celebrate today.

From a scriptural perspective, not much is known about St. Thomas.  His name occurs in all the lists of the Synoptics (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6, cf. Acts 1:13), but, as we heard, in St. John’s Gospel he plays a distinctive part.

First, when Jesus announced his intention of returning to Judea to visit Lazarus, "Thomas" who is called Didymus [the twin], thinking about the danger to Jesus in Judea, loyally said to his fellow disciples: "Let us also go to die with him” (John 11:16). (As a side note, Thomas is thought to have been called “the twin” because he strongly resembled Jesus, not because he was a twin.)

Again it was St. Thomas who during the discourse before the Last Supper raised an objection: "Thomas said to him, ‘Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?’" (John 14:5).

But more especially St. Thomas is remembered for his incredulity, proclaimed on his feast, when the other apostles announced Christ's Resurrection to him: "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." (John 20:25); but eight days later he made his act of faith professing “My Lord and my God.”  Even so, the Lord chided him saying: "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (John 20:29).

What does the scriptural record say about the faith of our patron?  He is continually saying more than he knows.  When he suggested that the disciples should go and die with him in Judea, he could not have known that, in light of what was to happen, all Christians would die with Christ and rise with him at the resurrection.  He was the first to identify Christ as God in his profession of faith, even though he doubted, winning him the unfortunate nickname “doubting Thomas” that has followed him since.

We see in what is known of his later ministry that St. Thomas was not always in agreement with his brother Apostles. According to tradition, when the Apostles were planning their evangelistic directions, St. Thomas was selected to go to India.  He immediately objected, saying he could not go.  At this point, his Master, Jesus, appeared in a supernatural way to Abban, the envoy of Gundafor, an Indian king, and sold Thomas to him to be his slave and serve Gundafor as a carpenter.

When he arrived in India, his apostolic zeal took over and he accomplished great works throughout the northern part of the continent.  He finally converted the wife and son of a local king who, again, according to tradition, had our patron executed by four of his soldiers who used spears to kill him.

How fortunate we are to have so human a patron.  His less-than-perfect faith allows us to identify with him.  As we heard in the Letter to the Hebrews: "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”  And faith is a gift from God, freely given but in different measures.  It is a very fortunate few who have not had doubts about God, his presence, and his promise. For many of us logic wars with faith, and we are forced to overcome our own disbelief, fighting to force a reluctant mind to embrace what we know in our hearts is true. Yes, we believe.  But do we all not wish we could have the Lord stand in front of us so that we could see the nail marks in his hands and put our hand into his side?

It is a great blessing for us to know that one as flawed as we are in faith could be loved so deeply by our Lord and Savior. Today we rejoice in God’s gift of St. Thomas.  He struggled to understand and in the end received the martyr’s crown; his faith ultimately saved him.  We consider those who have worshiped in this space for the past hundred and eighteen years and think of all the prayers offered up, asking our patron to intercede on their behalf.  Today we add our prayers to theirs as we ask him to help our unbelief so that we, like him, might offer up the profession: “My Lord and my God.”

Pax

In other years on this date: Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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[1] The picture is “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas“ by Caravaggio, 1601-1602.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

[4] See NAB footnote on Psalm 117.

Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Sleep of Jesus During the Storm” by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875

Readings for Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Genesis 19:15-29

Commentary on Gn 19:15-29

This passage describes the salvation of Lot along with his wife and daughters from the destruction heaped upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot is given the boon of salvation because of his righteous actions in the previous section (Genesis 19 1-14). Lot is instructed to flee and not look back at God’s destructive wrath. Lot’s wife violates this instruction (looking upon that which was forbidden by God) and is turned into a pillar of salt.

The language used to describe the destruction “He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain” (literally, turned upside down) would be consistent with an earthquake followed by fire. The passage concludes indicating that a principal reason for Lot’s salvation was his relationship to Abraham (Genesis 12:5).

CCC: Gn 19 332; Gn 19:1-29 2357

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 26:2-3, 9-10, 11-12

R. (3a) O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.

Commentary on Ps 26:2-3, 9-10, 11-12

Psalm 26 is an individual lament. In these strophes the psalmist seeks the Lord's protection as they approach him (see also Exodus 30:17-21). The singer prays for mercy and purity before God as fidelity and praise of the Lord are pledged.

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Gospel: Matthew 8:23-27

Commentary on Mt 8:23-27

Jesus calming the sea is the first of this set of miracles recorded in St. Matthew’s Gospel. There are notable differences between St. Matthew’s account and that of St. Mark (Mark 4:35-41). First we note that Jesus leads the disciples into the boat, rather than the disciples taking him there. We also see a more reverent attitude on the part of the twelve as they wake him, contrasted with the accusatory tone in St. Mark’s Gospel (“do you not care that we are perishing?"). This account of the disciples' experience, in both cases, points directly at the identity of Jesus as the Son of God, and serves as a proof for the reader.

CCC: Mt 8:20 2444; Mt 8:26 2610

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Reflection:

When the story of Jesus sleeping in the boat during the storm was written (and his subsequent command over the elements), it may have been seen as a proof of his identity as the Messiah. We see another meaning in this story.  If we view this story as a metaphor we see Jesus bringing calm to the storm.

In the fevered pace of our daily lives we frequently encounter storms, do we not?  They may arise at school, at work, or with family and friends.  The storms may take the form of situations beyond our control or they may be a result of mistakes we have made or events poorly handled.  Whatever their source, we are at constant risk of being thrown to our deaths in sin. 

It is difficult to see clearly when we are in the middle of these storms.  Much like a physical storm, our vision is clouded by the turbulence of the storm.  We cannot clearly chart our actions when our sight is so impaired.  If we try to make important decisions while we are tossed by the storms of emotion, if we react to the situation out of desperation, we frequently cause more damage than good and end up worse off than when we started.

Where, we may ask, is Jesus, when we are twisting in the wind of these storms?  Is he asleep in the boat?  We certainly hope so because if we are convinced of this, we can wake him up, calling upon the Holy Spirit to bring peace and quiet to the storm.  Even if it continues to rage around us, we feel the interior calm of the Lord that allows us to see clearly, to act correctly.  Our usual problem is we forget he is sleeping there and try to ride the storm out as best we can.

Today as we remember the Lord is with us always, we pray that when our life’s storms hurtle themselves in our direction we may remember quickly that Jesus sleeps with us in our souls, and when we become afraid, angry or desperate we will reach out to him saying "Lord, save us!”  In our faith he will rebuke the storm and bring us peace.

Pax

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[1] The picture is “Sleep of Jesus During the Storm” by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio