Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Hell” (detail view) by Hieronymus Bosch, 1500-04

Readings for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12

The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.

God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”

Solomon answered:

“O Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king

to succeed my father David;

but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.

I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,

a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.

Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart

to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.

For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”

The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request.

So God said to him:

“Because you have asked for this—

not for a long life for yourself,

nor for riches,

nor for the life of your enemies,

but for understanding so that you may know what is right—

I do as you requested.

I give you a heart so wise and understanding

that there has never been anyone like you up to now,

and after you there will come no one to equal you.”

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Commentary on 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12

King Solomon is in the process of uniting the Kingdom of Israel’s worship with the construction of the Temple.  It is still unfinished at the point where this dream occurs.  Solomon has just offered a huge holocaust (“…a thousand holocausts”) and in response God offers to grant him a request.  Because Solomon, in humility, asks for “understanding” rather than a selfish boon, God grants him an understanding heart.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

R. (97a) Lord, I love your commands.

I have said, O Lord, that my part

is to keep your words.

The law of your mouth is to me more precious

than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

Let your kindness comfort me

according to your promise to your servants.

Let your compassion come to me that I may live,

for your law is my delight.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

For I love your command

more than gold, however fine.

For in all your precepts I go forward;

every false way I hate.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

Wonderful are your decrees;

therefore I observe them.

The revelation of your words sheds light,

giving understanding to the simple.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

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Commentary on Ps 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

Psalm 119, the longest of the psalms, in general is a hymn in praise of the Law. It is not legalism, but rather a love of doing what is right in the sight of God. In these strophes, the psalmist proclaims his faithfulness to the law in the face of his adversaries and waits for final salvation.

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Reading II: Romans 8:28-30

Brothers and sisters:

We know that all things work for good for those who love God,

who are called according to his purpose.

For those he foreknew he also predestined

to be conformed to the image of his Son,

so that he might be the firstborn

among many brothers and sisters.

And those he predestined he also called;

and those he called he also justified;

and those he justified he also glorified.

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Commentary on Rom 8:28-30

St. Paul here outlines the call to a life in Christ. He reflects that God so loves his children that he called some individuals to participate in his redemptive plan at a deeper level. Because Christ existed eternally those called to him were carefully chosen or elected from the beginning of time to be called to salvation. These “elect”, because of their unwavering service to God will also be glorified. The Church recognizes this call to holiness.  It also recognizes that while all are called, those who accept this call must do it from the heart (on-going conversion) in order to be justified and glorified.  Created with free will, many will choose an easier path.  This passage is among several that are central to the Calvinist idea of predestination.

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Gospel: Matthew 13:44-52

Jesus said to his disciples:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,

which a person finds and hides again,

and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant

searching for fine pearls.

When he finds a pearl of great price,

he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,

which collects fish of every kind.

When it is full they haul it ashore

and sit down to put what is good into buckets.

What is bad they throw away.

Thus it will be at the end of the age.

The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous

and throw them into the fiery furnace,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

“Do you understand all these things?”

They answered, “Yes.”

And he replied,

“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven

is like the head of a household

who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”

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Commentary on Mt 13:44-52

The parable of the Buried Treasure and the parable of the Pearl have the same point.  One who understands the Kingdom of Heaven and sees its worth, places obtaining that promise before all else and sees it.  It is the primacy of Christ’s teaching that guides the disciple in all things.  The third parable in this group speaks of the eschaton, or end times.  Those who have remained faithful in their pursuit of the Kingdom of God will be saved.  Those who have chosen evil over good will suffer eternal death.

The question Jesus poses to his disciples following the parables requires an understanding of the structure of the Christian community at the time of Matthew. That is will described in the following: “The church of Matthew has leaders among whom are a group designated as "scribes" (Matthew 23:34). Like the scribes of Israel, they are teachers. It is the Twelve and these their later counterparts to whom this verse applies. The scribe . . . instructed in the kingdom of heaven knows both the teaching of Jesus (the new) and the law and prophets (the old) and provides in his own teaching both the new and the old as interpreted and fulfilled by the new. On the translation head of a household (for the same Greek word translated householder in Matthew 13:27), see the note on Matthew 24:45-51.”[4]

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Or

Shorter Form: Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,

which a person finds and hides again,

and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant

searching for fine pearls.

When he finds a pearl of great price,

he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

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Commentary on Mt 13:44-46

The parable of the Buried Treasure and the parable of the Pearl have the same point.  One who understands the Kingdom of Heaven and sees its worth, places obtaining that promise before all else and sees it.  It is the primacy of Christ’s teaching that guides the disciple in all things.  The third parable in this group speaks of the eschaton, or end times.  Those who have remained faithful in their pursuit of the Kingdom of God will be saved.  Those who have chosen evil over good will suffer eternal death.

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Reflection:

Oh, that we all could have been granted the boon given to Solomon.  We would always be able to discern the proper action, we would always make the right choices, and we would always be in accord with God’s plan for us.  But that is not the case.  Even though we may pray for it constantly, God does not wish to take away the freedom he gave us to choose our own course.

The parables we are given today show us what we should do.  The person who finds a buried treasure should do everything in their power to possess it.  The same is true with the analogy of the pearl.  If we follow the parables; that is state their meaning in clear language God’s desired response to them becomes clear. 

Let us look at buried treasure.  First we understand that the treasure is our understanding of what it takes to reach God’s Kingdom (both on earth and in the eternal sense).  God’s Kingdom on earth is achieved through a harmony with the whole of God’s creation.  That harmony is only possible if we put on Christ.  His love for all people gave him such peace that God’s expressed hope for his children from the beginning of time was revealed through him.  The way for us to achieve God’s Kingdom on earth, therefore, is to emulate the mind and heart of Christ as best we can.  Now that we know where the treasure of God’s Kingdom can be found, like the parable says, attaining that stated goal becomes the point, the goal of all we do.  The parable says “…out of joy (he) goes and sells all that he has and buys that field”.  We understand the object of the parable.

The same basic meaning is true for the Parable of the Pearl.  The pearl, like the treasure, drives all of our actions on this earth toward our goal of attaining the Kingdom of Heaven.  We do this because striving to achieve it on earth places us on a path to achieve eternal peace in heaven.

We pledge ourselves once more then to do all we can to emulate Christ who places us on the path to the insurmountable joy embodied in the love of God.  Through the one who is love we find the peace and contentment possible only by sacrificing hedonistic pursuits for those which build the spirit and build treasure in heaven.  We once again wish Solomon’s gift might be ours in some small measure.

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture used today is “Hell” (detail view) by Hieronymus Bosch, 1500-04

[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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] See footnote from the NAB on Matthew 13:52

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“St. Anne with the Virgin and Child
and St. Joachim” (Detail)
by Joos van Cleve, c. 1520

Alternate Proper for the Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne

Readings for Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Jeremiah 7:1-11

The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

Stand at the gate of the house of the Lord,

and there proclaim this message:

Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah

who enter these gates to worship the Lord!

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:

Reform your ways and your deeds,

so that I may remain with you in this place.

Put not your trust in the deceitful words:

“This is the temple of the Lord!

The temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord!”

Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds;

if each of you deals justly with his neighbor;

if you no longer oppress the resident alien,

the orphan, and the widow;

if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place,

or follow strange gods to your own harm,

will I remain with you in this place,

in the land I gave your fathers long ago and forever.

But here you are, putting your trust in deceitful words to your own loss!

Are you to steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury,

burn incense to Baal,

go after strange gods that you know not,

and yet come to stand before me

in this house which bears my name, and say:

“We are safe; we can commit all these abominations again”?

Has this house which bears my name

become in your eyes a den of thieves?

I too see what is being done, says the Lord.

