(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. (USCCB recommends: #39B
Holy
Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy, I, II)
 |
| “St Giustina and the Guardian Angel Commending the Soul of an Infant to the Madonna and Child” by Gaetano Gandolfi, 1792-93 |
Readings and
Commentary: [4]
Reading 1: Romans 8:1-11
Brothers and sisters:
Now there is no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the
spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has freed you from the
law of sin and death.
For what the law,
weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do,
this God has done:
by sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh
and for the sake of sin,
he condemned sin in the flesh,
so that the righteous
decree of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who live not according
to the flesh but according to the spirit.
For those who live
according to the flesh
are concerned with the
things of the flesh,
but those who live
according to the spirit
with the things of the
spirit.
The concern of the flesh
is death,
but the concern of the
spirit is life and peace.
For the concern of the
flesh is hostility toward God;
it does not submit to
the law of God, nor can it;
and those who are in the
flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the
flesh;
on the contrary, you are
in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of
God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have
the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
although the body is
dead because of sin,
the spirit is alive
because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one
who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised
Christ from the dead
will give life to your
mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that
dwells in you.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Rom 8:1-11
In the first section of
this passage from St Paul’s letter to the Romans the evangelist
differentiates between the disconnected law that leads to death and the law
connected and fulfilled in Christ that leads to salvation. He goes on to
say that those who concern themselves more with the material world have chosen
death while those who have elected to pursue life in the spirit have chosen
life eternal.
The Apostle expands upon
the idea that through the Law of Moses sin entered the world. This occurred
through the existential mechanism of defining sin. Here he expresses the idea
that only through Christ Jesus can one be freed from sin and death. The Law of
Moses cannot accomplish this freedom, is “powerless to do so” since it is
“weakened by the flesh”; that is implemented as it is understood by mankind.
Christ, who came to fulfill the law provides the means of freedom from sin and
death for Christians, since they live in the spirit, coming to righteousness.
He focuses on what disciples of Christ must do to please God which must come
through the spirit, not the flesh. Paul makes it clear that the Spirit is
"of God," for the new principle of Christian vitality is derived from
the same source as all the other divine manifestations of salvation. The
baptized Christian is not only "in the Spirit," but the Spirit
is now said to dwell in him.
CCC: Rom 8:2 782; Rom 8:3 602; Rom 8:9 693; Rom 8:11 632, 658, 693, 695, 989, 990
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalm 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people
that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth
and its fullness;
the world and those who
dwell in it.
For he founded it upon
the seas
and established it upon
the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the
people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the
mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his
holy place?
He whose hands are
sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is
vain.
R. Lord, this is the
people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a
blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his
savior.
Such is the race that
seeks for him,
that seeks the face of
the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the
people that longs to see your face.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
Psalm 24 is a processional song. It
recalls that God is the great Creator and he calls his people to be faithful.
It asks the question: "Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?"
The psalmist answers, only those who are sinless (completely reconciled to
God). They who achieve that beatified state will receive the reward of eternal
life from the Savior. It focuses on the character of the one who worthily seeks
God, and the one who is worthy to come into God’s kingdom and stand before him.
We are answered: “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who
desires not what is vain.”
This is part of a hymn of entrance,
sung as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the temple at Jerusalem,
followed by the faithful. Once again in this song, we find a reference borrowed
by St. John’s Revelation (Revelation 14:5), and an
image created in the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:22). Who are
the ones allowed full access to God?
CCC: Ps 24:6 2582
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus
about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had
mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in
reply,
“Do you think that
because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater
sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you
do not repent,
you will all perish as
they did!
Or those eighteen people
who were killed
when the tower at Siloam
fell on them—
do you think they were
more guilty
than everyone else who
lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you
do not repent,
you will all perish as
they did!”
And he told them this
parable:
“There once was a person
who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in
search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I
have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust
the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this
year also,
and I shall cultivate
the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the
future.
If not you can cut it
down.’”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 13:1-9
In the story from St. Luke, there
is once more a reminder that urgency is required in seeking repentance. The
story begins with an explanation by the Lord that victims of Roman punishment
("whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices"),
and victims of an accident ("those eighteen people who were killed when
the tower at Siloam fell on them"), were not singled out by God
for punishment. These statements are followed by the parable of the barren fig
tree as a way of saying that God, at some point, will become impatient, and
will call sinners to account for their actions.
The incidents recorded at the
beginning of this reading (likely the accidental death of those on whom the
tower fell) are found only in St. Luke’s Gospel. Based upon historical works of
the time, the actions of Pilate were in keeping with his character. Jesus uses
the event to call his audience to repentance.
“Following on the call to
repentance, the parable of the barren fig tree presents a story about the
continuing patience of God with those who have not yet given evidence of their
repentance (see Luke
3:8). The parable may also be alluding to the delay of the end time,
when punishment will be meted out, and the importance of preparing for the end
of the age because the delay will not be permanent.” [5]
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
There was recently a
news report about an unusual car chase. A woman was captured on camera
driving down a freeway during the day. She was driving erratically and
when the person in another car pulled up next to her, she was clearly asleep at
the wheel. The observing car honked at her and while she jerked away for
a short time, soon she was weaving again. This incredible saga lasted for
58 miles until a highway patrol vehicle finally pulled her over.
Anyone who has been
driving for a number of years has probably had a situation where they caught
themselves nodding off. We all know how dangerous it can be to fall
asleep at the wheel. The Lord is making that same point in the
Gospel. We cannot afford to fall asleep at the wheel of our faith and we
all know that happens in those circumstances as well-we are in danger of
crashing (i.e. embracing the Evil One’s plan).
When we are driving and
begin to get drowsy, we know we need to pull over and get some sleep. When
we feel ourselves weaving on the road of faith it’s time to stop what we are
doing and spend some time with the Lord. That can be in prayer, in
meditation, with the Holy Scripture or with the sacraments. The point is
that we need to be constantly vigilant.
Today we thank God for
watching over us and keeping us safe. We thank the Lord in a special way
when he sends us reminders like the one we received today. We vow to
remain awake and vigilant and continue to fill up our spiritual selves as we continue
our journey in life to the one who promises us eternal life.
Pax
[1]
General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous
Notes no. 5: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on
Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or
higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is
indicated in the calendar by “BVM.” The readings and prayers may be selected
from the Collection of
Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2]
The picture is “St
Giustina and the Guardian Angel Commending the Soul of an Infant to the Madonna
and Child” by Gaetano Gandolfi, 1792-93.
[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]
NAB footnote on Luke
13:6-9
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