Friday, October 30, 2009

Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

483 Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Rom 9:4-5 839; Rom 9:5 449
Lk 14:1 575, 588; Lk 14:3-4 582

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Reading 1:
Rom 9:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are children of Israel;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.


Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.


Gospel:
Lk 14:1-6

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”
But they were unable to answer his question.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Romans 9:1-5

What I want to say now is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ – it is the truth – my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:12-15,19-20

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
  Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates
  he has blessed the children within you.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!

He established peace on your borders,
  he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth
  and swiftly runs his command.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!

He makes his word known to Jacob,
  to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
  he has not taught them his decrees.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 14:1-6

On a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. ‘There in front of him was a man with dropsy, and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees. ‘Is it against the law’ he asked ‘to cure a man on the sabbath, or not?’ But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away. Then he said to them, ‘Which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a sabbath day without hesitation?’ And to this they could find no answer.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Friday of the 30th Week In Ordinary Time

From: Romans 9:1-5

The Privileges of Israel and God's Fidelity
-----------------------------------------------------------
[1] I am speaking for the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness to the Holy Spirit, [2] that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. [3] For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen by race. [4] They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; [5] to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed for ever. Amen.

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Commentary:

Chaps. 9-11. In these chapters--as we indicate in the title given to this section of the letter--St Paul deals with "God's plan for the chosen people." The Apostle explains that Israel, as a people, in general has failed to accept the Gospel despite the fact that God's promises of salvation were made to the Jews in the first instance.

3. There is an apparent contradiction between what is said here--"I could wish that I myself was accursed and cut off from Christ'--and what is said earlier (cf. 8:31ff) about nothing being able to separate us from the love of Christ. The two ideas in fact complement one another. God's love moves us to love others so intensely that we are ready to suffer anything if it means the conversion of others to God. Paul is not referring to permanent separation from God, that is, eternal damnation, but to being ready to renounce any material or spiritual favor God might grant us. This means that we should be ready to bear public opprobrium and be taken for evildoers, as Jesus was. Some writers have interpreted the verse as meaning that the Apostle is even ready to renounce eternal happiness, but obviously what we have here is typical oriental exaggeration, rather like what Moses said when he interceded with God on behalf of those Israelites who had fallen into idolatry: "[If thou wilt not forgive their sin] blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written" (Ex 32:32). Both Moses and Paul know that God loves them and protects them and that the vision of God necessarily involves the indescribable happiness of heaven, but they want to make it plain that they put the salvation of the chosen people ahead of their own personal advantage.

4-6. The Israelites are the descendants of Jacob, to whom God gave the name Israel (cf. Gen 32:29). The fact that they are children of Israel is the basis of the privileges which God bestows on them in the course of Salvation History--firstly, their status as the people of God, chosen as the adoptive sons of Yahweh (cf. Ex 4:22; Deut 7:6); also their being given the "glory" of God who dwelt in their midst (cf. Ex 25:8; Deut 4:7; Jn 1:14); their good fortune in being able to offer worship proper to the one true God, and in receiving from him the Law of Moses, which spelt out the principles of the natural moral law and revealed other aspects of God's will; and, finally, their being the recipients of oft-repeated messianic promises.

The remarkable honor bestowed on the chosen people is to be seen most clearly in the fact that God himself chose to assume a human nature which had all the characteristics of the Israelite race. Jesus Christ, as true man, is an Israelite "according to the flesh", and he is true God because he is "God above all, blessed for ever."

Similar statements made in other epistles of St Paul about the mystery of the Incarnation manifest Christ's two natures and one Person (cf. Rom 1:3-4; Phil 2:6-7; Col 2:9; Tit 2:13-14).

In the present passage, this statement appears in the form of a "doxology" or paean of praise to God, one of the most solemn ways in which Yahweh is exalted in the Old Testament (cf. Ps 41:14; 72:19; 106:48; Neh 9:5; Dan 2:20; etc.). By calling Jesus Christ "God, blessed for ever" his divinity is being declared in a most explicit manner.

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From: Luke 14:1-6

Jesus Cures a Dropsical Man on the Sabbath
-------------------------------------------------------------
[1] One sabbath when he (Jesus) went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him. [2] And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. [3] And Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not?" [4] But they were silent. Then he took him and healed him, and let him go. [5] And he said to them, "Which of you, having an ass or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a sabbath day?" [6] And they could not reply to this.

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Commentary:

1-6. Fanaticism is always evil. It often causes blindness and leads a person, as in this case, to deny the principles of justice and charity and even basic humanitarianism. We should never be fanatical about anything -- no matter how sacred it is.

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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.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

482 Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Rom 8:26-39 2739; Rom 8:31 2852; Rom 8:32 603, 706, 2572; Rom 8:34 1373, 2634
Lk 13:31 575; Lk 13:33 557; Lk 13:35 585

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Reading 1:
Rom 8:31b-39

Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:

For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31

R. (26b) Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.

Do you, O GOD, my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;
in your generous mercy rescue me;
For I am wretched and poor,
and my heart is pierced within me.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

Help me, O LORD, my God;
save me, in your mercy,
And let them know that this is your hand;
that you, O LORD, have done this.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

I will speak my thanks earnestly to the LORD,
and in the midst of the throng I will praise him,
For he stood at the right hand of the poor man,
to save him from those who would condemn his soul.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

Gospel:
Lk 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Romans 8:31-39

With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give. Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No! He not only died for us – he rose from the dead, and there at God’s right hand he stands and pleads for us.

Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. As scripture promised: For your sake we are being massacred daily, and reckoned as sheep for the slaughter. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.

For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 108:21-22,26-27,30-31

Save me, O Lord, because of your love.

For your name’s sake act in my defense;
  in the goodness of your love be my rescuer.
For I am poor and needy
  and my heart is pierced within me.

Save me, O Lord, because of your love.

Help me, Lord my God;
  save me because of your love.
Let them know that is your work,
  That this is your doing, O Lord.

