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| “St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN |
Reading 1: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28
The tent, which was called
the meeting tent,
Moses used to pitch at some
distance away, outside the camp.
Anyone who wished to consult
the LORD
would go to this meeting tent
outside the camp.
Whenever Moses went out to
the tent, the people would all rise
and stand at the entrance of
their own tents,
watching Moses until he
entered the tent.
As Moses entered the tent,
the column of cloud would come down
and stand at its entrance
while the LORD spoke with Moses.
On seeing the column of cloud
stand at the entrance of the tent,
all the people would rise and
worship
at the entrance of their own
tents.
The LORD used to speak to
Moses face to face,
as one man speaks to another.
Moses would then return to
the camp,
but his young assistant,
Joshua, son of Nun,
would not move out of the
tent.
Moses stood there with the
LORD and proclaimed his name, “LORD.”
Thus the LORD passed before
him and cried out,
“The LORD, the LORD, a
merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in
kindness and fidelity,
continuing his kindness for a
thousand generations,
and forgiving wickedness and
crime and sin;
yet not declaring the guilty
guiltless,
but punishing children and
grandchildren
to the third and fourth
generation for their fathers’ wickedness!”
Moses at once bowed down to
the ground in worship.
Then he said, “If I find
favor with you, O LORD,
do come along in our company.
This is indeed a stiff-necked
people;
yet pardon our wickedness and
sins,
and receive us as your own.”
So Moses stayed there with
the LORD for forty days and forty nights,
without eating any food or
drinking any water,
and he wrote on the tablets
the words of the covenant,
the ten commandments.
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Commentary on Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28
The excerpts from the Book of
Exodus paint a picture of Moses' relationship with God. It is clear from this
and previous readings about Moses that he had a unique relationship with the
Lord, and was able, as he did in this passage, to intercede on behalf of the
people. The construction of the meeting tent described in this passage is taken
up in later scripture. The Ten Commandments are restored to the people
following their destruction in Exodus 32:19 as
Moses fasts. We note the duration of his fast is of the same duration as
Christ’s fast in the desert following his Baptism by John.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the
oppressed.
He has made known his ways to
Moses,
and his deeds to the children
of Israel
R. The Lord is kind and
merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the
LORD,
slow to anger and abounding
in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath
forever.
R. The Lord is kind and
merciful.
Not according to our sins
does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us
according to our crimes.
For as the heavens are high
above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness
toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and
merciful.
As far as the east is from
the west,
so far has he put our
transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on
his children,
so the LORD has compassion on
those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and
merciful.
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Commentary on Ps 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Psalm 103 echoes in gratitude the
gift of the Law from Exodus, and the relationship of Moses to God the Father.
Though we are unworthy, God shows us love and compassion.
CCC: Ps 103 304
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Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43
Jesus dismissed the crowds
and went into the house.
His disciples approached him
and said,
“Explain to us the parable of
the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who
sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the
good seed the children of the Kingdom.
The weeds are the children of
the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them
is the Devil.
The harvest is the end of the
age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected
and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of
the age.
The Son of Man will send his
angels,
and they will collect out of
his Kingdom
all who cause others to sin
and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the
fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing
and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine
like the sun
in the Kingdom of their
Father.
Whoever has ears ought to
hear.”
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Commentary on Mt 13:36-43
Jesus dismisses the crowd who, in
this instance, represent the unbelieving of Israel. The remainder of this
passage is directed at instruction of the disciples. The Lord’s explanation of
the parable of the weeds clearly shows the intent of the story. The judgment of
the wicked by God through his angels will take place in the Eschaton (the end
times – the end of the age). The righteous will be vindicated (shine like
the sun). The final statement: “Whoever has ears ought to hear,” is
both a warning and a statement of the need for patience by the faithful.
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Reflection:
So often we forget that there
is a dynamic struggle taking place in the world between God and his nemesis,
the Evil One,
as the Gospel names him. We mistakenly think
that evil is passive in the world and while we should avoid it, it does not
seek us out.
Jesus makes it clear that the
struggle is ongoing and that the children of God are at risk, not just of
sinning of their own accord, but of being seduced by the Evil One and falling
into eternal fire. The warning is
apt. The evil of the world has trapped
so many right-intentioned people. We see
the devil portrayed in scripture as a fallen angel. If, therefore, we consider how an angel might
appear to us, we must also consider that should the fallen one present himself
to us, how are we to know that it is not one of God’s messengers who persuades
us to take a course of action?
In the desert, when Christ
was tempted by the same Evil One, the devil, we recall, even quoted scripture
to the Lord to try to seduce him away from his salvific mission. He offered food to a hungry man and water to
one who thirsted. He offered all the
kingdoms of the earth, essentially the fulfillment of Christ’s mission, to
Jesus who came to save all people for the Heavenly Father. All this he offered if our Lord would but bow
to him, the fallen angel. How tempting
that must have been to the Lord as he looked past his trial in the desert and
saw at the end of his earthly mission the cross of his passion standing starkly
at Golgotha.
The Lord’s warning to the
disciples and hence to us is indeed apt.
We, who strive to keep Christ’s mission of love visible in the world,
are challenged constantly not by some benign evil that sits like a pit for us
to avoid; but by a malignant evil, active and insatiable that seeks to ambush
us, choke us as weeds, as we attempt to do God’s will. Our attitude must be one of constant
vigilance and prayer. It is only by
keeping this vigil and remaining in a state of constant discernment that we can
see evil for what it is and avoid the terrible harvest at the end of time. “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Pax
[1]
The picture is “St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN
[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.
