MAY 3: Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles
Reading 1 1 Cor 15:1-8
I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the Apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (5) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day;
and night to night imparts knowledge.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
Gospel Jn 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 him 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? he words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father 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."
Saint Philip and James, Apostles
We celebrate today the feast of two of the Twelve Apostles – James and Philip. James is known as the ‘son of Alphaeus’ and, to be honest, we know practically nothing about him beyond his name and that he was chosen to be one of the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples – the Twelve. He is known as ‘James the Less’ and is not to be confused with James, one of the two sons of Zebedee, known as ‘James the Greater’. Nor is he to be confused with James, son of Clopas in the Acts of the Apostles, who was a “brother” (cousin) of Jesus, later ‘bishop’ of Jerusalem and the traditional author of the Letter of James.
Philip came from the same town as Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida in Galilee. In the first chapter of John’s gospel we see Jesus calling him directly, whereupon he went in search of Nathanael and told him about the “one about whom Moses wrote” (John 1:43-45). Philip comes across as someone who is rather innocent and naïve, and it takes him some time to acknowledge the full identity of Jesus.
The naivety of his character comes across in two incidents in the Gospel, one of which is described in the Gospel reading. The other took place when Jesus had crossed Lake Galilee in a boat with his disciples and was faced by a huge crowd of people waiting for him (John 6:1). The people were hungry in both body and spirit. Knowing how he was going to deal with the situation, Jesus teasingly asked the simple Philip where they could get bread to feed such a huge crowd. John comments, that Jesus:
…said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. (John 6:6)
Philip innocently replied,
Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have even a little. (John 6:7)
In other words, there was no way it could be done. But Philip would very soon find out how the problem would be solved, namely, when a small boy gave generously gave away his lunch of five loaves and two fish.
Because Philip’s name was Greek (Philippos, meaning ‘lover of horses’), we are told that one day two ‘Greeks’, probably converts to Judaism, approached him and his companion, Andrew (Andreos, also a Greek name, meaning ‘manly’), and said they wanted to “see Jesus”. Jesus is in Jerusalem and it is on the eve of his Passion. When told about this request, Jesus replied enigmatically with the image of the seed having to fall into the ground and die before it gave fruit. Clearly, it was a way of telling these men that ‘seeing’ Jesus was much more than seeing his exterior; they would also have to grasp the inner meaning of his sacrificial death as an essential part of his identity.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Psalm 18; John 14:6-14
The Gospel reading features Philip’s final appearance in the Gospel account. It happens during the long account of the Last Supper from John, and where Jesus speaks at length to his disciples. They must have been in somewhat of a confused state, knowing that the enemies of Jesus were practically outside the door waiting to destroy him. There were still many parts of Jesus’ teaching that they did not understand.Jesus, who is soon about to leave them, tells them not to worry as he is preparing a place where they and he will be together. He tells them:
Where I am going you know the way.
Thomas, the chronic grumbler, interjects:
We do not know where you are going; how can we possible know the way?
Jesus gently replies:
I AM the Way – and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Perhaps we should be grateful to the cranky Thomas for eliciting such a beautiful and meaningful answer from Jesus. He is not just a way; he is the Way. There is no other way to God except through him and with him. For the simple reason that he is the Word of God; he is God expressed through human nature. To be like Jesus, then, is to be like God through our humanity. This is something not just for believing Christians; it is simply the Way for every human being who wants to live a truly meaningful life.
Jesus then spells out the meaning of what he has just said:
If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.
But this is a bit too much for Philip,
Master, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.
One can almost hear the sigh in Jesus’ voice,
Philip, have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus’ reply is simply another way of saying that he is the Way. To know the inner meaning of Jesus’ life and to make it one’s own is to know the Father because Jesus is the em-bodi-ment, the incarnation of the Father in human form. Again, we are grateful to Philip for his question.
And that is the last appearance of Philip in the Gospel. Nor does James, son of Alphaeus, appear again.However, the example of these two men among the 12 foundation stones on which Jesus’ work would be built and grow should be a lesson to us how God can carry out his plans with what seem rather inferior materials. By everywhere preaching the gospel (see Mark 16:20), the apostles sowed the seed of what would be a worldwide community against which the ‘gates of hell’ would not prevail. It is a message to each one of us that, no matter what our gifts or lack of them, we are called to show others the Way that is Truth and Life.Paul, too, who did so much to plant the Gospel in so many places, was all too aware of his own weaknesses and even prayed to be rid of them. He tells us his many prayers were answered by his becoming aware that “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).In the First Reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of his calling to be an Apostle. He wants the Christians of Corinth to be mindful of the message he preached to them and on which their Christian faith stands. It is a faith which will bring them salvation and life unending. Paul emphasises strongly that it was not his own message he was preaching, but what he received from Jesus Christ, the Word of God.
The essence of that message was that Christ died for our sinfulness, that he was buried and raised three days later and finally that, after his resurrection, he appeared to Peter and all the Apostles. He then appeared to 500 disciples, some of whom had already died, and then to James (whose feast we are celebrating today) and all the rest of the Apostles. Finally, says Paul, he appeared to Paul himself, as to one born unexpectedly. After all, Paul had been a fierce persecutor of the followers of Christ and the last person one expected to be an Apostle.
It is thanks to all of these people that the message of Christ and his Gospel has reached us, and it reminds us that we, too, have the same obligation to pass on the Good News of Christ to others if they are to share the privileged experience we have had.
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Reading 1 Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9
Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him, taking along the two stone tablets.
Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there and proclaimed his name, "LORD." Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, "The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity." Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own."
Responsorial Psalm
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Reading 22 Cor 13:11-13
Brothers and sisters, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the holy ones greet you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
GospelJn 3:16-18
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Commentary on Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18
We have now come to the end of the many weeks which were taken up with the celebration of and reflection on the ‘Paschal Mystery’. It began with Ash Wednesday, went through Lent, the celebration of Holy Week and Easter, the weeks following Easter and culminating in Pentecost and the handing on of Jesus’ mission to his Church.
We return now for the rest of the liturgical year – the ‘Ordinary’ Sundays of the Year – and they will bring us right up to Advent and the beginning of another liturgical cycle. But, traditionally this transition is commemorated each year by our celebration of the Feast of the Holy Trinity.
The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most fundamental in our Christian faith, but it is also a doctrine which many of us have difficulty coming to terms with. We often refer to it as a ‘mystery’ and therefore something which can be affirmed, but is not to be understood and need not be explained. “Just believe it,” is something people may be told.
In the New Testament, the word ‘mystery’ (Greek, mysterion) refers primarily to some truth which God has made known to us and which we otherwise would not have discovered. The Trinity, that in God there are three Persons, really is a mystery in this sense. It is also, of course, difficult for us to understand how one being can be three persons just as it is difficult for us to understand how Jesus can be both God and human (the mystery of the Incarnation).
Three possible reactions
We can react to this situation in three ways:
We are asked to believe that in the one being we call God, there are three Persons, who are, in the words of today’s Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer,
…three Persons equal in majesty, undivided in splendour, yet one Lord, one God, ever to be adored.
Rather than getting ourselves tied up in theological knots, we would do far better by reading prayerfully over the beautiful Scripture readings of today’s Mass. Here there are no abstruse theological explanations or speculations. Rather the emphasis is not on what, or how, or why, but in very practical language, on the tangible way the Persons in the Trinity relate to us.
A God who is very close
The message coming loud and clear through these readings is that our God is not far away, that he is not “up there somewhere”, a kind of scary, long-bearded policeman in the sky. The message coming through is that our God is close by and he cares. In the First Reading (from Exodus) Moses is told that God is the: Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness
Oh, we really need to hear that and to become utterly convinced of it, especially when we find times rough and painful.
In Greek drama of classical times, one could recognise the character being played by the mask that he/she wore. As well, in Chinese opera, there is something similar where the faces of the players are elaborately painted so that one can know which role is being played – a king, a general, a concubine, a soldier, etc. The mask was called a prosopon. In Latin this word was translated as persona.
Even today in programmes of plays we may still see the actors listed under the heading Dramatis Personae, the characters or the roles in the drama. So, in a certain sense, there are three personae or roles in our one God. With the difference that in a play, the role is assumed for the duration of the drama, while in God, the roles are permanently identified with God himself.
It might be helpful to us to look at these three roles of God as they are presented to us in Scripture.
God the Father*
While traditionally Scripture speaks of God as Father, we know that in God there can be no gender differences. We call God Father in the sense of the Parent who gives life and nurture. God as Father is the originator, the source, the conserver of all life, of all that exists. Says the Acts, In him, we live and move and have our being.
God as Father is no puppet operator in the clouds, but an indwelling Lord. God is IN all his creation but is not identified with it. The Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins said that “the world is charged with the grandeur of God”. Through the Father, our God is to be sought and found in all things, which he has created and keeps in being. From the simplest minerals which are alive with atomic energy, to the most gifted and creative human being, to the outermost galaxy. And so we have the lovely prayer of Moses in today’s First Reading,
Let my Lord come with us.
God the Son*
If we can speak of God as Father/Mother, then the “only begotten” must equally be spoken of as Son/Daughter. The Only Begotten as such, can be neither male nor female even though incarnation de facto took place in a male. However, the Creed which we will soon recite says of the Son/Daughter that homo factus est, which should literally be translated “was made human” or “became human”. The word homo- in Latin, like anthropus in Greek, does not specify gender; both men and women are homo.
We know the Son, of course, best through Jesus, born of Mary in Bethlehem. In him, there was the mysterious combination of the divine and the human in one Person. Jesus was totally God and totally human – not half and half. This is a truth as far beyond our comprehension as the Trinity itself.
Jesus is the revelation, the unveiling in human form of our God. The message of this revelation is purely and simply to let us know that God, that the Father, loves us with an overwhelming love. John tells us in today’s Gospel passage:
God [Father] loves the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God [Father] sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.
God is not concealed behind the humanity of Jesus, but is seen precisely in that humanity. When is Jesus most clearly revealing of the Father? In his miracles? Certainly. But surely Jesus is most clearly revealing the heart of the Father when he is at his most human. We see the Father God most clearly in Jesus in his compassion for the weak, the needy, the sinner; in forgiving the sinner and his enemies; in healing the physically and mentally sick; in integrating the social outcast back into the community; in his unconditional acceptance of all irrespective of class, religion, or gender. Yes, our Father God really loves the world and that has been shown to us by the Only Begotten in Jesus.
God the Spirit*
Finally, we see God as indwelling Spirit. The Spirit is described first as the subsisting Love that is generated between the Father and the Son. Again, of course, we cannot speak of either ‘he’ or ‘she’, still less of this Love as ‘it’.
The meaning of the Spirit in practice means that God is indwelling in all creation and revealing himself through it. Wherever there is Truth or Love or Beauty, there is God. Every act of truth and integrity, every act of love and compassion, every act of human empathy, every act of solidarity, forgiveness, acceptance, justice in people is the Spirit of God working in and through us.
When such actions appear in us, they are a sign that we are open to the Spirit and that he is working in us and through us. Let us pray today with Paul in the Second Reading:
Try to grow perfect; help one another. Be united; live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you…
And Paul concludes with the lovely greeting we often use at the beginning of the Eucharist:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God [Father]
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And finally
One last afterword. The two great mysteries of our faith are the Trinity and the Incarnation. They are combined in a marvellous simplicity in the Sign of the Cross with its accompanying words. Let us try to say this simple prayer with ever greater meaning and awareness and form the cross on our bodies with care and dignity.
St Ignatius of Loyola had such a love of the Trinity (as the result of some mystical experiences) that every time he began celebrating the Eucharist with the Sign of the Cross he broke down in tears and could hardly go on. Let us, too, rediscover the Sign of the Cross as a means of getting in touch with the God who loves us so much that he sent his Son and fills us with his Spirit.
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*There is no sexual differentiation in God, so we can speak with equal validity of the First Person as Father/Mother and of the Second as Son/Daughter. The Spirit, too, is both male and female. This is the language of the Scripture texts reflecting the times in which they were written. It is not the words that are important, but their meaning.
March 19: Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
Responsorial Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29
R. (37) The son of David will live for ever.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness,
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
Reading 2 Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
Brothers and sisters: It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith. For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us, as it is written, I have made you father of many nations. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
Gospel Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now 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 he 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.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
Reflection taken from web site from the Dominican Friars of England, Wales, and Scotland
Written by Fr. Tony Lee
Click Here for Site
Today’s solemnity might be thought of as the original feminist feast day: for today we celebrate the Solemnity of St Joseph, but we do so by reference to his being ‘the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary’. In fact, St Joseph’s whole life is defined by his relation to others. He is the earthly father of Jesus, and the husband of Mary, and we celebrate him today for his fidelity and courage in fulfilling his obligations to each of them. He is a great counter-witness to modern obsessions with autonomy. He did not realise himself in being free from obligations to others, but in lovingly fulfilling them.
We do not have a single word of St Joseph’s recorded in the Scriptures; he is the archetypal strong silent type and a great example to us in an increasingly noisy world. Where some broadcast their virtue from the rooftops – or via facebook – St Joseph is more of a Nike man: he just does it. For this reason he has been described as an icon of our faith: ‘. . . words would be a distraction. His love of Our Lady, care for Jesus, obedience, faith, purity, simplicity, courage and hope speak loudly from the home he built in Nazareth . . . [and] we best know St Joseph through Jesus’s words and deeds.’ This is what icons do; they ‘speak to us of the presence of God among us in the material world.’
St Joseph is the quiet man of action and his actions are oriented to, and obedient to, the will of God. Whatever vision he may have had of his life was radically altered that night when the angel appeared to him in a dream and said: ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ After this vision we are told simply that: ‘When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do’ (Matt 1:20-22, 24). Having contemplated a life without Mary, he now sees that being Mary’s husband and raising a child, not biologically his own, will be his future. It’s for this setting aside of his own inclinations for something greater that we quite rightly celebrate his example today.
Jesus will come to be recognised as the Son of God, and the Second Person of the Trinity; Mary will be known as the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church; and Joseph will be remembered in relation to them. Joseph’s greatness is to be found in his willingness to let Mary and Jesus be who they should be. Like John the Baptist, he decreases so that they may increase.
In that perennial Christian paradox, Joseph finds himself the moment he starts to lose himself in God’s will. One day the child he raises will tell us that our prayer to the Father should always be, ‘Thy will be done’: for true human flourishing consists in the convergence of God’s will and ours. As Joseph heeds the words of the angel he becomes the living example of St Paul’s exhortation to husbands: ‘Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her’ (Ephesians 5:25):
At the dawn of Christianity, married life and love are given new ‘breadth and length and height and depth’ (Ephesians 3:18). Joseph and Mary, as husband and wife, become an icon of Christian marriage, which ‘in its turn’ will be ‘an efficacious sign, the sacrament of Christ and the Church’ (CCC, 1617). They are the incarnate expression of human communion, which expresses the very life of God. They are wedded not simply to provide a fitting home for the child; they are wedded so that men and women can know what it means to be wedded to God.
On today’s Solemnity we don’t remember Joseph for his wise words or for his dramatic actions, we remember him for simply doing the Father’s will, for giving himself up for others. This is the calling for many of us in our Christian lives, and our example may not be widely celebrated by the Church, but it just might affect those around us.
If we live as we ought to, like St Joseph, we may become icons of the living Lord, and that would be a life well lived.
1 Fr Gary Caster, Joseph: the Man who raised Jesus. (Servant Books: Cincinnati, 2013), p.xiii
2 Jeana Visel OSB, Icons in the Western Church. (Liturgical Press: Collegeville, 2016), p.xi
3 Caster, p
APRIL 25: FEAST OF ST MARK
Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist
Reading 1 1 Pt 5:5b-14
Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen. I write you this briefly through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Remain firm in it. The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son. Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Responsorial Psalm 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17
R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
The heavens proclaim your wonders, O LORD,
and your faithfulness, in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can rank with the LORD?
Who is like the LORD among the sons of God?
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
Gospel Mk 16:15-20
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
St Mark, Evangelist (Feast)
A John Mark first appears in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12:12), after Peter was miraculously released from prison. When Peter realised that he was really free, he made his way to the house of Mary, who was the mother of John Mark, and whose house seems to have been a meeting place for Jerusalem Christians. At the end of the same chapter, we are told that Saul and Barnabas, who had earlier gone to Jerusalem on a relief mission to provide food for the Christians there, had returned to Antioch bringing John Mark with them. Soon after this, Barnabas and Paul were chosen by the community in Antioch to go on a missionary enterprise, known now as Paul’s First Missionary Journey. They sailed from the nearby port of Seleucia and went first to Salamis on the island of Cyprus. Along with them, they brought John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas. From Salamis they went on to Paphos at the other end of the island, where they converted the governor to Christianity.
From Paphos, the missionaries left Cyprus and went on to Perga, a city in Pamphylia, on the south coast of what is now Turkey. It was here we are told John Mark left Barnabas and Paul and returned to Jerusalem, although the reason is not given. Later, when Barnabas and Saul were setting out on their second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. Paul, however, was not willing to take John Mark, now called Mark, because he had left them at Perga on their first mission. This caused a serious disagreement between Barnabas and Paul. Barnabas left Paul and, taking his cousin (John) Mark with him, went back to Cyprus. Paul then chose Silas as his missionary companion.
Relations seem to have improved subsequently because in Paul’s Letter to the Christians at Colosse, Paul writes: “Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you greetings and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas.” In the Second Letter to Timothy, Paul writes: “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he can help me in the work…” In the short Letter to Philemon, Mark is cited as one of the helpers of Paul. And at the end of the First Letter of Peter we read: “Your sister church in Babylon [a code word for Rome], also chosen by God, sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark.”
There is also a tradition that Mark was the founder of the Church in Alexandria, in northern Egypt.
The writing of the second gospel is also attributed to Mark, but it is not absolutely certain that it is the same person (the authorship of ancient texts is always tricky). The gospel was probably written in Rome before 60 AD, and there are certainly indications that John Mark was there at the time. It was written in Greek and directed to Gentile converts to Christianity. Tradition says that Mark was requested by the Christians of Rome to set down the teachings of Peter. This seems confirmed by the position which Peter has in this gospel. The gospel is thus understood as a record of the mission of Jesus as seen through the eyes of Peter. It is also the first gospel to be written, and both Matthew and Luke in their longer gospels certainly borrow extensively from Mark. Mark’s gospel is one of the most lively and readable accounts with more emphasis on the actions of Jesus, and where Jesus teaches more by what he does than what he says.
Commentary on 1 Peter 5:5-14; Psalm 88; Mark 16:15-20
Ironically, the Gospel reading is from a passage at the end of Mark’s gospel, a section that is thought to be an added supplement to his original text. It is believed that Mark’s gospel ends with verse 8 of chapter 16 where we read:
So they [the women] went out and ran from the tomb, distressed and terrified. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.
This seems to have been regarded as too abrupt an ending so brief summaries borrowed from other sources were added on, including, the appearance to Mary Magdalene (John), the appearance to two disciples “on their way to the country”, a clear reference to the disciples on their way to Emmaus (Luke), the appearance of the Risen Jesus to the eleven apostles (Matthew, Luke and John), and Jesus taken up to heaven (Luke, Acts).
The reading is taken from the appearance to the Eleven where Jesus gives them the mandate to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world, and where there is a promise that believers will be able to work wonders – expelling evil spirits, speaking in strange tongues, be protected from harmful elements and bring healing to the sick. The reading ends with a brief description of the Ascension when the Risen Jesus goes back to his Father’s right-hand side.
Mark, of course, through his gospel has spelled out the challenge for followers of Christ to imitate him in the living out of their discipleship and fulfilling the missionary command to establish the Kingdom where God’s will is being done on earth.
The First Reading from the last chapter of the First Letter of Peter contains instructions to the younger leaders of the community. The first instruction is that all should be eager to serve each other and to not have some dominating over others. They are also warned to be on the watch for evil forces and to be firm and strong in their faith. They need to realise that their brothers and sisters in faith are suffering in many places because of persecution. But in time, God will strengthen them and put them on a firm foundation.
Again, it was through his gospel, that Mark conveyed this message through his presentation of Jesus as establishing God’s Kingdom, and also making clear that every follower of Jesus must identify with Jesus’ spirit of self-sacrifice and share in it. As Jesus accepted his cross, and through his death passed to glory. His followers too must carry their cross to share in the same glory.
February 22
Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle
Reading 1 1 Pt 5:1-4
Beloved: I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
Gospel Mt 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Saint Peter’s Chair
This feast has been kept at Rome since the 4th century. It is celebrated as a symbol of the unity of the Church. The principal diocese of the Catholic Church is Rome, and the Pope is its bishop. His cathedral is not, as many may be inclined to think, St Peter’s Basilica, but the Church of St John Lateran.
The Bishop of Rome is not ranked above other bishops, but is rather primus inter pares, first among equals. The diocese of Rome has a special place because of its links with St Peter, on whom Jesus said he would build his church. Hence the unity of the Church is expressed by the solidarity of each diocese with the diocese of Rome, and with each other. And when the Pope speaks formally, it is the faith of the whole Church that he proclaims, and not just his own understanding of it.
From the earliest times, the Church at Rome celebrated on 18 January the memory of the day when Peter held his first service with the faithful of the Eternal City. The feast of the Chair of Saint Peter at Antioch, commemorating his foundation of the See of Antioch, has also been long celebrated at Rome, on 22 February. At each place a chair (cathedra) was venerated which the Apostle had used while presiding at the Eucharist. The Roman Church, therefore, at an early date celebrated a first and a second assumption of the episcopal office in Rome by St Peter. This double celebration was also held in two places, in the Vatican Basilica and in a cemetery (coemeterium) on the Via Salaria.
The first of these chairs stood in the Vatican Basilica, in the baptismal chapel built by Pope Damasus. While therefore in the Vatican Basilica there stood a cathedra on which the pope sat amid the Roman clergy during the pontifical Mass, there was also in the same building a second cathedra from which the pope administered to the newly baptized the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Chair of St Peter in the apse was made of marble and was built into the wall, while that of the baptistry was movable and could be carried. Ennodius calls the latter a sedes gestatoria (chair for carrying).
Throughout the Middle Ages it was always brought out on 22 February from the above mentioned consignatorium, or place of confirmation to the high altar. That day, the pope did not use the marble cathedra (at the back of the apse), but sat on this portable cathedra, which was, consequently, made of wood.*
The importance of this feast was heightened by the fact that 22 February was considered the anniversary of the day when Peter bore witness, by the Sea of Tiberias, to the divinity of Christ and was again appointed by Christ to be the Rock of His Church (see John 21:15).
Commentary on 1 Peter 5:1-4; Psalm 22; Matthew 16:13-19
The Gospel from St Matthew records a dramatic moment in the relationship between Jesus and his disciples. They are at Caesarea Philippi, an area which significantly was home to both Jews and Gentiles, and Jesus begins by asking them what they heard people saying about him. They gave various answers, such as that he might be John the Baptist (returned from the dead after his beheading by Herod), or Elijah (who was expected to return to earth to herald the imminent coming of the Messiah), or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Jesus then asks them:
But who do you say that I am?
It is Simon who speaks up:
You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
It was a very special moment for all of them. Up to this, the man whom they had simply called ‘Rabbi’ or ‘Teacher’ was now acknowledged as no less than the Messiah, the Christ, the one anointed as the Saviour-King of Israel.
In reply, Jesus tells Simon that what he has said are not simply his own words but are a revelation of God to him:
Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.
There then comes the solemn mandate and promise. Simon is now given a new name:
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
There is a play on the words ‘Peter’ and ‘rock’. The word for ‘rock’ in Greek is petra and Peter is Petros. There is an irony in the name because it carries more than one meaning. For Peter is called to be the firm foundation of the new community, but before that happens, he shows himself to be a stumbling block trying to frustrate the mission of his Master; he shows himself to be one of the weakest of the disciples.
Nevertheless, Jesus gives him his mission:
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven [of God], and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven [i.e. by God], and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, it is his community under the unifying leadership of Peter which will have the mandate to continue the work and mission of Jesus. They will be, literally, the voice of Jesus.
In the First Reading (which is from the First Letter of Peter – although almost certainly not written by him), we have advice on how Church authority is to be exercised. Peter speaks to community leaders as a fellow “elder”, and as one who was a personal witness of the sufferings of Jesus – hence looking forward to share in his risen glory. He tells them to take care of their flocks as good shepherds, drawing them, but not forcing them, and not pursuing their own personal gain, but with enthusiasm for their well-being:
Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock.
These words are applicable to every position of leadership in the Church be it pope, bishop, priest or lay leader. Then:
…when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away.
So, the overall message of today’s feast is of generous and eager cooperation of all members of the Christian community in building up the Body of Christ as a sacrament of the Kingdom throughout the world.
Commentary on Matthew 5:20-26
Today’s readings are about repentance for the wrongs we have done and the guarantee of God’s mercy. The Gospel passage comes from the Sermon on the Mount, and is the first of six so-called “antitheses” where Jesus contrasts the demands of the Law with those of the Gospel.
Virtue, for the scribes and Pharisees, was largely measured by external observance of the law. For Jesus, that is not enough. For him, real virtue is in the heart. There was a commandment not to kill, but Jesus says that even hatred and anger, violence in the heart (often expressed by abusive language) must be avoided. Furthermore, we cannot have one set of relationships with God, and another set with people.
So, it is no use going to pray and make our offering to God if we have done hurt to a brother or sister. I must leave my gift at the altar, and first go and be reconciled with my brother or sister. Only then may I come to offer my gift.
I cannot say I love God if I hate a brother or sister:
Those who say, “I love God,” and hate a brother or sister are liars… (1 John 4:20)
and
Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. (Matt 25:45)
Repentance has to be expressed both to God and the person I have hurt. It is not possible to be reconciled to one, and not to the other.
We have something like this in every celebration of the Eucharist, although in practice, it can be very superficially done. At the beginning of the Communion, we together recite the Lord’s Prayer in which we all say:
…forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us…
How often are we conscious of saying those words, and how often do we really mean them?
Just after that, we are invited to share a sign of peace with those around us. Again, this can be done in a very perfunctory way. But the meaning of this gesture is that we want to be totally in a spirit of union and reconciliation with each other before we approach the Lord’s Table to break together the Bread – which is the sign of our unity as members of his Body.
January 25: Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Reading 1 ACTS 22:3-16
Paul addressed the people in these words: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison. Even the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify on my behalf. For from them I even received letters to the brothers and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment those there as well. “On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’ My companions saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me. I asked, ‘What shall I do, sir?’ The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything appointed for you to do.’ Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light, I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus. “A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me and stood there and said, ‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’ And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him. Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice; for you will be his witness before all to what you have seen and heard. Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.’”
Responsorial Psalm PS 117:1bc, 2R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia, 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, alleluia.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
Gospel mk 16:15-18
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Commentary
As the First Reading opens, we see Saul going to the high priest getting letters authorising him to go to the synagogues in Damascus and, if he found any Christians, called here “followers of the Way”, there, he would bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. Then, as he approached the city, there was a brilliant flash of light and Saul fell to the ground. He heard a voice saying: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Quite puzzled, he replied: “Who are you, sir?” The answer came: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” This must have been news to him. To attack the followers of Jesus was to attach Jesus himself. “As often as you do it to even the least of my followers, you do it to me.” It is significant that when Saul got to his feet, he was blind. But it was not just a physical blindness; he had not been able to see Jesus as the Word of God. He would stay like this for three days and during that time neither ate nor drink. Then a Christian called Ananias was told to go and baptise Saul. Not surprisingly, Ananias was not keen on going to see a man who was going all out to get rid of Jesus’ followers. But he was reassured that this was what God wanted. “This man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles, kings and Israelites.” Ananias, presumably with some trepidation, then went to Saul and told him that the Lord had sent him so that Saul could regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He laid hands on Saul’s head. Immediately scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. But what he could see was now very different from what he saw before his blindness. He was ready for baptism.
The rest, as they say, his history. Almost immediately, Saul began to go to the synagogues of Damascus proclaiming that Jesus was the Son of God. It was an extraordinary transformation. Later, his name will be changed to Paul. From then on, he will launch on an extraordinary career of bringing the Gospel to both Jewish and Gentile communities in what is now Turkey, in Greece and ultimately in Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire. This is reflected in the words of the Gospel where Jesus, before his ascension, tells his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
Each one of us has been baptised, most of us at a very early age. But becoming a Christian is not just a once for all event. The process of conversion to a deeper following of Christ is something that can and should continue right through our lives. It is also important to realise that, like Paul, every one of us is called not just to take care of our own spiritual wellbeing but that our following of Christ is something that calls on us to share that message with people around us, “to proclaim the Gospel to every creature”.
The Gospel reading is from the end of Mark’s gospel, from what is sometimes referred to as the “longer ending” to distinguish it from a “shorter” one. Both of these texts are thought not to be from the original version of Mark but were inserted to round off the ending of this gospel which ends rather abruptly with the women on Easter Sunday fleeing from the empty tomb “bewildered and trembling” and, because of their great fear, “they said nothing to anyone”.
The longer ending carries on from that point with material that we find in the other narratives, such as references to Mary Magdalen and Jesus appearing to his disciples.
Today’s reading includes instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples before leaving them for the last time. They are words which apply very much to Paul. They begin with the instructions to proclaim the Good News to the whole of creation. This is exactly what Paul was doing as he reached out to Gentile communities all the way from what is now modern Turkey, through Greece and Macedonia and on to Rome.
“The one who believes and is baptised will be saved.” Paul was second to none in his belief in Christ. He would be able to say later on, “I live, no, it is not I, but Christ lives in me.” An expression of total union with his Lord.
Jesus then indicates some of the signs that will accompany those who profess their faith. Again, Paul was capable of many of these – like escaping great dangers and bringing healing and wholeness into people’s lives.
Conversion is not something that only happens once in a lifetime. It is something that can happen to us several times in the course of our life. Let us be ready to answer whenever the Lord calls us to something greater.
January 26: Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops
Reading 1 2 Tm 1:1-8
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you. For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.
Or
Ti 1:1-5
Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began, who indeed at the proper time revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the command of God our savior, to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you.
Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10
R. (3) Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
Gospel Mk 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” He said, “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
History of Timothy and Titus
Timothy was born at Lystra, in the province of Pisidia (modern Turkey). He was the son of a Greek father and his mother, Eunice, was a convert from Judaism. When Paul preached at Lystra during his first missionary journey in the area, Timothy joined him and replaced Barnabas, with whom Paul had some differences over Barnabas’ cousin, John Mark.
Timothy soon became a close friend, confidant and partner of Paul in his missionary apostolate. In order to placate the Jewish Christians, Paul agreed to Timothy being circumcised. This was because Timothy’s mother had been Jewish and, for the Jews, it was the religion of the mother which was decisive. Timothy then accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-18:22).
When Paul was forced to flee Berea, in northern Greece, because of the hostility of the local Jews, Timothy stayed on (Acts 17:13), but soon after he was sent to nearby Thessalonica to report on the condition of the Christians there, and to encourage them under persecution. This report led to Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians when he joined Timothy at Corinth in southern Greece.
In 58 AD, Timothy was sent with Erastus north to Macedonia, but then went south to Corinth to remind the Corinthians of Paul’s teaching. He then accompanied Paul into Macedonia and Achaia. They were probably together when Paul was imprisoned at Caesarea and later in Rome. He was himself also imprisoned, but then freed.
According to tradition, Timothy went to Ephesus in western Turkey, became its first bishop, and was stoned to death there when he opposed the pagan festival of Katagogian in honour of the goddess Diana.
There are two letters reputedly written by Paul to Timothy, one written about 65 AD from Macedonia and the second from Rome, while Paul was in prison awaiting execution. Commentators today doubt (on the basis of style and content) that Paul could have written these letters. Nevertheless, they do reflect his teaching.
Titus was a disciple and companion of Paul, and one of Paul’s letters is addressed to him. Again, modern commentators doubt if Paul was really the writer, as it was common in those days for writings to carry the name of a well-known person as the author.
In the letter, Paul refers to Titus as “my true child in the faith we share”. Although not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, Titus is mentioned in the Letter to the Galatians (2:1-3), where Paul writes of going to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus.
Titus was then sent off to Corinth in southern Greece, where he successfully restored harmony between that Christian community and Paul, its founder, who had some differences with them. Titus was later left on the island of Crete to help organize the Church there, although he soon went to Dalmatia, in Croatia.
According to Eusebius of Caesarea in the Ecclesiastical History, Titus served as the first Bishop of Crete. He was buried in Cortyna (Gortyna), Crete. His head was later transferred to Venice at the time of the Saracen invasion of Crete in year 832 and enshrined there in St. Mark’s Church.
Commentary on Mark 4:26-34
Here we have the two last parables told by Mark in this part of his Gospel. They are both images of the Kingdom of God, of God’s truth and love spreading among people all over the world. They are both taken from the world of agriculture, a world that would have been very familiar to Jesus’ listeners.
In the first, God’s work is compared to a farmer planting seed. As in the parable of the Sower, the seed is the Kingdom. Night and day, the process of growth continues without any human intervention. Whether the farmer is awake or asleep, the process of growth continues. The seed sprouts and grows and the farmer does not know how. The outcome is certain. Once the seed is ripe, it is for the farmer to bring in the harvest. And that is our task – to bring in the harvest which has been planted in the hearts of people. In the words of the other parables, it is up to us to shine the light which helps people see the truth and love of God already present in their deepest being.
In the second parable, the Kingdom is compared to a mustard seed. Although one of the tiniest of seeds, it grows into a sizeable shrub in which even birds can build their nests.
Both of these parables are words of encouragement to a struggling Church living in small scattered communities, and surrounded by hostile elements ready to destroy it. How amazed would the Christians of those days be if they could see how the seed has grown and spread to parts of the world of whose very existence they were totally unaware! Today, we still need to have trust like theirs, and confidence in the power of the Kingdom to survive and spread.
Mark says that Jesus spoke many parables, or even that he spoke only in parables. But the full meaning of his teaching was explained to his inner circles of disciples. Those staying ‘outside’ were not ready to take in the message. They are the ones who were not “hearing”, as Jesus told his disciples to do. How sensitive is my hearing?
DECEMBER 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Reading 1 Gn 3:9-15, 20
After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself." Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with meC she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it." The LORD God then asked the woman, "Why did you do such a thing?" The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it." Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.
Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
Reading 2 Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 Brothers and sisters: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.
Gospel Lk 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
Commentary on Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Ephesians 1:3-6,11-12; Luke 1:26-38
The Immaculate Conception means that Mary from the first moment of her existence was totally free from the influence of that universal sinfulness which touches us all from the time we are born. The reason behind this belief (which is not explicitly contained in Scripture, and was only infallibly defined in 1854) is that only a totally sinless environment was fitting for the Son of God in his becoming a human being. It has a very long history in the Church.
The First Reading reminds us that it was a woman (Eve) who was instrumental in bringing pain and suffering, the result of sin, to the whole world. It will also be a woman (Mary) who will be instrumental in bringing to the world its salvation and healing.
The Second Reading tells us that all of us have been called by God to share his love and blessings long before we even existed. This is even more true of Mary, who was singled out from eternity by God to be the Mother of his Son.
Today’s Gospel speaks, not of Mary’s conception, but that of Jesus. It begins the moment Mary says that ‘Yes’. The angel greets her saying:
Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you…
In our Hail Mary prayer “favored one” is translated as “full of grace”. Mary is filled with God’s love and God’s favour and especially singled out for this moment. “Full of Grace” has always been interpreted as indicating Mary’s total freedom from any taint of sin in her role as “Ark of the Covenant”. It was believed that the Incarnate Word should begin his human existence in an environment untouched by sin.
We can apply each of the readings to our own lives. We have been often the cause of sin and pain in other people’s lives. Let us rather be people who bring wholeness and healing.
Let us be deeply aware that, long before we were born, every single one of us has been called by God to know, love and serve him. We have been the constant recipients of his blessings. How will we respond? Unlike Mary, we were born touched by a sinful world. But we also can become filled with grace if, like her, we say a resounding and unconditional ‘Yes!’ to all that God wants from us.
Let us ask Mary today to help us to love Jesus as she did, right through the pain of the Cross to the joy of the Resurrection.
Thanksgiving Day
Reading I Sir 50:22-24
And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb, and fashions them according to his will! May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you; May his goodness toward us endure in Israel to deliver us in our days.
Responsorial Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Reading II 1 Cor 1:3-9
Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gospel Lk 17:11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
Commentary on Luke 17:11-19
This story of Jesus’ compassion is unique to Luke. We are told that Jesus was travelling on the borders of Galilee, the northern province of Palestine, and Samaria, which lies between Galilee and the southern province of Judea. Jesus is making for the Jordan valley on his way south to Jericho, one of his last stops before reaching his final destination in Jerusalem.
Just as he entered a village he was met by ten lepers (it does not specify whether they were men or women). As lepers they were not allowed to come in close proximity with other people because it was (rightly) known that the condition could be transmitted to others by physical contact, though we know now it needed to be fairly prolonged contact. We remember how the famous Fr Damien, the Apostle to the Lepers, eventually contracted the disease through his ministering to a colony of lepers in Hawaii.
Because of their dreaded disease, such people were literally outcasts condemned to live their lives on the fringes of society. The tragedy is that, given the limited medical knowledge of the times, many such people were almost certainly not suffering from leprosy at all, but from some other non-contagious, perhaps chronic skin disease.
