Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings for Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time[i][ii]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[iii]
Reading 1: Galatians 5:18-25
Brothers and sisters:
If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gal 5:18-25
The Apostle deals with a problem- he has evangelized gentile and Jew and now must clarify Christian morality and spirituality. There were some in Galatia that believed by being freed from the rigors of Mosaic Law, they were free to do what ever they wished. In this selection St. Paul tells the Galatians that with freedom (from the Law of Moses) in Christ comes a higher calling.
He contrasts “works of the flesh” with “fruit of the Spirit”, providing a catalogue of sins and of virtues. The evangelist gives the community a clear warning that those who follow the flesh will not inherit the Kingdom of God but those who “belong to Christ” have experienced an inner conversion. Those “crucified in their flesh” (see also Romans 6:6; Romans 8:9,13) are able to rise above worldly desires and live in the spirit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R. (see Jn 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked,
Nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers
Rather, the law of the LORD is their joy;
God's law they study day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
They are like a tree planted near streams of water,
that yields its fruit in season;
Its leaves never wither;
whatever they do prospers
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
But not the wicked!
They are like chaff driven by the wind.
The LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Psalm 1 serves as a preface to the whole book of the psalms. The psalmist here exalts those who follow the Lord’s commands and reflects upon the blessings they will receive. As is usual, this selection emphasizes the contrast between the salvation of the just and the punishment of the wicked
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 11:42-46
The Lord said:
“Woe to you Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”
Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,
“Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.”
And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law!
You impose on people burdens hard to carry,
but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 11:42-46
In this passage the Lord continues his criticism of those who believe that ritual practice is more important than the spirit of God’s law. He points at their contributions to the temple (“mint and of rue” – the Pharisees paid a tithe of not only their money but even down to insignificant herbs) and their neglect of the needy as symbolic of this lack of understanding. In teaching this type of faith, focused only on religious practice, they lead others astray and in doing so they are doing the evil one’s work (“You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk” touching human remains, according to Hebrew Law caused ritual impurity).
Likewise, when questioned by the scholar of the law (probably referring to a scribe), the Lord points at his questioner and says that those who focus only on the minutia of Hebraic Law are missing its intent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
“You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
The Lord speaks to these words from the Prophet Micah as he castigates the Pharisees and Scribes in St. Luke’s Gospel. St. Paul makes the same point to the Galatians. The spirit of God indwelling must rule the flesh. Otherwise our walk along life’s pathways becomes a solitary one for God does not walk with us and the evil one, once our course is set, abandon’s us to our fate.
“You have been told […] what is good, and what the Lord requires of you.” This simple statement presumes that we, as Christians, have heard and understood what God commands. It is a statement that will constantly guide us because it requires that knowledge of what is good is coupled with acting upon that knowledge. Jesus provides us an example of what happens when knowledge is decoupled from action. The Pharisees understood that the Law of Moses required them to give the first fruits of their labors to God (the Temple). Pouring over the words of the Torah (our Pentateuch) they devised a set of legal prescriptions that they felt complied with those laws down to the smallest letter of the Law. In doing so, the obsession with the letter of the law veiled the spirit of the law and blinded them to “Only do what is right…”
We are fortunate that Christ reveals God’s will in such a way. For the Pharisees who had lost sight of the purpose of the Law, this attack on their obsession was a declaration of war in their eyes. The Lord’s natural allies were turned against him. For us this example serves as a warning. We must never get so focused on the details of our worship that we forget God’s greater purpose.
Today we reflect upon the inspired words of the Prophet Micah, letting them inspire us to walk more closely with our humble Savior, hearing the voice of God and doing only what is right.
Pax
[i] ALTRE
[ii] The picture is “Landscape with Christ and his Disciples on the Road to Emmaus” by Jan Wildens, 1640s
[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 Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time[i][ii]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[iii]
Reading 1: Galatians 5:18-25
Brothers and sisters:
If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gal 5:18-25
The Apostle deals with a problem- he has evangelized gentile and Jew and now must clarify Christian morality and spirituality. There were some in Galatia that believed by being freed from the rigors of Mosaic Law, they were free to do what ever they wished. In this selection St. Paul tells the Galatians that with freedom (from the Law of Moses) in Christ comes a higher calling.
He contrasts “works of the flesh” with “fruit of the Spirit”, providing a catalogue of sins and of virtues. The evangelist gives the community a clear warning that those who follow the flesh will not inherit the Kingdom of God but those who “belong to Christ” have experienced an inner conversion. Those “crucified in their flesh” (see also Romans 6:6; Romans 8:9,13) are able to rise above worldly desires and live in the spirit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R. (see Jn 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked,
Nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers
Rather, the law of the LORD is their joy;
God's law they study day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
They are like a tree planted near streams of water,
that yields its fruit in season;
Its leaves never wither;
whatever they do prospers
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
But not the wicked!
They are like chaff driven by the wind.
The LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Psalm 1 serves as a preface to the whole book of the psalms. The psalmist here exalts those who follow the Lord’s commands and reflects upon the blessings they will receive. As is usual, this selection emphasizes the contrast between the salvation of the just and the punishment of the wicked
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 11:42-46
The Lord said:
“Woe to you Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”
Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,
“Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.”
And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law!
You impose on people burdens hard to carry,
but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 11:42-46
In this passage the Lord continues his criticism of those who believe that ritual practice is more important than the spirit of God’s law. He points at their contributions to the temple (“mint and of rue” – the Pharisees paid a tithe of not only their money but even down to insignificant herbs) and their neglect of the needy as symbolic of this lack of understanding. In teaching this type of faith, focused only on religious practice, they lead others astray and in doing so they are doing the evil one’s work (“You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk” touching human remains, according to Hebrew Law caused ritual impurity).
Likewise, when questioned by the scholar of the law (probably referring to a scribe), the Lord points at his questioner and says that those who focus only on the minutia of Hebraic Law are missing its intent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
“You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
The Lord speaks to these words from the Prophet Micah as he castigates the Pharisees and Scribes in St. Luke’s Gospel. St. Paul makes the same point to the Galatians. The spirit of God indwelling must rule the flesh. Otherwise our walk along life’s pathways becomes a solitary one for God does not walk with us and the evil one, once our course is set, abandon’s us to our fate.
“You have been told […] what is good, and what the Lord requires of you.” This simple statement presumes that we, as Christians, have heard and understood what God commands. It is a statement that will constantly guide us because it requires that knowledge of what is good is coupled with acting upon that knowledge. Jesus provides us an example of what happens when knowledge is decoupled from action. The Pharisees understood that the Law of Moses required them to give the first fruits of their labors to God (the Temple). Pouring over the words of the Torah (our Pentateuch) they devised a set of legal prescriptions that they felt complied with those laws down to the smallest letter of the Law. In doing so, the obsession with the letter of the law veiled the spirit of the law and blinded them to “Only do what is right…”
We are fortunate that Christ reveals God’s will in such a way. For the Pharisees who had lost sight of the purpose of the Law, this attack on their obsession was a declaration of war in their eyes. The Lord’s natural allies were turned against him. For us this example serves as a warning. We must never get so focused on the details of our worship that we forget God’s greater purpose.
Today we reflect upon the inspired words of the Prophet Micah, letting them inspire us to walk more closely with our humble Savior, hearing the voice of God and doing only what is right.
Pax
[i] ALTRE
[ii] The picture is “Landscape with Christ and his Disciples on the Road to Emmaus” by Jan Wildens, 1640s
[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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