Monday, August 18, 2008

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

418 Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Ez 18:5-9 2056
Ps 51:12 298, 431; Ps 51:19 1428, 2100

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Reading 1
Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32

The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb
that you recite in the land of Israel:

“Fathers have eaten green grapes,
thus their children’s teeth are on edge”?

As I live, says the Lord God:
I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you
who will repeat this proverb in Israel.
For all lives are mine;
the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine;
only the one who sins shall die.

If a man is virtuous—if he does what is right and just,
if he does not eat on the mountains,
nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel;
if he does not defile his neighbor’s wife,
nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period;
if he oppresses no one,
gives back the pledge received for a debt,
commits no robbery;
if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked;
if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury;
if he holds off from evildoing,
judges fairly between a man and his opponent;
if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances,
that man is virtuous—he shall surely live, says the Lord God.

But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer,
or lends at interest and exacts usury–
this son certainly shall not live.
Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die;
his death shall be his own fault.

Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel,
each one according to his ways, says the Lord God.
Turn and be converted from all your crimes,
that they may be no cause of guilt for you.
Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Why should you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,
says the Lord God. Return and live!

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

R. (12a) Create a clean heart in me, O God
A clean heart create for me, O God;
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Gospel
Mt 19:13-15

Children were brought to Jesus
that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said,
“Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them;
for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

Readings form the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Ezekiel 18:1 – 32

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows:
Why do you keep repeating this proverb in the land of Israel: “The fathers have eaten unripe grapes; and the children’s teeth are set on edge”?

As I live–it is the Lord who speaks–there will no longer be any reason to repeat this proverb in Israel. See now: all life belongs to me; the father’s life and the son’s life, both alike belong to me. The man who has sinned, he is the one who shall die.

The upright man is law-abiding and honest; he does not eat on the mountains or raise his eyes to the idols of the House of Israel, does not seduce his neighbor’s wife or sleep with a woman during her periods. He oppresses no one, returns pledges, never steals, gives his own bread to the hungry, his clothes to the naked. He never charges usury on loans, takes no interest, abstains from evil, gives honest judgment between man and man, keeps my laws and sincerely respects my observances–such a man is truly upright. It is the Lord who speaks.
But if anyone has a son prone to violence and bloodshed, then this son shall certainly not live; having committed all these appalling crimes he will have to die, and his blood be on his own head.

House of Israel, in future I mean to judge each of you by what he does–it is the Lord who speaks. Repent, renounce all your sins, avoid all occasions of sin! Shake off all the sins you have committed against me, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why are you so anxious to die, House of Israel? I take no pleasure in the death of anyone–it is the Lord who speaks. Repent and live!

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 50(51):12-15,18-19

A pure heart create for me, O God.

A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

A pure heart create for me, O God.

Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways
and sinners may return to you.

A pure heart create for me, O God.

For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

A pure heart create for me, O God.

Gospel Matthew 19:13 – 15

People brought little children to him, for him to lay his hands on them and say a prayer. The disciples turned them away, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Saturday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32

Individual responsibility
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[1] The word of the Lord came to me again: [2] What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge''? [3] As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. [4] Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die.

[5] If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right -- [6] if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbour's wife or approach a woman in her time of impurity, [7] does not oppress any one, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, [8] does not lend at interest or take any increase, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between man and man, [9] walks in my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances -- he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord God.

[10] "If he begets a son who is a robber a shedder of blood, […] [13] shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominable things; he shall surely die: his blood shall be upon himself.

[30] "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. [31] Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? [32] For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says the Lord God; so turn, and live."

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Commentary:

18:1-32. Here Ezekiel uses the father-son relationship as a key to this ongoing explanation of the catastrophe of the fall of Jerusalem and the exile. In the previous chapters he showed that the Lord did not give up on his special love for Israel; punish her he will, because she deserves it, but the broken Covenant will be re-established. Now he repeats a lesson that the exiles must learn: the Lord is not being very cruel or unjust towards them; nor is he whenever he allows people to suffer.

Traditional teaching put more emphasis on solidarity and unity among the people -- in terms of both space (all its parts formed one Israel) and time (all generations made up the same people). Thus, it defined the Lord as just and merciful when he rewarded or punished successive generations for the things their forebears did (cf. Ex 34:6-7 and note). But Ezekiel breaks new ground by asserting the principle of individual retribution/responsibility: the exiles have been punished for their own sins, not those of their forebears. This explanation for suffering is a very considerable advance, but the focus is still a narrow one.

The book of Job, too, tackles the question of the suffering of the blameless, and the answer it gives does not go far enough. Not until the New Testament will the full picture emerge in the light of Jesus' death on the cross. Christ suffers for the sins of men, he dies in order to redeem us, and he shows that suffering of every sort, even the suffering of the innocent, has a redemptive value: "When we consider once more the central mysteries of our faith, we are surprised to see how very human gestures are used to express the deepest truths: the love of God the Father who gives up his Son, and the Son's love which calmly leads him to Calvary. God does not approach us in power and authority. No, he 'takes the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man'. Jesus is never distant or aloof, although sometimes in his preaching he seems very sad, because he is hurt by the evil men do. However, if we watch him closely, we will note immediately that his anger comes from love. It is a further invitation for us to leave infidelity and sin behind. "'Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked," says the Lord God, "and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?'" These words explain Christ's whole life. They allow us to understand why he has come to us with a heart made of flesh, a heart like ours. This is a convincing proof of his love and a constant witness to the mystery of divine charity" (St J. Escrivá, Christ Is Passing By, 162).

