Monday, October 1, 2007

Monday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

455 Monday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

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Reading 1
Zec 8:1-8

This word of the Lord of hosts came:

Thus says the Lord of hosts:

I am intensely jealous for Zion,
stirred to jealous wrath for her.
Thus says the Lord:
I will return to Zion,
and I will dwell within Jerusalem;
Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city,
and the mountain of the Lord of hosts,
the holy mountain.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women,
each with staff in hand because of old age,
shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.
Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Even if this should seem impossible
in the eyes of the remnant of this people,
shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also,
says the Lord of hosts?
Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun,
and from the land of the setting sun.
I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.
They shall be my people, and I will be their God,
with faithfulness and justice.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23

R. (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

The nations shall revere your name, O Lord,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the Lord has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the Lord:
“The Lord looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence.
That the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

Gospel
Lk 9:46-50

An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest.”

Then John said in reply,
“Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name
and we tried to prevent him
because he does not follow in our company.”
Jesus said to him,
“Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Readings from Jerusalem Bible

First reading Zechariah 8:1 – 8

The Lord of Hosts says this.
I am burning with jealousy for Zion,
with great anger for her sake.

The Lord of Hosts says this.
I am coming back to Zion
and shall dwell in the middle of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem will be called Faithful City
and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the Holy Mountain.

The Lord of Hosts says this.
Old men and old women will again sit down
in the squares of Jerusalem;
every one of them staff in hand
because of their great age.
And the squares of the city will be full
of boys and girls
playing in the squares.

The Lord of Hosts says this.
If this seems a miracle
to the remnant of this people (in those days),
will it seem one to me?
It is the Lord of Hosts who speaks.

The Lord of Hosts says this.
Now I am going to save my people
from the countries of the East
and from the countries of the West.
I will bring them back
to live inside Jerusalem.
They shall be my people
and I will be their God
in faithfulness and integrity.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 101(102):16-21,29,22-23

The Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.

The nations shall fear the name of the Lord
  and all the earth’s kings your glory,
when the Lord shall build up Zion again
  and appear in all his glory.
Then he will turn to the prayers of the helpless;
  he will not despise their prayers.

The Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.

Let this be written for ages to come
  that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord;
for the Lord leaned down from his sanctuary on high.
  He looked down from heaven to the earth
that he might hear the groans of the prisoners
  and free those condemned to die.

The Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.

The sons of your servants shall dwell untroubled
  and their race shall endure before you
that the name of the Lord may be proclaimed in Zion
  and his praise in the heart of Jerusalem,
when peoples and kingdoms are gathered together
  to pay their homage to the Lord.

The Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.

Gospel Luke 9:46 – 50

An argument started between the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what thoughts were going through their minds, and he took a little child and set him by his side and then said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the least among you all, that is the one who is great.’

John spoke up. ‘Master,’ he said ‘we saw a man casting out devils in your so name, and because he is not with us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘You must not stop him: anyone who is not against you is for you’.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Monday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Zechariah 8:1-8

Ten promises of messianic salvation
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[1] And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, [2] "Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. [3] Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. [4] Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand for very age. [5] And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets. [6] Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is a marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, says the Lord of hosts? [7] Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country; [8] and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness."

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Commentary:

8:1-23. The first five prophecies (8:1-8) have to do with God's love for his people (v. 2) and the fulfillment of his promises to dwell in Jerusalem (v. 3; cf. Is 1:26) and to make it a city perfectly at peace (vv. 4-5), even though to the repatriated exiles that might seem an impossible ideal (v. 6), particularly when it includes not only the Babylon exiles but all Jews from all over the world, who will form a united people of God (vv. 7-8). The other five prophecies (9:9-23) concern the rebuilding of the temple (vv. 9-13) because the Lord is fully behind the project again (vv. 14-15); the specific norms of behaviour that the people must follow, including fasting (vv. 16-19); and the establishment of that era when Jerusalem and the Jews will eventually be instruments of salvation for all the Gentiles (vv. 20-23).

8:8. This verse repeats the wording of the Covenant often used by the ancient prophets: "You shall be my people, and I will be your God" (Jer 30:22; cf. Hos 2:25; etc.). Zechariah updates it by applying it to the Jews assembled in Jerusalem after being brought home from all the countries where they had been scattered.

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From: Luke 9:46-50:

Humility and Tolerance
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[46] And an argument arose among them (the disciples) as to which of them was the greatest. [47] But when Jesus perceived the thoughts of their hearts, He took a child and put him by His side, [48] and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great."

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Commentary:

46-48. Jesus takes a child in His arms to give His Apostles example and to correct their too-human ambitions, thereby teaching all of us not to make ourselves important. "Don't try to be a grown-up. A child, always a child, even when you are dying of old age. When a child stumbles and falls, nobody is surprised; his father promptly lifts him up. When the person who stumbles and falls is older, the immediate reaction is one of laughter. Sometimes this first impulse passes and the laughter gives way to pity. But older people have to get up by themselves.

"Your sad experience of each day is full of stumbles and falls. What would become of you if you were not continually more of a child? Don't want to be grownup. Be a child; and when you stumble, may you be lifted by the hand of your Father-God" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 870).

49-50. Our Lord corrects the exclusivist and intolerant attitude of the Apostles. St. Paul later learned this lesson, as we can see from what he wrote during his imprisonment in Rome: "Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will [...]. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice" (Philippians 1:15, 18). "Rejoice, when you see others working in good apostolic activities. And ask God to grant them abundant grace and that they may respond to that grace. Then, you, on your way: convince yourself that it's the only way for you" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 965).

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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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