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Commentary on Jer 7:1-11

In this passage, the Prophet Jeremiah, once more speaking with God’s voice, issues a call and a warning to the people who come the Temple that they must reform – repent – turn away from the evil, blasphemy, and callousness many have fallen into (“if each of you deals justly with his  neighbor; if you no longer oppress the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow; if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place, or follow strange gods to your own harm”).  It is only if they do this that God will continue to remain with them. “The temple of the Lord will not serve as a place of refuge for the Jews against their enemies if they fail to reform their evil ways.”[4]

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11

R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

My soul yearns and pines

for the courts of the Lord.

My heart and my flesh

cry out for the living God.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest

in which she puts her young—

Your altars, O Lord of hosts,

my king and my God!

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Blessed they who dwell in your house!

continually they praise you.

Blessed the men whose strength you are!

They go from strength to strength.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

I had rather one day in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere;

I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

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Commentary on Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11

Psalm 84 was used to celebrate pilgrimages to the Temple in Jerusalem (3 times a year).  Used here it recalls Jeremiah’s oracle that the temple would not be a refuge for the wicked nor the great gift his presence was for the faithful.

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Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.

“The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man

who sowed good seed in his field.

While everyone was asleep his enemy came

and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.

When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.

The slaves of the householder came to him and said,

‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?

Where have the weeds come from?’

He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’

His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds

you might uproot the wheat along with them.

Let them grow together until harvest;

then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,

“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;

but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

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Commentary on Mt 13:24-30

Jesus tells another parable, about the harvest this time. Here we see his reference to the “good seed” and “bad seed”. The good seed here, since this is references as an analogy to the Kingdom of God, represents those who remain faithful to God’s laws and precepts. The fact that the householder does not permit his slaves to tear out the weeds for fear of killing the wheat as well is a warning to the disciples not to judge or attempt to alienate themselves from those with whom they have contact who reject the word.  The “bad seed” represents those converted by God’s enemy who choke off the good seed and, in the eschaton, will be condemned to hell.

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Reflection:

As painful as it is, we must examine the failings of our Church in dealing openly with the historical abuses of our clergy and how these matters were dealt with.  While not precisely analogous the Penn State University scandal a couple of years ago certainly exemplifies how an institution may be harmed by one individual's inability to restrain their worst impulses.  It is believed by most people who have followed these stories that the individuals involved are the worst kinds of hypocrites, preying on those they have pledged to serve.

Jeremiah’s words most directly apply to people like these and any others who try to shield themselves from public ridicule by hiding themselves in a community of faith. Hypocrisy is one of the favorite targets of the God of Justice, and his Son for that matter. It is one of the great gifts of the Church that we are allowed to be repentant and it is clear, even from the time of Jeremiah that those who had transgressed God’s law were allowed to make amends and return to God’s favor. When the Jesus came, he provided two forms of grace for those who wish to follow him. First the initial cleansing in Baptism whereby all previous sins are washed clean and a new beginning is made. Once that initial adoption is made our recourse is to the Sacrament of Reconciliation where our repentance is accepted and God’s love is expressed.

Does that mean that the Church is not an inviting refuge for those who are enthralled with sin outside her walls? No, on the contrary, the safety of God’s love is viewed by predators, the bad seed in Christ’s parable, as being our weakness. Those who care nothing for human dignity find it amusing that we gullible Christians would show them Christ’s love when they would take everything we have if they could. To those who have had evil sown in their hearts, the fires of the harvest chaff are waiting.

Our challenge is first to constantly turn away from sin and, through sacramental grace, realign ourselves with Christ. Second, we recognize that as wheat we grow up among the seed sown by the evil one but even that can be turned to good, so we must never stop trying to invite those around us, in spite of the risk of disappointment, to come back to the Lord with all their hearts.

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “St. Anne with the Virgin and Child and St. Joachim” (Detail)  by Joos van Cleve, c. 1520

[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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] NAB footnote on Jeremiah 7:1-15

Feast of Saint James, Apostle

“Polyptych of St James”
(Detail)
by Michele Giambono,
c. 1450

Biographical Information about St. James

Readings for the Feast of Saint James, Apostle [1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15

Brothers and sisters:

We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,

that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;

perplexed, but not driven to despair;

persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down, but not destroyed;

always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,

so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.

For we who live are constantly being given up to death

for the sake of Jesus,

so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,

according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,

we too believe and therefore speak,

knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus

will raise us also with Jesus

and place us with you in his presence.

Everything indeed is for you,

so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people

may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

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Commentary on 2 Cor 4:7-15

On the feast of the first Apostle to be martyred we hear St. Paul speaking to the Corinthians about suffering and death in the human existence of this life, in spite of living in the faith.  The image he uses, fragile earthen pots, speak of God’s instruments being easily broken but none the less effective (the image of small terracotta lamps in which light is carried is mentioned elsewhere).

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

R. (5) Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,

we were like men dreaming.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with rejoicing.

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Then they said among the nations,

"The LORD has done great things for them."

The LORD has done great things for us;

we are glad indeed.

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like the torrents in the southern desert.

Those that sow in tears

shall reap rejoicing.

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Although they go forth weeping,

carrying the seed to be sown,

They shall come back rejoicing,

carrying their sheaves.

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

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Commentary on Ps 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

Psalm 126 is a song of praise.  It rejoices here in the return of the captives placed in servitude during the Diaspora and seeks the Lord’s blessings in hopes of returning to their former prosperity.

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Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28

The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons

and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.

He said to her,

"What do you wish?"

She answered him,

"Command that these two sons of mine sit,

one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."

Jesus said in reply,

"You do not know what you are asking.

Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"

They said to him, "We can."

He replied,

"My chalice you will indeed drink,

but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give

but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

When the ten heard this,

they became indignant at the two brothers.

But Jesus summoned them and said,

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,

and the great ones make their authority over them felt.

But it shall not be so among you.

Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;

whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.

Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served

but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

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Commentary on Mt 20:20-28

This exchange takes place immediately following the Lord's description of his coming passion in Jerusalem. The sons of Zebedee, James and John, are pushed forward by their mother who (naturally) wishes them to achieve places of honor in the Kingdom of God.  Jesus uses this event to speak first of his own passion and then about Christian leadership.  The Servant Leader, as Jesus describes, leads through example.

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Reflection:

On this Feast Day as we recall the inspired life of St. James we reflect upon two aspects of the faith that both motivated him and supported him.  We think of them as the outward face of the evangelist and the inward face of spirituality.  They are of course interrelated, but one, the outward face is giving.  The other, the inward face, is seeking and receiving.  It is, to use the Lord’s metaphor, like the vine.  The outward face is the leaves and branches, reaching out into the world, producing great fruit to nourish others.  The inward face is like the roots that support it, drinking in the earth’s nourishment sustaining the life in leaves and branches.

St. James, using this metaphor, was rooted in Christ.  The Lord established him and nurtured him.  Along with his brother, St. John, another of the sons of Zebedee, he was called into a special relationship with Jesus.  As “one of the Twelve” we know he took a leadership position in the Christian community that grew up in Jerusalem.  It was this role and his outspoken love of Jesus that earned for him the title of First Martyred of the Apostles, fulfilling the prophetic words recorded in the Gospel from St. Matthew “My chalice you will indeed drink”.

This outward and zealous face was supported by an interior spirituality rooted in the love of Christ and constant communion with him in prayer.  We know that James was with Jesus at all of the important times – on the high place where the Lord was transfigured (Matthew 17: 1ff), he was with him praying in the Garden at Gethsemane (Matthew 26: 37).  Along with St. Peter and his brother St. John, St. James was clearly one of great prayer and spiritual strength.

