Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 99
Lectionary: 99
The LORD said to Elijah:
“You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah,
as prophet to succeed you.”
Elijah set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat,
as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen;
he was following the twelfth.
Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.
Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,
“Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,
and I will follow you.”
Elijah answered, “Go back!
Have I done anything to you?”
Elisha left him, and taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;
he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,
and gave it to his people to eat.
Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his attendant.
“You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah,
as prophet to succeed you.”
Elijah set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat,
as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen;
he was following the twelfth.
Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.
Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,
“Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,
and I will follow you.”
Elijah answered, “Go back!
Have I done anything to you?”
Elisha left him, and taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;
he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,
and gave it to his people to eat.
Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his attendant.
Responsorial
Psalm Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
R. (cf. 5a) You are
my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you.
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot."
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you.
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot."
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Brothers and sisters:
For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters.
But do not use this freedom
as an opportunity for the flesh;
rather, serve one another through love.
For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement,
namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
But if you go on biting and devouring one another,
beware that you are not consumed by one another.
I say, then: live by the Spirit
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh has desires against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other,
so that you may not do what you want.
But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters.
But do not use this freedom
as an opportunity for the flesh;
rather, serve one another through love.
For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement,
namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
But if you go on biting and devouring one another,
beware that you are not consumed by one another.
I say, then: live by the Spirit
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh has desires against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other,
so that you may not do what you want.
But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Speak, Lord, your servant is listening;
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Speak, Lord, your servant is listening;
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
When the days for Jesus' being taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
"Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?"
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him,
"I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
And to another he said, "Follow me."
But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home."
To him Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
"Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?"
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him,
"I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
And to another he said, "Follow me."
But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home."
To him Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."
13th
Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - 1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21
The first book of Kings covers the reign of King Solomon, who built the first Temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, through the division of the kingdom and the reigns of Jehoshaphat of Judah and Ahaziah of Israel (971 B.C. through 853 B.C.). The first book of Kings contains a lot of important theological material but it is also historically very accurate, as recent archaeology has shown.
To understand God’s message in Kings we need to keep in mind the teaching of the book of Deuteronomy. The basic teaching of Deuteronomy has to do with there being only one God and one valid Temple for His worship. This centralization of priesthood and liturgy is first legislated in Deuteronomy 12.
In Kings, the kings are condemned because instead of concentrating on the Temple in Jerusalem they establish rival shrines at Bethel and Dan in the north in opposition to the Temple; furthermore, they are neglectful of their duty to suppress the “high places” all over Palestine where sacrifice is offered to Baal in contravention of the covenant.
Today’s reading is about the Prophet Elijah who lived during the reign of King Ahab of Israel (the northern kingdom). Elijah (the name means “my God is Yahweh”), like all God’s prophets, pronounces things which people don’t want to hear. Baal worship has become commonplace and Elijah has come to Ahab and predicted three years of drought (1 Kings 17:1). When the drought occurs, Elijah has to flee. After three years pass, Elijah confronts Ahab through Ahab’s servant Obadiah (1 Kings 18:1-17) and challenges Ahab to an ordeal with the prophets of Baal to see whether Baal or Yahweh will bring rain. The ordeal takes place on Mount Carmel; the prophets of Baal appeal by ritual dance and ecstasy. Elijah’s appeal to Yahweh is answered when his sacrifice is consumed by a bolt of lightning and rain comes from the sea (1 Kings 18:18-46). All is not well though and Elijah is forced to flee from the kingdom by the hostility of Jezebel, who is Ahab’s wife and has fostered the worship of the Canaanite Baal in Israel. Elijah goes to Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai), where Yahweh appears to him not in the earthquake or the wind or the lightning, but in a gentle whisper, and tells him to anoint Hazael to be king of Syria, Jehu to be king over Israel, and Elisha to be his successor (1 Kings 19:1-18).
b [You shall anoint] Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you. 19 Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth.
The number of oxen indicates he was from a well-to-do family. The number twelve is the number of the tribes of Israel, and the number of governmental perfection.
Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.
The cloak symbolizes the rights of the owner (Ruth 3:9). Since the hair shirt cloak of the prophet was part of their official dress (2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4), casting it upon another would indicate an investiture and initiation.
20 Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please, let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and I will follow you.” “Go back!” Elijah answered. “Have I done anything to you?” 21 Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then he [Elisha] left and followed Elijah as his attendant.
The sacrificial meal on the spot, shared by his neighbors and accompanied by the destruction of his farming equipment, signifies Elisha’s renunciation of his previous life for his new vocation as Elijah’s disciple.