Save me, O Lord, because of your love.

Loud thanks to the Lord are on my lips.
  I will praise him in the midst of the throng,
for he stands at the poor man’s side
  to save him from those who condemn him.

Save me, O Lord, because of your love.

Gospel Luke 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came up. ‘Go away’ they said. ‘Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.’ He replied, ‘You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.

‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say:

‘Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!’

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Thursday of the 30th Week In Ordinary Time

From: Romans 8:31b-39

Trust in God
------------------
[31b] If God is for us, who is against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? [33] Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies; [34] who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? [36] As it is written, "For they sake we are being killed all day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."

[37] No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, [39] nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Commentary:

31-39. The elect will emerge unscathed and victorious from all attacks, dangers and sufferings and will do so not through their own efforts but by virtue of the all-powerful aid of him who has loved them from all eternity and who did not hesitate to have his own Son die for their salvation. It is true that as long as we are on this earth we cannot attain salvation, but we are assured that we will attain it precisely because God will not withhold all the graces we need to obtain this happy outcome: all that is needed is that we desire to receive this divine help. Nothing that happens to us can separate us from the Lord -- not fear of death or love of life, not the bad angels or devils, not the princes or the powers of this world, nor the sufferings we undergo or which threaten us nor the worst that might befall us. "Paul himself", St John Chrysostom reminds us, "had to contend with numerous enemies. The barbarians attacked him; his custodians laid traps for him; even the faithful, sometimes in great numbers, rose against him; yet Paul always came out victorious. We should not forget that the Christian who is faithful to the laws of his God will defeat both men and Satan himself" ("Hom. on Rom.", 15).

This is the attitude which enables us to live as children of God, who fear neither life nor death: "Our Lord wants us to be in the world and to love the world but without being worldly. Our Lord wants us to remain in this world--which is now so mixed up and where the clamor of lust and disobedience and purposeless rebellion can be heard--to teach people to live with joy [...]. Don't be afraid of the paganized world: our Lord has in fact chosen us to be leaven, salt and light in this world. Don't be worried. The world won't harm you unless you want it to. No enemy of our soul can do anything if we don't consent. And we won't consent, with the grace of God and the protection of our Mother in heaven" (S. Bernal, "Monsignor Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer", p. 213).

31. This exclamation of the Apostle vividly reveals the full extent of the love of God the Father, who not only listens to our prayers but anticipates our needs. God is with us, he is always by our side. This is a cry expressing confidence and optimism, despite our personal wretchedness; it is firmly based on our sense of divine sonship. "Clothed in grace, we can cross mountains (cf. Ps 103: 10), and climb the hill of our Christian duty, without halting on the way. If we use these resources with a firm purpose and beg our Lord to grant us an ever increasing hope, we shall possess the infectious joy of those who know they are children of God: 'If God is for us, who is against us?' (Rom 8:31) Let us be optimists. Moved by the power of hope, we shall fight to wipe away the trail of filth and slime left by the sowers of hatred. We shall find a new joyful perspective to the world, seeing that it has sprung forth beautiful and fair from the hands of God. We shall give it back to him with that same beauty" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 219).

38-39. "Angels", "principalities": names of different angelic hierarchies (cf. Eph 1:21; 3:10); also a possible reference to fallen angels, demons (cf. 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 6:12). "Powers" can mean the same as "angels" and "principalities".

"Height" and "depth" may refer to cosmic forces which, in the culture of that time, were thought to have some influence over the lives of men.

By listing these powerful superior forces (real or imaginary) St Paul is making the point that nothing and nobody, no created thing, is stronger than God's love for us.

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From: Luke 13:31-35

Jesus' Reply to Herod
--------------------------------
[31] At that very hour some Pharisees came, and said to him (Jesus), "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." [32] And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. [33] Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.'

Jerusalem Admonished
----------------------------------
[34] "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brook under her wings, and you would not! [35] Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

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Commentary:

31-33. This episode apparently took place in the Perea region which, like Galilee, was under the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (cf. Lk 3:1), a son of Herod the Great (cf. note on Mt 2:1). On other occasions St. Luke mentions that Herod was keen to meet Jesus and see him perform a miracle (cf. Lk 9:9; 23:8). These Pharisees may be giving Jesus the warning just to get him to go away. Jesus calls Herod--and indirectly his accomplices--a "fox", once again showing his rejection of duplicity and hypocrisy.

Jesus' answer shows them he is completely in command of his life and death: he is the Son of God and his Father's will is his only governor (cf. Jn 10:18).

34. Jesus here shows the infinite extent of his love. St Augustine explores the meaning of this touching simile: "You see, brethren, how a hen becomes weak with her chickens. No other bird, when it is a mother, shows its maternity so

clearly. We see all kinds of sparrows building their nests before our eyes; we see swallows, storks, doves, every day building their nests; but we do not know them to be parents, except when we see them on their nests. But the hen is so enfeebled over her brood that even if the chickens are not following her, even if you do not see the young ones, you still know her at once to be a mother. With her wings drooping, her feathers ruffled, her note hoarse, in all her limbs she becomes so sunken and abject, that, as I have said, even though you cannot see her young, you can see she is a mother. That is the way Jesus feels" ("In Ioann. Evang.", 15, 7).

35. Jesus shows the deep sorrow he feels over Jerusalem's resistance to the love God had so often shown it. Later St Luke will record Jesus' weeping over Jerusalem (cf. Lk 19:41). See also the note on Mt 23:37-39.