It was from this deep rooted faith that he was able to draw the fire with which he enlightened those he meet.  It was through his inner peace that he was given the courage to face even cruel martyrdom at the hands of Herod, the grandson of Herod the Great forty four years after the Lord had charged him, with the others to “go out and teach all the nations” (Matthew 28: 19)

One of the great lessons our consideration of this Apostle teaches is that we too must constantly tend to the inward face of our spirituality if we are to be effective evangelists and disciples of the Lord.  Our care must be for that inward face, for without strength in the roots, the vine will wither and die.

Pax

In other Years: Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Year II)

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “Polyptych of St James” (Detail) by Michele Giambono, c. 1450

[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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for Saint Charbel Makhlouf, Priest)

Biographical Information St. Charbel Makhlouf

Alternate Readings for the Memorial of St. Charbel Makhlouf may be taken from the Common of Pastors.

“Jews in the Desert” by Tintoretto, 1592-94

Readings for Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13

This word of the Lord came to me:

Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear!

I remember the devotion of your youth,

how you loved me as a bride,

Following me in the desert,

in a land unsown.

Sacred to the Lord was Israel,

the first fruits of his harvest;

Should any presume to partake of them,

evil would befall them, says the Lord.

When I brought you into the garden land

to eat its goodly fruits,

You entered and defiled my land,

you made my heritage loathsome.

The priests asked not,

“Where is the Lord?”

Those who dealt with the law knew me not:

the shepherds rebelled against me.

The prophets prophesied by Baal,

and went after useless idols.

Be amazed at this, O heavens,

and shudder with sheer horror, says the Lord.

Two evils have my people done:

they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;

They have dug themselves cisterns,

broken cisterns, that hold no water.

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Commentary on Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13

The oracle of Jeremiah recalls first the how the chosen people were saved.   “Following me in the desert”; is a reference to the exodus and subsequent sojourn in the desert.  But once they arrived in the land promised they turned away from God, even adopting the pagan practices of the indigenous peoples. (“The prophets prophesied by Baal”)

This part of the oracle concludes by saying the people have rejected the living water that is God’s favor (“…they have forsaken me, the source of living waters”) and they have turned to false gods (“They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water.”)

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 36:6-7ab, 8-9, 10-11

R. (10a) With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

O Lord, your mercy reaches to heaven;

your faithfulness, to the clouds.

Your justice is like the mountains of God;

your judgments, like the mighty deep.

R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

How precious is your mercy, O God!

The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;

from your delightful stream you give them to drink.

R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

For with you is the fountain of life,

and in your light we see light.

Keep up your mercy toward your friends,

your just defense of the upright of heart.

R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

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Commentary on Ps 36:6-7ab, 8-9, 10-11

Psalm 36 is of mixed genre, having elements of wisdom and lament.  In these strophes we hear the psalmist thanking God for his infinite mercy.  The metaphor of God as the source of living water is captured in the second and third strophes supporting Jeremiah’s oracle above.

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Gospel: Matthew 13:10-17

The disciples approached Jesus and said,

"Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?"

He said to them in reply,

"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven

has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.

To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;

from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

This is why I speak to them in parables, because

they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.

Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You shall indeed hear but not understand,

you shall indeed look but never see.

Gross is the heart of this people,

they will hardly hear with their ears,

they have closed their eyes,

lest they see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their hearts and be converted

and I heal them.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,

and your ears, because they hear.

Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people

longed to see what you see but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

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Commentary on Mt 13:10-17

 Following the “Parable of the Sower” the disciples approach Jesus to ask him why he does not speak more clearly to the people instead of using the parables that some find confusing.  His response recorded in the Gospel of Matthew is much softer that the same story related in Mark 4:11ff  

“Since a parable is figurative speech that demands reflection for understanding, only those who are prepared to explore its meaning can come to know it. To understand is a gift of God, granted to the disciples but not to the crowds. In Semitic fashion, both the disciples' understanding and the crowd's obtuseness are attributed to God.”[4] Concluding, Jesus reflects upon Isaiah 6:9-10 in a lament that the people will not understand what he reveals because their hearts are hardened.