2nd Reading - Galatians 5:1, 3-18
During the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C) we hear that when we were baptized, we became part of the Body of Christ and therefore inheritors of all that was promised to Abraham. Today we continue with Paul’s answers to the Judaizers.
5:1 For freedom Christ set us free;
This sums up the doctrinal section of the letter: we don’t have license to deviate from the Law, but freedom from the Law, and its material observances.
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
Those under the old covenant were slaves of God, those under the new covenant are God’s children (Romans 8:15).
“He adds ‘again,’ not because the Galatians had previously kept the law ... but in their readiness to observe the lunar seasons, to be circumcised in the flesh and to offer sacrifices, they were in a sense returning to the cults that they had previously served in a state of idolatry.” [Saint Jerome (A.D. 386), Commentaries on the Epistle to the Galatians 2,5,1]
13 For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.
If the Law is done away with, Christians may not abandon themselves to earthly, material, Godless conduct. Their freedom must rather be one of service of love, a freedom for others.
14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
See Leviticus 19:18. Neither here nor in Romans 13:8-10 does Paul include the love of God. In Leviticus, the “neighbor” is a fellow Israelite; for Paul “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek” (Romans 10:12).
“What need is there for the holy apostle to make use of the new law, if the new covenant is foreign to the old legislation? He wants to show both covenants are from the one Lord. They are best perceived as sharing the same intent. The fulfillment of the Law is through the love of one’s neighbor, because love is that which effects the perfect good. He therefore says that love is the fulfilling of the Law.” [Saint Epiphanius of Salamis (A.D. 374-377), Panacea Against All Heresies 42,12,3]
15 But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. 16 I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
Let the Holy Spirit guide your conduct. The Spirit, as the principle of Christian sonship, is also the principle of Christian activity (see v18; Romans 8:14).
17 For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.
The Christian in union with Christ and endowed with the Spirit still struggles with the “flesh,” the symbol of all human opposition to God (see Romans 7:15-23). The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Under the influence of the indwelling Spirit, the Christian has an interior principle to counteract the “flesh” and is no longer merely confronted with the extrinsic norm of the Law.
“He did not say ‘Walk in the Spirit so that you will not have desires of the flesh’ but ‘so you will not gratify them.’ Not to have them at all, indeed, is not the struggle but the prize of the struggle, if we shall have obtained the victory by perseverance under grace. For it is only the transformation of the body into an immortal state that will no longer have desires of the flesh.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (ca. A.D. 394), Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 47]
Gospel - Luke 9:51:62
In last week’s gospel reading we heard Peter proclaim that Jesus is “The Messiah of God.” Jesus then forbade His disciples to tell anyone of this and proceeded to begin teaching them of His coming passion and the fact that those who are His followers must take up their cross daily and follow in Christ’s footsteps. Today we learn more about discipleship.
In the interim between last week’s reading (12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C) and today’s, the transfiguration has taken place. The Lord comes to transform our lives. If we accept new life, we must be prepared to move with the Lord and leave the security of where we have been. There can be no looking back. Those of us who are raised in the Christian faith often take our relationship with Christ for granted. We fail to recognize the radical nature of our call. We need to look to those who have felt a conversion or call to Christ.
51 When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined
“He resolutely determined” is, literally, “he set his face.” Indicates Jesus’ obedient resoluteness to fulfill God’s will despite all opposition.
to journey to Jerusalem,
The city that symbolizes the continuity between the old and the new covenants in God’s plan. In Jerusalem, Jesus will complete His exodus to God, and from Jerusalem the Christian mission will travel to the ends of the earth.
52 and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, 53 but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
Samaritans were not friendly to Jews, especially when the Jews were passing through their territory on the way to the holy city, Jerusalem. To the Jews, the Samaritans were a heretical and schismatic group of spurious worshipers of the God of Israel, who were detested even more than pagans. The Samaritans had been rudely rebuffed when the Temple was being rebuilt in the time of Zechariah and the schism became complete when the Samaritans built a temple to Yahweh on Mount Gerizim.
54 When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
The wording of this verse echoes that of 2 Kings 1:10,12 which narrates how Elijah twice called down fire to destroy his enemies.
55 Jesus turned and rebuked them,
Jesus lives out in deed His teaching about non-retaliation against enemies (see Luke 6:27-29,35).
56 and they journeyed to another village.
Possibly also a Samaritan village.
57 As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Jesus doesn’t trick anyone into following Him; He wants total dedication.
59 And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “(Lord,) let me go first and bury my father.”
Filial piety, especially in burying one’s parents, is deep within Judaism. There is no indication that the father is deceased (or even ill). The man wants to join the journey to salvation on his own terms.
