Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

404 Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Ps 146:3-4 150
Mt 13:50 1034; Mt 13:52 1117

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Reading 1
Jer 18:1-6

This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
Rise up, be off to the potter’s house;
there I will give you my message.
I went down to the potter’s house and there he was,
working at the wheel.
Whenever the object of clay which he was making
turned out badly in his hand,
he tried again,
making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.
Then the word of the Lord came to me:
Can I not do to you, house of Israel,
as this potter has done? says the Lord.
Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter,
so are you in my hand, house of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 146:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab

R. (5a) Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God while I live.
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Put not your trust in princes,
in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.
When his spirit departs he returns to his earth;
on that day his plans perish.
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord, his God.
Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 13:47-53

Jesus said to the disciples:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

“Do you understand all these things?”
They answered, “Yes.”
And he replied,
“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom
both the new and the old.”
When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Jeremiah 18:1 – 6

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Get up and make your way down to the potter’s house; there I shall let you hear what I have to say.’ So I went down to the potter’s house; and there he was, working at the wheel. And whenever the vessel he was making came out wrong, as happens with the clay handled by potters, he would start afresh and work it into another vessel, as potters do. Then this word of the Lord was addressed to me, ‘House of Israel, can not I do to you what this potter does? – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine, House of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 145(146):2-6

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.
or
Alleluia!

My soul, give praise to the Lord.
I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.
or
Alleluia!

Put no trust in princes,
In mortal men in whom there is no help.
Take their breath, they return to clay
and their plans that day come to nothing.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.
or
Alleluia!

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who alone made heaven and earth,
the seas and all they contain.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.
or
Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 13:47 – 53

Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
‘Have you understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Thursday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Jeremiah 18:1-6

Jeremiah in the potter's house
--------------------------------------------
[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: [2] "Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words." [3] So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. [4] And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.

[5] Then the word of the Lord came to me: [6] "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."

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Commentary:

18:1-12. Nothing extraordinary happens during Jeremiah's visit to the potter's workshop, but the prophet uses the potter's work as an image to illustrate aspects of his preaching. God is like a potter who has clay in his hands and hopes it will lend itself to be moulded to the shape he wants. The image of God as potter (cf. 1:5) reminds the reader of the Bible of the account in Genesis that describes God forming Adam out of dust from the ground (Gen 2:7), and it recalls other passages of the Old (Is 29:16; 45:9; 64:7) and the New Testaments (Rom 9:20-23) in which clay in the hands of a potter serves to show the omnipotence of God and the littleness of man. The Lord can do with Judah whatever he chooses (v. 6). And if God has authority over his people, then it means that he is able to make it anew and that, if he so wishes, he can destroy any nation or people (vv. 7-10). Just as the potter can change the shape of vessels he has formed out of soft clay, so God expects his people to let themselves be remade (v. 11). But Judah, in its obstinacy, has freely chosen to oppose God (v. 12).

In the potter's house Jeremiah reflects on the power of God and the wisdom of those who yield to his hands and put no obstacles in his way, and he causes others to do the same: "Lord, help me to be faithful and docile towards you, sicut lutum in manu figuli, like clay in the potter's hands. In this way it will not be I that live, but you, my Love, who will live and work in me" (St Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, 875).

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From: Matthew 13:47-53

The Net
------------
[47] "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; [48] when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. [49] So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, [50] and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.

[51] "Have you understood all this?" They said to Him, "Yes." [52] And He said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

[53] And when Jesus had finished these parables He went away from there.

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Commentary:

44-46. In these two parables Jesus shows the supreme value of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the attitude people need if they are to attain it. The parables are very alike, but it is interesting to note the differences: the treasure means abundance of gifts; the pearl indicates the beauty of the Kingdom. The treasure is something stumbled upon; the pearl, the result of a lengthy search; but in both instances the finder is filled with joy. Faith, vocation, true wisdom, desire for Heaven, are things which sometimes are discovered suddenly and unexpectedly, and sometimes after much searching (cf. St. Gregory the Great, "In Evangelia Homilae", 11). However, the man's attitude is the same in both parables and is described in the same terms: "he goes and sells all that he has and buys it": detachment, generosity, is indispensable for obtaining the treasure.

"Anyone who understands the Kingdom which Christ proposes realizes that it is worth staking everything to obtain it [...]. The Kingdom of Heaven is difficult to win. No one can be sure of achieving it, but the humble cry of a repentant man can open wide its doors" St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 180).

47. "Fish of every kind": almost all the Greek manuscripts and early translations say "All kinds of things". A dragnet is very long and about two meters wide; when it is extended between two boats it forms double or triple mesh with the result that when it is pulled in it collects all sorts of things in addition to fish--algae, weeds, rubbish, etc.

This parable is rather like the parable of the cockle, but in a fishing context: the net is the Church, the sea the world.

We can easily find in this parable the dogmatic truth of the Judgment: at the end of time God will judge men and separate the good from the bad. It is interesting to note our Lord's repeated references to the last things, especially Judgment and Hell: He emphasizes these truths because of man's great tendency to forget them: "All these things are said to make sure that no one can make the excuse that he does not know about them: this excuse would be valid only if eternal punishment were spoken about in ambiguous terms" (St. Gregory the Great, "In Evangelia Homilae", 11).

