Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

“Old Woman Praying”
by Gerrit Dou, 1640s

 
Readings for Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Malachi 3:13-20b
 
You have defied me in word, says the LORD,
yet you ask, “What have we spoken against you?”
You have said, “It is vain to serve God,
and what do we profit by keeping his command,
And going about in penitential dress
in awe of the LORD of hosts?
Rather must we call the proud blessed;
for indeed evildoers prosper,
and even tempt God with impunity.”
Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another,
and the LORD listened attentively;
And a record book was written before him
of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name.
And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts,
my own special possession, on the day I take action.
And I will have compassion on them,
as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.
Then you will again see the distinction
between the just and the wicked;
Between the one who serves God,
and the one who does not serve him.
For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,
when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,
And the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there will arise
the sun of justice with its healing rays.
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Commentary on Mal 3:13-20b
 
Historically, the Book of Malachi is placed after the Jews return from the Babylonian exile (probably around 445 B.C), but before the appearance of Ezra and Nehemiah. Because of his severe criticism of the leadership, the author created a pen name, Malachi, which means in Hebrew “the messenger.”
 
In this passage, Malachi’s oracle envisions a time when God will make an accounting of those who had remained faithful and those who had ignored God’s law. He envisions the day when the punishment of God will be applied to those evil ones, and the faithful will bask in the healing rays of the “sun (son) of justice.”
 
CCC: Mal 3:19 678
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
 
R. (Ps 40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
 
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
 
Psalm 1 serves as a preface to the whole book of psalms. The psalmist here exalts those who follow the Lord’s commands, and reflects upon the blessings they will receive. As in Romans 6:19ff, this selection emphasizes the contrast between the salvation of the just and the punishment of the wicked.
 
This wisdom psalm begins by extolling the virtue of those who follow the law. The focus is to look to God for guidance, and not to trust only in the counsel of men. Those who reject the law will be blown away like “chaff,” an image used in the Gospel as well (Matthew 3:12).
 
This portion of the psalm is later echoed in Isaiah 48:17-19, like an overlapped formula of covenant.  Blessed is the man who “delights in the law day and night,” but “the way of the wicked vanishes.” It also takes up the theme of following right paths and staying true to the teachings of God: “Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law day and night.”
 
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Gospel: Luke 11:5-13
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,’
and he says in reply from within,
‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.
 
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?”
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Commentary on Lk 11:5-13
 
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, the Lord continues his response to the disciples' request to “teach us how to pray.” The Lord uses the story of the one friend asking another for bread (a strong Eucharistic reference) in the middle of the night as an instrument to tell them that God will always answer prayers, but in his own time. (“I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.”) He makes his message clear in the verses that follow: “ask and you will receive.”
 
CCC: Lk 11:5-13 2613; Lk 11:9 2761; Lk 11:13 443, 728, 2623, 2671
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Reflection:
 
We are told by Jesus’ clear statement that prayers are always answered: “For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  This unambiguous statement can be a source of great comfort to many.  It can also be a door for the Evil One.
 
How many times has the question “Why did God let (insert some disaster or heinous act) happen?”  Or how many times has it been suggested that some action or natural disaster proves God does not even exist? 
 
Let us consider for a moment our Lord’s purpose from the perspective of a human parent.  If our child comes to us and says “Mom and Dad, I really want a pony.  Will you get me one for my birthday?”  If that family is living in a small apartment with no means of providing for additional board for an animal of that size, they would probably answer the child and say, “We’re sorry but we don’t have room for a pony.”  They may even suggest an alternate pet out of love for their child.  Now the child may not understand and may be disappointed, but the parents have answered.
 
Similarly, we may pray to our Heavenly Father saying, “Lord, my grandmother is very ill and in pain. Please heal her and make her strong.”  The loving Father may look at your 90-year-old grandmother and say to you; “Child, your grandmother has lived a long and full life.  I will take her home to be with me.”  We may not understand and even be angry with God (especially if it is not grandma who is 90 but our daughter who is 15).  But the Lord answers.  And frequently, we must understand that some of our fondest wishes are either not practical (e.g. I pray that all strife in the Middle East ends – Now!).  They may be arrogant (e.g. I pray that I receive top honors in school). Or they may even be selfish (e.g. I want my dog to live forever).  God always answers but like an earthly parent, in spite of his great love for us and his desire for our happiness, he sometimes says no.
 
It is when God says no that the real danger comes in.  The evil one will frequently whisper “yes.”  He may say “Yes, the doctors can plug your grandmother (or your daughter) into machines that will keep her alive for a very long time.”  He may say “Yes, we can get those honors. All you need to do is fudge a few grades.”  He may say “Yes, you can get rid of the pain of rejection or loss.  Have a couple more drinks or take a few pills and you will feel just fine.”
 
It is not simply a matter of “wanting” that the Lord refers to when he says: “everyone who asks, receives.” We must always have faith that what we ask of the Lord will be answered.  We may not understand when the Lord says no, but if the yes sounds too easy, examine it closely and make sure it is not the deceiver who offers the easier option.
 
Pax
 
Please pray for the repose of the soul of James Faulkner.

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[1] The picture is “Old Woman Praying” by Gerrit Dou, 1640s.
[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.