60 But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. Jesus offers everlasting life.
61 And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” 62 (To him) Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Jesus demands more than Elisha in the 1st reading; ploughing for the kingdom entails sacrifice; one cannot look back, lest the work suffer.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - 1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21
The first book of Kings covers the reign of King Solomon, who built the first Temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, through the division of the kingdom and the reigns of Jehoshaphat of Judah and Ahaziah of Israel (971 B.C. through 853 B.C.). The first book of Kings contains a lot of important theological material but it is also historically very accurate, as recent archaeology has shown.
To understand God’s message in Kings we need to keep in mind the teaching of the book of Deuteronomy. The basic teaching of Deuteronomy has to do with there being only one God and one valid Temple for His worship. This centralization of priesthood and liturgy is first legislated in Deuteronomy 12.
In Kings, the kings are condemned because instead of concentrating on the Temple in Jerusalem they establish rival shrines at Bethel and Dan in the north in opposition to the Temple; furthermore, they are neglectful of their duty to suppress the “high places” all over Palestine where sacrifice is offered to Baal in contravention of the covenant.
Today’s reading is about the Prophet Elijah who lived during the reign of King Ahab of Israel (the northern kingdom). Elijah (the name means “my God is Yahweh”), like all God’s prophets, pronounces things which people don’t want to hear. Baal worship has become commonplace and Elijah has come to Ahab and predicted three years of drought (1 Kings 17:1). When the drought occurs, Elijah has to flee. After three years pass, Elijah confronts Ahab through Ahab’s servant Obadiah (1 Kings 18:1-17) and challenges Ahab to an ordeal with the prophets of Baal to see whether Baal or Yahweh will bring rain. The ordeal takes place on Mount Carmel; the prophets of Baal appeal by ritual dance and ecstasy. Elijah’s appeal to Yahweh is answered when his sacrifice is consumed by a bolt of lightning and rain comes from the sea (1 Kings 18:18-46). All is not well though and Elijah is forced to flee from the kingdom by the hostility of Jezebel, who is Ahab’s wife and has fostered the worship of the Canaanite Baal in Israel. Elijah goes to Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai), where Yahweh appears to him not in the earthquake or the wind or the lightning, but in a gentle whisper, and tells him to anoint Hazael to be king of Syria, Jehu to be king over Israel, and Elisha to be his successor (1 Kings 19:1-18).
b [You shall anoint] Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you. 19 Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth.
The number of oxen indicates he was from a well-to-do family. The number twelve is the number of the tribes of Israel, and the number of governmental perfection.
Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.
The cloak symbolizes the rights of the owner (Ruth 3:9). Since the hair shirt cloak of the prophet was part of their official dress (2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4), casting it upon another would indicate an investiture and initiation.
20 Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please, let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and I will follow you.” “Go back!” Elijah answered. “Have I done anything to you?” 21 Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then he [Elisha] left and followed Elijah as his attendant.
The sacrificial meal on the spot, shared by his neighbors and accompanied by the destruction of his farming equipment, signifies Elisha’s renunciation of his previous life for his new vocation as Elijah’s disciple.
2nd Reading - Galatians 5:1, 3-18
During the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C) we hear that when we were baptized, we became part of the Body of Christ and therefore inheritors of all that was promised to Abraham. Today we continue with Paul’s answers to the Judaizers.
5:1 For freedom Christ set us free;
This sums up the doctrinal section of the letter: we don’t have license to deviate from the Law, but freedom from the Law, and its material observances.
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
Those under the old covenant were slaves of God, those under the new covenant are God’s children (Romans 8:15).
“He adds ‘again,’ not because the Galatians had previously kept the law ... but in their readiness to observe the lunar seasons, to be circumcised in the flesh and to offer sacrifices, they were in a sense returning to the cults that they had previously served in a state of idolatry.” [Saint Jerome (A.D. 386), Commentaries on the Epistle to the Galatians 2,5,1]
13 For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.
If the Law is done away with, Christians may not abandon themselves to earthly, material, Godless conduct. Their freedom must rather be one of service of love, a freedom for others.
14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
See Leviticus 19:18. Neither here nor in Romans 13:8-10 does Paul include the love of God. In Leviticus, the “neighbor” is a fellow Israelite; for Paul “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek” (Romans 10:12).
