Friday of the Third Week of Lent

Readings for Friday of the Third Week of Lent

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading I: Hosea 14:2-10

Thus says the LORD:

Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;

you have collapsed through your guilt.

Take with you words,

and return to the LORD;

Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity,

and receive what is good, that we may render

as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.

Assyria will not save us,

nor shall we have horses to mount;

We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’

to the work of our hands;

for in you the orphan finds compassion.”

I will heal their defection, says the LORD,

I will love them freely;

for my wrath is turned away from them.

I will be like the dew for Israel:

he shall blossom like the lily;

He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,

and put forth his shoots.

His splendor shall be like the olive tree

and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.

Again they shall dwell in his shade

and raise grain;

They shall blossom like the vine,

and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?

I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.

“I am like a verdant cypress tree”–

Because of me you bear fruit!

Let him who is wise understand these things;

let him who is prudent know them.

Straight are the paths of the LORD,

in them the just walk,

but sinners stumble in them.

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Commentary on Hos 14:2-10

This prophetic work has an emotional motive on the part of the author. An ongoing analogy is playing out using the backdrop of the author’s unfortunate marriage. Hosea’s prophecy paints Israel as an unfaithful wife (seduced away by idolatry and hardened by ignoring the poor) and God as the jealous husband who wants her back in spite of her faults. The language used in this selection, from the very end of the book, has that flavor to it. The passage can be summed up with; in spite of your sins, come back to God.

The Prophet Hosea continues to call Israel back to faithfulness and through repentance (“Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good”). God is their only salvation and their strength. The message to the people is one of complete forgiveness if they but turn back to the Law of Moses. The passage’s conclusion is a possible inspiration for John the Baptist for which the message of forgiveness and repentance was central and whose role as precursor to Messiah echoed the message: “Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them."

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17

R. (see 11 and 9a) I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

An unfamiliar speech I hear:

“I relieved his shoulder of the burden;

his hands were freed from the basket.

In distress you called, and I rescued you.”

R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

“Unseen, I answered you in thunder;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;

O Israel, will you not hear me?”

R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

“There shall be no strange god among you

nor shall you worship any alien god.

I, the LORD, am your God

who led you forth from the land of Egypt.”

R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

“If only my people would hear me,

and Israel walk in my ways,

I would feed them with the best of wheat,

and with honey from the rock I would fill them.”

R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

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Commentary on Ps 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17

Psalm 81 is a prophetic liturgy. The voice is a priest speaking in God’s name. We hear in it the Lord’s promise of compassion and the warning to listen to God and turn back to Him.

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Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,

“Which is the first of all the commandments?”

Jesus replied, “The first is this:

Hear, O Israel!

The Lord our God is Lord alone!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your soul,

with all your mind,

and with all your strength.

The second is this:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.

You are right in saying,

He is One and there is no other than he.

And to love him with all your heart,

with all your understanding,

with all your strength,

and to love your neighbor as yourself

is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,

he said to him,

“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

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Commentary on Mk 12:28-34

In the dialogue with the scribe Jesus quotes the opening verse of the Shamá (hear), the principle response to the covenant with God – the Father demands unconditional love from His people. Jesus goes on to incorporate a more inclusive element by saying; “The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.” While both concepts were present in the tradition of the time, the combination is originally with Jesus – something new. In following Jesus’ new teaching, the scribe earns praise from the Lord; “You are not far from the kingdom of God." (see also the commentary on Matthew 22:34ff)

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Reflection:

A number of years ago I learned to play (poorly) what is called the most difficult and complex board games in the world – Go. Two players attempt to capture the largest part of the game board by lying down black and white stones. What makes Go so difficult is its simplicity. The game only has three rules and is played on a nineteen by nineteen grid board. There are so many different options that it boggles the mind.

The reason I mention the game and its difficulty based upon simplicity is the same is true of the “First Commandment” that is presented in scripture today. It sounds very simple – love God and love your neighbor. The complexity and the difficulty come with the equally simple word – Love.

