CCC Cross Reference:
Ps 33:6 292, 703
Mk 10:46-52 2667; Mk 10:48 2616; Mk 10:52 548
Back to SOW II ‘11
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '15
Back to SOW II '21
Reading 1:
Sir 42:15-25
Now will I recall God’s works;
what I have seen, I will describe.
At God’s word were his works brought into being;
they do his will as he has ordained for them.
As the rising sun is clear to all,
so the glory of the LORD fills all his works;
Yet even God’s holy ones must fail
in recounting the wonders of the LORD,
Though God has given these, his hosts, the strength
to stand firm before his glory.
He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart;
their innermost being he understands.
The Most High possesses all knowledge,
and sees from of old the things that are to come:
He makes known the past and the future,
and reveals the deepest secrets.
No understanding does he lack;
no single thing escapes him.
Perennial is his almighty wisdom;
he is from all eternity one and the same,
With nothing added, nothing taken away;
no need of a counselor for him!
How beautiful are all his works!
even to the spark and fleeting vision!
The universe lives and abides forever;
to meet each need, each creature is preserved.
All of them differ, one from another,
yet none of them has he made in vain,
For each in turn, as it comes, is good;
can one ever see enough of their splendor?
Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 33:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (6a) By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
For upright is the word of the LORD
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made;
by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as in a flask;
in cellars he confines the deep.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all who dwell in the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it was made;
he commanded, and it stood forth.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Gospel:
Mk 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
Jesus told him, ‘Go your way; your faith has saved you.”
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.
Readings from the Jerusalem BibleFirst Reading: Ecclesiasticus 42:15-26
I will remind you of the works of the Lord,
and tell of what I have seen.
By the words of the Lord his works come into being
and all creation obeys his will.
As the sun in shining looks on all things,
so the work of the Lord is full of his glory.
The Lord has not granted to the holy ones
to tell of all his marvels
which the Almighty Lord has solidly constructed
for the universe to stand firm in his glory.
He has fathomed the deep and the heart,
and seen into their devious ways;
for the Most High knows all the knowledge there is,
and has observed the signs of the times.
He declares what is past and what will be,
and uncovers the traces of hidden things.
Not a thought escapes him,
not a single word is hidden from him.
He has imposed an order on the magnificent works of his wisdom,
he is from everlasting to everlasting,
nothing can be added to him, nothing taken away,
he needs no one’s advice.
How desirable are all his works,
how dazzling to the eye!
They all live and last for ever,
whatever the circumstances all obey him.
All things go in pairs, by opposites,
and he has made nothing defective;
the one consolidates the excellence of the other,
who could ever be sated with gazing at his glory?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm: Psalm 32:2-9
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,
with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
O sing him a song that is new,
play loudly, with all your skill.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
For the word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
By his word the heavens were made,
by the breath of his mouth all the stars.
He collects the waves of the ocean;
he stores up the depths of the sea.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Let all the earth fear the Lord
all who live in the world revere him.
He spoke; and it came to be.
He commanded; it sprang into being.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘Courage,’ they said ‘get up; he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Thursday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Sirach 42:15-25
The Splendor of the Created World
--------------------------------------------------
[15] I will now call to mind the works of the Lord, and will declare what I have seen. By the words of the Lord his works are done. [16] The sun looks down on everything with its light, and the work of the Lord is full of his glory. [17] The Lord has not enabled his holy ones to recount all his marvellous works, which the Lord the Almighty has established that the universe may stand firm in his glory. [18] He searches out the abyss, and the hearts of men, and considers their crafty devices. For the Most High knows all that may be known, and he looks into the signs of the age. [19] He declares what has been and what is to be, and he reveals the tracks of hidden things. [20] No thought escapes him, and not one word is hidden from him. [21] He has ordained the splendors of his wisdom, and he is from everlasting and to everlasting. Nothing can be added or taken away, and he needs no one to be his counsellor. [22] How greatly to be desired are all his works, and how sparkling they are to see! [23] All these things live and remain for ever for every need, and are all obedient. [24] All things are twofold, one opposite the other, and he has made nothing incomplete. [25] One confirms the good things of the other, and who can have enough of beholding his glory?
