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“Saint Ignatius of Loyola”
by Francisco Zurbaran (1598-1664) |
Readings for Thursday of the
Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem
Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38
Moses did exactly as the LORD
had commanded him.
On the first day of the first
month of the second year
the Dwelling was erected.
It was Moses who erected the
Dwelling.
He placed its pedestals, set
up its boards, put in its bars,
and set up its columns.
He spread the tent over the
Dwelling
and put the covering on top
of the tent,
as the LORD had commanded
him.
He took the commandments and
put them in the ark;
he placed poles alongside the
ark and set the propitiatory upon it.
He brought the ark into the
Dwelling and hung the curtain veil,
thus screening off the ark of
the commandments,
as the LORD had commanded
him.
Then the cloud covered the
meeting tent,
and the glory of the LORD
filled the Dwelling.
Moses could not enter the
meeting tent,
because the cloud settled
down upon it
and the glory of the LORD
filled the Dwelling.
Whenever the cloud rose from
the Dwelling,
the children of Israel
would set out on their journey.
But if the cloud did not
lift, they would not go forward;
only when it lifted did they
go forward.
In the daytime the cloud of
the LORD was seen over the Dwelling;
whereas at night, fire was
seen in the cloud
by the whole house of Israel
in all the stages of their
journey.
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Commentary on Ex 40:16-21, 34-38
The conclusion of the Book of Exodus gives the details of the
establishment of the meeting tent referred to earlier in the story of the
journey of the children of Israel. The Ark of the Commandments is placed in the
tent, and the image of God's presence in the form of a cloud is established.
This image will be used again in Numbers 9:15ff. The
people will follow the will of God as symbolized by the cloud over the tent;
they are guided on the path God has chosen for them.
"The Fathers also saw this cloud as a figure of Christ: 'He
is the pillar who, keeping himself upright and strong, cures our infirmity.
By night he sheds light, by day he becomes opaque, so that those who do
not see are enabled to see and those who see become blind' (St. Isidore of
Seville, Quaestiones in Exodum,
18, 1)" [4]
CCC: Ex 40:36-38 697
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11
R.(2) How lovely is your dwelling place, O 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, O 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, O 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, O 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, O Lord, mighty God!
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11
Psalm 84 gives thanks for the courts of the temple in Jerusalem.
It supports the story of the establishment of the “meeting tent” (Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38). The
praise given to the temple may also be applied to the less permanent symbol of
God’s guiding presence. It also recalls Jeremiah’s oracle that the temple would
not be a refuge for the wicked, and that the great gift of his presence in the temple
was for the faithful.
Those who find a home in God's temple are blessed. They find
strength flowing from the Lord, sustaining them. The timelessness of heaven is
reflected in the service of God's house, his dwelling place.
CCC: Ps 84:3 1770
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 13:47-53
Jesus said to the disciples:
"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."
When Jesus finished these
parables, he went away from there.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 13:47-53
Jesus
concludes his discourse about the kingdom of heaven with a final parable about
the fisherman’s net. He then makes reference to the disciples’ (and their
successors') role as “Christian scribes” or teachers of the kingdom of God. In
his description, he refers to the “new and the old” being brought out. This
reference is to the new teaching from Jesus and the old from the Law of Moses
and the Prophets.
CCC: Mt 13:50 1034; Mt 13:52 1117
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The sacred history recorded
in Exodus depicts a people seeking to follow God’s will for them. Exodus explicitly states that “Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded
him.”
Indeed, Scripture is filled
with stories of people seeking to do God’s will, sometimes succeeding, and
sometimes failing. The parable of the
Fisherman’s Net is laid in our hands today.
It gathers up all of the examples of earlier generations struggling to
follow the will of God and tells us that the challenge of discerning God’s will
and helping others to do so is our struggle as well.
The Lord reminds us, by his
very existence among us how precious we are to him. We quote St. Peter Chrysologus here, whose
feast we recently celebrated, who said of the incarnation of Christ:
“Why then man, are you so worthless in your own eyes and yet so precious
to God? Why render yourself such dishonor when you are honored by him? Why do you ask how you were created and do
not seek to know why you were made?”
– St. Peter Chrysologus from a homily on
the incarnation of Christ
All of us are precious in the
eyes of Christ whose love for us cascades from the altar of his sacrifice. All of us were given life and purpose by him
who loves and supports us with his Holy Spirit.
We are asked to be the net as well as the catch in this parable.
Today our prayer is that we
are constantly vigilant, and prepared to be what the great lover of souls has
called us to be.
Pax
[1]
The picture is “Saint Ignatius of Loyola” by Francisco Zurbaran (1598-1664).
[2]
S.S. Commemoratio[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for 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]
The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p.
409.
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