“What need is there for the holy apostle to make use of the new law, if the new covenant is foreign to the old legislation? He wants to show both covenants are from the one Lord. They are best perceived as sharing the same intent. The fulfillment of the Law is through the love of one’s neighbor, because love is that which effects the perfect good. He therefore says that love is the fulfilling of the Law.” [Saint Epiphanius of Salamis (A.D. 374-377), Panacea Against All Heresies 42,12,3]
15 But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. 16 I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
Let the Holy Spirit guide your conduct. The Spirit, as the principle of Christian sonship, is also the principle of Christian activity (see v18; Romans 8:14).
17 For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.
The Christian in union with Christ and endowed with the Spirit still struggles with the “flesh,” the symbol of all human opposition to God (see Romans 7:15-23). The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Under the influence of the indwelling Spirit, the Christian has an interior principle to counteract the “flesh” and is no longer merely confronted with the extrinsic norm of the Law.
“He did not say ‘Walk in the Spirit so that you will not have desires of the flesh’ but ‘so you will not gratify them.’ Not to have them at all, indeed, is not the struggle but the prize of the struggle, if we shall have obtained the victory by perseverance under grace. For it is only the transformation of the body into an immortal state that will no longer have desires of the flesh.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (ca. A.D. 394), Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 47]
Gospel - Luke 9:51:62
In last week’s gospel reading we heard Peter proclaim that Jesus is “The Messiah of God.” Jesus then forbade His disciples to tell anyone of this and proceeded to begin teaching them of His coming passion and the fact that those who are His followers must take up their cross daily and follow in Christ’s footsteps. Today we learn more about discipleship.
In the interim between last week’s reading (12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C) and today’s, the transfiguration has taken place. The Lord comes to transform our lives. If we accept new life, we must be prepared to move with the Lord and leave the security of where we have been. There can be no looking back. Those of us who are raised in the Christian faith often take our relationship with Christ for granted. We fail to recognize the radical nature of our call. We need to look to those who have felt a conversion or call to Christ.
51 When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined
“He resolutely determined” is, literally, “he set his face.” Indicates Jesus’ obedient resoluteness to fulfill God’s will despite all opposition.
to journey to Jerusalem,
The city that symbolizes the continuity between the old and the new covenants in God’s plan. In Jerusalem, Jesus will complete His exodus to God, and from Jerusalem the Christian mission will travel to the ends of the earth.
52 and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, 53 but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
Samaritans were not friendly to Jews, especially when the Jews were passing through their territory on the way to the holy city, Jerusalem. To the Jews, the Samaritans were a heretical and schismatic group of spurious worshipers of the God of Israel, who were detested even more than pagans. The Samaritans had been rudely rebuffed when the Temple was being rebuilt in the time of Zechariah and the schism became complete when the Samaritans built a temple to Yahweh on Mount Gerizim.
54 When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
The wording of this verse echoes that of 2 Kings 1:10,12 which narrates how Elijah twice called down fire to destroy his enemies.
55 Jesus turned and rebuked them,
Jesus lives out in deed His teaching about non-retaliation against enemies (see Luke 6:27-29,35).
56 and they journeyed to another village.
Possibly also a Samaritan village.
57 As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Jesus doesn’t trick anyone into following Him; He wants total dedication.
59 And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “(Lord,) let me go first and bury my father.”
Filial piety, especially in burying one’s parents, is deep within Judaism. There is no indication that the father is deceased (or even ill). The man wants to join the journey to salvation on his own terms.
60 But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. Jesus offers everlasting life.
61 And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” 62 (To him) Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Jesus demands more than Elisha in the 1st reading; ploughing for the kingdom entails sacrifice; one cannot look back, lest the work suffer.
Meditation: "No one who looks
back"
Are
you surprised to see two of Jesus' disciples praying for the destruction of a
Samaritan village? The Jews and Samaritans had been divided for centuries.
Jewish pilgrims who passed through Samaritan territory were often treated badly
and even assaulted. Jesus did the unthinkable for a Jew. He not only decided to
travel through Samaritan territory at personal risk, but he also asked for
hospitality in one of their villages!
Jesus
faced rejection and abuse in order to reconcile us with God and one another
Jesus' offer of friendship was rebuffed. Is there any wonder that the disciples were indignant and felt justified in wanting to see retribution done to this village? Wouldn't you respond the same way? Jesus, however, rebukes his disciples for their lack of toleration. Jesus had "set his face toward Jerusalem" to die on a cross that Jew, Samaritan and Gentile might be reconciled with God and be united as one people in Christ.
Jesus' offer of friendship was rebuffed. Is there any wonder that the disciples were indignant and felt justified in wanting to see retribution done to this village? Wouldn't you respond the same way? Jesus, however, rebukes his disciples for their lack of toleration. Jesus had "set his face toward Jerusalem" to die on a cross that Jew, Samaritan and Gentile might be reconciled with God and be united as one people in Christ.