52. "Scribe": among the Jews a scribe was a religious teacher, a specialist in sacred Scripture and its application to life. Our Lord here uses this word to refer to the Apostles, who will have the role of teachers in His Church. Thus, the Apostles and their successors, the Bishops, are the "Ecclesia docens", the teaching Church; they have the authority and the mission to teach. The Pope and the Bishops exercise this authority directly and are also helped in this by priests. The other members of the Church form the "Ecclesia discens", the learning Church. However, every disciple of Christ, every Christian who has received Christ's teaching, has a duty to pass this teaching on to others, in language they can understand; therefore, he should make sure he has a good grasp of Christian doctrine. The treasure of Revelation is so rich that it can provide teaching which applies to all times and situations. It is for the word of God to enlighten all ages and situations--not the other way around. Therefore, the Church and its pastors preach, not new things, but a single unchanging truth contained in the treasure of Revelation: for the past two thousand years the Gospel has always been "good news".

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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.

Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

403 Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Jer 15:15-18 2584
Mt 13:44-45 546

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Reading 1
Jer 15:10, 16-21

Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth!
a man of strife and contention to all the land!
I neither borrow nor lend,
yet all curse me.
When I found your words, I devoured them;
they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,
Because I bore your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.
I did not sit celebrating
in the circle of merrymakers;
Under the weight of your hand I sat alone
because you filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain continuous,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook,
whose waters do not abide!
Thus the Lord answered me:
If you repent, so that I restore you,
in my presence you shall stand;
If you bring forth the precious without the vile,
you shall be my mouthpiece.
Then it shall be they who turn to you,
and you shall not turn to them;
And I will make you toward this people
a solid wall of brass.
Though they fight against you,
they shall not prevail,
For I am with you,
to deliver and rescue you, says the Lord.
I will free you from the hand of the wicked,
and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18

R. (17d) God is my refuge on the day of distress.

Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O Lord.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

Gospel
Mt 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Jeremiah 15:10 – 21

‘Woe is me, my mother, for you have borne me
to be a man of strife and of dissension for all the land.
I neither lend nor borrow,
yet all of them curse me.

‘When your words came, I devoured them:
your word was my delight
and the joy of my heart;
for I was called by your name,
the Lord, God of Hosts.
I never took pleasure in sitting in scoffers’ company;
with your hand on me I held myself aloof,
since you had filled me with indignation.
Why is my suffering continual,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Do you mean to be for me a deceptive stream
with inconstant waters?’

To which the Lord replied,
‘If you come back,
I will take you back into my service;
and if you utter noble, not despicable, thoughts,
you shall be as my own mouth.
They will come back to you,
but you must not go back to them.
I will make you
a bronze wall fortified against this people.
They will fight against you
but they will not overcome you,
because I am with you
to save you and to deliver you
– it is the Lord who speaks.
I mean to deliver you from the hands of the wicked
and redeem you from the clutches of the violent.’

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 58(59):2-5,10-11,17-18

O God, you have been a refuge in the day of my distress.

Rescue me, God, from my foes;
protect me from those who attack me.
O rescue me from those who do evil
and save me from blood-thirsty men.

O God, you have been a refuge in the day of my distress.

See, they lie in wait for my life;
powerful men band together against me.
For no offence, no sin of mine, Lord,
for no guilt of mine they rush to take their stand.

O God, you have been a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn,
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
the God who shows me love.

O God, you have been a refuge in the day of my distress.

As for me, I will sing of your strength
and each morning acclaim your love
for you have been my stronghold,
a refuge in the day of my distress.

O God, you have been a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn,
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
the God who shows me love.

O God, you have been a refuge in the day of my distress.

Gospel Matthew 13:44 – 46

Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Wednesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21

Jeremiah's second "confession"
----------------------------------------------
[10] Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.

[16] Thy words were found, and I ate them,
and thy words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart;
for I am called by thy name,
O Lord, God of hosts.
[17] I did not sit in the company of merrymakers,
nor did I rejoice;
I sat alone, because thy hand was upon me,
for thou hadst filled me with indignation.
[18] Why is my pain unceasing,
my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
Wilt thou be to me like a deceitful brook,
like waters that fail?

[19] Therefore thus says the Lord:
"If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless.
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them.
[20] And I will make you to this people
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
to save you and deliver you, says the Lord.
[21] will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless."

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Commentary:

15:10-21. Jeremiah again opens his heart to the Lord. The mission God gave him has not proved easy. In vv. 10-11 he seems to share his thoughts with his mother, with himself and with God, and in vv. 15-21 he makes a prayerful complaint to God, who spells out what course he should take and offers hope of deliverance. Verses 12-14, which break the thread of the passage and are to be found again in 17:3-4, seem to stress the solidarity that exists between Jeremiah and the people.

Despite the fact that Jeremiah has sought only to serve the Lord and intercede with him even on behalf of enemies, wishing no one evil, he has been rejected and cursed and has become a source of discord. He tells the Lord how pained he feels (vv. 10-11) and he goes on to recall times when he felt very happy in his relations with God (v. 16), and other times when he felt desolate because everyone rejected him (vv. 17-18). As in the first "confession" (11:18-12:6), the Lord's reply seems harsh, calling him to personal conversion (v. 19a). Because Jeremiah must preach conversion to others, he must begin with himself, by being true to the mission entrusted to him; he must shed any feelings of pessimism. Once he is cleansed, he will be well able to speak the word of the Lord and the people will heed him (vv. 19b-21).

Jeremiah's trusting dialogue with the Lord, and the reply he is given (v. 19), are a personal call to the reader of this passage: "This is meant for everyone, for God is always calling on us to return to him" (Origen, Homiliae in Jeremiam, 14, 18).

