(Optional
Memorial for Saint Romulad, Abbot)
 |
| “Christ in Glory” by Mattia Preti, c. 1660 |
Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30
Brothers and sisters:
Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.
To my shame I say that we were too weak!
But what anyone dares to boast of
(I am speaking in foolishness)
I also dare.
Are they Hebrews? So am I.
Are they children of Israel
Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
Are they ministers of Christ?
(I am talking like an insane person).
I am still more, with far greater labors,
far more imprisonments, far worse beatings,
and numerous brushes with death.
Five times at the hands of the Jews
I received forty lashes minus one.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned,
three times I was shipwrecked,
I passed a night and a day on the deep;
on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers,
dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race,
dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city,
dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea,
dangers among false brothers;
in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights,
through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings,
through cold and exposure.
And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me
of my anxiety for all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak?
Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant?
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
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Commentary on 2 Cor 11:18, 21-30
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (see 18b) From all their distress God rescues the
just.
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. From all
their distress God rescues the just.
Glorify the Lord with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. From all
their distress God rescues the just.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the Lord heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. From all
their distress God rescues the just.
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Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Psalm 34 sings
a song of salvation at the hands of the Lord. It tells of the God’s love for
those who serve Him. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued
(Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to
trust in God alone. This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted,
echoes hope for deliverance and freedom.
CCC: Ps 34:3 716
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Gospel: Matthew 6:19-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and
steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness
be.”
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Commentary on Mt 6:19-23
Jesus concludes his sermon with a caution about placing importance
on “treasures on earth.” In this
context, St. Matthew’s Gospel also recalls the Lord’s analogy using the as a
symbol of seeking one’s desires. Here we
see that if what we seek is of darkness (material wealth) as contrasted with
seeking the light (spiritual wealth) how dark will that spirit inside us be?
CCC: Mt 6:21 368,
2533, 2551, 2604, 2608, 2729, 2848
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Reflection:
After
a few days reflecting on our life of prayer, scripture now directs us back to
the material world and asks the question once more; “What is important to
you?” St. Paul Corinth
The
Lord in his on-going sermon from St. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that our
principle passion in life must be for spiritual wealth not earthly things. The old adage “You can’t take it with you”
springs to mind (as does a really good joke about a dying wealthy man, his
doctor, his priest and his lawyer but that will have to wait). Yet perhaps humor can serve us here. Try this one.
There
was once a very good and very wealthy man who died and went to heaven. When he arrived at the pearly gates, St.
Peter looked in his book and saw all the good things the man had done and
invited him in. As the man walked by,
St. Peter noticed a look of great sorrow on his face. He said to the man “Mr. Jones, I don’t
understand your depression. You had a
wonderful life on earth, filled with good deeds and great wealth and today you
are ushered into heaven. Why are you
sad?”
The
man said in reply “St. Peter, I know I should be happy and I always knew I
could not take my wealth with me but I fear I will miss it. I wish I could have brought up just one souvenir
of my earthly success.”
Poof!
The man disappeared and poof he was back.
He was holding a small shoe box that was clearly quite heavy. St. Peter
could not resist and asked the man what he had chosen to bring back. With his face reddening somewhat the man
opened the box lid to show St. Peter four bars of gold bullion. Whereupon St. Peter looked up in surprise and exclaimed “You
brought pavement?”
Pax
[1]
ALTRE
[2]
The picture is “Christ in Glory” by Mattia Preti, c. 1660
[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.
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