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
42:15-50:29 As in the other "parts" of the book, we can say that this one has two sections to it--a doctrinal section (dealing with the origin of the universe, God as Creator and provident Lord: 42:15-43:33) and then a sort of practical section (44: 1-50:29), dealing with praise of the ancestors of Israel to whom God "granted wisdom" (43:33). In this sense, this last part of Sirach is a recapitulation and a development of the two central ideas contained in the poems that mark the high point of the book (1:1-2:18 and 24:1-34). In Sirach 1:1 it said that "All wisdom comes from God" and, now in 42:15-43:33, it describes appreciation of the created world as discernment of that Wisdom that the Lord left imprinted upon it. And similarly, in 24:3-8, it said that Wisdom came from the mouth of the Most High, to dwell in Israel; and now, in 44:1-50:29, it describes how Wisdom was at work in "famous men" who lived in, keeping with the Law. The glory of God is to be seen in nature and in the history of mankind.
42:15-43:33. This last introductory section marks the climax of the book message. The author began by establishing that all wisdom comes from God (1:1-2: 21). Then he said that the study of the world and, of man is the, route to understanding because wisdom can be seen in the laws that God has built into everything he made (16:24-18:14). Therefore, in the third part of the book, it said that a person who desires to have wisdom must keep the commandments (24:1-34), that is, be steeped in "fear of the Lord", which was the focus, of the fourth part (32;14-33:18). Now it extols the glory of God, who creates and rules the world. When it says that "by the words of the Lord his works are done" (42:15) it must have in mind the first chapter of Genesis which narrates how God went about his work of creation and distinguished his works one from another by means of his word ("And God said ...". Gen 1:3, etc.); but the passage also prepares the way to understand the Word of God made flesh, as we discover in Jesus Christ in the New Testament. In the prologue to his Gospel, St. John proclaims that "all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made" (Jn 1:3; see the note on 1:1-2:21). Thus, God's Revelation reached its climax in his incarnate Son: "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world" (Heb 1:1-2).
In his reflection on the glory of God as manifested in creation, Ben Sirach begins with thoughts on God's wisdom and knowledge (42:15-25) and then goes on to show how heavenly bodies manifest the glory of God--the sun (43:1-5), the moon (43:6-8), the stars (43:9-10) and the rainbow (43:11-12). Later he comments on God's power over the elements--snow, lightning, hail, thunder, winds, frost etc. (43:13-27). Finally he ponders the greatness of God over everything that exists and invites us to worship him as he deserves (43:27-32), for "the Lord has made all things, and to the godly he has granted wisdom" (43:33).
"God is infinitely greater than all works (Sir 43:30): 'You have set your glory above the heavens' (Ps 8:1; Sir 43:28). Indeed, 'God's greatness is unsearchable' (Ps 8: 2). But because he is the free and sovereign Creator, the first cause of all that exists, God is present to his creatures' inmost being: 'In him we live and move and have our being' 17:28). In the words of St Augustine God is 'higher than my highest and more inward than my innermost self' ("Conf., 3, 6, 11)" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 300).
*********************************************************************************************
From: Mark 10:46-52
The Blind Man of Jericho
------------------------------------
[46] And they (Jesus and His disciples) came to Jericho; and as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. [47] And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!: [48] And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all he more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" [49] And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; rise, He is calling you." [50] And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus. [51] And Jesus said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Master, let me receive my sight." [52] And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
46-52. "Hearing the commotion the crowd was making, the blind man asks, 'What is happening?' They told him, 'It is Jesus of Nazareth.' At this his soul was so fired with faith in Christ that he cried out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'
"Don't you feel the same urge to cry out? You who are also waiting at the side of the way, of this highway of life that is so very short? You who need more light, you who need more grace to make up your mind to seek holiness? Don't you feel an urgent need to cry out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me'? What a beautiful aspiration for you to repeat again and again!...
"'Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.' As people have done to you, when you sensed that Jesus was passing your way. Your heart beat faster and you too began to cry out, prompted by an intimate longing. Then your friends, the need to do the done thing, the easy life, your surroundings, all conspired to tell you: 'Keep quiet, don't cry out. Who are you to be calling Jesus? Don't bother Him.'
"But poor Bartimaeus would not listen to them. He cried out all the more: 'Son of David, have mercy on me.' Our Lord, who had heard him right from the beginning, let him persevere in his prayer. He does the same with you. Jesus hears our cries from the very first, but he waits. He wants us to be convinced that we need Him. He wants us to beseech Him, to persist, like the blind man waiting by the road from Jericho. 'Let us imitate him. Even if God does not immediately give us what we ask, even if many people try to put us off our prayers, let us still go on praying' (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St. Matthew", 66).
"'And Jesus stopped, and told them to call Him.' Some of the better people in the crowd turned to the blind man and said, 'Take heart; rise, He is calling you.' Here you have the Christian vocation! But God does not call only once. Bear in mind that our Lord is seeking us at every moment: get up, He tells us, put aside your indolence, your easy life, your petty selfishness, your silly little problems. Get up from the ground, where you are lying prostrate and shapeless. Acquire height, weight and volume, and a supernatural outlook.
"And throwing off his mantle the man sprang up and came to Jesus. He threw off his mantle! I don't know if you have ever lived through a war, but many years ago I had occasion to visit a battlefield shortly after an engagement. There strewn all over the ground, were greatcoats, water bottles, haversacks stuffed with family souvenirs, letters, photographs of loved ones...which belonged, moreover, not to the vanquished but to the victors! All these items had become superfluous in the bid to race forward and leap over the enemy defenses. Just as happened to Bartimaeus, as he raced towards Christ.
"Never forget that Christ cannot be reached without sacrifice. We have to get rid of everything that gets in the way--greatcoat, haversack, water bottle. You have to do the same in this battle for the glory of God, in this struggle of love and peace by which we are trying to spread Christ's Kingdom. In order to serve the Church, the Pope and all souls, you must be ready to give up everything superfluous....
"And now begins a dialogue with God, a marvelous dialogue that moves us and sets our hearts on fire, for you and I are now Bartimaeus. Christ, who is God, begins to speak and asks, 'Quid tibi vis faciam?' 'What do you want Me to do for you?' The blind man answers. 'Lord, that I may see.' How utterly logical! How about yourself, can you really see? Haven't you too experienced at times what happened to the blind man of Jericho? I can never forget how, when meditating on this passage many years back, and realizing that Jesus was expecting something of me, though I myself did not know what it was, I made up my own aspirations: 'Lord, what is it You want! What are You asking of me'? I had a feeling that He wanted me to take on something new and the cry, 'Rabboni, ut videam', 'Master, that I may see,' moved me to beseech Christ again and again, 'Lord, whatever it is that You wish, let it be done.'
"Pray with me now to our Lord: 'doce me facere voluntatem tuam, quia Deus meus es tu" (Psalm 142:10) ('teach me to do Thy will, for You art my God'). In short, our lips should express a true desire on our part to correspond effectively to our Creator's promptings, striving to follow out His plans with unshakeable faith, being fully convinced that He cannot fail us....
"But let us go back to the scene outside Jericho. It is now to you that Christ is speaking. He asks you, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' 'Master, let me receive my sight.' Then Jesus answers, 'Go your way. Your faith has made you well.' And immediately he received his sight and followed Him on His way." Following Jesus on His way. You have understood what our Lord was asking to from you and you have decided to accompany Him on His way. You are trying to walk in His footsteps, to clothe yourself in Christ's clothing, to be Christ Himself: well, your faith, your faith in the light our Lord is giving you, must be both operative and full of sacrifice. Don't fool yourself. Don't think you are going to find new ways. The faith He demands of us is as I have said. We must keep in step with Him, working generously and at the same time uprooting and getting rid of everything that gets in the way" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 195-198).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment