Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

90C Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links
CCC 646, 994: in raising the dead Christ announces his own Resurrection
CCC 1681: Christian meaning of death associated with the Resurrection
CCC 2583: Elijah and the widow
CCC 2637: Christ frees creation from sin and death

CCC Cross Reference:
1 Kgs 17:7-24 2583
Gal 1:13 752; Gal 1:15-16 442; Gal 1:15 153; Gal 1:16 659; Gal 1:19 500; Gal 1:20 2154
Lk 7:11-17 994; Lk 7:16 1503

Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '16

Reading 1 1 Kgs 17:17-24

Elijah went to Zarephath of Sidon to the house of a widow.
The son of the mistress of the house fell sick,
and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing.
So she said to Elijah,
“Why have you done this to me, O man of God?
Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt
and to kill my son?”
Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.”
Taking him from her lap, he carried the son to the upper room
where he was staying, and put him on his bed.
Elijah called out to the LORD:
“O LORD, my God,
will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying
by killing her son?”
Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times
and called out to the LORD:
“O LORD, my God,
let the life breath return to the body of this child.”
The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah;
the life breath returned to the child’s body and he revived.
Taking the child, Elijah brought him down into the house
from the upper room and gave him to his mother.
Elijah said to her, “See! Your son is alive.”
The woman replied to Elijah,
“Now indeed I know that you are a man of God.
The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13

R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Reading 2 Gal 1:11-19

I want you to know, brothers and sisters,
that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin.
For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure
and tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my race,
since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
But when God, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
and called me through his grace,
was pleased to reveal his Son to me,
so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,
nor did I go up to Jerusalem
to those who were apostles before me;
rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem
to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the apostles,
only James the brother of the Lord.

Gospel Lk 7:11-17
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
“Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst, ”
and “God has visited his people.”
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

 First reading    1 Kings 17:17-24

The son of the mistress of the house fell sick; his illness was so severe that in the end he had no breath left in him. And the woman said to Elijah, ‘What quarrel have you with me, man of God? Have you come here to bring my sins home to me and to kill my son?’ ‘Give me your son’ he said, and taking him from her lap, carried him to the upper room where he was staying and laid him on his own bed. He cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, do you mean to bring grief to the widow who is looking after me by killing her son?’ He stretched himself on the child three times and cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, may the soul of this child, I beg you, come into him again!’ The Lord heard the prayer of Elijah and the soul of the child returned to him again and he revived. Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. ‘Look,’ Elijah said ‘your son is alive.’ And the woman replied, ‘Now I know you are a man of God and the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth itself.’

Psalm:   Psalm 29:2,4-6,11-13

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me
  and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead,
  restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him,
  give thanks to his holy name.
His anger lasts a moment; his favour all through life.
  At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

The Lord listened and had pity.
  The Lord came to my help.
For me you have changed my mourning into dancing:
  O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

Second reading    Galatians 1:11-19

The Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors.
  Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans. I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus. Even when after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days, I did not see any of the other apostles; I only saw James, the brother of the Lord.

Gospel    Luke 7:11-17

Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.

Reading and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: 1 Kings 17:17-24

The Son of the Widow of Zarephath Restored to Life
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[17] After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; and his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. [18] And she said to Elijah, "What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!" [19] And he said to her, "Give me your son." And he took him from her bosom, and carried him up into the upper chamber, where he lodged, and laid him upon his own bed. 20] And he cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, hast thou brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?" [21] Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this child's soul come into him again." [22] And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. [23] And Elijah took the child, and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, "See, your son lives." [24] And the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth."

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Commentary:

1 Kings 17:1-2 – 2 Kings 1:18. The ample coverage given to the reign of Ahab is not so much due to the actions of the king as to the fact that God raised up at this time prophets who played a critical role in maintaining knowledge and worship of the God of Israel when they were under threat. The most outstanding of these prophets is Elijah. It is quite likely that the narratives to do with Elijah were lifted straight out of another text and inserted here, like other accounts of prophets of the same time -- an unnamed prophet (chap. 20) and Micaiah the son of Imlah (chap. 22), both of whom speak to the king on God’s behalf during the war against Syria.

17:1-19:21. The great drought, which is the backdrop of chapters 17-19, seems to be a divine punishment for the king’s idolatry reported in the previous chapter; but the main thing it does is to provide an opportunity to show the superiority of the God of Israel over the Canaanite god Baal. Elijah, whose name means “my God is the Lord”, is an itinerant prophet who, like the patriarchs, moves around the country in obedience to the word of the Lord.

God makes himself known in a new way through the prophet Elijah. The same God who manifested himself as friend and protector of the patriarchs, and who gave the Law to Moses, now reveals himself as the Lord of creation and of nature. To the Canaanites the god Baal was master of the forces of nature -- rain, storms, fertility etc. Through the prophet Elijah the true God reveals himself to be distinct from and higher than all those forces, no matter what their power (cf. 19:11-13), as well as being their Lord (cf. 17:1). Elijah is the champion of the rights of God and of the poor (cf. chap 21) and in this sense he is a model for all the prophets that will come after him, the so-called writer prophets. “Elijah is the ‘father’ of the prophets, ‘the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob’ (Ps 24:6)” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2582).