So, calling Jesus from a safe distance, they cried out:
Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!
Jesus simply told them to go and show themselves to the priests. And, while they were on their way, they were all cured. Presumably they continued on their way to see the priests who would give them an official declaration of being “clean” so that they could once again legitimately return to life in society. A major element of their healing was their re-integration into society.
Just one of the cured lepers then came back to Jesus “praising God in a loud voice” and in deep gratitude fell at the feet of Jesus:
And he was a Samaritan.
These words are loaded with meaning. For it is presumed that the rest were Jews. In the first place, Jews and Samaritans could not stand each other, and the Jews tended to look down on the Samaritans as ungodly and unclean. But, in the misfortune of their leprosy, these Jews and Samaritans, rejected by both their own peoples, found common support in each other’s company.
But, now that they are cured, only one of them comes to say thanks and he is still – in the eyes of the Jews – an outcast. Jesus, looking around at the Jews in his company, expresses surprise that ten were made clean, but only one came back to give thanks and he was a despised foreigner.
This unexpected action is also reflected in another of Luke’s stories, which we reflected on earlier, that of the so-called “good Samaritan”. Here is another good Samaritan. And, of course, there is a third – the Samaritan woman who is featured prominently in John’s gospel (John 4:4-42).
To the man Jesus says:
Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.
That “get up” or “rise up”, which Jesus often uses with those he heals, has echoes of resurrection and entry into new life, a life of wholeness brought about by the man’s trust in Jesus and his acknowledgment of the source of his healing.
In the context of Luke’s gospel, the story prepares us for developments in the growth of the early Church, described in Luke’s Acts of the Apostles. For, as the early Christians (all of them Jews) flee from persecution in Jerusalem, the people of Samaria are among the first to accept Jesus as Lord and to become followers of the Gospel, while many of the Jews in Jerusalem remain closed to Jesus’ message and call.
We, too, must never give in to a temptation to exclude any people as possible followers of Christ. We must be ready to reach out to all, even the most unlikely. None must be treated as outsiders or untouchables, even those who show themselves extremely hostile to the Gospel.
And while there may not be any real lepers in our own society, today is an occasion for us to reflect on who could be regarded as lepers, outsiders, outcasts, and untouchables among us at the present time. And, to ask whether I personally treat any person as an outsider in my home, in my work, in other places where I meet people. Such exclusion is totally contrary to what we celebrate in the Eucharist.
November 30 Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Reading 1 Rom 10:9-18
Brothers and sisters: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news! But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us? Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
Responsorial Psalm PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
Gospel Mt 4:18-22
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.
Saint Andrew, Apostle
Andrew was the son of Jonas, the brother of Simon Peter, and a fisherman by trade. The brothers seem to have come from Bethsaida, although at the beginning of Jesus’ public life they are in Capernaum.
From John’s Gospel (John 1:40) we know that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist before becoming a disciple of Jesus and one of the Twelve. As a result of Andrew’s first encounter with Jesus, he came to realise that Jesus was the Messiah. He then went to tell his brother Simon, whom he brought to Jesus. He is called in the Eastern Church Protokletos, meaning the ‘first called’, because his calling is the first mentioned in the Gospel narrative. The name ‘Andrew’ (from the Greek andreia, meaning ‘manliness’) seems to have been common among Jews from the 2nd century onward. His Aramaic name is not known.
In all the Gospel lists of the apostles, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:13), his name is listed among the first four. In John’s Gospel, he is specifically mentioned for his involvement in the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:8). Also in John’s Gospel, we see him with Philip in the episode of the Greeks who wanted to see Jesus (John 12:20-26). He appears along side Peter, James and John with Jesus in Jerusalem, shortly before the Passion, when Jesus predicts the destruction of the city (Mark 13:3). Beyond these, there is no strictly historical record of his activities.
It is not certain where he preached the Gospel, where he died, or where he was buried. Eusebius quotes Origen as saying Andrew preached in Asia Minor and in Scythia, along the Black Sea as far as the River Volga and Kiev. Thus, he became a patron saint of Romania and Russia. He was believed to have founded the See of Byzantium (later Constantinople) in AD 38, and installed Stachys as bishop. This diocese would later develop into the great Patriarchate of Constantinople. Andrew is recognized as its patron saint.
Andrew is said to have died by crucifixion at Patras, Achaia in southern Greece. While early tradition shows him bound, not nailed, to a cross like that of Jesus, a later tradition was that he was crucified on an X-shaped cross, which came to be known as the Cross of St Andrew. This was done at his own request as he felt not worthy to be crucified on a cross like his Lord’s. His supposed relics were said to have been brought from Patras to Constantinople. This was as a counterpoint to the (more solid) claim of Rome to have the relics of Peter and Paul. He also became patron of Patras, the scene of his death.
In another tradition, after the fall of Constantinople in 1204, the Crusaders took Andrew’s body to Amalfi in Italy, and it was given by the tyrant Thomas Palaeologus to the pope in 1461. It was considered one of the most treasured relics in St Peter’s until it was returned to Patras by Pope Paul VI. It is now kept there in the Church of St Andrew in a special shrine.
Andrew’s cult in the western Church was also widespread. From the 6th century, his feast was celebrated everywhere, and there were churches dedicated to him in Italy, France and Anglo-Saxon England.
The inevitable legends also tell of his relics being brought from Constantinople by Regulus (Rule) to the Pictish king Oengus mac Fergusa (729-761) in Scotland in the 8th century. The only historical person with this name was Regulus (Riagail or Rule), an Irish monk expelled from Ireland together with Saint Columba, but his dates do not tally with the story. Regulus built a church in Fife in what is now known as St Andrews – the site of Scotland’s oldest university and the ‘holy’ shrine of golf. But, long before that, it became a centre for preaching the Gospel and later a place of pilgrimage. It was this story, which exists in several versions, which led to Andrew being chosen as the Principal Patron of Scotland from the 8th century.
Apart from Patras, claimed relics of Andrew are kept in the Duomo di Sant’Andrea in Amalfi, Italy, St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland and in the Church of St Andrew and St Albert in Warsaw, Poland, as well as small relics in other places.
In the oldest representations Andrew is shown with a normal Latin cross. The X-shaped cross we now call ‘St Andrew’s Cross’ was associated with him from the 10th century and became common in the 14th. It is represented on the flag of Scotland and is also incorporated into the flag of the United Kingdom (the ‘Union Jack’). His other symbol is, naturally, a fishing net.
December 25: The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
Mass during the DayLectionary: 16
Reading IIs 52:7-10 How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the LORD restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
Responsorial PsalmPs 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6.R. (3c)
All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
Reading II Heb 1:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways
to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all things
and through whom he created the universe,
who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
When he had accomplished purification from sins,
he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say:
You are my son; this day I have begotten you?
Or again:
I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me?
And again, when he leads the firstborn into the world, he says:
Let all the angels of God worship him.
Gospel Jn 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.
DECEMBER 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Reading 1 ZEC 2:14-17
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people,
and he will dwell among you,
and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,
and he will again choose Jerusalem.
Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!
For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.
or
Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
God’s temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.”
Responsorial Psalm JUDITH 13:18BCDE, 19R. (15:9d)
You are the highest honor of our race.
Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the LORD God,
the creator of heaven and earth.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
Gospel LK 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
November 9 Dedication of the Basilica of St John Lateran (Feast)
Reading 1 Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
The angel brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side. He said to me, "This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
R. (5) The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High!
God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore, we fear not, though the earth be shaken
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.
There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come! behold the deeds of the LORD,
the astounding things he has wrought on earth.
Reading 2 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17
Brothers and sisters: You are God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
Gospel Jn 2:13-22
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.
Most people probably think that St Peter’s is the pope’s main church in Rome. But actually it is the Church of St John Lateran which is the cathedral and hence the Pope’s church as Bishop of the Diocese of Rome. On the façade of the basilica there is an inscription in Latin which reads, “the mother and mistress of all churches of Rome and the world”. We tend to forget that the Pope is primarily a Bishop, a first among equals, and that this church has a special and symbolic importance for the whole Church.
The first church building on this site was built in the 4th century when the Emperor Constantine gave land he had received from the wealthy Lateran family. That church and others which replaced it suffered over the centuries from fire, earthquakes and war but it remained the church where popes were consecrated until they returned from exile in Avignon, in the south of France. When the Avignon papacy formally ended and the Pope could return to Rome, the Lateran Palace and the basilica were in a serious state of disrepair. The popes took up residency at the Basilica of St Mary in Trastevere and later at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. Eventually, the Palace of the Vatican was constructed and has been the pope’s residence until now.
The present Lateran basilica was erected in 1646. It ranks first among the four major basilicas in Rome (with St Peter’s, St Mary Major’s and St Paul’s Outside the Walls) as the Ecumenical Mother Church. On top of its facade are 15 large statues representing Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and 12 Doctors of the Church. Underneath its high altar are the remains of a small wooden table on which tradition claims St Peter celebrated the Eucharist.
St. John Baptist and St. John the Evangelist are regarded as co-patrons of the cathedral, the chief patron being Christ the Saviour himself, as the inscription at the entrance of the Basilica i
ndicates, and as is the tradition in the patriarchal cathedrals. The Basilica remains dedicated to the Saviour, and its titular feast is the Transfiguration. Its full title then is Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and of Sts. John Baptist and John Evangelist in the Lateran.
Celebrating the dedication of the Pope’s cathedral today is a way of expressing the unity of the whole Church with the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. And the union of each local church with this church is an expression of the unity of all churches both with Rome and with each other.
November 1: Solemnity of All Saints
Reading 1RV 7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, "Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb."
All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed: "Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, "Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows." He said to me, "These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
Responsorial PsalmPS 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
Reading 21 JN 3:1-3
Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.
GospelMT 5:1-12A
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."
Commentary on Revelation 7:2-4,9-14; 1 John 3:1-3 and Matthew 5:1-12
God’s holy Church rejoices that her children are one with the saints in lasting peace. (from Solemn Blessing for today)
As we come to the end of the Church year we celebrate this great feast of All Saints. It is important to emphasise from the beginning what we mean here by ‘saints’. Normally we apply the word to people of extraordinary holiness who have been canonised or beatified by the Church. Among them each one has their favourites: St Francis of Assisi, St Therese of Lisieux, St Anthony, St Joseph and so on.
But today’s feast uses the word in a much wider sense. It refers to all those baptised Christians who have died and are now with God in glory. It also certainly includes all non-Christians who lived a good life sincerely in accordance with the convictions of their conscience. We simply do not know how many people we are talking about, but it is a very large number. Putting it another way, there is no way we can decide which people have made an irrevocable choice of rejecting what is true and good and have chosen to be alienated from God forever. Hopefully, their number is much smaller.
There is a third group which we will remember tomorrow and they are those who have died but need still a process of purification before they can come face to face with the all-holy God.
The Gospel chosen for today’s feast is interesting. It gives us what we know as the Eight Beatitudes from the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. It is, in fact, a charter for holiness. When many people think of holiness they think of keeping the Ten Commandments and perhaps some other requirements of the Church like going to Mass on Sundays or fasting during Lent. What we often tend to forget is that the Ten Commandments really belong to the Old Testament and are part of the Jewish law. Of course, they are still valid and Jesus said clearly:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. (Matt 5:17)
We might say that the Beatitudes are an example of that fulfilling. The Beatitudes go far beyond the Ten Commandments in what they expect of a follower of Christ, and yet the sad thing is that one hears of relatively few Christians saying that they base their lives on the Beatitudes. When we go to Confession it is the Ten Commandments we normally refer to and not the Beatitudes. And this is sad, because it is clear from their position in Matthew’s gospel that the Beatitudes have a central place. They are a kind of mission statement saying what kind of person the good Christian will be.
Let us look at them briefly, but first we need to clarify a few of the terms used. The word ‘blessed’ is sometimes translated ‘happy’. It might be more accurate to translate it as ‘fortunate’. In other words, people who have these qualities are really in an envious position. All of these beatitudes are indications that we belong to the ‘kingdom of heaven’. This is to be understood not as a place, still less as referring to life after death. It rather describes the kind of society that exists when we live according to these values – a place of truth and love, of compassion and justice, of peace, freedom and sharing.
The general message is that those are really blessed when they know their dependence on God and on their sisters and brothers; when they commit themselves totally to the Way that Christ invites them to follow.
The Gospel says that particularly blessed are:
Those who are poor in spirit. They are those who are aware of their basic poverty and fragility and of how much they need the help and support of God as opposed to those who foolishly claim independence and full control of their lives.
Those who are meek: These are the people who reach out to others in care and compassion and tenderness, who constantly are aware of the needs of others.
Those who mourn: those who are in grief or sorrow for whatever reason will be assured of comfort from the loving community in Christ they have entered.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: Whatever the price, they will work that everyone will be given what is their due to live a life of dignity and self-respect. The price they may have to pay could be high, very high, even life itself.
Those who are merciful: They are the ones who extend compassion and forgiveness to all around them.
Those who are pure in heart: This does not refer to sexual purity, but rather to a simplicity and total absence of duplicity, of prejudice or bias. Not surprisingly, they are described as being able to see God. For such people, God’s presence is all too obvious in every person and experience.
Those who are peacemakers – perhaps one of the most beautiful of the Beatitudes. These are people who help to break down the many barriers which divide people – whether it is class, occupation, race, religion, gender or anything that creates conflict between individuals or groups. Not surprisingly, these people are called “children of God”. God sent Jesus among us precisely to break down the barriers between God and his people and between people themselves.
Those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness: Persecution of itself is not a pleasant experience, and may result in loss of life. But blessed indeed are those who have the strength and courage to put the values of truth and love and justice for all above their own survival. Among the saints we most honour today are the martyrs, those who gave their lives in the defence of truth, love and justice.
This is the kind of Christian we are all called to be. It is these qualities which made the saints and which will make saints of us too. They go far beyond what is required by the Ten Commandments. If taken literally, the Commandments can be kept and not with great difficulty. Many of them are expressed in the negative, “You shall NOT…” so we can observe them by doing nothing at all! “I have not killed anyone… I have not committed adultery… I have not stolen…” Does that make me a saint?
Being a Christian is a lot more than not doing things which are wrong. The Beatitudes are expressed in positive terms. They also express not just actions but attitudes. In a way, they can never be fully observed. No matter how well I try to observe them, I can always go further. They leave no room for smugness, the kind of smugness the Pharisees had in keeping the Law. The Beatitudes are a true and reliable recipe for sainthood.
The Second Reading reminds us today:
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are.
Saints are not self-made people. They are people who have responded generously to the love of God showered on them. And the completion of that love is to be invited to share life with God forever in the life to come.
The Reading also says:
…what we will be has not yet been revealed.
We do not know, and have no way of knowing what that future existence will be like, and it does not help very much to speculate. In fact, some of the conventional images of heaven are not terribly exciting! Kneeling on clouds and playing harps for eternity – partly derived from a too literal reading of the book of Revelation – is not exactly a turn-on!
It is better to go along with St Paul who says that life face to face with God is something totally beyond our comprehension. Let us rather concentrate on the life we are leading now and let it be a good preparation for that future time.
Indeed, the First Reading from the book of Revelation presents an apocalyptic vision of those who have died in Christ. They are numbered at 144,000 – a number taken literally by some Christian sects. However, the number is clearly symbolical. It consists of the sacred number 12, squared and multiplied by another complete number, 1,000. It simply represents the total of all those who have died faithful to Christ their Lord. They represent “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages”, for access to Christ is open to all. They are dressed in white robes with palms in their hands. They are the robes of goodness and integrity. The palms of victory are a reference to the joyful Jewish feast of Tabernacles, for these are the ones invited to live in God’s tent or tabernacle.
Together with them are the angels, the 24 elders (perhaps representing the 12 patriarchs and the 12 Apostles) and the four living creatures (a very high rank of angels), all prostrate in adoration before the glory of God. The song they sing has been magnificently set to music by Handel in his “Messiah”. Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honour, power and strength are seven attributes of perfect praise.
And who are these people in white robes?
These are they who have come out of the great ordeal…
In other words, they are those who have been through persecution, particularly the persecution of Nero, which occurred about the time this book was written. And, paradoxically:
…they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
It is the blood of Jesus Christ which brings salvation, but only to those who have united with him in sharing its effects. Many of them, of course, are martyrs and they have mingled their own blood with that of Jesus.
It is a picture of total victory, and the end of all the pains and sorrows they endured in this life. It is not a newspaper reporter’s description of heaven!
Today’s feast is first of all an occasion for great thanksgiving. It is altogether reasonable to think that many of our family, relatives and friends who have gone before us are being celebrated today. We look forward to the day when we, too, can be with them experiencing the same total happiness when:
They will hunger no more and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat,
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
(Rev 7:16-17)
Today is a day also for us to pray to them – both the canonised and the uncanonised – and ask them to pray on our behalf that we may live our lives in faithfulness so that we, too, may experience the same reward.
November 2: The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
Reading 1WIS 3:1-9
The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.
Reading II Rom 6:3-9
Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.
GospelJN 6:37-40
Jesus said to the crowds: "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."
All Souls: commemoration of all the faithful departed.
Yesterday we celebrated the feast of All Saints. Today is the commemoration of All Souls. The Church often speaks of the totality of the baptised as the Communion of Saints. The word ‘saints’ is used in the Scriptural sense as found in the New Testament when it generally refers to baptised members of Christian communities.
The Communion of Saints is formed of three groups. The first are those who can properly be called ‘saints’, that is, those who have died and are now enjoying a face to face relationship with God for all eternity. We sometimes call that ‘heaven’ but it is less a place than a relationship.
The second group are those who are living on earth at the present time and are part of the Pilgrim Church on its way to ultimate union with God in unending happiness.
The third group are those we are remembering today. They are those who have died but are not quite ready to meet God face to face. Most of us would probably acknowledge that we are far from perfect and that we still need to go through some purifying process before entering the eternal presence of God. What that process is like it is not for us to speculate.
What we are reminded of today is that those who are already in the eternal presence of God and those who are still on pilgrimage on earth can help the group we call ‘Holy Souls’ to reach the Vision of God sooner through our good works and prayers.
And so, although it is a “holy and wholesome thought to prayer for the dead”, it is especially appropriate on this day. Naturally, we will remember especially family members and good friends but we should also think of those who may not have anyone to remember them.
When our time comes to leave this world, it is the prayers of those people on whom we will depend.
October 28: Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Reading 1EPH 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Responsorial PsalmPS 19:2-3, 4-5
R.(5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R.Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R.Their message goes out through all the earth.
Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles (Feast)Apart from their names in the Gospel, there is very little we know definitely about these two Apostles.
Simon is called either the Canaanite or the Zealot (Mt 10:4, Mk 3:18, Lk 6:15, Acts 1:13) by the evangelists. To distinguish him from Simon Peter, he is called Kananaios [ or Kananites [ (in Matthew and Mark) and Zelotes [ (in Luke and the Acts). Both titles come from the Hebrew qana, which means ‘the zealous one’ but some, like St Jerome, misread it as a reference to the town of Cana or to the region of Canaan. (This led to a story that at the wedding feast at Cana [John 2] Simon was the bridegroom!). The preferred reading in all the texts now is ‘Zealot’.‘Zealot’ may indicate membership of a strict Jewish sect. There was a party called Zealots famous in the war of the Jews against their Roman occupiers. They killed many of the nobility and filled the Temple with blood and brought ruin on their people. But there is no evidence they existed in Jesus’ lifetime. “Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, a brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?” But the New Testament does not relate this Simon to any of the Apostles. After Pentecost, Simon, like several other Apostles, is not heard of again in the New Testament. However, there is an abundance of legends about his subsequent life and final martyrdom. So one eastern source gives Edessa in Mesopotamia as the place where he died but a western tradition (represented by the Roman Missal and the Martyrology) affirms that he first preached in Egypt. He then joined his fellow Apostle Jude, who was in Mesopotamia, and they both went east to Persia. Here they were martyred at Sufian (or at Siani). In one story their throats were cut and in another Simon was sawn in two, like the prophet Isaiah. This tradition only dates from the 6th `century, 300-400 years after the Apostle’s death, but devotion to him goes back much further. There is even a tradition that Simon got as far as Britain, perhaps Glastonbury, and was martyred in Lincolnshire. In art Simon is usually symbolised with a boat or a falchion (an axe-like sword), allegedly the weapon by which heathen priests cut him down.
Jude, called “Judas, son of James”, is mentioned by Luke in his gospel (Lk 6:16) and in the Acts (Acts 1:13) and also in John 14:22 . He is commonly identified with Thaddaeus, who appears in the list of Apostles in Matthew and Mark, but where there is no mention of Jude. He is also believed to be the author of the Letter in the New Testament bearing his name. As with Simon, nothing certain is known of his life after Pentecost but again there are many legends. As mentioned, a Western tradition says that he joined up with Simon to preach the Gospel in Persia, where he, too, died a martyr’s death.
In more modern times, Jude has acquired the reputation as the ‘patron of hopeless cases’, as attested by expressions of gratitude in Catholic devotional periodicals. The origin of this devotion is said to be that no one would pray to him because his name was so like that of the traitor Judas Iscariot. Only people who had tried every other option would in desperation turn to him!
The relics of Simon and Jude are believed to have been brought to St. Peter’s in Rome in the 7th-8th century. Rheims and Toulouse also claim to have relics.
In art Jude’s usual emblem is a club, the instrument of his death; otherwise he holds a ship, while Simon holds a fish. This is perhaps because, as a cousin of the Zebedee brothers, he was also a fisherman.
OCTOBER 18: Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist
Reading 1 2 Tm 4:10-17b
Beloved: Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
Gospel Lk 10:1-9
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"
Saint Luke, Evangelist
Practically all we know of Luke (and it is not very much) comes from the New Testament. We do not know the place or date of his birth. In Paul’s Letter to Philemon (1:24) Paul refers to “Luke, my coworker”. In the Letter to the Colossians (4:14) he speaks of “Luke, the beloved physician”, so it is taken that he was a medical practitioner of some kind. In the Second Letter to Timothy (4:11) Paul says, “Only Luke is with me”. He seems to have been a close companion of Paul on some of his missionary journeys and on his final journey to Rome. This is based on the belief that the Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke, and that in the Acts, a number of passages use the word “we”, suggesting the writer was a companion of Paul (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 27:1-28:16).
As well as being the author of Acts, Luke is also taken to be the author of the Gospel bearing his name. The two works are linked by his statement at the beginning of Acts that:
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven… (Acts 1:1)
Both books are dedicated to someone named Theophilus, and no scholar seriously doubts that the same person wrote both works, even though neither work contains the name of its author.
A number of assertions about Luke are based on a document believed to date (in part) from the 2nd century:
Luke, a native of Antioch, by profession a physician. He had become a disciple of the apostles and later followed Paul until his [Paul’s] martyrdom. Having served the Lord continuously, unmarried and without children, filled with the Holy Spirit he died at the age of 84 years.
However, there is no way that these statements can be historically verified. There are legends that Luke was with Jesus as one of the 72 disciples, or that he was one of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus on Easter Sunday, a story which, incidentally, only appears in Luke’s Gospel. Based on the quality of the writings attributed to him, Luke is thought to have been well-educated. The Letter of Paul to the Colossians (4:11) seems to include Luke among the non-circumcised companions of Paul and hence that he was a Gentile. In that case, Luke would seem to be the only non-Jewish author of New Testament books.
Luke’s Gospel has many special characteristics which perhaps tell us something about the kind of person he was. Unique to him is the account of the circumstances leading to the conception and birth of Jesus (Luke 1-2). As well, his Gospel contains some of the most touching parables in the Gospel:
the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son;
the words of Jesus during his Passion to the women of Jerusalem;
the so-called ‘Good Thief’.
While presenting an all-or-nothing following of Jesus with an emphasis on radical simplicity of life, there is at the same time great emphasis on the compassionate nature of Jesus. He focuses on Jesus praying before every important phase of his public life, and there is an openness to the Gentiles to whom the Gospel is especially directed.
Women figure more prominently in Luke’s Gospel than in any of the others – the mother of Jesus, her cousin Elizabeth, the sisters Mary and Martha, the widow of Nain, and the striking story of the sinful woman in the house of Simon the Pharisee. In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke is revealed as a very accurate observer, skilfully linking the sacred events with secular history. Many of his details have been confirmed by archaeology.
His writings have received high endorsements from secular scholars:
Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy…[he] should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.
(Sir William Ramsay, archaeologist)
Luke is a consummate historian, to be ranked in his own right with the great writers of the Greeks.
(E.M. Blaiklock, Professor of Classics at Auckland University)
In all, Luke names thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities and nine islands without an [factual or historical] error.
(Professor Norman L. Geisler, Southern Evangelical Seminary)
However, it should also be strongly emphasised that Luke did not write as a historian, but as an evangelist. He proclaimed the message of Jesus as the Word of God to the world. Some early Church documents say that Luke died in Thebes, the capital of Boeotia. There is a tradition that he was a painter and one well-known icon of the Virgin Mary has been attributed to him, but with little claim to historical accuracy. It is understandable why Luke should be made the patron of artists and doctors.
When represented with the other three evangelists his symbol is an ox, perhaps referring to the sacrifice in the Temple mentioned at the beginning of his Gospel – the scene of Zechariah and the angel announcing the birth of John the Baptist. The earliest pictures of him show him writing his Gospel but in later art works he is represented as painting the Virgin Mary. Both Constantinople (Istanbul) and Padua in Italy claim to have his relics.
September 29 Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
Reading 1 Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
As I watched: Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; His throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened, and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5
R. (1) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD
"Great is the glory of the LORD
Gospel Jn 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Commentary
The Gospel reading from John is the scene in the beginning of the gospel where Jesus meets Nathanael, who has been introduced to him by Philip. Nathanael who had somewhat sneeringly asked if anything good could come from Nazareth must have been somewhat surprised to hear Jesus say to him:
Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!
Of how many people can that be said (including ourselves)?
Puzzled, Nathanael asks Jesus:
Where did you get to know me?
Rather enigmatically Jesus tells him:
I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.
The fig tree was often seen as a symbol of messianic peace. They were words, then, of commendation. Nathanael, deeply impressed, tells Jesus:
Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!
This declaration is on a par with Peter’s confession of Jesus’ identity,and concludes the list of Jesus’ titles which are given in this first chapter of John.
And yet Jesus says he will see much more:
Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these…Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.
The allusion is clearly to the dream of Jacob who saw God’s angels-messengers going up and down on a ladder linking Heaven with Earth, God with his People. Jesus, as the Incarnate Son of God is the bridge which links God with his People. He is like a ladder by which God comes to his People and his People go to God.
In a sense Jesus is the Archangel of archangels, the Ultimate Messenger of God’s Truth and Love. Through Him God comes to us, and through Him we go to God.
There is a choice of two First Readings. The first is from the Book of Daniel and speaks of a vision that the prophet has of God on his Throne, which is described in graphic and apocalyptic language. Among other things we are told that:
A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
These are the angels who serve at God’s throne.
The second part of this reading is taken from the New Testament to refer to the Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour King of Israel. He is said to be:
…one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven.
Some translations have it as “one like the son of man”.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.
This is an image that the Gospel will use to describe the return of the Risen Jesus at the end of time as he calls his people to himself (see Matt 25).
The alternative First Reading is from the Book of Revelation and speaks of Michael defeating Satan and the powers of evil, which was mentioned above. With the defeat of Satan:
…come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah…
These angels are symbols of God’s ever-loving relationship with us. It is a two-way communication. We listen to what God tells us and try to make it part of our lives. At the same time, we reach out to him in faith and trust and in a complete surrender of our being.
September 21 Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
Reading 1 Eph 4:1-7, 11-13
Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:2-3, 4-5
R. (5) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
Gospel Mt 9:9-13
As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Commentary on Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13; Psalm 18; Matthew 9:9-13
The Gospel reading tells Matthew’s version of Jesus calling a tax-collector to be a disciple. Tax collectors have a very poor reputation in the Gospel. They are numbered among the groups of outcasts with whom no decent person would have any contact. In Palestine, most of them would have been Jews, employed by the Roman colonial power to collect taxes from their own people. Roman citizens did not have to pay taxes; only the conquered peoples had to do this.
So they were seen both as renegades and traitors, and also as people who were in gross violation of their Jewish faith in working for Gentiles in this way. Even Jesus, when speaking of members of the Christian community who refuse to change their sinful ways in spite of every effort made to help them reform, said:
…let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. (Matt 18:17)
The Jewish tax collector was put on the same level as a Gentile, a person with whom no self-respecting Jew would have any relationship.
And here, in today’s reading, we see Jesus inviting such a person to be his disciple! This tells us a number of things about Jesus. It means that he does not look at stereotypes. He does not say, “He is a tax collector, so he must be a very sinful person with whom I should have no contact.” No, he looks at the person and sees the potential there. And in Matthew he sees the potential for him to be one of his followers and indeed one of his apostles, on whom the continuation of Jesus’ mission will depend. For Jesus, our past is not very important. What counts is where we are now and where we can be in the future.
After Jesus says to Matthew, “Follow me”, the tax collector gets up and goes after Jesus, leaving all the paraphernalia of his occupation behind him. It is very similar to Peter, Andrew, James and John leaving their boats, their nets and even their family to go with Jesus. It is an unconditional and total following.
Matthew then decides to celebrate his new calling. He invites Jesus and his disciples and also the only friends he has – other sinners and tax collectors. They all sit down together in ‘his’ house. Whose house? It could be the house where Jesus is staying, a house mentioned a number of times in the Gospel and which is a symbol of the Christian community, the place where Jesus gathers with his disciples.
Here, tax collectors and sinners are invited into the house to eat together with Jesus and his followers. This does not indicate that Jesus does not care about their behaviour, but rather that they are being brought under his influence, they are the ‘lost sheep’ being brought back to the Shepherd.
Or it could refer to Matthew’s house. In that case, we see Jesus and his disciples unhesitatingly going into the house of a sinner and accepting his hospitality. Of course, the Pharisees are scandalized:
Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?
As devout followers of the Law, they would never have contact with such people. How can Jesus as a rabbi behave like this?
Jesus answers them very bluntly:
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Matthew and his friends are people in need of healing. Jesus is there to give it to them. And he quotes from the prophet Hosea:
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice. (Hosea 6:6)
Jesus and his true followers are measured by their compassion and care of those in real need. They are not measured by their observation of ritual laws.
In fact, says Jesus, he has come with a special interest in the sinner. Genuinely good people do not really need the services of Jesus. They are the sheep who stay with the flock and close to the Shepherd. Jesus is interested in the stray sheep. This reading has many lessons for us living our Christian life today.
The First Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians is a prayer for unity in a Church where there are many different responsibilities. The Church is the Body of the Risen Christ and, like any body, is a unified organism in which each of its parts has a part to play in contributing to the whole. The source of this unity is that there is one Body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.
But unity is not uniformity. Unity is when different elements merge together in perfect harmony. So Paul goes on to say that there are different callings and responsibilities in the community. And he mentions a few of them – apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. But there are many others. The purpose of these ministries is to equip the members of the community for the work of service and for building up the Body of Christ. It is a beautiful picture of a Christian community. All deeply united in faith and love, and yet each one serving the community with a different responsibility.
We remember Matthew, of course, as an Apostle and also an Evangelist. It was through these charisms that he contributed to the building up of the Church as the Body of the Risen Christ.
Let each one of us recognise the charism in us by which we can serve and build up the Christian community. Let us work together for greater unity while tolerating and even encouraging diversity so that God’s Word can find fertile root in as many of God’s children as possible.
September 15: Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Reading 1 1 Tm 1:1-2, 12-14
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, my true child in faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 16:1b-2a and 5, 7-8, 11
R. (see 5) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
Gospel Jn 19:25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
COMMENTARY ON OUR LADY OF SORROWS
Today’s feast is clearly linked with yesterday when we celebrated the Exaltation of the Cross. Only the Gospel of John records that the “mother of Jesus” stood by the cross with her sister, Mary of Magdala and the “beloved disciple”. In the Synoptic Gospels, women are recorded as standing at some distance from the cross but Mary is not mentioned among them. One can hardly imagine the pain and grief that Mary must have undergone to see her only Son dying in such terrible suffering over a period of several hours. Mary, as the first and greatest disciple of her Son, shared in a very special way in the redeeming death of her Son and Lord.
Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows flourished in the Middle Ages. From that time comes the well-known hymn, Stabat Mater, which we still recite during the Stations of the Cross:
At the Cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Since the 14th century, these seven sorrows have been linked to Mary:
The Prophecy of Simeon – During the Presentation in the Temple, when Simeon foretold that a sword of sorrow would pierce Mary’s heart (Luke 2:22-37).
The Flight into Egypt – When Mary and Joseph took the new-born Jesus to the safety of Egypt to escape the massacre of the children in Bethlehem (Matt 3:16-18).
The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days – When Jesus was 12 years old, he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. After being missing for three days, his distraught parents found Jesus in the Temple in discussion with the teachers of the Law (Luke 2:41-52).
Meeting Jesus on the Way to Calvary – A traditional scene, familiar from the Stations of the Cross, where Jesus meets his mother as he carries his Cross on the way to his crucifixion on Calvary (but not mentioned in Scripture).
The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus – As the Gospel of John tells us, the Mother of Jesus was present at the foot of the Cross and kept vigil with her Son as he died (John 19:25-27).
Jesus Taken Down from the Cross – Again, a traditional scene from the 13th Station of the Cross and also represented in art by the Pieta (though again, there is no scriptural reference for this scene).
Jesus Laid in the Tomb – This is recorded in all four Gospels. The burial took place close to the place of crucifixion because of the coming Sabbath day. It must have been a painfully sad moment for the Mother who must have believed this would be the very last time she would lay eyes on her Son (Matt 28:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-50).
By remembering Mary’s sufferings in this way, we realise how close she was to the redeeming work of her Son. As mentioned, she is his first and closest disciple.
Especially in Mediterranean countries, statues of Our Lady of Sorrows are traditionally carried in processions on the days leading to Good Friday.
No feast in her honour was included in St Pius V’s Tridentine Calendar in 1570. Approval for the celebration of a feast in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows was first granted to the Servite order in 1667. By inserting the feast into the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, Pope Pius VII extended the celebration to the whole of the Latin Church in 1814. It was assigned to the third Sunday in September. In 1913, Pope Pius X moved it to 15 September, the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
Our Lady of Sorrows is traditionally depicted in art dressed in black with seven swords piercing her heart. These seven swords symbolize the chief seven sorrows of her life. Devotion to the Sorrows of Mary inspired the works of art we call the Pieta, the grieving Mother holding her dead Son in her arms, after he has been taken down from the Cross.
September 14: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Reading 1 NM 21:4B-9
With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!"
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us."
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses, "Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live." Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Reading 2 PHIL 2:6-11
Brothers and sisters: 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 the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Alleluia
Gospel JN 3:13-17
Jesus said to Nicodemus: "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Reflection:
The Cross is one of the most central objects of the Christian faith. It is the symbol of God’s love for us expressed by the self-sacrificing death of Jesus, his Incarnate Son.
The public veneration of the Cross originated in the fourth century. According to legend it began with the miraculous discovery of the True Cross by Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, on 14 September 326 while she was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was then built at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine. The church was dedicated nine years later, with a portion of the cross placed inside it in 335. This was a two-day festival. Although the actual consecration of the church was on September 13, the cross itself was brought outside the church on September 14 so that the clergy and faithful could come forward to venerate it.
In the year 627, during the reign of the Emperor Heraclius I of Constantinople, the Persians conquered the city of Jerusalem and removed a major part of the Cross from its sanctuary. The emperor determined to recover the relic which he regarded as the new Ark of the Covenant for the new People of God. Before leaving Constantinople with his army, Heraclius went to the church wearing black in a spirit of penance; prostrated himself before the altar and begged God to sustain his courage. In the ensuing war, the emperor was victorious. One of the conditions of a peace treaty was the return of the Cross, in the same condition as when it was removed. On his return to Constantinople Heraclius was received by the acclamations of the people. They came out to meet him with olive branches and torches. The Cross was honoured with a grand triumph.
The emperor then wished to give thanks to God by going in person to return the Cross to Jerusalem, after an absence of 14 years. In Jerusalem, he wished to carry the Cross on his shoulders but on reaching the gate leading to Calvary, he could not go forward. He was astonished and his retinue could not understand. “Take care, O Emperor!” the Patriarch Zachary then said to him. “In truth, the imperial clothing you are wearing does not sufficiently resemble the poor and humiliated condition of Jesus carrying His cross.” Heraclius then removed his shoes and bejewelled robes. Wearing a poor man’s tunic, he was able to proceed to Calvary and replace the Cross. It is said the occasion was marked by a number of miracles: a dead man returning to life, four paralytics cured, ten lepers healed, 15 blind men given their sight, several possessed people exorcised and many sick people totally healed.
September 8 Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 Mi 5:1-4a
The LORD says: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.
Rom 8:28-30
Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 13:6ab, 6c
R. (Isaiah 61:10) With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
Let me sing of the LORD, "He has been good to me."
Mt 1:18-23
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 he 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."
The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Clearly there is no historical record of the birth of Mary. The Church does believe, however, that from the very moment of her conception she was totally free from sin and remained free of sin for her whole life. It was not acceptable that Jesus, the Son of God, should be conceived in a body tainted by sin. Her birth is clearly something to celebrate. The Church, too, has given names to her parents – Joachim and Ann, whose feast we celebrated on 26 July.
Churches both in the East, in Constantinople, and in the West, in Rome, have been celebrating Mary’s birth since the 6th and 7th centuries. The liturgy traces its origins to the consecration of a church in Jerusalem, known as St Ann’s Basilica, in the 6th century. Before that there had been a 5th century basilica in honour of Mary on a site known as the “Shepherd’s Field” and supposedly the home of Joachim and Ann. It was replaced by a new basilica in the 6th century which was consecrated to St Ann.
Monks from the East brought the feast to Rome in the 7th century. From there it spread through the western Church. By the 13th century it had been raised to a solemnity with a major octave and a vigil which was a fast day. Pope Sergius I (687-701) instituted a procession from the Roman Forum to the basilica of St. Mary Major for the feast.
Following the liturgical reforms of Pope St Pius X, the feast had just a simple octave and in 1955, Pope Pius XII abolished the octave altogether. The liturgy now has the rank of feast.
The date, September 8, was chosen as the octave day of the former Byzantine New Year. Although the feast was celebrated on various dates over the centuries, September 8 predominated. The feast celebrating Mary’s conception without sin on December 8, was later set to correspond to nine months preceding Mary’s birth (just as the Annunciation precedes the Birth of Jesus by nine months).
In the Eastern Church, Mary’s birthday is celebrated as one of the twelve great liturgies. The title for the liturgy in the East is: “The Birth of Our Exalted Queen, the Birthgiver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary”.
Commentary on Micah 5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30; Psalm 12; Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
The Gospel reading is the genealogy of Jesus as given by Matthew at the beginning of his Gospel. It is largely an artificial composition divided into three sets of 14 generations – 42 altogether. It begins with Abraham, the Father of God’s people and there follow many names from the biblical account in the Hebrew Testament.
It is a very mixed group of people, including the very good and the not good at all. There are also four women in the list, each of them with a special interest of their own. It represents the very diverse history of loyalty and infidelity which was the story of God’s people. Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, is truly identified with our world.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… (John 1:14)
He dwelt among all of us, the good, the bad and indifferent. Mary, too, was born into this world and, with her Son, and, though, like him, without sin is fully part of it. The ancestry leads down to Joseph, the “husband of Mary”. But it is of Mary that Jesus the Messiah is born.
There is a choice of texts for the First Reading. The first comes from the prophet Micah. He has been speaking against the rulers of Israel who are paying dearly for their sinful ways. In today’s passage he is speaking of the restoration of Israel through a Messiah. Just before today’s passage he speaks against Jerusalem (called Bat-gader) which is under siege by the Assyrians. But in today’s passage he contrasts the powerful ruler of Israel under siege with the tiny city and clan of Bethlehem-Ephrathah who are:
…too little to be among the clans of Judah…
For, from this tiny, insignificant place:
…shall come forth…one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
His origins are from the royal Davidic line.
The Lord will give up these people until the time:
when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
“She who is in labor has given birth” is a clear reference to Mary, mother of the Messiah. And that Son with the strength of Yahweh:
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock…he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
The Gospels will show how all of these predictions are fulfilled in Jesus. And the birth of the Incarnate Messiah comes through Mary. It is not surprising, then, that we celebrate the birth of such a person in a very special way. And that she herself, in preparation for this, should be blessed with special favours and graces.
The second choice for the First Reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Romans. He speaks of how all are picked out specially by God:
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
This is an important statement for us to take on board. We see it in Mary’s acceptance of the angel’s invitation, even though she did not fully understand its implication at the time.
Like Mary, all of us have been called to be “conformed to the image of his Son”, so that he becomes the first among many brothers and sisters. Mary, too, was of course, even as Mother, totally conformed to the Way of her Son. The last words also apply in a special way to Mary:
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Mary, from the first moment of her existence, was totally conformed to the will of her Son, and so deserves the special glory which she merited after her death
August 24: Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
Reading 1 Rv 21:9b-14
The angel spoke to me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
Gospel Jn 1:45-51
Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth." But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Commentary on Revelation 21:9-14; Psalm 144; John 1:45-51
The Gospel reading speaks of the calling of Nathanael. Just before this Jesus had invited Philip to be a disciple. Philip then went to find Nathanael and told him:We have found him about whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.
Philip says “we”, which may indicate the two other disciples Jesus had called earlier, Andrew and an unnamed disciple, and perhaps Peter as well, who was brought to Jesus by Andrew, his brother.
Nathanael rather dismissively comments:Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
He regarded it as a backwater not likely to produce the Messiah, the expected King of Israel. But, when he meets Jesus, Jesus immediately greets him with the words: Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!
It is wonderful praise for anyone and it clearly takes Nathanael aback. Startled, Nathanael replied:Where did you get to know me?
Jesus replies: I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.
The fig tree is a symbol of messianic peace, but it is not clear how it applies to Nathanael. It is quite clear that Nathanael is completely won over and, in confirmation of Philip’s words earlier, he confesses: Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!
The title ‘Son of God’ is probably being used in a messianic sense but, for the evangelist, it is to be taken in the fullest sense.
Jesus then goes on to say that Nathanael, if he believes, he will see even greater things:
Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.
This, of course, is a reference to the dream that Jacob had of angels going up and down on a ladder between heaven and earth.
Applied to Jesus, it will mean that Nathanael will see God coming down to earth through the works of Jesus and glory being given to God through these works. The final glory will be when Jesus is lifted up on the Cross and returns to be united with his Father.
Although the reading does not mention the name of Bartholomew, its content can be applied to him and indeed to any of the disciples. It is not possible to say whether Nathanael and Bartholomew were one and the same person.
The First Reading is from the Book of Revelation (Apocalypse). It is a description of the New Jerusalem, which is the Church both now and in the future. It is called the Bride of Christ and gleams with the splendour of God.
At the end of the reading we are told that the wall of the city had 12 courses of stones for its foundation. On these stones were inscribed the names of the 12 Apostles of the Lamb. Their teaching of all that they heard from Jesus formed the foundation of the Christian community. Among them, of course, was Bartholomew.
AUGUST 14: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 RV 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB
God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 45:10, 11, 12, 16
R. (10bc) The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father’s house.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
Reading 2 1 COR 15:20-27
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.”
Gospel LK 1:39-56
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Commentary on Revelation 11:19,12:1-6,10; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26; Luke 1:39-56
Today’s feast celebrates the special place that Mary has in the life of the Church. This place is first of all defined by her being chosen to be the mother of Jesus, his only human parent. This alone gives her a uniqueness which is shared by no other person who has ever lived.
As with the case of Jesus’ resurrection, we need to look at the meaning of what the feast is about rather than being too literal in our understanding of how it is described. It is probably not helpful to try to imagine that, as soon as Mary’s dead body was laid in the grave, it immediately, as it were, escaped from its earthly darkness and floated up “body and soul” into “heaven”.
By using the image “assumed body and soul into heaven”, what is really being said is that Mary, because of the dignity of her motherhood and her own personal submission to God’s will at every stage of her life, takes precedence over everyone in the sharing of God’s glory which is the destiny of all of us who die united with Christ her Son.
She remains, of course, fully a human being and infinitely lower in dignity than her Son and much closer to us. With us but leading us, she stands in adoration of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. She cannot, even in glory, be given in any way the worship that is proper to the Persons of the Trinity. What she can do is to intercede for us in our needs, offering her human prayers on our behalf. This is something our non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters do not always understand and perhaps we Catholics have by our words and actions given a distorted idea of the place of Mary in our Christian living.
Mary’s role is well described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity. Thus she is a ‘pre-eminent and… wholly unique member of the Church’; indeed, she is the ‘exemplary realisation’ (Latin:typus) of the Church.” (Section 967)
Today’s Gospel is the story of Mary’s visitation to her cousin, Elizabeth, when both were expecting their first child. The story contains most of the elements which contribute to the status we give to Mary in our Church.
First, we see Mary setting out with haste from Nazareth to a small town in the hills of Judea, not far from Jerusalem (where Zechariah served as a priest in the Temple), to visit her older cousin, Elizabeth, who was pregnant with the child we know as John the Baptist. Mary herself, of course, is carrying her own child, Jesus. It is highly significant that it is Mary and Jesus who go to visit Elizabeth and John. Already in the womb, Jesus is showing that urge to serve rather than be served. Mary, too, shares that urge. And, at the presence of Jesus and his mother, the child in Elizabeth’s womb jumps for joy.
Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, excitedly bursts out into praise. She recognises the special position of Mary and her Son:
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Mary is indeed unique and blessed in being chosen to be the mother of our saving King and Lord. Elizabeth is deeply moved that it is Jesus and his Mother that come to her and John:
And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
And yet that is what is happening to each of us all the time, and especially in every celebration of the Eucharist when the Lord comes to us in the sharing of his Word and in the breaking of the bread and our sharing in the cup.
And there is a special word of praise for Mary also:
Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.
This brings us to the second characteristic of Mary: her faith and total trust in God. That was expressed in her fiat (“Let it be done to me…”), when, even though not fully understanding what was being asked of her, she unconditionally accepted to submit to God’s plan.
It is now Mary’s turn to sing God’s praises in the lovely song we call the Magnificat, which the Church sings at its evening prayer every day. It is full of reflections on what makes Mary great in the eyes of God.
He has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Mary was a simple unmarried girl living in obscurity in a small town in an out of the way Roman province. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked rather cynically when told where Jesus came from. But in the New Covenant, reflecting God’s own bias, it is the lowly and obscure who are specially favoured. Mary’s greatness does not come from her social status; it has no relevance whatever in God’s eyes, except in so far as those at the bottom of the social ladder tend to be denied a fair share of this world’s goods.
From now on all generations will call me blessed.
This is not a statement made in arrogance but in humble thanksgiving and, of course, has been true since the day it was uttered. It was indeed an extraordinary grace to be chosen to be the mother of the world’s Saviour. Why Mary? we might ask; and Mary herself would be the first to agree. But she rejoices and is deeply grateful for being chosen for this privilege.
Her being chosen is simply another sign of God’s desire that the poor, the weak, the marginalized, the exploited and discriminated against in this world should be the special recipients of God’s love and care. Mary expresses this in the last part of her song:
He has shown strength with his arm;
He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
The rich and powerful of Mary’s day: where are they now? Who were they? For the most part they have disappeared from sight while the little girl of Nazareth is still celebrated round the world.
But Mary’s greatness does not stop at the graces and privileges which were showered on her. These, after all, were purely passive in the sense they were gifts given to her. In a telling scene in the Gospel, a woman who had been listening to Jesus suddenly cried out in a loud voice:
Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!
In our own language today we might say: “May God bless the mother who produced such a wonderful son as you!” And there is a deep truth here, namely, the influence that Mary (and Joseph, too) actually had in the formation of her Son. But Jesus immediately picked up the woman’s words and said:
No, blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.
In other words, it is not the graces that God gives us which make us great but the manner in which we receive and respond to them.
Mary’s greatness was not just in being chosen to be Jesus’ mother but in her total acceptance of that responsibility in faith and trust, accepting blindly all that it might entail. And, indeed, she had no idea the price she would have to pay to be the mother of Jesus. But, again, like her Son, she had emptied herself in total service to his Father and today we celebrate her reward, her being raised to the highest place among the human race.
This is indirectly expressed in the Second Reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians where Paul is speaking of the resurrection of Christ as crucial to the validity of our Christian faith. And Christ, the Son of God made flesh, who died on the cross is indeed the very first among the risen, seated at the right hand of his Father. He is, in Paul’s words, “the first fruits of those who have died”.
But, further on Paul says:
…for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in their own order.
Jesus is first of all, but next in order surely comes his Mother.
The First Reading from the Book of Revelation has clearly been chosen as a symbolic description of Mary in glory. There is first a brief vision of God’s temple in the New Jerusalem opening and revealing the ark of the covenant within. The original ark, of course, a chest made of acacia wood, contained the tablets of the Law and was kept in the Holy of Holies as the pledge of God’s promise, his covenant, to be with his people. But this is the ark of the New Covenant, the permanent home of God among his people, the Risen Jesus in his Body, the Church. On today’s feast, the image is applied to Mary, who bore the maker of the New Covenant within herself. And so she is called in the Litany of Our Lady, “Ark of the Covenant”.
Next, there is a much longer description of the vision of a woman appearing from heaven. The woman is Israel, from whom was born the Messiah, and the community which believed in him. The description of the woman is often applied to Mary in statues and images:
Clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet…on her head a crown of twelve stars.
The woman is described as being pregnant, crying out in birth pangs and in the agony of giving birth. This recalls the words of God to our first parents after the fall, of the pain that would accompany childbirth. But the child being born is the Messiah, seen both as an individual and leader of the new Israel. The mother who bears him is suffering from persecution and oppression. As tradition holds that Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth, the image cannot be applied fully to her.
There follows an apocalyptic description of a dragon threatening to devour the child as soon as it is born. The dragon (along with the serpent) was seen in Jewish tradition as representing the power of evil, the enemy both of God and his people. Its tail sweeping a third of the stars from the sky is an allusion to the fall of those angels who sided with Lucifer. Nevertheless, the child is born. He is a son, who will rule all the nations with a rod of iron. He is the promised Messiah. However, he is described as immediately being snatched away and taken up to God. This refers to the ascension and triumph of the Messiah which follows the dragon’s fall.
Meanwhile, the woman, the mother, flees into the wilderness, the traditional refuge for the persecuted. God has prepared a place there for her where she can be nourished for 1,260 days, which corresponds to the time of the persecution.
It must be first of all emphasised that the writer is not directly thinking of Mary here and clearly, not all of this passage can be directly applied to her. But Mary is the mother of Jesus, who in his Body, is the continuation of God’s presence among us. Mary now stands glorious and bejewelled in the presence of her Son and his Father with the Spirit.
Today we join in her happiness. We look forward to the day when we too can share it with her. In the meantime, we ask her to remember us as we continue our journey on earth and to intercede for us with her Son that we may remain faithful to our call as faithful disciples. May we know God’s will for us at all times and, like Mary, say our unconditional Yes to what he wants for us.
August 10 Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr
Reading 1 2 Cor 9:6-10
Brothers and sisters: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written: He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.
The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9
R. (5) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.
Lavishly he gives to the poor,
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
GospelJn 12:24-26
Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me."
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; Psalm 111; John 12:24-26
The Gospel reading for the feast is from John and presents an ideal image of Laurence. Just before today’s reading begins we are told by John that some ‘Greeks’ had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. They were non-Jews who had probably converted to the Jewish faith. It is clear, too, that in Jerusalem they had heard people talking about Jesus and what he was saying and doing.
So they approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They may have approached him because ‘Philip’ (Filippos, literally ‘one who loves horses’) was a Greek name. They also probably knew that Philip was with Jesus so they said to him, “We would like to see Jesus.” Philip then went to consult with his fellow disciple, Andrew (another Greek name, Andreas) and they both went to Jesus with the request.
It is at this point that our reading begins. Jesus answers their request in what seems a very strange and enigmatic manner. He says three things:
-Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
-Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.
-Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.
In fact, this is a very clear answer to the ‘Greeks’. They asked to ‘see’ Jesus, but just to lay one’s eyes on him was not to see him. To see Jesus fully or properly requires that one have an insight and understanding of the inner mind of Christ. So Jesus cannot be ‘seen’ or understood unless one grasps the purpose and meaning of his death and resurrection. In order for it to be fruitful, a grain of wheat has to fall into the ground and effectively be disintegrated so that it will be transformed into a new plant which in time will reproduce itself many times over.
This is exactly what Jesus will do. He will surrender his life through his suffering and death on the cross only to rise again in new life. But not only that, he will bring new life to countless numbers of people who, inspired by him, will become other ‘Christs’. And that is what we celebrate in the Eucharist when we take the bread, the fruit of wheat grains, and say the words:
This [bread] is my Body which will be handed over for you.
And we then share this Bread as a sign of our total identification with the Vision and the Way of Jesus.
And that is why Jesus says that not only must he die, but all who wish to follow his Way will also have to be ready to surrender their lives, will have to be grains of wheat losing themselves to bring more life to others. All who serve Jesus must go his Way, because where Jesus is, his servant is there too.
All of this, of course, applies beautifully to Laurence who gave his life so generously for the sake of the Gospel. His death was an inspiration to large numbers of people who were inspired by his example.
Laurence, like the grain of wheat, fell to the ground and died, but out of his death, life came for many. Far from being wiped out, the persecuted Church only flourished and continued to flourish, and it continues to thrive in easier, but still challenging conditions.
In the First Reading which is from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, he is urging the Christians of Corinth to be generous in giving help to the impoverished Christian community in Jerusalem. As they excel in many Christian virtues, he wants them to excel, too, in their generosity to their brothers and sisters in need.
Paul says he is not ordering or compelling them, but rather putting it up as a test of their love and concern. And he gives the example of Jesus himself who became poor, who emptied himself, that we might be enriched, enriched in those things which really matter:
Although Jesus was rich, he became poor that by his poverty you might become rich.
Laurence was noted for his generosity in helping the poor and needy. And it is a message that we need to learn and to live that the real source of riches is not in accumulating things for ourselves, but in giving to others from the gifts we have received.
AUGUST 6: Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Reading 1 Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
As I watched: Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw: One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 R. (1a and 9a)
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
Reading 2 2 Pt 1:16-19
Beloved: We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Gospel Mt 17:1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid." And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
Note about Commentary:
The Transfiguration of the Lord commemorates an event in the life of Jesus as recorded by the Synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is not recorded in John’s gospel. It is also referred to in the Second Letter of Peter, which is used as an alternate weekday reading or as the Second Reading on a Sunday. One each of the three Gospel versions is read according to the Liturgical cycle of Years A, B, and C. The three versions are very similar, so this single reflection is given to cover all three years.
In all three Synoptic gospels the story of the Transfiguration occurs in the same context, and that context is significant. Today’s verses are in the middle of the Gospel account and things have been building up to a climax. As the disciples spend more time with Jesus, as they hear what he is saying and see what he is doing, they must have been asking, “Who is this Rabbi to whom we have attached ourselves; who is this Jesus?” Strangely, the answer comes from their own mouths.
One day, when Jesus was with them, he asked them:
“Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
Jesus was using this strange title of himself. Based on what they must have been hearing from people around them, they said there were various speculative answers – John the Baptist (resurrected from the dead), Elijah (ditto) or some other of the prophets.
Jesus then pressed them further:
“But who do you say I am?”
It is then that Peter speaks up:
“You are the Messiah, the Christ.”
It was a peak moment in their relationship with Jesus, and an exciting one. How their imaginations must have begun to work on what it meant to be so closely associated with the Messiah, the King who would be the Saviour and Liberator of Israel! What glories and privileges awaited them as his disciples!
But almost immediately, Jesus begins to speak in a very different way. For the first time (it will happen three times altogether) he tells them what is future is going to be. And it must have come as a terrible shock. Jesus told them he was going to suffer greatly, be rejected by the leaders of their own people, be killed and then rise again after three days. They could not believe their ears. How could this happen to the Messiah? How could their own leaders do such a thing? And what would it mean for the dazzling future they saw dangling before their eyes?
The impetuous Peter immediately stepped forward. He cried:
“This cannot happen to you!”
He can hardly have expected the reaction of Jesus:
“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me!”
And while they are recovering from this, Jesus continues by saying that not only will he himself suffer but, if they want to be his disciples, they will have to be ready to walk the same road:
Those who wish to follow me must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.
It is after this depressing situation of disillusionment and incomprehension that the Transfiguration takes place. We are told that six days later (eight days in Luke) Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John up a high mountain by themselves. The identity of the mountain is not given and it is not important. In the Scriptures, mountains are holy places and special things always happen there – we think for instance of Mount Sinai (Moses), Mount Carmel (Elijah), the Sermon on the Mountain, the Feeding of the 5,000, and Calvary (Golgotha), a hill outside Jerusalem.
There before them Jesus is suddenly transformed, dazzlingly bright. They can hardly look on him. Suddenly there appear with him Moses and Elijah. They represent the whole Jewish tradition of the Law and the Prophets. They are seen talking with Jesus. The message is clear. They fully endorse what Jesus is doing and saying and the future he has foretold about himself.
Peter becomes utterly confused. He suggests the building of three shelters – one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. As Mark comments:
“He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.”
But that was not all. Just then, a cloud came down and covered them. This was not just a change in the weather. To the biblical mind it spoke of only one thing – the presence of Yahweh himself. And then out of the cloud came a voice; it could only be the voice of One Being:
“This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
Here now is the supreme endorsement of the Son by his Father. “Listen to him.” Yes, listen, even when he says things that you don’t like, things that you do not yet understand. It is a confirmation of all that has gone on before – the real identity of who Jesus is and the reliability of everything that he says will happen to him and what is expected of them.
It is a special moment of encouragement which will help carry them through the difficult days ahead. They already have the answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” But now they have to learn the answer to a more important question, “What kind of Messiah is Jesus going to be?” They will not fully appropriate that until after the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus when they will boldly continue his mission and not hesitate to carry their cross in doing so.
Let us follow in their footsteps. That is where true happiness and fulfilment lie.
The First Reading is from the Book of Daniel and records a vision that Daniel had of God in glory and it echoes the scene that is described in the Gospel:
The Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was snow bright and the hair on his head as white as wool…a surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat.
The Second Reading is from the Second Letter of Peter where he says he and his companions are not dispensing clever myths, but he claims to be a first-hand witness of the glory that was behind Jesus. Referring to the Transfiguration experience he says they had been “eye-witnesses of his majesty”. He and his companions heard the words of confirmation coming from God in his glory:
“This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
They heard this voice which came:
“…from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.”
Hence, the message that he and his companions are now proclaiming is “altogether reliable” and we should take it very seriously. Because, he says in a lovely phrase, this message is:
“…light shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
JULY 22: Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
Reading 1SGS 3:1-4B
The Bride says: On my bed at night I sought him whom my heart loves– I sought him but I did not find him. I will rise then and go about the city; in the streets and crossings I will seek Him whom my heart loves. I sought him but I did not find him. The watchmen came upon me, as they made their rounds of the city: Have you seen him whom my heart loves? I had hardly left them when I found him whom my heart loves.
OR 2 Cor 5:14-17
Brothers and sisters: The love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all; therefore, all have died. He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.
Responsorial PsalmPS 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9R. (2) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Gospel JN 20:1-2, 11-18
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her.
JANUARY 28: FEAST OF SAINT THOMAS, APOSTLE
READING 1 EPH 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM117:1BC, 2
R. (MARK 16:15) GO OUT TO ALL THE WORLD AND TELL THE GOOD NEWS.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
GOSPEL JN 20:24-29
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Commentary on Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 116; John 20:24-29
Today’s Gospel reading recalls the scene after Jesus’ resurrection when Jesus appeared to his disciples in the upper room. They first saw him on Easter Sunday, the day of the resurrection, but for some reason, Thomas was not with them. When, later on, they told Thomas they had seen the Lord, he absolutely refused to believe them. He said that unless he saw with his own eyes the mark of the nails in Jesus’ hands and was able to put his hands into the wound in Jesus’ side, he would not believe.
Then, exactly a week later, when they were all gathered together again and Thomas was with them, Jesus suddenly appeared although the doors were again locked. After giving them a greeting of peace, he immediately addressed Thomas.
Put your fingers here and see my hands, bring your hand and put it in my side. Do not be unbelieving but believe.
Thomas is clearly overwhelmed. He can only burst out, My Lord and my God!
It is clearly a statement of deep faith. He is the only person in the Gospel to address Jesus directly as ‘God’. And it seems to have been made without his touching the body of his Risen Lord.
Jesus then says: Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.
Two comments can be made. First, Thomas in fact went beyond what he was seeing. He saw the Risen Jesus but he addressed him as God. That was something which went beyond just seeing; it was a statement of faith.
Second, the rest of the statement is addressed to us. None of us has ever seen the Risen Jesus, but we firmly believe that he did rise from the dead and is in glory with the Father. It is on the basis of that act of faith that our Christian life is founded.
The First Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians reminds us that our membership of the Christian community is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus himself as the headstone. Thomas is part of that foundation. And it is through Jesus that the whole structure of the Christian community is held together and “grows into a temple sacred to the Lord”.
In the Risen Jesus, we are “being built together into a dwelling place of God”. We, as Paul says elsewhere, the Temple of the Lord, the Body of Christ, his visible presence on earth. A huge privilege and a huge responsibility for each one of us. As Jesus once said:
Who sees you, sees Me.
This is the faith that Jesus spoke of to Thomas. Are we really aware of this?
JUNE 24: SOLEMNITY OF THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Reading 1IS 49:1-6
Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial Psalm139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 14C-15R.
(14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
Reading 2 ACTS 13:22-26
In those days, Paul said: “God raised up David as king; of him God testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish. From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’ “My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent.”
Gospel LK 1:57-66, 80
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Commentary on Isaiah 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66,80
John came to bear witness to the light, to prepare an upright people for the Lord.
JOHN THE BAPTIST played a unique role in the history of God’s people. He acted as the bridge between the Hebrew and Christian Testaments. He basically belongs to the former but was present at the beginnings of the latter. At the same time he died before Jesus had completed his work and before the Church came into existence.
Jesus praised his greatness but at the same time said that even the least in the Kingdom was greater than he. While he knew and proclaimed Jesus as the one that all were waiting for and the thongs of whose sandals he was not worthy to loose, he never saw Jesus as his Risen Lord, a privileged granted to the very least of the baptised.
His primary title is Precursor. His mission was to go ahead of the Messiah and proclaim his coming. As he said modestly himself, Jesus must increase while he himself must decrease. The success of his mission would eventually make him redundant. And that is still the role of the missionary today – to plant the church and then withdraw, leaving it in the hands of the new local community.
Many parallels
Today we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. In Luke’s gospel there are many parallels between the birth of John and that of Jesus. Both births were announced in advance: in John’s case to his father Zechariah and in Jesus’ case to his mother Mary.
The birth of John was a special blessing to his parents, who were already advanced in age, and particularly to Elizabeth. So when the birth took place it was a special occasion of rejoicing among relatives and neighbours. When they heard “that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy”. Everyone knew what a shame it was for a woman not to give a child, especially a son, to her husband.
In accordance with custom the child was circumcised on the eighth day after birth. This ritual showed that the child belonged to God’s own people. It was also the day on which the child was officially named. In accordance with prevailing custom, it was expected that the child would be called Zechariah after his father. But Elizabeth interjected to say that he should be called John. This came as a surprise as there was no one of that name in the family.
The father was then consulted. Because he had doubted the angel’s words at the announcement of his son’s conception, Zechariah had been struck dumb. He was possibly also deaf because the people communicated to him by signs. He replied by writing on a tablet: “His name is John.” This was the name the angel said should be given to the new-born child. This act of obedience on the part of Zechariah resulted in his speech coming back and his glorifying God. “The neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.” The whole event was clearly understood as a direct intervention of God.
And people began to wonder about the child in front of them. “What will the child turn out to be?” they asked. All the circumstances of his birth indicated that he was no ordinary child and that God had a special mission for him.
In the desert
In words similar to those used of Jesus, we are told that the boy grew up and matured. Probably his elderly parents died while he was young and he went to live in the Desert of Judea, which lies between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. And it was there, along the banks of the River Jordan that he began his public preaching. He would have been about 30 years of age, the same age as his cousin, Jesus.
His calling to serve the Lord is expressed in the passage from Isaiah in the First Reading. “The Lord called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.” His unexpected birth was revealed to his father and his name given to him.
“He made my mouth a sharp sword… he made me into a sharpened arrow…” express John’s effectiveness as a prophet and herald. The reading also implies the suffering and frustrations that were part of John’s life. In the end he was thrown into prison and, on the whim of Herod’s illegitimate wife, executed. But his life was not in vain. He became, in the words of the reading, “the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”.
John was the last and in some ways the greatest of the Hebrew Testament prophets. As the preface for today’s Mass says he was chosen “from all the prophets to show the world its redeemer, the Lamb of sacrifice”. It was he, who in John’s gospel, points out Jesus to his disciples as the “Lamb of God”.
Apart from preaching a message of repentance and conversion to the large number of people who came to hear him, he “baptised Christ, the giver of baptism, in waters made holy by the one who was baptised”.
He is presented as a man of total honesty and integrity. Perhaps it was this which attracted so many to come and hear him. And because of this he ultimately lost his life when he denounced King Herod who had married his brother’s wife. He was “found worthy of a martyr’s death, his last and greatest act of witness to your Son”.
A model for all of us
John the Baptist’s life has a special meaning for all of us. We are, through our baptism, also called to be precursors of the Lord. Our baptism imposes on us an obligation to share our faith and to give witness to the Way of Jesus, both in word and action. There is no other way by which the average person can come to know and experience the love of Christ.
It is well put by Paul, writing to the church at Rome a long time ago: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!’” (Romans 10:13-16)
In that sense, we are all called to be “preachers”. Our lives individually and collectively are meant to send out a message and an invitation: “Come and join us and share our experience of faith, love and fellowship.” If we are honest, we know that we do not do that nearly enough and often give an opposite message altogether. As the unbeliever Nietzsche said, “If they want me to be Christian they will have to look as if they are saved.” The signals we send out as individuals, as families, as parish are really the only way that people who are searching for meaning in their lives may be led to find that meaning in the Gospel.
Let us ask John the Baptist today to help us by the way we live our lives to clear a path which will draw people closer to knowing and experiencing Christ.
JUNE 29: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Reading I Acts 12:1-11In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. –It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.– He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf.
On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter recovered his senses and said,
“Now I know for certain
that the Lord sent his angel
and rescued me from the hand of Herod
and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”
Responsorial Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9R. (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
Reading II 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.
The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Mt 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Commentary on Acts 12:1-11 2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 Matthew 16:13-19
On this day we celebrate a special feast of the Church, symbolised by the two great apostles, Peter and Paul. They were the two men around whom the mission of Jesus to establish the Kingdom was centred and from whom it grew and spread to every corner of the world. As the preface for today’s Mass puts it:
“Peter raised up the church from the faithful flock of Israel. Paul brought your call to the nations, and became the teacher of the world. Each in his chosen way gathered into unity the one family of Christ. Both shared a martyr’s death and are praised throughout the world.
Each one represents two very distinct roles of the Church in its mission to the world.
Source of stability
Peter represents that part of the Church which gives it stability:
Peter today is represented by the pope, who is the great symbol of unity and continuity. Without his role, we would see the Church break up and disintegrate, which has happened to a large extent with those parts of the Church that broke away from the central body. A number of the mainline non-Catholic Christian churches realise today the importance of that central role of Peter and they are trying to find ways by which we could all become one Church again, ways by which diversity could be recognised, but divisions removed, that all who believe in Christ might find and express that unity (but not uniformity) for which Christ prayed during the Last Supper.
Prophetic role
Paul, on the other hand, represents another key role, the prophetic and missionary role. It is that part of the Church which constantly works on the edge, pushing the boundaries of the Church further out, not only in a geographical sense, but also pushing the concerns of the Church into neglected areas of social concern and creatively developing new ways of communicating the Christian message. This is the Church which is semper reformanda, a Church which needs to be constantly renewed.
This renewal is spurred on by the Church’s contact with the surrounding world. This world is itself changing and, in our own times, changing with bewildering speed. Not only new technologies but new knowledge and new ideas continue to surface. Our rapidly changing societies call on us to express the core of our faith in new ways.
As a theologian once said, “The world writes the agenda for the Church.” That does not mean that the Church is to conform to the ways of the world – quite the contrary. What it does mean is that the Church’s evangelising work has to be in response to where people actually are. It is no good just handing out the same old things in the same old way. If the Church is to remain relevant, if it is to continue speaking in a meaningful way to rapidly changing world, if it is to keep up with the new knowledge and ideas which change our ways of understanding the world in which we live, it has to renew itself constantly:
The world may not like what the Church has to say, but it should be able to understand it and be stimulated by it.
New challenges
A changing world involves new challenges of what is right and wrong, a changing world brings about new social problems, new forms of poverty, of injustice, of exploitation and discrimination, of lack of freedom and the absence of peace.
Hence there have to be new ways of preaching and witnessing to the Gospel of truth, of love, of justice, of freedom, of peace. For this we need the prophetic role of the Church, built on the foundations of tradition and continuity. We have to avoid the two tendencies either of digging in and looking only to the past, or of neglecting the traditions and bringing in innovations with no foundations.
When faced with difficult situations, Catholics tend either to dig in and become fundamentalist, or to throw in the towel completely. Neither is helpful either to the Church or to society.
God’s accompanying presence
The readings today emphasise the presence of God in the work of his Church. Peter’s faith and acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah-Christ and Saviour-King are rewarded by his being made the foundation on which Christ will build his Church. Through Peter, Jesus gives his Church a guarantee of never-ending protection. And he gives to Peter, as his representative, the powers, which he himself had received from the Father, the “keys of the Kingdom”.
Through the centuries, the Church has been battered and countless efforts made to wipe it out, but it continues to benefit from Christ’s promise and overall to grow in numbers. And as long as it remains faithful to the principles it received from Christ, principles which are of the very nature of God, and consonant with the deepest longings of human nature, it cannot fail. Truth and love cannot be suppressed
.
Doing the only thing possible
We see that in the First Reading where Peter is thrown into jail for preaching the message of Christ and the Kingdom. As Paul, who was himself in prison more than once, will say later, the word of God cannot be bound. Peter finds release and then goes back to the only thing he can do – proclaiming the message of his beloved Master. The miraculous release from prison symbolises that protection over his Church which Jesus had promised in the Gospel. It is significant too that Peter’s imprisonment occurred during Passover week, the same week in which Jesus himself was arrested and suffered.
A well-spent life
Paul in the Second Reading speaks first with gratitude of how his life has been spent in the service of his Lord:
I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith.
May we be able to say the same as we approach the end of our life. Paul also speaks of how God continued to protect him through all kinds of trials and persecutions.
The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the non-believers to hear.
He too knows that the Lord will continue to protect him but he also knows that when his time comes, he is ready to go.
Paul’s love for Jesus is so intense that he finds it difficult to choose between staying alive and working for the Kingdom, or dying and being reunited with Jesus, his beloved Lord. As he said once in a memorable phrase,
For to me life is Christ, to die is gain.
In either case, he is with his beloved Lord.
Ever old, ever new
As we celebrate this feast today, let us both remain faithful to the traditions which have come down to us over 2,000 years ago, but at the same time, be ever ready to make the necessary changes and adaptations by which the message of Christ can be effectively communicated to all those who still have a hunger for that truth and love which over the centuries never changes.
Let us pray today:
In other words, what agenda is our local society writing for our local church?
Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Reading 1DT 7:6-11
Moses said to the people:"You are a people sacred to the LORD, your God; he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own. It was not because you are the largest of all nations that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you, for you are really the smallest of all nations. It was because the LORD loved you and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers, that he brought you out with his strong hand from the place of slavery, and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and keep his commandments, but who repays with destruction a person who hates him; he does not dally with such a one, but makes them personally pay for it. You shall therefore carefully observe the commandments, the statutes and the decrees that I enjoin on you today."
Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 10.R. (cf. 17)
The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and forget not all his benefits.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
Reading 2 1 JN 4:7-16
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.
This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
Gospel MT 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
MAY 31 FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Gospel Lk 1:39-56
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in hasteto a town of Judah,where she entered the house of Zechariahand greeted Elizabeth.When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,the infant leaped in her womb,and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,cried out in a loud voice and said,"Most blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb.And how does this happen to me,that the mother of my Lord should come to me?For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,the infant in my womb leaped for joy.Blessed are you who believedthat what was spoken to you by the Lordwould be fulfilled."And Mary said:"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed:the Almighty has done great things for me,and holy is his Name.He has mercy on those who fear himin every generation.He has shown the strength of his arm,he has scattered the proud in their conceit.He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,and has lifted up the lowly.He has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty.He has come to the help of his servant Israelfor he has remembered his promise of mercy,the promise he made to our fathers,to Abraham and his children for ever."Mary remained with her about three monthsand then returned to her home.
Commentary on Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Romans 12:9-16; Psalm Isaiah 12:2-6; Luke 1:39-56
Today’s feast commemorates the visit that Mary, already pregnant with Jesus, made to her older cousin, Elizabeth, who was pregnant with the future John the Baptist.
This story comes in the Infancy Narrative of Luke’s gospel immediately after the account of the Annunciation when Mary was asked by the angel to become the mother of Jesus. She had given her unconditional assent to the request, even though at first she found it difficult to understand because, although she was already committed in marriage to Joseph, they had not begun to live together. Nevertheless, after the assurance of the angel, she put herself totally in God’s hands:
See, I am the slave girl of the Lord. Let it happen to me just as you have said.
It is shortly after this that Mary travels south from Galilee to a town in Judah (the province where Jerusalem was). We are told that she went “in haste” as if keen to congratulate her cousin, who strictly speaking was well beyond the age to have a child. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Immediately, the child in Elizabeth’s womb leapt in joyful welcome. It is not Mary who makes the child do this, but rather the Child that Mary is carrying.
Elizabeth, inspired by the Spirit, then cries out: Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
And then she asks in surprise, How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
For there is a surprise here. If anyone should be making the visit, it really should be Elizabeth to the Mother of the Son of God. But no. It is Mary with Jesus who visits. It is an anticipation of something that Jesus will tell his disciples later on:
The Son of Man has come to serve and not to be served.
It is part of this kenosis, the self-emptying of Jesus as part of his mission to communicate God’s love to us.
Elizabeth then goes on with words of praise for Mary herself. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
It is the faith of Mary in God’s word that she praises. Although not having had intimate relations with any man, her trust in the words of the angel have been vindicated – and she is carrying the Child.
It is then that Mary, in response to Elizabeth’s words, speaks her hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God, a hymn we know as the Magnificat, from its first word in the Latin version. It is a hymn which has many resemblances to the hymn that Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel sings, after she, although past child-bearing age, gives birth to her son (1 Sam 2:1-10).
First of all, Mary thanks God for taking notice of Mary in her lowliness. She was a simple girl living in a small town, someone of no consequence in the eyes of the world. Yet, as she rightly foresees, all ages will call her blessed because he has done such great things for her – called her to be the earthly mother of God’s Son, and the instrument by which he would come to share our human nature. And she has words for all those who submit themselves in loving obedience to God: His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
On the contrary, it is those who think they are powerful and strong, those who are arrogant in mind and heart, who meet their downfall, while those who accept their lowliness before God are lifted up.
The hungry he fills with good things while the rich are sent empty away.
The ‘hungry’ are those who are aware that they have nothing of themselves and that all is a gift from God. The rich are those who think they have it all when in truth, they have nothing that lasts. It is a teaching that will go right through the Gospel.
Mary, of course, lived out this prayer all during her life as she supported and stood by her Son to the very end. It seemed to end in disaster at the foot of the Cross, but that was not the end. New life, a life that no one can take away, was to come.
There is a choice of two First Readings. The first is from the prophet Zephaniah and reflects the joy of the Visitation, the joy of the two cousins with their children as they greet each other.
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, Jerusalem!
For indeed the birth of these two children is a cause of joy for all God’s people.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst…The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty saviour. He will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in his love.
Yes, their Saviour is already in their midst but they do not know it yet. They will have to wait another 30 years until Jesus appears on the scene and brings the Good News of his Father. But the beginnings of the story are already here in today’s celebration.
The alternate First Reading suggested for today is from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans. It consists really of instructions on the spirit in which we should live our lives. It summarises, in part, the teaching that Jesus will later communicate to his disciples and all those who make him their Lord. Later, Jesus in his manhood, will communicate these lessons not just by his words, but by the way he lives and relates to all those he encounters.
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 honour.
This is just what we see taking place between Mary and Elizabeth as they meet together. It is the way in which we, too, should behave in dealing with all the people who come into our lives.
Further on, Paul says, Contribute to the needs of the saints [the hagioi, members of the Christian community], exercise hospitality…Bless those who persecute you…Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep…Do not repay anyone evil for evil…If possible, on your part, live in peace with all…”
A challenging programme! But we know that it is the only way to go. Let us, then, today truly give our welcome to Jesus and do that by our every word and action.
MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH
Acts 1:12-14
After Jesus had been taken up to heaven, the Apostlesreturned to Jerusalemfrom the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,a sabbath day’s journey away.When they entered the citythey went to the upper room where they were staying,Peter and John and James and Andrew,Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot,and Judas son of James.All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Responsorial Psalm R.
(3)Glorious things are said of you, O city of God!
His foundation upon the holy mountainstheLORDloves:The gates of Zion,more than any dwelling of Jacob. R.Glorious things are said of you, O city of God!
Glorious things are said of you,O city of God!And of Zion they shall say:“One and all were born in her; And he who has established heris the Most High LORD.”
O city of God!They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:“This man was born there.”And all shall sing, in their festive dance:“My home is within you.”
Gospel Jn 19:25-34
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his motherand his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”Then he said to the disciple,“Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.After this, aware that everything was now finished,in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.”There was a vessel filled with common wine.So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssopand put it up to his mouth.When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,“It is finished.”And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.Now since it was preparation day,in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be brokenand they be taken down.So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the firstand then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,and immediately Blood and water flowed out.
NO REFLECTION AVAILABLE TODAY
Pentecost Sunday Mass during the Day
Reading I Acts 2:1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
the earth is full of your creatures.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
Reading II 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Gospel Jn 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Commentary on Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13; John 20:19-23
Today we round off more than seven weeks of celebrating the Paschal Mystery: Passion and Death – Resurrection – Ascension, Exaltation – Coming of the Holy Spirit. Although in the liturgy it is spread over seven weeks, all the elements are actually there on the cross on Good Friday. At the moment of death Jesus passes to life, is exalted to the Father and breathes forth his Spirit.
Today is also the birthday of the Church. What is the Church? The Church is basically that community and complex of communities spread all over the world which is continuing the visible presence of God and his work by living openly in the Spirit of Jesus and offering its experience of knowing Christ to the world.
The Word was made flesh and lived among us.
These words apply not only to Jesus but to all those who are now the visible Body of the Risen Jesus. It is for each of us, individually and in community, to incarnate the Word of God in our world.
Pentecost day
Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles gives us one account, perhaps the most familiar one, of how the mission of Christ was transferred to his followers. The scene is full of biblical imagery. There was a sound “like the rush of a violent wind”. In Greek the words used here for “wind” and “Spirit” are very similar. The whole house was filled with the very Spirit of God.
Then “divided tongues, as of fire” were seen resting on each person present. Fire, again, speaks of the presence of God himself. God spoke to Moses from out of a burning bush. As the Israelites wandered through the desert on their way to the Promised Land, a pillar of cloud accompanied them by day, and a pillar of fire by night. God was with his people.
The fire here was in the form of tongues, as if to say that each one present was being given the gift and power to speak in the name of God. And in fact: …all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Amazement
Because it was the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the city of Jerusalem was filled with pilgrim Jews from all over the Mediterranean area. They were amazed to hear the disciples speaking to them in their own languages.
How is it that we hear, each of us, in our own language? In our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.
In the Book of Genesis, men tried to build a tower to reach right up to heaven. For such arrogance, they were punished by being made to speak in different languages. No longer able to communicate, they could not finish their project.
Now the time of the Tower of Babel is reversed. The disciples have a message which is offered to and can be understood by people everywhere. People are being called to be united again as brothers and sisters under one common Father, revealed to them by his Son Jesus Christ.
A different account
The Gospel from John presents us with a different account of the coming of the Spirit. It is Easter Sunday. The disciples are locked into the house, terrified of the authorities coming to take them away as collaborators with the recently executed Jesus.
Suddenly the same Jesus is there among them and greets them: Peace with you… It is both a wish and a statement. Where Jesus is there is peace. The presence of Jesus in our lives always brings peace and removes our anxieties and fears. He shows them his hands and side to prove it is himself: the one who died on the cross and the one who is now alive. Then he gives them their mission:
As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Their mission and his are exactly the same. Our mission and his are exactly the same. He then breathes on them. As God breathed on the earth and created the first human being.In Christ, we become a new creation. The breathing also symbolises the Spirit of God and of Jesus.
So he says, Receive the Holy Spirit. With the giving of the Spirit comes also the authority to speak and act in the name of Jesus.
If you forgive sins, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
This is not just a reference to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the power to forgive sin. Forgiving sin, reconciling people with God is the very core of the work of Christ and the Christian mission. The disciples are now the Body of Christ, the ongoing visible presence of Christ in the world.This Body will experience injuries and wounds and disease. It will wander at times far from God. It will need healing and forgiveness and reconciliation. It will also try to bring the same healing and reconciliation to a broken world.
A body with many parts
Finally, the Second Reading speaks of the effect of the Spirit on the Christian community. The Church and each community within it reflects unity and diversity. We are not called to uniformity. We are not clones of Christ or each other. Unity presumes diversity and a variety of gifts and talents and responsibilities.
So, on the one hand, we are called to be deeply united in our faith in Christ and in our love for each other. At the same time, each one of us has a unique gift. It is through this gift or gifts that we serve and build up the community. They are not just for ourselves, or for our families and friends.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
We are like a body. Each body has many members, each with its own particular function, yet they all are ordered to one purpose – the good functioning of the body as a whole. So it is with the Christian community, which is the Body of Christ. Each member is to be aware of his or her particular gift. This gift indicates the role the member has to play in building up the whole Body, the whole community.
Today let us ask God to send his Spirit into our hearts. Filled with that Spirit, may we each individually make our contribution to the community to which we belong. And, as a community, may we give clear and unmistakable witness to the Truth and Love of God, revealed to us in Jesus our Lord.
The Ascension of the Lord
Reading 1ACTS 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
Reading 2EPH 1:17-23
Brothers and sisters: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
AlleluiaMT 28:19A, 20BR. Alleluia, alleluia.
Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Commentaries on the Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Hebrews 9:24-28,10:19-23; Luke 24:46-53
THE FIRST READING and the Gospel today seem to be in contradiction. Although both are written by Luke, the Gospel says that Jesus’ ascension was on Easter Sunday
and the Acts of the Apostles says it was 40 days after the resurrection. The Gospel also seems to say that the resurrection and the ascension are one thing while the Acts seems to say they are two separate events.
In fact, the ascension is part of the resurrection. Resurrection emphasises that Jesus has entered a new life and not just that he recovered his previous life. The ascension emphasises that the risen Jesus is together with the Father, that he shares the place and dignity of the Father.
Real meaning of Ascension
The real meaning of the Ascension is in the Second Reading, a passage from the magnificent Letter to the Hebrews. The author makes a clear distinction between the role of Jesus and that of the Jewish High Priest. Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands; he entered the dwelling place of God himself. Nor, unlike the High Priest, did or does Jesus enter the sanctuary again and again, as the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies every year. Nor did he, again unlike the High Priest, offer blood that was not his own, the blood of goats and bulls. Jesus entered God’s presence by the spilling of his own blood on the cross. “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many (that is, of all); and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
Washed totally clean
How are we to share in all of this? It is again put very well in the second part of the Second Reading: “Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assistance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
Jesus has totally replaced the old way, the old covenant. The place where God is is the new Holy of Holies. Jesus is the curtain through which we, all of us sharing in the priesthood of Christ, have access to that presence. That is the meaning of the Ascension, which we celebrate today.
Therefore, we have no need to fear. We have freedom and, by the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, we can go into the holiest place. This is the path which has been opened for us through our baptism and our participation in the life of the Christian community.
Continuing the work of Jesus
But before we go to share Jesus’ glory, there is work to be done. When Jesus left us, he made it clear that he wanted us to carry on the work he had begun. He said that we could do the same things he did and even greater. So before leaving them, he tells his disciples to go back to Jerusalem and there wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
This experience will be their baptism when they will become filled with the very Spirit of Jesus. But before Jesus leaves them, his disciples ask him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Even at this late moment, they still do not understand the meaning of Jesus’ life and work. They still do not understand what kind of Messiah he is.
Jesus will not just restore the Kingdom of Israel; he will establish a new Kingdom altogether. This kingdom will be open to include all the people of the world. It will not be a political force or a military power. Rather, it will be – as the Preface of the Mass of Christ the King says,
An eternal and universal kingdom:
a kingdom of truth and life,
a kingdom of holiness and grace,
a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
The disciples will soon learn this, accept it and promulgate it everywhere. For, after they receive the Spirit of Jesus themselves, they themselves will begin to inaugurate the Kingship of God not only in Israel, in Jerusalem and Judea but in time to the very ends of the earth. This is their mission – and ours: to carry the message of Jesus to the whole world.
As Jesus spoke, he is covered by a cloud, clearly indicating the enveloping presence of God. Jesus can no longer be seen. But the Ascension should not be understood too literally, as if Jesus floated up into the sky to a place called ‘heaven’. Rather he is wrapped in the all-embracing presence of his Father, symbolised by the cloud.
Lower your eyes
As Jesus disappears from their sight, the disciples continue to gaze upwards into the sky. It is then that two men wearing white clothes stand beside them and say: “Men of Galilee, what are you doing looking at the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Did they take these words to mean that they, in their lifetime, would see him return? Time would show that that was not the meaning of the messengers’ words. The nameless messengers in white are understood to be angels, direct representatives of God and indicating the importance of what is happening. They were also present at the resurrection.
A new lesson
The disciples have a new lesson to learn: they will not now find Jesus in the sky, in “heaven”. The Jesus they knew before the crucifixion has left them for good. They have to go back to Jerusalem. There, through the outpouring of the Spirit of the Father and Jesus on them, they will begin to understand and grow in understanding. If they want to find Jesus, they will find him in the Christian community, in those they mix with every day of their lives.
Every time they receive the love of a brother, it is the presence of Jesus. Every time they share their love with a brother or sister, they are making Jesus present to that person. They – and we – are to be Jesus in this world. We are to be the visible presence of Jesus. It is really a great challenge and a rather scary responsibility.
When people see me, do they see Jesus? When people see me, do they want to know Jesus? When people see me, do they want to join our community, share our life, and take the Gospel as the foundation of their life? That is the meaning of the Ascension.
Today we gather here not only to remember something that happened a long time ago; we are also here to remind ourselves that when Jesus left us he gave us a very important mission. That mission was and is to continue his loving and redemptive presence in the world. Let us ask him today to help us, together with him, to carry out that huge responsibility in the way he wants.
July 3 Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Reading 1 Eph 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Gospel Jn 20:24-29
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But Thomas said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
Commentary on Eph 2:19-22; Ps 116; John 20:24-29
The Gospel reading recalls the scene after Jesus’ resurrection when Jesus appeared to his disciples in the upper room. They first saw him on Easter Sunday the day of the resurrection but, for some reason, Thomas was not with them. When, later on, they told Thomas they had seen the Lord, he absolutely refused to believe them. He said that unless he saw with his own eyes the mark of the nails in Jesus’ hands and was able to put his hands into the wound in Jesus’ side, he would not believe.
Then, exactly a week later, when they were all gathered together again and Thomas was with them, Jesus suddenly appeared although the doors were locked. After giving them a greeting of peace, he immediately addressed Thomas. “Put your fingers here and see my hands, bring your hand and put it in my side. Do not be unbelieving but believe.”
Thomas is clearly overwhelmed. He can only burst out, “My Lord and my God!” It is clearly a statement of deep faith. He is the only person in the Gospel to address Jesus directly as ‘God’. And it seems to have been made without his touching the body of his Risen Lord.
Jesus then says: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Two comments can be made. First, Thomas in fact went beyond what he was seeing. He saw the Risen Jesus but he addressed him as God. That was something which went beyond seeing; it was a statement of faith.
Secondly, the rest of the statement is addressed to us. None of us has ever seen the Risen Jesus but we firmly believe that he did rise from the dead and is in glory with the Father. It is on the basis of that act of faith that our Christian life is founded.
The First Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians reminds us that our membership of the Christian community is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus himself as the headstone. Thomas is part of that foundation.
And it is through Jesus that the whole structure of the Christian community is held together and “grows into a temple sacred to the Lord”. In the Risen Jesus we are “being built together into a dwelling place of God”. We, as Paul says elsewhere, the Temple of the Lord, the Body of Christ, his visible presence on earth. A huge privilege and a huge responsibility for each one of us. As Jesus once said: “Who sees you, sees Me.” This is the faith that Jesus spoke of to Thomas. Are we really aware of this?
Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Gospel Jn 19:31-37
Since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.
TODAY’S FEAST we celebrate in a special way the love of God for us, especially as expressed through the life, sufferings and death of Jesus.
In earlier times, especially in the Middle Ages, devotion was rather to the wound in the side of Christ and that event appears in today’s Gospel passage from John. In later times, especially arising from the visions of St Margaret Mary, the emphasis shifted more to the Heart of Jesus, as a symbol of the love of Jesus and hence of God for us. St Margaret Mary belonged to the Visitation convent at Paray-le-Monial in France, where she died in 1680.
John’s gospel features a number of ‘signs’, which express the meaning and significance of Jesus’ life as God speaking to us through him in a special way. Among these signs would be the changing of water into wine at the marriage feast of Cana or the feeding of the 5,000 people by Jesus on the mountain. Others include the healing of a cripple beside a pool, the restoration of sight to a blind man and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Each one has a spiritual meaning beyond the physical curing that took place.
In today’s Gospel we read of the piercing of the side of Jesus as another ‘sign’, and one not mentioned in any of the other three gospels.
Blood and water
This sign occurs after the execution of Jesus by his being crucified, nailed to a cross – a common Roman punishment for criminals. Normally, crucified people could survive for several days on the cross and, in fact, it was custom of the Romans to leave the bodies for an indefinite period, as a deterrent to other possible criminals. However, with the approach of the Sabbath, the Jews would not allow the bodies of the executed to be left beyond sunset. Hence, the two other criminals executed with Jesus had their legs broken to hasten their death. But, when they came to Jesus, they found that he was already dead. He had already suffered so much from the scourging and the crowning with thorns. However, to make sure, one of the Roman soldiers pierced the side of Jesus – and his heart.
John then reports that blood and water flowed out from the opening in the side of Jesus. Medically speaking, this was not a strange phenomenon, but for John it has special significance. It is another special ‘sign’ pointing to the meaning of the work and mission of Jesus. Already in his gospel, water and blood have been established as signs of salvation.
In his interview with Nicodemus, Jesus had said: “No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” (John 3:5). An obvious reference to Baptism. Then in his discourse on the Bread of Life, Jesus had said: “If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life… Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I in him” (John 6:53-54,56).
In describing the water and blood flowing from the side of Jesus, it is likely that John expects his readers to link the ‘sign’ with Baptism and the Eucharist, the two main sacramental celebrations of the early Church. And this is the common interpretation of the Fathers of the Church.
Jesus’ moment of glory
For John, the Cross is Jesus’ moment of glory – encompassing his death, his rising to new life and reunion with his Father and the breathing out of his Spirit on his followers. So, just before the Last Supper, Jesus tells his disciples: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” The ‘lifting up’ includes not just his being lifted up on the cross but on his being raised to glory by his Father.
Hence, it is understood that the Church can be said to have been born from the wounded side of Christ. Such importance is given to this ‘sign’ that John strongly emphasises the reliability of his witness. “He knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well.”
John concludes the passage with two other ‘signs’. He sees the manner of Jesus’ death – different from that of those crucified with him – as the fulfilment of a text of Scripture: “Not one bone of it will be broken.” This refers to the preparation of the lamb for the Paschal celebration of the Jews where instructions were given that, in preparing the lamb for the meal, no bones were to be broken. Jesus, of course, is now the new Paschal Lamb, whose blood poured out in love will bring salvation to peoples everywhere.
Then John quotes a text from the prophet Zechariah which he sees as pointing to the death of Jesus. The original text reads: “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as over a first-born” (Zech 12:10). And a few verses on, Zechariah continues: “On that day there shall be open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.” These texts point to the followers of Jesus who faithfully stood by his cross and the ‘fountain’ can refer to the cleansing water pouring from the side of Jesus – dead but also risen in glory.
The whole Gospel passage speaks of the love of God poured forth through the sacrificial death of his Son. And that is also what we are celebrating today in remembering the pierced Heart of Jesus, for us now a unique symbol of Love.
God our Loving Parent
The First Reading from the prophet Hosea, where Yahweh speaks as a loving parent of a dear child. A child he “called out of Egypt”, reminding Israel of the great act of liberation when they were released from slavery and began their journey to the Promised Land. “I led them with reins of kindness, with leading-strings of love.” Yahweh is like a loving parent who lifts the child tenderly to his cheek. Another beautiful image of our loving God.
The Second Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians has Paul make a beautiful prayer. He prays that those he is addressing may, like the rest of the church, deepen their understanding of God’s plan of salvation in Christ. He prays that Christ may live in their hearts – the same love that emanates from the Heart of Christ – through faith. Then, in a lovely phrase, “planted in love and built on love” they will be able, with their fellow Christians everywhere, to grasp the immensity of God’s love which penetrates to every corner of our universe.
Finally, having come to an intimate and experienced knowledge of the love of Christ, they may be “filled with the utter fullness of God”.
So today we celebrate the extraordinary love of God for us, manifested in such an extraordinary way by the sufferings, death and rising of Jesus Christ. Let us reflect today on the many ways in which that love has been manifested in our lives and continues to be manifested.
But let us not stop there. If we are fully to receive that Love and if it is to be truly effective in our lives, then it must be passed on to every person we meet. “By this will all know that you are my followers, that you show love for one another.” And this love is to have no limits, no exceptions. It is to be extended even to those who are hostile to us. Our love must be a love of forgiveness, reconciliation, healing and compassion.
JUNE 29: SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES
READING 1ACTS 12:1-11
In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. –It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.– He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf. On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”
RESPONSORIAL PSALM34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (5) THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WILL RESCUE THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
READING 2 2 TM 4:6-8, 17-18
I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
GOSPEL MT 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
COMMENTARY ON ACTS 12:1-11 2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8,17-18 MATTHEW 16:13-19
ON THIS DAY WE CELEBRATE a special feast of the Church, symbolised by the two great apostles, Peter and Paul. They were the two men around whom the mission of Jesus to establish the Kingdom was centred and from whom it grew and spread to every corner of the world. As the preface for today’s Mass puts it: “Peter raised up the church from the faithful flock of Israel. Paul brought your call to the nations, and became the teacher of the world. Each in his chosen way gathered into unity the one family of Christ. Both shared a martyr’s death and are praised throughout the world.” Each one represents two very distinct roles of the Church in its mission to the world.
Source of stability
Peter represents that part of the Church which gives it stability:
its traditions handed down in an unbroken way from the very beginnings,
the structures which help to preserve and conserve those traditions,
the structure which also gives consistency and unity to the Church, spread as it is through so many races, cultures, traditions, and geographical diversity.
Peter today is represented by the pope, who is the great symbol of unity and continuity. Without his role we would see the Church break up and disintegrate, which has happened to such a large extent with those parts of the Church, which broke away from the central body. A number of the mainline non-Catholic Christian churches realise today the importance of that central role of Peter and they are trying to find ways by which we could all become one Church again, ways by which diversity could be recognised but divisions removed, that all who believe in Christ might find and express that unity (but not uniformity) for which Christ prayed during the Last Supper.
Prophetic role
Paul, on the other hand, represents another key role, the prophetic and missionary role.
It is that part of the Church which constantly works on the edge, pushing the boundaries of the Church further out, not only in a geographical sense but also pushing the concerns of the Church into neglected areas of social concern and creatively developing new ways of communicating the Christian message. This is the Church which is semper reformanda, a Church which needs to be constantly renewed.
This renewal is spurred on by the Church’s contact with the surrounding world. This world is itself changing and, in our own times, changing with bewildering speed. Not only new technologies but new knowledge and new ideas continue to surface. Our rapidly changing societies call on us to express the core of our faith in new ways.
As one Asian theologian used to say, “The world writes the agenda for the Church.” That does not mean that the Church is to conform to the ways of the world. Quite the contrary. What it does mean is that the Church’s evangelising work has to be in response to where people actually are. It is no good just handing out the same old things in the same old way. If the Church is to remain relevant, if it is to continue speaking in a meaningful way to rapidly changing world, if it is to keep up with the new knowledge and ideas which change our ways of understanding the world in which we live, it has to renew itself constantly
in the way it expresses its message,
in the way it structures itself,
in the way it communicates its message,
in the way it dialogues with the world.
The world may not like what the Church has to say but it should be able to understand it and be stimulated by it.
New challenges
A changing world involves new challenges of what is right and wrong, a changing world brings about new social problems, new forms of poverty, of injustice, of exploitation and discrimination, of lack of freedom and the absence of peace.
Hence there have to be new ways of preaching and witnessing to the Gospel of truth, of love, of justice, of freedom, of peace. For this we need the prophetic role of the Church, built on the foundations of tradition and continuity. We have to avoid the two tendencies either of digging in and looking only to the past or of neglecting the traditions and bringing in innovations with no foundations.
When faced with difficult situations, Catholics tend either to dig in and become fundamentalist or to throw in the towel completely. Neither is helpful either to the Church or to society.
God’s accompanying presence
The readings today emphasise the presence of God in the work of his Church. Peter’s faith and acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah-Christ and Saviour-King are rewarded by his being made the foundation on which Christ will build his Church. Through Peter, Jesus gives his Church a guarantee of never-ending protection. And he gives to Peter, as his representative, the powers, which he himself had received from the Father, the “keys of the Kingdom”.
Through the centuries, the Church has been battered and countless efforts made to wipe it out but it continues to benefit from Christ’s promise and overall to grow in numbers. And as long as it remains faithful to the principles it received from Christ, principles which are of the very nature of God and consonant with the deepest longings of human nature, it cannot fail. Truth and love cannot be suppressed.
Doing the only thing possible
We see that in the First Reading where Peter is thrown into jail for preaching the message of Christ and the Kingdom. As Paul, who was himself in prison more than once, will say later, the word of God cannot be bound. Peter finds release and then goes back to the only thing he can do – proclaim the message of his beloved Master. The miraculous release from prison symbolises that protection over his Church which Jesus had promised in the Gospel. It is significant too that Peter’s imprisonment occurred during Passover week, the same week in which Jesus himself was arrested and suffered.
A well-spent life
Paul in the Second Reading speaks first with gratitude of how his life has been spent in the service of his Lord. “I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith.” May we be able to say the same as we approach the end of our life. Paul also speaks of how God continued to protect him through all kinds of trials and persecutions. “The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the non-believers to hear.” He too knows that the Lord will continue to protect him but he also knows that when his time comes he is ready to go.
Paul’s love for Jesus is so intense that he finds it difficult to choose between staying alive and working for the Kingdom or dying and being reunited with Jesus, his beloved Lord. As he said once in a memorable phrase, “For to me life is Christ, to die is gain.” In either case, he is with his beloved Lord.
Ever old, ever new
As we celebrate this feast today, let us both remain faithful to the traditions which have come down to us over 2,000 years but, at the same time, be ever ready to make the necessary changes and adaptations by which the message of Christ can be effectively communicated to all those who still have a hunger for that truth and love which over the centuries never changes.
Let us pray today for the whole Church all over the world;
let us pray for our pope as the focus of unity for Christians everywhere;
let us pray for those who, while remaining faithful to the core traditions, are creatively finding new ways to proclaim the message of the Kingdom to people everywhere;
let us pray for those places where the Church is working under great difficulties;
let us pray for our own parish community that it may truly be both loyal to the faith of our fathers
and have a true missionary spirit effectively to proclaim Christ to all those among whom we live.
In other words, what agenda is our local society writing for our local church?
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel Lk 2:41-51 Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
They did not understand what he said to them. (Luke 2:50)
Many people were drawn to Jesus. Many people were fascinated by him. Many even loved him. But very few understood him. In today’s Gospel, we see how the scholars at the Temple were amazed by him and how his parents were astonished by him. Even Mary had a hard time figuring him out! His words and his actions sometimes left her confused or a little bit anxious. But she kept on pondering his words and actions, and that helped her understand him and love him more each day.
Mary’s example can be a great help to us when we struggle with understanding what God is doing in our lives or in the life of a loved one. Mary was willing to have her own Son, whom she had just corrected, redirect her focus: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). She exercised her authority as his mother, but she also humbly took his words to heart and pondered them.
It’s comforting to know that Mary could be just as surprised as we are when God’s plans take a different turn than what we expect. Her example shows us that the best thing we can do when we are confused or surprised by events unfolding in our lives is to stay close to Jesus and ponder his words. It’s easy to spend days assuming that we are in sync with the Lord, only to discover—as Mary and Joseph did—that we have been traveling in a different direction the whole time. But all it takes is the decision to stop, turn our attention to Jesus, and try to listen. Then, just as a GPS system redirects us when we get lost, Jesus will reroute us as well.
Of course, this isn’t always easy. We like quick answers. The smallest loose end can bother us forever. Or, on the other extreme, we can convince ourselves not to worry about anything—until it becomes almost too late. This is why our best option is to get in the habit of taking a few moments to ponder our day, no matter how easy or hard life becomes. If we can just keep ourselves open to the Lord’s presence and grace, we’ll find it much easier to follow his lead, wherever he takes us.
“Jesus, turn any anxiety into the peace that comes from pondering your word and following your lead.”
February 2: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Reading 1 Mal 3:1-4
Thus says the Lord God: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the lord whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Commentary on the First Reading
The name, Malachi means my messenger as in “my messenger” from the first verse of our selection (3:1). The date of the book is generally set after the establishment of the Second temple in 515 BCE and before the reforms of Nehemiah in 445 BCE. The prophet is concerned with things of the temple and it is in this period that the priests gradually become the religious and political leaders within Israel. Malachi as a prophet condemns the priests very harshly in 1:6-2:9. The description of the abominations which they have committed reminds me of the very strong words in Isaiah 65 and 66 which list some appalling things that the leaders are doing as part of worship practices. Malachi is calling the priests back to the correct way of sacrifices as depicted in the Torah. Other concerns for Malachi are the way marriages are being contracted with women who worship foreign gods, a call to reconsider divorces because it upsets the fabric of the community and the people are not supporting fully the work of the temple with their tithes. There appears at times a general feeling that it is hopeless and God has deserted them.
In short the passage is a prophecy that the Lord will be coming soon to judge and purify the priests of the temple so that they may offer proper sacrifices that will be pleasing to the Lord.
As we see in verse 3:1a in preparation for his coming He will send a messenger “to prepare the way before me.”. It is a very common custom to prepare for the coming of a dignitary. Even today we clean and repair the streets neighborhoods through which such prominent people will pass. Everything must be in proper order as befits the station of the visitor. Isaiah described such comprehensive improvements (cf. Isa 40:3-4; 57:14). Also part of the preparation for such an event is the announcement of the actual approach of the dignitary. Isaiah depicts this aspect as well (cf. Isa 52:7).
Is this “messenger” to be identified with Malachi, the prophet. In verse 3:23 the one who is to come is further identified with Elijah, the prophet taken up in a whirl wind. In the Christian tradition, the messenger who is to prepare the way is identified as John the Baptist. These very word of Malachi are applied by Jesus to John in Matthew 11:10. And Mt 11:14 further identifies John as Elijah.
The second half of verse 1 is difficult to understand. The prophet says that “suddenly there comes to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and the Messenger of the covenant whom you desire.” Is the “lord” here who is also identified as the “messenger of the covenant” to be identified with the “messenger” who will “prepare the way before me”? This confusion is due to the fact that the Hebrew word for "Lord" (whom you seek) is 'adôn, a common word that can refer to anyone whose status demands our respect. It is not the personal name of God, which is frequently rendered as "Lord?' Is it the messenger-precursor who is coming to the temple, or the Lord God.
In verses 2-4 the judgement and purification of the Lord is described in typical language. In these verses the judgement is cast upon the priests, the sons of Levi. In verse 5 this judgment is cast upon the sins of the people which are listed. The punishment is among the harshest described in the Bible. Their purification will be searing. Two striking metaphors are used to describe the agents of this purging: the inferno that refines ores, and the lye used by fullers to whiten cloth (cf. Zech 13:9). The messenger will supervise the purification that will serve to transform these priests, making them worthy to offer sacrifice once more. There is no thought of their total destruction, only of their purification. As a result of this purification “the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Discussion Questions
1) When was the book of Malachi written? During what time in Jewish history?
2) Summarize the meaning of this passage in brief terms.
3) For us as Christians who is the messenger that prepares the way of the Lord?
4) In this passage God purifies the priests of the temple so that they may offer a sacrifice that is pleasing to the Lord. What images are used to describe this purification?
5) What meaning does it have on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord?
Reading 2 Heb 2:14-18
Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
Commentary on the Second Reading
When we think of Jesus as a high priest, we generally think of him as majestic and accomplishing our salvation with the power of God. The author of the letter to the Hebrews invites us to fasten our gaze on Jesus' humanity. He argues that Jesus is one with all women and men, because he fully entered into the human existence of flesh (sárx) and blood (haIrna). He did not merely appear to be human, as some down through the centuries have erroneously claimed. He was genuinely human. It was necessary that it be so, for if he was to conquer death, he would first have to be subject to it. Only under such circumstances would his victory have any power in the lives of others. One would expect God to be triumphant over death, but one would never expect someone subject to mortality to have such power.
The author draws lines of conflict between Jesus, who has the power of life, and the devil, who holds the power of death. In vanquishing death, Jesus has neutralized the power of the devil. According to this author, it is the devil who tempts human beings to sin, and it is their sin that leads to their death. Through his death Jesus has conquered this process of perdition. What is astounding is that he accomplished this not for himself but for us. He became human so that through the death of his human body he might deliver all human beings from the ravages of human death. It is natural to fear death, but it is also natural to die. Understanding human weakness because it is his weakness as well, Jesus' death put an end to the fear of death. No longer need human beings think of death as the enemy that lurks in the darkness. It can now be seen as the necessary passageway that leads into a new life.
The death of Jesus did nothing to benefit the angels, not because they did not need his help but because he was not one of them. He did not share physical solidarity with them as he did with human beings. The author of the letter refers to the human race as descendants of Abraham, a common boast made by the Israelite people. Perhaps the author did not trace their common ancestry back to Adam because the traditions about Adam are associated with myth, while descent from Abraham might be traced through lines of kinship.
After having examined what it means to be human, the author turns to Jesus' role as a high priest. Jesus knows all about human weakness, for he was tested like everyone else. This prompts him to be merciful. His own integrity prompts him to be faithful. As victim on the cross, he has offered himself for the salvation of all. As high priest he offers a sacrifice of expiation for the sins of all. He is truly a merciful and faithful high priest.
Gospel: Lk 2:22-32
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted —and you yourself a sword will pierce— so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Commentary on the Gospel
This account of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple is a celebration of piety—the piety of Mary and Joseph, of Simeon, and of Anna. It is clear that Jesus was raised in an observant family. Five times the author declares that the parents of Jesus conformed to the ritual prescriptions of the Law (vsr. 22, 23, 24, 27, 39). Just as they had complied with the imperial decree to be enrolled in the census (2:1-5), so now they observe the religious requirements of purification (cf. Lev 12:1-8) and redemption of the firstborn (cf. Exod 13:2, 12).
The first ritual requirement sprang from the belief that the life-power within blood was sacred and belonged to God. Because of the mysterious nature of its power, it was to be kept separate from the secular activities of life. When separation was not possible, the people and the objects that came into contact with the blood had to be purified. It is obvious why birth and death were surrounded with many purification regulations.
The second ritual requirement was a way of reclaiming the firstborn male child who, they believed, really belonged to God. Buying back the child was a way of acknowledging God's initial claim.
Simeon, like the prophets of ancient Israel, had been seized by the Spirit of God (cf. Isa 61:1). Three times the author states that it was the Holy Spirit that directed him (vv. 25, 26, 27). The consolation of Israel for which he waited probably referred to the time of messianic fulfillment. Seeing the child, he recognized him as the object of his longing, the one who was both the glory of Israel and the light for the rest of the world. He also predicted the opposition that Jesus would inspire. Some would accept him and others would not.
This latter scene must have taken place in an outer court of the Temple, where women were allowed, for Simeon explicitly addressed Mary. This was very unusual behavior, for typically men did not speak to women with whom they were unfamiliar, especially in public. His words are somewhat enigmatic. It is clear why the rejection of her son would be like a sword in Mary's heart, but what this might have to do with the thoughts of others is not as obvious.
Another woman joins the group, Anna the prophetess. She is old and a widow, constantly in the Temple praying and fasting. As with Simeon, her entire life was an advent, awaiting the fulfillment of messianic promises. She probably witnessed the meeting with Simeon and heard what he said, for she is convinced of the identity of the child, and she proclaims this to all those who cherished messianic hopes.
Though neither Simeon nor Anna belonged to the ranks of formal temple personnel, they were the ones who recognized the divine child, while the others did not. This should not be seen as an anti-Judaic bias. It points to the fact that religious insight comes from fidelity and genuine devotion rather than official status or privileged role. God and the ways of God are revealed to those who have open minds and open hearts. The piety of this man (v. 25) and this woman (v. 37) disposed them to the unexpected revelation of God.
The family returns to Nazareth to resume its unpretentious life, but it is not the same. Even though the child grows up like other children, he is merely waiting for his time to come.
Reflection on the Presentation of the Lord From Sacred Space.com
Today we celebrate the close of the Christmas with a festival of light. Candles are blessed and they are carried in procession to welcome Christ, the Light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of his people. Until the year 1969, the feast, which is of Eastern origin, was known in the West as the feast of the Purification of Our Lady and also known as Candlemas. Now we prefer to refer to it as the Presentation of the Lord.
Today’s feast brings to an end a whole period which resonates with a sense of light. Christmas itself, taking place just after the winter solstice, is the celebration of the end of the darkness of winter and the coming of light into the world, especially the Light of the World. Twelve days later there is the feast of the Epiphany when the light of a star guides the Gentile outsiders to pay homage to the Light of the World. Then today, we bring the celebration to a close with this feast of light. It has long been a day for processions as we remember the Lord’s entry into the Temple, the house of his Father, for the first time. These processions originally replaced pagan celebrations. Later, it was identified with the blessing of candles carried in procession in honour of Christ, “the light to enlighten the Gentiles” (today’s Gospel).
Reading 1 1 Cor 15:1-8
I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the Apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (5) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day;
and night to night imparts knowledge.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
Gospel Jn 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 him 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? he words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father 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."
Saint Philip and James, Apostles
We celebrate today the feast of two of the Twelve Apostles – James and Philip. James is known as the ‘son of Alphaeus’ and, to be honest, we know practically nothing about him beyond his name and that he was chosen to be one of the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples – the Twelve. He is known as ‘James the Less’ and is not to be confused with James, one of the two sons of Zebedee, known as ‘James the Greater’. Nor is he to be confused with James, son of Clopas in the Acts of the Apostles, who was a “brother” (cousin) of Jesus, later ‘bishop’ of Jerusalem and the traditional author of the Letter of James.
Philip came from the same town as Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida in Galilee. In the first chapter of John’s gospel we see Jesus calling him directly, whereupon he went in search of Nathanael and told him about the “one about whom Moses wrote” (John 1:43-45). Philip comes across as someone who is rather innocent and naïve, and it takes him some time to acknowledge the full identity of Jesus.
The naivety of his character comes across in two incidents in the Gospel, one of which is described in the Gospel reading. The other took place when Jesus had crossed Lake Galilee in a boat with his disciples and was faced by a huge crowd of people waiting for him (John 6:1). The people were hungry in both body and spirit. Knowing how he was going to deal with the situation, Jesus teasingly asked the simple Philip where they could get bread to feed such a huge crowd. John comments, that Jesus:
…said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. (John 6:6)
Philip innocently replied,
Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have even a little. (John 6:7)
In other words, there was no way it could be done. But Philip would very soon find out how the problem would be solved, namely, when a small boy gave generously gave away his lunch of five loaves and two fish.
Because Philip’s name was Greek (Philippos, meaning ‘lover of horses’), we are told that one day two ‘Greeks’, probably converts to Judaism, approached him and his companion, Andrew (Andreos, also a Greek name, meaning ‘manly’), and said they wanted to “see Jesus”. Jesus is in Jerusalem and it is on the eve of his Passion. When told about this request, Jesus replied enigmatically with the image of the seed having to fall into the ground and die before it gave fruit. Clearly, it was a way of telling these men that ‘seeing’ Jesus was much more than seeing his exterior; they would also have to grasp the inner meaning of his sacrificial death as an essential part of his identity.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Psalm 18; John 14:6-14
The Gospel reading features Philip’s final appearance in the Gospel account. It happens during the long account of the Last Supper from John, and where Jesus speaks at length to his disciples. They must have been in somewhat of a confused state, knowing that the enemies of Jesus were practically outside the door waiting to destroy him. There were still many parts of Jesus’ teaching that they did not understand.Jesus, who is soon about to leave them, tells them not to worry as he is preparing a place where they and he will be together. He tells them:
Where I am going you know the way.
Thomas, the chronic grumbler, interjects:
We do not know where you are going; how can we possible know the way?
Jesus gently replies:
I AM the Way – and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Perhaps we should be grateful to the cranky Thomas for eliciting such a beautiful and meaningful answer from Jesus. He is not just a way; he is the Way. There is no other way to God except through him and with him. For the simple reason that he is the Word of God; he is God expressed through human nature. To be like Jesus, then, is to be like God through our humanity. This is something not just for believing Christians; it is simply the Way for every human being who wants to live a truly meaningful life.
Jesus then spells out the meaning of what he has just said:
If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.
But this is a bit too much for Philip,
Master, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.
One can almost hear the sigh in Jesus’ voice,
Philip, have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus’ reply is simply another way of saying that he is the Way. To know the inner meaning of Jesus’ life and to make it one’s own is to know the Father because Jesus is the em-bodi-ment, the incarnation of the Father in human form. Again, we are grateful to Philip for his question.
And that is the last appearance of Philip in the Gospel. Nor does James, son of Alphaeus, appear again.However, the example of these two men among the 12 foundation stones on which Jesus’ work would be built and grow should be a lesson to us how God can carry out his plans with what seem rather inferior materials. By everywhere preaching the gospel (see Mark 16:20), the apostles sowed the seed of what would be a worldwide community against which the ‘gates of hell’ would not prevail. It is a message to each one of us that, no matter what our gifts or lack of them, we are called to show others the Way that is Truth and Life.Paul, too, who did so much to plant the Gospel in so many places, was all too aware of his own weaknesses and even prayed to be rid of them. He tells us his many prayers were answered by his becoming aware that “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).In the First Reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of his calling to be an Apostle. He wants the Christians of Corinth to be mindful of the message he preached to them and on which their Christian faith stands. It is a faith which will bring them salvation and life unending. Paul emphasises strongly that it was not his own message he was preaching, but what he received from Jesus Christ, the Word of God.
The essence of that message was that Christ died for our sinfulness, that he was buried and raised three days later and finally that, after his resurrection, he appeared to Peter and all the Apostles. He then appeared to 500 disciples, some of whom had already died, and then to James (whose feast we are celebrating today) and all the rest of the Apostles. Finally, says Paul, he appeared to Paul himself, as to one born unexpectedly. After all, Paul had been a fierce persecutor of the followers of Christ and the last person one expected to be an Apostle.
It is thanks to all of these people that the message of Christ and his Gospel has reached us, and it reminds us that we, too, have the same obligation to pass on the Good News of Christ to others if they are to share the privileged experience we have had.
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Reading 1 Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9
Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him, taking along the two stone tablets.
Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there and proclaimed his name, "LORD." Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, "The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity." Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own."
Responsorial Psalm
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Reading 22 Cor 13:11-13
Brothers and sisters, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the holy ones greet you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
GospelJn 3:16-18
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Commentary on Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18
We have now come to the end of the many weeks which were taken up with the celebration of and reflection on the ‘Paschal Mystery’. It began with Ash Wednesday, went through Lent, the celebration of Holy Week and Easter, the weeks following Easter and culminating in Pentecost and the handing on of Jesus’ mission to his Church.
We return now for the rest of the liturgical year – the ‘Ordinary’ Sundays of the Year – and they will bring us right up to Advent and the beginning of another liturgical cycle. But, traditionally this transition is commemorated each year by our celebration of the Feast of the Holy Trinity.
The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most fundamental in our Christian faith, but it is also a doctrine which many of us have difficulty coming to terms with. We often refer to it as a ‘mystery’ and therefore something which can be affirmed, but is not to be understood and need not be explained. “Just believe it,” is something people may be told.
In the New Testament, the word ‘mystery’ (Greek, mysterion) refers primarily to some truth which God has made known to us and which we otherwise would not have discovered. The Trinity, that in God there are three Persons, really is a mystery in this sense. It is also, of course, difficult for us to understand how one being can be three persons just as it is difficult for us to understand how Jesus can be both God and human (the mystery of the Incarnation).
Three possible reactions
We can react to this situation in three ways:
- by saying it is all rubbish anyway;
- by not thinking about these things at all;
- by trying to reduce them to categories which are within our human comprehension.
We are asked to believe that in the one being we call God, there are three Persons, who are, in the words of today’s Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer,
…three Persons equal in majesty, undivided in splendour, yet one Lord, one God, ever to be adored.
Rather than getting ourselves tied up in theological knots, we would do far better by reading prayerfully over the beautiful Scripture readings of today’s Mass. Here there are no abstruse theological explanations or speculations. Rather the emphasis is not on what, or how, or why, but in very practical language, on the tangible way the Persons in the Trinity relate to us.
A God who is very close
The message coming loud and clear through these readings is that our God is not far away, that he is not “up there somewhere”, a kind of scary, long-bearded policeman in the sky. The message coming through is that our God is close by and he cares. In the First Reading (from Exodus) Moses is told that God is the: Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness
Oh, we really need to hear that and to become utterly convinced of it, especially when we find times rough and painful.
In Greek drama of classical times, one could recognise the character being played by the mask that he/she wore. As well, in Chinese opera, there is something similar where the faces of the players are elaborately painted so that one can know which role is being played – a king, a general, a concubine, a soldier, etc. The mask was called a prosopon. In Latin this word was translated as persona.
Even today in programmes of plays we may still see the actors listed under the heading Dramatis Personae, the characters or the roles in the drama. So, in a certain sense, there are three personae or roles in our one God. With the difference that in a play, the role is assumed for the duration of the drama, while in God, the roles are permanently identified with God himself.
It might be helpful to us to look at these three roles of God as they are presented to us in Scripture.
God the Father*
While traditionally Scripture speaks of God as Father, we know that in God there can be no gender differences. We call God Father in the sense of the Parent who gives life and nurture. God as Father is the originator, the source, the conserver of all life, of all that exists. Says the Acts, In him, we live and move and have our being.
God as Father is no puppet operator in the clouds, but an indwelling Lord. God is IN all his creation but is not identified with it. The Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins said that “the world is charged with the grandeur of God”. Through the Father, our God is to be sought and found in all things, which he has created and keeps in being. From the simplest minerals which are alive with atomic energy, to the most gifted and creative human being, to the outermost galaxy. And so we have the lovely prayer of Moses in today’s First Reading,
Let my Lord come with us.
God the Son*
If we can speak of God as Father/Mother, then the “only begotten” must equally be spoken of as Son/Daughter. The Only Begotten as such, can be neither male nor female even though incarnation de facto took place in a male. However, the Creed which we will soon recite says of the Son/Daughter that homo factus est, which should literally be translated “was made human” or “became human”. The word homo- in Latin, like anthropus in Greek, does not specify gender; both men and women are homo.
We know the Son, of course, best through Jesus, born of Mary in Bethlehem. In him, there was the mysterious combination of the divine and the human in one Person. Jesus was totally God and totally human – not half and half. This is a truth as far beyond our comprehension as the Trinity itself.
Jesus is the revelation, the unveiling in human form of our God. The message of this revelation is purely and simply to let us know that God, that the Father, loves us with an overwhelming love. John tells us in today’s Gospel passage:
God [Father] loves the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God [Father] sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.
God is not concealed behind the humanity of Jesus, but is seen precisely in that humanity. When is Jesus most clearly revealing of the Father? In his miracles? Certainly. But surely Jesus is most clearly revealing the heart of the Father when he is at his most human. We see the Father God most clearly in Jesus in his compassion for the weak, the needy, the sinner; in forgiving the sinner and his enemies; in healing the physically and mentally sick; in integrating the social outcast back into the community; in his unconditional acceptance of all irrespective of class, religion, or gender. Yes, our Father God really loves the world and that has been shown to us by the Only Begotten in Jesus.
God the Spirit*
Finally, we see God as indwelling Spirit. The Spirit is described first as the subsisting Love that is generated between the Father and the Son. Again, of course, we cannot speak of either ‘he’ or ‘she’, still less of this Love as ‘it’.
The meaning of the Spirit in practice means that God is indwelling in all creation and revealing himself through it. Wherever there is Truth or Love or Beauty, there is God. Every act of truth and integrity, every act of love and compassion, every act of human empathy, every act of solidarity, forgiveness, acceptance, justice in people is the Spirit of God working in and through us.
When such actions appear in us, they are a sign that we are open to the Spirit and that he is working in us and through us. Let us pray today with Paul in the Second Reading:
Try to grow perfect; help one another. Be united; live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you…
And Paul concludes with the lovely greeting we often use at the beginning of the Eucharist:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God [Father]
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And finally
One last afterword. The two great mysteries of our faith are the Trinity and the Incarnation. They are combined in a marvellous simplicity in the Sign of the Cross with its accompanying words. Let us try to say this simple prayer with ever greater meaning and awareness and form the cross on our bodies with care and dignity.
St Ignatius of Loyola had such a love of the Trinity (as the result of some mystical experiences) that every time he began celebrating the Eucharist with the Sign of the Cross he broke down in tears and could hardly go on. Let us, too, rediscover the Sign of the Cross as a means of getting in touch with the God who loves us so much that he sent his Son and fills us with his Spirit.
______________________________________________________
*There is no sexual differentiation in God, so we can speak with equal validity of the First Person as Father/Mother and of the Second as Son/Daughter. The Spirit, too, is both male and female. This is the language of the Scripture texts reflecting the times in which they were written. It is not the words that are important, but their meaning.
March 19: Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
Responsorial Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29
R. (37) The son of David will live for ever.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness,
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
Reading 2 Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
Brothers and sisters: It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith. For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us, as it is written, I have made you father of many nations. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
Gospel Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now 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 he 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.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
Reflection taken from web site from the Dominican Friars of England, Wales, and Scotland
Written by Fr. Tony Lee
Click Here for Site
Today’s solemnity might be thought of as the original feminist feast day: for today we celebrate the Solemnity of St Joseph, but we do so by reference to his being ‘the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary’. In fact, St Joseph’s whole life is defined by his relation to others. He is the earthly father of Jesus, and the husband of Mary, and we celebrate him today for his fidelity and courage in fulfilling his obligations to each of them. He is a great counter-witness to modern obsessions with autonomy. He did not realise himself in being free from obligations to others, but in lovingly fulfilling them.
We do not have a single word of St Joseph’s recorded in the Scriptures; he is the archetypal strong silent type and a great example to us in an increasingly noisy world. Where some broadcast their virtue from the rooftops – or via facebook – St Joseph is more of a Nike man: he just does it. For this reason he has been described as an icon of our faith: ‘. . . words would be a distraction. His love of Our Lady, care for Jesus, obedience, faith, purity, simplicity, courage and hope speak loudly from the home he built in Nazareth . . . [and] we best know St Joseph through Jesus’s words and deeds.’ This is what icons do; they ‘speak to us of the presence of God among us in the material world.’
St Joseph is the quiet man of action and his actions are oriented to, and obedient to, the will of God. Whatever vision he may have had of his life was radically altered that night when the angel appeared to him in a dream and said: ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ After this vision we are told simply that: ‘When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do’ (Matt 1:20-22, 24). Having contemplated a life without Mary, he now sees that being Mary’s husband and raising a child, not biologically his own, will be his future. It’s for this setting aside of his own inclinations for something greater that we quite rightly celebrate his example today.
Jesus will come to be recognised as the Son of God, and the Second Person of the Trinity; Mary will be known as the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church; and Joseph will be remembered in relation to them. Joseph’s greatness is to be found in his willingness to let Mary and Jesus be who they should be. Like John the Baptist, he decreases so that they may increase.
In that perennial Christian paradox, Joseph finds himself the moment he starts to lose himself in God’s will. One day the child he raises will tell us that our prayer to the Father should always be, ‘Thy will be done’: for true human flourishing consists in the convergence of God’s will and ours. As Joseph heeds the words of the angel he becomes the living example of St Paul’s exhortation to husbands: ‘Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her’ (Ephesians 5:25):
At the dawn of Christianity, married life and love are given new ‘breadth and length and height and depth’ (Ephesians 3:18). Joseph and Mary, as husband and wife, become an icon of Christian marriage, which ‘in its turn’ will be ‘an efficacious sign, the sacrament of Christ and the Church’ (CCC, 1617). They are the incarnate expression of human communion, which expresses the very life of God. They are wedded not simply to provide a fitting home for the child; they are wedded so that men and women can know what it means to be wedded to God.
On today’s Solemnity we don’t remember Joseph for his wise words or for his dramatic actions, we remember him for simply doing the Father’s will, for giving himself up for others. This is the calling for many of us in our Christian lives, and our example may not be widely celebrated by the Church, but it just might affect those around us.
If we live as we ought to, like St Joseph, we may become icons of the living Lord, and that would be a life well lived.
1 Fr Gary Caster, Joseph: the Man who raised Jesus. (Servant Books: Cincinnati, 2013), p.xiii
2 Jeana Visel OSB, Icons in the Western Church. (Liturgical Press: Collegeville, 2016), p.xi
3 Caster, p
APRIL 25: FEAST OF ST MARK
Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist
Reading 1 1 Pt 5:5b-14
Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen. I write you this briefly through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Remain firm in it. The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son. Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Responsorial Psalm 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17
R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
The heavens proclaim your wonders, O LORD,
and your faithfulness, in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can rank with the LORD?
Who is like the LORD among the sons of God?
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
Gospel Mk 16:15-20
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
St Mark, Evangelist (Feast)
A John Mark first appears in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12:12), after Peter was miraculously released from prison. When Peter realised that he was really free, he made his way to the house of Mary, who was the mother of John Mark, and whose house seems to have been a meeting place for Jerusalem Christians. At the end of the same chapter, we are told that Saul and Barnabas, who had earlier gone to Jerusalem on a relief mission to provide food for the Christians there, had returned to Antioch bringing John Mark with them. Soon after this, Barnabas and Paul were chosen by the community in Antioch to go on a missionary enterprise, known now as Paul’s First Missionary Journey. They sailed from the nearby port of Seleucia and went first to Salamis on the island of Cyprus. Along with them, they brought John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas. From Salamis they went on to Paphos at the other end of the island, where they converted the governor to Christianity.
From Paphos, the missionaries left Cyprus and went on to Perga, a city in Pamphylia, on the south coast of what is now Turkey. It was here we are told John Mark left Barnabas and Paul and returned to Jerusalem, although the reason is not given. Later, when Barnabas and Saul were setting out on their second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. Paul, however, was not willing to take John Mark, now called Mark, because he had left them at Perga on their first mission. This caused a serious disagreement between Barnabas and Paul. Barnabas left Paul and, taking his cousin (John) Mark with him, went back to Cyprus. Paul then chose Silas as his missionary companion.
Relations seem to have improved subsequently because in Paul’s Letter to the Christians at Colosse, Paul writes: “Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you greetings and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas.” In the Second Letter to Timothy, Paul writes: “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he can help me in the work…” In the short Letter to Philemon, Mark is cited as one of the helpers of Paul. And at the end of the First Letter of Peter we read: “Your sister church in Babylon [a code word for Rome], also chosen by God, sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark.”
There is also a tradition that Mark was the founder of the Church in Alexandria, in northern Egypt.
The writing of the second gospel is also attributed to Mark, but it is not absolutely certain that it is the same person (the authorship of ancient texts is always tricky). The gospel was probably written in Rome before 60 AD, and there are certainly indications that John Mark was there at the time. It was written in Greek and directed to Gentile converts to Christianity. Tradition says that Mark was requested by the Christians of Rome to set down the teachings of Peter. This seems confirmed by the position which Peter has in this gospel. The gospel is thus understood as a record of the mission of Jesus as seen through the eyes of Peter. It is also the first gospel to be written, and both Matthew and Luke in their longer gospels certainly borrow extensively from Mark. Mark’s gospel is one of the most lively and readable accounts with more emphasis on the actions of Jesus, and where Jesus teaches more by what he does than what he says.
Commentary on 1 Peter 5:5-14; Psalm 88; Mark 16:15-20
Ironically, the Gospel reading is from a passage at the end of Mark’s gospel, a section that is thought to be an added supplement to his original text. It is believed that Mark’s gospel ends with verse 8 of chapter 16 where we read:
So they [the women] went out and ran from the tomb, distressed and terrified. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.
This seems to have been regarded as too abrupt an ending so brief summaries borrowed from other sources were added on, including, the appearance to Mary Magdalene (John), the appearance to two disciples “on their way to the country”, a clear reference to the disciples on their way to Emmaus (Luke), the appearance of the Risen Jesus to the eleven apostles (Matthew, Luke and John), and Jesus taken up to heaven (Luke, Acts).
The reading is taken from the appearance to the Eleven where Jesus gives them the mandate to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world, and where there is a promise that believers will be able to work wonders – expelling evil spirits, speaking in strange tongues, be protected from harmful elements and bring healing to the sick. The reading ends with a brief description of the Ascension when the Risen Jesus goes back to his Father’s right-hand side.
Mark, of course, through his gospel has spelled out the challenge for followers of Christ to imitate him in the living out of their discipleship and fulfilling the missionary command to establish the Kingdom where God’s will is being done on earth.
The First Reading from the last chapter of the First Letter of Peter contains instructions to the younger leaders of the community. The first instruction is that all should be eager to serve each other and to not have some dominating over others. They are also warned to be on the watch for evil forces and to be firm and strong in their faith. They need to realise that their brothers and sisters in faith are suffering in many places because of persecution. But in time, God will strengthen them and put them on a firm foundation.
Again, it was through his gospel, that Mark conveyed this message through his presentation of Jesus as establishing God’s Kingdom, and also making clear that every follower of Jesus must identify with Jesus’ spirit of self-sacrifice and share in it. As Jesus accepted his cross, and through his death passed to glory. His followers too must carry their cross to share in the same glory.
February 22
Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle
Reading 1 1 Pt 5:1-4
Beloved: I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
Gospel Mt 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Saint Peter’s Chair
This feast has been kept at Rome since the 4th century. It is celebrated as a symbol of the unity of the Church. The principal diocese of the Catholic Church is Rome, and the Pope is its bishop. His cathedral is not, as many may be inclined to think, St Peter’s Basilica, but the Church of St John Lateran.
The Bishop of Rome is not ranked above other bishops, but is rather primus inter pares, first among equals. The diocese of Rome has a special place because of its links with St Peter, on whom Jesus said he would build his church. Hence the unity of the Church is expressed by the solidarity of each diocese with the diocese of Rome, and with each other. And when the Pope speaks formally, it is the faith of the whole Church that he proclaims, and not just his own understanding of it.
From the earliest times, the Church at Rome celebrated on 18 January the memory of the day when Peter held his first service with the faithful of the Eternal City. The feast of the Chair of Saint Peter at Antioch, commemorating his foundation of the See of Antioch, has also been long celebrated at Rome, on 22 February. At each place a chair (cathedra) was venerated which the Apostle had used while presiding at the Eucharist. The Roman Church, therefore, at an early date celebrated a first and a second assumption of the episcopal office in Rome by St Peter. This double celebration was also held in two places, in the Vatican Basilica and in a cemetery (coemeterium) on the Via Salaria.
The first of these chairs stood in the Vatican Basilica, in the baptismal chapel built by Pope Damasus. While therefore in the Vatican Basilica there stood a cathedra on which the pope sat amid the Roman clergy during the pontifical Mass, there was also in the same building a second cathedra from which the pope administered to the newly baptized the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Chair of St Peter in the apse was made of marble and was built into the wall, while that of the baptistry was movable and could be carried. Ennodius calls the latter a sedes gestatoria (chair for carrying).
Throughout the Middle Ages it was always brought out on 22 February from the above mentioned consignatorium, or place of confirmation to the high altar. That day, the pope did not use the marble cathedra (at the back of the apse), but sat on this portable cathedra, which was, consequently, made of wood.*
The importance of this feast was heightened by the fact that 22 February was considered the anniversary of the day when Peter bore witness, by the Sea of Tiberias, to the divinity of Christ and was again appointed by Christ to be the Rock of His Church (see John 21:15).
Commentary on 1 Peter 5:1-4; Psalm 22; Matthew 16:13-19
The Gospel from St Matthew records a dramatic moment in the relationship between Jesus and his disciples. They are at Caesarea Philippi, an area which significantly was home to both Jews and Gentiles, and Jesus begins by asking them what they heard people saying about him. They gave various answers, such as that he might be John the Baptist (returned from the dead after his beheading by Herod), or Elijah (who was expected to return to earth to herald the imminent coming of the Messiah), or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Jesus then asks them:
But who do you say that I am?
It is Simon who speaks up:
You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
It was a very special moment for all of them. Up to this, the man whom they had simply called ‘Rabbi’ or ‘Teacher’ was now acknowledged as no less than the Messiah, the Christ, the one anointed as the Saviour-King of Israel.
In reply, Jesus tells Simon that what he has said are not simply his own words but are a revelation of God to him:
Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.
There then comes the solemn mandate and promise. Simon is now given a new name:
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
There is a play on the words ‘Peter’ and ‘rock’. The word for ‘rock’ in Greek is petra and Peter is Petros. There is an irony in the name because it carries more than one meaning. For Peter is called to be the firm foundation of the new community, but before that happens, he shows himself to be a stumbling block trying to frustrate the mission of his Master; he shows himself to be one of the weakest of the disciples.
Nevertheless, Jesus gives him his mission:
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven [of God], and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven [i.e. by God], and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, it is his community under the unifying leadership of Peter which will have the mandate to continue the work and mission of Jesus. They will be, literally, the voice of Jesus.
In the First Reading (which is from the First Letter of Peter – although almost certainly not written by him), we have advice on how Church authority is to be exercised. Peter speaks to community leaders as a fellow “elder”, and as one who was a personal witness of the sufferings of Jesus – hence looking forward to share in his risen glory. He tells them to take care of their flocks as good shepherds, drawing them, but not forcing them, and not pursuing their own personal gain, but with enthusiasm for their well-being:
Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock.
These words are applicable to every position of leadership in the Church be it pope, bishop, priest or lay leader. Then:
…when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away.
So, the overall message of today’s feast is of generous and eager cooperation of all members of the Christian community in building up the Body of Christ as a sacrament of the Kingdom throughout the world.
Commentary on Matthew 5:20-26
Today’s readings are about repentance for the wrongs we have done and the guarantee of God’s mercy. The Gospel passage comes from the Sermon on the Mount, and is the first of six so-called “antitheses” where Jesus contrasts the demands of the Law with those of the Gospel.
Virtue, for the scribes and Pharisees, was largely measured by external observance of the law. For Jesus, that is not enough. For him, real virtue is in the heart. There was a commandment not to kill, but Jesus says that even hatred and anger, violence in the heart (often expressed by abusive language) must be avoided. Furthermore, we cannot have one set of relationships with God, and another set with people.
So, it is no use going to pray and make our offering to God if we have done hurt to a brother or sister. I must leave my gift at the altar, and first go and be reconciled with my brother or sister. Only then may I come to offer my gift.
I cannot say I love God if I hate a brother or sister:
Those who say, “I love God,” and hate a brother or sister are liars… (1 John 4:20)
and
Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. (Matt 25:45)
Repentance has to be expressed both to God and the person I have hurt. It is not possible to be reconciled to one, and not to the other.
We have something like this in every celebration of the Eucharist, although in practice, it can be very superficially done. At the beginning of the Communion, we together recite the Lord’s Prayer in which we all say:
…forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us…
How often are we conscious of saying those words, and how often do we really mean them?
Just after that, we are invited to share a sign of peace with those around us. Again, this can be done in a very perfunctory way. But the meaning of this gesture is that we want to be totally in a spirit of union and reconciliation with each other before we approach the Lord’s Table to break together the Bread – which is the sign of our unity as members of his Body.
January 25: Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Reading 1 ACTS 22:3-16
Paul addressed the people in these words: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison. Even the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify on my behalf. For from them I even received letters to the brothers and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment those there as well. “On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’ My companions saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me. I asked, ‘What shall I do, sir?’ The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything appointed for you to do.’ Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light, I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus. “A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me and stood there and said, ‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’ And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him. Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice; for you will be his witness before all to what you have seen and heard. Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.’”
Responsorial Psalm PS 117:1bc, 2R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia, 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, alleluia.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
Gospel mk 16:15-18
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Commentary
As the First Reading opens, we see Saul going to the high priest getting letters authorising him to go to the synagogues in Damascus and, if he found any Christians, called here “followers of the Way”, there, he would bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. Then, as he approached the city, there was a brilliant flash of light and Saul fell to the ground. He heard a voice saying: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Quite puzzled, he replied: “Who are you, sir?” The answer came: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” This must have been news to him. To attack the followers of Jesus was to attach Jesus himself. “As often as you do it to even the least of my followers, you do it to me.” It is significant that when Saul got to his feet, he was blind. But it was not just a physical blindness; he had not been able to see Jesus as the Word of God. He would stay like this for three days and during that time neither ate nor drink. Then a Christian called Ananias was told to go and baptise Saul. Not surprisingly, Ananias was not keen on going to see a man who was going all out to get rid of Jesus’ followers. But he was reassured that this was what God wanted. “This man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles, kings and Israelites.” Ananias, presumably with some trepidation, then went to Saul and told him that the Lord had sent him so that Saul could regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He laid hands on Saul’s head. Immediately scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. But what he could see was now very different from what he saw before his blindness. He was ready for baptism.
The rest, as they say, his history. Almost immediately, Saul began to go to the synagogues of Damascus proclaiming that Jesus was the Son of God. It was an extraordinary transformation. Later, his name will be changed to Paul. From then on, he will launch on an extraordinary career of bringing the Gospel to both Jewish and Gentile communities in what is now Turkey, in Greece and ultimately in Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire. This is reflected in the words of the Gospel where Jesus, before his ascension, tells his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
Each one of us has been baptised, most of us at a very early age. But becoming a Christian is not just a once for all event. The process of conversion to a deeper following of Christ is something that can and should continue right through our lives. It is also important to realise that, like Paul, every one of us is called not just to take care of our own spiritual wellbeing but that our following of Christ is something that calls on us to share that message with people around us, “to proclaim the Gospel to every creature”.
The Gospel reading is from the end of Mark’s gospel, from what is sometimes referred to as the “longer ending” to distinguish it from a “shorter” one. Both of these texts are thought not to be from the original version of Mark but were inserted to round off the ending of this gospel which ends rather abruptly with the women on Easter Sunday fleeing from the empty tomb “bewildered and trembling” and, because of their great fear, “they said nothing to anyone”.
The longer ending carries on from that point with material that we find in the other narratives, such as references to Mary Magdalen and Jesus appearing to his disciples.
Today’s reading includes instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples before leaving them for the last time. They are words which apply very much to Paul. They begin with the instructions to proclaim the Good News to the whole of creation. This is exactly what Paul was doing as he reached out to Gentile communities all the way from what is now modern Turkey, through Greece and Macedonia and on to Rome.
“The one who believes and is baptised will be saved.” Paul was second to none in his belief in Christ. He would be able to say later on, “I live, no, it is not I, but Christ lives in me.” An expression of total union with his Lord.
Jesus then indicates some of the signs that will accompany those who profess their faith. Again, Paul was capable of many of these – like escaping great dangers and bringing healing and wholeness into people’s lives.
Conversion is not something that only happens once in a lifetime. It is something that can happen to us several times in the course of our life. Let us be ready to answer whenever the Lord calls us to something greater.
January 26: Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops
Reading 1 2 Tm 1:1-8
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you. For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.
Or
Ti 1:1-5
Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began, who indeed at the proper time revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the command of God our savior, to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you.
Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10
R. (3) Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
Gospel Mk 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” He said, “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
History of Timothy and Titus
Timothy was born at Lystra, in the province of Pisidia (modern Turkey). He was the son of a Greek father and his mother, Eunice, was a convert from Judaism. When Paul preached at Lystra during his first missionary journey in the area, Timothy joined him and replaced Barnabas, with whom Paul had some differences over Barnabas’ cousin, John Mark.
Timothy soon became a close friend, confidant and partner of Paul in his missionary apostolate. In order to placate the Jewish Christians, Paul agreed to Timothy being circumcised. This was because Timothy’s mother had been Jewish and, for the Jews, it was the religion of the mother which was decisive. Timothy then accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-18:22).
When Paul was forced to flee Berea, in northern Greece, because of the hostility of the local Jews, Timothy stayed on (Acts 17:13), but soon after he was sent to nearby Thessalonica to report on the condition of the Christians there, and to encourage them under persecution. This report led to Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians when he joined Timothy at Corinth in southern Greece.
In 58 AD, Timothy was sent with Erastus north to Macedonia, but then went south to Corinth to remind the Corinthians of Paul’s teaching. He then accompanied Paul into Macedonia and Achaia. They were probably together when Paul was imprisoned at Caesarea and later in Rome. He was himself also imprisoned, but then freed.
According to tradition, Timothy went to Ephesus in western Turkey, became its first bishop, and was stoned to death there when he opposed the pagan festival of Katagogian in honour of the goddess Diana.
There are two letters reputedly written by Paul to Timothy, one written about 65 AD from Macedonia and the second from Rome, while Paul was in prison awaiting execution. Commentators today doubt (on the basis of style and content) that Paul could have written these letters. Nevertheless, they do reflect his teaching.
Titus was a disciple and companion of Paul, and one of Paul’s letters is addressed to him. Again, modern commentators doubt if Paul was really the writer, as it was common in those days for writings to carry the name of a well-known person as the author.
In the letter, Paul refers to Titus as “my true child in the faith we share”. Although not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, Titus is mentioned in the Letter to the Galatians (2:1-3), where Paul writes of going to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus.
Titus was then sent off to Corinth in southern Greece, where he successfully restored harmony between that Christian community and Paul, its founder, who had some differences with them. Titus was later left on the island of Crete to help organize the Church there, although he soon went to Dalmatia, in Croatia.
According to Eusebius of Caesarea in the Ecclesiastical History, Titus served as the first Bishop of Crete. He was buried in Cortyna (Gortyna), Crete. His head was later transferred to Venice at the time of the Saracen invasion of Crete in year 832 and enshrined there in St. Mark’s Church.
Commentary on Mark 4:26-34
Here we have the two last parables told by Mark in this part of his Gospel. They are both images of the Kingdom of God, of God’s truth and love spreading among people all over the world. They are both taken from the world of agriculture, a world that would have been very familiar to Jesus’ listeners.
In the first, God’s work is compared to a farmer planting seed. As in the parable of the Sower, the seed is the Kingdom. Night and day, the process of growth continues without any human intervention. Whether the farmer is awake or asleep, the process of growth continues. The seed sprouts and grows and the farmer does not know how. The outcome is certain. Once the seed is ripe, it is for the farmer to bring in the harvest. And that is our task – to bring in the harvest which has been planted in the hearts of people. In the words of the other parables, it is up to us to shine the light which helps people see the truth and love of God already present in their deepest being.
In the second parable, the Kingdom is compared to a mustard seed. Although one of the tiniest of seeds, it grows into a sizeable shrub in which even birds can build their nests.
Both of these parables are words of encouragement to a struggling Church living in small scattered communities, and surrounded by hostile elements ready to destroy it. How amazed would the Christians of those days be if they could see how the seed has grown and spread to parts of the world of whose very existence they were totally unaware! Today, we still need to have trust like theirs, and confidence in the power of the Kingdom to survive and spread.
Mark says that Jesus spoke many parables, or even that he spoke only in parables. But the full meaning of his teaching was explained to his inner circles of disciples. Those staying ‘outside’ were not ready to take in the message. They are the ones who were not “hearing”, as Jesus told his disciples to do. How sensitive is my hearing?
DECEMBER 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Reading 1 Gn 3:9-15, 20
After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself." Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with meC she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it." The LORD God then asked the woman, "Why did you do such a thing?" The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it." Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.
Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
Reading 2 Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 Brothers and sisters: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.
Gospel Lk 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
Commentary on Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Ephesians 1:3-6,11-12; Luke 1:26-38
The Immaculate Conception means that Mary from the first moment of her existence was totally free from the influence of that universal sinfulness which touches us all from the time we are born. The reason behind this belief (which is not explicitly contained in Scripture, and was only infallibly defined in 1854) is that only a totally sinless environment was fitting for the Son of God in his becoming a human being. It has a very long history in the Church.
The First Reading reminds us that it was a woman (Eve) who was instrumental in bringing pain and suffering, the result of sin, to the whole world. It will also be a woman (Mary) who will be instrumental in bringing to the world its salvation and healing.
The Second Reading tells us that all of us have been called by God to share his love and blessings long before we even existed. This is even more true of Mary, who was singled out from eternity by God to be the Mother of his Son.
Today’s Gospel speaks, not of Mary’s conception, but that of Jesus. It begins the moment Mary says that ‘Yes’. The angel greets her saying:
Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you…
In our Hail Mary prayer “favored one” is translated as “full of grace”. Mary is filled with God’s love and God’s favour and especially singled out for this moment. “Full of Grace” has always been interpreted as indicating Mary’s total freedom from any taint of sin in her role as “Ark of the Covenant”. It was believed that the Incarnate Word should begin his human existence in an environment untouched by sin.
We can apply each of the readings to our own lives. We have been often the cause of sin and pain in other people’s lives. Let us rather be people who bring wholeness and healing.
Let us be deeply aware that, long before we were born, every single one of us has been called by God to know, love and serve him. We have been the constant recipients of his blessings. How will we respond? Unlike Mary, we were born touched by a sinful world. But we also can become filled with grace if, like her, we say a resounding and unconditional ‘Yes!’ to all that God wants from us.
Let us ask Mary today to help us to love Jesus as she did, right through the pain of the Cross to the joy of the Resurrection.
Thanksgiving Day
Reading I Sir 50:22-24
And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb, and fashions them according to his will! May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you; May his goodness toward us endure in Israel to deliver us in our days.
Responsorial Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Reading II 1 Cor 1:3-9
Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gospel Lk 17:11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
Commentary on Luke 17:11-19
This story of Jesus’ compassion is unique to Luke. We are told that Jesus was travelling on the borders of Galilee, the northern province of Palestine, and Samaria, which lies between Galilee and the southern province of Judea. Jesus is making for the Jordan valley on his way south to Jericho, one of his last stops before reaching his final destination in Jerusalem.
Just as he entered a village he was met by ten lepers (it does not specify whether they were men or women). As lepers they were not allowed to come in close proximity with other people because it was (rightly) known that the condition could be transmitted to others by physical contact, though we know now it needed to be fairly prolonged contact. We remember how the famous Fr Damien, the Apostle to the Lepers, eventually contracted the disease through his ministering to a colony of lepers in Hawaii.
Because of their dreaded disease, such people were literally outcasts condemned to live their lives on the fringes of society. The tragedy is that, given the limited medical knowledge of the times, many such people were almost certainly not suffering from leprosy at all, but from some other non-contagious, perhaps chronic skin disease.
So, calling Jesus from a safe distance, they cried out:
Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!
Jesus simply told them to go and show themselves to the priests. And, while they were on their way, they were all cured. Presumably they continued on their way to see the priests who would give them an official declaration of being “clean” so that they could once again legitimately return to life in society. A major element of their healing was their re-integration into society.
