Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

354 Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Tb 2:12-18 Vulg. 312
Mk 12:17 450

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Reading 1
Tb 2:9-14

On the night of Pentecost, after I had buried the dead,
I, Tobit, went into my courtyard
to sleep next to the courtyard wall.
My face was uncovered because of the heat.
I did not know there were birds perched on the wall above me,
till their warm droppings settled in my eyes, causing cataracts.
I went to see some doctors for a cure
but the more they anointed my eyes with various salves,
the worse the cataracts became,
until I could see no more.
For four years I was deprived of eyesight, and
all my kinsmen were grieved at my condition.
Ahiqar, however, took care of me for two years,
until he left for Elymais.

At that time, my wife Anna worked for hire
at weaving cloth, the kind of work women do.
When she sent back the goods to their owners, they would pay her.
Late in winter on the seventh of Dystrus,
she finished the cloth and sent it back to the owners.
They paid her the full salary
and also gave her a young goat for the table.
On entering my house the goat began to bleat.

I called to my wife and said: “Where did this goat come from?
Perhaps it was stolen! Give it back to its owners;
we have no right to eat stolen food!”
She said to me, “It was given to me as a bonus over and above my wages.”
Yet I would not believe her,
and told her to give it back to its owners.
I became very angry with her over this.
So she retorted: “Where are your charitable deeds now?
Where are your virtuous acts?
See! Your true character is finally showing itself!”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 112:1-2, 7-8, 9

R. (see 7c) The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;

the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.
R. The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
Mk 12:13-17

Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent
to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech.
They came and said to him,
“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion.
You do not regard a person’s status
but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?
Should we pay or should we not pay?”
Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them,
“Why are you testing me?
Bring me a denarius to look at.”
They brought one to him and he said to them,

“Whose image and inscription is this?”
They replied to him, “Caesar’s.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God.”
They were utterly amazed at him.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Tobias 2:9 – 14

That night I took a bath; then I went into the courtyard and lay down by the courtyard wall. Since it was hot I left my face uncovered. I did not know that there were sparrows in the wall above my head; their hot droppings fell into my eyes. White spots then formed, which I was obliged to have treated by the doctors. But the more ointments they tried me with, the more the spots blinded me, and in the end I became blind altogether. I remained without sight four years; all my brothers were distressed; and Ahikar provided for my upkeep for two years, till he left for Elymais.

My wife Anna then undertook woman’s work; she would spin wool and take cloth to weave; she used to deliver whatever had been ordered from her and then receive payment. Now on March the seventh she finished a piece of work and delivered it to her customers. They paid her all that was due, and into the bargain presented her with a kid for a meal. When the kid came into my house, it began to bleat. I called to my wife and said, ‘Where does this creature come from? Suppose it has been stolen! Quick, let the owners have it back; we have no right to eat stolen goods.’ She said, ‘No, it was a present given me over and above my wages’. I did not believe her, and told her to give it back to the owners (I blushed at this in her presence). Then she answered, ‘What about your own alms? What about your own good works? Everyone knows what return you have had for them.’

Psalm: Psalm 111(112):1-2,7-9

With a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!

Happy the man who fears the Lord,
  who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
  the children of the upright are blessed.

With a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!

He has no fear of evil news;
  with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
  he will see the downfall of his foes.

With a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!

Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
  his justice stands firm for ever.
  His head will be raised in glory.

With a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!

Gospel Mark 12:13 – 17

Next they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to catch him out in what he said. These came and said to him, ‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?’ Seeing through their hypocrisy he said to them, ‘Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’ They handed him one and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God’. This reply took them completely by surprise.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Tuesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Tobit 2:9-14; 3:1

Tobit's return
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[9] On the same night I returned from burying him, and because I was defiled I slept by the wall of the courtyard, and my face was uncovered. [10] I did not know that there were sparrows on the wall and their fresh droppings fell into my open eyes and white films formed on my eyes. I went to physicians, but they did not help me. Ahikar, however, took care of me until he went to Elymais.