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From: Galatians 1:11-19

God's Call
---------------
[11] For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man's gospel. [12] For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

[13] For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it; [14] and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. [15] But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, [16] was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, [17] nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus.

[18] Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. [19] But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother.

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Commentary:

11-12. "What shall I do, Lord?" (Acts 22:10), Paul asked at the moment of his conversion. Jesus replied, 'Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do" (ibid.). The former persecutor, now under the influence of grace, will receive instruction and Baptism through the ordinary course of divine Providence--from a man, Ananias. Thereby Jesus led him to humility, obedience and abandonment. The Gospel which St Paul preached was identical with that preached by the other Apostles, and already had the character of "tradition" in the nascent Church (cf. 1 Cor 15:3; Gal 2:2). This is compatible with Paul's claim--made in this passage--that his Gospel does not come from any man but through a revelation from Jesus Christ. Firstly, because on seeing the risen Christ he was given supernatural light to understand that Jesus was not only the Messiah but also the Son of God; and also because this first revelation was followed by many others to which he refers in his epistles (cf. 1 Cor 11:23; 13:3-8 and especially 2 Cor 12:1-4).

St Paul's was a unique case, because normally a person came to know the Gospel of Christ by receiving it or learning it from those who had seen Christ during his life on earth and listened to his teachings. This was what happened in St Luke's case, for example (cf. Lk 1:2). St Paul still felt the need to go to Jerusalem to hear the Apostles' preaching (cf. below 1:16-18), especially that of St Peter.

13-14. The Acts of the Apostles tell us about Paul's religious zeal; a Pharisee, he had studied under Gamaliel (cf. Acts 22:3; Phil 3:5) and had consented to and been present at the martyrdom of Stephen (cf. Acts 7:58; 8:1). Saul had stood out as a persecutor of Christians, so keen was he to seek them out and imprison them, even going beyond Judea to do so (cf. Acts 9:1-2). Clearly he had been a man convinced of his Jewish faith, a zealous keeper of the Law, and proud to be a Jew (cf. Rom 11:1 ; 2 Cor 11:22). Such was the fear the early Christians had of him that they could not bring themselves to believe in his conversion (cf. Acts 9:26). However, this same fervor and passion, to use St Augustine's comparison (cf. "Contra Faustum", XXII, 70) was like a dense jungle -- a serious obstacle and yet an indication of immensely fertile soil. Our Lord sowed the seed of the Gospel in that soil and it produced a very rich crop.

Everyone, no matter how irregular his life may have been, can produce good re- sults like this--with the help of grace, which does not displace nature but heals and purifies it, and then raises and perfects it: Courage! You...can! Don't you see what God's grace did with sleepy-headed Peter, the coward who had denied him ..., and with Paul, his fierce and relentless persecutor?" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 483).

15-16. More than once in Scripture we read about God choosing certain people for special missions even when they were still in their mother's womb (cf. Jer 1:5; Is 49:1-5; Lk 1:15; etc.). This emphasizes the fact that God makes a gratuitous choice: there is no question of the person's previous merits contributing to God's decision. Vocation is a supernatural divine gift, which God has planned from all eternity. When God made his will known on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9: 3-6), St Paul "did not confer with flesh and blood", that is, did not seek advice from anyone, because he was absolutely sure that God himself had called him. Nor did he consent to the prudence of the flesh, seeking to "play safe": his self- surrender was immediate, total and unconditional. When the Apostles heard Jesus inviting them to follow him, they "immediately left their nets" (Mt 4:20, 22; Mk 1:18) and followed the Master, leaving everything behind (cf. Lk 5:11). We see the same thing happening in Saul's case: he responds immediately. If he makes his way to Ananias, he does so on the explicit instructions of Jesus--in order to receive instruction and Baptism and to discover what his mission is to be (Acts 9:15-16).

God's call, therefore, should receive an immediate response. "Consider the faith and obedience of the Apostles", St John Chrysostom says. "They are in the midst of their work (and you know how attractive fishing is!). When they hear his command, they do not vacillate or lose any time: they do not say, 'Let's go home and say goodbye to our parents.' No, they leave everything and follow him [...]. That is the kind of obedience Christ asks of us -- not to delay even a minute, no matter how important the things that might keep us" ("Hom. on St Matthew", 14, 2). And St Cyril of Alexandria comments: "For Jesus also said, 'No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God', and he looked back who asked permission to return home and speak to his parents. But we see that the holy Apostles did not act in that way; rather they followed Jesus, immediately leaving the boat and their parents behind. Paul also acted immediately. He 'did not confer with flesh and blood'. That is how those who want to fol- low Christ must act" ("Commentarium in Lucam", 9).

A person has a duty to follow Christ even if his relatives are opposed to his doing so or want him to delay making a final decision, perhaps because they feel that would be the more (humanly) prudent course: "A person should honor his parents, but God he should obey. We should love the one who has begotten us, but the first place should be given to him who created us", St Augustine says, not mincing words ("Sermon 100").

Even if we are unsure as to whether we are strong enough to persevere, this should not delay us or concern us: it should simply lead us to pray confidently for God's help, because, as Vatican II teaches, when God calls a person, he "must reply without taking counsel with flesh and blood and must give himself fully to the work of the Gospel. However, such an answer can only be given with the encouragement and help of the Holy Spirit [...]. Therefore, he must be prepared to remain faithful to his vocation for life, to renounce himself and everything that up to this he possessed as his own, and to make himself 'all things to all men' (1 Cor 9:22)" ("Ad Gentes", 24).

17-19. After a period of time devoted to penance and prayer, St Paul made his way to Jerusalem (cf. Acts 9:26-30) to see Cephas, that is, Peter. His stay of two weeks is an important indication of Paul's recognition of and veneration for Peter, chosen as he had been as the foundation stone of the Church.

In subsequent generations, right down the centuries, Christians have shown their love for Peter and his successors, traveling to Rome often at great personal effort and sometimes, even, risk. "Catholic, apostolic, "Roman"! I want you to be very Roman. And to be anxious to make your 'path to Rome', "videre Petrum" -- to see Peter (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 520). Solidarity with and veneration for the Pope is, then, a clear, practical sign of good Christian spirit.

"James the Lord's brother" (cf. notes on Mt 12:46-47 and 13:55) is, most commentators think, James the Less (cf. Mk 15:40), also called the son of Alphaeus (cf. Lk 6:15) and author of the letter which bears his name (cf. Jas 1:1).

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From: Luke 7:11-17

The Son of the Widow in Nain Restored to Life
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[11] Soon afterwards He (Jesus) went to a city called Nain, and His disciples and a great crowd went with Him. [12] As He drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. [13] And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." [14] And He came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." [15] And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And He gave him to his mother. [16] Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited His people!" [17] And this report concerning Him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

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Commentary:

11-17. "Jesus crosses paths again with a crowd of people. He could have passed by or waited until they called Him. But He didn't. He took the initiative, because He was moved by a widow's sorrow. She had just lost all she had, her son.

"The evangelist explains that Jesus was moved. Perhaps He even showed signs of it, as when Lazarus died. Christ was not, and is not, insensitive to the suffe- ring that stems from love. He is pained at seeing children separated from their parents. He overcomes death so as to give life, to reunite those who love one another. But at the same time, He requires that we first admit the pre-eminence of divine love, which alone can inspire genuine Christian living.

"Christ knows He is surrounded by a crowd which will be awed by the miracle and will tell the story all over the countryside. But He does not act artificially, merely to create an effect. Quite simply He is touched by that woman's suffering and cannot but console her. So He goes up to her and says, `Do not weep.' It is like saying, `I don't want to see you crying; I have come on earth to bring joy and peace.' And then comes the miracle, the sign of the power of Christ who is God. But first came His compassion, an evident sign of the tenderness of the heart of Christ the man" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 166).

15. This mother's joy on being given back her son reminds us of the joy of our Mother the Church when her sinful children return to the life of grace. "The widowed mother rejoiced at the raising of that young man," St. Augustine comments. "Our Mother the Church rejoices every day when people are raised again in spirit. The young man had been dead physically; the latter, dead spiritually. The young man's death was mourned visibly; the death of the latter was invisible and unmourned. He seeks them out Who knew them to be dead; only He can bring them back to life" ("Sermon", 98, 2).

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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.

NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

87C NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Catechism Links
CCC 543-546: all are called to enter Kingdom of God
CCC 774-776: the Church as universal sacrament of salvation
CCC 2580: Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple
CCC 583-586: Jesus and the Temple

CCC Cross Reference:
1 Kgs 8:10-61 2580
Gal 1:1 857

Back to Memorial Bench*

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 8:41-43

In those days, Solomon prayed in the temple, saying,
  "To the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel,
  but comes from a distant land to honor you
  -since they will learn of your great name
  and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm-,
  when he comes and prays toward this temple,
  listen from your heavenly dwelling.
Do all that foreigner asks of you,
  that all the peoples of the earth may know your name,
  may fear you as do your people Israel,
  and may acknowledge that this temple which I have built
  is dedicated to your honor."

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Psalm 117:1,2

R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the good news.
  or:
R. Alleluia.

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
  glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the good news.
  or:
R. Alleluia.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
  and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the good news.
  or:
R. Alleluia.

SECOND READING: Galatians 1:1-2, 6-10

Paul, an apostle not from human beings nor through a human
  being
  but through Jesus Christ and God the Father
  who raised him from the dead,
  and all the brothers who are with me,
  to the churches of Galatia.

I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking
  the one who called you by the grace of Christ
  for a different gospel@not that there is another.
But there are some who are disturbing you
  and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ.
But even if we or an angel from heaven
  should preach to you a gospel
  other than the one that we preached to you,
  let that one be accursed!
As we have said before, and now I say again,
  if anyone preaches to you a gospel
  other than what you have received, let that one be accursed!

Am I now currying favor with humans or with God?
Or am I seeking to please people?
If I were still trying to please people,
  I would not be a slave of Christ.

GOSPEL: Luke 7:1-10

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
  he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
  and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
  asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
  "He deserves to have you do this for him,
  for he loves our nation and built the synagogue for us."
And Jesus went with them,
  but when he was only a short distance from the house,
  the centurion sent friends to tell him,
  "Lord, do not trouble yourself,
  for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
  but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
  with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;
  and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;
  and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
  and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
  "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
When the messengers returned to the house,
  they found the slave in good health.

Note: This Sunday has not been celebrated since the project began.

THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS

THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS

Back to Memorial Bench

983 READING I FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

1.

Exodus 3:11-15

Moses, hearing the voice of the Lord from the burning bush, said to him,

"Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh

and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

He answered, "I will be with you;

and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you:

when you bring my people out of Egypt,

you will worship God on this very mountain."

Moses said to God, "But when I go to the children of Israel

and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,'

if they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?"

God replied, "I am who am."

Then he added, "This is what you shall tell the children of Israel:

I AM sent me to you."

God spoke further to Moses, "Thus shall you say to the children of Israel:

The LORD, the God of your fathers,

the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,

has sent me to you.

"This is my name forever;

this is my title for all generations."

2.

Sirach 51:8-12

I remembered the mercies of the LORD,

his kindness through ages past;

For he saves those who take refuge in him,

and rescues them from every evil.

So 1 raised my voice from the very earth,

from the gates of the netherworld, my cry.

I called out: 0 Lord, you are my father,

you are my champion and my savior;

Do not abandon me in time of trouble,

or leave me in the time of the proud without help.

I will ever praise your name

and be constant in my prayers to you.

Thereupon my prayer was heard

and you saved me from evil of every kind

and rescued me from the time of trouble.

For this reason I thank you and I praise you,

and bless the name of the LORD.

984 READING I FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

DURING THE SEASON OF EASTER

1.

Acts 3:1-10

Peter and John were going up to the temple area

for the three o'clock hour of prayer.

And a man crippled from birth was carried

and placed at the gate of the temple called "the Beautiful Gate"

every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.

When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,

he asked for alms.

But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,

and said, "Look at us."

He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.

Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold,

but what I do have I give you:

in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk."

Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,

and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.

He leaped up, stood, and walked around,

and went into the temple with them,

walking and jumping and praising God.

When all the people saw him walking and praising God,

they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging

at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,

and they were filled with amazement and astonishment

at what had happened to him.

2.

Acts 4:8-12

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said:

"Leaders of the people and elders:

If we are being examined today         

about a good deed done to a cripple,

namely, by what means he was saved,

then all of you and all the people of Israel should know

that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean

whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;

in his name this man stands before you healed.

He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,

which has become the cornerstone.

There is no salvation through anyone else,

nor is there any other name under heaven

given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

3.

Acts 5:27-32, 40-42

When the court officers had brought the Apostles In

and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,

the high priest questioned them,

"We gave you strict orders, [did we not?],

to stop teaching in that name.

Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching

and want to bring this man's Blood upon us."

But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,

"We must obey God rather than men.

The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,

though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.

God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior

to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.

We are witnesses of these things,

as is the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him."

After recalling the Apostles, the Sanhedrin had them flogged,

ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus,

and dismissed them.

So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,

rejoicing that they had been found worthy

to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes,

they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.

985 RESPONSORIAL PSALM

1.

Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. (4a) Praise the Lord and call upon his name.

God indeed is my savior;

I am confident and unafraid.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

and he has been my savior.

With joy you will draw water

at the fountain of salvation.

R. Praise the Lord and call upon his name.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

among the nations make known his deeds,

proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. Praise the Lord and call upon his name.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;

let this be known throughout all the earth.

Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,

for great in your midst

is the Holy One of Israel!

R. Praise the Lord and call upon his name.

2.

Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (2) Blessed be the naine of the Lord forever.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the LORD,

praise the name of the LORD.

Blessed be the name of the LORD

both now and forever.

R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

or:

R. Alleluia.

From the rising to the setting of the sun

is the name of the LORD to be praised.

High above all nations is the LORD;

above the heavens is his glory.

R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high

and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?

R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

or:

R. Alleluia.

986 READING II FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

1.

1 Corinthians 1:1-3

Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

and Sosthenes our brother,

to the Church of God that is in Corinth,

to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,

with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ, their Lord and ours.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2.

