Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 514-521: Knowledge of mysteries of Christ, communion in his mysteries
CCC 238-242: The Father is revealed by the Son
CCC 989-990: The resurrection of the body

“Christ the Redeemer”
by Andrea Del Sarto, c. 1650

 
Readings for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2] 
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Zechariah 9:9-10
 
Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
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Commentary on Zec 9:9-10
 
The oracle of the prophet Zechariah speaks of the restoration of Israel following the great exile. In this section he speaks of the coming of the Messiah. “The Messiah will come, not as a conquering warrior, but in lowliness and peace. Not like the last kings of Judah, who rode in chariots and on horses (Jeremiah 17:25; 22:4), but like the princes of old (Genesis 49:11; Judges 5:10; 10:4), the Messiah will ride on an ass. The Evangelists see a literal fulfillment of this prophecy in the Savior's triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:4-5; John 12:14-15).” [5]
 
CCC: Zec 9:9 559
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
 
R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The Lord lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
 
Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise. The singer invites all to join in praising God for all the Lord has done. God is praised for his creation, his kindness, and his mercy toward those who have fallen on hard times.
 
CCC: Ps 145:9 295, 342
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Reading II: Romans 8:9, 11-13
 
Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
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Commentary on Rom 8:9, 11-13
 
After his warning in Romans 7 against the wrong route to fulfillment of the objective of holiness expressed in Romans 6:22, Paul points his addressees to the correct way. Through the redemptive work of Christ, Christians have been liberated from the terrible forces of sin and death. Holiness was impossible so long as the flesh (or our "old self") was alive. The same Spirit that enlivens Christians for holiness will also resurrect their bodies at the last day. Christian life is, therefore, the experience of a constant challenge to put to death the evil deeds of the body through life of the spirit (Romans 8:13).[6]
 
CCC: Rom 8:9 693; Rom 8:11 632, 658, 693, 695, 989, 990
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Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
 
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
 
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
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Commentary on Mt 11:25-30
 
Jesus has just completed a fairly scathing criticism of the people in the places he has been and performed miracles, yet many have not accepted him as the Messiah. He now concludes this section as he reflects that, while the scribes and Pharisees (“the wise and learned”) have not understood who he is, those with simple faith have accepted him freely. He then issues an invitation to all who “labor and are burdened” quoting an invitation similar to one in the book of Sirach to learn wisdom and submit to her yoke (Sirach 51:23, 26).
 
“This Q saying, identical with Luke 10:21-22 except for minor variations, introduces a joyous note into this section, so dominated by the theme of unbelief. While the wise and the learned, the scribes and Pharisees, have rejected Jesus' preaching and the significance of his mighty deeds, the childlike have accepted them. Acceptance depends upon the Father's revelation, but this is granted to those who are open to receive it and refused to the arrogant. Jesus can speak of all mysteries because he is the Son and there is perfect reciprocity of knowledge between him and the Father; what has been handed over to him is revealed only to those whom he wishes.” [7]
 
The final verses of this section are found only in St. Matthew’s Gospel and promise salvation to those who are downtrodden or in pain.
 
CCC: Mt 11:25-27 2603, 2779; Mt 11:25-26 2701; Mt 11:25 153, 544, 2785; Mt 11:27 151, 240, 443, 473; Mt 11:28 1658; Mt 11:29-30 1615; Mt 11:29 459
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Reflection:
 
Sacred Scripture offers us a clear vision of what Jesus offers us and what we in turn are to offer in his name.  In the first reading from the prophet Zechariah, we see the prediction of the Messiah who (from his view) is to come.  We see, unlike the leaders of Jesus’ day, that the Savior will come humbly (“and he shall proclaim peace to the nations”).  While the prophet is clear that Christ’s dominion will be over the whole world, again, the leaders of his age saw only his mission to free Israel from the Romans.  This conflict of images between a “Royal Messiah” imagined to be like King David from whose line Jesus came, is the basic reason so many of the leaders of the Jewish community could not accept him.
 
What also caused difficulty was the radical change in understanding of God’s desires for His people ushered in by the Lord.  St. Paul in his letter to the Romans speaks of this fundamental change as he calls the faithful claimed by and for Christ as “not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit.” In the grip of the Holy Spirit, we need to be conformed to Christ accepting his “easy yoke.”
 