[11] Then my wife Anna earned money at women's work. [12] She used to send the product to the owners. Once when they paid her wages, they also gave her a kid; [13] and when she returned to me it began to bleat. So I said to her, "Where did you get the kid? It is not stolen, is it? Return it to the owners; for it is not right to eat what is stolen." [14] And she said, "It was given to me as a gift in addition to my wages." But I did not believe her, and told her to return it to the owners; and I blushed for her. Then she replied to me, "Where are your charities and your righteous deeds? You seem to know everything!"

Tobit's prayer in Nineveh
------------------------------------
3 [1] Then in my grief I wept, and I prayed in anguish.

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Commentary:

2:1-14 The festival of the Seven Weeks or Pentecost, so-called because it was held fifty days after Passover (cf. Deut 16:9-12; Lev 23:16), was one of the festivals involving pilgrimage to Jerusalem: during the exile it seems to have been commemorated by a special meal held as a remembrance rite for the feast. By looking after the needy, Tobit is fulfilling what the Law laid down should be done during this festival -- taking an interest in strangers, orphans and widows (cf. Deut 16:14), although he is applying it to "brethren . . . mindful of the Lord" (v. 2). Despite his devoutness and ritual purity (v. 5; cf. Neh 19:11-12), Tobit has to share in the suffering inflicted on the people on account of their sins (v. 6; cf. Amos 8:10). But it gets worse than that: his works of mercy bring him misfortune (first blindness and then penury), to the point that his wife has to take paid work to make ends meet. Later, she queries whether he deserves to be suffering in the way that he is. He can put up with physical blindness because his family comes to his aid; but his wife's criticism casts a shadow on his soul.

Tobit's situation parallels that of everyone who strives to be faithful. As St Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." The Vulgate version of the Bible includes after v. 10 some reflections on why Tobit should have had to suffer in this way: see the RSVCE note on p. 615.

3:1-6 Tobit does not reply to his wife's criticism; instead he entreats God in language reminiscent of the Psalms -- but whereas the Psalms always pray for health and salvation, Tobit ends up praying for death. In this he is like Job (cf. Job 3:20-23), although Tobit acknowledges that God is right to punish him for his sins and those of his fathers, for which he feels responsible.

From the Greek text (where the RSV follows) one cannot deduce that Tobit envisages eternal life as a place of repose and joy in the presence of God; he sees it a place where the dead will dwell for all eternity. But the Latin version of the Vulgate implies that Tobit looks forward to being with the Lord. In any event, Tobit puts his trust in God, which means he can desire death, in the same sort of way that "the Christian can experience a desire for death like St Paul's: 'My desire is to depart and be with Christ' (Phil 1:23). He can transform his own death into an act of obedience and love towards the Father, after the example of Christ" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1011).

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From: Mark 12:13-17

On Tribute to Caesar
------------------------------
[13] And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to entrap him in his talk. [14] And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? [15] Should we pay them, or should we not?" But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a coin and let me look at it." [16] And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." [17] Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at him.

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Commentary:

13-17. Jesus uses this situation to teach that man belongs totally to his Creator: "You must perforce give Caesar the coin which bears his likeness, but let you give your whole being to God, because it is his likeness, not Caesar's that you bear" (St Jerome, "Comm. in Marcum, in loc.").

Our Lord here asserts a principle which should guide the action of Christians in public life. The Church recognizes the rightful autonomy of earthly realities, but this does not mean that she has not a responsibility to light them up with the light of the Gospel. When they work shoulder to shoulder with other citizens to develop society, Christian lay people should bring a Christian influence to bear: "If the role of the Hierarchy is to teach and to interpret authentically the norms of morality to be followed in this matter, it belongs to lay people, without waiting passively for orders and directives, to take the initiative freely and to infuse a Christian spirit into the mentality, customs, laws and structures of the community in which they live. Changes are necessary, basic reforms are indispensable; lay people should strive resolutely to permeate them with the spirit of the Gospel" (Paul VI, "Populorum Progressio", 81).

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

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