618 SAINT LAWRENCE, DEACON AND MARTYR FEAST
CCC Cross Reference:
Jn 12:24 2731
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FIRST READING
2 Corinthians 9:6-10
Brothers and sisters:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written:
He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.
The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9
R. (5) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast;
he shall not fear till he looks down upon his foes.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Lavishly he gives to the poor,
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
GOSPEL
John 12:24-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me."
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading 2 Corinthians 9:6-10
Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. As scripture says: He was free in almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten.
The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 111(112):1-2,5-9
Happy the man who takes pity and lends.
Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.
Happy the man who takes pity and lends.
The good man takes pity and lends,
he conducts his affairs with honor.
The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.
Happy the man who takes pity and lends.
He has no fear of evil news;
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
he will see the downfall of his foes.
Happy the man who takes pity and lends.
Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.
Happy the man who takes pity and lends.
Gospel John 12:24-26
I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.
Anyone who loves his life loses it;
anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for the eternal life.
If a man serves me, he must follow me,
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honor him.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Feast: St Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr
From: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10
Blessings To Be Expected
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[6] The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. [7] Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. [8] And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. [9] As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever." [10] He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
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Commentary:
6-15. The collection appeal ends with some remarks about the benefits that accrue from it. First, St Paul says that the generous almsgiving of the Corinthians will stand to them in this life and in the next (vv. 6-10), and then he refers to its effects on the faithful in Jerusalem: they will praise God and feel closer to the Christians of Corinth (vv. 11-15).
A person who is generous in almsgiving draws down on himself the blessings of God. St Augustine says: "Your Lord says this to you, [...] Give to me and receive. In due course I will give back what is due to you. What will I give back? You gave little to me, you will receive a great deal; you gave me earthly things, I will give back heavenly things; you gave me temporal things you will receive eternal things; you gave me what was mine, you will receive me, myself [...].' See whom you lent to. He nourishes (others) and (yet he himself) suffers hun- ger for your sake; he gives and is needy. When he gives, you wish to receive; when he is needy, you are unwilling to give. Christ is needy when a poor man is needy. He who is disposed to give eternal life to all his own has deigned to receive temporal things in (the person of) anyone who is needy' ("Sermon 33", 8).
6. This image of sowing and reaping is often used in Sacred Scripture to indicate the connection between one's actions and reward or punishment in the next life (cf. Prov 22:8; Mt 25:24-26; Gal 6:7f). What the Apostle says here reminds us of our Lord's promise: "Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap" (Lk 6:38). However much we give God in this life, he will reward us with much more in the next.
7. "God loves a cheerful giver": a teaching often found in Scripture (cf. Deut 15:10; Ps 100:2; Sir 35:11; Rom 12:8). An alms or a service done reluctantly can never please anyone, particularly God our Lord: "If you give bread and it makes you sad to do so," St Augustine comments, "you lose both the bread and the reward" (St Augustine, "Enarrationes in Psalmos", 42, 8); whereas the Lord is delighted when a person gives something or gives himself lovingly and spontaneously, not as if he were doing a great favor (cf. "Friends of God", 140).
8-10. St Paul emphasizes the abundant divine blessings--both temporal and spiritual--which generous almsgiving brings. In the Old Testament we read in the Book of Tobias: "Give alms from your possessions to all who live uprightly, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from any poor man, and the face of God will not be turned away from you. If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have. So you will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity. For charity delivers from death and keeps you from entering the darkness; and for all who practice it charity is an excellent offering in the presence of Most High" (4:7-11). To almsgiving can be applied our Lord's promises about the hundred-fold in this life and then everlasting life--promises made to all those who give up something in his name (cf. Mt 19:28f).
"Righteousness" is equivalent to holiness. In the Bible the person is described as righteous or "just" who strives to do God's will and serve him to the best of his ability (cf., e.g., notes on Mt 1:19; 5:6).
10. "For," comments St John Chrysostom, "if even to those who sow the earth and to those who are concerned about the needs of the body, God gives in great abundance, much more will he give to those who till the soil of heaven and apply themselves to the salvation of their souls, for he wills that we should spare no sacrifice in that regard [...].
"This holy apostle gives these two principles: in temporal things one should limit oneself to what is necessary; but in spiritual things one should seek as much as possible. Therefore he asks that we should not simply give alms, but give alms generously. That is why he calls alms 'seed'. Just as corn cast into the ground produces a crop, so generous alms produces righteousness and abundant harvest" ("Hom. on 2 Cor", 20).
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From: John 12:24-26
Jesus Foretells His Glorification (Continuation)
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(Jesus said to his disciples,) [24] "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. [25] He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [26] If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him."
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Commentary:
24-25. There is an apparent paradox here between Christ's humiliation and his glorification. Thus, "it was appropriate that the loftiness of his glorification should be preceded by the lowliness of his passion"(St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 51, 8). This is the same ideas as we find in St. Paul, when he says that Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross, and that therefore God the Father exalted him above all created things (cf. Philippians 2:8-9). This is a lesson and an encouragement to the Christian, who should see every type of suffering and contradiction as a sharing in Christ's cross, which redeems us and exalts us. To be supernaturally effective, a person has to die to himself, forgetting his comfort and shedding his selfishness. "If the grain of wheat does not die, it remains unfruitful. Don't you want to be a grain of wheat, to die through mortification, and to yield a rich harvest? May Jesus bless your wheat field!" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 199).
26. Our Lord has spoken about his sacrifice being a condition of his entering his glory. And what holds good for the Master applies also to his disciples (cf. Matthew 10:24; Luke 6:40). Jesus wants each of us to be of service to him. It is a mystery of God's plan that he--who is all, who has all and who needs nothing and nobody--should choose to need our help to ensure that his teaching and the salvation wrought by him reaches all men.
"To follow Christ: that is the secret. We must accompany him so closely that we come to live with him, like the first Twelve did; so closely, that we become identified with him. Soon we will be able to say, provided we have not put obstacles in the way of grace, that we have put on, have clothed ourselves with our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 13:14). [...]
"I have distinguished as it were four stages in our effort to identify ourselves with Christ--seeking him, finding him, getting to know him, loving him. It may seem clear to you that you are only at the first stage. Seek him then, hungrily; seek him within yourselves with all your strength. If you act with determination, I am ready to guarantee that you have already found him, and have begun to get to know him and to love him, and to hold your conversation in heaven (cf. Phil 3:20)" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 299-300).
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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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