Finally in the Gospel Jesus makes his invitation and promise.  After he laments the people who should have seen his mission most clearly, the “wise and the learned,” he issues an invitation to all who are doing daily labor, not focused exclusively on things of God.  He also states clearly that accepting his mission and wisdom should not be difficult but rather acceptance should bring us peace.
 
Given what we hear, those of us who strive to follow him are called to reach out as well.  It is the great paradox of our faith.  We are to remain separate and untouched by the secular world and its values but also reach out to other in that world offering them Christ’s peace, the “light burden.”
 
Can we not almost see the face of Jesus as he speaks those words, “Come to me…”  It is as if we were watching a video of him and he suddenly turns to the camera, stepping out of character and speaking to us directly.  He offers himself to us as a remedy for all our mental anguish caused by the need to follow the rules of society, school, even social norms.  He calls us to simply offer him all that burdens us and he will replace them with unfathomable peace of heart and mind.
 
How difficult it is to lay down those heavy burdens.  We’ve carried them so long, and we are expected to carry them, forced to carry them by our environment.  He looks at us and invites. Our prayer today is that we present that humble image, so easy to accept and love, to those we meet.  In turn that loving peace will infuse us with his love and consolation.
 
Pax
 
In other years on this date in the United States: Optional Memorial for Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Chinese Martyrs

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used today is “Christ the Redeemer” by Andrea Del Sarto, c. 1650.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] NAB footnote on Zechariah 9:9.
[6] Taken in part from the NAB footnote on Romans 8:1-13.
[7] NAB footnote on Matthew 11:25ff.

Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for the Blessed Virgin Mary)

 
On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. [1] Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary. (USCCB recommends: # 34. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Cause of Our Joy)

“Isaac Blessing Jacob”
by Govert Teunisz Flinck, 1639

 
Readings for Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29
 
When Isaac was so old that his eyesight had failed him,
he called his older son Esau and said to him, "Son!"
"Yes father!" he replied.
Isaac then said, "As you can see, I am so old
that I may now die at any time.
Take your gear, therefore–your quiver and bow–
and go out into the country to hunt some game for me.
With your catch prepare an appetizing dish for me, such as I like,
and bring it to me to eat,
so that I may give you my special blessing before I die."
 
Rebekah had been listening
while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau.
So, when Esau went out into the country
to hunt some game for his father,
Rebekah [then] took the best clothes of her older son Esau
that she had in the house,
and gave them to her younger son Jacob to wear;
and with the skins of the kids she covered up his hands
and the hairless parts of his neck.
Then she handed her son Jacob the appetizing dish
and the bread she had prepared.
 
Bringing them to his father, Jacob said, "Father!"
"Yes?" replied Isaac.  "Which of my sons are you?"
Jacob answered his father:  "I am Esau, your first-born.
I did as you told me.
Please sit up and eat some of my game,
so that you may give me your special blessing."
But Isaac asked, "How did you succeed so quickly, son?"
He answered,
"The LORD, your God, let things turn out well with me."
Isaac then said to Jacob,
"Come closer, son, that I may feel you,
to learn whether you really are my son Esau or not."
So Jacob moved up closer to his father.
When Isaac felt him, he said,
"Although the voice is Jacob's, the hands are Esau's."
(He failed to identify him because his hands were hairy,
like those of his brother Esau;
so in the end he gave him his blessing.)
Again he asked Jacob, "Are you really my son Esau?"
"Certainly," Jacob replied.
Then Isaac said, "Serve me your game, son, that I may eat of it
and then give you my blessing."
Jacob served it to him, and Isaac ate;
he brought him wine, and he drank.
Finally his father Isaac said to Jacob,
"Come closer, son, and kiss me."
As Jacob went up and kissed him,
Isaac smelled the fragrance of his clothes.
With that, he blessed him saying,
 
"Ah, the fragrance of my son
is like the fragrance of a field
that the LORD has blessed!
 
"May God give to you
of the dew of the heavens
And of the fertility of the earth
abundance of grain and wine.
 