Just one of the cured lepers then came back to Jesus “praising God in a loud voice” and in deep gratitude fell at the feet of Jesus:
And he was a Samaritan.
These words are loaded with meaning. For it is presumed that the rest were Jews. In the first place, Jews and Samaritans could not stand each other, and the Jews tended to look down on the Samaritans as ungodly and unclean. But, in the misfortune of their leprosy, these Jews and Samaritans, rejected by both their own peoples, found common support in each other’s company.
But, now that they are cured, only one of them comes to say thanks and he is still – in the eyes of the Jews – an outcast. Jesus, looking around at the Jews in his company, expresses surprise that ten were made clean, but only one came back to give thanks and he was a despised foreigner.
This unexpected action is also reflected in another of Luke’s stories, which we reflected on earlier, that of the so-called “good Samaritan”. Here is another good Samaritan. And, of course, there is a third – the Samaritan woman who is featured prominently in John’s gospel (John 4:4-42).
To the man Jesus says:
Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.
That “get up” or “rise up”, which Jesus often uses with those he heals, has echoes of resurrection and entry into new life, a life of wholeness brought about by the man’s trust in Jesus and his acknowledgment of the source of his healing.
In the context of Luke’s gospel, the story prepares us for developments in the growth of the early Church, described in Luke’s Acts of the Apostles. For, as the early Christians (all of them Jews) flee from persecution in Jerusalem, the people of Samaria are among the first to accept Jesus as Lord and to become followers of the Gospel, while many of the Jews in Jerusalem remain closed to Jesus’ message and call.
We, too, must never give in to a temptation to exclude any people as possible followers of Christ. We must be ready to reach out to all, even the most unlikely. None must be treated as outsiders or untouchables, even those who show themselves extremely hostile to the Gospel.
And while there may not be any real lepers in our own society, today is an occasion for us to reflect on who could be regarded as lepers, outsiders, outcasts, and untouchables among us at the present time. And, to ask whether I personally treat any person as an outsider in my home, in my work, in other places where I meet people. Such exclusion is totally contrary to what we celebrate in the Eucharist.
November 30 Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Reading 1 Rom 10:9-18
Brothers and sisters: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news! But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us? Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
Responsorial Psalm PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
Gospel Mt 4:18-22
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.
Saint Andrew, Apostle
Andrew was the son of Jonas, the brother of Simon Peter, and a fisherman by trade. The brothers seem to have come from Bethsaida, although at the beginning of Jesus’ public life they are in Capernaum.
From John’s Gospel (John 1:40) we know that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist before becoming a disciple of Jesus and one of the Twelve. As a result of Andrew’s first encounter with Jesus, he came to realise that Jesus was the Messiah. He then went to tell his brother Simon, whom he brought to Jesus. He is called in the Eastern Church Protokletos, meaning the ‘first called’, because his calling is the first mentioned in the Gospel narrative. The name ‘Andrew’ (from the Greek andreia, meaning ‘manliness’) seems to have been common among Jews from the 2nd century onward. His Aramaic name is not known.
In all the Gospel lists of the apostles, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:13), his name is listed among the first four. In John’s Gospel, he is specifically mentioned for his involvement in the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:8). Also in John’s Gospel, we see him with Philip in the episode of the Greeks who wanted to see Jesus (John 12:20-26). He appears along side Peter, James and John with Jesus in Jerusalem, shortly before the Passion, when Jesus predicts the destruction of the city (Mark 13:3). Beyond these, there is no strictly historical record of his activities.
It is not certain where he preached the Gospel, where he died, or where he was buried. Eusebius quotes Origen as saying Andrew preached in Asia Minor and in Scythia, along the Black Sea as far as the River Volga and Kiev. Thus, he became a patron saint of Romania and Russia. He was believed to have founded the See of Byzantium (later Constantinople) in AD 38, and installed Stachys as bishop. This diocese would later develop into the great Patriarchate of Constantinople. Andrew is recognized as its patron saint.
Andrew is said to have died by crucifixion at Patras, Achaia in southern Greece. While early tradition shows him bound, not nailed, to a cross like that of Jesus, a later tradition was that he was crucified on an X-shaped cross, which came to be known as the Cross of St Andrew. This was done at his own request as he felt not worthy to be crucified on a cross like his Lord’s. His supposed relics were said to have been brought from Patras to Constantinople. This was as a counterpoint to the (more solid) claim of Rome to have the relics of Peter and Paul. He also became patron of Patras, the scene of his death.
In another tradition, after the fall of Constantinople in 1204, the Crusaders took Andrew’s body to Amalfi in Italy, and it was given by the tyrant Thomas Palaeologus to the pope in 1461. It was considered one of the most treasured relics in St Peter’s until it was returned to Patras by Pope Paul VI. It is now kept there in the Church of St Andrew in a special shrine.
Andrew’s cult in the western Church was also widespread. From the 6th century, his feast was celebrated everywhere, and there were churches dedicated to him in Italy, France and Anglo-Saxon England.
The inevitable legends also tell of his relics being brought from Constantinople by Regulus (Rule) to the Pictish king Oengus mac Fergusa (729-761) in Scotland in the 8th century. The only historical person with this name was Regulus (Riagail or Rule), an Irish monk expelled from Ireland together with Saint Columba, but his dates do not tally with the story. Regulus built a church in Fife in what is now known as St Andrews – the site of Scotland’s oldest university and the ‘holy’ shrine of golf. But, long before that, it became a centre for preaching the Gospel and later a place of pilgrimage. It was this story, which exists in several versions, which led to Andrew being chosen as the Principal Patron of Scotland from the 8th century.
Apart from Patras, claimed relics of Andrew are kept in the Duomo di Sant’Andrea in Amalfi, Italy, St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland and in the Church of St Andrew and St Albert in Warsaw, Poland, as well as small relics in other places.
In the oldest representations Andrew is shown with a normal Latin cross. The X-shaped cross we now call ‘St Andrew’s Cross’ was associated with him from the 10th century and became common in the 14th. It is represented on the flag of Scotland and is also incorporated into the flag of the United Kingdom (the ‘Union Jack’). His other symbol is, naturally, a fishing net.
December 25: The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
Mass during the DayLectionary: 16
Reading IIs 52:7-10 How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the LORD restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
Responsorial PsalmPs 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6.R. (3c)
All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
Reading II Heb 1:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways
to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all things
and through whom he created the universe,
who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
When he had accomplished purification from sins,
he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say:
You are my son; this day I have begotten you?
Or again:
I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me?
And again, when he leads the firstborn into the world, he says:
Let all the angels of God worship him.
Gospel Jn 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.
DECEMBER 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Reading 1 ZEC 2:14-17
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people,
and he will dwell among you,
and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,
and he will again choose Jerusalem.
Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!
For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.
or
Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
God’s temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.”
Responsorial Psalm JUDITH 13:18BCDE, 19R. (15:9d)
You are the highest honor of our race.
Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the LORD God,
the creator of heaven and earth.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
Gospel LK 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
November 9 Dedication of the Basilica of St John Lateran (Feast)
Reading 1 Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
The angel brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side. He said to me, "This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
R. (5) The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High!
God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore, we fear not, though the earth be shaken
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.
There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come! behold the deeds of the LORD,
the astounding things he has wrought on earth.
Reading 2 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17
Brothers and sisters: You are God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
Gospel Jn 2:13-22
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.
Most people probably think that St Peter’s is the pope’s main church in Rome. But actually it is the Church of St John Lateran which is the cathedral and hence the Pope’s church as Bishop of the Diocese of Rome. On the façade of the basilica there is an inscription in Latin which reads, “the mother and mistress of all churches of Rome and the world”. We tend to forget that the Pope is primarily a Bishop, a first among equals, and that this church has a special and symbolic importance for the whole Church.
The first church building on this site was built in the 4th century when the Emperor Constantine gave land he had received from the wealthy Lateran family. That church and others which replaced it suffered over the centuries from fire, earthquakes and war but it remained the church where popes were consecrated until they returned from exile in Avignon, in the south of France. When the Avignon papacy formally ended and the Pope could return to Rome, the Lateran Palace and the basilica were in a serious state of disrepair. The popes took up residency at the Basilica of St Mary in Trastevere and later at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. Eventually, the Palace of the Vatican was constructed and has been the pope’s residence until now.
The present Lateran basilica was erected in 1646. It ranks first among the four major basilicas in Rome (with St Peter’s, St Mary Major’s and St Paul’s Outside the Walls) as the Ecumenical Mother Church. On top of its facade are 15 large statues representing Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and 12 Doctors of the Church. Underneath its high altar are the remains of a small wooden table on which tradition claims St Peter celebrated the Eucharist.
St. John Baptist and St. John the Evangelist are regarded as co-patrons of the cathedral, the chief patron being Christ the Saviour himself, as the inscription at the entrance of the Basilica i
ndicates, and as is the tradition in the patriarchal cathedrals. The Basilica remains dedicated to the Saviour, and its titular feast is the Transfiguration. Its full title then is Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and of Sts. John Baptist and John Evangelist in the Lateran.
Celebrating the dedication of the Pope’s cathedral today is a way of expressing the unity of the whole Church with the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. And the union of each local church with this church is an expression of the unity of all churches both with Rome and with each other.
November 1: Solemnity of All Saints
Reading 1RV 7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, "Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb."
All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed: "Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, "Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows." He said to me, "These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
Responsorial PsalmPS 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
Reading 21 JN 3:1-3
Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.
GospelMT 5:1-12A
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."
Commentary on Revelation 7:2-4,9-14; 1 John 3:1-3 and Matthew 5:1-12
God’s holy Church rejoices that her children are one with the saints in lasting peace. (from Solemn Blessing for today)
As we come to the end of the Church year we celebrate this great feast of All Saints. It is important to emphasise from the beginning what we mean here by ‘saints’. Normally we apply the word to people of extraordinary holiness who have been canonised or beatified by the Church. Among them each one has their favourites: St Francis of Assisi, St Therese of Lisieux, St Anthony, St Joseph and so on.
But today’s feast uses the word in a much wider sense. It refers to all those baptised Christians who have died and are now with God in glory. It also certainly includes all non-Christians who lived a good life sincerely in accordance with the convictions of their conscience. We simply do not know how many people we are talking about, but it is a very large number. Putting it another way, there is no way we can decide which people have made an irrevocable choice of rejecting what is true and good and have chosen to be alienated from God forever. Hopefully, their number is much smaller.
There is a third group which we will remember tomorrow and they are those who have died but need still a process of purification before they can come face to face with the all-holy God.
The Gospel chosen for today’s feast is interesting. It gives us what we know as the Eight Beatitudes from the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. It is, in fact, a charter for holiness. When many people think of holiness they think of keeping the Ten Commandments and perhaps some other requirements of the Church like going to Mass on Sundays or fasting during Lent. What we often tend to forget is that the Ten Commandments really belong to the Old Testament and are part of the Jewish law. Of course, they are still valid and Jesus said clearly:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. (Matt 5:17)
We might say that the Beatitudes are an example of that fulfilling. The Beatitudes go far beyond the Ten Commandments in what they expect of a follower of Christ, and yet the sad thing is that one hears of relatively few Christians saying that they base their lives on the Beatitudes. When we go to Confession it is the Ten Commandments we normally refer to and not the Beatitudes. And this is sad, because it is clear from their position in Matthew’s gospel that the Beatitudes have a central place. They are a kind of mission statement saying what kind of person the good Christian will be.
Let us look at them briefly, but first we need to clarify a few of the terms used. The word ‘blessed’ is sometimes translated ‘happy’. It might be more accurate to translate it as ‘fortunate’. In other words, people who have these qualities are really in an envious position. All of these beatitudes are indications that we belong to the ‘kingdom of heaven’. This is to be understood not as a place, still less as referring to life after death. It rather describes the kind of society that exists when we live according to these values – a place of truth and love, of compassion and justice, of peace, freedom and sharing.
The general message is that those are really blessed when they know their dependence on God and on their sisters and brothers; when they commit themselves totally to the Way that Christ invites them to follow.
The Gospel says that particularly blessed are:
Those who are poor in spirit. They are those who are aware of their basic poverty and fragility and of how much they need the help and support of God as opposed to those who foolishly claim independence and full control of their lives.
Those who are meek: These are the people who reach out to others in care and compassion and tenderness, who constantly are aware of the needs of others.
Those who mourn: those who are in grief or sorrow for whatever reason will be assured of comfort from the loving community in Christ they have entered.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: Whatever the price, they will work that everyone will be given what is their due to live a life of dignity and self-respect. The price they may have to pay could be high, very high, even life itself.
Those who are merciful: They are the ones who extend compassion and forgiveness to all around them.
Those who are pure in heart: This does not refer to sexual purity, but rather to a simplicity and total absence of duplicity, of prejudice or bias. Not surprisingly, they are described as being able to see God. For such people, God’s presence is all too obvious in every person and experience.
Those who are peacemakers – perhaps one of the most beautiful of the Beatitudes. These are people who help to break down the many barriers which divide people – whether it is class, occupation, race, religion, gender or anything that creates conflict between individuals or groups. Not surprisingly, these people are called “children of God”. God sent Jesus among us precisely to break down the barriers between God and his people and between people themselves.
Those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness: Persecution of itself is not a pleasant experience, and may result in loss of life. But blessed indeed are those who have the strength and courage to put the values of truth and love and justice for all above their own survival. Among the saints we most honour today are the martyrs, those who gave their lives in the defence of truth, love and justice.
This is the kind of Christian we are all called to be. It is these qualities which made the saints and which will make saints of us too. They go far beyond what is required by the Ten Commandments. If taken literally, the Commandments can be kept and not with great difficulty. Many of them are expressed in the negative, “You shall NOT…” so we can observe them by doing nothing at all! “I have not killed anyone… I have not committed adultery… I have not stolen…” Does that make me a saint?
Being a Christian is a lot more than not doing things which are wrong. The Beatitudes are expressed in positive terms. They also express not just actions but attitudes. In a way, they can never be fully observed. No matter how well I try to observe them, I can always go further. They leave no room for smugness, the kind of smugness the Pharisees had in keeping the Law. The Beatitudes are a true and reliable recipe for sainthood.
The Second Reading reminds us today:
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are.
Saints are not self-made people. They are people who have responded generously to the love of God showered on them. And the completion of that love is to be invited to share life with God forever in the life to come.
The Reading also says:
…what we will be has not yet been revealed.
We do not know, and have no way of knowing what that future existence will be like, and it does not help very much to speculate. In fact, some of the conventional images of heaven are not terribly exciting! Kneeling on clouds and playing harps for eternity – partly derived from a too literal reading of the book of Revelation – is not exactly a turn-on!
It is better to go along with St Paul who says that life face to face with God is something totally beyond our comprehension. Let us rather concentrate on the life we are leading now and let it be a good preparation for that future time.
Indeed, the First Reading from the book of Revelation presents an apocalyptic vision of those who have died in Christ. They are numbered at 144,000 – a number taken literally by some Christian sects. However, the number is clearly symbolical. It consists of the sacred number 12, squared and multiplied by another complete number, 1,000. It simply represents the total of all those who have died faithful to Christ their Lord. They represent “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages”, for access to Christ is open to all. They are dressed in white robes with palms in their hands. They are the robes of goodness and integrity. The palms of victory are a reference to the joyful Jewish feast of Tabernacles, for these are the ones invited to live in God’s tent or tabernacle.
Together with them are the angels, the 24 elders (perhaps representing the 12 patriarchs and the 12 Apostles) and the four living creatures (a very high rank of angels), all prostrate in adoration before the glory of God. The song they sing has been magnificently set to music by Handel in his “Messiah”. Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honour, power and strength are seven attributes of perfect praise.
And who are these people in white robes?
These are they who have come out of the great ordeal…
In other words, they are those who have been through persecution, particularly the persecution of Nero, which occurred about the time this book was written. And, paradoxically:
…they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
It is the blood of Jesus Christ which brings salvation, but only to those who have united with him in sharing its effects. Many of them, of course, are martyrs and they have mingled their own blood with that of Jesus.
It is a picture of total victory, and the end of all the pains and sorrows they endured in this life. It is not a newspaper reporter’s description of heaven!
Today’s feast is first of all an occasion for great thanksgiving. It is altogether reasonable to think that many of our family, relatives and friends who have gone before us are being celebrated today. We look forward to the day when we, too, can be with them experiencing the same total happiness when:
They will hunger no more and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat,
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
(Rev 7:16-17)
Today is a day also for us to pray to them – both the canonised and the uncanonised – and ask them to pray on our behalf that we may live our lives in faithfulness so that we, too, may experience the same reward.
November 2: The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
Reading 1WIS 3:1-9
The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.
Reading II Rom 6:3-9
Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.
GospelJN 6:37-40
Jesus said to the crowds: "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."
All Souls: commemoration of all the faithful departed.
Yesterday we celebrated the feast of All Saints. Today is the commemoration of All Souls. The Church often speaks of the totality of the baptised as the Communion of Saints. The word ‘saints’ is used in the Scriptural sense as found in the New Testament when it generally refers to baptised members of Christian communities.
The Communion of Saints is formed of three groups. The first are those who can properly be called ‘saints’, that is, those who have died and are now enjoying a face to face relationship with God for all eternity. We sometimes call that ‘heaven’ but it is less a place than a relationship.
The second group are those who are living on earth at the present time and are part of the Pilgrim Church on its way to ultimate union with God in unending happiness.
The third group are those we are remembering today. They are those who have died but are not quite ready to meet God face to face. Most of us would probably acknowledge that we are far from perfect and that we still need to go through some purifying process before entering the eternal presence of God. What that process is like it is not for us to speculate.
What we are reminded of today is that those who are already in the eternal presence of God and those who are still on pilgrimage on earth can help the group we call ‘Holy Souls’ to reach the Vision of God sooner through our good works and prayers.
And so, although it is a “holy and wholesome thought to prayer for the dead”, it is especially appropriate on this day. Naturally, we will remember especially family members and good friends but we should also think of those who may not have anyone to remember them.
When our time comes to leave this world, it is the prayers of those people on whom we will depend.
October 28: Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Reading 1EPH 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Responsorial PsalmPS 19:2-3, 4-5
R.(5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R.Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R.Their message goes out through all the earth.
Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles (Feast)Apart from their names in the Gospel, there is very little we know definitely about these two Apostles.
Simon is called either the Canaanite or the Zealot (Mt 10:4, Mk 3:18, Lk 6:15, Acts 1:13) by the evangelists. To distinguish him from Simon Peter, he is called Kananaios [ or Kananites [ (in Matthew and Mark) and Zelotes [ (in Luke and the Acts). Both titles come from the Hebrew qana, which means ‘the zealous one’ but some, like St Jerome, misread it as a reference to the town of Cana or to the region of Canaan. (This led to a story that at the wedding feast at Cana [John 2] Simon was the bridegroom!). The preferred reading in all the texts now is ‘Zealot’.‘Zealot’ may indicate membership of a strict Jewish sect. There was a party called Zealots famous in the war of the Jews against their Roman occupiers. They killed many of the nobility and filled the Temple with blood and brought ruin on their people. But there is no evidence they existed in Jesus’ lifetime. “Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, a brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?” But the New Testament does not relate this Simon to any of the Apostles. After Pentecost, Simon, like several other Apostles, is not heard of again in the New Testament. However, there is an abundance of legends about his subsequent life and final martyrdom. So one eastern source gives Edessa in Mesopotamia as the place where he died but a western tradition (represented by the Roman Missal and the Martyrology) affirms that he first preached in Egypt. He then joined his fellow Apostle Jude, who was in Mesopotamia, and they both went east to Persia. Here they were martyred at Sufian (or at Siani). In one story their throats were cut and in another Simon was sawn in two, like the prophet Isaiah. This tradition only dates from the 6th `century, 300-400 years after the Apostle’s death, but devotion to him goes back much further. There is even a tradition that Simon got as far as Britain, perhaps Glastonbury, and was martyred in Lincolnshire. In art Simon is usually symbolised with a boat or a falchion (an axe-like sword), allegedly the weapon by which heathen priests cut him down.
Jude, called “Judas, son of James”, is mentioned by Luke in his gospel (Lk 6:16) and in the Acts (Acts 1:13) and also in John 14:22 . He is commonly identified with Thaddaeus, who appears in the list of Apostles in Matthew and Mark, but where there is no mention of Jude. He is also believed to be the author of the Letter in the New Testament bearing his name. As with Simon, nothing certain is known of his life after Pentecost but again there are many legends. As mentioned, a Western tradition says that he joined up with Simon to preach the Gospel in Persia, where he, too, died a martyr’s death.
In more modern times, Jude has acquired the reputation as the ‘patron of hopeless cases’, as attested by expressions of gratitude in Catholic devotional periodicals. The origin of this devotion is said to be that no one would pray to him because his name was so like that of the traitor Judas Iscariot. Only people who had tried every other option would in desperation turn to him!
The relics of Simon and Jude are believed to have been brought to St. Peter’s in Rome in the 7th-8th century. Rheims and Toulouse also claim to have relics.
In art Jude’s usual emblem is a club, the instrument of his death; otherwise he holds a ship, while Simon holds a fish. This is perhaps because, as a cousin of the Zebedee brothers, he was also a fisherman.
OCTOBER 18: Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist
Reading 1 2 Tm 4:10-17b
Beloved: Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
Gospel Lk 10:1-9
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"
Saint Luke, Evangelist
Practically all we know of Luke (and it is not very much) comes from the New Testament. We do not know the place or date of his birth. In Paul’s Letter to Philemon (1:24) Paul refers to “Luke, my coworker”. In the Letter to the Colossians (4:14) he speaks of “Luke, the beloved physician”, so it is taken that he was a medical practitioner of some kind. In the Second Letter to Timothy (4:11) Paul says, “Only Luke is with me”. He seems to have been a close companion of Paul on some of his missionary journeys and on his final journey to Rome. This is based on the belief that the Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke, and that in the Acts, a number of passages use the word “we”, suggesting the writer was a companion of Paul (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 27:1-28:16).
As well as being the author of Acts, Luke is also taken to be the author of the Gospel bearing his name. The two works are linked by his statement at the beginning of Acts that:
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven… (Acts 1:1)
Both books are dedicated to someone named Theophilus, and no scholar seriously doubts that the same person wrote both works, even though neither work contains the name of its author.
A number of assertions about Luke are based on a document believed to date (in part) from the 2nd century:
Luke, a native of Antioch, by profession a physician. He had become a disciple of the apostles and later followed Paul until his [Paul’s] martyrdom. Having served the Lord continuously, unmarried and without children, filled with the Holy Spirit he died at the age of 84 years.
However, there is no way that these statements can be historically verified. There are legends that Luke was with Jesus as one of the 72 disciples, or that he was one of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus on Easter Sunday, a story which, incidentally, only appears in Luke’s Gospel. Based on the quality of the writings attributed to him, Luke is thought to have been well-educated. The Letter of Paul to the Colossians (4:11) seems to include Luke among the non-circumcised companions of Paul and hence that he was a Gentile. In that case, Luke would seem to be the only non-Jewish author of New Testament books.
Luke’s Gospel has many special characteristics which perhaps tell us something about the kind of person he was. Unique to him is the account of the circumstances leading to the conception and birth of Jesus (Luke 1-2). As well, his Gospel contains some of the most touching parables in the Gospel:
the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son;
the words of Jesus during his Passion to the women of Jerusalem;
the so-called ‘Good Thief’.
While presenting an all-or-nothing following of Jesus with an emphasis on radical simplicity of life, there is at the same time great emphasis on the compassionate nature of Jesus. He focuses on Jesus praying before every important phase of his public life, and there is an openness to the Gentiles to whom the Gospel is especially directed.
Women figure more prominently in Luke’s Gospel than in any of the others – the mother of Jesus, her cousin Elizabeth, the sisters Mary and Martha, the widow of Nain, and the striking story of the sinful woman in the house of Simon the Pharisee. In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke is revealed as a very accurate observer, skilfully linking the sacred events with secular history. Many of his details have been confirmed by archaeology.
His writings have received high endorsements from secular scholars:
Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy…[he] should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.
(Sir William Ramsay, archaeologist)
Luke is a consummate historian, to be ranked in his own right with the great writers of the Greeks.
(E.M. Blaiklock, Professor of Classics at Auckland University)
In all, Luke names thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities and nine islands without an [factual or historical] error.
(Professor Norman L. Geisler, Southern Evangelical Seminary)
However, it should also be strongly emphasised that Luke did not write as a historian, but as an evangelist. He proclaimed the message of Jesus as the Word of God to the world. Some early Church documents say that Luke died in Thebes, the capital of Boeotia. There is a tradition that he was a painter and one well-known icon of the Virgin Mary has been attributed to him, but with little claim to historical accuracy. It is understandable why Luke should be made the patron of artists and doctors.
When represented with the other three evangelists his symbol is an ox, perhaps referring to the sacrifice in the Temple mentioned at the beginning of his Gospel – the scene of Zechariah and the angel announcing the birth of John the Baptist. The earliest pictures of him show him writing his Gospel but in later art works he is represented as painting the Virgin Mary. Both Constantinople (Istanbul) and Padua in Italy claim to have his relics.
September 29 Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
Reading 1 Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
As I watched: Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; His throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened, and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5
R. (1) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD
"Great is the glory of the LORD
Gospel Jn 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Commentary
The Gospel reading from John is the scene in the beginning of the gospel where Jesus meets Nathanael, who has been introduced to him by Philip. Nathanael who had somewhat sneeringly asked if anything good could come from Nazareth must have been somewhat surprised to hear Jesus say to him:
Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!
Of how many people can that be said (including ourselves)?
Puzzled, Nathanael asks Jesus:
Where did you get to know me?
Rather enigmatically Jesus tells him:
I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.
The fig tree was often seen as a symbol of messianic peace. They were words, then, of commendation. Nathanael, deeply impressed, tells Jesus:
Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!
This declaration is on a par with Peter’s confession of Jesus’ identity,and concludes the list of Jesus’ titles which are given in this first chapter of John.
And yet Jesus says he will see much more:
Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these…Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.
The allusion is clearly to the dream of Jacob who saw God’s angels-messengers going up and down on a ladder linking Heaven with Earth, God with his People. Jesus, as the Incarnate Son of God is the bridge which links God with his People. He is like a ladder by which God comes to his People and his People go to God.
In a sense Jesus is the Archangel of archangels, the Ultimate Messenger of God’s Truth and Love. Through Him God comes to us, and through Him we go to God.
There is a choice of two First Readings. The first is from the Book of Daniel and speaks of a vision that the prophet has of God on his Throne, which is described in graphic and apocalyptic language. Among other things we are told that:
A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
These are the angels who serve at God’s throne.
The second part of this reading is taken from the New Testament to refer to the Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour King of Israel. He is said to be:
…one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven.
Some translations have it as “one like the son of man”.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.
This is an image that the Gospel will use to describe the return of the Risen Jesus at the end of time as he calls his people to himself (see Matt 25).
The alternative First Reading is from the Book of Revelation and speaks of Michael defeating Satan and the powers of evil, which was mentioned above. With the defeat of Satan:
…come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah…
These angels are symbols of God’s ever-loving relationship with us. It is a two-way communication. We listen to what God tells us and try to make it part of our lives. At the same time, we reach out to him in faith and trust and in a complete surrender of our being.
September 21 Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
Reading 1 Eph 4:1-7, 11-13
Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:2-3, 4-5
R. (5) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
Gospel Mt 9:9-13
As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Commentary on Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13; Psalm 18; Matthew 9:9-13
The Gospel reading tells Matthew’s version of Jesus calling a tax-collector to be a disciple. Tax collectors have a very poor reputation in the Gospel. They are numbered among the groups of outcasts with whom no decent person would have any contact. In Palestine, most of them would have been Jews, employed by the Roman colonial power to collect taxes from their own people. Roman citizens did not have to pay taxes; only the conquered peoples had to do this.
So they were seen both as renegades and traitors, and also as people who were in gross violation of their Jewish faith in working for Gentiles in this way. Even Jesus, when speaking of members of the Christian community who refuse to change their sinful ways in spite of every effort made to help them reform, said:
…let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. (Matt 18:17)
The Jewish tax collector was put on the same level as a Gentile, a person with whom no self-respecting Jew would have any relationship.
And here, in today’s reading, we see Jesus inviting such a person to be his disciple! This tells us a number of things about Jesus. It means that he does not look at stereotypes. He does not say, “He is a tax collector, so he must be a very sinful person with whom I should have no contact.” No, he looks at the person and sees the potential there. And in Matthew he sees the potential for him to be one of his followers and indeed one of his apostles, on whom the continuation of Jesus’ mission will depend. For Jesus, our past is not very important. What counts is where we are now and where we can be in the future.
After Jesus says to Matthew, “Follow me”, the tax collector gets up and goes after Jesus, leaving all the paraphernalia of his occupation behind him. It is very similar to Peter, Andrew, James and John leaving their boats, their nets and even their family to go with Jesus. It is an unconditional and total following.
Matthew then decides to celebrate his new calling. He invites Jesus and his disciples and also the only friends he has – other sinners and tax collectors. They all sit down together in ‘his’ house. Whose house? It could be the house where Jesus is staying, a house mentioned a number of times in the Gospel and which is a symbol of the Christian community, the place where Jesus gathers with his disciples.
Here, tax collectors and sinners are invited into the house to eat together with Jesus and his followers. This does not indicate that Jesus does not care about their behaviour, but rather that they are being brought under his influence, they are the ‘lost sheep’ being brought back to the Shepherd.
Or it could refer to Matthew’s house. In that case, we see Jesus and his disciples unhesitatingly going into the house of a sinner and accepting his hospitality. Of course, the Pharisees are scandalized:
Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?
As devout followers of the Law, they would never have contact with such people. How can Jesus as a rabbi behave like this?
Jesus answers them very bluntly:
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Matthew and his friends are people in need of healing. Jesus is there to give it to them. And he quotes from the prophet Hosea:
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice. (Hosea 6:6)
Jesus and his true followers are measured by their compassion and care of those in real need. They are not measured by their observation of ritual laws.
In fact, says Jesus, he has come with a special interest in the sinner. Genuinely good people do not really need the services of Jesus. They are the sheep who stay with the flock and close to the Shepherd. Jesus is interested in the stray sheep. This reading has many lessons for us living our Christian life today.
The First Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians is a prayer for unity in a Church where there are many different responsibilities. The Church is the Body of the Risen Christ and, like any body, is a unified organism in which each of its parts has a part to play in contributing to the whole. The source of this unity is that there is one Body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.
But unity is not uniformity. Unity is when different elements merge together in perfect harmony. So Paul goes on to say that there are different callings and responsibilities in the community. And he mentions a few of them – apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. But there are many others. The purpose of these ministries is to equip the members of the community for the work of service and for building up the Body of Christ. It is a beautiful picture of a Christian community. All deeply united in faith and love, and yet each one serving the community with a different responsibility.
We remember Matthew, of course, as an Apostle and also an Evangelist. It was through these charisms that he contributed to the building up of the Church as the Body of the Risen Christ.
Let each one of us recognise the charism in us by which we can serve and build up the Christian community. Let us work together for greater unity while tolerating and even encouraging diversity so that God’s Word can find fertile root in as many of God’s children as possible.
September 15: Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Reading 1 1 Tm 1:1-2, 12-14
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, my true child in faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 16:1b-2a and 5, 7-8, 11
R. (see 5) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
Gospel Jn 19:25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
COMMENTARY ON OUR LADY OF SORROWS
Today’s feast is clearly linked with yesterday when we celebrated the Exaltation of the Cross. Only the Gospel of John records that the “mother of Jesus” stood by the cross with her sister, Mary of Magdala and the “beloved disciple”. In the Synoptic Gospels, women are recorded as standing at some distance from the cross but Mary is not mentioned among them. One can hardly imagine the pain and grief that Mary must have undergone to see her only Son dying in such terrible suffering over a period of several hours. Mary, as the first and greatest disciple of her Son, shared in a very special way in the redeeming death of her Son and Lord.
Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows flourished in the Middle Ages. From that time comes the well-known hymn, Stabat Mater, which we still recite during the Stations of the Cross:
At the Cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Since the 14th century, these seven sorrows have been linked to Mary:
The Prophecy of Simeon – During the Presentation in the Temple, when Simeon foretold that a sword of sorrow would pierce Mary’s heart (Luke 2:22-37).
The Flight into Egypt – When Mary and Joseph took the new-born Jesus to the safety of Egypt to escape the massacre of the children in Bethlehem (Matt 3:16-18).
The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days – When Jesus was 12 years old, he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. After being missing for three days, his distraught parents found Jesus in the Temple in discussion with the teachers of the Law (Luke 2:41-52).
Meeting Jesus on the Way to Calvary – A traditional scene, familiar from the Stations of the Cross, where Jesus meets his mother as he carries his Cross on the way to his crucifixion on Calvary (but not mentioned in Scripture).
The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus – As the Gospel of John tells us, the Mother of Jesus was present at the foot of the Cross and kept vigil with her Son as he died (John 19:25-27).
Jesus Taken Down from the Cross – Again, a traditional scene from the 13th Station of the Cross and also represented in art by the Pieta (though again, there is no scriptural reference for this scene).
Jesus Laid in the Tomb – This is recorded in all four Gospels. The burial took place close to the place of crucifixion because of the coming Sabbath day. It must have been a painfully sad moment for the Mother who must have believed this would be the very last time she would lay eyes on her Son (Matt 28:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-50).
By remembering Mary’s sufferings in this way, we realise how close she was to the redeeming work of her Son. As mentioned, she is his first and closest disciple.
Especially in Mediterranean countries, statues of Our Lady of Sorrows are traditionally carried in processions on the days leading to Good Friday.
No feast in her honour was included in St Pius V’s Tridentine Calendar in 1570. Approval for the celebration of a feast in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows was first granted to the Servite order in 1667. By inserting the feast into the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, Pope Pius VII extended the celebration to the whole of the Latin Church in 1814. It was assigned to the third Sunday in September. In 1913, Pope Pius X moved it to 15 September, the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
Our Lady of Sorrows is traditionally depicted in art dressed in black with seven swords piercing her heart. These seven swords symbolize the chief seven sorrows of her life. Devotion to the Sorrows of Mary inspired the works of art we call the Pieta, the grieving Mother holding her dead Son in her arms, after he has been taken down from the Cross.
September 14: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Reading 1 NM 21:4B-9
With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!"
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us."
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses, "Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live." Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Reading 2 PHIL 2:6-11
Brothers and sisters: 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 the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Alleluia
Gospel JN 3:13-17
Jesus said to Nicodemus: "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Reflection:
The Cross is one of the most central objects of the Christian faith. It is the symbol of God’s love for us expressed by the self-sacrificing death of Jesus, his Incarnate Son.
The public veneration of the Cross originated in the fourth century. According to legend it began with the miraculous discovery of the True Cross by Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, on 14 September 326 while she was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was then built at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine. The church was dedicated nine years later, with a portion of the cross placed inside it in 335. This was a two-day festival. Although the actual consecration of the church was on September 13, the cross itself was brought outside the church on September 14 so that the clergy and faithful could come forward to venerate it.
In the year 627, during the reign of the Emperor Heraclius I of Constantinople, the Persians conquered the city of Jerusalem and removed a major part of the Cross from its sanctuary. The emperor determined to recover the relic which he regarded as the new Ark of the Covenant for the new People of God. Before leaving Constantinople with his army, Heraclius went to the church wearing black in a spirit of penance; prostrated himself before the altar and begged God to sustain his courage. In the ensuing war, the emperor was victorious. One of the conditions of a peace treaty was the return of the Cross, in the same condition as when it was removed. On his return to Constantinople Heraclius was received by the acclamations of the people. They came out to meet him with olive branches and torches. The Cross was honoured with a grand triumph.
The emperor then wished to give thanks to God by going in person to return the Cross to Jerusalem, after an absence of 14 years. In Jerusalem, he wished to carry the Cross on his shoulders but on reaching the gate leading to Calvary, he could not go forward. He was astonished and his retinue could not understand. “Take care, O Emperor!” the Patriarch Zachary then said to him. “In truth, the imperial clothing you are wearing does not sufficiently resemble the poor and humiliated condition of Jesus carrying His cross.” Heraclius then removed his shoes and bejewelled robes. Wearing a poor man’s tunic, he was able to proceed to Calvary and replace the Cross. It is said the occasion was marked by a number of miracles: a dead man returning to life, four paralytics cured, ten lepers healed, 15 blind men given their sight, several possessed people exorcised and many sick people totally healed.
September 8 Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 Mi 5:1-4a
The LORD says: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.
Rom 8:28-30
Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 13:6ab, 6c
R. (Isaiah 61:10) With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
Let me sing of the LORD, "He has been good to me."
Mt 1:18-23
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 he 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."
The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Clearly there is no historical record of the birth of Mary. The Church does believe, however, that from the very moment of her conception she was totally free from sin and remained free of sin for her whole life. It was not acceptable that Jesus, the Son of God, should be conceived in a body tainted by sin. Her birth is clearly something to celebrate. The Church, too, has given names to her parents – Joachim and Ann, whose feast we celebrated on 26 July.
Churches both in the East, in Constantinople, and in the West, in Rome, have been celebrating Mary’s birth since the 6th and 7th centuries. The liturgy traces its origins to the consecration of a church in Jerusalem, known as St Ann’s Basilica, in the 6th century. Before that there had been a 5th century basilica in honour of Mary on a site known as the “Shepherd’s Field” and supposedly the home of Joachim and Ann. It was replaced by a new basilica in the 6th century which was consecrated to St Ann.