First we separate love into the two major Greek definitions; eros and agape. Looking at the boundary between them is like looking at the picture I have included today. At some point they come close, intense non-erotic love can be dangerous and I suspect, misinterpreted. Expressions of it in, for instance Victorian England, where women frequently hugged and kissed today would be interpreted as potentially scandalous and quit likely as erotic love. For our purpose today let’s put eros away, it is not what the Lord was talking about.

So we now focus on jus agape, familial love, love of a plutonic nature. How we define that in today’s culture is also complex. For the sake of your discussion, let’s define it as; caring more for the other person interests than one’s own. It is simplistic but it will work for purposes of understanding what Jesus was talking about when he left us the First Commandment.

If we are to place God’s interests in front of our own, we must first, at least at a high level, figure out what God wants. We believe that God wants us to love him. We have been told countless times. Well that was sort of circular, so we go to the other things we know have pleased him – our success pleases him – the good we accomplish in His name reflects on him, just as what our children accomplish reflects upon us. And when we fail, when we fall, that has the opposite effect.

We could go deeper on the first part but let’s get to the second – love our neighbor as our self. Using our definition, that would mean putting the interests of our neighbor before our own. On the surface that does not sound very easy or even wise (if we consider the greedy nature or some of our neighbors). We must therefore consider this from a slightly more complex definition of our neighbor’s interests. What is in our neighbor’s best interests is to embrace God and make him happy. We must believe this because the Lord is the source of eternal life and it is only through Him our neighbor can achieve the ultimate reward.

We must as a consequence of our belief, lead our neighbor to God through our example and invitation. We must, in a loving way, help our neighbor understand God in this way. And that is why what the Lord asks us to do is so difficult. Using the Lord’s example of humble love for all mankind, we are to live that life that will bring all those we meet to join us in loving God.

Pax

[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “Hosea” by Duccio di Buoninsegna,1308-11

[3] 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.

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Readings for Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading I: Jeremiah 7:23-28

Thus says the LORD:

This is what I commanded my people:

Listen to my voice;

then I will be your God and you shall be my people.

Walk in all the ways that I command you,

so that you may prosper.

But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed.

They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts

and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.

From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day,

I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets.

Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed;

they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers.

When you speak all these words to them,

they will not listen to you either;

when you call to them, they will not answer you.

Say to them:

This is the nation that does not listen

to the voice of the LORD, its God,

or take correction.

Faithfulness has disappeared;

the word itself is banished from their speech.

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Commentary on Jer 7:23-28

In this oracle, the Prophet Jeremiah, speaking with the voice of God, reminds the people that the Lord desires fidelity from them and they are not listening. The prophet’s plea echos that of Moses heard in Deuteronomy 4:1. In this passage Jeremiah is referring to man’s fallen nature as he points to “the hardness of their evil hearts”

In the final verse of this passage Jeremiah says “Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech.” The people rejecting the “word” would seem to predict rejection of the Messiah, the Word made Flesh.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;

let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us bow down in worship;

let us kneel before the LORD who made us.

For he is our God,

and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:

“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,

as in the day of Massah in the desert,

Where your fathers tempted me;

they tested me though they had seen my works.”

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

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Commentary on Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Psalm 95 is a song of thanksgiving. The opening verses invite the singer to give thanks to God who is the shepherd of the people and who created all things. In the final strophes the psalmist reminds the singer of God’s displeasure when the people do not listen to Gods voice or recall his saving works. The final strophe reiterates Jeremiah’s prophetic argument, reminding us how our fathers grew stubborn in the wilderness (Exodus 17:1-7) when at Meribah and Massah they challenged and provoked God.

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Gospel: Luke 11:14-23

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,

and when the demon had gone out,

the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.

Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,

he drives out demons.”

Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.

But he knew their thoughts and said to them,

“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste

and house will fall against house.

And if Satan is divided against himself,

how will his kingdom stand?

For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.

If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,

by whom do your own people drive them out?

