(Optional
Memorial of Saint Martin de Porres, Religious)
 |
| “Parable of the Lost Drachma” by Domenico Feti, 1618-22 |
Reading 1: Philippians
3:3-8a
Brothers and sisters:
We are the circumcision,
we who worship through the
Spirit of God,
who boast in Christ Jesus and
do not put our confidence in flesh,
although I myself have
grounds for confidence even in the flesh.
If anyone else thinks he can
be confident in flesh, all the more can I.
Circumcised on the eighth
day,
of the race of Israel
a Hebrew of Hebrew parentage,
in observance of the law a
Pharisee,
in zeal I persecuted the
Church,
in righteousness based on the
law I was blameless.
But whatever gains I had,
these I have come to consider
a loss because of Christ.
More than that, I even
consider everything as a loss
because of the supreme good
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
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Commentary on Phil 3:3-8a
There is a change in tone from
the previous chapters of this letter to the Philippians as St. Paul begins to
strike out at “false teachers.” In this passage, he first testifies to his own
claim to the Gospel he brought them (“For we are the circumcision”). He
identifies his Pharisaic heritage, his circumcision in accordance with Mosaic
Law on the eighth day (see Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3), his
roots in the tribe of Benjamin, and his schooling in the law as a Pharisee. He
also makes vague reference to his efforts (now twenty years in the past) of
persecuting the Christians, stating that this was grounded in Mosaic Law, and
he was blameless under that law.
But all his success in life was
considered a loss at his conversion. He goes further stating that, all his
previous gains in whatever area, he considers as nothing when compared to the
faith he received, and the salvation he is promised in Christ Jesus.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (3b) Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing praise, play music;
proclaim all his wondrous
deeds!
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice,
O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Rely on the mighty LORD;
constantly seek his face.
Recall the wondrous deeds he
has done,
his signs and his words of
judgment,
R. Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham
his servant,
offspring of Jacob the chosen
one!
The LORD is our God
who rules the whole earth.
R. Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Psalm 105 is a historical psalm
of thanksgiving in hymnic style. This selection is an introduction. It
remembers God’s covenant with Abraham, the promise of the land of Canaan, and
calls for continued faithfulness. Recalling this historical relationship, the
psalmist calls the people to faithful worship. Reference to Abraham’s
descendants also provides an image used by St. Paul providing substance to the
promise fulfilled in Christ (see Philippians 3:3-8a and Galatians 3:22-29).
CCC: Ps 105:3 30
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Gospel: Luke
15:1-10
The tax collectors and
sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes
began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners
and eats with them.”
So Jesus addressed this
parable to them.
“What man among you having a
hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the
ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one
until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders
with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends
and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I
have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same
way
there will be more joy in
heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine
righteous people
who have no need of
repentance.
“Or what woman having ten
coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and
sweep the house,
searching carefully until she
finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her
friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I
have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell
you,
there will be rejoicing among
the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”
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Commentary on Lk 15:1-10
Jesus uses criticism by the
Scribes and Pharisees as a teaching moment. He uses parables to announce God’s
infinite mercy, driving the point home that God rejoices in the return of those
who have turned their backs to him in sin. The two parables (the Parable of the
Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin) show clearly the Lord’s love for
all people, and special joy in those who repent. These two stories are followed
immediately by the parable of the Prodigal Son that emphasizes this point
further.
A principal difference between
St. Luke’s rendition of the Parable of the Lost Sheep and that of St. Matthew (Matthew 18:12-14) is that
St. Matthew emphasizes (to the Apostles) the seeking, while St. Luke emphasizes
(to the Pharisees) the joy of finding. This emphasis is graphically depicted as
the author writes: “And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders
with great joy.” As St. Gregory the Great comments: “He put the sheep on his shoulders
because in taking on human nature he burdened himself with our sins”
(In Evangelia homiliae, 2, 14)[4]
CCC: Lk 15 1443, 1846; Lk 15:1-2 589; Lk 15:7 545
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Reflection:
There was once a woman named
Jo who was happily married and the mother of five children. She and her husband tried hard to be the
positive examples and teachers of a lived faith; doing their best to show their
children what was important in life and how to live, using their faith as both
guide and support.
In spite of the fact that
their children were brought up in a fairly low income community, in
circumstances that might otherwise have headed them down roads that lead to an
existence of moral poverty, the children listened, learned, and made their
parents proud. That is, all but
one. This one, Janie, was contrary. She did not like the rules of the house. She did not like the fact that she did not
get as much attention from her parents and siblings as she thought other
members of her family did. She did not
like school, and she did not think life was fair.
Early in middle school, when
she was 14, things began to get out of hand.
She started going around with “friends” who had the same attitude. Everything Jo did seemed to backfire. The harder she and her husband pushed Janie
to change her attitudes and behaviors, the worse things became. She was easy prey for an older boy who took
advantage of her emotionally and physically with awful consequences. Janie ended up at an abortion clinic
(unbeknownst to her parents) when she was 15.
Things went steadily downhill. Jo
and her husband despaired. They tried
professional help to no effect. Finally,
when Janie was 16, they were forced to kick her out of the house (Actually
those were Janie’s words, her parents told her that she either had to follow
the rules of the house or she could no longer stay there, she chose to
leave.). Her attitude, her disregard for
her parents, the safety of the home, and her younger siblings made her
continued presence impossible.
Jo made did her best to stay
in touch with Janie. She reminded her always that the door was always open, and
her home was there for her (the rules of the house, however, did not
change). From a distance Jo continued to
reach out. When Janie turned 21 and
decided to get married, Jo worked extra jobs to make sure she would have a nice
wedding and reception. Janie had her
wedding. She informed all who attended
that this was “her special moment” (to her parent’s distress, they had been
married long enough to see a dangerous attitude about the relationship in those
words). The marriage didn’t last
long. Janie was searching for something
that was not there.
Ultimately, some years later,
Janie realized where the path she was on was leading her. She also saw in her mother’s unwavering love,
the model of life she needed to follow.
Final reconciliation is a joyous thing.
But none of this would have happened if Jo had given up. Her daughter would have fallen deeper and
deeper into a pit she was digging for herself, and it would have ended up
burying her.
We use this story to provide
a contemporary analogy and example to what Jesus tells us in the Gospel. Just as the Lord is eternal in his love for
us, we are called to have that same attitude.
No matter how many times Jo reached out to Janie and had her hand
slapped, she continued as only one possessed by the Holy Spirit and infused
with love could do. We are called to
that same example. We are called to
reach out to others who to us seem lost.
To paraphrase St. Paul: we are Christ’s Baptism, an outstretched hand to
the world.
Pax
[2]
The picture used today is “Parable of the Lost Drachma” by Domenico Feti,
1618-22
[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]
The Navarre Bible, Gospels
and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton ,
NJ
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