"Let peoples serve you,
and nations pay you homage;
Be master of your brothers,
and may your mother's sons bow down to you.
Cursed be those who curse you,
and blessed be those who bless you."
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Commentary on Gn 27:1-5, 15-29
 
This passage brings us to Isaac’s deathbed. In this selection we hear the plot of Rebecca and Jacob to trick Isaac into giving his final blessing to Jacob, cheating his twin brother Esau out of it. "Here too, as in the case of Isaac (cf. Genesis 21:8-13), the part played by the mother is stressed; she ignores custom, and plays an active part in the furthering of God's plans. The passage also stresses how shrewd the patriarch is by comparison with Esau. Jacob's action is justified in the overall context of the narrative, given that he bought the birthright previously from his brother." [5]
 
 While nothing is said in this passage as to the morality of the means by which Jacob receives this inheritance, his action is condemned in other parts of Scripture (see Hosea 12:3 and Jeremiah 9:3). God punishes them for this act by separating Jacob and his mother. This action shows how God takes even the weak and undeserving and uses them to his greater glory.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 135:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
 
R. (3a) Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Praise the name of the LORD;
Praise, you servants of the LORD
Who stand in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God.
R. Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praise to his name, which we love;
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel for his own possession.
R. Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
For I know that the LORD is great;
our LORD is greater than all gods.
All that the LORD wills he does
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and in all the deeps.
R. Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 135:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
 
Psalm 135 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. The reference in the second strophe is to God choosing Jacob, which he did at the birth of the twins telling his mother: “the older shall serve the younger.”
 
CCC: Ps 135:6 269
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Gospel: Matthew 9:14-17
 
The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.
No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth,
for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.
People do not put new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.
Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."
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Commentary on Mt 9:14-17
Jesus is approached by St. John the Baptist’s disciples about the Pharisaic practices of ritual fasting. In Old Testament usage this action was a token of repentance or of mourning. No fast is actually prescribed in the Law of Moses, except the fast on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29 and 23:27 and Numbers 29:7). Given this understanding of the Law of Moses, what was being practiced by the Pharisees (and St. John’s disciples) was tradition. Jesus' response, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them,” speaks to the fact that his disciples do not have anything to repent from or mourn for, as long as they are following him.
 
The next section of the reading seems to contradict an earlier statement of Jesus (Matthew 5:17-20), when he said he had not come to abolish the Law of Moses but to fulfill it. But his metaphors about the wineskins and the cloth refer to a completely new understanding of God’s revelation that cannot be a “patchwork” of ideas, rather a consistent application of Christ’s law of love, mercy, and hope.
 
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Reflection:
 
We reflect today upon the cautionary message embedded in the Gospel of St. Matthew.  In the passage given, the Lord is challenged by some of the disciples of St. John the Baptist (of which at least one of his own disciples, Andrew, was formerly a member).  They ask why Jesus and his disciples do not practice the Pharisaic traditions of ritual fasting.  Jesus, also of the Pharisaic tradition, was not following their scrupulous rules and neither were his disciples.  It was important that Jesus strike just the right tone in his reply.  Recognizing that the Pharisees were following a tradition developed out of their understanding of the law (not prescriptions of the law), he explains that his disciples do not need to mourn or repent while he is with them (coming as he does to fulfill the law and the prophets - we understand this).
 
Where, one may ask is the cautionary message here?  Jesus is defending his disciples' actions because what they do, they do out of understanding.  They understand that they do not fast because the Son of God is with them, and they cannot mourn while he is present.  The Pharisees and St. John’s disciples have forgotten the underlying spiritual reason for what they do and focus on the actions of their worship instead of upon the reason for those actions.  In other words, the actions themselves become important rather than the spiritual driver that caused them to be enacted in the first place.
 
In a faith so rich in ritual and tradition, we can sometimes fall into the same trap.  Our focus might be on the ritual or tradition, and we might forget that the reason we do what we do is for God’s greater glory, not simply following the rules or rubrics.  We are reminded by this gospel story that when we do the ritual things of our faith, be they as simple as making the sign of the cross or genuflecting, or as complex as the rosary or the Divine Mercy devotionals, we recall the underlying reasons for what we do at each step.
 