Therefore they will be your judges.

But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,

then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.

When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,

his possessions are safe.

But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,

he takes away the armor on which he relied

and distributes the spoils.

Whoever is not with me is against me,

and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

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Commentary on Lk 11:14-23

In the Gospel from St. Luke we find Jesus, in spite of his miraculous cure of the mute, being rejected by the people. The accuse him of representing a false God – Baal (the Jewish people nicknamed Baal – Beelzebul “Lord of Flies”).

In response to the crowd asking for a “sign”, Jesus (basically equating that false belief in Baal with Satan) forcefully rejects that notion. He sees in their request for a sign the desire to see a different kind of sign – a sign that would validate their view of what the Messiah should be – kingly and powerful in secular rule.

Jesus attacks their logic by saying that no kingdom could stand if its servants attacked each other. He makes it clear that by attacking evil he demonstrates that he comes from God. He goes on using analogy to say that God will always conquer evil (God is stronger than the strongest evil) and further, rejecting God’s Son amounts to standing on the side of evil.

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Reflection:

Today we are given some of God's insight into the mind of mankind. In Jeremiah, we are reminded of how the Hebrews, God's chosen ones, had, time and time again, turned away for God and been seduced by a secular society that provided more hedonistic pleasures. We hear the Prophet, in what sounds like a forlorn entreaty, imploring them to turn once more to faithfulness.

The Prophet's call is followed by the Psalmist who remembers; "Meribah: literally, "contention"; the place where the Israelites quarreled with God. Massah: "testing," the place where they put God to the trial" and as we know, there is with it a prayer for us not to grow stubborn like our fathers did.

Finally, in the Gospel from Luke, we see Jesus sparing with disbelievers of his own place and time. They wanted a Royal Messiah one who would come in Glory, challenging openly the Roman domination. When they asked him for a sign, that's what they wanted a sign of power. Jesus must have been exasperated with them. But if we had been there, could we have accepted this humble (but charismatic) carpenter from Galilee as the one predicted?

The theme that unifies our scripture today is a call, yet again, for repentance. On Ash Wednesday a little over three weeks ago we were told to "Turn away from Sin and be faithful to the Gospel." We hear that message again today. We cannot afford to be seduced by what secular society calls success and what Ba'al-zebub calls good. We are called to a higher standard and offered a greater reward.

Pax

[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “Get Behind Me, Satan” artist and date are UNKNOWN (initials only A.P.)

[3] 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.

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

Readings for Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:

Reading I: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9

Moses spoke to the people and said:

“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees

which I am teaching you to observe,

that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land

which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees

as the LORD, my God, has commanded me,

that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.

Observe them carefully,

for thus will you give evidence

of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,

who will hear of all these statutes and say,

‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’

For what great nation is there

that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us

whenever we call upon him?

Or what great nation has statutes and decrees

that are as just as this whole law

which I am setting before you today?

“However, take care and be earnestly on your guard

not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,

nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,

but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.”

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Commentary on Dt 4:1, 5-9

This passage from Deuteronomy marks the end of the historical part of the book and the beginning of Moses’ presentation of the law and statutes. He addresses the whole people telling them that unless they follow the statutes which he is about to present, they do not receive what God promises the faithful, in this case the land of milk and honey. While the promise of Moses was the inheritance of the literal (the land), God’s later promise was of a kingdom not of this earth.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20

R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;

praise your God, O Zion.

For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;

he has blessed your children within you.

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He sends forth his command to the earth;

swiftly runs his word!

He spreads snow like wool;

frost he strews like ashes.

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,

his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.

He has not done thus for any other nation;

his ordinances he has not made known to them.

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

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Commentary on Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20

Psalm 147 is a hymn of praise. In this section, the psalmist praises God’s rule over nature and the seasons (winter; “…He spreads snow like wool; frost he strews like ashes.”) It concludes with another aspect of the "word" of Yahweh: His "ordinances" are for Israel alone

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Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.

