Catechism
Links [1]
CCC 713-716:
the path of the Messiah traced out in the “Servant Songs”
CCC 440,
571-572, 601: Jesus suffered and died for our salvation
CCC 618:
our participation in Christ’s sacrifice
CCC 2044-2046:
good works manifest faith
 |
| “Christ Carrying His Cross” by El Greco 1580s |
The
Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and
I have not rebelled,
have
not turned back.
I
gave my back to those who beat me,
my
cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my
face I did not shield
from
buffets and spitting.
The
Lord GOD is my help,
therefore
I am not disgraced;
I
have set my face like flint,
knowing
that I shall not be put to shame.
He
is near who upholds my right;
if
anyone wishes to oppose me,
let
us appear together.
Who
disputes my right?
Let
that man confront me.
See,
the Lord GOD is my help;
who
will prove me wrong?
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Commentary on
Is
50:5-9a
This is the third of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from
Isaiah. These four comprise the
“Suffering Servant” that is the prophetic vision of the Messiah describing the
humble ministry of Christ.
In this passage the prophet describes his mission to “…speak to the weary a word that will rouse
them.” The “weary” are those born
down by oppression and the “Word” that will rouse them is hope in God. (Isaiah
50:4) In doing this he has incurred the
wrath of the powerful, the oppressors but he is steadfast in is mission as his
faith in God sustains him, in spite of the persecution he suffers. God chastises the people for not following the servant who willingly
accepts God’s service and even the contempt of the people. The image of humble service is frequently
associated with the suffering servant prophetic of Christ.
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R. (9)I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
Alleluia.
I
love the LORD because he has heard
my
voice in supplication,
Because
he has inclined his ear to me
the
day I called.
R. I will walk before the
Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
Alleluia.
The
cords of death encompassed me;
the
snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I
fell into distress and sorrow,
And
I called upon the name of the LORD,
“O
LORD, save my life!”
R. I will walk before the
Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
Alleluia.
Gracious
is the LORD and just;
yes,
our God is merciful.
The
LORD keeps the little ones;
I
was brought low, and he saved me.
R. I will walk before the
Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
Alleluia.
For
he has freed my soul from death,
my
eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I
shall walk before the Lord
in
the land of the living.
R. I will walk before the
Lord, in the land of the living.
or: Alleluia.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on
Ps
116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
Psalm 116 is a song sung as the psalmist
offers a sacrifice in thanksgiving for God’s help in distress. The singer thanks God and acknowledges that
the Lord has heard the plea of his faithful teaching those who attend that God
is merciful and that the faith response is to follow the Lord in all things “I will walk before the Lord, in the land of
the living.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What
good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if
someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can
that faith save him?
If
a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and
has no food for the day,
and
one of you says to them,
“Go
in peace, keep warm, and eat well, ”
but
you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what
good is it?
So
also faith of itself,
if
it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed
someone might say,
“You
have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate
your faith to me without works,
and
I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
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Commentary on
Jas
2:14-18
We are given St. James famous “Faith without works”
monologue. The author lays the
foundation for the Church’s understanding of justification through both faith
and actions (to be clear, justified in this context means – “the act of God
whereby humankind is made or accounted just [justified], or free from guilt or
penalty of sin.”)
“The
theme of these verses is the relationship of faith and works (deeds). It has
been argued that the teaching here contradicts that of Paul (see especially Romans 4:5-6). The problem can only be understood if the
different viewpoints of the two authors are seen. Paul argues against those who
claim to participate in God's salvation because of their good deeds as well as
because they have committed themselves to trust in God through Jesus Christ
(Paul's concept of faith). Paul certainly understands, however, the
implications of true faith for a life of love and generosity (see Galatians 5:6, 13-15). The author of James is well aware that proper
conduct can only come about with an authentic commitment to God in faith (James 2:18, 26). Many think he was seeking to correct a
misunderstanding of Paul's view.” [5]
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Jesus
and his disciples set out
for
the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along
the way he asked his disciples,
“Who
do people say that I am?”
They
said in reply,
“John
the Baptist, others Elijah,
still
others one of the prophets.”
And
he asked them,
“But
who do you say that I am?”
Peter
said to him in reply,
“You
are the Christ.”
Then
he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He
began to teach them
that
the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and
be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and
be killed, and rise after three days.