18:1-20. To counter the spiteful adage about the sour grapes and the teeth on edge (cf. Jer 31:29), Ezekiel offers a practical case involving three generations --a righteous father (vv. 5-9) who has a violent son (vv. 10-13), who in turn has a son who is righteous (vv. 14-20). The moral in each case is the same: "The soul that sins shall die" (v. 20; cf. v. 9); "the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself" (v. 20; cf. 9). Any possible confusion about personal or communal guilt for sin is addressed by the Catechism in the following way: "God's threat to inflict his punishment unto the third and fourth generation should be understood not as proof that children will suffer for the sins of their parents, but that the need for penance and expiation is fundamental [...l. Therefore, there is no contradiction between this threat and the words of the prophet: the soul that sins shall die (Ezek 18:4). St Gregory, whose teaching follows in the line of what all the Fathers taught, tells us: 'Every man who sins as his father did shares in his father's guilt. But the man who has no part in his father's iniquity bears none of his fault. The evil son of the evil father will pay not only for his own sins, but for those of his father as well, because he added his own sins to his father's sins against the Lord; it is just, in the eyes of a strict judge, that he who followed in the footsteps of his evil father should pay for the sins of his father in this life" (Roman Catechism, 3, 2, 31-32).

The sins listed here (idolatry, adultery, uncleanness, oppression, greed: vv. 6-8; 11-13; 15-17) are meant to include all the Lord's commandments, especially those written in what is known as the "Deuteronomic code" (Deut 12:1 26:15) and the "law of holiness" (Lev 17:1-26:46). In Ezekiel's time people were familiar with the Decalogue and with standard lists of virtues (cf. Ps 15:2-4; Is 33:15-16; Jer 22:3-5; Mic 6:8) and sins (cf. 22:6-12). The New Testament, too, uses similar lists (cf. 1 Cor 5:11; Eph 5:5) as a memory aid in moral instruction. So, one can see that Ezekiel was familiar with teaching methods that were in use in the temple. Following this tradition, the Church has always argued that the most effective means be used in catechetical teaching: "so that the faithful, according to their talents, ability and state in life, can learn Catholic doctrine most effectively and put it into practice" (Code of Canon Law, 779).

18:21-32. These verses reply to a question that may arise from the doctrine of personal retribution: If the sinner must live with the consequences of his sins, what is the purpose of repentance? Ezekiel takes the question very much to heart, and his reply includes one of the most beautiful summaries of divine mercy: "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked …, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" (v. 23; cf. 33:11). It is true that the explanation of divine justice and punishment develops over a long period until the New Testament is reached; even so, from the very beginning of divine Revelation, there is never any doubt but that God is always ready to forgive. Over the centuries, Christian spirituality has written beautiful pages filled to overflowing with heartfelt trust in God's mercy. As an example, we will quote a prayer by a Christian writer of the Armenian Church: "You are the Lord of Mercy. Have mercy on me, a sinner, who beseeches you with sighs and tears. [...] O kind and merciful Lord! You are patient with sinners, for you have said: if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed … none of the transgressions which he has committed shall he remembered against him (Ezek 18:21-22). Look, see how I have come before you and fallen at your feet: your guilty servant pleads for your mercy. Do not recall my sins, nor spurn me because of my wickedness. […] You are the Lord of goodness and mercy: you forgive all sin" (John Mandakuni, Oratio, 2-3).

Of course, God's forgiveness is closely interwoven with personal conversion. Therefore, it is not surprising to find these verses of Ezekiel being quoted in connection with the need for the sacrament of penance: "at all times, the practice of penance in order to obtain grace and attain righteousness was necessary for all those who fell into mortal sin, even those who sought to he washed clean by the waters of baptism, so that, when sinfulness had been purged and set to rights, they would detest any offence against God through their hatred of sin and the sorrow of their souls. Thus says the Prophet: Repent and turn from all your transgression, lest iniquity be your ruin (Ezek 18:30)" (Council of Trent, Session 14, 1). There is also a need for genuine contrition: "Contrition, which is the most important element of penance, is a sorrow of the soul, a hatred of all the sins that have been committed, and a desire not to sin again in the future. This sense of contrition has always been a fundamental condition of forgiveness; the man who falls into sin after his baptism can only receive pardon if he is contrite, trusts in the mercy of God, and fulfills all the other conditions that are binding in this sacrament. This Council declares that contrition encompasses not only the end of sin and the beginning of new life, but the reparation of the old, sinful life, as it was written: Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! (Ezek 18:31)" (Council of Trent, Session 14, 4).

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From: Matthew 19:13-15

Jesus Blesses the Children
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[13] Then the children were brought to Him (Jesus) that He might lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; [14] but Jesus said, "Let the children come to Me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven." [15] And He laid His hands on them and went away.

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Commentary:

13-14. Once again (see Matthew 18:1-6) Jesus shows His special love for children, by drawing them close and blessing them. The Church, also, shows special concern for children by urging the need for Baptism:"That this law extends not only to adults but also to infants and children, and that the Church has received this from Apostolic tradition, is confirmed by the unanimous teaching and authority of the Fathers.

"Besides, it is not to be supposed that Christ the Lord would have withheld the Sacrament of grace of Baptism from children, of whom He said: 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven', whom also He embraced, upon whom He imposed hands, to whom He gave His blessing" ("St. Pius V Catechism", II, 2, 32).

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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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