CCC Cross Reference:
Lk 17:1 2287; Lk 17:3-4 2845; Lk 17:4 2227; Lk 17:5 162
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Reading 1
Wis 1:1-7
Love justice, you who judge the earth;
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
Because he is found by those who test him not,
and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.
For perverse counsels separate a man from God,
and his power, put to the proof, rebukes the foolhardy;
Because into a soul that plots evil, wisdom enters not,
nor dwells she in a body under debt of sin.
For the holy Spirit of discipline flees deceit
and withdraws from senseless counsels;
and when injustice occurs it is rebuked.
For wisdom is a kindly spirit,
yet she acquits not the blasphemer of his guilty lips;
Because God is the witness of his inmost self
and the sure observer of his heart
and the listener to his tongue.
For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world,
is all-embracing, and knows what man says.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 139:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10
R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O Lord, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Gospel
Lk 17:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’
you should forgive him.”
And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Wisdom 1:1 – 7
Love virtue, you who are judges on earth,
let honesty prompt your thinking about the Lord,
seek him in simplicity of heart;
since he is to be found by those who do not put him to the test,
he shows himself to those who do not distrust him.
But selfish intentions divorce from God;
and Omnipotence, put to the test, confounds the foolish.
No, Wisdom will never make its way into a crafty soul
nor stay in a body that is in debt to sin;
the holy spirit of instruction shuns deceit,
it stands aloof from reckless purposes,
is taken aback when iniquity appears.
Wisdom is a spirit, a friend to man,
though she will not pardon the words of a blasphemer,
since God sees into the innermost parts of him,
truly observes his heart,
and listens to his tongue.
The spirit of the Lord, indeed, fills the whole world,
and that which holds all things together knows every word that is said.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138(139):1-10
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
Before ever a word is on my tongue
you know it, O Lord, through and through.
Behind and before you besiege me,
your hand ever laid upon me.
Too wonderful for me this knowledge,
too high, beyond my reach.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
O where can I go from your spirit,
or where can I flee from your face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there.
If I lie in the grave, you are there.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
If I take the wings of the dawn
and dwell at the sea’s furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
Gospel Luke 17:1 – 6
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!
If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry”, you must forgive him.’
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith’. The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Monday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
From: Wisdom 1:1-7
To Be Wise, a Person Must Avoid Sin
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[1] Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord with uprightness, and seek him with sincerity of heart; [2] because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him. [3] For perverse thoughts separate men from God, and when his power is tested, it convicts the foolish; [4] because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul, nor dwell in a body enslaved to sin. [5] For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit, and will rise and depart from foolish thoughts, and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness.
Wisdom, Spirit and Word
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[6] For wisdom is a kindly spirit and will not free a blasphemer from the guilt of his words; because God is witness of his inmost feelings, and a true observer of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue. [7] Because the Spirit of the Lord has filled the world, and that which holds all things together knows what is said.
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Commentary:
1:1-6:21. These chapters form the first part of the book. The sacred writer begins by exhorting the rulers of the earth to love righteousness, for it bestows immortality (1:1-15). He goes on to expound the arguments used by the ungodly to justify their behavior (1:16-2:24). Then he takes issue with them by explaining what lies in store after death--the separate fates of the righteous and the ungodly (3: 1-4:20). God will judge all and the ungodly will recognize their sins and be punished (5:1-23). People in positions of government have a heavy responsibility (6:1-11), so the author invites them to love wisdom (6:12-21). In this way, on the basis of belief in God, the book supplies answers to questions that arise from the fact that ungodly people are often successful in this world and the righteous seem to fail: many a just man dies prematurely, for example. It is an advance in Revelation to set retribution the context of the after-life -- thereby opening up the way for the definitive Revelation of the New Testament.
1:1-15. The exhortation to seek righteousness is made specific here: it involves letting oneself be guided by Wisdom. Wisdom lets one see that God will judge every human being (vv. 8-11). Man, like everything else, was made to live: "God did not make death" v. 13), "for he created all things that they might exist, and the creatures of the world are wholesome" (v. 14). This is an optimistic view of the world and of man, and one that goes right back to the first creation account in the book of Genesis (cf. Gen 1:1-2:4). It connects death with divine punishment (v. 12), but, as already pointed out in the previous verse ( a lying mouth destroys the soul) physical death is not the sum total of death; it is, of course, always a sign of death, but vv. 1-12 see beyond the notion of mere physical death, opening the way to an eschatological scenario (not very well defined as yet; New Testament revelation will make it much plainer).
1:1-5. The sacred writer addresses "the rulers" of the earth in the first instance --literally, "those who judge" (cf. Ps 2:10). In the Bible, 'judging" is one of the main prerogatives of the king, and often it means the same thing as "ruling". By "righteousness" is meant, above all, faithfulness to the divine will, dutiful observance of the Covenant made between God and the chosen people -- upright moral conduct. What we have here is a spiritual profile of the wise man. He must be welldisposed to the things of God, and not have a "deceitful soul" (v. 4), and he must be convinced that Good is the Supreme God and that everything that he does or allows to happen is for the best. Whereas (cf. v. 5) the worst thing is to be complicated and distrustful of God. So, from the very start we see this contrast that runs right through the book, between those who are wise, prudent and just, and who trust in God--and the ungodly and unbelievers who pay attention only to what they can see and touch.