I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,

not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter

will pass from the law,

until all things have taken place.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments

and teaches others to do so

will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.

But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments

will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

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Commentary on Mt 5:17-19

In this early encounter between Jesus’ mission and the Law of Moses we are told that Jesus came to “fulfill” the law, to bring it to perfection as the messiah. He supports the rabbinical teaching of the time which separates the 613 individual precepts of the law found in the Pentateuch into “great and small” based upon their seriousness when he refers to breaking the least of the commandments.

The passage is concluded in almost Mosaic style by saying that those who follow the law will be great in heaven. This draws a distinction from those who would break the law being least in heaven in the previous sentence. It is important to understand the Hebrew view of the Law: "The Law was thought to be the summary of all wisdom-human and divine, the revelation of God himself, a complete and a secure guide of conduct and endowed with a sacramental assurance of good relations with God."[4]

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Reflection:

What strikes us most immediately today is the link between Moses giving the Law to the Hebrew People and his instructions to them to be faithful to it and Jesus who comes to fulfill it. It is pretty easy to see how Jesus came to fulfill what the Prophets had been saying for the 2,000 years of Hebrew history. There were enough clues in the Old Testament scriptures to lead us to understand that statement before Jesus made it (reflecting also on the Augustinian quote: “The New Testament is concealed in the Old, and the Old is revealed in the New.”) . What takes more thought, though, is how he came to fulfill the Law.

The reason that is a difficult question for us is that, to us, the Law is a set of rules that guide behavior. We must first understand the view of the Hebrews concerning the Law if we are to realize the immense import of the statement Jesus made when he said; “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” The scholarly statements about the meaning of the Law really help us here:

“The Law was thought to be the summary of all wisdom-human and divine, the revelation of God himself, a complete and a secure guide of conduct and endowed with a sacramental assurance of good relations with God.”[5]

When we look at his statement through this lens, we understand. What Jesus said in that short statement was; he came to reveal the living God. He came to provide the path to the Lord God, the Logos (Word) made flesh.

It takes the whole revelation to a new level once we see that the Law Moses presented was more than just rules. The question that strikes in us though is; if the law of Christ was more than rules for the early Christians, what should it be for us today?

If we accept Christ’s word as being the “sacramental assurance of good relations with God”, what place must they assume in our lives? They not only guide our actions but our hearts; not only our thoughts but our prayers. It is clear we must work very hard to accept Christ’s leadership in our lives, no mater how difficult the road.

Pax

[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture of Jesus and Moses is by and UNKOWN artist, not cited at its web source.

[3] 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.

[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 43:34, pp. 70

[5] Ibid

Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

Readings for Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent[1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary: [2][3]

Reading I: Daniel 3:25, 34-43

Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud:

“For your name’s sake, O Lord, do not deliver us up forever,
or make void your covenant.
Do not take away your mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham, your beloved,
Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one,
To whom you promised to multiply their offspring
like the stars of heaven,
or the sand on the shore of the sea.
For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation,
brought low everywhere in the world this day
because of our sins.
We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader,
no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense,
no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you.
But with contrite heart and humble spirit
let us be received;
As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks,
or thousands of fat lambs,
So let our sacrifice be in your presence today
as we follow you unreservedly;
for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.
And now we follow you with our whole heart,
we fear you and we pray to you.
Do not let us be put to shame,
but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.
Deliver us by your wonders,
and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”

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Commentary on Dn 3:25, 34-43

The reading from Daniel is the Prayer of Azariah (Abednego) one of three companions to Daniel that were thrown into the furnace at the command of King Nebuchadnezzar because they would not worship the idol made of gold he had made.

Azariah’s prayer is for the whole people of Israel, who are in dyer straights. He prays (You may recognize some of the final verses as being included in Offertory Prayer in the Mass.) that God accept a humble and contrite heart in lieu of the traditional animal sacrifice required of their tradition at that time.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9

R. (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Remember that your compassion,
O LORD, and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9

Psalm 25 is an individual lament. The sinful psalmist prays that “Your ways” be made know. This request directs us to repentance and ultimately justice.

