CCC Cross Reference:
Rom 12-15 1454, 1971; Rom 12:5 1372; Rom 12:6-8 2004; Rom 12:6 114; Rom 12:8 2039; Rom 12:9-13 1971; Rom 12:11 2039; Rom 12:12 1820; Rom 12:14 1669, 2636
Ps 131:2 239; Ps 131:2-3 370
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Back to SOW II '13
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Reading 1
Rom 12:5-16ab
Brothers and sisters:
We, though many, are one Body in Christ
and individually parts of one another.
Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,
let us exercise them:
if prophecy, in proportion to the faith;
if ministry, in ministering;
if one is a teacher, in teaching;
if one exhorts, in exhortation;
if one contributes, in generosity;
if one is over others, with diligence;
if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 131:1bcde, 2, 3
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
O Lord, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap,
so is my soul within me.
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
O Israel, hope in the Lord,
both now and forever.
R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.
Gospel
Lk 14:15-24
One of those at table with Jesus said to him,
“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
He replied to him,
“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’
But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’
The servant went and reported this to his master.
Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,
‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled,
the blind and the lame.’
The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Romans 12:5 – 16
All of us, in union with Christ, form one body, and as parts of it we belong to each other. Our gifts differ according to the grace given us. If your gift is prophecy, then use it as your faith suggests; if administration, then use it for administration; if teaching, then use it for teaching. Let the preachers deliver sermons, the almsgivers give freely, the officials be diligent, and those who do works of mercy do them cheerfully.
Do not let your love be a pretence, but sincerely prefer good to evil. Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other. Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit. If you have hope, this will make you cheerful. Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying. If any of the saints are in need you must share with them; and you should make hospitality your special care.
Bless those who persecute you: never curse them, bless them. Rejoice with those who rejoice and be sad with those in sorrow. Treat everyone with equal kindness; never be condescending but make real friends with the poor. Do not allow yourself to become self-satisfied.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 130(131):1-3
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
O Lord, my heart is not proud
nor haughty my eyes.
I have not gone after things too great
nor marvels beyond me.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
Truly I have set my soul
in silence and peace.
A weaned child on its mother’s breast,
even so is my soul.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
both now and forever.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
Gospel Luke 14:15 – 24
On hearing this, one of those gathered round the table said to him, ‘Happy the man who will be at the feast in the kingdom of God!’ But he said to him, ‘There was a man who gave a great banquet, and he invited a large number of people. When the time for the banquet came, he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, “Come along: everything is ready now”. But all alike started to make excuses. The first said, “I have bought a piece of land and must go and see it. Please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen and am on my way to try them out. Please accept my apologies.” Yet another said, “I have just got married and so am unable to come”.
‘The servant returned and reported this to his master. Then the householder, in a rage, said to his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame”. “Sir” said the servant “your orders have been carried out and there is still room.” Then the master said to his servant, “Go to the open roads and the hedgerows and force people to come in to make sure my house is full; because, I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall have a taste of my banquet”.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Tuesday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time
From: Romans 12:5-16ab
Solidarity in the Mystical Body (Continuation)
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[5] So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. [6] Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; [7] if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; [8] he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in his liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Charity Towards All
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[9] Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; [10] love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. [11] Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. [12] Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. [13] Contribute to the needs of the saints, practise hospitality. [14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. [16] Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.
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Commentary:
4-5. The variety which is to be found in every well-organized social structure is also, by God's will, a feature of the Church. This variety reflects the differing needs of the Christian community, which is not an amorphous grouping of people, each working separately for personal salvation, but an organized body. In that body each member has a defined role and functions for the benefit of all, while at the same time seeking personal spiritual advancement. This variety is, moreover, consistent with and conducive to the carrying out of God's desire to sanctify and save men, not one by one, as if they were unconnected to each other, but rather constituting a people which is established and governed on the basis of this wonderful variety .This distinction was established by God in order to build up the Church. Therefore, for example, pastors and people are of mutual supernatural help to one another (cf. Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 9 and 32).
Each of us should feel called on to invigorate--through personal effort, virtue--the entire Mystical Body of Christ (cf. "Introduction to the 'Theology' of St Paul", pp. 44-6 above). It is inaccurate, therefore, to make a distinction between "personal virtues" and "social virtues". "No virtue worthy of its name can foster selfishness. Every virtue necessarily works to the good both of our own soul and to the good of those around us [...]. Ties of solidarity should bind us all and, besides, in the order of grace we are united by the supernatural links of the Communion of Saints" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 76).
