(Optional Memorial for Saint Paul of the Cross, Priest) United States
Proper for the Memorial of St. Paul of the Cross
Readings
Proper for the Memorial of St. Paul of the Cross
 |
| “Youth between Virtue and Vice” by Paolo Veronese, 1580-82 |
Reading 1: Ephesians
3:14-21
Brothers and sisters:
I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in
heaven and on earth is named,
that he may grant you in
accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power
through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded
in love,
may have strength to
comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and
length and height and depth,
and to know the love of
Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled
with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to
accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine,
by the power at work within
us,
to him be glory in the Church
and in Christ Jesus
to all generations, forever
and ever. Amen..
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Commentary on
Eph 3:14-21
St. Paul has
informed the Ephesians of the difficulties (imprisonment) he is facing, but has
asked them to stay focused on their own spiritual growth, rather than concern themselves
over his “afflictions” (Ephesians
3:1). He offers them the
“Apostle’s Prayer." “The apostle prays that those he is addressing
may, like the rest of the church, deepen their understanding of God's plan of
salvation in Christ. It is a plan that affects the whole universe (Ephesians
3:15) with the breadth
and length and height and depth of God's love in Christ (Ephesians
3:18) or possibly the
universe in all its dimensions. The apostle prays that they may perceive the
redemptive love of Christ for them and be completely immersed in the fullness
of God (Ephesians 3:19)”[4]
CCC: Eph
3:14 239, 2214, 2367; Eph 3:16-17 1073, 2714; Eph 3:16 1995; Eph 3:18-21 2565; Eph 3:20-21 2641
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Responsorial Psalm: Ps
33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19
R. (5b) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Rejoice, you just, in the
LORD;
praise from the upright is
fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on
the harp;
on the ten-stringed lyre
offer praise.
R. The earth is
full of the goodness of the Lord.
For the LORD'S word is true;
all his works are
trustworthy.
The LORD loves justice and
right
and fills the earth with
goodness.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
But the plan of the LORD
stands forever,
wise designs through all
generations.
Happy the nation whose God is
the LORD,
the people chosen as his very
own.
R. The earth is
full of the goodness of the Lord.
But the LORD'S eyes are upon the
reverent,
upon those who hope for his
gracious help,
Delivering them from death,
keeping them alive in times
of famine.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
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Commentary on
Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19
Psalm 33 is a song of praise and
thanksgiving. In this selection, the emphasis is on faithfulness to God, who
has saving power combined with hope, a central component of faith in God.
It concludes, almost in answer to St. Paul’s "Apostles Prayer,"
for strength in the face of persecution (Ephesians 3:14-21).
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Gospel: Luke
12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth
on fire,
and how I wish it were
already blazing!
There is a baptism with which
I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish
until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come
to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather
division.
From now on a household of
five will be divided,
three against two and two
against three;
a father will be divided
against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her
mother,
a mother-in-law against her
daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against
her mother-in-law.”
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Commentary on
Lk 12:49-53
This discourse from St. Luke’s
Gospel emphasizes the divisive nature of Christ’s message. He has already
encountered resistance, and the author sees that his message of peace will have
an even more profound influence on the world. It is clear that the Lord knows
many will not be able to accept his words, and this will cause enmity among
people, even within families.
In this passage, there is a
glimpse of the passion (the baptism mentioned in v.50 shares the image
presented in Psalm 124:4-5), and
the anguish the Lord feels for the message he is bringing. He sees the flame of
faith igniting the whole world. Jesus knows there will be those who accept the
proclamation of the Kingdom of God, and those who will reject both it and him.
CCC: Lk 12:49 696; Lk
12:50 536, 607, 1225, 2804
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Homily:
I am reminded of a story recently told to me. It goes like this –
“A Holy man was having a conversation with the Lord
one day and said: 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'
The Lord led the holy man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.
In the middle of the room was a large round table.
In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew,
which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting
around the table were thin and sickly.
They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons
with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it
possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the
handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into
their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery
and suffering.
The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.’ They went to the
next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the
large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same
long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump,
laughing and talking.
The holy man said, 'I don't understand.’
'It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one
skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other. The greedy think only of themselves.'
Those who are most concerned
about their own happiness and comfort look at the Christians who dare to live
the faith in a public way as fools! They
hear the message that is at the root of Christ’s teaching and reject it
completely as being naiveté or as gullible.
Ironically, the only reason they do not take more advantage of those of
us who believe in Christ is there are those among us who are not sufficiently
committed to “turning the other cheek.”
As a consequence, the wolves must be cautious.
The message in the Gospel,
and tangentially in the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, is that Christ’s
Gospel will not create harmony in the world.
It will not even create peace in families. The commandment to love one another is not a
requirement that everyone can accept. It
is too difficult for some to overcome their need for self-gratification, either
physically or emotionally.
As a consequence, when we
leave the comfort and support of the faith community, those with whom we share
God’s love and grace, we enter mission territory. If we forgive a person in that often hostile
environment, we must not expect understanding, and should not be surprised if
our forgiveness is met with suspicion.
When we offer compassion and understanding, as we are taught, we should
not expect the same in return, and should not be surprised if our love is met
with fear, and fear’s companion, hatred.
As in all relationships,
trust must be earned, and we, the Christian Community, must continue to reach
out to others. In spite of the fact that we know our out-stretched hand may be
bitten, we are asked to evangelize the world. Jesus tells us that he did not
come to magically bring peace to the world. He came on a mission and is now
sending us to bring people back to him, one at a time.
Pax
[1]
The picture used today is “Youth between Virtue and Vice” by Paolo Veronese,
1580-82
[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 Ephesians 3:14-21
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