Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings for the Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time[i][ii]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[iii]
Reading 1: Wisdom 9:13-18b
Who can know God’s counsel,
or who can conceive what the Lord intends?
For the deliberations of mortals are timid,
and unsure are our plans.
For the corruptible body burdens the soul
and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.
And scarce do we guess the things on earth,
and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty;
but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?
Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Wis 9:13-18b
This selection is part of what is known as Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom (see also 1 Kings 3:6-9; 1 Chronicles 1:8-10). In it the author asks the ancient question; “Who can divine the will of the Lord?” It is asked rhetorically in that the question is answered. We mortals alone cannot understand God's will. We are not pure spirit nor in communion with God. Our only salvation is that God sent the Holy Spirit that shows us what pleases God and leads us on the right paths.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17
R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17
The psalm in its entirety is a communal lament. The strophes in this selection reflect on the mortality of humanity and the brevity of human life. (It is also an example of the human understanding that God’s immortal view of time is not like ours.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading II: Philemon 9-10, 12-17
I, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment;
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Phmn 9-10, 12-17
The passage from St. Paul’s Letter to Philemon is his plea (not command) for the runaway slave (and perhaps thief), Onesimus. The apostle alludes to Onesimus’ conversion (whose father I have become in my imprisonment). In the strongest possible terms he let’s the slave’s former master know that he (St. Paul) considers him (Onesimus) to be a brother in the Gospel of Christ rather than a slave and encourages the community at Colossae, to which the letter is directed, to accept his return on that basis.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 14:25-33
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells the great crowd following him around what kind of dedication is required to be his disciple. They had seen his recent miracles of healing and were no doubt hoping to learn wisdom from him. He tells them that they must place their love of God first, in front of family and even their own lives. Using two examples he exhorts them to think carefully about their choices because the path may be more difficult and require more than they are willing to sacrifice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
How much do we have to give in God’s service? How will we know what to do in God’s service? These two questions are reiterated in Holy Scripture for us. The first question is answered in general terms in the Gospel. St. Luke’s Gospel gives us a series of saying from the Lord, one of these parables or vignettes was presented in the Mass readings last Sunday (Guests at the dinner seeking places of honor.)
In today’s Gospel we see Jesus “thinning the ranks”. It is actually something we as ambassadors of Christ should think about. Not everyone can take up the cross. All are invited to do so, but we must remember it is difficult and we are asked to place the Lord first in our lives. That means we sacrifice much for him and the world still will not accept his reward as something of greatest value.
No, even those we hold most dearly may not wish to accept the invitation we have grasped and held so firmly. Does that mean we should not continually invite them to join us? No, it means that we should not look at them with condescension because they cannot or will not. Does that mean we should badger them or think poorly of them because we have done something they have nor or could not? No, the loving hand of Christ is always extended and we follow His example of humility and love; that’s part of the way we have chosen.
And how will we know what to do or how to go about understanding what God wants us to do? That question was asked and answered in the first reading from the Book of Wisdom. (It seems that some things never change. From centuries, even millennia before the Messiah walked the earth that same question has been asked.) While we are encumbered by this mortal body living in a confused world, we shall never be able to understand even a fraction of what God intends. His designs and desires are infinitely more complex that our minds can comprehend. It is only through the guide he left us, the Holy Spirit, that we make any progress toward salvation.
On this, our holy day, we pray especially for all those who have not been able to accept the difficult way of Christian life and service. We pray also that we, as Disciples of Christ, remember always that He must be foremost in our thoughts and so guide us through his Holy Spirit on the path to which he has called us.
Pax
[i] ALTRE
[ii] The picture used today is Christ Carrying the Cross by Cecchino del Salviati, 1540s
[iii] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
Readings for the Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time[i][ii]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[iii]
Reading 1: Wisdom 9:13-18b
Who can know God’s counsel,
or who can conceive what the Lord intends?
For the deliberations of mortals are timid,
and unsure are our plans.
For the corruptible body burdens the soul
and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.
And scarce do we guess the things on earth,
and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty;
but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?
Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Wis 9:13-18b
This selection is part of what is known as Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom (see also 1 Kings 3:6-9; 1 Chronicles 1:8-10). In it the author asks the ancient question; “Who can divine the will of the Lord?” It is asked rhetorically in that the question is answered. We mortals alone cannot understand God's will. We are not pure spirit nor in communion with God. Our only salvation is that God sent the Holy Spirit that shows us what pleases God and leads us on the right paths.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17
R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17
The psalm in its entirety is a communal lament. The strophes in this selection reflect on the mortality of humanity and the brevity of human life. (It is also an example of the human understanding that God’s immortal view of time is not like ours.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading II: Philemon 9-10, 12-17
I, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment;
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Phmn 9-10, 12-17
The passage from St. Paul’s Letter to Philemon is his plea (not command) for the runaway slave (and perhaps thief), Onesimus. The apostle alludes to Onesimus’ conversion (whose father I have become in my imprisonment). In the strongest possible terms he let’s the slave’s former master know that he (St. Paul) considers him (Onesimus) to be a brother in the Gospel of Christ rather than a slave and encourages the community at Colossae, to which the letter is directed, to accept his return on that basis.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 14:25-33
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells the great crowd following him around what kind of dedication is required to be his disciple. They had seen his recent miracles of healing and were no doubt hoping to learn wisdom from him. He tells them that they must place their love of God first, in front of family and even their own lives. Using two examples he exhorts them to think carefully about their choices because the path may be more difficult and require more than they are willing to sacrifice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
How much do we have to give in God’s service? How will we know what to do in God’s service? These two questions are reiterated in Holy Scripture for us. The first question is answered in general terms in the Gospel. St. Luke’s Gospel gives us a series of saying from the Lord, one of these parables or vignettes was presented in the Mass readings last Sunday (Guests at the dinner seeking places of honor.)
In today’s Gospel we see Jesus “thinning the ranks”. It is actually something we as ambassadors of Christ should think about. Not everyone can take up the cross. All are invited to do so, but we must remember it is difficult and we are asked to place the Lord first in our lives. That means we sacrifice much for him and the world still will not accept his reward as something of greatest value.
No, even those we hold most dearly may not wish to accept the invitation we have grasped and held so firmly. Does that mean we should not continually invite them to join us? No, it means that we should not look at them with condescension because they cannot or will not. Does that mean we should badger them or think poorly of them because we have done something they have nor or could not? No, the loving hand of Christ is always extended and we follow His example of humility and love; that’s part of the way we have chosen.
And how will we know what to do or how to go about understanding what God wants us to do? That question was asked and answered in the first reading from the Book of Wisdom. (It seems that some things never change. From centuries, even millennia before the Messiah walked the earth that same question has been asked.) While we are encumbered by this mortal body living in a confused world, we shall never be able to understand even a fraction of what God intends. His designs and desires are infinitely more complex that our minds can comprehend. It is only through the guide he left us, the Holy Spirit, that we make any progress toward salvation.
On this, our holy day, we pray especially for all those who have not been able to accept the difficult way of Christian life and service. We pray also that we, as Disciples of Christ, remember always that He must be foremost in our thoughts and so guide us through his Holy Spirit on the path to which he has called us.
Pax
[i] ALTRE
[ii] The picture used today is Christ Carrying the Cross by Cecchino del Salviati, 1540s
[iii] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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