"A holy...spirit" (v. 5): in the Old Testament sense, the Spirit of God. This Spirit is the teacher of the soul; that is why it is "ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness": evildoers will curse the Spirit for teaching the righteous how to please God (cf. 2:12-20).
1:6-11. Wisdom is a divine attribute (cf. Job 28:23-24) which God communicates to man (cf. Prov 8:22-31)--to all mankind, although the underlying conviction is that it is given in a special way to the people of Israel (cf. Sir 24:3-47; Bar 3:9-38). In verses 6-7 Wisdom is identified with the Spirit of God, insofar as it is an expression of the creative and life-giving power of God. The text says that the Spirit holds all things together and is present everywhere in the universe and knows everything -- even the hidden thoughts of man (cf. 1 Cor 2:10-11): in this sense Wisdom and the Spirit are the same thing. This is a subject that will be developed in 7:22-28. This notion of Wisdom, taking on the features of a person, prepares the way for the fullness of revelation in the New Testament, when the Divine Word will reveal himself as the Son, that is, as the Word and the mediator of the knowledge of God (cf. Jn 1:1; Col 1:15; Heb 1:1-3).
In v. 6 Wisdom is defined as being "kindly" (towards men). This has not been said before in the Old Testament, but it is consistent with what Genesis (1:31) says about God seeing that everything he made was "very good" and with what God says in Isaiah about his maternal love for Israel (Ct. Is 49: Is). Now it is said with reference not only to the chosen people but to all mankind, and therefore it is an announcement of God's plan of salvation (cf. Rom 5:8-11; 1 Tim 2: 4). These words (v.6) allow us to foresee, to glimpse, that God's love for mankind will reveal itself fully in the Incarnation of the Son of God (cf. Titus 3:4).
Those who will be punished are depicted as complainers, slanderers and liars, The ungodly are deceiving themselves because they have a mistaken idea of God and his providence: they think that he does not interest himself in the doings of mankind and that he lets evil happen; therefore, they do not obey him or respect him. Deep down, every sin against God can be traced back to deceit, just as true faith is grounded on truth. Psalm 58:3 said as much: those who stray from God "err from birth, speaking lies', in the New Testament, Jesus, who declares himself to be Truth, accuses those who do not believe in him of being liars and calls the devil a liar (cf. Jn 8:42-44); and St John calls a liar him who denies Jesus (cf. 1 Jn 2:21-23).
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From: Luke 17:1-6
On Leading Others Astray, Fraternal Correction
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[1] And He (Jesus) said to His disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! [2] It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. [3] Take heed yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; [4] and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."
The Power of Faith
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[5] The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith! [6] And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea', and it would obey you.
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Commentary:
1-3. Our Lord condemns scandal, that is, "any saying, action or omission which constitute for another an occasion of sin" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 417). Jesus is teaching two things here: the first is that scandal will "in fact" happen; the second, that it is a grave sin, as shown by the punishment it earns.
The reason why it is so serious a sin is that it "tends to destroy God's greatest work, that of Redemption, through souls being lost; it kills one's neighbor's soul by taking away the life of grace, which is more precious than the life of the body, and it is the cause of a multitude of sins. This is why God threatens with the most severe punishment those who cause others to stumble" ("ibid"., 418). See [the notes on] Matthew 18:6-7; 18-8; 18:10.
"Take heed to yourselves": a serious warning, meaning that we should not be a cause of scandal to others nor should we be influenced by the bad example others give us.
People who enjoy authority of any kind (parents, teachers, politicians, writers, artists, etc.) can more easily be a cause of scandal. We need to be on the alert in this respect in view of our Lord's warning, "Take heed to yourselves."
2. Millstones were circular in shape with a large hole in the center. Our Lord's description, therefore, was very graphic: it meant that the person's head just fitted through the hole and then he could not get the stone off.
3-4. In order to be a Christian one must always, genuinely, forgive others. Also, one has to correct an erring brother to help him change his behavior. But fraternal correction should always be done in a very refined way, full of charity; otherwise we would humiliate the person who has committed the fault, whereas we should not humiliate him but help him to be better.
Forgiving offenses -- which is something we should always do -- should not be confused with giving up rights which have been justly violated. One can claim rights without any kind of hatred being implied; and sometimes charity and justice require us to exercise our rights. "Let's not confuse the rights of the office you hold with your rights as a person. The former can never be waived" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 407).
Sincere forgiveness leads us to forget the particular offense and to extend the hand of friendship, which in turn helps the offender to repent.
The Christian vocation is a calling to holiness, but one of its essential requirements is that we show apostolic concern for the spiritual welfare of others: Christianity cannot be practiced in an isolated, selfish way. Thus, "if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).
5. "Increase our faith!": a good ejaculatory prayer for every Christian. "Omnia possibilia sunt credenti". "Everything is possible for anyone who has faith." The words are Christ's. How is it that you don't say to Him with the Apostles: '"adauge nobis fidem!" "increase my faith!' ("The Way", 588).
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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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