Philippians 2:6-11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.

Rather, he emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

coming in human likeness;

and found human in appearance,

he humbled himself,

becoming obedient to death,

even death on a cross.

Because of this, God greatly exalted him

and bestowed on him the name

that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

of those in heaven and on earth and under tlie earth,

and every tongue confess that

Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

3.

Colossians 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:

Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,

heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

bearing with one another and forgiving one another,

if one has a grievance against another;

as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

And over all these put on love,

that is, the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,

the peace into which you were also called in one Body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,

as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,

singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs

with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed,

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him.

988 GOSPEL

1.

Matthew 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,

but before they lived together,

she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph her husband, since tie was a righteous man,

yet unwilling to expose her to shame,

decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

"Joseph, son of David,

do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.

For it is through the Holy Spirit

that this child has been conceived in her.

She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill

what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means "God is with us."

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him

and took his wife into his home.

He had no relations with her until she bore a son,

and he named him Jesus.

2.

Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,

and the infant lying in the manger.

When they saw this,

they made known the message

that had been told them about this child.

All who heard it were amazed

by what had been told them by the shepherds.

And Mary kept all these things,

reflecting on them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned,

glorifying and praising God

for all they had heard and seen,

just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,

he was named Jesus,

the name given him by the angel

before he was conceived in the womb.

3.

John 14:6-14

Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you know me, then you will also know my Father.

From now on you do know the Father and have seen him."

Philip said to him,

"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time

and you still do not know me, Philip?

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.

The Fattier who dwells in me is doing his works.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,

or else, believe because of the works themselves.

Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,

and will do greater ones than these,

because I am going to the Father.

And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,

so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

152B Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links
CCC 2083: commandments as a call for a response of love
CCC 2052, 2093-2094: the first commandment
CCC 1539-1547: holy orders in the economy of salvation

CCC: Cross Reference:
Dt 6:4-5 201, 459, 2093; Dt 6:4 228, 2083; Dt 6:5 368, 2055, 2133
Heb 7:24 1366, 1564; Heb 7:25-27 1364; Heb 7:25 519, 662, 2634, 2741; Heb 7:26 1544; Heb 7:27 1085, 1366, 1540
Mk 12:28-34 575; Mk 12:29-31 129, 2196; Mk 12:29-30 202; Mk 12:29 228

Back to SOW II ‘12
Back to SOW II '18
Back to SOW II '21

Back to SOW II '24

Reading 1: Dt 6:2-6

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
"Fear the LORD, your God,
and keep, throughout the days of your lives,
all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you,
and thus have long life.
Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them,
that you may grow and prosper the more,
in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers,
to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.

"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today."

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51

R. (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
The LORD lives! And blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

Reading 2 Heb 7:23-28

Brothers and sisters:
The levitical priests were many
because they were prevented by death from remaining in office,
but Jesus, because he remains forever,
has a priesthood that does not pass away.
Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.

It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son,
who has been made perfect forever.

Gospel: Mk 12:28b-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Deuteronomy 6:2-6

Moses said to the people: ‘If you fear the Lord your God all the days of your life and if you keep all his laws and commandments which I lay on you, you will have a long life, you and your son and your grandson. Listen then, Israel, keep and observe what will make you prosper and give you great increase, as the Lord the God of your fathers has promised you, giving you a land where milk and honey flow.

‘Listen, Israel: the Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart.’

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 17(18):2-4,47,51

I love you, Lord, my strength.

I love you, Lord, my strength,
  my rock, my fortress, my saviour.
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
  my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The Lord is worthy of all praise,
  when I call I am saved from my foes.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

Long life to the Lord, my rock!
  Praised be the God who saves me,
He has given great victories to his king
  and shown his love for his anointed.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

Second reading Hebrews 7:23-28

There used to be a great number of priests under the former covenant, because death put an end to each one of them; but this one, because he remains for ever, can never lose his priesthood. It follows, then, that his power to save is utterly certain, since he is living for ever to intercede for all who come to God through him.

To suit us, the ideal high priest would have to be holy, innocent and uncontaminated, beyond the influence of sinners, and raised up above the heavens; one who would not need to offer sacrifices every day, as the other high priests do for their own sins and then for those of the people, because he has done this once and for all by offering himself. The Law appoints high priests who are men subject to weakness; but the promise on oath, which came after the Law, appointed the Son who is made perfect for ever.

Gospel Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.’ Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And after that no one dared to question him any more.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: Deuteronomy 6:2-6

The Shema
------------------
(Moses said to the people,) [2] ... [F]ear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged. [3] Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them; that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. [4] "Hear; O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; [5] and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. [6] And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart.