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From: Matthew 13:44-46

The Hidden Treasure; The Pearl
----------------------------------------------
(Jesus said to His disciples,) [44] "The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

[45] "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, [46] who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

44-46. In these two parables Jesus shows the supreme value of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the attitude people need if they are to attain it. The parables are very alike, but it is interesting to note the differences: the treasure means abundance of gifts; the pearl indicates the beauty of the Kingdom. The treasure is something stumbled upon; the pearl, the result of a lengthy search; but in both instances the finder is filled with joy. Faith, vocation, true wisdom, desire for Heaven, are things which sometimes are discovered suddenly and unexpectedly, and sometimes after much searching (cf. St. Gregory the Great, "In Evangelia Homilae", 11). However, the man's attitude is the same in both parables and is described in the same terms: "he goes and sells all that he has and buys it": detachment, generosity, is indispensable for obtaining the treasure.

"Anyone who understands the Kingdom which Christ proposes realizes that it is worth staking everything to obtain it [...]. The Kingdom of Heaven is difficult to win. No one can be sure of achieving it, but the humble cry of a repentant man can open wide its doors" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 180).

*********************************************************************************************
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.

Memorial of Saint Martha

Memorial of Saint Martha

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Reading 1
Jer 14:17-22

Let my eyes stream with tears
day and night, without rest,
Over the great destruction which overwhelms
the virgin daughter of my people,
over her incurable wound.
If I walk out into the field,
look! those slain by the sword;
If I enter the city,
look! those consumed by hunger.
Even the prophet and the priest
forage in a land they know not.

Have you cast Judah off completely?
Is Zion loathsome to you?
Why have you struck us a blow
that cannot be healed?
We wait for peace, to no avail;
for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.
We recognize, O Lord, our wickedness,
the guilt of our fathers;
that we have sinned against you.
For your name’s sake spurn us not,
disgrace not the throne of your glory;
remember your covenant with us, and break it not.
Among the nations’ idols is there any that gives rain?
Or can the mere heavens send showers?
Is it not you alone, O Lord,
our God, to whom we look?
You alone have done all these things.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13

R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you;
with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Gospel
Jn 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

or

Lk 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Jeremiah 14:17 – 22

Say this word to them:
“Tears flood my eyes
night and day, unceasingly,
since a crushing blow falls on the daughter of my people,
a most grievous injury.
If I go into the countryside,
there lie men killed by the sword;
if I go into the city,
I see people sick with hunger;
even prophets and priests
plough the land: they are at their wit’s end.”

Have you rejected Judah altogether?
Does your very soul revolt at Zion?
Why have you struck us down without hope of cure?
We were hoping for peace – no good came of it!
For the moment of cure – nothing but terror!
the Lord, we do confess our wickedness
and our fathers’ guilt:
we have indeed sinned against you.
For your name’s sake do not reject us,
do not dishonour the throne of your glory.
Remember us; do not break your covenant with us.
Can any of the pagan Nothings make it rain?
Can the heavens produce showers?
No, it is you, the Lord.
O our God, you are our hope,
since it is you who do all this.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 78

Gospel Luke 10:38 – 42

In the course of their journey Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’

Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

401 Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
There are no references to these texts.

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Reading 1
Jer 13:1-11

The Lord said to me: Go buy yourself a linen loincloth;
wear it on your loins, but do not put it in water.
I bought the loincloth, as the Lord commanded, and put it on.
A second time the word of the Lord came to me thus:
Take the loincloth which you bought and are wearing,
and go now to the Parath;
there hide it in a cleft of the rock.
Obedient to the Lord’s command, I went to the Parath
and buried the loincloth.
After a long interval, the Lord said to me:
Go now to the Parath and fetch the loincloth
which I told you to hide there.
Again I went to the Parath, sought out and took the loincloth
from the place where I had hid it.
But it was rotted, good for nothing!
Then the message came to me from the Lord:
Thus says the Lord:
So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot,
the great pride of Jerusalem.
This wicked people who refuse to obey my words,
who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts,
and follow strange gods to serve and adore them,
shall be like this loincloth which is good for nothing.
For, as close as the loincloth clings to a man’s loins,
so had I made the whole house of Israel
and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord;
to be my people, my renown, my praise, my beauty.
But they did not listen.

Responsorial Psalm
Deuteronomy 32:18-19, 20, 21

R. (see 18a) You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you,
You forgot the God who gave you birth.
When the Lord saw this, he was filled with loathing
and anger toward his sons and daughters.
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

“I will hide my face from them,” he said,
“and see what will then become of them.
What a fickle race they are,
sons with no loyalty in them!”
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

“Since they have provoked me with their ‘no-god’
and angered me with their vain idols,
I will provoke them with a ‘no-people’;
with a foolish nation I will anger them.”
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

Gospel
Mt 13:31-35

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

He spoke to them another parable.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:

I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Jeremiah 13:1 – 11

The Lord said this to me, ‘Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it round your waist. But do not dip it in water.’ And so, as the Lord had ordered, I bought a loincloth and put it round my waist. A second time the word of the Lord was spoken to me, ‘Take the loincloth that you have bought and are wearing round your waist; up! Go to the Euphrates and hide it in a hole in the rock.’ So I went and hid it near the Euphrates as the Lord had ordered me. Many days afterwards the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to the Euphrates and fetch the loincloth I ordered you to hide there.’ So I went to the Euphrates, and I searched, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. The loincloth was spoilt, good for nothing. Then the word of the Lord was addressed to me, Thus says the Lord: In the same way I will spoil the arrogance of Judah and Jerusalem. This evil people who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the dictates of their own hard hearts, who have followed alien gods, and served them and worshipped them, let them become like this loincloth, good for nothing. For just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I had intended the whole House of Judah to cling to me – it is the Lord who speaks – to be my people, my glory, my honor and my boast. But they have not listened.

Responsorial Psalm: 

Deuteronomy 32:18-21

You forget the God who fathered you.

You forget the Rock who begot you,
unmindful now of the God who fathered you.
The Lord has seen this, and in his anger
cast off his sons and his daughters.

You forget the God who fathered you.

‘I shall hide my face from them,’ he says
‘and see what becomes of them.
For they are a deceitful brood,
children with no loyalty in them.

You forget the God who fathered you.

‘They have roused me to jealousy with what is no god,
they have angered me with their beings of nothing;
I, then, will rouse them to jealousy with what is no people,
I will anger them with an empty-headed nation.’

You forget the God who fathered you.

Gospel Matthew 13:31 – 35

Jesus put another parable before them, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches.’

He told them another parable, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’
In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfil the prophecy:
I will speak to you in parables
and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Monday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Jeremiah 13:1-11

The linen waistcloth entirely spoiled
----------------------------------------------------
[1] Thus said the Lord to me, "Go and buy a linen waistcloth, and put it on your loins, and do not dip it in water." [2] So I bought a waistcloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it on my loins. [3] And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, [4] "Take the waistcloth which you have bought, which is upon your loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock." [5] So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. [6] And after many days the Lord said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the waistcloth which I commanded you to hide there." [7] Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the waistcloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing.

[8] Then the word of the Lord came to me: [9] "Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. [10] This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this waistcloth, which is good for nothing. [11] For as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.

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Commentary:

13:1-11. This is the first of Jeremiah's symbolic actions reported in the book. Actions of that sort, sometimes appearing to make sense, have the advantage of catching the audience's attention better than an oracle does. It is not easy to imagine how Jeremiah, in the difficult circumstances of the time, could have twice gone to the Euphrates (about 1000 km. or 570 miles away). Therefore, scholars think that this symbolic action may have been something seen in a vision, or else they interpret it as containing a play on the words Parah, the name of a torrent near Anathoth (cf. Josh 18:23) and "Perath", the word used in Hebrew for the river Euphrates. Anyway, this symbolic action means that Judah, the Lord's decorative loincloth (of the sort worn by priests in the temple), will be corrupted by Babylonian influences and thereby destroyed.

God asked Jeremiah to buy a loincloth and put it on, to symbolize that, just as that garment fitted his waist exactly, God wanted the house of Israel and the house of Judah to cling to him (v. 11). The Lord wanted his people to trust in him completely: the word for "clinging" or adhesion often occurs in the book of Deuteronomy, too, to mean the fidelity due to God (cf. Deut 4:4; 10:20; 11:22; 13:5; 30:20). This "cleaving" to God comes about through faith. "Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed. As personal adherence to God and assent to his truth, Christian faith differs from our faith in any human person. It is right and just to entrust oneself wholly to God and to believe absolutely what he says. It would be futile and false to place such faith in a creature (cf. Jer 17:5-6; Ps 40:5; 146:3-4)" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 150). Jeremiah's symbolic action may help us, then, to see that when someone forsakes God and puts all his trust in created things, be they other people or material things, it spoils that person's heart entirely. The passage also reminds us of what our Lord says in Matthew 5:13 about salt that has lost its taste being "good for nothing" (v. 10).

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From: Matthew 13:31-35

The Mustard Seed; The Leaven
---------------------------------------------
[31] Another parable He (Jesus) put before them saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; [32] it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

[33] He told them another parable. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened."

[34] All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed He said nothing to them without a parable. [35] This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

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Commentary:

31-32. Here, the man is Jesus Christ and the field, the world. The grain of mustard seed is the preaching of the Gospel and the Church, which from very small beginnings will spread throughout the world.

The parable clearly refers to the universal scope and spread of the Kingdom of God: the Church, which embraces all mankind of every kind and condition, in every latitude and in all ages, is forever developing in spite of obstacles, thanks to God's promise and aid.

33. This comparison is taken from everyday experience: just as leaven gradually ferments all the dough, so the Church spreads to convert all nations.

The leaven is also a symbol of the individual Christian. Living in the middle of the world and retaining his Christian quality, he wins souls for Christ by his word and example: "Our calling to be children of God, in the midst of the world, requires us not only to seek our own personal holiness, but also to go out onto all the ways of the earth, to convert them into roadways that will carry souls over all obstacles and lead them to the Lord. As we take part in all temporal activities as ordinary citizens, we are to become leaven acting on the mass" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 120).

34-35. Revelation, God's plans, are hidden (cf. Matthew 11:25) from those who are disposed to accept them. The Evangelist wishes to emphasize the need for simplicity and for docility to the Gospel. By recalling Psalm 78:2, he tells us once more, under divine inspiration, that the Old Testament prophecies find their fulfillment in our Lord's preaching.

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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.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

109A Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links
CCC 407: Cannot ignore wound of sin in discerning human situation
CCC 1777-1785: Moral decision making in rapport with God’s will
CCC 1786-1789: Seeking will of God in divine law in difficult circumstances
CCC 1038-1041: Separation of good and evil at Judgment
CCC 1037: God predestines no one to hell

CCC Cross Reference:
Rom 8:26-39 2739; Rom 8:28-30 1821, 2012; Rom 8:28 313, 395; Rom 8:29 257, 381, 501, 1161, 1272, 2790
Mt 13:44-45 546; Mt 13:50 1034; Mt 13:52 1117

Back to Deacon’s Bench '08
Back to SOW II '11
Back to SOW II '14
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '20
Back to SOW II '23

Reading 1
1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12

The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon answered:
“O Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king
to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”

The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him:
“Because you have asked for this—
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches,
nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right—
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

R. (97a) Lord, I love your commands.

I have said, O Lord, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Lord, I love your commands.

Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, I love your commands.

For I love your command
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.
R. Lord, I love your commands.

Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, I love your commands.

Reading II
Rom 8:28-30

Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.

Gospel
Mt 13:44-52 or 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

“Do you understand all these things?”
They answered, “Yes.”
And he replied,
“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”

or

Jesus said to his disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading 1 Kings 3:5 – 12

At Gibeon the Lord appeared in a dream to Solomon during the night. God said, ‘Ask what you would like me to give you.’ Solomon replied, ‘O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in succession to David my father. But I am a very young man, unskilled in leadership. Your servant finds himself in the midst of this people of yours that you have chosen, a people so many its number cannot be counted or reckoned. Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil, for who could govern this people of yours that is so great?’ It pleased the Lord that Solomon should have asked for this. ‘Since you have asked for this’ the Lord said ‘and not asked for long life for yourself or riches or the lives of your enemies, but have asked for a discerning judgment for yourself, here and now I do what you ask. I give you a heart wise and shrewd as none before you has had and none will have after you.

Responorial Psalm:
Psalm 118(119):57,72,76-77,127-130

Lord, how I love your law!

My part, I have resolved, O Lord,
  is to obey your word.
The law from your mouth means more to me
  than silver and gold.

Lord, how I love your law!

Let your love be ready to console me
  by your promise to your servant.
Let your love come and I shall live
  for your law is my delight.

Lord, how I love your law!

That is why I love your commands
  more than finest gold,
why I rule my life by your precepts,
  and hate false ways.

Lord, how I love your law!

Your will is wonderful indeed;
  therefore I obey it.
The unfolding of your word gives light
  and teaches the simple.

Lord, how I love your law!

Second reading Romans 8:28 – 30

We know that by turning everything to their good, God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.

Gospel Matthew 13:44 – 52

Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.
‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

‘Have you understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: 1 Kings 3:5-12

Solomon’s Request of God (Continuation)
------------------------------------------------------------
[4] And the king (Solomon) went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings upon that altar. [5] At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” [6] And Solomon said, “Thou hast shown great and steadfast love to thy servant David my father, because he walked before thee in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward thee; and thou hast kept for him this great and steadfast love, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne this day. [7] And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. [8] And thy servant is in the midst of thy people whom thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. [9] Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to govern thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this thy great people?”

[10] lt pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. [11] And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, [12] behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. [13] I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days."

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Commentary:

3:1-11:1:43. The reign of Solomon became idealized in the memory of Israel. The sacred writer of 1 and 2 Kings gives him much more space than any other king. First we are shown his wisdom (3:1-5:14), which would become proverbial and would cause wisdom books such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Book of Wisdom to be attributed to him, and also poetical books such as the Song of Songs and a collection of Psalms. He then goes on to deal with the king’s public works programme (5:15-9:9), especially the building of the temple and its dedication, for that temple would become the center of the religious life of the people. On these two scores Solomon became famous inside and outside Israel, as explained in 9:10-10:29. Finally, with a realism rare among historians of the time, the writer exposes the king’s sins and failings towards the end of his reign (11: 1-40).

The reign of Solomon is depicted in these chapters in all its splendor -- and all its weakness. The splendor derives from the wisdom with which God endows the king (3:1-5:14) and is to be found in Solomon’s great buildings (especially the temple: 5:15-7:51), in his prayer at the dedication of the temple (8:1-9:9) and in the booming commerce which gives Solomon great prestige and untold wealth (9:10-10:29). The king’s weakness lies in his unfaithfulness to God, for, to please his foreign wives, he introduces the worship of other gods into the country. There are political weaknesses, too: cracks are appearing in the (north-south) union, and enemies exist inside and outside the state (11:1-40).

3:1-5:14. The most important trait of Solomon is his wisdom, to which our Lord refers in the Gospel (cf. Mt 12:45). The sacred writer shows here the source and evidence of that wisdom: it is a gift from God, his answer to the king’s prayer (3:12-14), and it can be seen in the way Solomon administers justice (3:16-28) and in the way that court and kingdom are organized, that is, in the typical functions of a king (4:1-24). The more he acts with wisdom, the wiser he becomes (4:29-34).

3:2-14. The “high places” (v. 2) were altars built in open country, on the top of some hill, and under a shady tree, where Canaanites and Israelites of this period offered sacrifices to the divinity. From the time of King Josiah’s reform in 622 this type of worship was expressly forbidden in case the worship of God should become associated with worship of local gods, baals (cf. 2 Kings 23:4-20).

Gibeon, about 10 km. (6 miles) northwest of Jerusalem, belonged to the tribe of Benjamin (cf. Josh 18:25) and was one of the cities given over to the Levites (cf. Josh 21:17) in which according to Chronicles, the desert tent or tabernacle was kept for a time (cf. 1 Chron 21:29). The fact that the Lord should speak to Solomon here also means that he is confirming him as king of Israel.

Solomon’s request pleases the Lord because it is made with humility (cf. v. 7) and because he asks not for material things but for “an understanding mind” so as to be able to govern well (vv. 9-14). Solomon’s request is an anticipation of the proper order which, according to Christ’s teaching, should be present in prayer of petition: “The one Master and Lord teaches us how and in what order we ought to pray to God for the things we want; since we indicate and express our desires and petitions in, prayer, then we pray properly and well when the order of our petitions matches the right order of desires. True charity teaches us that we ought to dedicate ourselves and all our desires to God; God, the supreme Good, deserves the highest form of love. And God cannot be loved from the heart, exclusively, if his honor and glory are not valued above all other things and creatures; all good things, those we have and those we do not possess, all things that are called good, must be subordinated to the supreme Good from whom they derive their goodness” ("Roman Catechism", 4, 10, 1).

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From: Romans 8:28-30

Christians are Children of God (Continuation)
----------------------------------------------------------------
[28] We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

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Commentary:

28. Awareness of God as Father helps us see all the events of our life as orchestrated by the lovable Will of God. Our Father gives us what is best for us and expects us to discover his paternal love in adverse as well as in favorable events. "Notice", St Bernard points out, "that he does not say that things suit our whims but that they work for our good. They serve not caprice but usefulness; not pleasure but salvation; not what we desire but what is good for us. In that sense everything works for our good, even death itself, even sin [...]. Is it not the case that sins do good to him who on their account becomes more humble, more fervent, more solicitous, more on guard, more prudent?" ("De Fallacia Et Brevitate Vitae", 6). If we have this optimistic, hopeful attitude, we will overcome every difficulty we meet: "The whole world seems to be coming down on top of you. Whichever way you turn you find no way out. This time, it is impossible to overcome the difficulties.

"But, have you again forgotten that God is your Father?--all-powerful, infinitely wise, full of mercy. He would never send you anything evil. That thing that is worrying you is good for you, even though those earthbound eyes of yours may not be able to see it now.

"'Omnia in bonum!' Lord, once again and always, may your most wise Will be done!" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way of the Cross", IX, 4).

29. Christ is called the "first-born" for many reasons. He is "the first-born of all creation" (Col 1:15) because he is eternally begotten and because "all things were made through him" (Jn 1:3). He is also the new Adam and therefore the head of the human race in the work of redemption (cf. 1 Cor 15:22, 45). He is "the first-born from the dead" (cf. Col 1:18; Rev 1:5) and therefore is the head of all those who have reached heaven and all who are awaiting their future resurrection (1 Cor 15:20, 23). Finally, he is the "first-born among many brethren" because, in the order of grace, he gives us a share in his divine sonship: by means of habitual grace--"sanctifying" grace--we become children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. "For, just as God chose to communicate to others his natural goodness, giving them a share in that goodness, so that he might be not only good but also the author of good things; so the Son of God chose to communicate to others a sonship like his own, so that he might be not only a son, but the first-born of many sons" (St Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on Rom, ad loc.").

This remarkable fact is what leads the Christian to imitate Christ: our divine sonship moves us to reflect the words and gestures of his Only-begotten Son.

"Lord, help me decide to tear off, through penance, this pitiful mask I have fashioned with my wretched doings.... Then, and only then, by following the path of contemplation and atonement, will my life begin to copy faithfully the features of your life. We will find ourselves becoming more and more like you.

"We will be other Christs, Christ himself, 'ipse Christus'" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way of the Cross", VI).

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From: Matthew 13:44-52

The Hidden Treasure; The Pearl
----------------------------------------------
(Jesus said to His disciples,) [44] "The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

[45] "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, [46] who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The Net
------------
[47] "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; [48] when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. [49] So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, [50] and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.

[51] "Have you understood all this?" They said to Him, "Yes." [52] And He said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

[53] And when Jesus had finished these parables He went away from there.

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Commentary:

44-46. In these two parables Jesus shows the supreme value of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the attitude people need if they are to attain it. The parables are very alike, but it is interesting to note the differences: the treasure means abundance of gifts; the pearl indicates the beauty of the Kingdom. The treasure is something stumbled upon; the pearl, the result of a lengthy search; but in both instances the finder is filled with joy. Faith, vocation, true wisdom, desire for Heaven, are things which sometimes are discovered suddenly and unexpectedly, and sometimes after much searching (cf. St. Gregory the Great, "In Evangelia Homilae", 11). However, the man's attitude is the same in both parables and is described in the same terms: "he goes and sells all that he has and buys it": detachment, generosity, is indispensable for obtaining the treasure.

"Anyone who understands the Kingdom which Christ proposes realizes that it is worth staking everything to obtain it [...]. The Kingdom of Heaven is difficult to win. No one can be sure of achieving it, but the humble cry of a repentant man can open wide its doors" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 180).

47. "Fish of every kind": almost all the Greek manuscripts and early translations say "All kinds of things". A dragnet is very long and about two meters wide; when it is extended between two boats it forms double or triple mesh with the result that when it is pulled in it collects all sorts of things in addition to fish -- algae, weeds, rubbish, etc.

This parable is rather like the parable of the cockle, but in a fishing context: the net is the Church, the sea the world.

We can easily find in this parable the dogmatic truth of the Judgment: at the end of time God will judge men and separate the good from the bad. It is interesting to note our Lord's repeated references to the last things, especially Judgment and Hell: He emphasizes these truths because of man's great tendency to forget them: "All these things are said to make sure that no one can make the excuse that he does not know about them: this excuse would be valid only if eternal punishment were spoken about in ambiguous terms" (St. Gregory the Great, "In Evangelia Homilae", 11).

