CCC Cross Reference:
1 Tm 2:1-2 1349, 1900; 1 Tm 2:1 2636; 1 Tm 2:2 2240; 1 Tm 2:3-4 2822, Sans;; 1 Tm 2:4 74, 851, 1058, 1256, 1261, 1821; 1 Tm 2:5-8 2634; 1 Tm 2:5 618, 1544, 2574
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Reading 1
1 Tm 2:1-8
Beloved:
First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,
petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
for kings and for all in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life
in all devotion and dignity.
This is good and pleasing to God our savior,
who wills everyone to be saved
and to come to knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God.
There is also one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as ransom for all.
This was the testimony at the proper time.
For this I was appointed preacher and Apostle
(I am speaking the truth, I am not lying),
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 28:2, 7, 8-9
R. (6) Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
Hear the sound of my pleading, when I cry to you,
lifting up my hands toward your holy shrine.
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
The Lord is my strength and my shield.
In him my heart trusts, and I find help;
then my heart exults, and with my song I give him thanks.
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
The Lord is the strength of his people,
the saving refuge of his anointed.
Save your people, and bless your inheritance;
feed them, and carry them forever!
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
Gospel
Lk 7:1-10
When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
“He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.”
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
“Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, Go, and he goes;
and to another, Come here, and he comes;
and to my slave, Do this, and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading 1 Timothy 2:1 – 8
My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our savior: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth. For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time, and I have been named a herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of the faith and the truth to the pagans.
In every place, then, I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27(28):2,7-9
Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my cry.
Hear the voice of my pleading
as I call for help,
as I lift up my hands in prayer
to your holy place.
Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my cry.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts.
I was helped, my heart rejoices
and I praise him with my song.
Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my cry.
The Lord is the strength of his people,
a fortress where his anointed find salvation.
Save your people; bless Israel your heritage.
Be their shepherd and carry them for ever.
Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my cry.
Gospel Luke 7:1 – 10
When Jesus had come to the end of all he wanted the people to hear, he went into Capernaum. A centurion there had a servant, a favorite of his, who was sick and near death. Having heard about Jesus he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus they pleaded earnestly with him. ‘He deserves this of you’ they said ‘because he is friendly towards our people; in fact, he is the one who built the synagogue.’ So Jesus went with them, and was not very far from the house when the centurion sent word to him by some friends: ‘Sir,’ he said ‘do not put yourself to trouble; because I am not worthy to have you under my roof; and for this same reason I did not presume to come to you myself; but give the word and let my servant be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard these words he was astonished at him and, turning round, said to the crowd following him, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found faith like this’. And when the messengers got back to the house they found the servant in perfect health.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Monday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time
From: 1 Timothy 2:1-8
God Desires the Salvation of All
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[1] First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, [2] for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. [3] This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, [4] who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony to which was borne at the proper time. [7] For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Men at Prayer, Women at Prayer
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[8] I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.
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Commentary:
1. St Paul here establishes regulations for the public prayer of all the faithful; it is up to Timothy, as head of the church of Ephesus, to specify these in detail, and to preside over them. He refers to four types of prayer; however, since the first three are almost synonymous, he is probably just stressing the key importance of prayer in the Christian life. St Augustine uses this text to explain the various parts of the Mass: "We take as 'supplications' those prayers which are said in celebrating the Mysteries before beginning to bless (the bread and wine) that lie on the table of the Lord. We understand 'prayers' as meaning those prayers that are said when (the offering) is blessed, consecrated and broken for distribution, and almost the whole Church closes this prayer with the Lord's prayer [...]. 'Intercessions' are made when the blessing is being laid on the people [...]. When this rite is completed and all have received this great Sacrament, the whole ceremony is brought to an end by 'thanksgiving' -- which is also the word which concludes this passage of the Apostle's" ("Letter 149", 2, 16).
St Paul orders that prayers be said for all, not just for friends and benefactors and not just for Christians. The Church helps people keep this command by the Prayers of the Faithful or at Mass when "the people exercise their priestly function by praying for all mankind" and "pray for Holy Church, for those in authority, for those oppressed by various needs, for all mankind, and for the salvation of the entire world" ("General Instruction on the Roman Missal", 45).
2. This desire to lead "a quiet and peaceful life" does not in any way imply a relaxation of the demands St Paul makes in other letters. He specifically says that prayers have to be said "for kings and all who are in high positions" because they are responsible for ensuring that civil law is in line with the natural law, and when it is citizens are able to practise religious and civil virtues (to be "godly and respectful"). Rulers have a heavy responsibility and therefore deserve to be prayed for regularly.
St Paul's instruction to pray for kings and others is particularly interesting if one bears in mind that when he was writing this letter, Nero was on the throne – the emperor who instigated a bloody persecution of Christians. St Clement of Rome, one of the first successors of St Peter at the see of Rome, has left us touching evidence of intercession for civil authority: "Make us to be obedient to your own almighty and glorious name and to all who have rule and governance over us on earth [...]. Grant unto them, O Lord, health and peace, harmony and security, that they may exercise without offense the dominion you have accorded them [...]. Vouchsafe so to direct their counsels as may be good and pleasing in your sight, that in peace and mildness they might put to godly use the authority you have given them, and so find mercy with you" ("Letter to the Corinthians", 1, 60- 61).
If one bears in mind the injustices and brutality of the world in which Christians lived when St Paul wrote this letter, the tone of his teaching shows that Christianity has nothing to do with fomenting political or social unrest. The message of Jesus seeks, rather, to change men's consciences so that they for their part can change society from within by working in an upright and noble way. The Church, through its ordinary magisterium, teaches that "the political and economic runing of society is not a direct part of (the Church's) mission (cf. "Gaudium Et Spes", 42). But the Lord Jesus has entrusted to her the word of truth which is capable of enlightening consciences. Divine love, which is her life, impels her to a true solidarity with everyone who suffers. If her members remain faithful to this mission, the Holy Spirit, the source of freedom, will dwell in them, and they will bring forth fruits of justice and peace in their families and in the places where they work and live" (SCDF, "Libertatis Conscientia", 61).
3-4. God's desire that all should be saved is a subject which appears frequently in the Pastoral Epistles (cf. 1 Tim 4:10; Tit 3:4), and so he is often given the title of "Savior" (cf. note on 1 Tim 1:1-2). Here it is given special emphasis: pray for all men (v. 1), particularly those in high positions (v. 2), that all may be saved (v. 6).
Since God wants all men to be saved, no one is predestined to be damned (cf. Council of Trent, "De Iustificatione"). "He came on earth because "omnes homines vult salvos fieri", he wants to redeem the whole world. While you are at your work, shoulder to shoulder with so many others, never forget that there is no soul that does not matter to Christ!" (St. J. Escriva, "The Forge", 865).
God desires man to be free as intensely as he desires his salvation; by making man free he has made it possible for man to cooperate in attaining his last end. "God, who created you without you," St Augustine reminds us, "will not save you without you" ("Sermon", 169, 13).
In order to attain salvation, the Apostle lists as a requirement that one must "come to the knowledge of the truth". "The truth" is firstly Jesus (cf. Jn 14:6; 1 Jn 5:20); knowledge of the truth is the same as knowing the Christian message, the Gospel (cf. Gal 2:5, 14). The human mind needs to come into play if one is to be saved; for, although affections, emotions and good will are also involved, it would be wrong to give them so much importance that the content of the truths of faith is played down. As the original Greek word suggests, this "knowledge" is not just an intellectual grasp of truth: it is something which should have an impact on one's everyday life; knowledge of the faith involves practice of the faith.
"The Church's essential mission, following that of Christ, is a mission of evangelization and salvation. She draws her zeal from the divine love. Evangelization is the proclamation of salvation, which is a gift of God. Through the word of God and the Sacraments, man is freed in the first place from the power of sin and the power of the Evil One which oppress him; and he is brought into a communion of love with God. Following her Lord who 'came into the world to save sinners' (1 Tim 1:15), the Church desires the salvation of everyone. In this mission, the Church teaches the way which man must follow in this world in order to enter the Kingdom of God" (SCDF, "Libertatis Conscientia", 63).
5. Verses 5 and 6 compress a series of statements into the rhythmic format of a liturgical hymn, a kind of summarized confession of faith containing the truths one needs to believe in order to be saved (cf. v. 4).
"One mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus": the Apostle lays stress on Christ's humanity, not to deny his divinity (which he explicitly asserts elsewhere: cf. Tit 2: 13) but because it is as man particularly that Christ is mediator; for if the function of a mediator is to join or put two sides in touch, in this particular case it is only as man that he is as it were "distant both from God by nature and from man by dignity of both grace and glory [...], and that he can unite men to God, communicating his precepts and gifts to them, and offering satisfaction and prayers to God for them" ("Summa Theologiae", III, q. 26, a. 2). Christ is the perfect and only mediator between God and men, because being true God and true man he has offered a sacrifice of infinite value (his life) to reconcile men to God.