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Commentary:

6:1-9. This is a very moving text and one of special importance for the faith and life of the chosen people. The high-point comes at v. 5, which is reminiscent of other pages of the Old Testament (Deut 10:12; Hos 2:21-22; 6:6). The love which God seeks from Israel is preceded by God's love for Israel (cf. Deut 5:32-33). Here we touch one of the central points of God's revelation to mankind, both in the Old and in the New Testament: over and above everything else, God is love (cf., e.g., 1 Jn 4:8-16).

Verse 4 is a clear, solemn profession of monotheism, which is a distinctive feature of Israel that marks it out from the nations round about (cf. the note on 5:6-10). The first Hebrew word of v. 4 ("shema": "Hear") has given its name to the famous prayer which the Israelites recited over the centuries and which is made up largely of 6:4:9; 11:18-21 Numbers 15:37-41. Pious Jews still say it today, every morning and evening. In the Catholic Church, vv. 4-7 are said at Compline after first vespers on Sundays and solemnities in the Liturgy of Hours.

The exhortations in vv. 8-9 were given a literal interpretation by the Jews: this is the origin of phylacteries and of the "mezuzah". Phylacteries were short tassels or tapes which were attached to the forehead and to the left arm, and each tassel held a tiny box containing a biblical text, the two Deuteronomy texts of the "Shemá" plus Exodus 3:1-10, 11-16; in our Lord's time the Pharisees wore wider tassels to give the impression that they were particularly observant of the Law (cf. Mt 23:5). The "mezuzah" is a small box, attached to the doorposts of houses, which contains a parchment or piece of paper inscribed with the two texts from Deuteronomy referred to; Jews touch the "mezuzah" with their fingers, which they then kiss, on entering or leaving the house.

6:5. God asks Israel for all its love. Yet, is love something that can be made the subject of a commandment? What God asks of Israel, and of each of us, is not a mere feeling which man cannot control; it is something that has to do with the will. It is an affection which can and should be cultivated by taking to heart, evermore profoundly, our filial relationship with our Father; as the New Testament (1 Jn 4:10, 19) will later put it: "In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.[...] We love, because he first loved us." That is why God can indeed promulgate the precept of love; as he does in this verse of Deuteronomy (6:5) and further on in 10:12-13.

"With all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (v. 5): the wording shows that love for God should be total. Our Lord will quote these verses (4-5), which were so familiar to his listeners, when identifying the first and most important of the commandments (cf. Mt 12:29-30).

"When someone asks him, 'Which commandment in the Law is the greatest?' (Mt 22:36), Jesus replies: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets' (Mt 22:37-40; cf. Deut 6:5; Lev 19:18). The Decalogue must be interpreted in light of this twofold yet single commandment of love, the fullness of the Law" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2055).

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From: Hebrews 7:23-28

Jesus Christ Is a Priest After the Order of Melchizedek (Continuation)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[23] The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; [24] but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. [25] Consequently he (Jesus) is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

[26] For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. [27] He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself. [28] Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever.

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Commentary:

23-25. Christ's priesthood is everlasting. Just as Melchizedek had no "end of life", so too the Son of God holds his priesthood permanently. The Levites are mere mortal men; Christ, however, has not been instituted as priest by "bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life" (v. 16); that is why he can truly be said to be a priest "for ever". This makes sense, for death is a consequence of sin, and Christ has conquered sin and death. Moreover, death makes it necessary for there to be a succession of human priests in order to provide continuity; whereas the everlasting character of Christ's priesthood renders any further priesthood unnecessary.

St Thomas comments that this shows Christ to be the true and perfect Priest in the strict sense of the word, for it was impossible for the Jewish priests to be permanent mediators because death naturally deprived them of their priesthood. The case of Christian priests is quite different, because they are not mediators strictly speaking. There is only one Mediator, Jesus Christ; they are simply representatives of his, who act in his name. Christ is to the Levites as the perfect (which is necessarily one) is to the imperfect (which is always multiple): "Incorruptible things have no need to reproduce themselves [...]. Christ is immortal. As the eternal Word of the Father, he abides forever: his divine eternity is passed on to his body, for 'being raised from the dead (he) will never die again' (Rom 6:9). And so 'because he continues for ever, he holds his priesthood permanently.' Christ alone is the true Priest; the others (priests) are his ministers" ("Commentary on Heb., ad loc.").

The eternal character of Christ's priesthood, St John Chrysostom points out, gives us reason for great confidence: "It is as if the Apostle were saying, 'Do not be afraid or think that (although) he loves us and has the Father's full confidence he cannot live forever on the contrary, he does live forever!"' ("Hom. on Heb.", 13). We can put our trust in Christ the Priest because his priesthood is an enduring expression of his heartfelt love for all mankind: "The living Christ continues to love us still; he loves us today, now, and he offers us his heart as the fountain of our redemption: 'he always lives to make intercession for (us)' (Heb 7:25). We are always -- ourselves and the entire world -- embraced by the love of this heart 'which has loved men so much and receives such poor response from them"' (Bl. John Paul II, "Hom. in Sacre Coeur", Montmartre, Paris, 1 June 1980).

