Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

“St. Gregory the Great” by Carlo Saraceni, ca. 1610

Proper for the Memorial of St. Gregory the Great [1]

Biographical information about St. Gregory the Great

Readings for Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time 

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11

Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,

you have no need for anything to be written to you.

For you yourselves know very well

that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.

When people are saying, “Peace and security,”

then sudden disaster comes upon them,

like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,

and they will not escape.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,

for that day to overtake you like a thief.

For all of you are children of the light

and children of the day.

We are not of the night or of darkness.

Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,

but let us stay alert and sober.

For God did not destine us for wrath,

but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep

we may live together with him.

Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up,

as indeed you do.

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Commentary on 1 Thes 5:1-6, 9-11

St. Paul takes up the theme of vigilance and preparedness with the Thessalonians in this selection. The language used (“Concerning times and seasons“) has a clear reference to the end time – the Eschaton (see also Daniel 2:21 and Daniel 7:12). He reminds them that the hour and the day of the Lord’s coming is not known (“like a thief “similar to the metaphor in Matthew 24:43 and 2 Peter 3:10) and that, unlike those who live in darkness (the pagans) they are children of the light. His tone makes it clear that his expectation is that the Parousia is imminent.

CCC: 1 Thes 5:2-3 675; 1 Thes 5:2 673; 1 Thes 5:5 1216; 1 Thes 5:6 2849

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

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. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

One thing I ask of the LORD;

this I seek:

To dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD

and contemplate his temple.

R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD with courage;

be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

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Commentary on Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14

Psalm 27 is an individual lament. Here, the singer expresses faith in God, who is the refuge of the faithful longing to find ultimate safety and the bounty of God’s heavenly kingdom. This passage from the psalm captures the two major themes: hope in God’s mercy, and complete trust in his goodness. In these strophes, David longs for the Lord’s protection and the gift of life which flows from God's salvation.

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Gospel: Luke 4:31-37

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.

He taught them on the sabbath,

and they were astonished at his teaching

because he spoke with authority.

In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,

and he cried out in a loud voice,

“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”

Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”

Then the demon threw the man down in front of them

and came out of him without doing him any harm.

They were all amazed and said to one another,

“What is there about his word?

For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,

and they come out.”

And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

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Commentary on Lk 4:31-37

This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel begins a series of events around Capernaum that expand his public image from prophet to teacher, exorcist, healer and proclaimer of God’s kingdom. Here he expels an evil spirit that asks him if he has come to destroy evil. “How does your concern affect me?: literally, ‘What is this to me and to you?’--a Hebrew expression of either hostility (Judges 11:12; 2 Chronicles 35:21; 1 Kings 17:18) or denial of common interest (Hosea 14:9; 2 Kings 3:13). Cf. Mark 1:24; 5:7 used by demons to Jesus.” [4]  It is interesting that the Spirit uses the Lord's full name, perhaps in an attempt to control him. It was a belief from earliest times that to be able to name something was to have a controlling influence over it (Genesis 2:18-19). [5]  This attempt has no influence on the Son of God; instead the Lord commands the evil spirit and it leaves, amazing the crowd and spreading his fame in the region.

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Reflection:

Both the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours [Morning Prayer] emphasize St. Paul’s exhortation that we (by way of his instructions to the Thessalonians) be “children of the light.”  It is Holy Scripture’s way of asking “What would your mother say?”  As Christians, we are called to a very high standard of behavior.  It is fundamentally based upon the idea so frequently emphasized, that we are called to love God and each other.  By inference, the love of God and others must extend to loving ourselves as well.

Being Children of the Light (making our mother proud of us) means we treat each day as a gift from God, basking in the light of his Son.  When we rise from our nightly rest, we give thanks to God for the new day.  Throughout the activities of that day we are constantly mindful that all those we meet are also God’s children, our adoptive brothers and sisters, and we treat them with the love and respect they deserve as a consequence of that status.  All we accomplish during our day’s effort is likewise offered up to the Lord; for it is only with his aid we accomplish any good works.  Throughout all of this, we treat God’s great gift of life, given to us through the miracle of birth, with the love and respect it is due.  That means that we take care to nourish ourselves and avoid harmful things.  And when our day is done and we go once more to our beds, we thank God again for what he has given us, and ask that he grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.

In a perfect world, this is the course of our days.  In a holy life, all the light that is Christ would shine from us during such a day.  Indeed, if we are blessed with a day that flows as this perfect day described above, we should bless God abundantly because days like this are rare.

In our all-too-real lives, we constantly must fight off the clouds that threaten to block the Son.  Clouds of anger and feelings of bitterness at life’s setbacks tend to push us into the darkness of sin.  Our frustration at being thwarted in our noble efforts will become our shadow if we are not determined to stay the course and move into the light.  Our call is to struggle constantly to avoid the pits and snares the enemy has laid for us. 

Ah, St. Paul gave us good advice.  He called us to be Children of the Light and as such we would be in serene peace, basking in the glow of the Holy Spirit.  He also knew how difficult it would be, recalling the lure of sin and pride that could make us children of night instead of day.  Today our prayer is that we are constantly mindful of our call to be in the light of Christ and do all we can to avoid the darkness of sin.

Pax

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[1] The picture is “St. Gregory the Great” by Carlo Saraceni, ca. 1610.

[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] See NAB footnote on John 2:4.

[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:57, p. 132.

Monday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

“Proclaiming the Word of God” artist and date are unknown

Readings for Monday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time[1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible[2]

Note: In the United States, the civil holiday of Labor Day is celebrated.  A Mass for the sanctification of human labor may be celebrated using texts from: For the Blessing of Human Labor, #907-911.