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Homily:

Today the oracle of Jeremiah coupled with St. Matthew’s Gospel reminds us of our own fallibility as we once more grapple with our attempt to follow Jesus and the realization of how often we simply forget that mission and only later realize our failure.

Jeremiah, speaking with God’s voice laments about how his precious possession, the people of Israel, who faithfully followed him in their desert wanderings turned away from him once they reached the Promised Land. It is like a child who was promised a reward if they would only behave during a family gathering. When the parents gave them their reward early because they were doing such a great job, the children immediately forgot about their promise and misbehaved.

God laments through Jeremiah because the people he loves, in turning to false gods have reached out for an empty cup – a broken cistern that holds no water. They have turned from life to death and God, the loving parent weeps for their choice.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples how blessed they are because God has made the offer of life to them and they perceive it properly. It is his love for all God’s children that Christ asks us to communicate to others.

Think again of the parent who sees their children going in directions that will harm them. With older children (those who have learned everything there is to know) many times all we can do is tell them, plead with them to take another path. When they do not listen, all we can do is pray for God’s mercy and that when they find the cistern empty they will return to the living water.

We pray for ourselves as well. How often do we turn away from the life giving fountain that is God’s love to follow that which seems fairer but is not wholesome? Blessed indeed are we who see and hear God’s voice and follow. His loving mercy has saved us once more.

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “Jews in the Desert” by Tintoretto, 1592-94

[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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] See NAB Footnote on Matthew 13: 10-17

Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“The Sower” (after Millet)
by Vincent van Gogh,
October-November 1889

(Optional Memorial for Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious)

Alternate Proper for the Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden

Readings for Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10

The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah,

of a priestly family in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.

The word of the Lord came to me thus:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I dedicated you,

a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

“Ah, Lord God!” I said,

"I know not how to speak; I am too young.”

But the Lord answered me,

Say not, “I am too young.”

To whomever I send you, you shall go;

whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Have no fear before them,

because I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.

Then the Lord extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,

See, I place my words in your mouth!

This day I set you

over nations and over kingdoms,

To root up and to tear down,

to destroy and to demolish,

to build and to plant.

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Commentary on Jer 1:1, 4-10

This is the beginning of the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (the two verses omitted set a span of time in which he was active that is contradicted later in modern manuscripts). It is clear that the author sees the call of the prophet from before his birth (see Isaiah 49:1, 5; Luke 1:15; Galatians 1:15, 16. I knew you: I loved you and chose you. I dedicated you: I set you apart to be a prophet.)

In spite of protesting that he was not yet of age (he was less than thirty years of age), God tells him that he (the Lord) will overcome all obstacles (“To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you”). The passage culminates with formal statement of his prophetic mission to tear down (those who follow false paths) and to build and plant (uphold the Kingdom of God).

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15 and 17

R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame.

In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;

incline your ear to me, and save me.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

Be my rock of refuge,

a stronghold to give me safety,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

For you are my hope, O Lord;

my trust, O God, from my youth.

On you I depend from birth;

from my mother’s womb you are my strength.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

My mouth shall declare your justice,

day by day your salvation.

O God, you have taught me from my youth,

and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

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Commentary on Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15 and 17

Psalm 71 is an individual lament. In this section we hear a profession of faith in the saving power of God. In the third strophe we also find a link to the “Servant of the Lord” in Jeremiah and Isaiah. In both cases the servant is known by God and prepared for his service from the womb.

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Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.

Such large crowds gathered around him

that he got into a boat and sat down,

and the whole crowd stood along the shore.

And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:

“A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,

and birds came and ate it up.

Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.

It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,

and when the sun rose it was scorched,

and it withered for lack of roots.

Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.