52. "Scribe": among the Jews a scribe was a religious teacher, a specialist in sacred Scripture and its application to life. Our Lord here uses this word to refer to the Apostles, who will have the role of teachers in His Church. Thus, the Apostles and their successors, the Bishops, are the "Ecclesia docens", the teaching Church; they have the authority and the mission to teach. The Pope and the Bishops exercise this authority directly and are also helped in this by priests. The other members of the Church form the "Ecclesia discens", the learning Church. However, every disciple of Christ, every Christian who has received Christ's teaching, has a duty to pass this teaching on to others, in language they can understand; therefore, he should make sure he has a good grasp of Christian doctrine. The treasure of Revelation is so rich that it can provide teaching which applies to all times and situations. It is for the word of God to enlighten all ages and situations--not the other way around. Therefore, the Church and its pastors preach, not new things, but a single unchanging truth contained in the treasure of Revelation: for the past two thousand years the Gospel has always been "good news".

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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.

Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

400 Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Jer 7:9 2056
Ps 84:3 1770
Mt 13:24-30 827

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Reading 1
Jer 7:1-11

The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
Stand at the gate of the house of the Lord,
and there proclaim this message:
Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah
who enter these gates to worship the Lord!
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
Reform your ways and your deeds,
so that I may remain with you in this place.
Put not your trust in the deceitful words:
“This is the temple of the Lord!
The temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord!”
Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds;
if each of you deals justly with his neighbor;
if you no longer oppress the resident alien,
the orphan, and the widow;
if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place,
or follow strange gods to your own harm,
will I remain with you in this place,
in the land I gave your fathers long ago and forever.

But here you are, putting your trust in deceitful words to your own loss!
Are you to steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury,
burn incense to Baal,
go after strange gods that you know not,
and yet come to stand before me
in this house which bears my name, and say:
“We are safe; we can commit all these abominations again”?
Has this house which bears my name
become in your eyes a den of thieves?
I too see what is being done, says the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11

R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young—
Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
They go from strength to strength.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
I had rather one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Gospel
Mt 13:24-30

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
“The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man
who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Jeremiah 7:1 – 11

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Go and stand at the gate of the Temple of the Lord and there proclaim this message. Say, “Listen to the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who come in by these gates to worship the Lord. The Lord Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: Amend your behavior and your actions and I will stay with you here in this place. Put no trust in delusive words like these: This is the sanctuary of the Lord, the sanctuary of the Lord, the sanctuary of the Lord! But if you do amend your behavior and your actions, if you treat each other fairly, if you do not exploit the stranger, the orphan and the widow (if you do not shed innocent blood in this place), and if you do not follow alien gods, to your own ruin, then here in this place I will stay with you, in the land that long ago I gave to your fathers for ever. Yet here you are, trusting in delusive words, to no purpose! Steal, would you, murder, commit adultery, perjure yourselves, burn incense to Baal, follow alien gods that you do not know? – and then come presenting yourselves in this Temple that bears my name, saying: Now we are safe – safe to go on committing all these abominations! Do you take this Temple that bears my name for a robbers’ den? I, at any rate, am not blind – it is the Lord who speaks.

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 83(84):3-6,8,11

How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.

My soul is longing and yearning,
is yearning for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my soul ring out their joy
to God, the living God.

How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.

The sparrow herself finds a home
and the swallow a nest for her brood;
she lays her young by your altars,
Lord of hosts, my king and my God.

How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.

They are happy, who dwell in your house,
for ever singing your praise.
They walk with ever-growing strength,
they will see the God of gods in Zion.

How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.

One day within your courts
is better than a thousand elsewhere.
The threshold of the house of God
I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked.

How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.

Gospel Matthew 13:24 – 30

Jesus put another parable before them, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s servants went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” “Some enemy has done this” he answered. And the servants said, “Do you want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”’

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Jeremiah 7:1-11

False worship. Discourse concerning the temple
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[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: [2] "Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD. [3] Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will let you dwell in this place. [4] Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'

[5] "For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly execute justice one with another, [6] if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, [7] then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers for ever.

[8] "Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. [9] Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, [10] and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!' -- only to go on doing all these abominations? [11] Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, says the LORD.

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Commentary:

7:1-20. Chapter 26 gives more detailed information about the situation covered in these verses, and what the outcome was. We are told there that Jeremiah made this speech in the temple "in the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah" (26:1), that is, in 608 BC. Shortly before that, Josiah had died in battle (2 Kings 23:29-30; 2 Chron 35:19-24), having done maintenance work on the temple and having introduced a programme of religious reform based on the centralization of worship in Jerusalem. Josiah was succeeded by Jehoahaz, whose reign lasted only three months (cf. Kings 23:31; 2 Chron 36:2), followed by Josiah's brother Jehoiakim. That latter reign saw a tolerance of the idolatrous practices that Josiah had striven to uproot.

The people of Judah felt sure that having the temple in their territory would guarantee divine favour and protection for them, and they became surer still after 701, when the Assyrian troops of Sennacherib turned back from the walls of Jerusalem without entering the holy city. The high profile that the temple received as a result of Josiah's reforms helps to explain the blind confidence felt by the people that they had nothing to fear if they stayed close to that sanctuary. So, at the time when Jeremiah was uttering these oracles, even though the temple was there in all its splendour, religious practice was far from being in line with what the Lord commanded. Hence the prophet's insistence on conversion, on true religion, which manifests itself in fidelity to the Lord, in charity and justice (vv. 5-7). Rites performed in the temple are of no avail if people don't listen to the Lord and if they continue to commit all sorts of sins. Naive confidence in the temple is not enough (v. 4). To be safe and secure they must obey the Law of God (vv. 8-10). The temple has no magic power, and it will suffer the same fate as the shrine of Shiloh (v. 14), the famous centre of worship that housed the ark of the Covenant before it was moved to Jerusalem (Josh 18:1; Judg 21:19) and that was probably destroyed by the Philistines. Unless they mend their ways, the people of Jerusalem will be expelled, just like their brethren in the Northern kingdom, the Ephraimites (v. 15).

