82A Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Catechism Links
CCC 302-314: divine providence and its role in history
CCC 2113-2115: idolatry subverts values; trust in providence vs. divination
CCC 2632: prayer of faithful petition for coming of the Kingdom
CCC 2830: trust in Providence does not mean idleness
CCC Cross Reference:
Is 49:14-15 219, 370; Is 49:15 239
1 Cor 4:1 859, 1117; 1 Cor 4:5 678
Mt 6:24 2113, 2424, 2729, 2821, 2848; Mt 6:25-34 2547, 2830; Mt 6:25 2608; Mt 6:26-34 322; Mt 6:26 2416; Mt 6:31-33 305; Mt 6:32 270; Mt 6:33 1942, 2604, 2608, 2632; Mt 6:34 2659, 2836
Back to SOW II ‘11
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Reading 1: Is 49:14-15
Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my LORD has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
R. (6a) Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
With God is my safety and my glory,
he is the rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him.
R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
Reading 2: 1 Cor 4:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now it is of course required of stewards
that they be found trustworthy.
It does not concern me in the least
that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;
I do not even pass judgment on myself;
I am not conscious of anything against me,
but I do not thereby stand acquitted;
the one who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore do not make any judgment before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.
Gospel: Mt 6:24-34
Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First Reading: Isaiah 49:14-15
Zion was saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
the Lord has forgotten me.’
Does a woman forget her baby at the breast,
or fail to cherish the son of her womb?
Yet even if these forget,
I will never forget you.
Psalm: Psalm 61(62):2-3,6-9
In God alone is my soul at rest.
In God alone is my soul at rest;
my help comes from him.
He alone is my rock, my stronghold,
my fortress: I stand firm.
In God alone is my soul at rest.
In God alone be at rest, my soul;
for my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock, my stronghold,
my fortress: I stand firm.
In God alone is my soul at rest.
In God is my safety and glory,
the rock of my strength.
Take refuge in God, all you people.
Trust him at all times.
Pour out your hearts before him.
In God alone is my soul at rest.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
People must think of us as Christ’s servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God. What is expected of stewards is that each one should be found worthy of his trust. Not that it makes the slightest difference to me whether you, or indeed any human tribunal, find me worthy or not. I will not even pass judgement on myself. True, my conscience does not reproach me at all, but that does not prove that I am acquitted: the Lord alone is my judge. There must be no passing of premature judgement. Leave that until the Lord comes; he will light up all that is hidden in the dark and reveal the secret intentions of men’s hearts. Then will be the time for each one to have whatever praise he deserves, from God.
Gospel: Matthew 6:24-34
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.
‘That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. Surely life means more than food, and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are we not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you men of little faith? So do not worry; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?” It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time
From: Isaiah 49:8-15
The Restoration of Zion
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[14] But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, my LORD has forgotten me?"
[15] "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that, she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you."
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Commentary:
49:14-50:3. After the oracles concerning the servant, the prophet now focuses on Zion, the city beloved of the Lord, to which people will come from all over, the diaspora, to settle there. It will be a genuine miracle. The first verses speak very movingly of God's love for his people (49:14-20). The passage goes on, in a didactic style, to stress that the Lord will bring about the liberation of Jerusalem (49:21-26). It draws two comparisons--that of an eastern kingdom (49:22-23) and that of mighty warrior (49:24-26); each ends with an assertion reminiscent of Ezekiel's message: "And you will know that I am the Lord" (cf. "Introduction to Ezekiel", p. 595, below). Finally (50:1-3), the sense of abandonment felt by those in Jerusalem (cf. v. 14) is answered from another angle. Using the wedding imagery first used by Hosea (cf. Hos 1-3), the prophet puts words in the Lord's mouth to the effect that the exile was not meant to be forever; it was not irrevocable. There was no document written to terminate the marriage (cf. Deut 24:1-2, Jer 3:8); nor was the sale contract ever closed. Exile was a punishment that had to happen; it was a temporary thing, provoked by the people's sins. But God keeps his promises; he will restore Zion; he is as mighty now as he was at the time of the exodus, as he will demonstrate.
In the fullness of time, when Jesus brings salvation, this oracle will have even greater significance: "In Jesus Christ God has established a new and everlasting covenant with mankind. He has placed his almighty power at the service of our salvation. When his creatures lose confidence and are afraid through lack of faith, we hear once again the voice of Isaiah who speaks out in the name of the Lord: 'Is my hand too short to redeem? Have I not strength to save?" (St Josemaria Escrivá, "Friends of God", 190).
49:15-16. The image of the mother who can never forget her children (v. 15) is one of the most beautiful metaphors used in the Bible to describe the love that God has for his people; it has been echoed by spiritual writers down the ages. Pope John Paul II applies it with reference to the merciful love that God shows his own--the "rahamin" in Hebrew, a word that derives from maternal love ("rehem" means motherly embrace). Like a mother, God has borne mankind, and especially the chosen people, in his womb; he has given birth to it in pain, has nourished and consoled it (cf. 42:14; 46:3-4): "From the deep and original bond -- indeed the unity -- that links a mother to her child there springs a particular relationship to the child, a particular love. Of this love one can say that it is completely gratuitous, not merited, and that in this aspect it constitutes an interior necessity: an exigency of the heart. It is, as it were, a 'feminine' variation of the masculine fidelity: to self expressed by "hesed". Against this psychological background, "rahamin" generates a whole range of feelings, including goodness and tenderness, patience and understanding, that is, readiness to forgive. [...] This love, faithful and invincible thanks to the mysterious power of motherhood, is expressed in the Old Testament texts in various ways: as salvation from dangers, especially from enemies; also as forgiveness of sins--of individuals and also of the whole of Israel; and finally in readiness to fulfill the (eschatological) promise and hope in spite of human infidelity" ("Dives In Misericordia", note 52; cf. "Mulieris Dignitatem", 8).
The first words of v. 16 are another graphic description of the love of God; and so we find John Paul II using them in an exhortation on that subject "Dear young people, receive the love that God first gives you (cf. 1 Jn 4:19). Hold fast to this certainty, the only one that can give meaning, strength and joy to life: his love will never leave you, his covenant of peace will never be removed from you (cf. Is 54:10). He has stamped your name on the palms of his hands (cf. Is 49:16)" ("World Youth Day", 6 January 1997).
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From: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Servant of Christ
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[1] This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. [2] Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. [3] But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. [4] I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. [5] Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then every man will receive his commendation from God.
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Commentary:
1-2. The features of every apostle, as outlined here by St Paul -- "servants of Christ", "stewards of God's mysteries"--put this ministry beyond the reach of grudges and petty squabbles. "Servants of Christ", that is, ministers of Christ, are people to whom he has entrusted his property--his teaching and his sacraments--for them to protect it faithfully and, acting as his agents, to manage it, pass it on and "disperse" it to others (cf. "Commentary on 1 Cor, ad loc."). As Paul stresses, a basic qualification for being a servant or steward is trustworthiness: "Those are untrustworthy stewards who when it comes to dispensing the divine mysteries do not seek the welfare of the people, the honor of Christ or the advantage of his members [...]. Trustworthy stewards are those who always seek the honor of God and the welfare of his members" ("ibid., ad loc.").
The Magisterium of the Church has often applied these words to the Christian priesthood: "The Apostle of the Gentiles thus perfectly sums up what may be said of the greatness, the dignity and the duty of the Christian priesthood: 'This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God' (1 Cor 4:1). The priest is the minister of Christ, an instrument, that is to say, in the hands of the divine Redeemer. He continues the work of the redemption in all its universality and divine efficacy, that work that wrought so marvelous a transformation in the world. Thus the priest, as is said with good reason, is indeed 'another Christ', for, in some way, he is himself a continuation of Christ: 'As the Father has sent me, even so I send you' (Jn 20:21), is spoken to the priest, and hence the priest, like Christ, continues to give 'glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased' (Lk 2:14). A priest is appointed 'steward of the mysteries of God' (cf. 1 Cor 4:1 ) for the benefit of the members of the mystical body of Christ, since he is the ordinary minister of nearly all the sacraments--those channels through which the grace of the Savior flows for the good of humanity. The Christian, at almost every important =stage of his mortal career, finds at his side the priest with power received from God, for the purpose of communicating or increasing that grace which is the supernatural life of his soul" (Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii").
3-5. A servant, an employee, is obviously answerable for his actions -- but he is answerable only to his master; only his master can judge him. Therefore, referring to the minister of Christ, St Paul declares that only our Lord can be his judge, because it is to him his service is owed. This teaching applies in the first place to Church ministers; but it also applies to all the faithful, for all should serve God by putting their talents to good use. Therefore, it is not for us to judge others, unless we have some special position which obliges us to do so. And certainly any judgment we do make is valid only if it accords with the will of God; any type of rash judgment would lead to very unfortunate results. Even that judgment we make about ourselves--examination of conscience, which St Paul seems to be hinting at when he says that he is not aware of anything against himself – should be made with the help of grace. It is not a matter of subjective introspection, but rather a sincere review made in the presence of God. It is not meant to be a reply to the question, What do I think of my behavior?; but rather to a different question, What does God think of it? Thus, a Christian should not be trying to meticulously measure his conduct, but to have recourse to God, who is rich in mercy. If so, the end-product of his examination will never be like that of the Pharisee, "God, I thank thee that I am not like other men", but instead, like the publican's "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (Lk 18:11, 13).
The Apostle, as we can see, is speaking of his own experience, and speaking from a heart full of pastoral solicitude: he is not merely giving advice or taking people to task.