Christ's priesthood is an expression of his Love, from which it cannot be separated; since his Love is everlasting, so too is his priesthood. In the first place, his priesthood is everlasting because it is linked to the Incarnation, which is something permanent; secondly, because Christ's mission is that of saving all men in all periods of history and not simply one of helping them by his teaching and his example; thirdly, because Christ continues to be present -- St Ephraem says -- not in the victims of the sacrifices of Mosaic worship, but in the prayer of the Church (cf. "Com. in Epist. ad Haebreos, ad loc."), particularly in the permanent efficacy of the sacrifice of the Cross constantly renewed in the Mass, and in the praying of the Divine Office. Finally, it is everlasting because Christ's sacrifice is perpetuated until the end of time in the Christian ministerial priesthood, for bishops and priests "in virtue of the sacrament of Order, are consecrated as true priests of the New Testament to preach the Gospel and shepherd the faithful and celebrate divine worship" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 28).

Christ not only interceded for us when he was on earth: he continues to make intercession for us from heaven: "This 'always' points to a great mystery," St John Chrysostom observes; "he lives not only here but also there, in heaven; not only here and for a while, but also there, in life eternal" ("Hom. on Heb.", 13). In saying that Christ "makes intercession" for us, the inspired text is saying that Christ "takes the initiative, addresses the Father, presents him with a request or a demand", as if Christ were an advocate before the Father, a help, a defender (a "Paraclete": cf. 1 Jn 2:1). But in what sense does he continue to make intercession for us, given that he cannot merit any more than he did when he was on this earth? He intercedes, St Thomas replies, first by again presenting his human nature to the Father, marked with the glorious signs of his passion, and then by expressing the great love and desire of his soul to bring about our salvation (cf. "Commentary on Heb.", 7, 4). Christ, so to speak, continues to offer the Father the sacrifice of his longsuffering, humility, obedience and love. That is why we can always approach him to find salvation. "Through Christ and in the Holy Spirit, a Christian has access to the intimacy of God the Father, and he spends his life looking for the Kingdom which is not of this world, but which is initiated and prepared in this world. We must seek Christ in the Word and in the Bread, in the Eucharist and in prayer. And we must treat him as a friend, as the real, living person he is--for he is risen. Christ, we read in the Epistle to the Hebrews [Heb 7:24-25 follows]" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 116).

26-28. These last verses form a paean in praise of Christ, summing up and rounding off what has gone before. Christ is proclaimed to be "holy, blameless, unstained," that is, sinless, totally devoted to God the Father, just and faithful. Sacred Scripture uses similar language to describe people of outstanding holiness, such as Zechariah and Elizabeth (cf. Lk 1:6), Simeon, who was "righteous and devout", Joseph of Arimathea (cf. Lk 23:50), the centurion Cornelius (cf. Acts 10:22), etc. The praise given Christ here, however, hints at a perfection which is more than human. Christ is, at the same time, "separated from sinners", not in the sense that he refuses to have any dealings with them or despises them, for, on the contrary, we know that the Pharisees abused him, saying, "Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Mt 11:19) and "This man receives sinners and eats with them" (Lk 15:2; cf. Mt 9-11:13 and par.; Lk 7:34); he is "separated from sinners" because he can have no sin in him since the presence of sin in his human nature is absolutely incompatible with the holiness of the unique person that Christ is--the divine Word. He is the perfect embodiment of all the ancient prerequisites for a priest of the true God (cf. Lev 21:4, 6, 8, 15). Christ, finally, from the point of view of his human nature also, has been "exalted above the heavens" not only ethically speaking, by virtue of his sublime holiness, but also in his very body, through his glorious ascension (cf. Acts 2:33-26; 10:42); he is therefore the "Son who has been made perfect forever".

"Who was Jesus Christ?" St Alphonsus asks himself. "He was, St Paul replies, holy, blameless, unstained or, even better, he was holiness itself, innocence itself, purity itself' ("Christmas Novena", 4). And St Fulgentius of Ruspe extols Christ in these beautiful terms: "He is the one who possessed in himself all that was needed to bring about our redemption, that is, he himself was the priest and the victim; he himself was God and the temple--the priest by whose actions we are reconciled; the sacrifice which brings about our reconciliation; the temple wherein we are reconciled; the God with whom we have been reconciled. Therefore, be absolutely certain of this and do not doubt it for a moment: the only-begotten God himself, the Word made flesh, offered himself to God on our behalf in an odor of sweetness as sacrifice and victim -- the very one in whose honor as well as that of the Father and the Holy Spirit the patriarchs, prophets and priests used to offer sacrifices of animals in Old Testament times; and to whom now, that is, in the time of the New Testament, in the unity of the Father and the Holy Spirit, with whom he shares the same unique divinity, the holy catholic Church never ceases to offer on behalf of the entire universe the sacrifice of the bread and wine, with faith and charity" ("De Fide Ad Petrum", 22).