Monks from the East brought the feast to Rome in the 7th century. From there it spread through the western Church. By the 13th century it had been raised to a solemnity with a major octave and a vigil which was a fast day. Pope Sergius I (687-701) instituted a procession from the Roman Forum to the basilica of St. Mary Major for the feast.
Following the liturgical reforms of Pope St Pius X, the feast had just a simple octave and in 1955, Pope Pius XII abolished the octave altogether. The liturgy now has the rank of feast.
The date, September 8, was chosen as the octave day of the former Byzantine New Year. Although the feast was celebrated on various dates over the centuries, September 8 predominated. The feast celebrating Mary’s conception without sin on December 8, was later set to correspond to nine months preceding Mary’s birth (just as the Annunciation precedes the Birth of Jesus by nine months).
In the Eastern Church, Mary’s birthday is celebrated as one of the twelve great liturgies. The title for the liturgy in the East is: “The Birth of Our Exalted Queen, the Birthgiver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary”.
Commentary on Micah 5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30; Psalm 12; Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
The Gospel reading is the genealogy of Jesus as given by Matthew at the beginning of his Gospel. It is largely an artificial composition divided into three sets of 14 generations – 42 altogether. It begins with Abraham, the Father of God’s people and there follow many names from the biblical account in the Hebrew Testament.
It is a very mixed group of people, including the very good and the not good at all. There are also four women in the list, each of them with a special interest of their own. It represents the very diverse history of loyalty and infidelity which was the story of God’s people. Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, is truly identified with our world.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… (John 1:14)
He dwelt among all of us, the good, the bad and indifferent. Mary, too, was born into this world and, with her Son, and, though, like him, without sin is fully part of it. The ancestry leads down to Joseph, the “husband of Mary”. But it is of Mary that Jesus the Messiah is born.
There is a choice of texts for the First Reading. The first comes from the prophet Micah. He has been speaking against the rulers of Israel who are paying dearly for their sinful ways. In today’s passage he is speaking of the restoration of Israel through a Messiah. Just before today’s passage he speaks against Jerusalem (called Bat-gader) which is under siege by the Assyrians. But in today’s passage he contrasts the powerful ruler of Israel under siege with the tiny city and clan of Bethlehem-Ephrathah who are:
…too little to be among the clans of Judah…
For, from this tiny, insignificant place:
…shall come forth…one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
His origins are from the royal Davidic line.
The Lord will give up these people until the time:
when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
“She who is in labor has given birth” is a clear reference to Mary, mother of the Messiah. And that Son with the strength of Yahweh:
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock…he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
The Gospels will show how all of these predictions are fulfilled in Jesus. And the birth of the Incarnate Messiah comes through Mary. It is not surprising, then, that we celebrate the birth of such a person in a very special way. And that she herself, in preparation for this, should be blessed with special favours and graces.
The second choice for the First Reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Romans. He speaks of how all are picked out specially by God:
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
This is an important statement for us to take on board. We see it in Mary’s acceptance of the angel’s invitation, even though she did not fully understand its implication at the time.
Like Mary, all of us have been called to be “conformed to the image of his Son”, so that he becomes the first among many brothers and sisters. Mary, too, was of course, even as Mother, totally conformed to the Way of her Son. The last words also apply in a special way to Mary:
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Mary, from the first moment of her existence, was totally conformed to the will of her Son, and so deserves the special glory which she merited after her death
August 24: Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
Reading 1 Rv 21:9b-14
The angel spoke to me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
Gospel Jn 1:45-51
Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth." But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Commentary on Revelation 21:9-14; Psalm 144; John 1:45-51
The Gospel reading speaks of the calling of Nathanael. Just before this Jesus had invited Philip to be a disciple. Philip then went to find Nathanael and told him:We have found him about whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.
Philip says “we”, which may indicate the two other disciples Jesus had called earlier, Andrew and an unnamed disciple, and perhaps Peter as well, who was brought to Jesus by Andrew, his brother.
Nathanael rather dismissively comments:Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
He regarded it as a backwater not likely to produce the Messiah, the expected King of Israel. But, when he meets Jesus, Jesus immediately greets him with the words: Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!
It is wonderful praise for anyone and it clearly takes Nathanael aback. Startled, Nathanael replied:Where did you get to know me?
Jesus replies: I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.
The fig tree is a symbol of messianic peace, but it is not clear how it applies to Nathanael. It is quite clear that Nathanael is completely won over and, in confirmation of Philip’s words earlier, he confesses: Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!
The title ‘Son of God’ is probably being used in a messianic sense but, for the evangelist, it is to be taken in the fullest sense.
Jesus then goes on to say that Nathanael, if he believes, he will see even greater things:
Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.
This, of course, is a reference to the dream that Jacob had of angels going up and down on a ladder between heaven and earth.
Applied to Jesus, it will mean that Nathanael will see God coming down to earth through the works of Jesus and glory being given to God through these works. The final glory will be when Jesus is lifted up on the Cross and returns to be united with his Father.
Although the reading does not mention the name of Bartholomew, its content can be applied to him and indeed to any of the disciples. It is not possible to say whether Nathanael and Bartholomew were one and the same person.
The First Reading is from the Book of Revelation (Apocalypse). It is a description of the New Jerusalem, which is the Church both now and in the future. It is called the Bride of Christ and gleams with the splendour of God.
At the end of the reading we are told that the wall of the city had 12 courses of stones for its foundation. On these stones were inscribed the names of the 12 Apostles of the Lamb. Their teaching of all that they heard from Jesus formed the foundation of the Christian community. Among them, of course, was Bartholomew.
AUGUST 14: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 RV 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB
God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 45:10, 11, 12, 16
R. (10bc) The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father’s house.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
Reading 2 1 COR 15:20-27
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.”
Gospel LK 1:39-56
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Commentary on Revelation 11:19,12:1-6,10; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26; Luke 1:39-56
Today’s feast celebrates the special place that Mary has in the life of the Church. This place is first of all defined by her being chosen to be the mother of Jesus, his only human parent. This alone gives her a uniqueness which is shared by no other person who has ever lived.
As with the case of Jesus’ resurrection, we need to look at the meaning of what the feast is about rather than being too literal in our understanding of how it is described. It is probably not helpful to try to imagine that, as soon as Mary’s dead body was laid in the grave, it immediately, as it were, escaped from its earthly darkness and floated up “body and soul” into “heaven”.
By using the image “assumed body and soul into heaven”, what is really being said is that Mary, because of the dignity of her motherhood and her own personal submission to God’s will at every stage of her life, takes precedence over everyone in the sharing of God’s glory which is the destiny of all of us who die united with Christ her Son.
She remains, of course, fully a human being and infinitely lower in dignity than her Son and much closer to us. With us but leading us, she stands in adoration of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. She cannot, even in glory, be given in any way the worship that is proper to the Persons of the Trinity. What she can do is to intercede for us in our needs, offering her human prayers on our behalf. This is something our non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters do not always understand and perhaps we Catholics have by our words and actions given a distorted idea of the place of Mary in our Christian living.
Mary’s role is well described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity. Thus she is a ‘pre-eminent and… wholly unique member of the Church’; indeed, she is the ‘exemplary realisation’ (Latin:typus) of the Church.” (Section 967)
Today’s Gospel is the story of Mary’s visitation to her cousin, Elizabeth, when both were expecting their first child. The story contains most of the elements which contribute to the status we give to Mary in our Church.
First, we see Mary setting out with haste from Nazareth to a small town in the hills of Judea, not far from Jerusalem (where Zechariah served as a priest in the Temple), to visit her older cousin, Elizabeth, who was pregnant with the child we know as John the Baptist. Mary herself, of course, is carrying her own child, Jesus. It is highly significant that it is Mary and Jesus who go to visit Elizabeth and John. Already in the womb, Jesus is showing that urge to serve rather than be served. Mary, too, shares that urge. And, at the presence of Jesus and his mother, the child in Elizabeth’s womb jumps for joy.
Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, excitedly bursts out into praise. She recognises the special position of Mary and her Son:
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Mary is indeed unique and blessed in being chosen to be the mother of our saving King and Lord. Elizabeth is deeply moved that it is Jesus and his Mother that come to her and John:
And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
And yet that is what is happening to each of us all the time, and especially in every celebration of the Eucharist when the Lord comes to us in the sharing of his Word and in the breaking of the bread and our sharing in the cup.
And there is a special word of praise for Mary also:
Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.
This brings us to the second characteristic of Mary: her faith and total trust in God. That was expressed in her fiat (“Let it be done to me…”), when, even though not fully understanding what was being asked of her, she unconditionally accepted to submit to God’s plan.
It is now Mary’s turn to sing God’s praises in the lovely song we call the Magnificat, which the Church sings at its evening prayer every day. It is full of reflections on what makes Mary great in the eyes of God.
He has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Mary was a simple unmarried girl living in obscurity in a small town in an out of the way Roman province. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked rather cynically when told where Jesus came from. But in the New Covenant, reflecting God’s own bias, it is the lowly and obscure who are specially favoured. Mary’s greatness does not come from her social status; it has no relevance whatever in God’s eyes, except in so far as those at the bottom of the social ladder tend to be denied a fair share of this world’s goods.
From now on all generations will call me blessed.
This is not a statement made in arrogance but in humble thanksgiving and, of course, has been true since the day it was uttered. It was indeed an extraordinary grace to be chosen to be the mother of the world’s Saviour. Why Mary? we might ask; and Mary herself would be the first to agree. But she rejoices and is deeply grateful for being chosen for this privilege.
Her being chosen is simply another sign of God’s desire that the poor, the weak, the marginalized, the exploited and discriminated against in this world should be the special recipients of God’s love and care. Mary expresses this in the last part of her song:
He has shown strength with his arm;
He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
The rich and powerful of Mary’s day: where are they now? Who were they? For the most part they have disappeared from sight while the little girl of Nazareth is still celebrated round the world.
But Mary’s greatness does not stop at the graces and privileges which were showered on her. These, after all, were purely passive in the sense they were gifts given to her. In a telling scene in the Gospel, a woman who had been listening to Jesus suddenly cried out in a loud voice:
Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!
In our own language today we might say: “May God bless the mother who produced such a wonderful son as you!” And there is a deep truth here, namely, the influence that Mary (and Joseph, too) actually had in the formation of her Son. But Jesus immediately picked up the woman’s words and said:
No, blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.
In other words, it is not the graces that God gives us which make us great but the manner in which we receive and respond to them.
Mary’s greatness was not just in being chosen to be Jesus’ mother but in her total acceptance of that responsibility in faith and trust, accepting blindly all that it might entail. And, indeed, she had no idea the price she would have to pay to be the mother of Jesus. But, again, like her Son, she had emptied herself in total service to his Father and today we celebrate her reward, her being raised to the highest place among the human race.
This is indirectly expressed in the Second Reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians where Paul is speaking of the resurrection of Christ as crucial to the validity of our Christian faith. And Christ, the Son of God made flesh, who died on the cross is indeed the very first among the risen, seated at the right hand of his Father. He is, in Paul’s words, “the first fruits of those who have died”.
But, further on Paul says:
…for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in their own order.
Jesus is first of all, but next in order surely comes his Mother.
The First Reading from the Book of Revelation has clearly been chosen as a symbolic description of Mary in glory. There is first a brief vision of God’s temple in the New Jerusalem opening and revealing the ark of the covenant within. The original ark, of course, a chest made of acacia wood, contained the tablets of the Law and was kept in the Holy of Holies as the pledge of God’s promise, his covenant, to be with his people. But this is the ark of the New Covenant, the permanent home of God among his people, the Risen Jesus in his Body, the Church. On today’s feast, the image is applied to Mary, who bore the maker of the New Covenant within herself. And so she is called in the Litany of Our Lady, “Ark of the Covenant”.
Next, there is a much longer description of the vision of a woman appearing from heaven. The woman is Israel, from whom was born the Messiah, and the community which believed in him. The description of the woman is often applied to Mary in statues and images:
Clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet…on her head a crown of twelve stars.
The woman is described as being pregnant, crying out in birth pangs and in the agony of giving birth. This recalls the words of God to our first parents after the fall, of the pain that would accompany childbirth. But the child being born is the Messiah, seen both as an individual and leader of the new Israel. The mother who bears him is suffering from persecution and oppression. As tradition holds that Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth, the image cannot be applied fully to her.
There follows an apocalyptic description of a dragon threatening to devour the child as soon as it is born. The dragon (along with the serpent) was seen in Jewish tradition as representing the power of evil, the enemy both of God and his people. Its tail sweeping a third of the stars from the sky is an allusion to the fall of those angels who sided with Lucifer. Nevertheless, the child is born. He is a son, who will rule all the nations with a rod of iron. He is the promised Messiah. However, he is described as immediately being snatched away and taken up to God. This refers to the ascension and triumph of the Messiah which follows the dragon’s fall.
Meanwhile, the woman, the mother, flees into the wilderness, the traditional refuge for the persecuted. God has prepared a place there for her where she can be nourished for 1,260 days, which corresponds to the time of the persecution.
It must be first of all emphasised that the writer is not directly thinking of Mary here and clearly, not all of this passage can be directly applied to her. But Mary is the mother of Jesus, who in his Body, is the continuation of God’s presence among us. Mary now stands glorious and bejewelled in the presence of her Son and his Father with the Spirit.
Today we join in her happiness. We look forward to the day when we too can share it with her. In the meantime, we ask her to remember us as we continue our journey on earth and to intercede for us with her Son that we may remain faithful to our call as faithful disciples. May we know God’s will for us at all times and, like Mary, say our unconditional Yes to what he wants for us.
August 10 Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr
Reading 1 2 Cor 9:6-10
Brothers and sisters: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written: He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.
The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9
R. (5) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.
Lavishly he gives to the poor,
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
GospelJn 12:24-26
Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me."
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; Psalm 111; John 12:24-26
The Gospel reading for the feast is from John and presents an ideal image of Laurence. Just before today’s reading begins we are told by John that some ‘Greeks’ had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. They were non-Jews who had probably converted to the Jewish faith. It is clear, too, that in Jerusalem they had heard people talking about Jesus and what he was saying and doing.
So they approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They may have approached him because ‘Philip’ (Filippos, literally ‘one who loves horses’) was a Greek name. They also probably knew that Philip was with Jesus so they said to him, “We would like to see Jesus.” Philip then went to consult with his fellow disciple, Andrew (another Greek name, Andreas) and they both went to Jesus with the request.
It is at this point that our reading begins. Jesus answers their request in what seems a very strange and enigmatic manner. He says three things:
-Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
-Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.
-Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.
In fact, this is a very clear answer to the ‘Greeks’. They asked to ‘see’ Jesus, but just to lay one’s eyes on him was not to see him. To see Jesus fully or properly requires that one have an insight and understanding of the inner mind of Christ. So Jesus cannot be ‘seen’ or understood unless one grasps the purpose and meaning of his death and resurrection. In order for it to be fruitful, a grain of wheat has to fall into the ground and effectively be disintegrated so that it will be transformed into a new plant which in time will reproduce itself many times over.
This is exactly what Jesus will do. He will surrender his life through his suffering and death on the cross only to rise again in new life. But not only that, he will bring new life to countless numbers of people who, inspired by him, will become other ‘Christs’. And that is what we celebrate in the Eucharist when we take the bread, the fruit of wheat grains, and say the words:
This [bread] is my Body which will be handed over for you.
And we then share this Bread as a sign of our total identification with the Vision and the Way of Jesus.
And that is why Jesus says that not only must he die, but all who wish to follow his Way will also have to be ready to surrender their lives, will have to be grains of wheat losing themselves to bring more life to others. All who serve Jesus must go his Way, because where Jesus is, his servant is there too.
All of this, of course, applies beautifully to Laurence who gave his life so generously for the sake of the Gospel. His death was an inspiration to large numbers of people who were inspired by his example.
Laurence, like the grain of wheat, fell to the ground and died, but out of his death, life came for many. Far from being wiped out, the persecuted Church only flourished and continued to flourish, and it continues to thrive in easier, but still challenging conditions.
In the First Reading which is from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, he is urging the Christians of Corinth to be generous in giving help to the impoverished Christian community in Jerusalem. As they excel in many Christian virtues, he wants them to excel, too, in their generosity to their brothers and sisters in need.
Paul says he is not ordering or compelling them, but rather putting it up as a test of their love and concern. And he gives the example of Jesus himself who became poor, who emptied himself, that we might be enriched, enriched in those things which really matter:
Although Jesus was rich, he became poor that by his poverty you might become rich.
Laurence was noted for his generosity in helping the poor and needy. And it is a message that we need to learn and to live that the real source of riches is not in accumulating things for ourselves, but in giving to others from the gifts we have received.
AUGUST 6: Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Reading 1 Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
As I watched: Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw: One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 R. (1a and 9a)
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
Reading 2 2 Pt 1:16-19
Beloved: We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Gospel Mt 17:1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid." And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
Note about Commentary:
The Transfiguration of the Lord commemorates an event in the life of Jesus as recorded by the Synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is not recorded in John’s gospel. It is also referred to in the Second Letter of Peter, which is used as an alternate weekday reading or as the Second Reading on a Sunday. One each of the three Gospel versions is read according to the Liturgical cycle of Years A, B, and C. The three versions are very similar, so this single reflection is given to cover all three years.
In all three Synoptic gospels the story of the Transfiguration occurs in the same context, and that context is significant. Today’s verses are in the middle of the Gospel account and things have been building up to a climax. As the disciples spend more time with Jesus, as they hear what he is saying and see what he is doing, they must have been asking, “Who is this Rabbi to whom we have attached ourselves; who is this Jesus?” Strangely, the answer comes from their own mouths.
One day, when Jesus was with them, he asked them:
“Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
Jesus was using this strange title of himself. Based on what they must have been hearing from people around them, they said there were various speculative answers – John the Baptist (resurrected from the dead), Elijah (ditto) or some other of the prophets.
Jesus then pressed them further:
“But who do you say I am?”
It is then that Peter speaks up:
“You are the Messiah, the Christ.”
It was a peak moment in their relationship with Jesus, and an exciting one. How their imaginations must have begun to work on what it meant to be so closely associated with the Messiah, the King who would be the Saviour and Liberator of Israel! What glories and privileges awaited them as his disciples!
But almost immediately, Jesus begins to speak in a very different way. For the first time (it will happen three times altogether) he tells them what is future is going to be. And it must have come as a terrible shock. Jesus told them he was going to suffer greatly, be rejected by the leaders of their own people, be killed and then rise again after three days. They could not believe their ears. How could this happen to the Messiah? How could their own leaders do such a thing? And what would it mean for the dazzling future they saw dangling before their eyes?
The impetuous Peter immediately stepped forward. He cried:
“This cannot happen to you!”
He can hardly have expected the reaction of Jesus:
“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me!”
And while they are recovering from this, Jesus continues by saying that not only will he himself suffer but, if they want to be his disciples, they will have to be ready to walk the same road:
Those who wish to follow me must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.
It is after this depressing situation of disillusionment and incomprehension that the Transfiguration takes place. We are told that six days later (eight days in Luke) Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John up a high mountain by themselves. The identity of the mountain is not given and it is not important. In the Scriptures, mountains are holy places and special things always happen there – we think for instance of Mount Sinai (Moses), Mount Carmel (Elijah), the Sermon on the Mountain, the Feeding of the 5,000, and Calvary (Golgotha), a hill outside Jerusalem.
There before them Jesus is suddenly transformed, dazzlingly bright. They can hardly look on him. Suddenly there appear with him Moses and Elijah. They represent the whole Jewish tradition of the Law and the Prophets. They are seen talking with Jesus. The message is clear. They fully endorse what Jesus is doing and saying and the future he has foretold about himself.
Peter becomes utterly confused. He suggests the building of three shelters – one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. As Mark comments:
“He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.”
But that was not all. Just then, a cloud came down and covered them. This was not just a change in the weather. To the biblical mind it spoke of only one thing – the presence of Yahweh himself. And then out of the cloud came a voice; it could only be the voice of One Being:
“This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
Here now is the supreme endorsement of the Son by his Father. “Listen to him.” Yes, listen, even when he says things that you don’t like, things that you do not yet understand. It is a confirmation of all that has gone on before – the real identity of who Jesus is and the reliability of everything that he says will happen to him and what is expected of them.
It is a special moment of encouragement which will help carry them through the difficult days ahead. They already have the answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” But now they have to learn the answer to a more important question, “What kind of Messiah is Jesus going to be?” They will not fully appropriate that until after the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus when they will boldly continue his mission and not hesitate to carry their cross in doing so.
Let us follow in their footsteps. That is where true happiness and fulfilment lie.
The First Reading is from the Book of Daniel and records a vision that Daniel had of God in glory and it echoes the scene that is described in the Gospel:
The Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was snow bright and the hair on his head as white as wool…a surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat.
The Second Reading is from the Second Letter of Peter where he says he and his companions are not dispensing clever myths, but he claims to be a first-hand witness of the glory that was behind Jesus. Referring to the Transfiguration experience he says they had been “eye-witnesses of his majesty”. He and his companions heard the words of confirmation coming from God in his glory:
“This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
They heard this voice which came:
“…from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.”
Hence, the message that he and his companions are now proclaiming is “altogether reliable” and we should take it very seriously. Because, he says in a lovely phrase, this message is:
“…light shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
JULY 22: Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
Reading 1SGS 3:1-4B
The Bride says: On my bed at night I sought him whom my heart loves– I sought him but I did not find him. I will rise then and go about the city; in the streets and crossings I will seek Him whom my heart loves. I sought him but I did not find him. The watchmen came upon me, as they made their rounds of the city: Have you seen him whom my heart loves? I had hardly left them when I found him whom my heart loves.
OR 2 Cor 5:14-17
Brothers and sisters: The love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all; therefore, all have died. He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.
Responsorial PsalmPS 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9R. (2) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Gospel JN 20:1-2, 11-18
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her.
JANUARY 28: FEAST OF SAINT THOMAS, APOSTLE
READING 1 EPH 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM117:1BC, 2
R. (MARK 16:15) GO OUT TO ALL THE WORLD AND TELL THE GOOD NEWS.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
GOSPEL JN 20:24-29
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Commentary on Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 116; John 20:24-29
Today’s Gospel reading recalls the scene after Jesus’ resurrection when Jesus appeared to his disciples in the upper room. They first saw him on Easter Sunday, the day of the resurrection, but for some reason, Thomas was not with them. When, later on, they told Thomas they had seen the Lord, he absolutely refused to believe them. He said that unless he saw with his own eyes the mark of the nails in Jesus’ hands and was able to put his hands into the wound in Jesus’ side, he would not believe.
Then, exactly a week later, when they were all gathered together again and Thomas was with them, Jesus suddenly appeared although the doors were again locked. After giving them a greeting of peace, he immediately addressed Thomas.
Put your fingers here and see my hands, bring your hand and put it in my side. Do not be unbelieving but believe.
Thomas is clearly overwhelmed. He can only burst out, My Lord and my God!
It is clearly a statement of deep faith. He is the only person in the Gospel to address Jesus directly as ‘God’. And it seems to have been made without his touching the body of his Risen Lord.
Jesus then says: Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.
Two comments can be made. First, Thomas in fact went beyond what he was seeing. He saw the Risen Jesus but he addressed him as God. That was something which went beyond just seeing; it was a statement of faith.
Second, the rest of the statement is addressed to us. None of us has ever seen the Risen Jesus, but we firmly believe that he did rise from the dead and is in glory with the Father. It is on the basis of that act of faith that our Christian life is founded.
The First Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians reminds us that our membership of the Christian community is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus himself as the headstone. Thomas is part of that foundation. And it is through Jesus that the whole structure of the Christian community is held together and “grows into a temple sacred to the Lord”.
In the Risen Jesus, we are “being built together into a dwelling place of God”. We, as Paul says elsewhere, the Temple of the Lord, the Body of Christ, his visible presence on earth. A huge privilege and a huge responsibility for each one of us. As Jesus once said:
Who sees you, sees Me.
This is the faith that Jesus spoke of to Thomas. Are we really aware of this?
JUNE 24: SOLEMNITY OF THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Reading 1IS 49:1-6
Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial Psalm139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 14C-15R.
(14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
Reading 2 ACTS 13:22-26
In those days, Paul said: “God raised up David as king; of him God testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish. From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’ “My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent.”
Gospel LK 1:57-66, 80
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Commentary on Isaiah 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66,80
John came to bear witness to the light, to prepare an upright people for the Lord.
JOHN THE BAPTIST played a unique role in the history of God’s people. He acted as the bridge between the Hebrew and Christian Testaments. He basically belongs to the former but was present at the beginnings of the latter. At the same time he died before Jesus had completed his work and before the Church came into existence.
Jesus praised his greatness but at the same time said that even the least in the Kingdom was greater than he. While he knew and proclaimed Jesus as the one that all were waiting for and the thongs of whose sandals he was not worthy to loose, he never saw Jesus as his Risen Lord, a privileged granted to the very least of the baptised.
His primary title is Precursor. His mission was to go ahead of the Messiah and proclaim his coming. As he said modestly himself, Jesus must increase while he himself must decrease. The success of his mission would eventually make him redundant. And that is still the role of the missionary today – to plant the church and then withdraw, leaving it in the hands of the new local community.
Many parallels
Today we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. In Luke’s gospel there are many parallels between the birth of John and that of Jesus. Both births were announced in advance: in John’s case to his father Zechariah and in Jesus’ case to his mother Mary.
The birth of John was a special blessing to his parents, who were already advanced in age, and particularly to Elizabeth. So when the birth took place it was a special occasion of rejoicing among relatives and neighbours. When they heard “that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy”. Everyone knew what a shame it was for a woman not to give a child, especially a son, to her husband.
In accordance with custom the child was circumcised on the eighth day after birth. This ritual showed that the child belonged to God’s own people. It was also the day on which the child was officially named. In accordance with prevailing custom, it was expected that the child would be called Zechariah after his father. But Elizabeth interjected to say that he should be called John. This came as a surprise as there was no one of that name in the family.
The father was then consulted. Because he had doubted the angel’s words at the announcement of his son’s conception, Zechariah had been struck dumb. He was possibly also deaf because the people communicated to him by signs. He replied by writing on a tablet: “His name is John.” This was the name the angel said should be given to the new-born child. This act of obedience on the part of Zechariah resulted in his speech coming back and his glorifying God. “The neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.” The whole event was clearly understood as a direct intervention of God.
And people began to wonder about the child in front of them. “What will the child turn out to be?” they asked. All the circumstances of his birth indicated that he was no ordinary child and that God had a special mission for him.
In the desert
In words similar to those used of Jesus, we are told that the boy grew up and matured. Probably his elderly parents died while he was young and he went to live in the Desert of Judea, which lies between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. And it was there, along the banks of the River Jordan that he began his public preaching. He would have been about 30 years of age, the same age as his cousin, Jesus.
His calling to serve the Lord is expressed in the passage from Isaiah in the First Reading. “The Lord called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.” His unexpected birth was revealed to his father and his name given to him.
“He made my mouth a sharp sword… he made me into a sharpened arrow…” express John’s effectiveness as a prophet and herald. The reading also implies the suffering and frustrations that were part of John’s life. In the end he was thrown into prison and, on the whim of Herod’s illegitimate wife, executed. But his life was not in vain. He became, in the words of the reading, “the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”.
John was the last and in some ways the greatest of the Hebrew Testament prophets. As the preface for today’s Mass says he was chosen “from all the prophets to show the world its redeemer, the Lamb of sacrifice”. It was he, who in John’s gospel, points out Jesus to his disciples as the “Lamb of God”.
Apart from preaching a message of repentance and conversion to the large number of people who came to hear him, he “baptised Christ, the giver of baptism, in waters made holy by the one who was baptised”.
He is presented as a man of total honesty and integrity. Perhaps it was this which attracted so many to come and hear him. And because of this he ultimately lost his life when he denounced King Herod who had married his brother’s wife. He was “found worthy of a martyr’s death, his last and greatest act of witness to your Son”.
A model for all of us
John the Baptist’s life has a special meaning for all of us. We are, through our baptism, also called to be precursors of the Lord. Our baptism imposes on us an obligation to share our faith and to give witness to the Way of Jesus, both in word and action. There is no other way by which the average person can come to know and experience the love of Christ.
It is well put by Paul, writing to the church at Rome a long time ago: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!’” (Romans 10:13-16)
In that sense, we are all called to be “preachers”. Our lives individually and collectively are meant to send out a message and an invitation: “Come and join us and share our experience of faith, love and fellowship.” If we are honest, we know that we do not do that nearly enough and often give an opposite message altogether. As the unbeliever Nietzsche said, “If they want me to be Christian they will have to look as if they are saved.” The signals we send out as individuals, as families, as parish are really the only way that people who are searching for meaning in their lives may be led to find that meaning in the Gospel.
Let us ask John the Baptist today to help us by the way we live our lives to clear a path which will draw people closer to knowing and experiencing Christ.
JUNE 29: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Reading I Acts 12:1-11In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. –It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.– He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf.
On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter recovered his senses and said,
“Now I know for certain
that the Lord sent his angel
and rescued me from the hand of Herod
and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”
Responsorial Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9R. (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
Reading II 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.
The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Mt 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Commentary on Acts 12:1-11 2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 Matthew 16:13-19
On this day we celebrate a special feast of the Church, symbolised by the two great apostles, Peter and Paul. They were the two men around whom the mission of Jesus to establish the Kingdom was centred and from whom it grew and spread to every corner of the world. As the preface for today’s Mass puts it:
“Peter raised up the church from the faithful flock of Israel. Paul brought your call to the nations, and became the teacher of the world. Each in his chosen way gathered into unity the one family of Christ. Both shared a martyr’s death and are praised throughout the world.
Each one represents two very distinct roles of the Church in its mission to the world.
Source of stability
Peter represents that part of the Church which gives it stability:
Peter today is represented by the pope, who is the great symbol of unity and continuity. Without his role, we would see the Church break up and disintegrate, which has happened to a large extent with those parts of the Church that broke away from the central body. A number of the mainline non-Catholic Christian churches realise today the importance of that central role of Peter and they are trying to find ways by which we could all become one Church again, ways by which diversity could be recognised, but divisions removed, that all who believe in Christ might find and express that unity (but not uniformity) for which Christ prayed during the Last Supper.
Prophetic role
Paul, on the other hand, represents another key role, the prophetic and missionary role. It is that part of the Church which constantly works on the edge, pushing the boundaries of the Church further out, not only in a geographical sense, but also pushing the concerns of the Church into neglected areas of social concern and creatively developing new ways of communicating the Christian message. This is the Church which is semper reformanda, a Church which needs to be constantly renewed.
This renewal is spurred on by the Church’s contact with the surrounding world. This world is itself changing and, in our own times, changing with bewildering speed. Not only new technologies but new knowledge and new ideas continue to surface. Our rapidly changing societies call on us to express the core of our faith in new ways.
As a theologian once said, “The world writes the agenda for the Church.” That does not mean that the Church is to conform to the ways of the world – quite the contrary. What it does mean is that the Church’s evangelising work has to be in response to where people actually are. It is no good just handing out the same old things in the same old way. If the Church is to remain relevant, if it is to continue speaking in a meaningful way to rapidly changing world, if it is to keep up with the new knowledge and ideas which change our ways of understanding the world in which we live, it has to renew itself constantly:
The world may not like what the Church has to say, but it should be able to understand it and be stimulated by it.
New challenges
A changing world involves new challenges of what is right and wrong, a changing world brings about new social problems, new forms of poverty, of injustice, of exploitation and discrimination, of lack of freedom and the absence of peace.
Hence there have to be new ways of preaching and witnessing to the Gospel of truth, of love, of justice, of freedom, of peace. For this we need the prophetic role of the Church, built on the foundations of tradition and continuity. We have to avoid the two tendencies either of digging in and looking only to the past, or of neglecting the traditions and bringing in innovations with no foundations.
When faced with difficult situations, Catholics tend either to dig in and become fundamentalist, or to throw in the towel completely. Neither is helpful either to the Church or to society.
God’s accompanying presence
The readings today emphasise the presence of God in the work of his Church. Peter’s faith and acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah-Christ and Saviour-King are rewarded by his being made the foundation on which Christ will build his Church. Through Peter, Jesus gives his Church a guarantee of never-ending protection. And he gives to Peter, as his representative, the powers, which he himself had received from the Father, the “keys of the Kingdom”.
Through the centuries, the Church has been battered and countless efforts made to wipe it out, but it continues to benefit from Christ’s promise and overall to grow in numbers. And as long as it remains faithful to the principles it received from Christ, principles which are of the very nature of God, and consonant with the deepest longings of human nature, it cannot fail. Truth and love cannot be suppressed
.
Doing the only thing possible
We see that in the First Reading where Peter is thrown into jail for preaching the message of Christ and the Kingdom. As Paul, who was himself in prison more than once, will say later, the word of God cannot be bound. Peter finds release and then goes back to the only thing he can do – proclaiming the message of his beloved Master. The miraculous release from prison symbolises that protection over his Church which Jesus had promised in the Gospel. It is significant too that Peter’s imprisonment occurred during Passover week, the same week in which Jesus himself was arrested and suffered.
A well-spent life
Paul in the Second Reading speaks first with gratitude of how his life has been spent in the service of his Lord:
I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith.
May we be able to say the same as we approach the end of our life. Paul also speaks of how God continued to protect him through all kinds of trials and persecutions.
The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the non-believers to hear.
He too knows that the Lord will continue to protect him but he also knows that when his time comes, he is ready to go.
Paul’s love for Jesus is so intense that he finds it difficult to choose between staying alive and working for the Kingdom, or dying and being reunited with Jesus, his beloved Lord. As he said once in a memorable phrase,
For to me life is Christ, to die is gain.
In either case, he is with his beloved Lord.
Ever old, ever new
As we celebrate this feast today, let us both remain faithful to the traditions which have come down to us over 2,000 years ago, but at the same time, be ever ready to make the necessary changes and adaptations by which the message of Christ can be effectively communicated to all those who still have a hunger for that truth and love which over the centuries never changes.
Let us pray today:
In other words, what agenda is our local society writing for our local church?
- its traditions handed down in an unbroken way from the very beginnings,
- the structures which help to preserve and conserve those traditions,
- the structure which also gives consistency and unity to the Church, spread as it is through so many races, cultures, traditions, and geographical diversity.
- in the way it expresses its message,
- in the way it structures itself,
- in the way it communicates its message,
- in the way it dialogues with the world.
- for the whole Church all over the world,
- for our pope as the focus of unity for Christians everywhere,
- for those who, while remaining faithful to the core traditions, are creatively finding new ways to proclaim the message of the Kingdom to people everywhere,
- for those places where the Church is working under great difficulties,
- for our own parish community that it may truly be both loyal to the faith of our fathers,
- and to have a true missionary spirit, effectively to proclaim Christ to all those among whom we live.
Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Reading 1DT 7:6-11
Moses said to the people:"You are a people sacred to the LORD, your God; he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own. It was not because you are the largest of all nations that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you, for you are really the smallest of all nations. It was because the LORD loved you and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers, that he brought you out with his strong hand from the place of slavery, and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and keep his commandments, but who repays with destruction a person who hates him; he does not dally with such a one, but makes them personally pay for it. You shall therefore carefully observe the commandments, the statutes and the decrees that I enjoin on you today."
Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 10.R. (cf. 17)
The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and forget not all his benefits.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
Reading 2 1 JN 4:7-16
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.
This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
Gospel MT 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
MAY 31 FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Gospel Lk 1:39-56
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in hasteto a town of Judah,where she entered the house of Zechariahand greeted Elizabeth.When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,the infant leaped in her womb,and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,cried out in a loud voice and said,"Most blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb.And how does this happen to me,that the mother of my Lord should come to me?For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,the infant in my womb leaped for joy.Blessed are you who believedthat what was spoken to you by the Lordwould be fulfilled."And Mary said:"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed:the Almighty has done great things for me,and holy is his Name.He has mercy on those who fear himin every generation.He has shown the strength of his arm,he has scattered the proud in their conceit.He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,and has lifted up the lowly.He has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty.He has come to the help of his servant Israelfor he has remembered his promise of mercy,the promise he made to our fathers,to Abraham and his children for ever."Mary remained with her about three monthsand then returned to her home.
Commentary on Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Romans 12:9-16; Psalm Isaiah 12:2-6; Luke 1:39-56
Today’s feast commemorates the visit that Mary, already pregnant with Jesus, made to her older cousin, Elizabeth, who was pregnant with the future John the Baptist.
This story comes in the Infancy Narrative of Luke’s gospel immediately after the account of the Annunciation when Mary was asked by the angel to become the mother of Jesus. She had given her unconditional assent to the request, even though at first she found it difficult to understand because, although she was already committed in marriage to Joseph, they had not begun to live together. Nevertheless, after the assurance of the angel, she put herself totally in God’s hands:
See, I am the slave girl of the Lord. Let it happen to me just as you have said.
It is shortly after this that Mary travels south from Galilee to a town in Judah (the province where Jerusalem was). We are told that she went “in haste” as if keen to congratulate her cousin, who strictly speaking was well beyond the age to have a child. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Immediately, the child in Elizabeth’s womb leapt in joyful welcome. It is not Mary who makes the child do this, but rather the Child that Mary is carrying.
