(Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin
Mary)
On Saturdays in Ordinary Time
when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed
Virgin Mary is allowed.[1]
Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses
for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Suggested for this date: #26 The Blessed Virgin Mary, Image and Mother of the Church, II
 |
| “A Mother Entrusting Her Sons to Christ” Mattia Preti, 1630’s. |
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Reading
1: 1 Kings 19:19-21
Elijah set out, and came upon
Elisha, son of Shaphat,
as he was plowing with twelve yoke
of oxen;
he was following the twelfth.
Elijah went over to him and threw
his cloak over him.
Elisha left the oxen, ran after
Elijah, and said,
“Please, let me kiss my father and
mother goodbye,
and I will follow you.”
Elijah answered, “Go back!
Have I done anything to you?”
Elisha left him and, taking the
yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;
he used the plowing equipment for
fuel to boil their flesh,
and gave it to his people to eat.
Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.
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Commentary on 1 Kgs 19:19-21
In response to God’s instruction,
Elijah travels to a region near Damascus and finds his successor Elisha plowing
a field using the symbolic twelve oxen (for the twelve tribes of Israel).
“Elijah's act of throwing his mantle over the shoulders of Elisha expressed the
divine call to share the prophetic mission. Elisha's prompt response through
destruction of his plow and oxen is an example of total obedience and
detachment from his former manner of living in order to promote the glory of
God.”[5]
We note the similarity in the later
response of Peter, James, and John to Jesus' summons in the Gospels.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
16:1b-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10
R. (see 5a) You are my
inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take
refuge;
I say to the Lord, “My Lord are
you.”
O Lord, my allotted portion and my
cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the Lord who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts
me.
I set the Lord ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall
not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Therefore my heart is glad and my
soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my
soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful
one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 16:1b-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10
Psalm 16 is a song of thanksgiving
that has become prophetic; it speaks clearly of the resurrection accomplished
now in Christ. (“Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption”.)
CCC: Ps 16:9-10 627
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Gospel: Matthew
5:33-37
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said to
your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that
you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at
all;
not by heaven, for it is God’s
throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his
footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the
city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair
white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your
‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the Evil
One.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:33-37
Jesus paraphrases the Old Testament
(see Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy
5:11; Leviticus
19:12). He is attacking the practices of guaranteeing one’s promise by
calling on God to witness the pledge. The Lord tells his disciples that no
oaths should be made; that what they say should need no guarantee beyond their
own character (“Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything
more is from the evil one.”). This last reference speaks of the implied
sinfulness of mankind in oath-breaking.
CCC: Mt 5:33-34 581, 2141, 2153; Mt 5:33 592, 2463; Mt 5:37 2153, 2338, 2466
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Reflection:
The
Gospel takes up yet another element of character that is necessary for the
faithful disciple of Jesus, truthfulness.
While there is no commandment that says: “You shall not lie.” (The
actual text is: “You shall not bear false
witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)), the exhortation that the Lord places on his
disciples today tells them that they should be bound by their word. It is a fundamental axiom of our faith
tradition and one that is frequently violated (as hard as we might try not
to).
The
word that expresses our ambition happens to be the first stipulation in the Boy
Scout Law: “A Scout is Trustworthy.” The
only way a person can achieve that label, “trustworthy,” is by following the
words attributed to Jesus: “Let your
‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’, and your ’No’ mean ‘No.’”
That means that we follow through with commitments we make, most
especially to those we make to God who knows our heart. But it also means that we deal with everyone
honestly. That is one of the principal
ways we identify ourselves as disciples of Jesus and bring the Gospel message
to the world.
It
is a very difficult thing the Lord asks us to do. Almost as hard as “Love one another.” In reality the two injunctions are
linked. If we love one another, we would
never think of betraying that trust with a lie.
If we offer ourselves or our service to another and then renege, we
disrespect them and violate our call to love one another.
We
thank God today for the grace offered in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. What he asks of us is so difficult we
certainly need that gift to stay on the right path. We ask for God’s strength today, not only to
be able to say yes when we mean yes and no when we mean no, but also to forgive
others when they fail.
Pax
[1]
General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar
Miscellaneous Notes no. 5.
[2]
The picture used today is “A Mother Entrusting Her Sons to Christ” Mattia
Preti, 1630’s.
[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 republication
is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5]
See NAB Footnote on 1 Kings 19:19ff.
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