Today we thank God for giving us his word and the means to worship him through our faith.  We also pray that when we participate with our brothers and sisters in the practice of that faith, we focus on the spiritual aspects of what we do as well as the rubrics of the faith.
 
Pax
 

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[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by “BVM.” The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2] The picture is “Isaac Blessing Jacob” by Govert Teunisz Flinck, 1639.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio (Saturday of the 13^th Week in Ordinary Time)
[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: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 139.

Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Meeting of Isaac and Rebecca”
by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, c. 1640

 
Readings for Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
 
The span of Sarah’s life was one hundred and twenty-seven years.
She died in Kiriatharba (that is, Hebron)
in the land of Canaan,
and Abraham performed the customary mourning rites for her.
Then he left the side of his dead one and addressed the Hittites:
“Although I am a resident alien among you,
sell me from your holdings a piece of property for a burial ground,
that I may bury my dead wife.”
 
After the transaction, Abraham buried his wife Sarah
in the cave of the field of Machpelah,
facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
 
Abraham had now reached a ripe old age,
and the Lord had blessed him in every way.
Abraham said to the senior servant of his household,
who had charge of all his possessions:
“Put your hand under my thigh,
and I will make you swear by the Lord,
the God of heaven and the God of earth,
that you will not procure a wife for my son
from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live,
but that you will go to my own land and to my kindred
to get a wife for my son Isaac.”
The servant asked him:
“What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land?
Should I then take your son back to the land from which you migrated?”
“Never take my son back there for any reason,” Abraham told him.
“The Lord, the God of heaven,
who took me from my father’s house and the land of my kin,
and who confirmed by oath the promise he then made to me,
‘I will give this land to your descendants’–
he will send his messenger before you,
and you will obtain a wife for my son there.
If the woman is unwilling to follow you,
you will be released from this oath.
But never take my son back there!”
 
A long time later, Isaac went to live in the region of the Negeb.
One day toward evening he went out . . . in the field,
and as he looked around, he noticed that camels were approaching.
Rebekah, too, was looking about, and when she saw him,
she alighted from her camel and asked the servant,
“Who is the man out there, walking through the fields toward us?”
“That is my master,” replied the servant.
Then she covered herself with her veil.
 
The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done.
Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent;
he married her, and thus she became his wife.
In his love for her, Isaac found solace
after the death of his mother Sarah.
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Commentary on Gn 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
 
The various excerpts from Chapters 23 and 24 of Genesis tell the story of the death of Sarah. “After Eve, Sarah is the first woman of importance to tread the stage of Genesis. From Cain to Babel, the primeval history preserves an almost exclusively male orientation; women are rarely mentioned except as adjuncts to their husbands. But with Sarah we meet a woman of heroic proportions, worthy grandmother of the nation of Israel. Her life was far from easy.” [4] Additionally, Sarah was the only patriarch’s wife whose age and death are recorded.
 
In chapter 24 the death of Abraham is announced along with his successful plan to obtain a wife for his son Isaac from the Hebrew community. His last recorded words are found in the dialogue with his servant. This passage explains how Rebekah (Rebecca) comes to be Isaac’s wife, and how God’s promise to Abraham, that his line would endure, is fulfilled as Isaac continues to enjoy God’s graces and favor.
 
CCC: Gn 23:4 145
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5
 
R. (1b) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
 
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the Lord,
or proclaim all his praises?
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
 
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
 
Visit me with your saving help,
That I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your inheritance.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
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Commentary on Ps 106:1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5
 
Psalm 106 is a song of thanksgiving. In this selection the singer thanks God for his saving mercy and favor to his chosen people. This hymn of praise rejoices over God’s gracious help to those who trust in him. We see clearly the hand of God guiding the faithful as the psalmist proclaims “That I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, rejoice in the joy of your people, and glory with your inheritance.”
 
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Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13
 
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
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Commentary on Mt 9:9-13
 
The journey of Jesus continues with the Lord’s encounter with Matthew (Levi in St. Mark’s Gospel), the tax collector. The Pharisees are scandalized because this renowned teacher (Jesus) has chosen to associate with “sinners,” who clearly violate some of the numerous laws about ritual purity (Matthew 5:46). Jesus’ response, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” makes it clear that interior faith is more highly prized than purely ritualistic rigor.
 