[The note on Mt 23:37-39 states:

Jesus' moving remarks seem almost to sum up the entire history of salvation and are a testimony to his divinity. Who if not God was the source of all these acts of mercy which marks the stages of the history of Israel? The image of being protected by wings, which occurs often in the Old Testament, refers to God's love and protection of his people. It is to be found in the prophets, in the canticles of Moses (cf. Deut 32:11), and in many psalms (cf. 17:8; 36:8; 57:2; 61:5; 63:8). "And you would not": the Kingdom of God has been preached to them unremittingly for centuries by the prophets; in these last few years by Jesus himself, the Word of God made man. But the "Holy City" has resisted all the unique graces offered it. Jerusalem should serve as a warning to every Christian: the freedom God has given us by creating us in his image and likeness means that we have this terrible capacity to reject him. A Christian's life is a continuous series of conversions--repeated instances of repentance, of turning to God, who, loving Father that he is, is every ready to forgive.]

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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.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

149B Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links
CCC 547-550: Jesus performed messianic signs
CCC 1814-1816: faith, a gift of God
CCC 2734-2737: filial confidence in prayer

CCC Cross Reference:
Jer 31 1611
Heb 5:1 1539; Heb 5:3 1540; Heb 5:4 1578; Heb 5:6 1537
Mk 10:46-52 2667; Mk 10:48 2616; Mk 10:52 548

Back to Servant of the Word ‘09 
Back to SOW II '12
Back to SOW II '15
Back to SOW II '18
Back to SOW II '21

Reading 1:
Jer 31:7-9

Thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
they shall return as an immense throng.
They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my first-born.


Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.


Reading II:
Heb 5:1-6

Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place:
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.


Gospel:
Mk 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Jeremiah 31:7-9

The Lord says this:
Shout with joy for Jacob!
Hail the chief of nations!
Proclaim! Praise! Shout:
‘The Lord has saved his people,
the remnant of Israel!’
See, I will bring them back
from the land of the North
and gather them from the far ends of earth;
all of them: the blind and the lame,
women with child, women in labour:
a great company returning here.
They had left in tears,
I will comfort them as I lead them back;
I will guide them to streams of water,
by a smooth path where they will not stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my first-born son.

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 125(126):1-6

What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.

When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
  it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
  on our lips there were songs.

What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.

The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels
  the Lord worked for them!’
What marvels the Lord worked for us!
  Indeed we were glad.

What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.

Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage
  as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears
  will sing when they reap.

What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.

They go out, they go out, full of tears,
  carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song,
  carrying their sheaves.

What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.

Second reading Hebrews 5:1-6

Every high priest has been taken out of mankind and is appointed to act for men in their relations with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins; and so he can sympathize with those who are ignorant or uncertain because he too lives in the limitations of weakness. That is why he has to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honor on himself, but each one is called by God, as Aaron was. Nor did Christ give himself the glory of becoming high priest, but he had it from the one who said to him: You are my son, today I have become your father, and in another text: You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever.

Gospel Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘Courage,’ they said ‘get up; he is calling you.’ So throwing off his so cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: Jeremiah 31:7-9

Restoration promised
-------------------------------
[7] For thus says the Lord:
"Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
'The Lord has saved his people,
the remnant of Israel.'
[8] Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
the woman with child and her who is in travail, together;
a great company, they shall return here.
[9] With weeping they shall come,
and with consolations I will lead them back,
I will make them walk by brooks of water,
in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;
for I am a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my first-born.

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Commentary:

31:1-14. The oracles in this chapter hinge on the promise that Israel will relive its experiences of earlier times, when it enjoyed the love and protection of God, its father and shepherd, as it made its way through the wilderness to find tranquility in the promised land.

The prophet again predicts the happy return of the exiles (vv. 2-3) and the restoration of Israel and of the holy city, here given the glorious name of Zion (vv. 4-6). The people will return home rejoicing at the goodness of God (vv. 7-9), who will continue to shower blessings on them (vv. 10-14). The passage stresses the kindness shown by God. He reveals himself as "a father to Israel" (v. 9) and "shepherd" to his flock (v. 10), for he is faithful to the love he has for them (v. 3).

Referring to this and other passages in the prophetical books that speak of God's tender mercy, Bl. John Paul II points out that "it is significant that in their preaching the prophets link mercy, which they often refer to because of the people's sins, with the incisive image of love on God's part. The Lord loves Israel with the love of a special choosing, much like the love of a spouse (cf. e.g. Hos 2:21-25; Is 54 6-8), and for this reason he pardons its sins and even its infidelities and betrayals. When he finds repentance and true conversion, he brings his people back to grace (cf. Jer 31:20; Ezek 39:25-29). In the preaching of the prophets, mercy signifies a special power of love, which prevails over the sin and infidelity of the chosen people. [...] Connected with the mystery of creation is the mystery of the election, which in a special way shaped the history of the people whose spiritual father is Abraham by virtue of his faith. Nevertheless, through this people which journeys forward through the history both of the Old Covenant and of the New, that mystery of election refers to every man and woman, to the whole great human family. 'I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you' (Jer 31:3)" ("Dives in Misericordia, 4).

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From: Hebrews 5:1-6

Christ Has Been Made High Priest by God the Father
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. [2] He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. [3] Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. [4] And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was.
[5] So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"; [6] as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek."

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Commentary:

1-10. The central theme of the epistle, broached in 2:17 and taken up again in 4:14-15, is discussed from here up to the start of chapter 10 -- the theme of Christ as high priest, the high priest who really can free us from all sin. In fact, Christ is the only perfect Priest: other priests--in both natural religions and the Jewish religion -- are only prefigurements of Christ. The first thing to be emphasized, because the writer is addressing people of Jewish background, is that Christ's priesthood is on a higher plane than that of the priests of the Old Law. However, the argument applies not only to the priesthood of Aaron, to whose family all Israelite priests belonged, but also, indirectly, to all forms of priesthood before Christ. But there is a basic difference, in that whereas other priests were chosen by men, Aaron was chosen by God. Sacred Scripture introduces him as Moses' brother (cf. Ex 6:20), acting as his interpreter to Pharaoh (because Moses was "slow of speech": Ex 4: 10; cf. 7:1-2) and joining him to lead the people out of Egypt (cf. Ex 4:27-30). After the Israelites left Egypt, God himself instituted the priesthood of Aaron to minister and carry out divine worship at the tabernacle and later at the temple in Jerusalem (cf. Ex 28:1-5).

