Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for Saint Elizabeth of Portugal)
USA perpetually transferred from July 4^th
 
Proper for the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal
 
Biographical information about St. Elizabeth of Portugal
 
Or
 
(Optional Memorial for Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Priest)
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria
 
Biographical information about St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria

“Expulsion of Hagar”
by Willem van Mieris, 1724

 
Readings for Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 21:5, 8-20a
 
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Isaac grew, and on the day of the child's weaning
Abraham held a great feast.
 
Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian
had borne to Abraham
playing with her son Isaac;
so she demanded of Abraham:
"Drive out that slave and her son!
No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance
with my son Isaac!"
Abraham was greatly distressed,
especially on account of his son Ishmael.
But God said to Abraham: "Do not be distressed about the boy
or about your slave woman.
Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you;
for it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.
As for the son of the slave woman,
I will make a great nation of him also,
since he too is your offspring."
 
Early the next morning Abraham got some bread and a skin of water
and gave them to Hagar.
Then, placing the child on her back, he sent her away.
As she roamed aimlessly in the wilderness of Beer-sheba,
the water in the skin was used up.
So she put the child down under a shrub,
and then went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away;
for she said to herself, "Let me not watch to see the child die."
As she sat opposite Ishmael, he began to cry.
God heard the boy's cry,
and God's messenger called to Hagar from heaven:
"What is the matter, Hagar?
Don't be afraid; God has heard the boy's cry in this plight of his.
Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand;
for I will make of him a great nation."
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.
She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink.
God was with the boy as he grew up.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 21:5, 8-20a
 
The saga of Abraham (Abram) continues in this passage as he strives to follow God’s will. The birth of Isaac is announced and immediately tension arises. His wife Sarah (Sarai) has demanded that Hagar and Ishmael (firstborn of Abraham) be cast out of their family group. This is truly the beginning of the split in Abraham’s descendants, as the Jewish people would begin through his son Isaac, and the followers of Islam develop through his son Ishmael. The same God (whose Only Son is the Messiah) that favored the early Jewish people also shows his love for Hagar and Ishmael and their descendants.
 
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:7-8, 10-11, 12-13
 
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
 
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
 
Fear the LORD, you his holy ones,
for naught is lacking to those who fear him.
The great grow poor and hungry;
but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
 
Come, children, hear me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Which of you desires life,
and takes delight in prosperous days?
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 34:7-8, 10-11, 12-13
 
Psalm 34 is a hymn of thanksgiving.  In this selection, the singer rejoices in God’s love and compassion, especially for those in need (“the poor”).  God saves those who love him and shares in their delight during good times.
 
CCC: Ps 34:8 336
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34
 
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?"
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
"If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine."
And he said to them, "Go then!"
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 8:28-34
 
Jesus comes to a region about five miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee and encounters the two demoniacs (people taken over by demons). He drives the demons out into a herd of swine. The symbolism here for the Jewish audience would be powerful, as swine were unclean animals. By casting themselves into the sea, they showed that even they preferred death to the presence of evil. The Gentile population, probably very superstitious, was afraid of Christ’s power over evil and did not want any more damage as a result of his presence.
 
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
What is the difference between physical love (eros) and love (agape), the highest and purest form of love? The story of Sarah and Hagar from Genesis answers this question.  It is also a tremendous lesson in moral theology.  In her rush to give Abraham the heir he needed for his prosperity to be handed down, Sarah brought Hagar, her servant, to Abraham to be a surrogate.  In this action, we see Abraham performing the physical act of love (eros) with Hagar.  Through this action, Hagar’s dignity as a person was not considered.  She was seen by Sarah, and indeed by Abraham, as merely the vessel for an heir.
 
Having been thus demeaned and having produced the desired son for Abraham in Ishmael, we see the natural enmity arise between Sarah and Hagar.  Hagar for her part loved Ishmael.  Ignoring the circumstances of his conception, she saw Abraham’s fortune passing to Ishmael, as his son and heir.  Then the unthinkable happened, Sarah became pregnant in her advanced years, and bore a son, Isaac.  This event essentially took away any rights that Ishmael could claim on Abraham’s heritage.  We can understand the feelings (jealousy, hate, resentment) between the two women, as complex as they were.
 
