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| “Innocence” by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 1790 |
Reading 1: Sirach 2:1-11
My son, when you come to
serve the LORD,
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and
steadfast,
incline your ear and receive
the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of
adversity.
Wait on God, with patience,
cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all
your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be
patient;
For in fire gold and silver
are tested,
and worthy people in the
crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help
you;
trust in him, and he will
direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old
therein.
You who fear the LORD, wait
for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust
him,
and your reward will not be
lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope
for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love
him,
and your hearts will be
enlightened.
Study the generations long
past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD
and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his
commandments and been forsaken?
has anyone called upon him
and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is
the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in
time of trouble
and he is a protector to all
who seek him in truth.
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Commentary on Sir 2:1-11
The son of Sirach begins the second
chapter of his work with an instruction to those who would serve the Lord, that
they remain faithful and steadfast in God. He asks that we not waver in the
face of adversity which will come. He also uses that analogy from Zachariah 13:9 of
being tested as gold and silver are tested.
The second paragraph begins with a
litany for the faithful, first to wait for the Lord, then to trust him, to hope
in him, and finally to love him. He reminds the reader of God’s compassion and
mercy in the past and assures his forgiveness to those who seek it.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 37:3-4,
18-19, 27-28, 39-40
R. (see 5) Commit your life to the Lord, and he will
help you.
Trust in the LORD and do
good,
that you may dwell in the
land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your
heart's requests.
R. Commit your life to the
Lord, and he will help you.
The LORD watches over the
lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in
an evil time;
in days of famine they have
plenty.
R. Commit your life to the
Lord, and he will help you.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is
right,
and forsakes not his faithful
ones.
R. Commit your life to the
Lord, and he will help you.
The salvation of the just is
from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of
distress.
And the LORD helps them and
delivers them;
he delivers them from the
wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in
him.
R. Commit your life to the
Lord, and he will help you.
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Commentary on Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
This didactic selection
from Psalm 37 promises the salvation of those who hear God’s voice and trust in
him. Central to this passage is the fidelity of God to those who are
faithful. Salvation for them is assured if they trust in him and take
refuge in their faith. The author responds to the question: why do the wicked
prosper? In these strophes, it continues the plea to be faithful to God, and
remain steadfast in the time of adversity. The psalmist adds that those who
turn away should return, and God will give them salvation.
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Gospel: Mark 9:30-37
They (Jesus and his disciples)
left from there
and began a journey through Galilee ,
but he did not wish anyone to
know about it.
He was teaching his disciples
and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be
handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his
death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand
the saying,
and they were afraid to
question him.
They came to Capernaum
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing
about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing
among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the
Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be
first,
he shall be the last of all
and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it
in their midst,
and putting his arms around
it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one
child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One
who sent me."
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Commentary on Mk 9:30-37
This selection describes Jesus’
interaction with the disciples following the cure of the boy with the mute
spirit. Jesus and his disciples continue their journey through Galilee, and he
teaches them in private about what is to come. It begins with the second
prediction of the passion Jesus is to face. The disciples, characteristic of
St. Mark’s description, do not understand, and begin to debate among themselves
who was greatest. Jesus tells them directly that their role (and by extension
the role of all Christian disciples) is one of service.
The Lord sees that they do not
understand. When they don’t respond to his direct question, he gives them the
example of first a servant, and then a child, so they can understand that it is
through humility and innocence that God’s servants lead. He probably uses the
example of children to represent the “anawim,” the poor in spirit, the
most vulnerable of the Christian faithful.
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Reflection:
The Son of Sirach reminds us
at the outset of the Liturgy of the Word that we will be tested if we remain
faithful to God. What does it mean to be
faithful to God and his Only Begotten Son?
That is the question we try to understand today.
Faithfulness to God means
following his commandments, his law. His
law is not simply the one that the son of Sirach understood. Sirach’s son saw the law as the Torah which
contains the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) and the associated laws from
Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers. We
have that set of laws, but they were interpreted for us by God’s only Son who
placed a law above the Law of Moses (the Torah); his law of love in the Great
Commandment.
When Jesus wrapped God’s Law
in love, he transformed it from a burden to be borne on bowed back, into a
garment to be worn lightly, protecting us.
When we consider the purpose of the Lord’s incarnation, we see in the
Gospel an armor like that needed by ancient soldiers. They put on that armor, not because it was
comfortable or fashionable, but because they knew they were going into battle
and the armor protected them.
The Anointed One took away
the strict but purposeless discipline of the Pharisees, and replaced it with a
life that naturally conforms itself to God’s own. Suddenly the face of mercy is truly revealed
and the giant Hammer of Justice is replaced with the Cross of Salvation.
The words of Sirach remind us
that we are called to be a people who wait for the Lord; who trust in him, hope in
him, and finally love him with all our
hearts, all our strength, and all our spirit.
This goal is filled in with Jesus’ reminder from Mark’s Gospel, that if
we wish to lead others to him, we must first be servants, and finally form our
faith as an innocent child. In this way
we are faithful to him; this is our goal.
Pax
[1]
The picture used is “Innocence” by Jean-Baptiste
Greuze, 1790
[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 republication is not authorized by USCCB and is
for private use only.
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