Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

450 Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Prv 21:1 269
Ps119:30 2465

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Prv 21:1-6, 10-13

Like a stream is the king’s heart in the hand of the Lord;
wherever it pleases him, he directs it.

All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,
but it is the Lord who proves hearts.

To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart–
the tillage of the wicked is sin.

The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,
but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.

Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue
is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.

The soul of the wicked man desires evil;
his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes.

When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser;
when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

The just man appraises the house of the wicked:
there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin.

He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself also call and not be heard.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44

R. (35) Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

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 Proverbs 21:1 – 13

Like flowing water is the heart of the king in the hand of the Lord,
who turns it where he pleases.

A man’s conduct may strike him as upright,
the Lord, however, weighs the heart.

To act virtuously and with justice
is more pleasing to the Lord than sacrifice.

Haughty eye, proud heart,
lamp of the wicked, nothing but sin.

The hardworking man is thoughtful, and all is gain;
too much haste, and all that comes of it is want.

To make a fortune with the help of a lying tongue,
such the idle fantasy of those who look for death.

The wicked man’s soul is intent on evil,
he looks on his neighbor with dislike.

When a mocker is punished, the ignorant man grows wiser,
when a wise man is instructed he acquires more knowledge.

The Just One watches the house of the wicked:
he hurls the wicked to destruction.

He who shuts his ear to the poor man’s cry
shall himself plead and not be heard.

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 118(119):1,27,30,34-35,44

Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.

They are happy whose life is blameless,
  who follow God’s law!
Make me grasp the way of your precepts
  and I will muse on your wonders.

Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.

I have chosen the way of truth
  with your decrees before me.
Train me to observe your law,
  to keep it with my heart.

Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.

Guide me in the path of your commands;
  for there is my delight.
I shall always keep your law
  for ever and ever.

Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.

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: Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13

The way of the wise
-----------------------------
[1] The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
[2] Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
[3] To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
[4] Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp of the wicked, are sin.
[5] The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,<
but every one who is hasty comes only to want.
[6] The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapour and a snare of death.

[10] The soul of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbour finds no mercy in his eyes.
[11] When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;
when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
[12] The righteous observes the house of the wicked;
the wicked are cast down to ruin.
[13] He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself cry out and not be heard.

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Commentary: - No commentary on this selection

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."

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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.)]

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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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