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From: Matthew 6:24-34
Trust in God's Fatherly Providence (Continuation)
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(Jesus said to His disciples,) [24] "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
[25] "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? [26] Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? [28] And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? [31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' [32] For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
[34] "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day."
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Commentary:
24. Man's ultimate goal is God; to attain this goal he should commit himself entirely. But in fact some people do not have God as their ultimate goal, and instead choose wealth of some kind--in which case wealth becomes their god. Man cannot have two absolute and contrary goals.
25-32. In this beautiful passage Jesus shows us the value of the ordinary things of life, and teaches us to put our trust in God's fatherly providence. Using simple examples and comparisons taken from everyday life, He teaches us to abandon ourselves into the arms of God.
27. The word "span" could be translated as "stature", but "span" is closer to the original (cf. Luke 12:25). A "cubit" is a measure of length which can metaphorically refer to time.
33. Here again the righteousness of the Kingdom means the life of grace in man --which involves a whole series of spiritual and moral values and can be summed up in the notion of "holiness". The search for holiness should be our primary purpose in life. Jesus is again insisting on the primacy of spiritual demands. Commenting on this passage, Pope Paul VI says: "Why poverty? It is to give God, the Kingdom of God, the first place in the scale of values which are the object of human aspirations. Jesus says: 'Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness'.
And He says this with regard to all the other temporal goods, even necessary and legitimate ones, with which human desires are usually concerned. Christ's poverty makes possible that detachment from earthly things which allows us to place the relationship with God at the peak of human aspirations" ("General Audience", 5 January 1977).
34. Our Lord exhorts us to go about our daily tasks serenely and not to worry uselessly about what happened yesterday or what may happen tomorrow. This is wisdom based on God's fatherly providence and on our own everyday experience: "He who observes the wind will not sow; and he who regards the clouds will not reap" (Eccles 11:4).
What is important, what is within our reach, is to live in God's presence and make good use of the present moment: "Do your duty 'now', without looking back on 'yesterday', which has already passed, or worrying over 'tomorrow', which may never come for you" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 253).
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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, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
346 Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
CCC Cross Reference:
Sir 15:14 1730, 1743
Ps 103 304
Mk 10:11 2380; Mk 10:14 343, 1261; Mk 10:16 699
Back to SOW II ‘11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '19
Reading 1: Sir 17:1-15
God from the earth created man,
and in his own image he made him.
He makes man return to earth again,
and endows him with a strength of his own.
Limited days of life he gives him,
with power over all things else on earth.
He puts the fear of him in all flesh,
and gives him rule over beasts and birds.
He created for them counsel, and a tongue and eyes and ears,
and an inventive heart,
and filled them with the discipline of understanding.
He created in them knowledge of the spirit;
With wisdom he fills their heart;
good and evil he shows them.
He put the fear of himself upon their hearts,
and showed them his mighty works,
That they might glory in the wonder of his deeds
and praise his holy name.
He has set before them knowledge,
a law of life as their inheritance;
An everlasting covenant he has made with them,
his justice and his judgments he has revealed to them.
His majestic glory their eyes beheld,
his glorious voice their ears heard.
He says to them, “Avoid all evil”;
each of them he gives precepts about his fellow men.
Their ways are ever known to him,
they cannot be hidden from his eyes.
Over every nation he places a ruler,
but God’s own portion is Israel.
All their actions are clear as the sun to him,
his eyes are ever upon their ways.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:13-14, 15-16, 17-18
R. (see 17) The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him,
For he knows how we are formed;
he remembers that we are dust.
R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Man’s days are like those of grass;
like a flower of the field he blooms;
The wind sweeps over him and he is gone,
and his place knows him no more.
R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity
to eternity toward those who fear him,
And his justice toward children’s children
among those who keep his covenant.
R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Gospel: Mk 10:13-16
People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them,
for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced the children and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 17:1-13
The Lord fashioned man from the earth,
to consign him back to it.
He gave them so many days’ determined time,
he gave them authority over everything on earth.
He clothed them with strength like his own,
and made them in his own image.
He filled all living things with dread of man,
making him master over beasts and birds.
He shaped for them a mouth and tongue, eyes and ears,
and gave them a heart to think with.
He filled them with knowledge and understanding,
and revealed to them good and evil.
He put his own light in their hearts
to show them the magnificence of his works.
They will praise his holy name,
as they tell of his magnificent works.
He set knowledge before them,
he endowed them with the law of life.
Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,
and their ears heard the glory of his voice.
He said to them, ‘Beware of all wrong-doing’;
he gave each a commandment concerning his neighbor.
Their ways are always under his eye,
they cannot be hidden from his sight.
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Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 102(103):13-18
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Gospel: Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Saturday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Sirach 17:1-15
God and Man
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[1] The Lord created man out of earth, and turned him back to it again. [2] He gave to men few days, a limited time, but granted them authority over the things upon the earth. [3] He endowed them with strength like his own, and made them in his own image. [4] He placed the fear of them in all living beings, and granted them dominion over beasts and birds. [6] He gave them ears and a mind for thinking. [7] He filled them with knowledge and understanding, and showed them good and evil. [8] He set his eye upon their hearts to show them the majesty of his works. [10] And they will praise his holy name, to proclaim the grandeur of his works. [11] He bestowed knowledge upon them, and allotted to them the law of life. [12] He established with them an eternal covenant, and showed them his judgments. [13] Their eyes saw his glorious majesty, and their ears heard the glory of his voice. [14] And he said to them, "Beware of all unrighteousness." [15] And he gave commandment to each of them concerning his neighbor.
The Divine Judge. A Call to Repentance
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[15] Their ways are always before him, they will not be bid from his eyes."
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Commentary:
16:24-23:27. These chapters are the second of the five parts we can distinguish in the book of Sirach. Like all the other parts it opens with doctrinal instruction (16:24-18:14), dealing this time with the divine Wisdom manifested by the Creator in all his works; this is followed (18:15-23:27) by a series of practical teachings. As in the previous part it is not easy to see any clear order in the ma- xims. However, further emphasis is put here on prudence in speech.
16:24-18:14 The doctrinal introduction to the first part of the book (1:1-2:18) summarized the main ideas in the book and put the focus, mainly, on the Lord, the only God, as being the source of wisdom. Now the author goes on to explain that, in creating the universe, the Most High arranged all his works in order and laid down laws to govern them (16:27). First (cf. 16:24-31) we find teachings from the first chapters of Genesis: creation took place "from [in] the beginning" (16:26a; Gen 1:1); God determined the order of things (16:26b; Gen 1:3-2:3); with the result that it "was good" (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31 and Sir 16:29b) and "he covered its surface with all kinds of living beings" (16:30; Gen 1:20-31).
Pre-eminent among these created beings is man, made in the image of God (cf. 17:3; Gen 1:26-27). When it sees the harmony of the universe and all the living things that populate it, the human mind can recognize that there is a pattern to all this and can work its way up to God (17: 1-10). St Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, makes the point, again that "his (God's) invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made" (Rom 1:20). In addition, man has been given divine law to help him lead a life in line with what God has revealed to him over the course of time. And the supernatural revelation of the Law through Moses makes God's wisdom shine
even brighter (17:11-17).
This brings the writer to reflect on God as Judge, and on man as someone who must render an account to his creator, not just as regards his external actions but as regards even his inmost thoughts. This is a well-argued case for conversion to God (cf. 17:19-32). Ben Sirach has clear ideas about the meaning of life and death, but the New Testament sees further. He knows that the Lord will "recompense" people (cf. 17:23), but he does not go so far as to say that there is life after death (17:27-31).In any event, for the author the main thing is to give praise to God (17:27-29); hence his call to conversion (17:24, 26, 29).
The doctrinal introduction to this second part of the book concludes with reflections on the majesty and compassion of God--so vast compared to man (18:1-14).Having established just how limited man is, Ben Sirach asks himself: What is man, and what good can be do? God is under no obligation to care for man, to encourage him to do good or to guard him against evil. This sapiential style of writing is rhetorical: it is meant to draw attention to God's kindness and mercy towards man. The sacred writer does not have access to God's last revelation in the form of Jesus Christ; but by contemplating God's favors to Israel he is able to get more insights into man and the nature of man. John Paul II points out that: "These are questions in every human heart, as the poetic genius of every time and every people has shown, posing again and again -- almost as the prophetic voice of humanity -- the "serious question" which makes human beings truly what they are.
They are questions which express the urgency of finding a reason for existence, in every moment, at life's most important and decisive times as well as more ordinary times. These questions show the deep reasonableness of human existence, since they summon human intelligence and will to search freely for a solution which can reveal the full meaning of life. These enquiries, therefore,are the highest expression of human nature; which is why the answer to them is the gauge of the depth of his engagement with his own existence. In particular, when "the why of things" is explored in full harmony with the search for the ultimate answer, then human reason reaches its zenith and opens to the religious impulse. The religious impulse is the highest expression of the human being's free and personal search for the divine" ("Fides Et Ratio", note 28).
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From: Mark 10:13-16
Jesus and the Children
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[13] And they were bringing children to Him, that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. [14] But when Jesus saw it He was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to Me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of God. [15] Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." [16] And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands upon them.
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Commentary:
13-16. This Gospel account has an attractive freshness and vividness about it which may be connected with St. Peter, from whom St. Mark would have taken the story. It is one of the few occasions when the Gospels tell us that Christ became angry. What provoked His anger was the disciples' intolerance: they felt that these people bringing children to Jesus were a nuisance: it meant a waste of His time; Christ had more serious things to do than be involved with little children. The disciples were well-intentioned; it was just that they were applying the wrong criteria. What Jesus had told them quite recently had not registered: "Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me" (Mark 9:37).
Our Lord also stresses that a Christian has to become like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. "To be little you have to believe as children believe, to love as children love, to abandon yourself as children do..., to pray as children pray" (St. J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Prologue).
Our Lord's words express simply and graphically the key doctrine of man's divine sonship: God is our Father and we are His sons and daughters, His children; the whole of religion is summed up in the relationship of a son with His good Father. This awareness of God as Father involves a sense of dependence on our Father in Heaven and trusting abandonment to His loving providence--in the way a child trusts its father or mother; the humility of recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves; simplicity and sincerity, which make us straightforward and honest in our dealings with God and man.
*********************************************************************************************
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.
CCC Cross Reference:
Sir 15:14 1730, 1743
Ps 103 304
Mk 10:11 2380; Mk 10:14 343, 1261; Mk 10:16 699
Back to SOW II ‘11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '19
Reading 1: Sir 17:1-15
God from the earth created man,
and in his own image he made him.
He makes man return to earth again,
and endows him with a strength of his own.
Limited days of life he gives him,
with power over all things else on earth.
He puts the fear of him in all flesh,
and gives him rule over beasts and birds.
He created for them counsel, and a tongue and eyes and ears,
and an inventive heart,
and filled them with the discipline of understanding.
He created in them knowledge of the spirit;
With wisdom he fills their heart;
good and evil he shows them.
He put the fear of himself upon their hearts,
and showed them his mighty works,
That they might glory in the wonder of his deeds
and praise his holy name.
He has set before them knowledge,
a law of life as their inheritance;
An everlasting covenant he has made with them,
his justice and his judgments he has revealed to them.
His majestic glory their eyes beheld,
his glorious voice their ears heard.
He says to them, “Avoid all evil”;
each of them he gives precepts about his fellow men.
Their ways are ever known to him,
they cannot be hidden from his eyes.
Over every nation he places a ruler,
but God’s own portion is Israel.
All their actions are clear as the sun to him,
his eyes are ever upon their ways.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:13-14, 15-16, 17-18
R. (see 17) The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him,
For he knows how we are formed;
he remembers that we are dust.
R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Man’s days are like those of grass;
like a flower of the field he blooms;
The wind sweeps over him and he is gone,
and his place knows him no more.
R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity
to eternity toward those who fear him,
And his justice toward children’s children
among those who keep his covenant.
R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Gospel: Mk 10:13-16
People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them,
for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced the children and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 17:1-13
The Lord fashioned man from the earth,
to consign him back to it.
He gave them so many days’ determined time,
he gave them authority over everything on earth.
He clothed them with strength like his own,
and made them in his own image.
He filled all living things with dread of man,
making him master over beasts and birds.
He shaped for them a mouth and tongue, eyes and ears,
and gave them a heart to think with.
He filled them with knowledge and understanding,
and revealed to them good and evil.
He put his own light in their hearts
to show them the magnificence of his works.
They will praise his holy name,
as they tell of his magnificent works.
He set knowledge before them,
he endowed them with the law of life.
Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,
and their ears heard the glory of his voice.
He said to them, ‘Beware of all wrong-doing’;
he gave each a commandment concerning his neighbor.
Their ways are always under his eye,
they cannot be hidden from his sight.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 102(103):13-18
The love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear.
As a father has compassion on his sons,
the Lord has pity on those who fear him;
for he knows of what we are made,
he remembers that we are dust.
The love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear.
As for man, his days are like grass;
he flowers like the flower of the field;
the wind blows and he is gone
and his place never sees him again.
The love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear.
But the love of the Lord is everlasting
upon those who hold him in fear;
his justice reaches out to children’s children
when they keep his covenant in truth.
The love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Saturday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Sirach 17:1-15
God and Man
--------------------
[1] The Lord created man out of earth, and turned him back to it again. [2] He gave to men few days, a limited time, but granted them authority over the things upon the earth. [3] He endowed them with strength like his own, and made them in his own image. [4] He placed the fear of them in all living beings, and granted them dominion over beasts and birds. [6] He gave them ears and a mind for thinking. [7] He filled them with knowledge and understanding, and showed them good and evil. [8] He set his eye upon their hearts to show them the majesty of his works. [10] And they will praise his holy name, to proclaim the grandeur of his works. [11] He bestowed knowledge upon them, and allotted to them the law of life. [12] He established with them an eternal covenant, and showed them his judgments. [13] Their eyes saw his glorious majesty, and their ears heard the glory of his voice. [14] And he said to them, "Beware of all unrighteousness." [15] And he gave commandment to each of them concerning his neighbor.
The Divine Judge. A Call to Repentance
---------------------------------------------------------
[15] Their ways are always before him, they will not be bid from his eyes."
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Commentary:
16:24-23:27. These chapters are the second of the five parts we can distinguish in the book of Sirach. Like all the other parts it opens with doctrinal instruction (16:24-18:14), dealing this time with the divine Wisdom manifested by the Creator in all his works; this is followed (18:15-23:27) by a series of practical teachings. As in the previous part it is not easy to see any clear order in the ma- xims. However, further emphasis is put here on prudence in speech.
16:24-18:14 The doctrinal introduction to the first part of the book (1:1-2:18) summarized the main ideas in the book and put the focus, mainly, on the Lord, the only God, as being the source of wisdom. Now the author goes on to explain that, in creating the universe, the Most High arranged all his works in order and laid down laws to govern them (16:27). First (cf. 16:24-31) we find teachings from the first chapters of Genesis: creation took place "from [in] the beginning" (16:26a; Gen 1:1); God determined the order of things (16:26b; Gen 1:3-2:3); with the result that it "was good" (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31 and Sir 16:29b) and "he covered its surface with all kinds of living beings" (16:30; Gen 1:20-31).
Pre-eminent among these created beings is man, made in the image of God (cf. 17:3; Gen 1:26-27). When it sees the harmony of the universe and all the living things that populate it, the human mind can recognize that there is a pattern to all this and can work its way up to God (17: 1-10). St Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, makes the point, again that "his (God's) invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made" (Rom 1:20). In addition, man has been given divine law to help him lead a life in line with what God has revealed to him over the course of time. And the supernatural revelation of the Law through Moses makes God's wisdom shine
even brighter (17:11-17).
This brings the writer to reflect on God as Judge, and on man as someone who must render an account to his creator, not just as regards his external actions but as regards even his inmost thoughts. This is a well-argued case for conversion to God (cf. 17:19-32). Ben Sirach has clear ideas about the meaning of life and death, but the New Testament sees further. He knows that the Lord will "recompense" people (cf. 17:23), but he does not go so far as to say that there is life after death (17:27-31).In any event, for the author the main thing is to give praise to God (17:27-29); hence his call to conversion (17:24, 26, 29).
The doctrinal introduction to this second part of the book concludes with reflections on the majesty and compassion of God--so vast compared to man (18:1-14).Having established just how limited man is, Ben Sirach asks himself: What is man, and what good can be do? God is under no obligation to care for man, to encourage him to do good or to guard him against evil. This sapiential style of writing is rhetorical: it is meant to draw attention to God's kindness and mercy towards man. The sacred writer does not have access to God's last revelation in the form of Jesus Christ; but by contemplating God's favors to Israel he is able to get more insights into man and the nature of man. John Paul II points out that: "These are questions in every human heart, as the poetic genius of every time and every people has shown, posing again and again -- almost as the prophetic voice of humanity -- the "serious question" which makes human beings truly what they are.
They are questions which express the urgency of finding a reason for existence, in every moment, at life's most important and decisive times as well as more ordinary times. These questions show the deep reasonableness of human existence, since they summon human intelligence and will to search freely for a solution which can reveal the full meaning of life. These enquiries, therefore,are the highest expression of human nature; which is why the answer to them is the gauge of the depth of his engagement with his own existence. In particular, when "the why of things" is explored in full harmony with the search for the ultimate answer, then human reason reaches its zenith and opens to the religious impulse. The religious impulse is the highest expression of the human being's free and personal search for the divine" ("Fides Et Ratio", note 28).
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From: Mark 10:13-16
Jesus and the Children
---------------------------------
[13] And they were bringing children to Him, that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. [14] But when Jesus saw it He was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to Me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of God. [15] Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." [16] And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands upon them.
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Commentary:
13-16. This Gospel account has an attractive freshness and vividness about it which may be connected with St. Peter, from whom St. Mark would have taken the story. It is one of the few occasions when the Gospels tell us that Christ became angry. What provoked His anger was the disciples' intolerance: they felt that these people bringing children to Jesus were a nuisance: it meant a waste of His time; Christ had more serious things to do than be involved with little children. The disciples were well-intentioned; it was just that they were applying the wrong criteria. What Jesus had told them quite recently had not registered: "Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me" (Mark 9:37).
Our Lord also stresses that a Christian has to become like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. "To be little you have to believe as children believe, to love as children love, to abandon yourself as children do..., to pray as children pray" (St. J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Prologue).
Our Lord's words express simply and graphically the key doctrine of man's divine sonship: God is our Father and we are His sons and daughters, His children; the whole of religion is summed up in the relationship of a son with His good Father. This awareness of God as Father involves a sense of dependence on our Father in Heaven and trusting abandonment to His loving providence--in the way a child trusts its father or mother; the humility of recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves; simplicity and sincerity, which make us straightforward and honest in our dealings with God and man.
*********************************************************************************************
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, February 24, 2011
Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
345 Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
CCC Cross Reference:
Mk 10:8 1627; Mk 10:9 1639, 2364, 2382; Mk 10:11-12 1650; Mk 10:11 2380
Back to SOW II ‘11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '19
Reading 1: Sir 6:5-17
A kind mouth multiplies friends and appeases enemies,
and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings.
Let your acquaintances be many,
but one in a thousand your confidant.
When you gain a friend, first test him,
and be not too ready to trust him.
For one sort is a friend when it suits him,
but he will not be with you in time of distress.
Another is a friend who becomes an enemy,
and tells of the quarrel to your shame.
Another is a friend, a boon companion,
who will not be with you when sorrow comes.
When things go well, he is your other self,
and lords it over your servants;
But if you are brought low, he turns against you
and avoids meeting you.
Keep away from your enemies;
be on your guard with your friends.
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;
he who finds one finds a treasure.
A faithful friend is beyond price,
no sum can balance his worth.
A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy,
such as he who fears God finds;
For he who fears God behaves accordingly,
and his friend will be like himself.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34, 35
R. (35a) Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
In your statutes I will delight;
I will not forget your words.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Gospel: Mk 10:1-12
Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17
A kindly turn of speech multiplies a man’s friends,
and a courteous way of speaking invites many a friendly reply.
Let your acquaintances be many,
but your advisers one in a thousand.
If you want to make a friend, take him on trial,
and be in no hurry to trust him;
for one kind of friend is only so when it suits him
but will not stand by you in your day of trouble.
Another kind of friend will fall out with you
and to your dismay make the quarrel public,
and a third kind of friend will share your table,
but not stand by you in your day of trouble:
when you are doing well he will be your second self,
ordering your servants about;
but if ever you are brought low he will turn against you
and will hide himself from you.
Keep well clear of your enemies,
and be wary of your friends.
A faithful friend is a sure shelter,
whoever finds one has found a rare treasure.
A faithful friend is something beyond price,
there is no measuring his worth.
A faithful friend is the elixir of life,
and those who fear the Lord will find one.
Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends,
for as a man is, so is his friend.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 118(119):12,16,18,27,34-35
Gospel: Mark 10:1-12
Jesus came to the district of Judaea and the far side of the Jordan. And again crowds gathered round him, and again he taught them, as his custom was. Some Pharisees approached him and asked, ‘Is it against the law for a man to divorce his wife?’ They were testing him. He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ ‘Moses allowed us’ they said ‘to draw up a writ of dismissal and so to divorce.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘It was because you were so unteachable that he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’ Back in the house the disciples questioned him again about this, and he said to them, ‘The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Friday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Sirach 6:5-17
Friends and Enemies (Continuation)
----------------------------------------------------
[5] A pleasant voice multiplies friends, and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies. [6] Let those that are at peace with you be many, but let your advisers be one in a thousand. [7] When you gain a friend, gain him through testing, and do not trust him hastily. [8] For there is a friend who is such at his own convenience, but will not stand by you in your day of trouble. [9] And there is a friend who changes into an enemy, and will disclose a quarrel to your disgrace. [10] And there is a friend who is a table companion, but will not stand by you in your day of trouble. [11] In prosperity he will make himself your equal, and be bold with your servants; [12] but if you are brought low he will turn against you, and will hide himself from your presence. [13] Keep yourself far from your enemies, and be on guard toward your friends. [14] A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he that has found one has found a treasure. [15] There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend, and no scales can measure his excellence. [16] A faithful friend is an elixir of life; and those who fear the Lord will find him. [17] Whoever fears the Lord directs his friendship aright, for as he is, so is his neighbor also.
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Commentary:
5:15-6:17. This is the first occasion that Ben Sirach discusses friendship -- a subject that comes up often in his teaching (cf. 9:10-16; 19:13-17; 22:19-26; 37:1-15); in fact Sirach is the book of the Bible that has most to say on the subject. Here and in the other passages, what we have is not so much a theoretical discussion of friendship as a series of concrete situations that show the sort of behavior one would expect of a friend.
In the Gospel we find instances of Jesus' close friendships and less about the importance of friendship the extent to which it can go: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13). And St Ambrose, commenting on v. 14 writes: "Friendship should be constant [...]. You should not leave a friend in his hour of need, nor do him injury, nor abandon him, because friendship is a lifelong source of help" ("De Officiis", 2, 3, 22).
Taking the life of Jesus as an example St. Josemaria Escriva invites his readers to consider that "A friend is a treasure. Well...you have a friend! For where your treasure is, there is your heart" ("The Way", 421).
6:17-37. The teacher now gives his disciples advice on what they need to do to acquire wisdom.
First, he talks about docility and commitment to the task, using imagery taken from agricultural work, particularly wearing the yoke (v. 24-25), though he says it is easy enough to bear. These verses remind us of what Jesus says when he invites us to find true Wisdom and peace of soul in his teaching: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle. and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Mt 11:29).
Then, in line with the education tradition of the ancient East, the writer urges his disciples to listen to their elders, spending time with them and following their example. Finally, returning to an idea that runs right through the book, he reminds his disciple what he must do to he wise -- reflect on the commandments of the Lord and live by them (v, 37). For true maturity comes not so much from age as from doing the will of God: "You should show the moderation, fortitude, and sense of responsibility that many people acquire after many long years, in their old age. You will achieve all this, while you are still young, if you do not lose the supernatural outlook of a son of God. For he will give you, more than to the old, those qualities you need for your apostle's work" (St. J. Escriva, "The Forge", 53).
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From: Mark 10:1-12
The Indissolubility of Marriage
-------------------------------------------
[2] And Pharisees came up and in order to test Him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" [3] He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" [4] They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away." [5] But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment. [6] But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.'; [7] 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, [8] and the two shall become one.' So they are no longer two but one. [9] What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."
[10] And in the house the disciples asked Him about this matter. [11] And He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; [12] and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
Jesus and the Children
---------------------------------
[13] And they were bringing children to Him, that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. [14] But when Jesus saw it He was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to Me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of God. [15] Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." [16] And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands upon them.
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Commentary:
1-12. This kind of scene occurs often in the Gospel. The malice of the Pharisees contrasts with the simplicity of the crowd, who listen attentively to Jesus' teaching. The Pharisees' question aimed at tricking Jesus into going against the Law of Moses. But Jesus Christ, Messiah and Son of God, has perfect understanding of that Law. Moses had permitted divorce because of the hardness of that ancient people: women had an ignominious position in those primitive tribes (they were regarded almost as animals or slaves); Moses, therefore, protected women's dignity against these abuses by devising the certificate of divorce; this was a real social advance. It was a document by which the husband repudiated his wife and she obtained freedom. Jesus restores to its original purity the dignity of man and woman in marriage, as instituted by God at the beginning of creation. "A man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24): in this way God established from the very beginning the unity and indissolubility of marriage. The Church's Magisterium, the only authorized interpreter of the Gospel and of the natural law, has constantly guarded and defended this teaching and has proclaimed it solemnly in countless documents (Council of Florence, "Pro Armeniis"; Council of Trent, "De Sacram. Matr."; Pius XI, "Casti Connubi"; Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 48; etc.).
Here is a good summary of this doctrine: "The indissolubility of marriage is not a caprice of the Church nor is it merely a positive ecclesiastical law. It is a precept of natural law, of divine law, and responds perfectly to our nature and to the supernatural order of grace" (St. J. Escriva, "Conversations", 97). Cf. note on Matthew 5:31-32.
5-9. When a Christian realizes that this teaching applies to everyone at all times, he should not be afraid of people reacting against it: "It is a fundamental duty of the Church to reaffirm strongly [...] the doctrine of the indissolubility of marriage. To all those who, in our times, consider it too difficult, or indeed impossible, to be bound to one person for the whole of life, and to those caught up in a culture that rejects the indissolubility of marriage and openly mocks the commitment of spouses to fidelity, it is necessary to reaffirm the good news of the definitive nature of that conjugal love that has in Christ its foundation and strength (cf. Ephesians 5:25).
"Being rooted in the personal and total self-giving of the couple, and being required by the good of the children, the indissolubility of marriage finds its ultimate truth in the plan that God has manifested in His revelation: He wills and He communicates the indissolubility of marriage as a fruit, a sign and a requirement of the absolutely faithful love that God has for man and that the Lord Jesus has for the Church.
"Christ renews the first plan that the Creator inscribed in the hearts of man and woman, and in the celebration of the sacrament of matrimony offers 'a new heart': thus the couples are not only able to overcome 'hardness of heart' (Matthew 19: 8), but also and above all they are able to share the full and definitive love of Christ, the new and eternal Covenant made flesh. Just as the Lord Jesus is the 'faithful witness' (Revelation 3:14), the 'yes' of the promises of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:20) and thus the supreme realization of the unconditional faithfulness with which God loves His people, so Christian couples are called to participate truly in the irrevocable indissolubility that binds Christ to the Church, His bride, loved by Him to the end (cf. John 13:1).
"To bear witness to the inestimable value of the indissolubility and fidelity of marriage is one of the most precious and most urgent tasks of Christian couples in our time" (John Paul II, "Familiaris Consortio", 20).
13-16. This Gospel account has an attractive freshness and vividness about it which may be connected with St. Peter, from whom St. Mark would have taken the story. It is one of the few occasions when the Gospels tell us that Christ became angry. What provoked His anger was the disciples' intolerance: they felt that these people bringing children to Jesus were a nuisance: it meant a waste of His time; Christ had more serious things to do than be involved with little children. The disciples were well-intentioned; it was just that they were applying the wrong criteria. What Jesus had told them quite recently had not registered: "Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me" (Mark 9:37).
Our Lord also stresses that a Christian has to become like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. "To be little you have to believe as children believe, to love as children love, to abandon yourself as children do..., to pray as children pray" (St. J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Prologue).
Our Lord's words express simply and graphically the key doctrine of man's divine sonship: God is our Father and we are His sons and daughters, His children; the whole of religion is summed up in the relationship of a son with His good Father. This awareness of God as Father involves a sense of dependence on our Father in Heaven and trusting abandonment to His loving providence--in the way a child trusts its father or mother; the humility of recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves; simplicity and sincerity, which make us straightforward and honest in our dealings with God and man.
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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.
CCC Cross Reference:
Mk 10:8 1627; Mk 10:9 1639, 2364, 2382; Mk 10:11-12 1650; Mk 10:11 2380
Back to SOW II ‘11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '19
Reading 1: Sir 6:5-17
A kind mouth multiplies friends and appeases enemies,
and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings.
Let your acquaintances be many,
but one in a thousand your confidant.
When you gain a friend, first test him,
and be not too ready to trust him.
For one sort is a friend when it suits him,
but he will not be with you in time of distress.
Another is a friend who becomes an enemy,
and tells of the quarrel to your shame.
Another is a friend, a boon companion,
who will not be with you when sorrow comes.
When things go well, he is your other self,
and lords it over your servants;
But if you are brought low, he turns against you
and avoids meeting you.
Keep away from your enemies;
be on your guard with your friends.
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;
he who finds one finds a treasure.
A faithful friend is beyond price,
no sum can balance his worth.
A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy,
such as he who fears God finds;
For he who fears God behaves accordingly,
and his friend will be like himself.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34, 35
R. (35a) Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
In your statutes I will delight;
I will not forget your words.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Gospel: Mk 10:1-12
Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17
A kindly turn of speech multiplies a man’s friends,
and a courteous way of speaking invites many a friendly reply.
Let your acquaintances be many,
but your advisers one in a thousand.
If you want to make a friend, take him on trial,
and be in no hurry to trust him;
for one kind of friend is only so when it suits him
but will not stand by you in your day of trouble.
Another kind of friend will fall out with you
and to your dismay make the quarrel public,
and a third kind of friend will share your table,
but not stand by you in your day of trouble:
when you are doing well he will be your second self,
ordering your servants about;
but if ever you are brought low he will turn against you
and will hide himself from you.
Keep well clear of your enemies,
and be wary of your friends.
A faithful friend is a sure shelter,
whoever finds one has found a rare treasure.
A faithful friend is something beyond price,
there is no measuring his worth.
A faithful friend is the elixir of life,
and those who fear the Lord will find one.
Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends,
for as a man is, so is his friend.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 118(119):12,16,18,27,34-35
Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.
Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.
I take delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.
Open my eyes that I may see
the wonders of your law.
Make me grasp the way of your precepts
and I will muse on your wonders.
Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.
Train me to observe your law,
to keep it with my heart.
Guide me in the path of your commands;
for there is my delight.
Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.
Gospel: Mark 10:1-12
Jesus came to the district of Judaea and the far side of the Jordan. And again crowds gathered round him, and again he taught them, as his custom was. Some Pharisees approached him and asked, ‘Is it against the law for a man to divorce his wife?’ They were testing him. He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ ‘Moses allowed us’ they said ‘to draw up a writ of dismissal and so to divorce.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘It was because you were so unteachable that he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’ Back in the house the disciples questioned him again about this, and he said to them, ‘The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Friday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Sirach 6:5-17
Friends and Enemies (Continuation)
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[5] A pleasant voice multiplies friends, and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies. [6] Let those that are at peace with you be many, but let your advisers be one in a thousand. [7] When you gain a friend, gain him through testing, and do not trust him hastily. [8] For there is a friend who is such at his own convenience, but will not stand by you in your day of trouble. [9] And there is a friend who changes into an enemy, and will disclose a quarrel to your disgrace. [10] And there is a friend who is a table companion, but will not stand by you in your day of trouble. [11] In prosperity he will make himself your equal, and be bold with your servants; [12] but if you are brought low he will turn against you, and will hide himself from your presence. [13] Keep yourself far from your enemies, and be on guard toward your friends. [14] A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he that has found one has found a treasure. [15] There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend, and no scales can measure his excellence. [16] A faithful friend is an elixir of life; and those who fear the Lord will find him. [17] Whoever fears the Lord directs his friendship aright, for as he is, so is his neighbor also.
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Commentary:
5:15-6:17. This is the first occasion that Ben Sirach discusses friendship -- a subject that comes up often in his teaching (cf. 9:10-16; 19:13-17; 22:19-26; 37:1-15); in fact Sirach is the book of the Bible that has most to say on the subject. Here and in the other passages, what we have is not so much a theoretical discussion of friendship as a series of concrete situations that show the sort of behavior one would expect of a friend.
In the Gospel we find instances of Jesus' close friendships and less about the importance of friendship the extent to which it can go: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13). And St Ambrose, commenting on v. 14 writes: "Friendship should be constant [...]. You should not leave a friend in his hour of need, nor do him injury, nor abandon him, because friendship is a lifelong source of help" ("De Officiis", 2, 3, 22).
Taking the life of Jesus as an example St. Josemaria Escriva invites his readers to consider that "A friend is a treasure. Well...you have a friend! For where your treasure is, there is your heart" ("The Way", 421).
6:17-37. The teacher now gives his disciples advice on what they need to do to acquire wisdom.
First, he talks about docility and commitment to the task, using imagery taken from agricultural work, particularly wearing the yoke (v. 24-25), though he says it is easy enough to bear. These verses remind us of what Jesus says when he invites us to find true Wisdom and peace of soul in his teaching: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle. and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Mt 11:29).
Then, in line with the education tradition of the ancient East, the writer urges his disciples to listen to their elders, spending time with them and following their example. Finally, returning to an idea that runs right through the book, he reminds his disciple what he must do to he wise -- reflect on the commandments of the Lord and live by them (v, 37). For true maturity comes not so much from age as from doing the will of God: "You should show the moderation, fortitude, and sense of responsibility that many people acquire after many long years, in their old age. You will achieve all this, while you are still young, if you do not lose the supernatural outlook of a son of God. For he will give you, more than to the old, those qualities you need for your apostle's work" (St. J. Escriva, "The Forge", 53).
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From: Mark 10:1-12
The Indissolubility of Marriage
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[2] And Pharisees came up and in order to test Him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" [3] He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" [4] They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away." [5] But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment. [6] But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.'; [7] 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, [8] and the two shall become one.' So they are no longer two but one. [9] What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."
[10] And in the house the disciples asked Him about this matter. [11] And He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; [12] and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
Jesus and the Children
---------------------------------
[13] And they were bringing children to Him, that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. [14] But when Jesus saw it He was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to Me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of God. [15] Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." [16] And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands upon them.
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Commentary:
1-12. This kind of scene occurs often in the Gospel. The malice of the Pharisees contrasts with the simplicity of the crowd, who listen attentively to Jesus' teaching. The Pharisees' question aimed at tricking Jesus into going against the Law of Moses. But Jesus Christ, Messiah and Son of God, has perfect understanding of that Law. Moses had permitted divorce because of the hardness of that ancient people: women had an ignominious position in those primitive tribes (they were regarded almost as animals or slaves); Moses, therefore, protected women's dignity against these abuses by devising the certificate of divorce; this was a real social advance. It was a document by which the husband repudiated his wife and she obtained freedom. Jesus restores to its original purity the dignity of man and woman in marriage, as instituted by God at the beginning of creation. "A man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24): in this way God established from the very beginning the unity and indissolubility of marriage. The Church's Magisterium, the only authorized interpreter of the Gospel and of the natural law, has constantly guarded and defended this teaching and has proclaimed it solemnly in countless documents (Council of Florence, "Pro Armeniis"; Council of Trent, "De Sacram. Matr."; Pius XI, "Casti Connubi"; Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 48; etc.).
Here is a good summary of this doctrine: "The indissolubility of marriage is not a caprice of the Church nor is it merely a positive ecclesiastical law. It is a precept of natural law, of divine law, and responds perfectly to our nature and to the supernatural order of grace" (St. J. Escriva, "Conversations", 97). Cf. note on Matthew 5:31-32.
5-9. When a Christian realizes that this teaching applies to everyone at all times, he should not be afraid of people reacting against it: "It is a fundamental duty of the Church to reaffirm strongly [...] the doctrine of the indissolubility of marriage. To all those who, in our times, consider it too difficult, or indeed impossible, to be bound to one person for the whole of life, and to those caught up in a culture that rejects the indissolubility of marriage and openly mocks the commitment of spouses to fidelity, it is necessary to reaffirm the good news of the definitive nature of that conjugal love that has in Christ its foundation and strength (cf. Ephesians 5:25).
"Being rooted in the personal and total self-giving of the couple, and being required by the good of the children, the indissolubility of marriage finds its ultimate truth in the plan that God has manifested in His revelation: He wills and He communicates the indissolubility of marriage as a fruit, a sign and a requirement of the absolutely faithful love that God has for man and that the Lord Jesus has for the Church.
"Christ renews the first plan that the Creator inscribed in the hearts of man and woman, and in the celebration of the sacrament of matrimony offers 'a new heart': thus the couples are not only able to overcome 'hardness of heart' (Matthew 19: 8), but also and above all they are able to share the full and definitive love of Christ, the new and eternal Covenant made flesh. Just as the Lord Jesus is the 'faithful witness' (Revelation 3:14), the 'yes' of the promises of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:20) and thus the supreme realization of the unconditional faithfulness with which God loves His people, so Christian couples are called to participate truly in the irrevocable indissolubility that binds Christ to the Church, His bride, loved by Him to the end (cf. John 13:1).
"To bear witness to the inestimable value of the indissolubility and fidelity of marriage is one of the most precious and most urgent tasks of Christian couples in our time" (John Paul II, "Familiaris Consortio", 20).
13-16. This Gospel account has an attractive freshness and vividness about it which may be connected with St. Peter, from whom St. Mark would have taken the story. It is one of the few occasions when the Gospels tell us that Christ became angry. What provoked His anger was the disciples' intolerance: they felt that these people bringing children to Jesus were a nuisance: it meant a waste of His time; Christ had more serious things to do than be involved with little children. The disciples were well-intentioned; it was just that they were applying the wrong criteria. What Jesus had told them quite recently had not registered: "Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me" (Mark 9:37).
Our Lord also stresses that a Christian has to become like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. "To be little you have to believe as children believe, to love as children love, to abandon yourself as children do..., to pray as children pray" (St. J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Prologue).
Our Lord's words express simply and graphically the key doctrine of man's divine sonship: God is our Father and we are His sons and daughters, His children; the whole of religion is summed up in the relationship of a son with His good Father. This awareness of God as Father involves a sense of dependence on our Father in Heaven and trusting abandonment to His loving providence--in the way a child trusts its father or mother; the humility of recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves; simplicity and sincerity, which make us straightforward and honest in our dealings with God and man.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
344 Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
CCC Cross Reference:
Sir 5:2 1809
Mk 9:43-48 1034
Back to SOW II ‘11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '19
Reading 1: Sir 5:1-8
Rely not on your wealth;
say not: “I have the power.”
Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: “Who can prevail against me?”
or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?”
for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?”
for the Most High bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident,
adding sin upon sin.
Say not: “Great is his mercy;
my many sins he will forgive.”
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
upon the wicked alights his wrath.
Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day.
For suddenly his wrath flames forth;
at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
Rely not upon deceitful wrath,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Gospel: Mk 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
Readings and Commentary from the Jerusalem Bible
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 5:1-10
Do not give your heart to your money,
or say, ‘With this I am self-sufficient.’
Do not be led by your appetites and energy
to follow the passions of your heart.
And do not say, ‘Who has authority over me?’
for the Lord will certainly be avenged on you.
Do not say, ‘I sinned, and what happened to me?’
f or the Lord’s forbearance is long.
Do not be so sure of forgiveness
that you add sin to sin.
And do not say, ‘His compassion is great,
he will forgive me my many sins’;
for with him are both mercy and wrath,
and his rage bears heavy on sinners.
Do not delay your return to the Lord,
do not put it off day after day;
for suddenly the Lord’s wrath will blaze out,
and at the time of vengeance you will be utterly destroyed.
Do not set your heart on ill-gotten gains,
they will be of no use to you on the day of disaster.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 1:1-4,6
Gospel: Mark 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.
‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you season it again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Thursday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Sirach 5:1-8
Wealth and Presumption
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[1] Do not set your heart on your wealth, nor say, "I have enough." [2] Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart, [3] Do not say, "Who will have power over me?" for the Lord will surely punish you.
[4] Do not say, "I sinned, and what happened to me?" for the Lord is slow to anger. [5] Do not be so confident of atonement that you add sin to sin. [6] Do not say, "His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins," for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger rests on sinners. [7] Do not delay to turn to the Lord nor postpone it from day to day, for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will go forth, and at the time of punishment you will perish.
Loyalty and Sincerity
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[8] Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you in the day of calamity.
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Commentary:
5:1-6. Presumption, that is, excess of confidence, is a very common temptation. There are those who boast of their wealth, physical strength and intelligence, as if they can do as they please, as if they were self-sufficient and had no one to answer to. The point will come when "the Lord will surely punish" (v. 3), Ben Sirach warns. But there is an even worst form of presumption -- that of those who take the goodness and mercy of God for granted, who sin without fear of punishment, who see no value in repentance, who do not heed the call to conversion and penance.
We need to guard against such attitude, for it betokens a lack of faith: "It is written: 'The Lord who pays is patient'; that is, he may tolerate for a long time those whom he will condemn forever. Sometimes, he acts with great speed, to have mercy on the weakness of innocent souls. Sometimes, the almighty God allows the wicked to prevail for a long time, so as to further purify the lives of the just; and at other times, he strikes down the unjust immediately, and comforts the heart of the innocent with his power. If he strikes down those who do evil now, what will there be left to do when the final judgment comes? And if he does not strike them down now, who could believe that God takes an interest in the affairs of men? So sometimes he strikes the wicked to show that he does not allow evil to go unpunished; and at other times, he puts up with evildoers for a long time so that those who meditate upon it will see that judgment awaits them" (St Gregory the Great, "Moralia in lob", 5, 35).
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From: Mark 9:41-50
Scandal
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[41] "For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose his reward.
[42] "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. [43] And if your hand causes you to sin cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. [45] And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. [47] And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, [48] where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. [49] For every one will be salted with fire. [50] Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."
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Commentary:
41. The value and merit of good works lies mainly in the love of God with which they are done: "A little act, done for love, is worth so much" (J. Escriva, "The Way", 814). God regards in a special way acts of service to others, however small: "Do you see that glass of water or that piece of bread which a holy soul gives to a poor person for God's sake; it is a small matter, God knows, and in human judgment hardly worthy of consideration: God, notwithstanding, recompenses it, and forthwith gives for it some increase of charity" (St Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", book 2, chap. 2).
42. "Scandal is anything said, done or omitted which leads another to commit sin" ("St Pius X Catechism", 417). Scandal is called, and is, diabolical when the aim of the scandal-giver is to provoke his neighbor to sin, understanding sin as offense against God. Since sin is the greatest of all evils, it is easy to understand why scandal is so serious and, therefore, why Christ condemns it so roundly. Causing scandal to children is especially serious, because they are so less able to defend themselves against evil. What Christ says applies to everyone, but especially to parents and teachers, who are responsible before God for the souls of the young.
43. "Hell", literally "Gehenna" or "Ge-hinnom", was a little valley south of Jerusalem, outside the walls and below the city. For centuries it was used as the city dump. Usually garbage was burned to avoid it being a focus of infection. Gehenna was, proverbially, an unclean and unhealthy place: our Lord used this to explain in a graphic way the unquenchable fire of hell.
43-48. After teaching the obligation everyone has to avoid giving scandal to others, Jesus now gives the basis of Christian moral teaching on the subject of "occasions of sin"--situations liable to lead to sin. He is very explicit: a person is obliged to avoid proximate occasions of sin, just as he is obliged to avoid sin itself; as God already put it in the Old Testament: "Whoever lives in danger will perish by it" (Sir 3:26-27). The eternal good of our soul is more important than any temporal good. Therefore, anything that places us in proximate danger of committing sin should be cut off and thrown away. By putting things in this way our Lord makes sure we recognize the seriousness of this obligation.
The Fathers see, in these references to hands and eyes and so forth, people who are persistent in evil and ever-ready to entice others to evil behavior and erroneous beliefs. These are the people we should distance ourselves from, so as to enter life, rather than accompany them to hell (St Augustine, "De Consensu Evangelistarum", IV, 16; St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St Matthew", 60).
44. "Where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched": these words constituting v. 44 are not in the better manuscripts. They are taken from Isaiah 66:24 and are repeated as a kind of refrain in vv. 46 (omitted for the same reason as v. 44) and 48. Our Lord uses them to refer to the torments of hell. Often "the worm that does not die" is explained as the eternal remorse felt by those in hell; and the "fire which is not quenched," as their physical pain. The Fathers also say that both things may possibly refer to physical torments. In any case, the punishment in question is terrible and unending.
49-50. "Every one will be salted with fire." St Bede comments on these words: "Everyone will be salted with fire, says Jesus, because spiritual wisdom must purify all the elect of any kind of corruption through carnal desire. Or he may be speaking of the fire of tribulation, which exercises the patience of the faithful to enable them to reach perfection" (St Bede, "In Marci Evangelium expositio, in loc.").
Some codices add: "and every sacrifice will be salted with salt". This phrase in Leviticus (2:12), prescribed that all sacrificial offerings should be seasoned with salt to prevent corruption. This prescription of the Old Testament is used here to teach Christians to offer themselves as pleasing victims, impregnated with the spirit of the Gospel, symbolized by salt. Our Lord's address, which arises out of a dispute over who is the greatest, ends with a lesson about fraternal peace and charity. On salt which has lost its taste cf. note on Mt 5:13.
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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.
CCC Cross Reference:
Sir 5:2 1809
Mk 9:43-48 1034
Back to SOW II ‘11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '19
Reading 1: Sir 5:1-8
Rely not on your wealth;
say not: “I have the power.”
Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: “Who can prevail against me?”
or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?”
for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?”
for the Most High bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident,
adding sin upon sin.
Say not: “Great is his mercy;
my many sins he will forgive.”
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
upon the wicked alights his wrath.
Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day.
For suddenly his wrath flames forth;
at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
Rely not upon deceitful wrath,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Gospel: Mk 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
Readings and Commentary from the Jerusalem Bible
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 5:1-10
Do not give your heart to your money,
or say, ‘With this I am self-sufficient.’
Do not be led by your appetites and energy
to follow the passions of your heart.
And do not say, ‘Who has authority over me?’
for the Lord will certainly be avenged on you.
Do not say, ‘I sinned, and what happened to me?’
f or the Lord’s forbearance is long.
Do not be so sure of forgiveness
that you add sin to sin.
And do not say, ‘His compassion is great,
he will forgive me my many sins’;
for with him are both mercy and wrath,
and his rage bears heavy on sinners.
Do not delay your return to the Lord,
do not put it off day after day;
for suddenly the Lord’s wrath will blaze out,
and at the time of vengeance you will be utterly destroyed.
Do not set your heart on ill-gotten gains,
they will be of no use to you on the day of disaster.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 1:1-4,6
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the wind.
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Gospel: Mark 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.
‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you season it again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Thursday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Sirach 5:1-8
Wealth and Presumption
------------------------------------
[1] Do not set your heart on your wealth, nor say, "I have enough." [2] Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart, [3] Do not say, "Who will have power over me?" for the Lord will surely punish you.
[4] Do not say, "I sinned, and what happened to me?" for the Lord is slow to anger. [5] Do not be so confident of atonement that you add sin to sin. [6] Do not say, "His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins," for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger rests on sinners. [7] Do not delay to turn to the Lord nor postpone it from day to day, for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will go forth, and at the time of punishment you will perish.
Loyalty and Sincerity
-------------------------------
[8] Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you in the day of calamity.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
5:1-6. Presumption, that is, excess of confidence, is a very common temptation. There are those who boast of their wealth, physical strength and intelligence, as if they can do as they please, as if they were self-sufficient and had no one to answer to. The point will come when "the Lord will surely punish" (v. 3), Ben Sirach warns. But there is an even worst form of presumption -- that of those who take the goodness and mercy of God for granted, who sin without fear of punishment, who see no value in repentance, who do not heed the call to conversion and penance.
We need to guard against such attitude, for it betokens a lack of faith: "It is written: 'The Lord who pays is patient'; that is, he may tolerate for a long time those whom he will condemn forever. Sometimes, he acts with great speed, to have mercy on the weakness of innocent souls. Sometimes, the almighty God allows the wicked to prevail for a long time, so as to further purify the lives of the just; and at other times, he strikes down the unjust immediately, and comforts the heart of the innocent with his power. If he strikes down those who do evil now, what will there be left to do when the final judgment comes? And if he does not strike them down now, who could believe that God takes an interest in the affairs of men? So sometimes he strikes the wicked to show that he does not allow evil to go unpunished; and at other times, he puts up with evildoers for a long time so that those who meditate upon it will see that judgment awaits them" (St Gregory the Great, "Moralia in lob", 5, 35).
*********************************************************************************************
From: Mark 9:41-50
Scandal
------------
[41] "For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose his reward.
[42] "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. [43] And if your hand causes you to sin cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. [45] And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. [47] And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, [48] where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. [49] For every one will be salted with fire. [50] Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
41. The value and merit of good works lies mainly in the love of God with which they are done: "A little act, done for love, is worth so much" (J. Escriva, "The Way", 814). God regards in a special way acts of service to others, however small: "Do you see that glass of water or that piece of bread which a holy soul gives to a poor person for God's sake; it is a small matter, God knows, and in human judgment hardly worthy of consideration: God, notwithstanding, recompenses it, and forthwith gives for it some increase of charity" (St Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", book 2, chap. 2).
42. "Scandal is anything said, done or omitted which leads another to commit sin" ("St Pius X Catechism", 417). Scandal is called, and is, diabolical when the aim of the scandal-giver is to provoke his neighbor to sin, understanding sin as offense against God. Since sin is the greatest of all evils, it is easy to understand why scandal is so serious and, therefore, why Christ condemns it so roundly. Causing scandal to children is especially serious, because they are so less able to defend themselves against evil. What Christ says applies to everyone, but especially to parents and teachers, who are responsible before God for the souls of the young.
43. "Hell", literally "Gehenna" or "Ge-hinnom", was a little valley south of Jerusalem, outside the walls and below the city. For centuries it was used as the city dump. Usually garbage was burned to avoid it being a focus of infection. Gehenna was, proverbially, an unclean and unhealthy place: our Lord used this to explain in a graphic way the unquenchable fire of hell.
43-48. After teaching the obligation everyone has to avoid giving scandal to others, Jesus now gives the basis of Christian moral teaching on the subject of "occasions of sin"--situations liable to lead to sin. He is very explicit: a person is obliged to avoid proximate occasions of sin, just as he is obliged to avoid sin itself; as God already put it in the Old Testament: "Whoever lives in danger will perish by it" (Sir 3:26-27). The eternal good of our soul is more important than any temporal good. Therefore, anything that places us in proximate danger of committing sin should be cut off and thrown away. By putting things in this way our Lord makes sure we recognize the seriousness of this obligation.
The Fathers see, in these references to hands and eyes and so forth, people who are persistent in evil and ever-ready to entice others to evil behavior and erroneous beliefs. These are the people we should distance ourselves from, so as to enter life, rather than accompany them to hell (St Augustine, "De Consensu Evangelistarum", IV, 16; St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St Matthew", 60).
44. "Where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched": these words constituting v. 44 are not in the better manuscripts. They are taken from Isaiah 66:24 and are repeated as a kind of refrain in vv. 46 (omitted for the same reason as v. 44) and 48. Our Lord uses them to refer to the torments of hell. Often "the worm that does not die" is explained as the eternal remorse felt by those in hell; and the "fire which is not quenched," as their physical pain. The Fathers also say that both things may possibly refer to physical torments. In any case, the punishment in question is terrible and unending.
49-50. "Every one will be salted with fire." St Bede comments on these words: "Everyone will be salted with fire, says Jesus, because spiritual wisdom must purify all the elect of any kind of corruption through carnal desire. Or he may be speaking of the fire of tribulation, which exercises the patience of the faithful to enable them to reach perfection" (St Bede, "In Marci Evangelium expositio, in loc.").
Some codices add: "and every sacrifice will be salted with salt". This phrase in Leviticus (2:12), prescribed that all sacrificial offerings should be seasoned with salt to prevent corruption. This prescription of the Old Testament is used here to teach Christians to offer themselves as pleasing victims, impregnated with the spirit of the Gospel, symbolized by salt. Our Lord's address, which arises out of a dispute over who is the greatest, ends with a lesson about fraternal peace and charity. On salt which has lost its taste cf. note on Mt 5:13.
*********************************************************************************************
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.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
343 Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
CCC Cross Reference:
There are no references to these texts.
Back to SOW II ‘11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '19
Reading 1: Sir 4:11-19
Wisdom breathes life into her children
and admonishes those who seek her.
He who loves her loves life;
those who seek her will be embraced by the Lord.
He who holds her fast inherits glory;
wherever he dwells, the LORD bestows blessings.
Those who serve her serve the Holy One;
those who love her the LORD loves.
He who obeys her judges nations;
he who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers.
If one trusts her, he will possess her;
his descendants too will inherit her.
She walks with him as a stranger
and at first she puts him to the test;
Fear and dread she brings upon him
and tries him with her discipline
until she try him by her laws and trust his soul.
Then she comes back to bring him happiness
and reveal her secrets to them
and she will heap upon him
treasures of knowledge and an understanding of justice.
But if he fails her, she will abandon him
and deliver him into the hands of despoilers.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 119:165, 168, 171, 172, 174, 175
R. (165a) O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Those who love your law have great peace,
and for them there is no stumbling block.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I keep your precepts and your decrees,
for all my ways are before you.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
My lips pour forth your praise,
because you teach me your statutes.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
May my tongue sing of your promise,
for all your commands are just.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I long for your salvation, O LORD,
and your law is my delight.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Gospel: Mk 9:38-40
John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 4:12-22
Wisdom brings up her own sons,
and cares for those who seek her.
Whoever loves her loves life,
those who wait on her early will be filled with happiness.
Whoever holds her close will inherit honour,
and wherever he walks the Lord will bless him.
Those who serve her minister to the Holy One,
and the Lord loves those who love her.
Whoever obeys her judges aright,
and whoever pays attention to her dwells secure.
If he trusts himself to her he will inherit her,
and his descendants will remain in possession of her;
for though she takes him at first through winding ways,
bringing fear and faintness on him,
plaguing him with her discipline until she can trust him,
and testing him with her ordeals,
in the end she will lead him back to the straight road
and reveal her secrets to him.
If he wanders away she will abandon him,
and hand him over to his fate.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 118(119):165,168,171-172,174-175
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 9:38-40
John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Wednesday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Sirach 4:11-19
Love of Wisdom
------------------------
[11] Wisdom exalts her sons and gives help to those who seek her. [12] Whoever loves her loves life, and those who seek her early will be filled with joy. [13] Whoever holds her fast will obtain glory, and the Lord will bless the place she enters. [14] Those who serve her will minister to the Holy One; the Lord loves those who love her. [15] He who obeys her will judge the nations, and whoever gives heed to her will dwell secure. [16] If he has faith in her he will obtain her, and his descendants will remain in possession of her. [17] For at first she will walk with him on tortuous paths, she will bring fear and cowardice upon him, and will torment him by her discipline until she. trusts I and she will test him with her ordinances.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
4:11-19. This passage, as do others in the wisdom books, proclaims the advantages that wisdom brings to those who seek her. Read in a Christian context, where we can see Jesus Christ as being the Wisdom of God become man, everything it says becomes very plain. The quest for wisdom is indeed the quest for "the Holy One" (v. 14), that is, God himself. The path described here (vv. 17-21) with all its twists and turns, is the path to intimate knowledge of God.
*********************************************************************************************
From: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
Being the Servant of All
----------------------------------
[38] John said to Him (Jesus), "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us." [39] But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in My name will be able soon after to speak evil of Me. [40] For he that is not against us is for us."
Scandal
------------
[41] "For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose his reward.
[42] "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. [43] And if your hand causes you to sin cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. [45] And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. [47] And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, [48] where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
38-40. Our Lord warns the Apostles, and through them all Christians, against exclusivism in the apostolate--the notion that "good is not good unless I am the one who does it." We must assimilate this teaching of Christ's: good is good, even if it is not I who do it. Cf. note on Luke 9:49-50.
