(Optional Memorial for Saint John Eudes, Priest)
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| “Demolition Of The Sacred Stone Of Baal” by Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1511 |
Reading 1: Judges 2:11-19
The children of Israel
Abandoning the LORD, the God
of their fathers,
who led them out of the land of Egypt
they followed the other gods
of the various nations around them,
and by their worship of these
gods provoked the LORD.
Because they had thus
abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth,
the anger of the LORD flared
up against Israel
and he delivered them over to
plunderers who despoiled them.
He allowed them to fall into
the power of their enemies round about
whom they were no longer able
to withstand.
Whatever they undertook, the
LORD turned into disaster for them,
as in his warning he had
sworn he would do,
till they were in great
distress.
Even when the LORD raised up
judges to deliver them
from the power of their
despoilers,
they did not listen to their
judges,
but abandoned themselves to
the worship of other gods.
They were quick to stray from
the way their fathers had taken,
and did not follow their
example of obedience
to the commandments of the
LORD.
Whenever the LORD raised up
judges for them, he would be with the judge
and save them from the power of
their enemies
as long as the judge lived;
it was thus the LORD took
pity on their distressful cries
of affliction under their
oppressors.
But when the judge died,
they would relapse and do
worse than their ancestors,
following other gods in
service and worship,
relinquishing none of their
evil practices or stubborn conduct.
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Commentary on Jgs 2:11-19
In this passage
from the book of Judges, the chronicler recounts how the children of Israel
fell away from God and began to follow the secular worship of Baal and
Ashtaroth. This led them to destruction; all they attempted turned to disaster.
Even when Judges (leaders of the faith) were appointed who were faithful to God
and the Law, the people ignored them. Even those who followed the judges who
were steadfast would fall away once that particular judge died. That nothing
was possible without God’s help and support is the clear teaching point of the
selection.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:34-35, 36-37, 39-40, 43ab and 44
R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your
people.
They did not exterminate the
peoples,
as the LORD had commanded
them,
But mingled with the nations
and learned their works.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as
you favor your people.
They served their idols,
which became a snare for
them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to
demons.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as
you favor your people.
They became defiled by their
works,
and wanton in their crimes.
And the LORD grew angry with
his people,
and abhorred his inheritance.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as
you favor your people.
Many times did he rescue
them,
but they embittered him with
their counsels.
Yet he had regard for their
affliction
when he heard their cry.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as
you favor your people.
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Commentary on Ps 106:34-35, 36-37, 39-40, 43ab
and 44
Psalm 104 is a
historical psalm. Here it laments the failure of the people to follow God’s
instruction to remain faithful and apart from the secular society into which
they had come (in actuality they were to have destroyed those societies but did
not).
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Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22
A young man approached Jesus
and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do
to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you
ask me about the good?
There is only One who is
good.
If you wish to enter into
life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall
not kill;
you shall not commit
adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false
witness;
honor your father and your
mother;
and you shall love your
neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“All of these I have
observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you
wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give
to the poor,
and you will have treasure in
heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this
statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
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Commentary on Mt 19:16-22
Jesus’ encounter with the rich young man is also captured in Mark 10:17-31. In St. Matthew’s account the young man asks Jesus what “good” he must do to attain “eternal life” (equivalent to entering into life or being saved as used in other parts of St. Matthew’s Gospel – see Matthew 19:17 and Matthew 16:25). Following the Lord’s grammatical clarification (“There is only One who is good” a statement implying only God possesses the ability to act without sin – completely good), the young man asks which commandments he must follow.
“The first five commandments cited
are from the Decalogue (see Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20). Matthew
omits Mark's "you shall not defraud" (Matthew 10:19; see Deuteronomy 24:14) and
adds Leviticus
19:18. This combination of commandments of the Decalogue with Leviticus 19:18 is
partially the same as Paul's enumeration of the demands of Christian morality
in Romans 13:9.”[4]
The Lord’s concluding remarks tell
the Christian community that wealth can be a barrier to achieving eternal life.
This thought is continued in verses 23-30.
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Reflection:
Here is that nagging question
again: “What good must I do to gain eternal life?” It is a
question, judging from history, the answer to which people and societies have
not wanted. We see that clearly in the
account from the Book of Judges. The
Chronicler, as the author is called, reflects upon the weakness of the
descendants of Isaac and Jacob, who were brought to the land they
occupied. God instructed them to destroy
the secular cultures that were thriving in the region so future generations
would not be tempted to fall away from the commandments contained in the
Covenants of Sinai. When they came to do
so, they could not. The life-styles were
seductive and the riches they encountered could not be thrown away.
We can imagine, on a
compressed time scale what took place.
The original settlers, faithful to all God had commanded, occupied the
land God had promised (except this little thing, we can conquer this land with
God’s help, but we don’t need to destroy all this good stuff, we can just
ignore it). The first generation was
probably pretty faithful to the covenants and laws, but riches and all that
they can buy are tempting. Parents
always want better for their children than they themselves had so they indulge
their children. The strict adherence to
the Law of Moses is not what it might have been, and many second-generation
Israelites did not even make a pretense of trying to follow Mosaic Law. In fact,
they violated one of the cardinal commandments of the Decalogue; they
participated in idol worship (Baal and Ashtaroth).
Having lost sight
of the precepts of their faith, adopting secular values and customs, they fell
from grace and were overthrown. Leaders,
faithful to the old traditions and laws (the Judges) would arise and call many
back to the faith but once that leadership passed, they would revert. It was much easier to go with the flow, as
they say. If this series of events
sounds familiar, all we need to do is look around at what is happening in the
world today.
Jesus called the young man to place his faith before
material goods and the comfort that goes along with it
in the story about the young man who begged: “what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He knew that
with possessions came responsibility.
One cannot own something, even an inanimate object, without it
commanding responsibility from the owner.
Anything that detracts from one’s responsibility to God places a barrier
between that person and eternal life.
The parallels between this
situation and what has happened historically to people of faith is
obvious. It goes in cycles
seemingly. When the Holy See in Rome
gained ascendancy and the Latin Church gained so many members that it was seen
(by secular sources) as a political power, some of those at the very top of the
structure were tempted beyond their ability to refrain from the abuses of power,
and the Holy Mother Church, for a time, was thrown into disarray. Great lions of the faith appeared: St Francis
of Assisi, St. Gregory, and St. Benedict, and the age of Monasticism brought a
return to fundamental values.
The religious orders grew,
became wealthy and were themselves in need of reform. Always it is the same. With wealth and power, there is overwhelming
temptation to be dominated by the power that comes with material wealth.
In more recent years the
Church has seen the effect power has had in some of the most fervent of the
faithful. Speaking for the United
States, we see vividly a system that has departed more and more from
traditional Christian values, first with the judiciary, betraying its humanist
values by striking down laws the democratic forum had enacted (e.g. codifying
the definition of marriage). Then we see
the administration abrogating the long sacred “Freedom of Religion” precepts,
forcing religious institutions to adopt practices that go against the beliefs
they hold.
We wonder how history will
judge this generation as it appears to follow the evolution of Roman and Greek
cultures down the spiral of decadence?
While it is tempting, we had
best not pass judgment on those who have apparently fallen into the same trap
as the young man who “went away sad, for he had
many possessions.” We must look to ourselves and see our own
temptations, our own failings. As always,
we have faith that if we truly seek Christ, we will find him beckoning us to
him. His forgiveness and love are always
available to those who recognize their own sin and ask for his forgiveness.
Pax
[1]
The picture is “Demolition Of The Sacred
Stone Of Baal” by Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1511.
[2]
S.S Commemoratio
[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.
[4]
See NAB note on Matthew 18-19.
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