CCC Cross Reference:
There are no references to these texts
Back to Deacon’s Bench '07
Back to Servant of the Word '09
Back to SOW II '11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '15
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II 19
Back to SOW II '23
Reading 1
Ez 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20
King Darius issued an order to the officials
of West-of-Euphrates:
“Let the governor and the elders of the Jews
continue the work on that house of God;
they are to rebuild it on its former site.
I also issue this decree
concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews
in the rebuilding of that house of God:
From the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates,
let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay.
I, Darius, have issued this decree;
let it be carefully executed.”
The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building,
supported by the message of the prophets,
Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo.
They finished the building according to the command
of the God of Israel
and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius
and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
They completed this house on the third day of the month Adar,
in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
The children of Israel–priests, Levites,
and the other returned exiles–
celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
For the dedication of this house of God,
they offered one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs,
together with twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel,
in keeping with the number of the tribes of Israel.
Finally, they set up the priests in their classes
and the Levites in their divisions
for the service of God in Jerusalem,
as is prescribed in the book of Moses.
The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion,
sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles,
for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the Lord.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Gospel
Lk 8:19-21
The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Ezra 6:7 – 20
King Darius decreed:
‘Leave the high commissioner of Judah and the elders of the Jews to work on this Temple of God; they are to rebuild this Temple of God on its ancient site. This, I decree, is how you must assist the elders of the Jews in the reconstruction of this Temple of God: the expenses of these people are to be paid, promptly and without fail, from the royal revenue – that is, from the tribute of Transeuphrates. May the God who causes his name to live there overthrow any king or people who dares to defy this and destroy the Temple of God in Jerusalem! I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be obeyed to the letter!’
The elders of the Jews prospered with their building, inspired by Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished the building in accordance with the order of the God of Israel and the order of Cyrus and of Darius. This Temple was finished on the twenty-third day of the month of Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The Israelites – the priests, the Levites and the remainder of the exiles – joyfully dedicated this Temple of God; for the dedication of this Temple of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs and, as a sacrifice for sin for the whole of Israel, twelve he-goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. Then they installed the priests according to their orders in the service of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, as is written in the Book of Moses.
The exiles celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Levites, as one man, had purified themselves; all were pure, so they sacrificed the passover for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests and for themselves.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 121(122):1-5
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
‘Let us go to God’s house.’
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
For Israel’s law it is,
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgement
of the house of David.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
Gospel Luke 8:19 – 21
His mother and his brothers came looking for him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd. He was told, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you’ But he said in answer, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice’.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Tuesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20
Completion of the building work
---------------------------------------------
(Darius the King speaking) [7] "Let the work on this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. [8] Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God; the cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. [12b] I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence." [14] And the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by command of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Ar-ta-xerxes king of Persia; [15] and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
Dedication of the temple
-----------------------------------
[16] And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. [17] They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. [18] And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
Celebration of the Passover
---------------------------------------
[19] On the fourteenth day of the first month the returned exiles kept the passover. [20] For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they killed the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves;
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
6:1-12. Eventually, God in his providence sorted the situation out and it became quite clear that the building work of Jerusalem had been legally authorized; so Darius gave his permission and every encouragement to push the project forward. The repatriates benefit from a special royal decree which reads as if the king not only recognized the Jews' rights in the matter but also acknowledged the God whom they meant to worship in that temple. Darius invokes this God against anyone who might dare frustrate his wishes (v. 12). It is a kind of sign that the work the Jews are engaged in is desired by God, even though he makes his mind known through a foreign king. The same happened with Cyrus.
6:13-15. It is interesting that this last stage of building the temple is attributed to "the elders of the Jews". Maybe Jeshua and Zerubbabel are no longer around. It is also clear to see that the divine commandment is put into effect through decrees issued by Persian kings, who are now named in regnal order. Given the importance of the event, the exact date is naturally given -- 3 March 515 BC.
The New Testament says that the Church is "God's building" (1 Cor 3:9). "The Lord compared himself to the stone which the builders rejected but which was made into the cornerstone (Mt 21:42; cf. Acts 4:11; Pet 2:7; Ps 117:22). On this foundation the Church is built by the apostles (cf. 1 Cor 3:11)" (Vatican II, Lumen gentium, 6). Christians are like living stones being used in the construction of the Church in this life (cf. 1 Pet 2:5). This building of God's rests on a sound foundation but it is something ongoing; there is always building to be done; It encounters external obstacles, and the builders themselves can grow tired; although the Lord allowed difficulties to arise with the building of the temple, it would in due course be completed; so too the Church will manage to make its way, thanks to the effort each Christian makes in his or her own place in the world.