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Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had him put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

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Commentary on Mt 18:21-35

We begin this rather lengthy Gospel passage with the discourse on “Forgiveness”. Peter asks the question that paraphrases one asked in the book of Genesis by Lamech (Genesis 4:24.). He is looking for guidance in the form of a finite amount of forgiveness and in answer receives the command that forgiveness must infinite (represented by the multiples of seven and 10).

To emphasize this need for forgiveness, the Lord launches into the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. The moral of this particular parable is the measure we use to judge others is the same measure that will be used by God to measure us when we come before him. Here is how the Jerome Biblical Commentary sums up that parable:

“The model is the forgiveness of God, which knows no limit; and neither should man's forgiveness. If man does not forgive, he cannot expect forgiveness; if he does not renounce his own claims, which are small, he cannot ask God to dismiss the claims against him.”[4]

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Reflection:

The readings for Tuesday have a central theme of forgiveness; one of the features of Christ’s teaching that differentiates Christianity from other belief structures. There is a strong support in the readings for the Church’s dogma on Purgatory as well, especially the last verse (Matthew 18:35) “Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

The forgiveness the Lord is talking about is more than just saying; “I’m sorry.” We use as an example the story of a large family. There were seven bothers and sisters at the time the father of this family passed away (his wife having predeceased him). The oldest of the children was named executor and was responsible for the settlement of the estate (and it was a very modest estate – a small house with its contents and a few thousand dollars in cash). There were accusations made about the disposition of the estate and feelings were hurt. It resulted in a split into factions four against three, both sides saying terrible things about the other. The resulting rift spawned years of spite that found its way into some of the children of these once loving siblings, who carried on the rhetoric. The petty hatreds spawned over the paltry assets of a father who would have corrected them no doubt have them headed for a long stay in that land of purification. Even in later life, when some words of reconciliation were said, forgiveness from the heart was not there. Like two prizefighters shaking hands before a bout. The handshake does not mean they are friends.

“…unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.” What exactly is; “from your heart”? Does that mean the same as loving your brother? Ironically, the lack of forgiveness that will end us up in the hands of the tortures will likely come because of someone we know well, possibly even family. It is the people we love and trust that can earn our hatred most deeply. Over and over, families are torn apart because of actions that will not be forgiven. Violations of trust can only occur when there is trust there to begin with and trust is expected.

Face it, when someone you don’t know wrongs you; say they steal something from you. It is much easier to forgive them than if that person was a person you loved and trusted. In that instance you feel not only the loss of that which was stolen, but the loss of trust that went with your feelings toward that person. In those circumstances it takes a special effort to forgive “from the heart.”

It is, therefore, critical for us that, unless we don’t care where we end up and for how long, we look at these situations and make our best effort at forgiveness. In situations where family and friends are involved, not only will the act of forgiveness save you from anguish in the next life, but it will bring you peace in this one. It is this peace of Christ we all yearn for and it is our great hope to be with him in the age to come.

Pax

[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “Christ on the Cross” by Jacques-Louis David, 1782

[3] 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.

[4] See Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 43; 127

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

Readings for Monday of the Third Week of Lent[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:

Reading I: 2 Kings 5:1-15ab

Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram,

was highly esteemed and respected by his master,

for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram.

But valiant as he was, the man was a leper.

Now the Arameans had captured in a raid on the land of Israel

a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife.

“If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,”

she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.”

Naaman went and told his lord

just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said.

“Go,” said the king of Aram.

“I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.”

So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents,

six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments.

To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read:

“With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you,

that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

When he read the letter,

the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed:

“Am I a god with power over life and death,

that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy?

Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!”

When Elisha, the man of God,

heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments,

he sent word to the king:

“Why have you torn your garments?

Let him come to me and find out

that there is a prophet in Israel.”

Naaman came with his horses and chariots

and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.

The prophet sent him the message:

“Go and wash seven times in the Jordan,

and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.”