But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,

a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

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Commentary on Mt 13:1-9

St. Matthew’s Gospel begins the third great discourse of teachings on the Kingdom of God through parables. We hear that Jesus is teaching from a boat which would provide a natural amphitheater with the ground sloping to the shore. Here the Lord presents the parable of the “Sower”. Jesus follows the unvarnished parable with a deeper explanation to the Disciples (Matthew 13: 18-23). As a historical note, at that point in history in that region, when planting a field, the seed was sown first and then the field was plowed.

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Reflection:

I was recently challenged by a group of Catholics who had stopped attending Mass about the need to fulfill their obligations to follow that precept of the Church. Their argument was that they were good people, they read scripture (when the need or the impulse struck them), and they prayed regularly. They did not see why they needed to get up early on their only day off and go some distance to be with people they did not know well and who, in their estimation, did not really take it seriously or at least so it appeared to them.

You can imagine how difficult it was to find an end of that tangled mess of rationalized logic to start unwinding. My first statement to them was that while they might read the Bible at home, which was a good thing, it is impossible to understand what is being said at an individual level. Sacred Scripture was sent not to the individual but to the whole world. To presume that the full meaning can be understood as it applies to an individual is like seeing a grain of sand and saying you have seen the beach. There is just not enough context with which to grasp the whole picture.

Next I tried to remind them that, in addition to hearing the Word of God in the context in which it was meant to be received, they also would be eligible receive the sacramental grace of the Eucharist (I said eligible because, given their lapse it was clear they should first be reconciled with the Lord in the confessional).

Finally I pointed out that by electing not to attend Mass, for the reasons they had given, that is; first they didn’t get anything out of it, second it was disruptive to their rest and leisure on their day off, and finally because they did not enjoy the experience (it was not socially fun), they were being simply lazy and selfish. They were neglecting their spiritual selves because it takes work to grow in that sense. I also told them that; if they believed, as they said they did, in God and His Son, Jesus, then they were not doing what they were told to do. – It was like they were sitting on the bench when they were needed to be playing with the team.

As hard as it was for me to admit it, it appeared that the seed the Lord spoke of in his parable today in this case had fallen on either the path, on rocks or among weeds. It was hard to tell even though I knew these people very well.

This example is used today because we have been hearing much about the apostolic mission that has been handed on from Jesus to us through the Apostles. We have heard how important it is for us to share the faith we have been given. In the Lord’s example today we know that our efforts will be frustrating as his were. He tells us that to some of the people we encounter, the Word we bring them will find immediate resonance. They will jump at the hope we bring. But like that seed that takes root in rocky ground, once they understand that this is not a sprint but a distance race, they will tire and go back to the way things were. Does that mean we too should give up? No, because we know that, like training for a race, we start with short distances and build up our strength. We go back to them and try again.

Also from our example today we know that to some people we approach with word and example, it will be difficult to get them to see the value of the gift God gives. The weeds of secular values have choked the path on which we try to lead them. Christ’s message is not going to build them up in the eyes of their secular peers. In fact, they may see this as a disadvantage, a roadblock to success. After all the ideas of “Take no prisoners”, a hallmark in many corporate business plans conflicts directly with the compassion of Christ’s message.

Others still will have already fallen so far that the word cannot reach them. The birds will have carried them away and the message for them is dead. For these, when we meet them, we need to pray. We will identify them easily because they will be the most vehement critics of the Church and the word.

Today the message has been given to us in parable and we thank God that He has given us the wisdom and strength to understand his hope for us. We are persuaded once more to take the Word to those we meet so that God’s will can be accomplished through us. Above all today, we are encouraged to be persistent in our efforts, even when it appears we have been rejected and the Word has fallen on rocks, on the path, or among weeds. Like Jesus himself our hand must always be outstretched, inviting our brothers and sisters to share the hope, consolation, and love that is Jesus.

Pax

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[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “The Sower” (after Millet) by Vincent van Gogh, October-November 1889

[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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.