He
spoke this openly.
Then
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At
this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked
Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You
are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He
summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever
wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take
up his cross, and follow me.
For
whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but
whoever loses his life for my sake
and
that of the gospel will save it.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on
Mk
8:27-35
This selection from St. Mark’s Gospel is pivotal for the original
audience. Up to this point in Jesus
public ministry he has been thought of by those who meet him as a prophet and
teacher – a Holy Man. That changes as
St. Peter identifies him as “Christ” the Messiah. After silencing them (his closest friends)
Jesus, using the title “Son of Man” (see Daniel 7:13-14), foresees his trials and passion. This frightens the disciples and probably
confuses many of the entourage (remember, there were more than just the 12
following Jesus around) and Peter confronts him asking him to take a different
approach to what he tells his students.
Seeing this request as an invitation to take a different path, Jesus rebukes
Peter.
Then
turning to the rest of his followers, Jesus calls all of those who are with him
to authentic discipleship. He tells them
that answering that call means placing Christian sacrifice first and if
necessary denying even one’s life for the sake of the truth of the Son of God.
CCC: Mk 8:27 472; Mk 8:31-33 557; Mk 8:31 474, 572, 649; Mk 8:34 459, 1615; Mk 8:35 2544
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Homily:
We
are constantly reminded that we are all on a journey of faith. Along the way we encounter others. Some of those we encounter are going the same
way we are and we walk with them for a while (our friends). A very few are going at the same pace in the
same direction and we walk with them for a very long time (our family). However, most of those we meet are either
traveling at a different pace; are at a different point in the journey; or are
going in the wrong direction entirely.
Those
of us lucky enough to have very close friends or family traveling the same
journey are like the crew of a sail boat
While we are at the helm steering a course, others around us, our
friends and family are constantly giving us information that help us to adjust
that direction so we are moving toward our destination at the best possible
speed.
The
Church is the like the boat builder and sail-maker. The Church gives us the means to travel on
our journey. It provides safety in
storms, and gives us the power to move constantly against a secular tide that
always flows against us.
We
have as our navigation chart the Holy Scripture. Translated by the Church into directions we
can understand, It tells us where the danger areas are, the shoals and sandbars
where we could run aground or even be sunk.
We need to constantly rely on that chart and listen to those who are
helping us navigate.
The
Lord, of course, is our compass (now days He’s actually more like a GPS). He both guides us with a needle that points
the way and at the same time provides the direction for us to travel.
Now
sometimes, in our boat, a person tries to misdirect us. They may say let’s go over there because the
sun is shining or let’s go here because it is more fun. These people can be a danger to us because,
if we forget to consult the chart, listen to the rest of the crew, or consult
the compass, we can run aground and sink.
This
is what is happening with Jesus today in his Gospel. In his case it is his “First Mate” who is trying
to turn him from his proper course.
Peter, who has just led the disciples in telling Jesus they believe is
the Son of God, now actually argues with him about the course of events.
We
can understand Peter. He and the other
disciples love Jesus and he has just told them the destination was going to
break up the crew. They are worried and
frightened because they don’t understand why they have to follow this course.
Frankly,
Jesus himself, because he is True Man, is frightened as well. He knows the course they must sail, but also
knows what lies at the way point, that is the Cross. So when Peter suggests that this is not the
way to go, for the briefest of instants, Jesus is tempted to follow that advice
and take an easier course. Then he
realizes that the evil one, who is always trying to sell us inaccurate
(uncertified) charts at discount rates, has whispered in Peter’s ear. That is why he tells Peter; “Get behind me,
Satan.”
If
the Apostles on Jesus’ crew can get bad information, how much more carefully do
we need to be on guard against following bad advice and sailing off
course? We, who are not nearly as good
at sailing this journey of faith, need to be constantly consulting the compass
(who is Jesus) and referring to the charts (Holy Scripture). And when the seas of our journey get rough,
we need to trust our boat (the Church) and know that the party at the end of
journey is one we cannot afford to miss.
Pax
In
other Years on this date: Memorial
of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor
[1]
Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June
2014
[2]
S.S
Commemoratio
[3]
The picture is “Christ Carrying His Cross” by El Greco 1580s
[4]
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.
[5]
See NAB footnote on James 2:14-26
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