But Naaman went away angry, saying,

“I thought that he would surely come out and stand there

to invoke the LORD his God,

and would move his hand over the spot,

and thus cure the leprosy.

Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar,

better than all the waters of Israel?

Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?”

With this, he turned about in anger and left.

But his servants came up and reasoned with him.

“My father,” they said,

“if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary,

would you not have done it?

All the more now, since he said to you,

‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.”

So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times

at the word of the man of God.

His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God.

On his arrival he stood before him and said,

“Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,

except in Israel.”

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Commentary on 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab

This story of the conversion of Naaman through Elisha’s office as Prophet has some interesting historical and ritual material. First, it is ironic that the King of Aram, which was an antagonist of Israel, would send one of their key people to Israel. That is why the King of Israel tore his garments, assuming the unreasonable request was made in order to provide a reason for physical hostilities.

Next we see Elisha not coming out of his house to instruct Naaman, but sending word to him. He did so because to come into the presence of one with leprosy would have caused him ritual impurity. Clearly Naaman did not know this, since he complained about it. Finally, the Jordan River, from a hygienic perspective, is not as good as the clear springs of Damascus. It is at the best of times muddy. The requirement that Naaman plunge himself into the water seven times is significant in that the number seven is, in Hebrew numerology, the perfect number; symbolic of completeness. The lesson taught was that Naaman, washed clean of his transgressions (outwardly expressed as leprosy) was given the salvation only the God of Israel could provide. The healing accomplished was to bring Naaman to confess there is no god but God (in Israel)

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4

R. (see 42:3) Athirst is my soul for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

As the hind longs for the running waters,

so my soul longs for you, O God.

R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Send forth your light and your fidelity;

they shall lead me on

And bring me to your holy mountain,

to your dwelling-place.

R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Then will I go in to the altar of God,

the God of my gladness and joy;

Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,

O God, my God!

R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

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Commentary on Ps 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4

Psalms 42 and 43 are hymns of praise and express longing for God’s presence. The use of the deer (hind) longing for water is used to provide the allusion to Baptism; bringing belief out of unbelief.

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Gospel: Luke 4:24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:

“Amen, I say to you,

no prophet is accepted in his own native place.

Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel

in the days of Elijah

when the sky was closed for three and a half years

and a severe famine spread over the entire land.

It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,

but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.

Again, there were many lepers in Israel

during the time of Elisha the prophet;

yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

When the people in the synagogue heard this,

they were all filled with fury.

They rose up, drove him out of the town,

and led him to the brow of the hill

on which their town had been built,

to hurl him down headlong.

But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

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Commentary on Lk 4:24-30

This Gospel passage places Jesus at his home town speaking in the synagogue. The people there were questioning his authority since they knew him as a child and knew his family. This selection is his response to their questioning his status and authority.

We understand why the people were upset when we consider that, in his analogy explaining why he could accomplish no works from God, he used Elijah going to a widow in Sidon (not Israel) and Elisha curing Naaman (a Syrian not an Israelite). This would have placed Jesus on a par with the great Prophets, blasphemy in the eyes of his old neighbors. Perhaps even more upsetting to the people would have been that their God would not reveal himself because of their lack of faith. (Ironically, Jesus-God was revealing himself, the people just could not see it.)

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Reflection:

As we hear Jesus speak to his friends and relatives in the synagogue at Nazareth it is easy for us to understand why Jesus is frustrated at their lack of faith. Here they are, people that had the honor of growing up with him; knowing him as youth and man, yet they did not understand his divine nature. They scoffed and rejected his attempted revelation. In fact, many of them probably thought he had, as they say, “Gone off his nut.” His experience with his eccentric cousin John (the Baptist) and his sabbatical in the desert immediately following must have caused him to come “unhinged”.

Jesus, of course, saw all of this in their faces and heard what was behind their words. He would have felt intense sorrow; knowing that because of this familiarity and presumed understanding, his own friends and family would not be able to accept the great gift God had offered them. An analogy might be if we were able to invent a treatment that would cure any disease some how. And then offered it freely to those in our community hospital but they would not accept it because we did not have credentials as a pharmacist.