Divine intervention, therefore, brought to a close the period when sacrifice was offered by the head of the family or the chief of the tribe and when no specific calling or external ordination rite was connected with priesthood. Thus, for example, in the Book of Genesis we read that Cain, and Abel, themselves offered sacrifices (cf. Gen 4:35), as did Noah after coming safely through the flood (cf. Gen 8:20); and the patriarchs often offered sacrifices to God in adoration or thanksgiving or to renew their Covenant--for example, Abraham (cf. Gen 12:8; 15:8-17; 22:1-13) and Jacob (cf. Gen 26:25; 33:20), etc.

Although for a considerable time after the institution of the Aaron priesthood, sacrifices continued to be offered also by private individuals -- for example, in the period of the Judges, the sacrifice of Gideon (Judg 6:18,25-26) or that of Samson's parents (Judg 13:15-20) -- gradually the convictions grew that to be a priest a person had to have a specific vocation, one which was not given to anyone outside males of the line of Aaron (cf. Judg 17:7-13), whom God had chosen from out of all the people of Israel, identifying him by the sign of his rod sprouting buds (Num 17:16-24). God himself meted out severe punishment to Korah and his sons when they tried to set themselves up as rivals of Aaron: they were devoured by fire from heaven (cf. Num 16); and it was specified in Mosaic legislation time and time again that only the sons of Aaron could act as priests (cf. Num 3:10; 17:5; 18:7). This priesthood offered the sacrifices of Mosaic worship--the burnt offerings, cereal offerings, sin offerings and peace offerings (cf. Lev 6). To the descendants of Aaron, assisted by the Levites, was entrusted also the care of the tabernacle and the protection of the ark of the Covenant. They received their ministry and had it confirmed by the offering of sacrifice and by anointing of the man's head and hands with oil (Ex 29; Lev 8-9; Num 3:3). For all these reasons Hebrew priests were honored and revered by the people and regarded (not without reason, because God had ordained them) as on a much higher plane than other priests particularly those of the peoples of Canaan, the priests of Baal, for example. In Christ's time the high priest was the highest religious authority in Israel; his words were regarded as oracular statements, and his decisions could have important political repercussions.

However, Christ came with the very purpose of taking this ancient institution and transforming it into a new, eternal priesthood. Every Christian priest is, as it were, Christ's instrument or an extension of his sacred humanity. Christian priests do not act in their own name, nor are they mere representatives of the people: they act in the name of God. "Here we have the priest's identity: he is direct and daily instrument of the saving grace which Christ has won for us" (St. J. Escriva, "In Love with the Church", 39). It is really Christ who is acting through them by means of their words, gestures etc. All of this means that Christian priesthood cannot be separated from the eternal priesthood of Christ. This extension of God's providence (in the form of the Old Testament priesthood and the priesthood instituted by Christ in the New Testament and the mission entrusted to New Testament priests) should lead us to love and honor the priesthood irrespective of the human defects and shortcomings of these ministers of God: "To love God and not venerate his Priests...is not possible" (St J. Escriva, "The Way", 74).

1a. These words provide a very good short definition of what every priest is.

"The office proper to a priest", St Thomas Aquinas points out, "is to be a mediator between God and the people, inasmuch as he bestows divine things on the people (he is called "sacerdos" (priest), which means 'a giver of sacred things', "sacra dans" [...]), and again inasmuch as he offers the people's prayer to God and in some way makes satisfaction to God for their sins" ("Summa Theologiae", III, q.22, a.1).

In this passage of the letter we can detect an echo of the description of Aaron in the Book of Sirach: "He chose him out of all the living to offer sacrifice to the Lord, incense and a pleasing odor as a memorial portion, to make atonement for the people" (Sir 45:16). Four elements characterize the office of the high priest (the text speaks of the "high" priest in the strict sense, but it is applicable to all priests --1) his special dignity, because although he is a man he has been specially chosen by God; 2) the purpose of his mission, which is the good of mankind ("to act on behalf of men"); 3) the "material" side of his office, that is, public divine worship; 4) the specific acts he must perform, the offering of sacrifice at appropriate times.

In the specific case of priesthood instituted by God--such as that of Aaron or the new priesthood instituted by Christ--the calling ("taken" or "chosen" from among men) is not simply an influence the person feels interiorly, or a desire to be a priest: its divine origin is confirmed by nomination by the proper authority, and by official consecration.

1b. A priest is "chosen from among men", that is, he should possess a human nature. This is a further sign of God's mercy: to bring about our salvation he uses someone accessible to us, one who shares our human condition, "so that man might have someone like himself to have recourse to" (St Thomas, "Commentary on Heb, ad loc."). These words also indicate the extent of God's kindness because they remind us that the divine Redeemer not only offered himself and made satisfaction for the sins of all, but desired that "the priestly life which the divine Redeemer had begun in his mortal body by his prayers and sacrifice (should not cease). He willed it to continue unceasingly through the ages in his mystical body, which is the Church; and therefore he instituted a visible priesthood to offer everywhere a clean oblation (Mal 1:11), so that all men all over the world, being diverted from sin, might serve God conscientiously, and of their own free will" (Pius XII, "Mediator Dei", 1).

He is "chosen from among men" also in the sense that he is given special consecration which is some way marks him off from the rest of the people of God. St John Chrysostom comments, recalling Jesus triple question to Peter after the Resurrection (cf. Jn 21:15-17): "When he asked Peter if he loved him, he did not do so because he needed to know whether his disciple loved him, but because he wanted to show how great his own love was; thus, when he says, 'Who then is the faithful and prudent servant', he does not say this because he does not know the answer, but in order to show us how unique and wonderful an honor it is, as can be deduced from the rewards: 'he will place him over all his goods.' And he concludes that the priest ought to be outstanding in holiness ("De Sacerdotio", II, 1-2).

"The priests of the New Testament", Vatican II reminds us, "are, by their vocation to ordination, set apart in some way in the midst of the people of God, but this is not in order that they should be separated from that people or from anyone, but that they should be completely consecrated to the task for which God chose them" ("Presbyterorum Ordinis", 3). This calling, then, constitutes a distinction but not a separation because it is indissolubly linked to a specific mission: a priest is "chosen from among men" but for the purpose of acting "on behalf of men in relation to God". In this delicate balance between divine call and spiritual mission to men lies the essence of priesthood. Christians, therefore, should never view a priest as "just another person". "They want to find in the priest the virtues appropriate to any Christian and even any upright man--understanding, justice, commitment to work (priestly work, in this case), charity, good manners, social refinement. But the faithful also want to be able to recognize clearly the priestly character: they expect the priest to pray, not to refuse to administer the sacraments; they expect him to be open to everyone and not set himself up to take charge of people or become an aggressive leader of human factions, of whatever shade (cf. "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 6). They expect him to bring love and devotion to the celebration of Mass, to sit in the confessional, to console the sick and the troubled; to teach sound doctrine to children and adults, to preach the Word of God and no mere human science which--no matter how well he may know it--is not the knowledge that saves and brings eternal life; they expect him to give counsel and be charitable to those in need" (St. J. Escriva, "In Love with the Church", 42).

Priests "could not be the servants of Christ unless they were witnesses and dispensers of a life other than that of this earth. On the other hand, they would be powerless to serve men if they remained aloof from their life and circumstances" ("Presbyterorum Ordinis", 3). In this connection, Bl. John Paul II made the following appeal: "Yes, you are chosen from among men, given to Christ by the Father, to be in the world, "in the heart of society". You are appointed to act on behalf of men (Heb 5:1). The priesthood is the sacrament whereby the Church is to be seen as the society of the people of God; it is the 'social' sacrament. Priests should 'convoke' each of the communities of the people of God, around them but not for themselves--for Christ!" ("Homily at an Ordination of Priests", 15 June 1980).

The specific function of the priest has, then, been clearly identified: he is concerned about his brethren but he is not here to solve temporal problems; his role is only "in relation to God". "Christian ministerial priesthood is different from any other priesthood in that it is not an office to which someone is appointed by others to intercede with God on their behalf; it is a mission to which a man is called by God (Heb 5: 1-10; 7:24; 9: 11-28) to be towards others a living sign of the presence of Christ, the only Mediator (1 Tim 2:5), Head and Shepherd of his people [...]. In other words, Christian priesthood is essentially (this is the only possible way it can be understood) an eminently sacred mission, both in its origin (Christ) and in its content (the divine mystery) and by the very manner in which it is conferred (a sacrament)" (A. del Portillo, "On Priesthood", pp. 59f).

2-3. From the moral qualities a priest needs, these verses single out mercy and compassion, which lead him, on the one hand, to be gentle to sinners and, at the same time, to desire to make personal reparation for their sins. The Latin translation of v. 2a puts the emphasis on the fact that the priest shares in suffering for sin: he can "suffer along with" ("aeque condolere") but in just measure on seeing those who go astray, and, imitating Christ, he can himself perform some of the penance those sinners should be doing. The original word translated here as "deal gently" recalls the profound, but serene, sorrow which Abraham felt when Sarah died (cf. Gen 23:2) and at the same time it alludes to the need for forbearance, generosity and understanding: a priest must be a person who, while rejecting sin, is understanding to the sinner and conscious that it may take him time to mend his ways. He is also inclined to put the sinner's intentions in the best light (cf. Gal 6:1): people do not always sin deliberately; they can sin out of ignorance (that is, not realizing the gravity of their actions) and, more often than not, out of weakness.

The Old Testament makes a clear distinction between sin committed unwittingly (cf. Lev 4:2-27; Num 14:24, 27-29) and sins of rebelliousness (cf. Num 15:22-31; Deut 17:12). Further on (cf. Heb 6:4-6; 10:26-27; 12:17), the letter will again refer to the gravity of sins committed out of malice. Here, however, it is referring to sin, whether grave or not, committed out of weakness. "Ignorant" and "wayward" are almost synonymous, for a person who sins out of ignorance is described in Hebrews by a word which means "he who goes astray, he who does not know the way". The basic reason why a priest should be understanding and compassionate is his awareness of his own weakness. Thus, the Church puts these words on his lips in Eucharistic Prayer I: "'nobis quoque peccatoribus'--for ourselves, too, sinners" (cf. Wis 9:5-6). A priest is compassionate and understanding because "he himself is beset with weakness". The word translated as "beset" contains the idea of surrounded or covered by or wrapped as if in a cloak. Pope Pius XI wrote: "When we see a man exercising this faculty (of forgiving sins), we cannot but repeat (not out of pharisaical scandal, but with reverent amazement) those words, 'Who is this, who even forgives sins?' (Lk 7:49). It is the Man-God, who had and has 'authority on earth to forgive sins' (Lk 5:24), and has chosen to communicate it to his priests, and thereby with the generosity of divine mercy to meet the human conscience's need of purification. Hence the great consolation the guilty man receives who experiences remorse and contritely hears the priest tell him in God's name, 'I absolve you from your sins.' The fact that he hears this said by someone who himself will need to ask another priest to speak the same words to him, does not debase God's merciful gift: it enhances it, for the hand of God who works this wonder is seen (as operating) by means of a frail creature" (Pius XII, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii").

3. Everyone, including the priest, is a sinner. In the Old Testament rites for the Day of Atonement ("Yom Kippur"), the high priest, before entering the Holy of Holies, offered a sin-offering for his own sins (cf. Lev 16:3, 6, 11; Heb 9:6-14); so too the priests of the New Testament have a duty to be holy, to reject sin, to ask for forgiveness of their own sins, and to intercede for sinners.

The model the priest should always have before him is Jesus Christ, the eternal high priest. "The main motive force actuating a priest should be the determination to attain the closest union with the divine Redeemer [...]. He should continually keep Christ before his eyes. Christ's commands, actions and example he should follow most assiduously, in the conviction that it is not enough for him to submit to the duties by which the faithful are bound, but that he must at a daily increasing pace pursue the perfection of life which the high dignity of a priest demands" (Pius XII, "Menti Nostrae", 7). But, one might object, Christ never had any defect, never sinned, because his human nature was perfect and totally holy: is he not therefore too perfect a model for men who when it comes down to it are sinners? The answer is, No, not at all, for he himself said, "I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you" (Jn 13:15). Besides, when the text (v. 2) refers to "weakness" this may refer to two things the weakness of human nature (of man as creature), and the imperfection resulting from his faults and his passions. The former kind of defect is one Christ shares with us; the second is one he does not.

For this very reason, in the case of the priest, consciousness of his sins, plus his conviction that he has been called by Christ, moves him to be very committed to his apostolic ministry of reconciliation and penance; and in the first instance priests perform this ministry for one another. "Priests, who are consecrated by the anointing of the Holy Spirit and sent by Christ, mortify the works of the flesh in themselves and dedicate themselves completely to the service of people" (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 12). As Bl. John Paul II stressed, "the priest's celebration of the Eucharist and administration of the other sacraments, his pastoral zeal, his relationship with the faithful, his communion with this brother priests, his collaboration with his bishop, his life of prayer -- in a word, the whole of his priestly existence -- suffers an inexorable decline if by negligence or for some other reason he fails to receive the sacrament of Penance at regular intervals and in a spirit of genuine faith and devotion. If a priest were no longer to go to confession or properly confess his sins, his priestly being and his priestly action would feel the effect of this very soon, and it would also be noticed by the community of which he was the pastor.

"But I also add that even in order to be a good and effective minister of Penance he priest needs to have recourse to the source of grace and holiness present in this sacrament. We priests, on the basis of our personal experience, can certainly say that, the more careful we are to receive the sacrament of Penance and to approach it frequently and with good dispositions, the better we fulfill our own ministry as confessors and ensure that our penitents benefit from it. And on the other hand this ministry would lose much of its effectiveness if in some way we were to stop being good penitents. Such is the internal logic of this great sacrament. It invites all of us priests of Christ to pay renewed attention to our personal confession" ("Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 31).

What the Pope says here ultimately stems from the fact that " as ministers of the sacred mysteries, especially in the sacrifice of the Mass, priests act in a special way in the person of Christ who gave himself as a victim to sanctify men" ("Presbyterorum Ordinis", 13).

In this way, "Christ the shepherd is present in the priest so as continually to actualize the universal call to conversion and repentance which prepares for the coming of the Kingdom of heaven (cf. Mt 4:17). He is present in order to make men understand that forgiveness of sins, the reconciliation of the soul and God, cannot be the outcome of a monologue, no matter how keen a person's capacity for reflection and self-criticism. He reminds us that no one, alone, can calm his own conscience; that the contrite heart must submit its sins to the Church -- institution, to the man-priest, who in the sacrament of Penance is a permanent objective witness to the radical need which fallen humanity has of the man-God, the only Just One, the only Justifier" (A. del Potillo, "On Priesthood", p. 62).

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From: Mark 10:46-52

The Blind Man of Jericho
------------------------------------
[46] And they (Jesus and His disciples) came to Jericho; and as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. [47] And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!: [48] And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all he more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" [49] And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; rise, He is calling you." [50] And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus. [51] And Jesus said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Master, let me receive my sight." [52] And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

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Commentary:

46-52. "Hearing the commotion the crowd was making, the blind man asks, 'What is happening?' They told him, 'It is Jesus of Nazareth.' At this his soul was so fired with faith in Christ that he cried out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'

"Don't you feel the same urge to cry out? You who are also waiting at the side of the way, of this highway of life that is so very short? You who need more light, you who need more grace to make up your mind to seek holiness? Don't you feel an urgent need to cry out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me'? What a beautiful aspiration for you to repeat again and again!...

"'Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.' As people have done to you, when you sensed that Jesus was passing your way. Your heart beat faster and you too began to cry out, prompted by an intimate longing. Then your friends, the need to do the done thing, the easy life, your surroundings, all conspired to tell you: 'Keep quiet, don't cry out. Who are you to be calling Jesus? Don't bother Him.'

"But poor Bartimaeus would not listen to them. He cried out all the more: 'Son of David, have mercy on me.' Our Lord, who had heard him right from the beginning, let him persevere in his prayer. He does the same with you. Jesus hears our cries from the very first, but he waits. He wants us to be convinced that we need Him. He wants us to beseech Him, to persist, like the blind man waiting by the road from Jericho. 'Let us imitate him. Even if God does not immediately give us what we ask, even if many people try to put us off our prayers, let us still go on praying' (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St. Matthew", 66).

"'And Jesus stopped, and told them to call Him.' Some of the better people in the crowd turned to the blind man and said, 'Take heart; rise, He is calling you.' Here you have the Christian vocation! But God does not call only once. Bear in mind that our Lord is seeking us at every moment: get up, He tells us, put aside your indolence, your easy life, your petty selfishness, your silly little problems. Get up from the ground, where you are lying prostrate and shapeless. Acquire height, weight and volume, and a supernatural outlook.

"And throwing off his mantle the man sprang up and came to Jesus. He threw off his mantle! I don't know if you have ever lived through a war, but many years ago I had occasion to visit a battlefield shortly after an engagement. There strewn all over the ground, were greatcoats, water bottles, haversacks stuffed with family souvenirs, letters, photographs of loved ones...which belonged, moreover, not to the vanquished but to the victors! All these items had become superfluous in the bid to race forward and leap over the enemy defenses. Just as happened to Bartimaeus, as he raced towards Christ.

"Never forget that Christ cannot be reached without sacrifice. We have to get rid of everything that gets in the way--greatcoat, haversack, water bottle. You have to do the same in this battle for the glory of God, in this struggle of love and peace by which we are trying to spread Christ's Kingdom. In order to serve the Church, the Pope and all souls, you must be ready to give up everything superfluous....

"And now begins a dialogue with God, a marvelous dialogue that moves us and sets our hearts on fire, for you and I are now Bartimaeus. Christ, who is God, begins to speak and asks, 'Quid tibi vis faciam?' 'What do you want Me to do for you?' The blind man answers. 'Lord, that I may see.' How utterly logical! How about yourself, can you really see? Haven't you too experienced at times what happened to the blind man of Jericho? I can never forget how, when meditating on this passage many years back, and realizing that Jesus was expecting something of me, though I myself did not know what it was, I made up my own aspirations: 'Lord, what is it You want! What are You asking of me'? I had a feeling that He wanted me to take on something new and the cry, 'Rabboni, ut videam', 'Master, that I may see,' moved me to beseech Christ again and again, 'Lord, whatever it is that You wish, let it be done.'

"Pray with me now to our Lord: 'doce me facere voluntatem tuam, quia Deus meus es tu" (Psalm 142:10) ('teach me to do Thy will, for You art my God'). In short, our lips should express a true desire on our part to correspond effectively to our Creator's promptings, striving to follow out His plans with unshakeable faith, being fully convinced that He cannot fail us....

"But let us go back to the scene outside Jericho. It is now to you that Christ is speaking. He asks you, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' 'Master, let me receive my sight.' Then Jesus answers, 'Go your way. Your faith has made you well.' And immediately he received his sight and followed Him on His way." Following Jesus on His way. You have understood what our Lord was asking to from you and you have decided to accompany Him on His way. You are trying to walk in His footsteps, to clothe yourself in Christ's clothing, to be Christ Himself: well, your faith, your faith in the light our Lord is giving you, must be both operative and full of sacrifice. Don't fool yourself. Don't think you are going to find new ways. The faith He demands of us is as I have said. We must keep in step with Him, working generously and at the same time uprooting and getting rid of everything that gets in the way" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 195-198).

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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, October 24, 2009

OCTOBER 24 SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET

OCTOBER 24

665 SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET, BISHOP

CCC Cross Reference:
Ps 96:2 2143
Mk 1:15 541, 1423, 1427; Mk 1:16-20 787

From the Common of Pastors: For Missionaries, p. 1817,

OR

FIRST READING
Isaiah 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
Announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
"Your God is King!"
Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
For they see directly, before their eyes,
the LORD restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
All the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.


RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8, 10

R. (3) Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.


GOSPEL
Mark 1:14-20

After John the Baptist had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel."

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.

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Friday, October 23, 2009

OCTOBER 23 SAINT JOHN OF CAPISTRANO

OCTOBER 23

664 SAINT JOHN OF CAPISTRANO, PRIEST

CCC Cross Reference:
2 Cor 5:14 616, 851; 2 Cor 5:15 605, 655, 1269; 2 Cor 5:17 1214, 1265; 2 Cor 5:17-18 1999; 2 Cor 5:18-21 2844; 2 Cor 5:18 981, 1442, 1461; 2 Cor 5:19 433, 620; 2 Cor 5:20 859, 1424, 1442
Lk 9:58 544

From the Common of Pastors: For Missionaries, p. 1817,

OR

FIRST READING
2 Corinthians 5:14-20

Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.


RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 16:1b-2a and 5, -8, 11

R. (see 5a) You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.

I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.

You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.


GOSPEL
Luke 9:57-62

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey
someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
And to another he said, "Follow me."
But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."
And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home."
He said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."

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Monday, October 19, 2009

OCTOBER 20 SAINT PAUL OF THE CROSS

OCTOBER 20
[In the Dioceses of the United States]

663 SAINT PAUL OF THE CROSS, PRIEST

CCC Cross Reference:
1 Cor 1:18 268; 1 Cor 1:24-25 272
Mt 16:24-26 736; Mt 16:24 226, 618, 2029; Mt 16:25-26 363; Mt 16:25 2232; Mt 16:26 1021

From the Common of Pastors, p. 1817, or the Common of Holy Men and Women: For Religious, p. 1880,

OR

FIRST READING
1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Brothers and sisters:
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside.

Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength


RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 117:1bc, 2

R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.


GOSPEL
Matthew 16:24-27

Jesus said to his disciples,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory,
and then he will repay each one according to his conduct."

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OCTOBER 19 SAINTS JOHN DE BRÉBEUF AND ISAAC JOGUES

OCTOBER 19
[In the Dioceses of the United States]

662 SAINTS JOHN DE BRÉBEUF AND ISAAC JOGUES,
PRIESTS AND MARTYRS, AND THEIR COMPANIONS,
MARTYRS MEMORIAL

CCC Cross Reference:
2 Cor 4:7 1420; 2 Cor 4:14 989
Mt 28:16-20 857, 1444; Mt 28:16-17 645; Mt 28:17 644; Mt 28:18-20 1120; Mt 28:19-20 2, 767, 849, 1223, 1257, 1276

From the Common of Martyrs, p. 1794, or the Common of Pastors: For Missionaries, p. 1817,

OR

FIRST READING
2 Corinthians 4:7-15

Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.


RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 126: 1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

R. (5) Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.


GOSPEL
Matthew 28:16-20

The Eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
"All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

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Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Feast: St Isaac Jogues and St John de Brebeuf, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs

From: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15

The Trials He Has Experienced
---------------------------------------------
[7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. [8] We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. [11] For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. [12] So death is at work in us, but life in you.

He Is Sustained By Hope in Heaven
----------------------------------------------------
[13] Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believed, and so I spoke," we too believe, and so we speak, [14] knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. [15] For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

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Commentary:

7-12. In contrast to the greatness of the Gospel--the "treasure" entrusted to them by God--St. Paul emphasizes the limitations of its ministers: they are "earthen vessels" (v. 7). To illustrate this he describes the afflictions and persecution to which he finds himself subjected and in which God's grace always comes to his aid.

In some way these sufferings of the Apostles and of all Christians reproduce in their lives the sufferings of Christ in his passion and death. In his case his suffering opened the way to his glorification after the Resurrection; similarly his servants, even in this life, are experiencing an anticipation of the life they will attain in heaven; this helps them overcome every kind of affliction.

7. St. Paul again stresses that the effectiveness of all his apostolic activity comes from God (cf., e.g., 1 Cor 1:26-31; 2 Cor 3:5); he it is who places his treasures in poor earthenware vessels. The image the Apostle uses--which is remini- scent of the clay which God used to make Adam (cf. Gen 2:7)--helps Christians realize that through grace they bear in their souls a wonderful treasure, God himself; like earthen vessels they are very fragile and they need to be put together again in the sacrament of Confession. As a gloss on these ideas St. Escriva taught that Christians by bearing God in their souls are enabled to live at one and the same time "in heaven and on earth, divinized: but knowing that we are of the world and made of clay, with the frailty that is typical of clay -- an earthenware pot which our Lord has deigned to use in his service. And whenever it has got broken, we have gone and riveted the bits together again, like the prodigal son: 'I have sinned against heaven and against you...'" (quoted in Bernal, "Monsignor Escriva de Balaguer").

8-9. The Apostle's words assure the Christian that he or she can always count on God's help: no matter what trials they have to undergo, victory can be attained with the grace of God as happened in St. Paul's case. "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with temptation will also provide you the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Cor 10:13). More- over, St. Paul's example reminds us that more or less severe suffering and tribulation will be a normal thing in the lives of Christ's followers; theirs will never be a comfortable, trouble-free life. "If it is your ambition to win the esteem of men, if your desire to be well-regarded and seek only a life of ease, you have gone astray [...]. In the city of the saints, entrance is given and rest and eternal rule with the King, only to those who have made their way along the rough, narrow way of tribulation" (Pseudo-Macarius, "Homilies", XII, 5).

10-11. As happened in St. Paul's case, in their daily lives Christians must relive the sufferings of Christ through self-denial and penance: this is part of following Christ and imitating him. "The Christian vocation is one of sacrifice, penance, expiation. We must make reparation for our sins--for the many times we turned our face aside so as to avoid the gaze of God--and all the sins of mankind. We must try to imitate Christ, 'always carrying in the body the death of Christ', his abnegation, his suffering on the cross, 'so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies' (2 Cor 4:10). Our way is one of immolation and, in this denial, we find "gaudium cum pace", both joy and peace" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 9).

Self-denial, mortification, does not have to be something overt; it should be practiced in the ordinary circumstances of life--for example, by being punctual for appointments, carefully fulfilling one's duties, treating everyone with as much charity as possible, accepting little setbacks in a good-humored way (cf. St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 138).

10. "The death of Jesus": more exactly, the "dying" of Christ: the Greek word refers to the situation of someone who is dying.

12. In the Apostles, and also in other Christians, the paradox of Jesus' life is verified: his death is the cause of life for all men. "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (Jn 12:24). Afflictions and tribulations, physical and moral pain, daily self-denial and penance, cause Christ's disciple to die to himself and, if united to the sufferings of his Master, they become a source of life for others through the communion of saints.

13-18. The Apostle explains where he gets the strength to bear all the tribulations of life -- from his hope in the resurrection and his expectation of being in heaven with those to whom he is writing (v. 14). There is nothing selfish about this desire for heaven: it helps us to stay true to the faith and it enables us to see all the sufferings of this life as something transitory and slight (v. 17), a necessary step to heaven and a way to obtain incomparably greater happiness. "If we wish to enjoy the pleasures of eternity," St. Alphonsus reminds us, "we must deprive ourselves of the pleasures of time. 'Whoever would save his life will lose it' (Mt 16:25) [...]. If we wish to be saved, we must all be martyrs, either by the tyrant's sword or through our own mortification. Let us have this conviction -- that everything we suffer is nothing compared with the eternal glory that awaits us. 'I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us' (Rom 8:18). These momentary afflictions will bring us eternal happiness (cf. 2 Cor 4:17)" ("Treasury of Preaching Material", II, 9).

13. The Apostle's faith leads him to keep on preaching, despite all the difficulties this may involve. There is nothing else he can do: he is convinced that his faith is what can save the world and he cannot but strive to spread it. If he acted otherwise it would mean his faith was asleep and he did not truly love others. "When you find that something has done you good," St. Gregory the Great explains, "try to bring it to the attention of others. You should, therefore, desire others to join you on the ways of the Lord. If you are going to the forum or the baths, and you meet someone who is not doing anything, you invite him to go along with you. Apply this earthly custom to the spiritual sphere, and as you make your way to God, do not do so alone" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 6, 6).

14. What inspires St. Paul's apostolic activity and enables him to bear all the difficulties it involves, is his firm belief in resurrection in glory, the basis and cause of which is Christ's resurrection. He also has the hope of sharing this happiness in heaven, in the presence of God, with all the faithful for whose salvation he is working on earth.

15. After reminding the Corinthians that all the sufferings he has been speaking about he has borne for their sake (cf. 4:5), St. Paul tells them what motivates him most -- the greater glory of God, to whom the faithful should turn in deep gratitude (cf. 1:11; 9:12). This should be man's primary attitude to God -- one of profound adoration and thanksgiving for all his benefits, as we are daily reminded in the Preface of the Mass.

"If life's purpose were not to give glory to God, how contemptible, how hateful it would be" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 783).

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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.