Despite his preaching, Jeremiah finds that they fail to repent. Not only do they not listen to him: they think that the temple guarantees their safety, yet they combine that belief with pagan rites in honour of Isthar, the "queen heaven", the Assyrian goddess of fertility (vv. 16-18). God will surely punish them (vv. 19-20).

The expression "den of robbers" (v. 11), employed here to describe the temple when used by people who are very far from being obedient to the Lord, will occur again when Jesus expresses his pain at all the noise made by traders in the temple and at people's disrespect for that holy place (Mt 21:12-13 and par.). Jeremiah is not condemning religious worship in the temple of Jerusalem (nor does Jesus); he is saying that they have emptied it of meaning. In any event, after the coming of Christ, worship of the Lord is no longer confined to rites or external actions performed in some particular place; people can worship God in their hearts whenever they happen to be. Therefore St Jerome writes: "Those who say to themselves constantly, 'This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord', should listen to what the Apostle says: 'Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?' (1 Cor 3:16). Are you in Jerusalem? Are you in Brittany? It does not matter. The heavenly Presence lies open before us always, for the kingdom of God is within us " (Epistolae, 2, 58, 2).

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From: Matthew 13:24-30

The Parable of the Weeds
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[24] Another parable he (Jesus) put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; [25] but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. [26] So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. [27] And the servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?' [28] He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' [29] But he said, 'No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

The Mustard Seed; The Leaven
---------------------------------------------
[31] Another parable He (Jesus) put before them saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; [32] it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

[33] He told them another parable. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened."

[34] All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed He said nothing to them without a parable. [35] This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

The Parable of the Weeds Explained
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[36] Then He (Jesus) left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." [37] He answered, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; [38] the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the Kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, [39] and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. [40] Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. [41] The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all causes of sin and evildoers, [42] and throw them out into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. [43] Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."

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Commentary:

24-25. "The situation is clear: the field is fertile and the seed is good; the Lord of the field has scattered the seed at the right moment and with great skill. He even has watchmen to make sure that the field is protected. If, afterwards, there are weeds among the wheat, it is because men have failed to respond, because they--and Christians in particular--have fallen asleep and allowed the enemy to approach" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 123).

25. This weed--cockle--looks very like wheat and can easily be mistaken for it until the ears appear. If it gets ground up with wheat it contaminates the flour and any bread made from that flour causes severe nausea when eaten. In the East personal vengeance sometimes took the form of sowing cockle among an enemy's wheat. Roman law prescribed penalties for this crime.

28. "When the careless servants ask the Lord why weeds have grown in his field, the explanation is obvious: 'inimicus homo hoc fecit: an enemy has done this.' We Christians should have been on guard to make sure that the good things placed in this world by the Creator were developed in the service of truth and good. But we have fallen asleep--a sad thing, that sluggishness of our heart while the enemy and all those who serve him worked incessantly. You can see how the weeds have grown abundantly everywhere" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 123).

29-30. The end of this parable gives a symbolic explanation of why God allows evil to have its way for a time--and for its ultimate extirpation. Evil is to run its course on earth until the end of time; therefore, we should not be scandalized by the presence of evil in the world. It will be obliterated not in this life, but after death; at the Judgment (the harvest) the good will go to Heaven and the bad to Hell.

31-32. Here, the man is Jesus Christ and the field, the world. The grain of mustard seed is the preaching of the Gospel and the Church, which from very small beginnings will spread throughout the world.

The parable clearly refers to the universal scope and spread of the Kingdom of God: the Church, which embraces all mankind of every kind and condition, in every latitude and in all ages, is forever developing in spite of obstacles, thanks to God's promise and aid.

33. This comparison is taken from everyday experience: just as leaven gradually ferments all the dough, so the Church spreads to convert all nations.

The leaven is also a symbol of the individual Christian. Living in the middle of the world and retaining his Christian quality, he wins souls for Christ by his word and example: "Our calling to be children of God, in the midst of the world, requires us not only to seek our own personal holiness, but also to go out onto all the ways of the earth, to convert them into roadways that will carry souls over all obstacles and lead them to the Lord. As we take part in all temporal activities as ordinary citizens, we are to become leaven acting on the mass" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 120).

34-35. Revelation, God's plans, are hidden (cf. Matthew 11:25) from those who are disposed to accept them. The Evangelist wishes to emphasize the need for simplicity and for docility to the Gospel. By recalling Psalm 78:2, he tells us once more, under divine inspiration, that the Old Testament prophecies find their fulfillment in our Lord's preaching.

36-43. While making its way on earth, the Church is composed of good and bad people, just men and sinners: they are mixed in with one another until the harvest time, the end of the world, when the Son of Man, in His capacity as Judge of the living and the dead, will divide the good from the bad at the Last Judgment--the former going to eternal glory, the inheritance of the saints; the latter, to the eternal fire of Hell. Although the just and the sinners are now side by side, the Church has the right and the duty to exclude those who cause scandal, especially those who attack its doctrine and unity; this it can do through ecclesiastical excommunication and other canonical penalties. However, excommunication has a medicinal and pastoral function—to correct those who are obstinate in error, and to protect others from them.

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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.