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| “Apostle Matthias” by Duccio, 1308-1311 |
The
Ascension of the Lord (if the Solemnity of the Ascension is celebrated on
Thursday)
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26
Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters
(there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons
in the one place).
He said, "My brothers and sisters,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
through the mouth of David, concerning Judas,
who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Judas was numbered among us
and was allotted a share in this ministry.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it.
and:
May another take his office.
Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men
who accompanied us the whole time
the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us,
become with us a witness to his resurrection."
So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,
who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
"You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place."
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.
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Commentary on Acts 1:15-17, 20-26
We are, on the Feast of Matthias, given the story of how he
came to be called as the one to replace Judas. St. Peter assumes the
leadership role noting that even the betrayal by Judas was predicted by Holy
Scripture.
The two verses omitted (18, 19) give St. Luke’s account of
the death of Judas which differs from Matthew’s account (in Luke’s version, he
buys property with his ill-gotten gains and is killed in a gruesome
fall). We see here how the Church’s tradition of selecting leaders from
among the membership is developed with prayer and election by the leaders.
CCC: Acts 1:14 726,
1310, 2617, 2623, 2673; Acts 1:22 523,
535, 642, 995
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
R.
(8) The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his
people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his
people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his
people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
To seat them with princes,
with the princes of his own people.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his
people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
A song of praise and thanksgiving, Psalm 113, in this
selection, focuses appropriately on servants of the Lord and how these leaders
are lifted up from “the lowly”.
CCC: Ps 113:1-2 2143
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Gospel: John 15:9-17
Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.
"I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my
Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give
you.
This I command you: love one another."
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Commentary on Jn 15:9-17
This selection is part of the discourse on the union of
Jesus with his disciples. His words become a monologue and go beyond the
immediate crisis of his departure. In this passage Jesus focuses on the chain
of love from the Father, through the Son, to all the people. There is much made
of the use of the difference in the Greek words for ‘love’ used in this
discourse. When Jesus says ‘No one has greater love than this…’ the word
agapao (intimate, selfless love) is used while when he says ‘You are my
friends…’ the word phileo (casual ‘friendly’ (brotherly) type of love) is
used. St. John uses the two words synonymously so the message is clear –
reiterated at the end of the passage – ‘Love one another.’
The Church applies this scripture as the key means by which
Christ selects an Apostle. These are the commandments most acutely given
to those who will be the first to spread the word.
CCC: Jn 15:9-10 1824;
15:9 1823;
15:12 459,
1823, 1970, 2074; 15:13 363,
609, 614; 15:15 1972,
2347; 15:16-17 2745;
15:16 434,
737, 2615, 2815
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Reflection:
If one has read any of the historical accounts describing
the life and ministry of St. Matthias, whose Feast we celebrate, the details
found are rather unsatisfying. It is difficult to know the saint from the
bare bones of what is recorded. We know he was one of the earliest
disciples, having been with Christ throughout his ministry; joining Jesus when
the Lord was baptized by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan. We know from
the first reading that he was selected to replace Judas Iscariot to fulfill the
number the Lord had chosen for his Apostles. We also know from various
accounts that he took the Gospel message to Ethiopia and was likely martyred
there by crucifixion (although other accounts say he was stoned and beheaded in
Jerusalem).
One of the constant reports of his ministry tells us that in
addition to the core Gospel teachings which are recorded in St. John’s Gospel –
“love one another” he is said to have encouraged mortification of the
flesh. In the Catholic Encyclopedia (1911) we hear the following
transcribed from an ancient text: "we must combat our flesh, set no
value upon it, and concede to it nothing that can flatter it, but rather
increase the growth of our soul by faith and knowledge". (Clement of Alexandria (Stromata
III.4) [4]
As we have seen throughout history, many of the great saints
have practiced mortification in a variety of degrees of severity. Because
the terminology is not widely used, even in “churchy” circles we thought it
would be instructive to understand what is meant by “mortification of the
flesh”, especially since it is not defined in the Catechism of the Catholic
Church. The dictionary defines it as “the practice of asceticism by
penitential discipline to overcome desire for sin and to strengthen the will.”[5]
We find it interesting that even the first saints, the Apostles
found it necessary to recognize the battle that rages between the physical or
natural body and spiritual growth; the physical body always attempting to
defeat the spiritual for control of the actions of the individual (even St.
Francis of Assisi referred to his body as “brother ass”). While we
must caution that extremes of any form of discipline can lead to unexpected
negative physical and psychological consequences, we believe that without
self-denial and discipline, spiritual growth is slowed.
Perhaps, on this feast, we should examine our own attitudes
and think of adopting some aspects of the asceticism of the saints. At
least for one deacon, it might also reduce a waist line in sore need of
attention.
Pax
In other years: Thursday
of the Sixth Week of Easter
[1]
The picture is “Apostle
Matthias” by Duccio, 1308-1311
[2]
ALTRE
[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]
Jacquier, J.E. (1911).
St. Matthias. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Retrieved May 13, 2010 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10066a.htm
[5]
mortification.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mortification (accessed: May
13, 2010).
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