And what lesson do we take away from the Gospel? Don’t we fall into the same trap? Do we listen to those around us with the attention we would pay to a prestigious expert on the subject at hand? We commonly miss God’s revelation because we do two things. First, we judge the source and if in our opinion, that source is less credible than the wisdom we suppose we have already amassed, we tune it out; we ignore it. Second, we just plain don’t listen. Our own voice gets in the way of our auditory canals and we don’t hear what we should. This is especially true in, of all places, prayer. We are so busy telling God what we want that we don’t listen to his answers.

In the very truest sense, this is exactly the sin those ancient Hebrews committed when Jesus spoke to them in the Synagogue. They were not really listening. This then is the lesson we take with us today. It is rather complex and very difficult. First we must surrender our own pride and sense of superiority and listen intently to those with whom we communicate (even our children). The word we hear may be life changing. Second, as a people of prayer, we must listen to God’s response with our hearts, not simply bombard the Lord with our words. Let that be our prayer today; that our ears will be open that we might hear.

Pax

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<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--> ALTRE

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--> The picture is “The Prophet Elisha and Naaman” by Lambert Jacobsz, c. 1615

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[3]<!--[endif]--> 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.

Third Sunday of Lent

Readings for the Third Sunday of Lent[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Exodus 17:3-7

In those days, in their thirst for water,
the people grumbled against Moses,
saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt?
Was it just to have us die here of thirst
with our children and our livestock?”
So Moses cried out to the Lord,
“What shall I do with this people?
a little more and they will stone me!”
The Lord answered Moses,
“Go over there in front of the people,
along with some of the elders of Israel,
holding in your hand, as you go,
the staff with which you struck the river.
I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb.
Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it
for the people to drink.”
This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel.
The place was called Massah and Meribah,
because the Israelites quarreled there
and tested the Lord, saying,
“Is the Lord in our midst or not?”
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Commentary on Ex 17:3-7

This passage continues the journey of the Hebrews in the desert following their departure from Egypt. Here they complain bitterly against Moses for having taken them to a land with no water and the hardship causes them to doubt that God is with them. In response to this challenge, God provides yet another miracle as he commands Moses to take his staff and strike the rock at Horeb reveling a spring of water. The place was later named Massah . . . Meribah: Hebrew words meaning respectively, "the (place of the) test," and, "the (place of the) quarreling."

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the Lord who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

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Commentary on Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

This part of Psalm 95, commonly used as the invitatory psalm for the Liturgy of the Hours, is a song of thanks giving. In these strophes the incident at Meribah is remembered (Exodus 17:3-7) and God’s underserved mercy proclaimed. The community is rejoicing that the Lord is God and that he has brought us salvation in spite of our forbearer’s obstinacy. We are encouraged to listen to the Lord, even if what we are asked to do is difficult.

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Reading II Romans 5:1-2, 5-8

Brothers and sisters:
Since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.

And hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
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Commentary on Rom 5:1-2, 5-8

“Popular piety frequently construed reverses and troubles as punishment for sin; cf John 9:2. Paul therefore assures believers that God's justifying action in Jesus Christ is a declaration of peace. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ displays God's initiative in certifying humanity for unimpeded access into the divine presence. Reconciliation is God's gift of pardon to the entire human race.”[4]

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Gospel: John 4:5-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
“Give me a drink.”
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Jesus said to her,
“Go call your husband and come back.”
The woman answered and said to him,
“I do not have a husband.”
Jesus answered her,
“You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’
For you have had five husbands,
and the one you have now is not your husband.
What you have said is true.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”

Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one speaking with you.”

