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| “Saint Leo the Great” by Francisco de Herrera el Mozo, c. 1670s |
Reading 1: Philemon
7-20
Beloved:
I have experienced much joy
and encouragement from your love,
because the hearts of the
holy ones
have been refreshed by you,
brother.
Therefore, although I have
the full right in Christ
to order you to do what is
proper,
I rather urge you out of
love,
being as I am, Paul, an old
man,
and now also a prisoner for
Christ Jesus.
I urge you on behalf of my
child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in
my imprisonment,
who was once useless to you
but is now useful to both you and me.
I am sending him, that is, my
own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain
him for myself,
so that he might serve me on
your behalf
in my imprisonment for the
Gospel,
but I did not want to do
anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might
not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was
away from you for a while,
that you might have him back
forever,
no longer as a slave but more
than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but
even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a
partner, welcome him as you would me.
And if he has done you any
injustice
or owes you anything, charge
it to me.
I, Paul, write this in my own
hand: I will pay.
May I not tell you that you
owe me your very self.
Yes, brother, may I profit
from you in the Lord.
Refresh my heart in Christ.
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Commentary on Phmn 7-20
This reading contains a majority
of St. Paul’s Letter to Philemon. It is a short letter, written by the apostle
during his imprisonment (probably in Rome between 61 and 63 A.D.). He writes to
Philemon, the owner of a slave named Onesimus who apparently ran away and
possibly stole something along the way. St. Paul has converted Onesimus, and
now sends him back with this letter to his owner.
While the apostle does not attack
slavery as a social structure, he clearly deals it a death blow in the
Christian community by describing the relationship he has with Onesimus, and by
setting this slave as an equal to all who are brothers in Christ Jesus (“…no
longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me,
but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord”). This testimony by St.
Paul is an important addition to the Church’s understanding of unity in faith,
and the dignity of all persons.
CCC: Phmn 16 2414
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R. (5a) Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD secures justice for
the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the
blind.
The LORD raises up those who
were bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow
he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he
thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all
generations. Alleluia.
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
Psalm 146 is a
hymn of praise. The psalmist provides a litany of attributes, showing how
God provides salvation. This psalm is often quoted, and the litany it
contains is also assigned to the Messiah who comes fulfilling the prophets and
the Law. Used in that sense, the psalm itself is prophetic, establishing
the divine relationship between Christ and the God of Jacob.
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Gospel: Luke
17:20-25
Asked by the Pharisees when
the Kingdom of God
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God
and no one will announce,
‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God
Then he said to his
disciples,
“The days will come when you
will long to see
one of the days of the Son of
Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will
say to you,
‘Look, there he is,’ or
‘Look, here he is.’
Do not go off, do not run in
pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from
one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in
his day.
But first he must suffer
greatly and be rejected by this generation.”
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Commentary on Lk 17:20-25
In this selection
from St. Luke’s Gospel, the Pharisees ask Jesus to tell them when the Kingdom
of God will come. Throughout Luke, Jesus has been denying that the messianic
age will come simply by following Mosaic Law and the Prophets (even the
greatest of them – John the Baptist).[4] He is now confronted with the
question: “Where is the Kingdome of God?” He answers that it is already among them
(referring to his own ministry and the effect it has on his followers).
Jesus’ description of the “coming days” is also a reference to the coming destruction of
Jerusalem:”(1) Many of the sayings collected here appear in the Olivet
Discourse, where they more explicitly refer to the doom that awaits the city
and the Temple (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13). (2) Mention of the days of the Son of man (17:22) is
echoed later in Luke when reference is made to the “days” when foreign armies
will besiege the city (Luke 19:43) and the “days” when the
Temple will be devastated (Luke 21:6).” [5]
To his disciples, Jesus makes it
clear that his coming passion will cause them to flee, and that doubt will assail
them. He reassures them of his eternal presence as he tells them that, once he
has gone from them, he will not be coming back, but at the same time he will
always be with them (“…just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from
one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be [in his day]”).
CCC: Lk 17:19-31 2463
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Homily:
If the Pharisees were
confronting Jesus in modern times, one might think they would have asked: “Show
us a link to the map of the Kingdom of God.
Oh, and is there a Google
street
Their question, however, does
give the Lord a bit of a problem. How
can he change their understanding of the true nature of the Kingdom of God St. Luke
recounts his attempt to describe something that is metaphysical (that is, not
of this physical existence) using terms that can only describe the physical
world.
How difficult it must have
been for them, as it is for us, to understand what he meant when he told them: “For behold, the Kingdom
of God
In the same way, the
Pharisees were totally confused. How
could the Kingdom
of God kingdom
of God
There is no time to go to great
lengths about the creation of the Kingdom of God on earth, and how we are
called to participate in that transformation.
Nor is there time to speak about the Kingdom of Heaven
Today we simply pray that we
see Christ and his Kingdom around us, and experience the peace of that Kingdom
in our hearts.
Pax
[2]
The picture is “Saint Leo the Great” by Francisco de Herrera el Mozo, c. 1670s
[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, 44:125, pp.150
[5]
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco , CA. pp.140
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