The fact that Jesus is the only mediator does not prevent those who have reached heaven from obtaining graces and helping to build up the Church's holiness (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 49). Angels and saints, particularly the Blessed Virgin, can be described as mediators by virtue of their union with Christ: "Mary's function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. But the Blessed Virgin's salutary influence on men originates not in any inner necessity but in the disposition of God. It flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ" ("Lumen Gentium", 60).
6. "Ransom": in the Old Testament God is said to ransom or redeem his people particularly when he sets them free from slavery in Egypt and makes them his own property (cf. Ex 6:6-7; 19:5-6; etc.). The liberation which God will bring about in the messianic times is also described as redemption (cf. Is 35:9) and implies, above all, liberation from sin: "he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities" (Ps. 130:8). The same idea occurs in this verse: Jesus "gave himself" in sacrifice to make expiation for our sins, to set us free from sin and restore to us our lost dignity. "Unceasingly contemplating the whole of Christ's mystery, the Church knows with all the certainty of faith that the Redemption that took place through the Cross has definitively restored his dignity to man and given back meaning to his life in the world, a meaning that was lost to a considerable extent because of sin" (Bl. John Paul II, "Redemptor Hominis", 10).
"At the proper time": God's plan for man's salvation is eternal, it did not start at a particular time; however, it unfolds gradually in God's good time (see the note on Eph 1:10).
8. The raising of the hands at prayer is a custom found among both Jews (cf. Ex 9:29; Is 1:15; etc.) and pagans; it was also adopted by the early Christians, as can be seen from murals in the Roman catacombs.
External stances adopted during prayer should reflect one's inner attitude: "we extend our arms", Tertullian explains, "in imitation of the Lord on the Cross; and praying we confess Christ" ("De Oratione", 14). St Thomas Aquinas, referring to liturgical rites, comments that "what we do externally when we pray helps to move us internally. Genuflections and other gestures of that type are not pleasing to God in themselves; they please him because they are signs of respect whereby man humbles himself interiorly; similarly, the raising of the hands signifies the lifting of the heart" ("Commentary on 1 Tim, ad loc.").
Everyone should pray regularly (vv. 1-2) and be sure to have the right dispositions; men need to make sure that they do not approach prayer with their thoughts full of earthly ambition; and women need to be sure vanity does not creep in. "Holy hands" refers to the need to pray with a calm conscience, free from anger and spite. We already have our Lord's teaching that "if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Mt 5:23-24).
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From: Luke 7:1-10
The Centurion's Faith
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[1] After He (Jesus) had ended all His sayings in the hearing of the people He entered Capernaum. [2] Now a centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death. [3] When he heard of Jesus, he sent to Him elders of the Jews, asking Him to come and heal his slave. [4] And when they came to Jesus, they besought Him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have You do this for him, [5] for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue." [6] And Jesus went with them. When He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof; [7] therefore I did not presume to come to You. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. [8] For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." [9] When Jesus heard this He marvelled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that followed Him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." [10] And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.
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Commentary:
1-10. "They besought Him earnestly" (verse 4). Here is an example of the effectiveness of the prayer of petition, which induces Almighty God to work a miracle. In this connection St. Bernard explains what we should ask God for: "As I see it, the petitions of the heart consists in three things [...]. The first two have to do with the present, that is, with things for the body and for the soul; the third is the blessedness of eternal life. Do not be surprised that He says that we should ask God for things for the body: all things come from Him, physical as well as spiritual things [...]. However, we should pray more often and more fervently for things our souls need, that is, for God's grace and for virtues" ("Fifth Lenten Sermon", 8f). To obtain His grace--of whatever kind--God Himself expects us to ask Him assiduously, confidently, humbly and persistently.
What stands out here is the centurion's humility: he did not belong to the chosen people, he was a pagan; but he makes his request through friends, with deep humility. Humility is the route to faith, whether to receive faith for the first time or to revive it. Speaking of his own conversion experience, St. Augustine says that because he was not humble, he could not understand how Jesus, who was such a humble person, could be God, nor how God could teach anyone by lowering Himself to the point of taking on our human condition. This was precisely why the Word, eternal Truth, became man--to demolish our pride, to encourage our love, to subdue all things and thereby be able to raise us up (cf. "Confessions", VII, 18, 24).
6-7. Such is the faith and humility of the centurion that the Church, in its eucharistic liturgy, gives us his very words to express our own sentiments just before receiving Holy Communion; we too should strive to have this interior disposition when Jesus enters our roof, our soul.
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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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