Elizabeth, inspired by the Spirit, then cries out: Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
And then she asks in surprise, How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
For there is a surprise here. If anyone should be making the visit, it really should be Elizabeth to the Mother of the Son of God. But no. It is Mary with Jesus who visits. It is an anticipation of something that Jesus will tell his disciples later on:
The Son of Man has come to serve and not to be served.
It is part of this kenosis, the self-emptying of Jesus as part of his mission to communicate God’s love to us.
Elizabeth then goes on with words of praise for Mary herself. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
It is the faith of Mary in God’s word that she praises. Although not having had intimate relations with any man, her trust in the words of the angel have been vindicated – and she is carrying the Child.
It is then that Mary, in response to Elizabeth’s words, speaks her hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God, a hymn we know as the Magnificat, from its first word in the Latin version. It is a hymn which has many resemblances to the hymn that Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel sings, after she, although past child-bearing age, gives birth to her son (1 Sam 2:1-10).
First of all, Mary thanks God for taking notice of Mary in her lowliness. She was a simple girl living in a small town, someone of no consequence in the eyes of the world. Yet, as she rightly foresees, all ages will call her blessed because he has done such great things for her – called her to be the earthly mother of God’s Son, and the instrument by which he would come to share our human nature. And she has words for all those who submit themselves in loving obedience to God: His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
On the contrary, it is those who think they are powerful and strong, those who are arrogant in mind and heart, who meet their downfall, while those who accept their lowliness before God are lifted up.
The hungry he fills with good things while the rich are sent empty away.
The ‘hungry’ are those who are aware that they have nothing of themselves and that all is a gift from God. The rich are those who think they have it all when in truth, they have nothing that lasts. It is a teaching that will go right through the Gospel.
Mary, of course, lived out this prayer all during her life as she supported and stood by her Son to the very end. It seemed to end in disaster at the foot of the Cross, but that was not the end. New life, a life that no one can take away, was to come.
There is a choice of two First Readings. The first is from the prophet Zephaniah and reflects the joy of the Visitation, the joy of the two cousins with their children as they greet each other.
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, Jerusalem!
For indeed the birth of these two children is a cause of joy for all God’s people.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst…The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty saviour. He will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in his love.
Yes, their Saviour is already in their midst but they do not know it yet. They will have to wait another 30 years until Jesus appears on the scene and brings the Good News of his Father. But the beginnings of the story are already here in today’s celebration.
The alternate First Reading suggested for today is from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans. It consists really of instructions on the spirit in which we should live our lives. It summarises, in part, the teaching that Jesus will later communicate to his disciples and all those who make him their Lord. Later, Jesus in his manhood, will communicate these lessons not just by his words, but by the way he lives and relates to all those he encounters.
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 honour.
This is just what we see taking place between Mary and Elizabeth as they meet together. It is the way in which we, too, should behave in dealing with all the people who come into our lives.
Further on, Paul says, Contribute to the needs of the saints [the hagioi, members of the Christian community], exercise hospitality…Bless those who persecute you…Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep…Do not repay anyone evil for evil…If possible, on your part, live in peace with all…”
A challenging programme! But we know that it is the only way to go. Let us, then, today truly give our welcome to Jesus and do that by our every word and action.
MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH
Acts 1:12-14
After Jesus had been taken up to heaven, the Apostlesreturned to Jerusalemfrom the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,a sabbath day’s journey away.When they entered the citythey went to the upper room where they were staying,Peter and John and James and Andrew,Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot,and Judas son of James.All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Responsorial Psalm R.
(3)Glorious things are said of you, O city of God!
His foundation upon the holy mountainstheLORDloves:The gates of Zion,more than any dwelling of Jacob. R.Glorious things are said of you, O city of God!
Glorious things are said of you,O city of God!And of Zion they shall say:“One and all were born in her; And he who has established heris the Most High LORD.”
O city of God!They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:“This man was born there.”And all shall sing, in their festive dance:“My home is within you.”
Gospel Jn 19:25-34
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his motherand his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”Then he said to the disciple,“Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.After this, aware that everything was now finished,in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.”There was a vessel filled with common wine.So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssopand put it up to his mouth.When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,“It is finished.”And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.Now since it was preparation day,in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be brokenand they be taken down.So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the firstand then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,and immediately Blood and water flowed out.
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Pentecost Sunday Mass during the Day
Reading I Acts 2:1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
the earth is full of your creatures.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
Reading II 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Gospel Jn 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Commentary on Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13; John 20:19-23
Today we round off more than seven weeks of celebrating the Paschal Mystery: Passion and Death – Resurrection – Ascension, Exaltation – Coming of the Holy Spirit. Although in the liturgy it is spread over seven weeks, all the elements are actually there on the cross on Good Friday. At the moment of death Jesus passes to life, is exalted to the Father and breathes forth his Spirit.
Today is also the birthday of the Church. What is the Church? The Church is basically that community and complex of communities spread all over the world which is continuing the visible presence of God and his work by living openly in the Spirit of Jesus and offering its experience of knowing Christ to the world.
The Word was made flesh and lived among us.
These words apply not only to Jesus but to all those who are now the visible Body of the Risen Jesus. It is for each of us, individually and in community, to incarnate the Word of God in our world.
Pentecost day
Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles gives us one account, perhaps the most familiar one, of how the mission of Christ was transferred to his followers. The scene is full of biblical imagery. There was a sound “like the rush of a violent wind”. In Greek the words used here for “wind” and “Spirit” are very similar. The whole house was filled with the very Spirit of God.
Then “divided tongues, as of fire” were seen resting on each person present. Fire, again, speaks of the presence of God himself. God spoke to Moses from out of a burning bush. As the Israelites wandered through the desert on their way to the Promised Land, a pillar of cloud accompanied them by day, and a pillar of fire by night. God was with his people.
The fire here was in the form of tongues, as if to say that each one present was being given the gift and power to speak in the name of God. And in fact: …all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Amazement
Because it was the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the city of Jerusalem was filled with pilgrim Jews from all over the Mediterranean area. They were amazed to hear the disciples speaking to them in their own languages.
How is it that we hear, each of us, in our own language? In our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.
In the Book of Genesis, men tried to build a tower to reach right up to heaven. For such arrogance, they were punished by being made to speak in different languages. No longer able to communicate, they could not finish their project.
Now the time of the Tower of Babel is reversed. The disciples have a message which is offered to and can be understood by people everywhere. People are being called to be united again as brothers and sisters under one common Father, revealed to them by his Son Jesus Christ.
A different account
The Gospel from John presents us with a different account of the coming of the Spirit. It is Easter Sunday. The disciples are locked into the house, terrified of the authorities coming to take them away as collaborators with the recently executed Jesus.
Suddenly the same Jesus is there among them and greets them: Peace with you… It is both a wish and a statement. Where Jesus is there is peace. The presence of Jesus in our lives always brings peace and removes our anxieties and fears. He shows them his hands and side to prove it is himself: the one who died on the cross and the one who is now alive. Then he gives them their mission:
As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Their mission and his are exactly the same. Our mission and his are exactly the same. He then breathes on them. As God breathed on the earth and created the first human being.In Christ, we become a new creation. The breathing also symbolises the Spirit of God and of Jesus.
So he says, Receive the Holy Spirit. With the giving of the Spirit comes also the authority to speak and act in the name of Jesus.
If you forgive sins, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
This is not just a reference to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the power to forgive sin. Forgiving sin, reconciling people with God is the very core of the work of Christ and the Christian mission. The disciples are now the Body of Christ, the ongoing visible presence of Christ in the world.This Body will experience injuries and wounds and disease. It will wander at times far from God. It will need healing and forgiveness and reconciliation. It will also try to bring the same healing and reconciliation to a broken world.
A body with many parts
Finally, the Second Reading speaks of the effect of the Spirit on the Christian community. The Church and each community within it reflects unity and diversity. We are not called to uniformity. We are not clones of Christ or each other. Unity presumes diversity and a variety of gifts and talents and responsibilities.
So, on the one hand, we are called to be deeply united in our faith in Christ and in our love for each other. At the same time, each one of us has a unique gift. It is through this gift or gifts that we serve and build up the community. They are not just for ourselves, or for our families and friends.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
We are like a body. Each body has many members, each with its own particular function, yet they all are ordered to one purpose – the good functioning of the body as a whole. So it is with the Christian community, which is the Body of Christ. Each member is to be aware of his or her particular gift. This gift indicates the role the member has to play in building up the whole Body, the whole community.
Today let us ask God to send his Spirit into our hearts. Filled with that Spirit, may we each individually make our contribution to the community to which we belong. And, as a community, may we give clear and unmistakable witness to the Truth and Love of God, revealed to us in Jesus our Lord.
The Ascension of the Lord
Reading 1ACTS 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
Reading 2EPH 1:17-23
Brothers and sisters: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
AlleluiaMT 28:19A, 20BR. Alleluia, alleluia.
Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Commentaries on the Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Hebrews 9:24-28,10:19-23; Luke 24:46-53
THE FIRST READING and the Gospel today seem to be in contradiction. Although both are written by Luke, the Gospel says that Jesus’ ascension was on Easter Sunday
and the Acts of the Apostles says it was 40 days after the resurrection. The Gospel also seems to say that the resurrection and the ascension are one thing while the Acts seems to say they are two separate events.
In fact, the ascension is part of the resurrection. Resurrection emphasises that Jesus has entered a new life and not just that he recovered his previous life. The ascension emphasises that the risen Jesus is together with the Father, that he shares the place and dignity of the Father.
Real meaning of Ascension
The real meaning of the Ascension is in the Second Reading, a passage from the magnificent Letter to the Hebrews. The author makes a clear distinction between the role of Jesus and that of the Jewish High Priest. Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands; he entered the dwelling place of God himself. Nor, unlike the High Priest, did or does Jesus enter the sanctuary again and again, as the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies every year. Nor did he, again unlike the High Priest, offer blood that was not his own, the blood of goats and bulls. Jesus entered God’s presence by the spilling of his own blood on the cross. “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many (that is, of all); and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
Washed totally clean
How are we to share in all of this? It is again put very well in the second part of the Second Reading: “Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assistance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
Jesus has totally replaced the old way, the old covenant. The place where God is is the new Holy of Holies. Jesus is the curtain through which we, all of us sharing in the priesthood of Christ, have access to that presence. That is the meaning of the Ascension, which we celebrate today.
Therefore, we have no need to fear. We have freedom and, by the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, we can go into the holiest place. This is the path which has been opened for us through our baptism and our participation in the life of the Christian community.
Continuing the work of Jesus
But before we go to share Jesus’ glory, there is work to be done. When Jesus left us, he made it clear that he wanted us to carry on the work he had begun. He said that we could do the same things he did and even greater. So before leaving them, he tells his disciples to go back to Jerusalem and there wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
This experience will be their baptism when they will become filled with the very Spirit of Jesus. But before Jesus leaves them, his disciples ask him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Even at this late moment, they still do not understand the meaning of Jesus’ life and work. They still do not understand what kind of Messiah he is.
Jesus will not just restore the Kingdom of Israel; he will establish a new Kingdom altogether. This kingdom will be open to include all the people of the world. It will not be a political force or a military power. Rather, it will be – as the Preface of the Mass of Christ the King says,
An eternal and universal kingdom:
a kingdom of truth and life,
a kingdom of holiness and grace,
a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
The disciples will soon learn this, accept it and promulgate it everywhere. For, after they receive the Spirit of Jesus themselves, they themselves will begin to inaugurate the Kingship of God not only in Israel, in Jerusalem and Judea but in time to the very ends of the earth. This is their mission – and ours: to carry the message of Jesus to the whole world.
As Jesus spoke, he is covered by a cloud, clearly indicating the enveloping presence of God. Jesus can no longer be seen. But the Ascension should not be understood too literally, as if Jesus floated up into the sky to a place called ‘heaven’. Rather he is wrapped in the all-embracing presence of his Father, symbolised by the cloud.
Lower your eyes
As Jesus disappears from their sight, the disciples continue to gaze upwards into the sky. It is then that two men wearing white clothes stand beside them and say: “Men of Galilee, what are you doing looking at the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Did they take these words to mean that they, in their lifetime, would see him return? Time would show that that was not the meaning of the messengers’ words. The nameless messengers in white are understood to be angels, direct representatives of God and indicating the importance of what is happening. They were also present at the resurrection.
A new lesson
The disciples have a new lesson to learn: they will not now find Jesus in the sky, in “heaven”. The Jesus they knew before the crucifixion has left them for good. They have to go back to Jerusalem. There, through the outpouring of the Spirit of the Father and Jesus on them, they will begin to understand and grow in understanding. If they want to find Jesus, they will find him in the Christian community, in those they mix with every day of their lives.
Every time they receive the love of a brother, it is the presence of Jesus. Every time they share their love with a brother or sister, they are making Jesus present to that person. They – and we – are to be Jesus in this world. We are to be the visible presence of Jesus. It is really a great challenge and a rather scary responsibility.
When people see me, do they see Jesus? When people see me, do they want to know Jesus? When people see me, do they want to join our community, share our life, and take the Gospel as the foundation of their life? That is the meaning of the Ascension.
Today we gather here not only to remember something that happened a long time ago; we are also here to remind ourselves that when Jesus left us he gave us a very important mission. That mission was and is to continue his loving and redemptive presence in the world. Let us ask him today to help us, together with him, to carry out that huge responsibility in the way he wants.
July 3 Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Reading 1 Eph 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Gospel Jn 20:24-29
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But Thomas said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
Commentary on Eph 2:19-22; Ps 116; John 20:24-29
The Gospel reading recalls the scene after Jesus’ resurrection when Jesus appeared to his disciples in the upper room. They first saw him on Easter Sunday the day of the resurrection but, for some reason, Thomas was not with them. When, later on, they told Thomas they had seen the Lord, he absolutely refused to believe them. He said that unless he saw with his own eyes the mark of the nails in Jesus’ hands and was able to put his hands into the wound in Jesus’ side, he would not believe.
Then, exactly a week later, when they were all gathered together again and Thomas was with them, Jesus suddenly appeared although the doors were locked. After giving them a greeting of peace, he immediately addressed Thomas. “Put your fingers here and see my hands, bring your hand and put it in my side. Do not be unbelieving but believe.”
Thomas is clearly overwhelmed. He can only burst out, “My Lord and my God!” It is clearly a statement of deep faith. He is the only person in the Gospel to address Jesus directly as ‘God’. And it seems to have been made without his touching the body of his Risen Lord.
Jesus then says: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Two comments can be made. First, Thomas in fact went beyond what he was seeing. He saw the Risen Jesus but he addressed him as God. That was something which went beyond seeing; it was a statement of faith.
Secondly, the rest of the statement is addressed to us. None of us has ever seen the Risen Jesus but we firmly believe that he did rise from the dead and is in glory with the Father. It is on the basis of that act of faith that our Christian life is founded.
The First Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians reminds us that our membership of the Christian community is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus himself as the headstone. Thomas is part of that foundation.
And it is through Jesus that the whole structure of the Christian community is held together and “grows into a temple sacred to the Lord”. In the Risen Jesus we are “being built together into a dwelling place of God”. We, as Paul says elsewhere, the Temple of the Lord, the Body of Christ, his visible presence on earth. A huge privilege and a huge responsibility for each one of us. As Jesus once said: “Who sees you, sees Me.” This is the faith that Jesus spoke of to Thomas. Are we really aware of this?
Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Gospel Jn 19:31-37
Since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.
TODAY’S FEAST we celebrate in a special way the love of God for us, especially as expressed through the life, sufferings and death of Jesus.
In earlier times, especially in the Middle Ages, devotion was rather to the wound in the side of Christ and that event appears in today’s Gospel passage from John. In later times, especially arising from the visions of St Margaret Mary, the emphasis shifted more to the Heart of Jesus, as a symbol of the love of Jesus and hence of God for us. St Margaret Mary belonged to the Visitation convent at Paray-le-Monial in France, where she died in 1680.
John’s gospel features a number of ‘signs’, which express the meaning and significance of Jesus’ life as God speaking to us through him in a special way. Among these signs would be the changing of water into wine at the marriage feast of Cana or the feeding of the 5,000 people by Jesus on the mountain. Others include the healing of a cripple beside a pool, the restoration of sight to a blind man and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Each one has a spiritual meaning beyond the physical curing that took place.
In today’s Gospel we read of the piercing of the side of Jesus as another ‘sign’, and one not mentioned in any of the other three gospels.
Blood and water
This sign occurs after the execution of Jesus by his being crucified, nailed to a cross – a common Roman punishment for criminals. Normally, crucified people could survive for several days on the cross and, in fact, it was custom of the Romans to leave the bodies for an indefinite period, as a deterrent to other possible criminals. However, with the approach of the Sabbath, the Jews would not allow the bodies of the executed to be left beyond sunset. Hence, the two other criminals executed with Jesus had their legs broken to hasten their death. But, when they came to Jesus, they found that he was already dead. He had already suffered so much from the scourging and the crowning with thorns. However, to make sure, one of the Roman soldiers pierced the side of Jesus – and his heart.
John then reports that blood and water flowed out from the opening in the side of Jesus. Medically speaking, this was not a strange phenomenon, but for John it has special significance. It is another special ‘sign’ pointing to the meaning of the work and mission of Jesus. Already in his gospel, water and blood have been established as signs of salvation.
In his interview with Nicodemus, Jesus had said: “No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” (John 3:5). An obvious reference to Baptism. Then in his discourse on the Bread of Life, Jesus had said: “If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life… Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I in him” (John 6:53-54,56).
In describing the water and blood flowing from the side of Jesus, it is likely that John expects his readers to link the ‘sign’ with Baptism and the Eucharist, the two main sacramental celebrations of the early Church. And this is the common interpretation of the Fathers of the Church.
Jesus’ moment of glory
For John, the Cross is Jesus’ moment of glory – encompassing his death, his rising to new life and reunion with his Father and the breathing out of his Spirit on his followers. So, just before the Last Supper, Jesus tells his disciples: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” The ‘lifting up’ includes not just his being lifted up on the cross but on his being raised to glory by his Father.
Hence, it is understood that the Church can be said to have been born from the wounded side of Christ. Such importance is given to this ‘sign’ that John strongly emphasises the reliability of his witness. “He knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well.”
John concludes the passage with two other ‘signs’. He sees the manner of Jesus’ death – different from that of those crucified with him – as the fulfilment of a text of Scripture: “Not one bone of it will be broken.” This refers to the preparation of the lamb for the Paschal celebration of the Jews where instructions were given that, in preparing the lamb for the meal, no bones were to be broken. Jesus, of course, is now the new Paschal Lamb, whose blood poured out in love will bring salvation to peoples everywhere.
Then John quotes a text from the prophet Zechariah which he sees as pointing to the death of Jesus. The original text reads: “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as over a first-born” (Zech 12:10). And a few verses on, Zechariah continues: “On that day there shall be open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.” These texts point to the followers of Jesus who faithfully stood by his cross and the ‘fountain’ can refer to the cleansing water pouring from the side of Jesus – dead but also risen in glory.
The whole Gospel passage speaks of the love of God poured forth through the sacrificial death of his Son. And that is also what we are celebrating today in remembering the pierced Heart of Jesus, for us now a unique symbol of Love.
God our Loving Parent
The First Reading from the prophet Hosea, where Yahweh speaks as a loving parent of a dear child. A child he “called out of Egypt”, reminding Israel of the great act of liberation when they were released from slavery and began their journey to the Promised Land. “I led them with reins of kindness, with leading-strings of love.” Yahweh is like a loving parent who lifts the child tenderly to his cheek. Another beautiful image of our loving God.
The Second Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians has Paul make a beautiful prayer. He prays that those he is addressing may, like the rest of the church, deepen their understanding of God’s plan of salvation in Christ. He prays that Christ may live in their hearts – the same love that emanates from the Heart of Christ – through faith. Then, in a lovely phrase, “planted in love and built on love” they will be able, with their fellow Christians everywhere, to grasp the immensity of God’s love which penetrates to every corner of our universe.
Finally, having come to an intimate and experienced knowledge of the love of Christ, they may be “filled with the utter fullness of God”.
So today we celebrate the extraordinary love of God for us, manifested in such an extraordinary way by the sufferings, death and rising of Jesus Christ. Let us reflect today on the many ways in which that love has been manifested in our lives and continues to be manifested.
But let us not stop there. If we are fully to receive that Love and if it is to be truly effective in our lives, then it must be passed on to every person we meet. “By this will all know that you are my followers, that you show love for one another.” And this love is to have no limits, no exceptions. It is to be extended even to those who are hostile to us. Our love must be a love of forgiveness, reconciliation, healing and compassion.
JUNE 29: SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES
READING 1ACTS 12:1-11
In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. –It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.– He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf. On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”
RESPONSORIAL PSALM34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (5) THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WILL RESCUE THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
READING 2 2 TM 4:6-8, 17-18
I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
GOSPEL MT 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
COMMENTARY ON ACTS 12:1-11 2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8,17-18 MATTHEW 16:13-19
ON THIS DAY WE CELEBRATE a special feast of the Church, symbolised by the two great apostles, Peter and Paul. They were the two men around whom the mission of Jesus to establish the Kingdom was centred and from whom it grew and spread to every corner of the world. As the preface for today’s Mass puts it: “Peter raised up the church from the faithful flock of Israel. Paul brought your call to the nations, and became the teacher of the world. Each in his chosen way gathered into unity the one family of Christ. Both shared a martyr’s death and are praised throughout the world.” Each one represents two very distinct roles of the Church in its mission to the world.
Source of stability
Peter represents that part of the Church which gives it stability:
its traditions handed down in an unbroken way from the very beginnings,
the structures which help to preserve and conserve those traditions,
the structure which also gives consistency and unity to the Church, spread as it is through so many races, cultures, traditions, and geographical diversity.
Peter today is represented by the pope, who is the great symbol of unity and continuity. Without his role we would see the Church break up and disintegrate, which has happened to such a large extent with those parts of the Church, which broke away from the central body. A number of the mainline non-Catholic Christian churches realise today the importance of that central role of Peter and they are trying to find ways by which we could all become one Church again, ways by which diversity could be recognised but divisions removed, that all who believe in Christ might find and express that unity (but not uniformity) for which Christ prayed during the Last Supper.
Prophetic role
Paul, on the other hand, represents another key role, the prophetic and missionary role.
It is that part of the Church which constantly works on the edge, pushing the boundaries of the Church further out, not only in a geographical sense but also pushing the concerns of the Church into neglected areas of social concern and creatively developing new ways of communicating the Christian message. This is the Church which is semper reformanda, a Church which needs to be constantly renewed.
This renewal is spurred on by the Church’s contact with the surrounding world. This world is itself changing and, in our own times, changing with bewildering speed. Not only new technologies but new knowledge and new ideas continue to surface. Our rapidly changing societies call on us to express the core of our faith in new ways.
As one Asian theologian used to say, “The world writes the agenda for the Church.” That does not mean that the Church is to conform to the ways of the world. Quite the contrary. What it does mean is that the Church’s evangelising work has to be in response to where people actually are. It is no good just handing out the same old things in the same old way. If the Church is to remain relevant, if it is to continue speaking in a meaningful way to rapidly changing world, if it is to keep up with the new knowledge and ideas which change our ways of understanding the world in which we live, it has to renew itself constantly
in the way it expresses its message,
in the way it structures itself,
in the way it communicates its message,
in the way it dialogues with the world.
The world may not like what the Church has to say but it should be able to understand it and be stimulated by it.
New challenges
A changing world involves new challenges of what is right and wrong, a changing world brings about new social problems, new forms of poverty, of injustice, of exploitation and discrimination, of lack of freedom and the absence of peace.
Hence there have to be new ways of preaching and witnessing to the Gospel of truth, of love, of justice, of freedom, of peace. For this we need the prophetic role of the Church, built on the foundations of tradition and continuity. We have to avoid the two tendencies either of digging in and looking only to the past or of neglecting the traditions and bringing in innovations with no foundations.
When faced with difficult situations, Catholics tend either to dig in and become fundamentalist or to throw in the towel completely. Neither is helpful either to the Church or to society.
God’s accompanying presence
The readings today emphasise the presence of God in the work of his Church. Peter’s faith and acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah-Christ and Saviour-King are rewarded by his being made the foundation on which Christ will build his Church. Through Peter, Jesus gives his Church a guarantee of never-ending protection. And he gives to Peter, as his representative, the powers, which he himself had received from the Father, the “keys of the Kingdom”.
Through the centuries, the Church has been battered and countless efforts made to wipe it out but it continues to benefit from Christ’s promise and overall to grow in numbers. And as long as it remains faithful to the principles it received from Christ, principles which are of the very nature of God and consonant with the deepest longings of human nature, it cannot fail. Truth and love cannot be suppressed.
Doing the only thing possible
We see that in the First Reading where Peter is thrown into jail for preaching the message of Christ and the Kingdom. As Paul, who was himself in prison more than once, will say later, the word of God cannot be bound. Peter finds release and then goes back to the only thing he can do – proclaim the message of his beloved Master. The miraculous release from prison symbolises that protection over his Church which Jesus had promised in the Gospel. It is significant too that Peter’s imprisonment occurred during Passover week, the same week in which Jesus himself was arrested and suffered.
A well-spent life
Paul in the Second Reading speaks first with gratitude of how his life has been spent in the service of his Lord. “I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith.” May we be able to say the same as we approach the end of our life. Paul also speaks of how God continued to protect him through all kinds of trials and persecutions. “The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the non-believers to hear.” He too knows that the Lord will continue to protect him but he also knows that when his time comes he is ready to go.
Paul’s love for Jesus is so intense that he finds it difficult to choose between staying alive and working for the Kingdom or dying and being reunited with Jesus, his beloved Lord. As he said once in a memorable phrase, “For to me life is Christ, to die is gain.” In either case, he is with his beloved Lord.
Ever old, ever new
As we celebrate this feast today, let us both remain faithful to the traditions which have come down to us over 2,000 years but, at the same time, be ever ready to make the necessary changes and adaptations by which the message of Christ can be effectively communicated to all those who still have a hunger for that truth and love which over the centuries never changes.
Let us pray today for the whole Church all over the world;
let us pray for our pope as the focus of unity for Christians everywhere;
let us pray for those who, while remaining faithful to the core traditions, are creatively finding new ways to proclaim the message of the Kingdom to people everywhere;
let us pray for those places where the Church is working under great difficulties;
let us pray for our own parish community that it may truly be both loyal to the faith of our fathers
and have a true missionary spirit effectively to proclaim Christ to all those among whom we live.
In other words, what agenda is our local society writing for our local church?
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel Lk 2:41-51 Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
They did not understand what he said to them. (Luke 2:50)
Many people were drawn to Jesus. Many people were fascinated by him. Many even loved him. But very few understood him. In today’s Gospel, we see how the scholars at the Temple were amazed by him and how his parents were astonished by him. Even Mary had a hard time figuring him out! His words and his actions sometimes left her confused or a little bit anxious. But she kept on pondering his words and actions, and that helped her understand him and love him more each day.
Mary’s example can be a great help to us when we struggle with understanding what God is doing in our lives or in the life of a loved one. Mary was willing to have her own Son, whom she had just corrected, redirect her focus: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). She exercised her authority as his mother, but she also humbly took his words to heart and pondered them.
It’s comforting to know that Mary could be just as surprised as we are when God’s plans take a different turn than what we expect. Her example shows us that the best thing we can do when we are confused or surprised by events unfolding in our lives is to stay close to Jesus and ponder his words. It’s easy to spend days assuming that we are in sync with the Lord, only to discover—as Mary and Joseph did—that we have been traveling in a different direction the whole time. But all it takes is the decision to stop, turn our attention to Jesus, and try to listen. Then, just as a GPS system redirects us when we get lost, Jesus will reroute us as well.
Of course, this isn’t always easy. We like quick answers. The smallest loose end can bother us forever. Or, on the other extreme, we can convince ourselves not to worry about anything—until it becomes almost too late. This is why our best option is to get in the habit of taking a few moments to ponder our day, no matter how easy or hard life becomes. If we can just keep ourselves open to the Lord’s presence and grace, we’ll find it much easier to follow his lead, wherever he takes us.
“Jesus, turn any anxiety into the peace that comes from pondering your word and following your lead.”
February 2: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Reading 1 Mal 3:1-4
Thus says the Lord God: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the lord whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Commentary on the First Reading
The name, Malachi means my messenger as in “my messenger” from the first verse of our selection (3:1). The date of the book is generally set after the establishment of the Second temple in 515 BCE and before the reforms of Nehemiah in 445 BCE. The prophet is concerned with things of the temple and it is in this period that the priests gradually become the religious and political leaders within Israel. Malachi as a prophet condemns the priests very harshly in 1:6-2:9. The description of the abominations which they have committed reminds me of the very strong words in Isaiah 65 and 66 which list some appalling things that the leaders are doing as part of worship practices. Malachi is calling the priests back to the correct way of sacrifices as depicted in the Torah. Other concerns for Malachi are the way marriages are being contracted with women who worship foreign gods, a call to reconsider divorces because it upsets the fabric of the community and the people are not supporting fully the work of the temple with their tithes. There appears at times a general feeling that it is hopeless and God has deserted them.
In short the passage is a prophecy that the Lord will be coming soon to judge and purify the priests of the temple so that they may offer proper sacrifices that will be pleasing to the Lord.
As we see in verse 3:1a in preparation for his coming He will send a messenger “to prepare the way before me.”. It is a very common custom to prepare for the coming of a dignitary. Even today we clean and repair the streets neighborhoods through which such prominent people will pass. Everything must be in proper order as befits the station of the visitor. Isaiah described such comprehensive improvements (cf. Isa 40:3-4; 57:14). Also part of the preparation for such an event is the announcement of the actual approach of the dignitary. Isaiah depicts this aspect as well (cf. Isa 52:7).
Is this “messenger” to be identified with Malachi, the prophet. In verse 3:23 the one who is to come is further identified with Elijah, the prophet taken up in a whirl wind. In the Christian tradition, the messenger who is to prepare the way is identified as John the Baptist. These very word of Malachi are applied by Jesus to John in Matthew 11:10. And Mt 11:14 further identifies John as Elijah.
The second half of verse 1 is difficult to understand. The prophet says that “suddenly there comes to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and the Messenger of the covenant whom you desire.” Is the “lord” here who is also identified as the “messenger of the covenant” to be identified with the “messenger” who will “prepare the way before me”? This confusion is due to the fact that the Hebrew word for "Lord" (whom you seek) is 'adôn, a common word that can refer to anyone whose status demands our respect. It is not the personal name of God, which is frequently rendered as "Lord?' Is it the messenger-precursor who is coming to the temple, or the Lord God.
In verses 2-4 the judgement and purification of the Lord is described in typical language. In these verses the judgement is cast upon the priests, the sons of Levi. In verse 5 this judgment is cast upon the sins of the people which are listed. The punishment is among the harshest described in the Bible. Their purification will be searing. Two striking metaphors are used to describe the agents of this purging: the inferno that refines ores, and the lye used by fullers to whiten cloth (cf. Zech 13:9). The messenger will supervise the purification that will serve to transform these priests, making them worthy to offer sacrifice once more. There is no thought of their total destruction, only of their purification. As a result of this purification “the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Discussion Questions
1) When was the book of Malachi written? During what time in Jewish history?
2) Summarize the meaning of this passage in brief terms.
3) For us as Christians who is the messenger that prepares the way of the Lord?
4) In this passage God purifies the priests of the temple so that they may offer a sacrifice that is pleasing to the Lord. What images are used to describe this purification?
5) What meaning does it have on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord?
Reading 2 Heb 2:14-18
Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
Commentary on the Second Reading
When we think of Jesus as a high priest, we generally think of him as majestic and accomplishing our salvation with the power of God. The author of the letter to the Hebrews invites us to fasten our gaze on Jesus' humanity. He argues that Jesus is one with all women and men, because he fully entered into the human existence of flesh (sárx) and blood (haIrna). He did not merely appear to be human, as some down through the centuries have erroneously claimed. He was genuinely human. It was necessary that it be so, for if he was to conquer death, he would first have to be subject to it. Only under such circumstances would his victory have any power in the lives of others. One would expect God to be triumphant over death, but one would never expect someone subject to mortality to have such power.
The author draws lines of conflict between Jesus, who has the power of life, and the devil, who holds the power of death. In vanquishing death, Jesus has neutralized the power of the devil. According to this author, it is the devil who tempts human beings to sin, and it is their sin that leads to their death. Through his death Jesus has conquered this process of perdition. What is astounding is that he accomplished this not for himself but for us. He became human so that through the death of his human body he might deliver all human beings from the ravages of human death. It is natural to fear death, but it is also natural to die. Understanding human weakness because it is his weakness as well, Jesus' death put an end to the fear of death. No longer need human beings think of death as the enemy that lurks in the darkness. It can now be seen as the necessary passageway that leads into a new life.
The death of Jesus did nothing to benefit the angels, not because they did not need his help but because he was not one of them. He did not share physical solidarity with them as he did with human beings. The author of the letter refers to the human race as descendants of Abraham, a common boast made by the Israelite people. Perhaps the author did not trace their common ancestry back to Adam because the traditions about Adam are associated with myth, while descent from Abraham might be traced through lines of kinship.
After having examined what it means to be human, the author turns to Jesus' role as a high priest. Jesus knows all about human weakness, for he was tested like everyone else. This prompts him to be merciful. His own integrity prompts him to be faithful. As victim on the cross, he has offered himself for the salvation of all. As high priest he offers a sacrifice of expiation for the sins of all. He is truly a merciful and faithful high priest.
Gospel: Lk 2:22-32
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted —and you yourself a sword will pierce— so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Commentary on the Gospel
This account of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple is a celebration of piety—the piety of Mary and Joseph, of Simeon, and of Anna. It is clear that Jesus was raised in an observant family. Five times the author declares that the parents of Jesus conformed to the ritual prescriptions of the Law (vsr. 22, 23, 24, 27, 39). Just as they had complied with the imperial decree to be enrolled in the census (2:1-5), so now they observe the religious requirements of purification (cf. Lev 12:1-8) and redemption of the firstborn (cf. Exod 13:2, 12).
The first ritual requirement sprang from the belief that the life-power within blood was sacred and belonged to God. Because of the mysterious nature of its power, it was to be kept separate from the secular activities of life. When separation was not possible, the people and the objects that came into contact with the blood had to be purified. It is obvious why birth and death were surrounded with many purification regulations.
The second ritual requirement was a way of reclaiming the firstborn male child who, they believed, really belonged to God. Buying back the child was a way of acknowledging God's initial claim.
Simeon, like the prophets of ancient Israel, had been seized by the Spirit of God (cf. Isa 61:1). Three times the author states that it was the Holy Spirit that directed him (vv. 25, 26, 27). The consolation of Israel for which he waited probably referred to the time of messianic fulfillment. Seeing the child, he recognized him as the object of his longing, the one who was both the glory of Israel and the light for the rest of the world. He also predicted the opposition that Jesus would inspire. Some would accept him and others would not.
This latter scene must have taken place in an outer court of the Temple, where women were allowed, for Simeon explicitly addressed Mary. This was very unusual behavior, for typically men did not speak to women with whom they were unfamiliar, especially in public. His words are somewhat enigmatic. It is clear why the rejection of her son would be like a sword in Mary's heart, but what this might have to do with the thoughts of others is not as obvious.
Another woman joins the group, Anna the prophetess. She is old and a widow, constantly in the Temple praying and fasting. As with Simeon, her entire life was an advent, awaiting the fulfillment of messianic promises. She probably witnessed the meeting with Simeon and heard what he said, for she is convinced of the identity of the child, and she proclaims this to all those who cherished messianic hopes.
Though neither Simeon nor Anna belonged to the ranks of formal temple personnel, they were the ones who recognized the divine child, while the others did not. This should not be seen as an anti-Judaic bias. It points to the fact that religious insight comes from fidelity and genuine devotion rather than official status or privileged role. God and the ways of God are revealed to those who have open minds and open hearts. The piety of this man (v. 25) and this woman (v. 37) disposed them to the unexpected revelation of God.
The family returns to Nazareth to resume its unpretentious life, but it is not the same. Even though the child grows up like other children, he is merely waiting for his time to come.
Reflection on the Presentation of the Lord From Sacred Space.com
Today we celebrate the close of the Christmas with a festival of light. Candles are blessed and they are carried in procession to welcome Christ, the Light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of his people. Until the year 1969, the feast, which is of Eastern origin, was known in the West as the feast of the Purification of Our Lady and also known as Candlemas. Now we prefer to refer to it as the Presentation of the Lord.
Today’s feast brings to an end a whole period which resonates with a sense of light. Christmas itself, taking place just after the winter solstice, is the celebration of the end of the darkness of winter and the coming of light into the world, especially the Light of the World. Twelve days later there is the feast of the Epiphany when the light of a star guides the Gentile outsiders to pay homage to the Light of the World. Then today, we bring the celebration to a close with this feast of light. It has long been a day for processions as we remember the Lord’s entry into the Temple, the house of his Father, for the first time. These processions originally replaced pagan celebrations. Later, it was identified with the blessing of candles carried in procession in honour of Christ, “the light to enlighten the Gentiles” (today’s Gospel).