The sublimity of Christ's priesthood is a source of encouragement, hope and holy pride for the priests of the New Testament, given that "every priest in his own way puts on the person of Christ and is endowed with a special grace. By this grace, the priest, through his service of the people committed to his care and all the people of God, is able the better to pursue the perfection of Christ, whose place he takes. The human weakness of his flesh is remedied by the holiness of him who became for us a high priest, 'holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners' (Heb 7:26)" (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 12). For all these reasons St Pius X, addressing priests, wrote: "We ought, therefore, to represent the person of Christ and fulfill the mission he has entrusted to us; and thereby attain the end which he has set out to reach [...]. We are under an obligation, as his friends, to have the same sentiments as Jesus Christ, who is 'holy, blameless, unstained' (Heb 7:26). As his ambassadors we have a duty to win over men's minds to accept his law and his teaching, beginning by observing them ourselves; insofar as we have a share in his power, we are obliged to set souls free from the bonds of sin, and we must ourselves be very careful to avoid falling into sin" (St Pius X, "Haerent Animo", 5).

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From: Mark 12:28-34

The Greatest Commandment of All
--------------------------------------------------
[28] One of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that He (Jesus) answered them well, asked Him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" [29] Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; [30] and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' [31] The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." [32] And the scribe said to Him, "You are right, Teacher; You have truly said that He is one, and there is no other than He; [33] and to love with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." [34] And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask Him any question.

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Commentary:

28-34. The doctor of the law who asks Jesus this question is obviously an upright man who is sincerely seeking the truth. He was impressed by Jesus' earlier reply (verses 18-27) and he wants to learn more from Him. His question is to the point and Jesus devotes time to instructing him, though he will soon castigate the scribes, of whom this man is one (cf. Mark 12:38ff).

Jesus sees in this man not just a scribe but a person who is looking for the truth. And His teaching finds its way into the man's heart. The scribe repeats what Jesus says, savoring it, and our Lord offers him an affectionate word which encourages his definitive conversion: "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." This encounter reminds us of His meeting with Nicodemus (cf. John 3:1ff). On the doctrinal content of these two commandments cf. note on Matthew 22:34-40.

[Note on Matthew 22:34-40 states:

In reply to the question, our Lord points out that the whole law can be condensed into two commandments: the first and more important consists in unconditional love of God; the second is a consequence and result of the first, because when man is loved, St. Thomas says, God is loved, for man is the image of God (cf. "Commentary on St. Matthew", 22:4).

A person who genuinely loves God also loves his fellows because he realizes that they are his brothers and sisters, children of the same Father, redeemed by the same blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: "This commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God should love his brother also" (1 John 4:21). However, if we love man for man's sake without reference to God, this love will become an obstacle in the way of keeping the first commandment, and then it is no longer genuine love of our neighbor. But love of our neighbor for God's sake is clear proof that we love God: "If anyone says, 'I love God', and hates his brother, he is a liar" (1 John 4:20).

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself": here our Lord establishes as the guideline for our love of neighbor the love each of us has for himself; both love of others and love of self are based on love of God. Hence, in some cases it can happen that God requires us to put our neighbor's need before our own; in others, not: it depends on what value, in light of God's love, needs to be put on the spiritual and material factors involved.

Obviously spiritual goods take absolute precedence over material ones, even over life itself. Therefore, spiritual goods, be they our own or our neighbor's, must be the first to be safeguarded. If the spiritual good in question is the supreme one for the salvation of the soul, no one is justified in putting his own soul into certain danger of being condemned in order to save another, because given human freedom we can never be absolutely sure what personal choice another person may make: this is the situation in the parable (cf. Matthew 25:1-13), where the wise virgins refuse to give oil to the foolish ones; similarly St. Paul says that he would wish himself to be rejected if that could save his brothers (cf. Romans 9:3)—an unreal theoretical situation. However, what is quite clear is that we have to do all we can to save our brothers, conscious that, if someone helps to bring a sinner back to the way, he will save himself from eternal death and cover a multitude of his own sins (James 5:20). From all this we can deduce that self-love of the right kind, based on God's love for man, necessarily involves forgetting oneself in order to love God and our neighbor for God.]

30. This commandment of the Old Law, ratified by Jesus, shows, above all, God's great desire to engage in intimate conversation with man: "would it not have sufficed to publish a permission giving us leave to love Him? [...]. He makes a stronger declaration of His passionate love for us, and commands us to love Him with all our power, lest the consideration of His majesty and our misery, which make so great a distance and inequality between us, or some other pretext, divert us from His love. In this He well shows that He did not leave in us for nothing the natural inclination to love Him, for to the end that it may not be idle, He urges us by His general commandment to employ it, and that this commandment may be effected, there is no living man He has not furnished him abundantly with all means requisite thereto" (St. Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", Book 2, Chapter 8).

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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.

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