We see something else in this story as well.  As favored as Abraham is in the eyes of God, the Lord loves (agape) Ishmael and Hagar without prejudice.  The promise of salvation is given them as well as Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah.  In God’s eyes, they are all precious to him.
 
Within the context of human relationships, we can see a clear example of what happens when the wrong thing is done for what is considered to be a noble purpose.  In this case, Sarah loved (agape) her husband and felt she had somehow displeased God.  Since Abraham was clearly beloved by God and had been promised a multitude of descendants, and since she was barren of children, it must be that God disapproved of her.  With this thought she presented her servant to her husband to be the means of God’s promised continuation of life.  She did so without thinking that this action would constitute any infidelity on the part of Abraham.  She also did not consider that this action would violate the dignity of her servant.
 
Even if Hagar considered this order from her mistress a reasonable one, the action violated her human dignity.  Even though the resultant life in Ishmael was precious to God, the means of begetting that life were ignoble at best.  The end result is obvious to us now.  God’s promise was fulfilled in Ishmael as well as Isaac.  God’s prediction was also fulfilled, that there would be enmity between Ishmael and his descendants and those of Isaac.
 
We see the pain that can arise from doing the wrong thing for the right reasons in this story, and pray for the wisdom to hear and apply this knowledge in our own actions.  We see also that God loves all his people, and hope that our own hearts will respond to that love in the same way.
 
Pax

---

[1] The picture is “Expulsion of Hagar” by Willem van Mieris, 1724.
[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.

Tuesday 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. Author’s selection – Independence Day.
 
On this Independence Day, for the General Intercessions one may use an adaptation of the prayer composed by Archbishop John Carroll for the inauguration of George Washington as found in the Book of Blessings (#1965): [1]
 
We [likewise] commend to your unbounded mercy
all citizens of the United States,
that we may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in
  the observance of your holy law.
May we be preserved in union and that peace which the
  world cannot give;
And, after enjoying the blessings of this life,
be admitted to those which are eternal.
 
We pray to you, who are Lord and God
for ever and ever.
 
R. Amen
 
* (Optional Memorial for Saint Elizabeth of Portugal)
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal
Biographical information about St. Elizabeth of Portugal
* In the United States, this memorial is perpetually transferred to July 5^th.

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

Readings for Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 19:15-29
 
As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, "On your way!
Take with you your wife and your two daughters who are here,
or you will be swept away in the punishment of Sodom."
When he hesitated, the men, by the LORD's mercy,
seized his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters
and led them to safety outside the city.
As soon as they had been brought outside, he was told:
"Flee for your life!
Don't look back or stop anywhere on the Plain.
Get off to the hills at once, or you will be swept away."
 "Oh, no, my lord!" Lot replied,
"You have already thought enough of your servant
to do me the great kindness of intervening to save my life.
But I cannot flee to the hills to keep the disaster from overtaking me,
and so I shall die.
Look, this town ahead is near enough to escape to.
It's only a small place.
Let me flee there-it's a small place, is it not?-
that my life may be saved."
"Well, then," he replied,
"I will also grant you the favor you now ask.
I will not overthrow the town you speak of.
Hurry, escape there!
I cannot do anything until you arrive there."
That is why the town is called Zoar.
 
The sun was just rising over the earth as Lot arrived in Zoar;
at the same time the LORD rained down sulphurous fire
upon Sodom and Gomorrah
from the LORD out of heaven.
He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain,
together with the inhabitants of the cities
and the produce of the soil.
But Lot's wife looked back, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.
 
Early the next morning Abraham went to the place
where he had stood in the LORD's presence.
As he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah
and the whole region of the Plain,
he saw dense smoke over the land rising like fumes from a furnace.
 
Thus it came to pass: when God destroyed the Cities of the Plain,
he was mindful of Abraham by sending Lot away from the upheaval
by which God overthrew the cities where Lot had been living.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 26:2-3, 9-10, 11-12
 
R. (3a) O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
 
Search me, O LORD, and try me;
test my soul and my heart.
For your mercy is before my eyes,
and I walk in your truth.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
 
Gather not my soul with those of sinners,
nor with men of blood my life.
On their hands are crimes,
and their right hands are full of bribes.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
 
But I walk in integrity;
redeem me, and have mercy on me.
My foot stands on level ground;
in the assemblies I will bless the LORD.
R. 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.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 8:23-27
 
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
"Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"
He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
 
“Does this icon of Jesus asleep in the midst of a storm with his distraught disciples not dramatize the leap from hopeless despair to tested faith? […] Faith makes us aware of God’s ‘absent presence’ by the very force of the trials faith’s self-surrender brings on. The disciples would not be weathering this storm if they had not followed Jesus.  And yet he sleeps.” [5]
 
CCC: Mt 8:20 2444; Mt 8:26 2610
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
 

---

[1] Book of Blessings, by the Order of St. Benedict, Inc., Collegeville, MN © 1989, p. 747.
[2] The picture is “Sleep of Jesus During the Storm” by Alexandre Bida, c. 1875.
[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] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 364

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

 

Biographical Information about St. Thomas the Apostle 

“The Incredulity of Saint Thomas“
by Caravaggio, 1601-02

Readings for the Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Ephesians 2:19-22
 
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
-------------------------------------------
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
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 117:1bc, 2
 
R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
 
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
 
For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. 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.
 
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 20:24-29
 
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But Thomas said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
 
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
-------------------------------------------
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
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
On July 12, 1835, or 188 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 this 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 twenty 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: Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
 

---

[1] The picture is “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas“ by Caravaggio, 1601-02.
[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 Psalm 117.

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 2232-2233: To follow Christ is first vocation of a Christian
CCC 537, 628, 790, 1213, 1226-1228, 1694: Baptism, to die to self, to live for Christ
CCC 1987: Grace justifies through faith and baptism

“Christ Carrying His Cross”
by El Greco, 1580’s

 
Readings for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a
 
One day Elisha came to Shunem,
where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.
Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.
So she said to her husband, "I know that Elisha is a holy man of God.
Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof
and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp,
so that when he comes to us he can stay there."
Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.
 
Later Elisha asked, "Can something be done for her?"
His servant Gehazi answered, "Yes!
She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years."
Elisha said, "Call her."
When the woman had been called and stood at the door,
Elisha promised, "This time next year
you will be fondling a baby son.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on 2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a
 
The passage provides a picture of the itinerant nature of Elisha, who travels about providing prophetic guidance to the people from his base at Mount Carmel (2 Kings 2:25). The woman of the story shows deference to Elisha, recognizing his status as being sent by God. In return, Elisha repays her generosity seeking God’s help in providing her material support in the form of a son.
 
"The main thing to be learned from this passage (as also from 1 Kings 17:6) is the power of the prophet's prayer and indeed anyone else's prayer when done with faith. But we also learn that when God gives a gift, no matter how surprisingly and unexpectedly (such as the gift of a son to this woman), he also gives the grace to conserve it and make it bear fruit. The Lord does not leave us to our own devices when he gives us, for example, personal talents, or a vocation even if we may not have sought one." [5]
 
-------------------------------------------
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
 
Psalm 89:2-3, 16-17,18-19
 
R. (2a) Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
 
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever,
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your
faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
 
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
 
You are the splendor of their strength,
and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield,
and to the Holy One of Israel, our king.
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 89:2-3, 16-17,18-19
 
Psalm 89 is a communal lament. The first strophe recalls God’s faithfulness expressed in his unbreakable covenant with King David. The focus next moves to the people of God: “in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.” The righteous are upheld by the Lord. The passage concludes reiterating God’s promised help and protection.
 
CCC: Ps 89 709
-------------------------------------------
Reading 2: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11
 
Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
 
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Rom 6:3-4, 8-11
 
This reading from Romans reminds the Christian that all who have been joined to Christ in baptism are also joined to his death. Without the inevitable death of the body, there is no resurrection. St. Paul teaches that, since Christ came so his followers could be absolved from sin, the great promise is that those baptized in the faith will rise with him, free from all sin.
 
CCC: Rom 6:3-9 1006; Rom 6:3-4 1214, 1227, 1987; Rom 6:4-5 790; Rom 6:4 537, 628, 648, 654, 658, 730, 977, 1697; Rom 6:8-11 1987
-------------------------------------------
GOSPEL: Matthew 10:37-42
 
Jesus said to his apostles:
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
 
"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 10:37-42
 
This passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel parallels Mark 8:34-35 and Luke 9:24-25 (also cf. Luke 14:26-27; 17:33) in directing the Christian disciple to place their faith above everything else in their lives, including family. The author softens the language used in St. Luke’s Gospel from “hate” to “love less,” indicating the kind of divisions that may occur when the Gospel of Christ is proclaimed in families. The disciple is enjoined to “take up his cross” in the sense that the Christian discipline requires the follower to take positions in society which are frequently unpopular and will cause discrimination and persecution. A more accurate translation of this instruction is to take up the Cross of Christ (as was demonstrated in the Passion of Simon of Cyrene) and follow “after” Jesus.  The disciple is instructed to take up the mission of Jesus and carry it forward.
 
In the second section of this passage, St. Matthew reminds the faithful of their own obligation to support others in the Christian community, especially the “little ones,” indicating the apostles, who depend upon the support of the community to continue their work.
 
CCC: Mt 10:37 2232; Mt 10:38 1506; Mt 10:40 858
-------------------------------------------

Reflection:

 
In contemplating the Sacred Scripture you have heard today, I would like to surprise you by saying, thank you for coming here to this house of God and gate of heaven.  Thank you for your faith in Jesus Christ that brought you here to be with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Today you are with Simon of Cyrene.  It was Simon who carried the Cross of Christ.  It is in Simon’s place we who are his emissaries in today’s word are asked to stand, carrying the Cross of Jesus.

In doing so we are saying to society that we reject the hedonism, and narcissism at the heart of secular values.  We are saying, by our presence here that we choose to follow behind Jesus and to accept his mission as a major part of our lives. 

We say thank you because it is difficult, this faith we share.  Some of us may have been taken by surprise to hear the St. Paul ask his Roman audience: “Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” Yet, we all know that we will not live forever.  St. Paul reminds us that in baptism we were adopted by God.  We became members of his household and share in the inheritance of God’s household, which is resurrection following our physical death. We are given grace, grace to carry the cross which sometimes seems limited to our own lives but in carrying that burden without complaint and in good spirits we show others the power of our faith, the power of our savior who took all of our burdens of sin upon himself.
 
The Gospel message from St. Matthew is a challenging one.  But it does help to put it into context.  The passage proclaimed today was part of a longer dialogue with his disciples.  It began with his commissioning them, explaining where they were to go and what they were to take with them.  He then warned them about coming persecutions.  He warned them that the message they were bringing would not be popular and would cause division.  And with that dire warning, he told them what strength of character they would need to follow behind him, taking the mission he gave them forward.
 
It becomes clear that he is establishing a needed priority.  He is not telling them that they (and we) should not love our parents, our families, our friends.  No, he is saying that their priority must be to love God.  The decision was theirs and is now ours. 
 
My favorite author, Fr. Simeon wrote the following about this passage:
 
“We read that Elijah, during his struggle with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, “stepped forward and said to the people, ‘How long will you go in both directions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him’” (1 Kings 18:21). This is the fundamental purpose of the sword of division brought by Christ to compel each of us to decide whether to adhere to him or to any one of a multitude of false gods. In the present passage, Jesus proclaims one of the indispensable conditions for following him, and his tone is just as solemn and full of prophetic authority as the utterance of Elijah.” [6]
 
Thank you.  By being present today, you have made this choice.  You have chosen to follow behind Jesus and to carry his cross as Simon did, proclaiming to all who see you that you follow Christ. You have made this choice knowing that it is not easy, it is not popular, and it can even cause divisions with those you love.
 
This decision we have made must be a public witness.  That does not mean we need to stand on street corners proclaiming the Lord.  It means we are called to do what Jesus asked of his disciples, to be in the world and demonstrate the love of God to those we meet.  That was Jesus great message, that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
 
Thank God we have the help of the Holy Spirit (also given in baptism). All we need to do is walk behind the carpenter’s son and carry his cross.
 
Pax

---

[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 “Christ Carrying His Cross” by El Greco, 1580’s.
[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] The Navarre Bible: “Joshua-Kings,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 529.

[6] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 608.