This passage is the call of St. Matthew into discipleship. His profession, as customs worker or tax collector, would have stimulated controversy among the scribes and Pharisees, and the presence of others of the same type at the meal described, would have caused ritual impurity. However, as with his disciples, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, Jesus calls Matthew as he was engaged in his profession. The question the Pharisees ask, because such contact would have caused ritual impurity, would have been construed as a critical remark. The Lord responded with a challenge, quoting Hosea 6:6, and punctuated his response with the observation that those who were critical of his associations did not understand the Scriptures they professed to represent.
 
CCC: Mt 9:12 581; Mt 9:13 589, 2100
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Reflection:
 
We were given the Reader’s Digest version of Abraham’s response to the death of Sarah, his first wife, and the procurement of Rebecca as wife for his son Isaac.  What was left out of the story was the fact that those involved (the servant, Rebecca and Rebecca’s family) were all guided by God and gave praise to him at each new stage of the story.  We were not shown the faith of the servant who prayed for a sign from God, that the girl Rebecca was the one sent for Isaac by God, nor were we shown the faith of Rebecca, as she prayed for guidance in going with the servant.  The entire saga, with the parts we did not hear today, is a story of faith and submission to the will of God.
 
The psalm used paints the larger picture of God’s gracious mercy to those who follow him.  It essentially pulls the moral from the story for us, and leads to the Gospel, as Jesus chooses to dine with the “sinners” rather than eat in the ritualistically pure environment of the Pharisees.  The Lord makes it clear that it is more important for him to reach out to those who need his spiritual example than it is for him to follow the ritually complex rules of the Pharisaic laws.  That he calls Matthew should be great news for us who, though unworthy of God’s grace, also are called to serve the Lord.
 
By these examples we see the importance of our own interior faith and how it must be developed and applied in the world.  Is the implication here the one that so many of the “unchurched” use to rationalize their lack of participation in organized religion?  Is the message that the formal celebration of the faith is unimportant? 
 
No, that is not the message.  The message, which was intended for and can only be truly understood by the organized community of faith represented by the Church, tells us that our call must be to reach out as well as maintain an interior faith, strengthened by the sacraments.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “Meeting of Isaac and Rebecca” by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, c. 1640.
[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] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 129.

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr)
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Maria Goretti
Biographical information about St. Maria Goretti

“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]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Genesis 22:1b-19
 
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
Then God said: "Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a burnt offering
on a height that I will point out to you."
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,
took with him his son Isaac, and two of his servants as well,
and with the wood that he had cut for the burnt offering,
set out for the place of which God had told him.
 
On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants: "Both of you stay here with the donkey,
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you."
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering
and laid it on his son Isaac's shoulders,
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:
"Father!" he said.
"Yes, son," he replied.
Isaac continued, "Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"
"Son," Abraham answered,
"God himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering."
Then the two continued going forward.
 
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am," he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;
hence people now say, "On the mountain the LORD will see."
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing all this because you obeyed my command."
 
Abraham then returned to his servants,
and they set out together for Beer-sheba,
where Abraham made his home.
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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.
 
Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your kindness, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
"Where is their God?"
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
They have mouths but speak not;
they have eyes but see not;
They have ears but hear not;
they have noses but smell not.
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Their makers shall be like them,
everyone who trusts in them.
The house of Israel trusts in the LORD;
he is their help and their shield.
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 115:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
 
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
 
After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
"Courage, child, your sins are forgiven."
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
"This man is blaspheming."
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise and walk'?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins"–
he then said to the paralytic,
"Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
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Commentary on Mt 9:1-8
 
Jesus continues his saving works in the healing of the paralytic. He leaves the territory of the Gadarenes, having been rejected out of fear.  He comes once more to his own town and is confronted with a singular demonstration of faith.  We are told, "And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher." Note, there was no outcry or plea from those who lovingly brought the paralytic to Jesus. Rather, an unspoken faith in the Lord that moved Jesus to remove his burden.
 
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
[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.