At that moment his disciples returned,
and were amazed that he was talking with a woman,
but still no one said, “What are you looking for?”
or “Why are you talking with her?”
The woman left her water jar
and went into the town and said to the people,
“Come see a man who told me everything I have done.
Could he possibly be the Christ?”
They went out of the town and came to him.
Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat.”
But he said to them,
“I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
So the disciples said to one another,
“Could someone have brought him something to eat?”
Jesus said to them,
“My food is to do the will of the one who sent me
and to finish his work.
Do you not say, ‘In four months the harvest will be here’?
I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest.
The reaper is already receiving payment
and gathering crops for eternal life,
so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.
For here the saying is verified that ‘One sows and another reaps.’
I sent you to reap what you have not worked for;
others have done the work,
and you are sharing the fruits of their work.”

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him
because of the word of the woman who testified,
“He told me everything I have done.”
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”
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Commentary on Jn 4:5-42

The story of the Samaritan Woman, told in its entirety provides several theological points. First, the fact that Jesus came this way implies his broader mission, not just to the Jews but to the whole world. The fact that, upon meeting the Samaritan woman he asked for a drink is significant in that Jews would have never have considered drinking from the same vessel as a Samaritan woman who would have been considered ritually unclean.

The discourse with the woman is instructive, providing rich imagery of water and spirit recalling the gifts given in Baptism. At the same time we see the recognition that Jesus is the Messiah (although the Samaritans would have had a different expectation of the Messiah, thinking more in the lines of a prophet like Moses (Deut 18:15).

The conclusion of the story demonstrates the clear perception by those who encounter Christ that he is the Messiah. This revelatory presence is noted in the concluding verses of the story as the Samarians exclaim “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world."

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Or
Shorter Form: John: 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
“Give me a drink.”
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.

“I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him.
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”
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Commentary on Jn: 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

In this shorter version of the story of the Samaritan Woman part of the dialogue is omitted that revolves around the primacy of the Jews in receiving God’s word. There is also omitted the Lord’s description of the woman’s past life and the encounter with the Lord’s disciples and his decision to stay.

Presented in this form the story focuses more on the identity of Christ and less on his universal mission.

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Reflection:

Because we heard it last, the story of the Samaritan Woman at the well can overpower the other Sacred Scripture given today. The theme that seems to run through the Old Testament reading about Massah and Meribah and the Gospel is the water theme. In both cases God gave living water to those who challenged Him.

We note that the water given to the “stiff-necked” Hebrews at Horeb was a sign that God was with them. We see in the story of the Samaritan Woman, the water offered to her was symbolic of faith that once given would give everlasting life. We can feel the similarities and the differences if we place these two encounters with God side by side.

Perhaps the most significant similarity is that, in both cases, God’s presence was needed either for life in the literal sense or life in the spiritual sense. In both cases God was asked for water, in both cases, though the request was not merited, God responded.

As always we see the Word of God as both an invitation and a promise. The promise in this case is that if we need God’s indwelling strength all we need to do is ask. We do not need to presume we have done anything to merit God’s saving help. Rather we know that we are undeserving. If the Jews in the desert, who had already seen God’s mighty hand part the sea for them to leave Egypt; had seen the pillar of fire that kept them safe from Pharaoh’s chariots, could question whether God was with them and still receive water in the desert, how much more can we who work hard to remain faithful expect? If Jesus offered the Samaritan Woman, married five times and living with still another man, could be offered the faith and salvation of God, how much more can we who try to live by his statues expect?

That is the promise; what then is the invitation? The invitation is to be like Christ in our love and generosity to others; even others who do not share or appreciate our values. Each day we are given the opportunity to demonstrate our faith. We are asked for help by those whom society might call “undeserving”, and we are challenged by those who see our faith and beliefs as superstitious nonsense. Each day we are invited to respond to these challenges with faith and compassion. Each day we can choose to offer living water to those who are in need.

As we reflect today about the gifts of water and spirit, let us pray that what flows in us may become a fountain, giving God’s gift to those who are in need.

Pax



[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture today is “The Samaritan Woman at the Well” by Agostino Carracci, 1595
[3] 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.
[4] See NAB Footnote on Romans 5:1-11