6:16-18. Even though it is the climax in the whole story-line of the book, the dedication of the temple is described succinctly, especially when compared to the account of the dedication of Solomon's temple according to 2 Chronicles 5:1-7: 22. It is probably done this way to show that this is not a new temple, but the continuation of the one that was there before. On the other hand, to legitimize the fact that there is a new altar and even a new temple, 2 Maccabees 1:18-36, which attributes the building to Nehemiah, records a different tradition about the dedication.
The Ezra text delights in noting the generous offerings made by the Israelites. In the Christian tradition, the ceremony of dedication survives in the dedication of churches, and pastors do not fail to encourage the faithful to make appropriate spiritual offerings: "Therefore, my beloved friends, if we wish to celebrate with joy the dedication of the temple, we must not destroy the living temple of God within us by evildoing. I will say it in a way that everybody can understand: we must prepare our souls in the same way as we would like the church to be prepared when we enter it. Do you want to visit a clean basilica? Then do not dirty your soul with sin. Just as you would like the basilica to be well-lit, God does not wish your soul to be in darkness, but rather he desires that the Lord's saying would prove true: that the light of good works may be shining within you so that he who lives in the heavens may be glorified (St Caesarius of Arles, "Sermons", 229, 3).
6:19-22. The account of the repatriates' return to Israel is reminiscent at times of events relating to the Exodus. One of these is the celebration of Passover. However, the context and the meaning of this celebration have nuances proper to each situation.
In the Exodus, Passover was celebrated prior to setting out on the journey, as a preparation for that great salvific intervention by God on behalf of his people. Here the Passover comes at the end, to show appreciation to God, who has allowed them to return from Babylon, rebuild the temple and begin to live normal lives again in the land he promised them. It is noteworthy that, alongside the repatriates, some "people of the land" (v. 21) also share in the Passover meal.
Passover is the great festival that celebrates the saving action of God: that action is not just a past event, a memory of the escape from Egypt; it happens in various ways over the course of the life of the people down the ages. The celebration of this festival is a memorial of a past event which is made present at every Passover. All this helps us to appreciate the meaning of the paschal (Easter, Passover) mystery of Jesus, the greatest saving intervention by God on behalf of mankind, which brought to fullness the ancient Passover celebrations. Every time that the memorial of the mystery of Jesus' passion, death and resurrection is celebrated in the Eucharist, its salvific power takes effect.
*********************************************************************************************
From: Luke 8:19-21
The True Kinsmen of Jesus
----------------------------------------
[19] Then His (Jesus') mother and His brethren came to Him, but they could not reach Him for the crowd. [20] And He was told, "Your mother and your brethren are standing outside, desiring to see You." [21] But He said to them, "My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
19-21. These words of our Lord show us that fulfillment of the Will of God is more important than kinship and that, therefore, our Lady is more united to her Son by virtue of her perfect fulfillment of what God asked of her, than by the Holy Spirit's using her to make Christ's body (cf. notes on Matthew 12:48-50 and Mark 3:31-35).
[Notes on Matthew 12:48-50 states:
48-50. Jesus obviously loved His Mother and St. Joseph. He uses this episode to teach us that in His Kingdom human ties do not take precedence. In Luke 8: 19 the same teaching is to be found. Jesus regards the person who does the will of His Heavenly Father as a member of His own family. Therefore, even though it means going against natural family feelings, a person should do just that when needs be in order to perform the mission the Father has entrusted to him (cf. Luke 2:49).
We can say that Jesus loved Mary more because of the bonds between them created by grace than because He was her son by natural generation: Mary's divine motherhood is the source of all our Lady's other prerogatives; but this very motherhood is, in its turn, the first and greatest of the graces with which Mary was endowed.]
[Notes on Mark 3:31-35 states:
31-35. In Aramaic, the language used by the Jews, the word "brethren" is a broad term indicating kinship: nephews, first cousins, and relatives in general are called 'brethren' (for further explanation cf. note on Mark 6:1-3). "Jesus did not say this to disown His mother, but to show that she is worthy of honor not only account of having given birth to Jesus, but also because she has all the virtues" (Theoplylact, "Enarratio In Evangelium Marci, in loc.").
Therefore, the Church reminds us that the Blessed Virgin "in the course of her Son's preaching received the words whereby, in extolling a kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh and blood, He declared blessed those who heard and kept the word of God as she was faithfully doing" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 58).
Our Lord, then, is also telling us that if we follow Him we will share His life more intimately than if were a member of His family. St. Thomas explains this by saying that Christ "had an eternal generation and a generation in time, and gave preference to the former. Those who do the will of the Father reach Him by heavenly generation [...]. Everyone who does the will of the Father, that is to say, who obeys Him, is a brother or sister of Christ, because he is like Him who fulfilled the will of His Father. But he who not only obeys but converts others, begets Christ in them, and thus becomes like the Mother of Christ" ("Commentary on St. Matthew", 12, 49-50.)]
*********************************************************************************************
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment