Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

“Jesus Healing the Man Possessed With a Devil”
by Gustave Dore, 1865

Readings for Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11
 
Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well
that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.
When people are saying, “Peace and security,”
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.
 
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief.
For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober.
For God did not destine us for wrath,
but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep
we may live together with him.
Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up,
as indeed you do.
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Commentary on 1 Thes 5:1-6, 9-11
 
St. Paul takes up the theme of vigilance and preparedness with the Thessalonians in this selection. The language used (“Concerning times and seasons“) has a clear reference to the end time – the Eschaton (see also Daniel 2:21 and Daniel 7:12). He reminds them that the hour and the day of the Lord’s coming is not known (“like a thief “similar to the metaphor in Matthew 24:43 and 2 Peter 3:10) and that, unlike those who live in darkness (the pagans) they are children of the light. His tone makes it clear that his expectation is that the Parousia is imminent.
 
CCC: 1 Thes 5:2-3 675; 1 Thes 5:2 673; 1 Thes 5:5 1216; 1 Thes 5:6 2849
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
 
R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
 
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
 
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
 
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
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Commentary on Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14
 
Psalm 27 is an individual lament. Here, the singer expresses faith in God, who is the refuge of the faithful longing to find ultimate safety and the bounty of God’s heavenly kingdom. This passage from the psalm captures the two major themes: hope in God’s mercy, and complete trust in his goodness. In these strophes, David longs for the Lord’s protection and the gift of life which flows from God's salvation.
 
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Gospel: Luke 4:31-37
 
Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,
and he cried out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another,
“What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
and they come out.”
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
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Commentary on Lk 4:31-37
 
This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel begins a series of events around Capernaum that expand his public image from prophet to teacher, exorcist, healer and proclaimer of God’s kingdom. Here he expels an evil spirit that asks him if he has come to destroy evil. “How does your concern affect me? : literally, ‘What is this to me and to you?’ ̶  a Hebrew expression of either hostility (Judges 11:12; 2 Chronicles 35:21; 1 Kings 17:18) or denial of common interest (Hosea 14:9; 2 Kings 3:13). Cf. Mark 1:24; 5:7 used by demons to Jesus.”  [4] It is interesting that the Spirit uses the Lord's full name, perhaps in an attempt to control him. It was a belief from earliest times that to be able to name something was to have a controlling influence over it (Genesis 2:18-19). [5]  This attempt has no influence on the Son of God; instead the Lord commands the evil spirit and it leaves, amazing the crowd and spreading his fame in the region.
 
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Reflection:
 
Both the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours [Morning Prayer] emphasize St. Paul’s exhortation that we (by way of his instructions to the Thessalonians) be “children of the light.”  It is Holy Scripture’s way of asking “What would your mother say?”  As Christians, we are called to a very high standard of behavior.  It is fundamentally based upon the idea so frequently emphasized, that we are called to love God and each other.  By inference, the love of God and others must extend to loving ourselves as well.
 
Being Children of the Light (making our mother proud of us) means we treat each day as a gift from God, basking in the light of his Son.  When we rise from our nightly rest, we give thanks to God for the new day.  Throughout the activities of that day we are constantly mindful that all those we meet are also God’s children, our adoptive brothers and sisters, and we treat them with the love and respect they deserve as a consequence of that status.  All we accomplish during our day’s effort is likewise offered up to the Lord; for it is only with his aid we accomplish any good works.  Throughout all of this, we treat God’s great gift of life, given to us through the miracle of birth, with the love and respect it is due.  That means that we take care to nourish ourselves and avoid harmful things.  And when our day is done and we go once more to our beds, we thank God again for what he has given us, and ask that he grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.
 
In a perfect world, this is the course of our days.  In a holy life, all the light that is Christ would shine from us during such a day.  Indeed, if we are blessed with a day that flows as this perfect day described above, we should bless God abundantly because days like this are rare.
 
In our all-too-real lives, we constantly must fight off the clouds that threaten to block the Son.  Clouds of anger and feelings of bitterness at life’s setbacks tend to push us into the darkness of sin.  Our frustration at being thwarted in our noble efforts will become our shadow if we are not determined to stay the course and move into the light.  Our call is to struggle constantly to avoid the pits and snares the enemy has laid for us. 
 
Ah, St. Paul gave us good advice.  He called us to be Children of the Light and as such we would be in serene peace, basking in the glow of the Holy Spirit.  He also knew how difficult it would be, recalling the lure of sin and pride that could make us children of night instead of day.  Today our prayer is that we are constantly mindful of our call to be in the light of Christ and do all we can to avoid the darkness of sin.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Jesus Healing the Man Possessed With a Devil” by Gustave Dore, 1865.
[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] NAB footnote on John 2:4.
[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:57, p. 132.