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,

about those who have fallen asleep,

so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,

so too will God, through Jesus,

bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,

that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,

will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself, with a word of command,

with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,

will come down from heaven,

and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left,

will be caught up together with them in the clouds

to meet the Lord in the air.

Thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Therefore, console one another with these words.

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Commentary on 1 Thes 4:13-18

This passage from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians reassures the church at Thessalonica that those who have already passed from this life to the next will not be forgotten in the resurrection that will take place at the second coming of Christ. Rather they will be raised with him – first. Then those faithful followers still alive will be taken up to heaven (see also Wisdom 3:1-9).

It is important to understand when reading this passage, that St. Paul clearly expected the Parousia, the second coming, to occur during his own lifetime. This passage would emphasize the need for preparedness and vigilance, a common theme in the gospels published later.

CCC: 1 Thes 4:13-14 1012; 1 Thes 4:14 649, 989; 1 Thes 4:16 1001; 1 Thes 4:17 1025; 1 Thes 4:18 1687

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1 and 3, 4-5, 11-12, 13

R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all you lands.

Tell his glory among the nations;

among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;

awesome is he, beyond all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,

but the LORD made the heavens.

R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;

let the sea and what fills it resound;

let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!

Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.

R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Before the LORD, for he comes;

for he comes to rule the earth.

He shall rule the world with justice

and the peoples with his constancy.

R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

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Commentary on Ps 96:1 and 3, 4-5, 11-12, 13

This song of praise exhorts the people to praise the Lord for his wondrous works of creation.  The reason for this exhortation is that God will come to rule the earth with his justice.  In this passage, we see the forerunner of the understanding of the New Jerusalem – the Heavenly Kingdom.

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Gospel: Luke 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,

and went according to his custom

into the synagogue on the sabbath day.

He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll,

he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,

and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.

He said to them,

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

And all spoke highly of him

and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?”

He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,

‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place

the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”

And he said,

“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.

Indeed, I tell you,

there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah

when the sky was closed for three and a half years

and a severe famine spread over the entire land.

It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,

but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.

Again, there were many lepers in Israel

during the time of Elisha the prophet;

yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

When the people in the synagogue heard this,

they were all filled with fury.

They rose up, drove him out of the town,

and led him to the brow of the hill

on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.

But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

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Commentary on Lk 4:16-30

In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel we find the Lord back in his home town of Nazareth. He reads from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2) and then tells those present that he has come to fulfill the oracle he proclaimed (“he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind”). These were clear references to the miraculous works he had already performed in other parts of the country. The Lord saw that they were expecting that he would perform signs there as well but the lack of faith would prevent him. Those congregated knew him from boyhood and did not believe he was the Messiah or even a prophet.

In response to this unbelief, Jesus brought out two examples from the stories about the prophets that demonstrated that those unworthy of God’s grace were ignored in favor of more worthy subjects. This caused the wholesale uprising against him, and he left them. In the eyes of those former friends and neighbors, Jesus had committed blasphemy, punishable by death. But, because they were uncertain, given the power and authority they had witnessed, none dared lay a hand on him. “He passed though the midst of them and went away.”

CCC: Lk 4:16-22 1286; Lk 4:16-21 436; Lk 4:18-19 695, 714; Lk 4:18 544, 2443; Lk 4:19 1168

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Reflection:

The episode in Jesus’ ministry we see depicted in St. Luke’s Gospel when Jesus goes to the place where he grew up is a foretaste of where his mission will lead him.  He comes home, not to a hero’s welcome, but to anger and near tragedy.  The story is analogous to a common business cliché that defines an “expert” as someone who comes from out of town and carries a brief case.  The implication is that a person who is in your midst cannot be an “expert”; that level of knowledge must reside outside the local area.

The situation in Nazareth, on a human level, was understandable.  The son of Mary and Joseph returns home.  Rumors of his exploits may have reached them.  He had become a rabbi, a teacher of the faith.  He wandered around (consorting with all kinds of people) and was now coming back to his friends and neighbors.  We can imagine some of the men (and women) of Nazareth talking to each other before he arrived.  “He’d better not try to put on airs around us.  We know him and his family.”

When he is invited to speak at the synagogue he tells them that the boy they watched grow up and the young man who had learned the carpenter trade at the elbow of Joseph was a great prophet – even quoting from Isaiah at them – like he was something special.  They were sorry for Joseph and Mary but he had to be stopped so they took him out of town with the idea of killing him for his blasphemy.  It was permitted, in fact it was their obligation, probably condoned and encouraged by the local rabbi.

But there was something else at work.  The words he spoke and the way he said them – this was different.  Never mind that they had heard the book of Isaiah before.  Others had always used future tense –looking forward to the coming of the Messiah.  Jesus taught with authority, as if the prophet had come back to life in him, making the words real and present.  It stirred them inside.  It frightened them.  While their rational minds said “We know this young man,”  in the backs of their minds the truth was screaming at them – here is something new, the likes of which have never been seen before.  And they stopped what they were doing, staring at him in fear and hesitation.  Seeing this reaction, Jesus pushed through them without resistance and left the area.  No doubt he was saddened by the reaction but probably not surprised.

For us, we see this reaction of those who knew Jesus as the greatest lost opportunity of all time.  Yet don’t we find in ourselves that same incredulous rejection of Christ’s presence in those around us?  Don’t we often fail to see the Lord present in those we encounter, especially members of our own families?

The lesson we receive today from St. Luke’s Gospel is that we must be constantly vigilant, looking for the Lord not just in prayer, not just in the sacraments, but in the people we meet.  We must listen for the Word of God at all times and in all peoples because we do not know the hour or the day of his coming.

Pax

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[1] The picture is “Proclaiming the Word of God” artist and date are unknown.

[2] S.S Commemoratio

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.