6-8. "Gifts": also called charisms, these are special, transitory, divine graces, granted not so much for the personal benefit of the recipient as for the general good of the Church. This term (charism), we might note, was introduced into the New Testament by St Paul.
9-21. "After speaking about those gifts which are not common to all, the Apostle now teaches that charity is common to all" (St Thomas, "Commentary on Rom, ad loc".). True charity takes different forms depending on the needs and capacity of each person; it always involves seeking good and avoiding evil (v. 9); it has to be exercised with those who are already Christians (vv. 10-16) and those who are not (vv. 17-21); indeed, the charity shown to the latter is instrumental in bringing them closer to the faith. However, it is not always possible to do to othersall the good we would wish: we have limited resources, more pressing duties; there are problems of physical distance, etc. Only God, who is infinitely perfect and almighty, can do good to everyone all the time; this does not mean that he always gives everyone the same gifts: to some he gives more, to others less, according to the designs of his Wisdom.
Even bearing in mind our own limitations, our love for others should affect everything we do, everything we think and say. Obviously, one of the first consequen- ces of charity is never to judge anyone, or speak badly about anyone, or scandalize them by what we say or do. Moreover, we should perform positive acts of this virtue; it would be impossible to give a complete list of the ways of being charitable but they certainly include, Fray Luis de Granada says, "among other things, these six--loving, counselling, assisting, suffering, forgiving and edifying. These are so closely connected to charity that the more one does them the more charity one has, and the less, less [...]. For, according to this order a person can check to see what he has and what he does not have as far as the perfection of that virtue is concerned. For we can say that he who loves is on the first step; he who loves and counsels, on the second; he who assists, on the third; he who suffers on the fourth; he who forgives and suffers, on the fifth; and he who builds on all this with his words and his good life, as is the task of perfect and apostolic men, on the highest step of all" ("Guide to Sinners", I, II, chap. 16).
12. The love of God makes us joyful, strong and persevering. Therefore "one accepts tribulation with joy and hope, because one knows that what is promised in exchange is something much better" (Pseudo-Ambrose, "Comm. in Epist. ad Rom, ad loc".)
This setting gives us every opportunity to derive supernatural benefit from suffering, which is quite a normal part of the Christian life: "A whole program for a good course in the 'subject' of suffering is given to us by the Apostle: "spe gaudentes"--rejoicing in hope, "in tribulatione patientes"--patient in troubles, "orationi instantes"-- persevering in prayer" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 209).
Joy in the midst of difficulties is in fact one of the clearest signs that love of God is influencing everything we do, for, as St Augustine comments, "where one loves, either one does not feel the difficulty or else one loves the very difficulty [...]. The tasks of those who love are never laborious" ("De Bono Viduitatis", 21, 26).
13. "For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen" (1 Jn 4:20). Similarly, it can be said that Christians, that is "servants of the Lord", unless they serve their brethren whom they see before them, cannot serve God either. Serving God, in other words, ultimately means alleviating "the needs of the saints " and offering hospitality to strangers, after the example of the patriarchs Abraham and Lot (Gen 18:2-5; 19:2-3; cf. Heb 13:2).
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From: Luke 14:15-24
Parable of the Invited Guests
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[15] When one of those who sat at table with Him (Jesus) heard this, he said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God!" [16] But He said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; [17] and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for all is now ready.' [18] But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.' [19] And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.' [20] And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' [21] So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.' [22] And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' [23] And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. [24] For I tell you, none of those who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"
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Commentary:
15. In biblical language the expression "to eat bread in the Kingdom of God" means sharing in eternal beatitude, of which this great banquet is a symbol (cf. Isaiah 25:6; Matthew 22:1-4).
16-24. If God invites someone to know Him in faith, he should sacrifice any human interest which gets in the way of replying to God's call, no matter how lawful and noble it be. The objections we tend to put forward, the duties we appeal to, are really just excuses. This is why the ungrateful invitees are blameworthy.
"Compel people to come in": it is not a matter of forcing anyone's freedom--God does not want us to love Him under duress--but of helping a person to make right decisions, to shrug off any human respect, to avoid occasions of sin, to do what he can to discover the truth. A person is "compelled to come in" through prayer, the example of a Christian life, friendship--in a word, apostolate. "If in order to save an earthly life it is praiseworthy to use force to stop a man from committing suicide, are we not to be allowed use of the same force--holy coercion--to save the Life (in uppercase) of many who are stupidly bent on killing their souls?" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 399).
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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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