[The note on Luke 9:49-50 states:
49-50. Our Lord corrects the exclusivist and intolerant attitude of the Apostles. St Paul later learned this lesson, as we can see from what he wrote during his imprisonment in Rome: "Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will [...]. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice" (Philippians 1:15, 18). "Rejoice, when you see others working in good apostolic activities. And ask God to grant them abundant grace and that they may respond to that grace. Then, you, on your way: convince yourself that it's the only way for you" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 965).]
41. The value and merit of good works lies mainly in the love of God with which they are done: "A little act, done for love, is worth so much" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 814). God regards in a special way acts of service to others, however small: "Do you see that glass of water or that piece of bread which a holy soul
gives to a poor person for God's sake; it is a small matter, God knows, and in human judgment hardly worthy of consideration: God, notwithstanding, recompenses it, and forthwith gives for it some increase of charity" (St Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", book 2, chap. 2).
42. "Scandal is anything said, done or omitted which leads another to commit sin" ("St Pius X Catechism", 417). Scandal is called, and is, diabolical when the aim of the scandal-giver is to provoke his neighbor to sin, understanding sin as offense against God. Since sin is the greatest of all evils, it is easy to understand why scandal is so serious and, therefore, why Christ condemns it so roundly. Causing scandal to children is especially serious, because they are so less able to defend themselves against evil. What Christ says applies to everyone, but especially to parents and teachers, who are responsible before God for the souls of the young.
43. "Hell", literally "Gehenna" or "Ge-hinnom", was a little valley south of Jerusalem, outside the walls and below the city. For centuries it was used as the city dump. Usually garbage was burned to avoid it being a focus of infection. Gehenna was, proverbially, an unclean and unhealthy place: our Lord used this to explain in a graphic way the unquenchable fire of hell.
43-48. After teaching the obligation everyone has to avoid giving scandal to others, Jesus now gives the basis of Christian moral teaching on the subject of "occasions of sin"--situations liable to lead to sin. He is very explicit: a person is obliged to avoid proximate occasions of sin, just as he is obliged to avoid sin itself; as God already put it in the Old Testament: "Whoever lives in danger will perish by it" (Sir 3:26-27). The eternal good of our soul is more important than any temporal good. Therefore, anything that places us in proximate danger of committing sin should be cut off and thrown away. By putting things in this way our Lord makes sure we recognize the seriousness of this obligation.
The Fathers see, in these references to hands and eyes and so forth, people who are persistent in evil and ever-ready to entice others to evil behavior and erroneous beliefs. These are the people we should distance ourselves from, so as to enter life, rather than accompany them to hell (St Augustine, "De Consensu Evangelistarum", IV, 16; St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St Matthew", 60).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
CCC Cross Reference:
There are no references to these texts.
Back to SOW II ‘11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '19
Reading 1: Sir 4:11-19
Wisdom breathes life into her children
and admonishes those who seek her.
He who loves her loves life;
those who seek her will be embraced by the Lord.
He who holds her fast inherits glory;
wherever he dwells, the LORD bestows blessings.
Those who serve her serve the Holy One;
those who love her the LORD loves.
He who obeys her judges nations;
he who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers.
If one trusts her, he will possess her;
his descendants too will inherit her.
She walks with him as a stranger
and at first she puts him to the test;
Fear and dread she brings upon him
and tries him with her discipline
until she try him by her laws and trust his soul.
Then she comes back to bring him happiness
and reveal her secrets to them
and she will heap upon him
treasures of knowledge and an understanding of justice.
But if he fails her, she will abandon him
and deliver him into the hands of despoilers.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 119:165, 168, 171, 172, 174, 175
R. (165a) O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Those who love your law have great peace,
and for them there is no stumbling block.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I keep your precepts and your decrees,
for all my ways are before you.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
My lips pour forth your praise,
because you teach me your statutes.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
May my tongue sing of your promise,
for all your commands are just.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I long for your salvation, O LORD,
and your law is my delight.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Gospel: Mk 9:38-40
John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 4:12-22
Wisdom brings up her own sons,
and cares for those who seek her.
Whoever loves her loves life,
those who wait on her early will be filled with happiness.
Whoever holds her close will inherit honour,
and wherever he walks the Lord will bless him.
Those who serve her minister to the Holy One,
and the Lord loves those who love her.
Whoever obeys her judges aright,
and whoever pays attention to her dwells secure.
If he trusts himself to her he will inherit her,
and his descendants will remain in possession of her;
for though she takes him at first through winding ways,
bringing fear and faintness on him,
plaguing him with her discipline until she can trust him,
and testing him with her ordeals,
in the end she will lead him back to the straight road
and reveal her secrets to him.
If he wanders away she will abandon him,
and hand him over to his fate.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 118(119):165,168,171-172,174-175
The lovers of your law have great peace, O Lord.
The lovers of your law have great peace;
they never stumble.
I obey your precepts and your will;
all that I do is before you.
The lovers of your law have great peace, O Lord.
Let my lips proclaim your praise
because you teach me your statutes.
Let my tongue sing your promise
for your commands are just.
The lovers of your law have great peace, O Lord.
Lord, I long for your saving help
and your law is my delight.
Give life to my soul that I may praise you.
Let your decrees give me help.
The lovers of your law have great peace, O Lord.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 9:38-40
John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Wednesday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Sirach 4:11-19
Love of Wisdom
------------------------
[11] Wisdom exalts her sons and gives help to those who seek her. [12] Whoever loves her loves life, and those who seek her early will be filled with joy. [13] Whoever holds her fast will obtain glory, and the Lord will bless the place she enters. [14] Those who serve her will minister to the Holy One; the Lord loves those who love her. [15] He who obeys her will judge the nations, and whoever gives heed to her will dwell secure. [16] If he has faith in her he will obtain her, and his descendants will remain in possession of her. [17] For at first she will walk with him on tortuous paths, she will bring fear and cowardice upon him, and will torment him by her discipline until she. trusts I and she will test him with her ordinances.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
4:11-19. This passage, as do others in the wisdom books, proclaims the advantages that wisdom brings to those who seek her. Read in a Christian context, where we can see Jesus Christ as being the Wisdom of God become man, everything it says becomes very plain. The quest for wisdom is indeed the quest for "the Holy One" (v. 14), that is, God himself. The path described here (vv. 17-21) with all its twists and turns, is the path to intimate knowledge of God.
*********************************************************************************************
From: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
Being the Servant of All
----------------------------------
[38] John said to Him (Jesus), "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us." [39] But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in My name will be able soon after to speak evil of Me. [40] For he that is not against us is for us."
Scandal
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[41] "For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose his reward.
[42] "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. [43] And if your hand causes you to sin cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. [45] And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. [47] And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, [48] where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
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Commentary:
38-40. Our Lord warns the Apostles, and through them all Christians, against exclusivism in the apostolate--the notion that "good is not good unless I am the one who does it." We must assimilate this teaching of Christ's: good is good, even if it is not I who do it. Cf. note on Luke 9:49-50.
[The note on Luke 9:49-50 states:
49-50. Our Lord corrects the exclusivist and intolerant attitude of the Apostles. St Paul later learned this lesson, as we can see from what he wrote during his imprisonment in Rome: "Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will [...]. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice" (Philippians 1:15, 18). "Rejoice, when you see others working in good apostolic activities. And ask God to grant them abundant grace and that they may respond to that grace. Then, you, on your way: convince yourself that it's the only way for you" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 965).]
41. The value and merit of good works lies mainly in the love of God with which they are done: "A little act, done for love, is worth so much" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 814). God regards in a special way acts of service to others, however small: "Do you see that glass of water or that piece of bread which a holy soul
gives to a poor person for God's sake; it is a small matter, God knows, and in human judgment hardly worthy of consideration: God, notwithstanding, recompenses it, and forthwith gives for it some increase of charity" (St Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", book 2, chap. 2).
42. "Scandal is anything said, done or omitted which leads another to commit sin" ("St Pius X Catechism", 417). Scandal is called, and is, diabolical when the aim of the scandal-giver is to provoke his neighbor to sin, understanding sin as offense against God. Since sin is the greatest of all evils, it is easy to understand why scandal is so serious and, therefore, why Christ condemns it so roundly. Causing scandal to children is especially serious, because they are so less able to defend themselves against evil. What Christ says applies to everyone, but especially to parents and teachers, who are responsible before God for the souls of the young.
43. "Hell", literally "Gehenna" or "Ge-hinnom", was a little valley south of Jerusalem, outside the walls and below the city. For centuries it was used as the city dump. Usually garbage was burned to avoid it being a focus of infection. Gehenna was, proverbially, an unclean and unhealthy place: our Lord used this to explain in a graphic way the unquenchable fire of hell.
43-48. After teaching the obligation everyone has to avoid giving scandal to others, Jesus now gives the basis of Christian moral teaching on the subject of "occasions of sin"--situations liable to lead to sin. He is very explicit: a person is obliged to avoid proximate occasions of sin, just as he is obliged to avoid sin itself; as God already put it in the Old Testament: "Whoever lives in danger will perish by it" (Sir 3:26-27). The eternal good of our soul is more important than any temporal good. Therefore, anything that places us in proximate danger of committing sin should be cut off and thrown away. By putting things in this way our Lord makes sure we recognize the seriousness of this obligation.
The Fathers see, in these references to hands and eyes and so forth, people who are persistent in evil and ever-ready to entice others to evil behavior and erroneous beliefs. These are the people we should distance ourselves from, so as to enter life, rather than accompany them to hell (St Augustine, "De Consensu Evangelistarum", IV, 16; St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St Matthew", 60).
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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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