Jesus
seeks our highest good - friend and enemy alike
Tolerance is a much needed virtue today. But aren't we often tolerant for the wrong thing or for the wrong motive? Christian love seeks the highest good of both one's neighbor and one's enemy. When Abraham Lincoln was criticized for his courtesy and tolerance towards his enemies during the American Civil War, he responded: "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" How do you treat those who cross you and cause you trouble? Do you seek their good rather than their harm?
Tolerance is a much needed virtue today. But aren't we often tolerant for the wrong thing or for the wrong motive? Christian love seeks the highest good of both one's neighbor and one's enemy. When Abraham Lincoln was criticized for his courtesy and tolerance towards his enemies during the American Civil War, he responded: "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" How do you treat those who cross you and cause you trouble? Do you seek their good rather than their harm?
Jesus
explains the cost of following as his disciple
When the Lord calls us to follow him he gives us the grace to put aside everything that might keep us from doing his will. Loyalty to Jesus requires sacrifice, letting go of my will for God's will. A would-be disciple responded by saying, I must first go and bury my father, that is, go back home and take care of him until he died. Jesus certainly did not mean that we should refuse to care for others, especially our parents in their old age. His startling statement, however, made clear that God must always be first in our lives. If we love him above all, then everything else will fall into its proper place and time.
When the Lord calls us to follow him he gives us the grace to put aside everything that might keep us from doing his will. Loyalty to Jesus requires sacrifice, letting go of my will for God's will. A would-be disciple responded by saying, I must first go and bury my father, that is, go back home and take care of him until he died. Jesus certainly did not mean that we should refuse to care for others, especially our parents in their old age. His startling statement, however, made clear that God must always be first in our lives. If we love him above all, then everything else will fall into its proper place and time.
Jesus
surprised his disciples by telling that they must not look back but keep their
focus on the goal set for their lives - full happiness and union with God. A
plowman who looked back caused his furrow to be crooked. Likewise, if we keep
looking back to what we left behind, our path in following God will likely go
off course and we'll miss what God has for us. When the going is rough or the
way ahead looks uncertain, we are tempted to look back to the "good old
days" or to look for "greener turf". Are you resolved to keep
your eyes fixed on Jesus and to "stay the course" in following him to
the end?
.
"Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess you have given me. I surrender it all to you to be disposed of according to your will. Give me only your love and your grace - with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more." (Prayer of Ignatius Loyola, 1491-1556)
.
"Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess you have given me. I surrender it all to you to be disposed of according to your will. Give me only your love and your grace - with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more." (Prayer of Ignatius Loyola, 1491-1556)
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus' disciples must bear insult and suffering
patiently, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"It
would be false to affirm that our Savior did not know what was about to happen,
because he knows all things. He knew, of course, that the Samaritans would not
receive his messengers. There can be no doubt of this. Why then did he command
them to go before him? It was his custom to benefit diligently the holy
apostles in every possible way, and because of this, it was his practice
sometimes to test them... What was the purpose of this occurrence? He was going
up to Jerusalem, as the time of his passion was already drawing near. He was
about to endure the scorn of the Jews. He was about to be destroyed by the
scribes and Pharisees and to suffer those things that they inflicted upon him
when they went to accomplish all of violence and wicked boldness. He did not
want them to be offended when they saw him suffering. He also wanted them to be
patient and not to complain greatly, although people would treat them rudely.
He, so to speak, made the Samaritans' hatred a preparatory exercise in the
matter. They had not received the messengers... For their benefit, he rebuked
the disciples and gently restrained the sharpness of their wrath, not
permitting them to grumble violently against those who sinned. He rather
persuaded them to be patient and to cherish a mind that is unmovable by
anything like this." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY
56)
THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, JUNE 26, LUKE 9:51-62
(1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21; Psalm 16; Galatians 5:1, 13-18)
SUNDAY, JUNE 26, LUKE 9:51-62
(1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21; Psalm 16; Galatians 5:1, 13-18)
KEY VERSE: "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God" (v 62).
TO KNOW: On his journey to Jerusalem, where he would face suffering and death, Jesus sent messengers to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. The Jews regarded this mixed ethnic and religious group as heretical, and in turn, Samaritans often refused hospitality to Jewish pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. When James and John responded angrily to Samaritan inhospitality, Jesus reprimanded them. He had come to save all people, not only those who narrow-minded people deemed worthy of salvation. As Jesus proceeded on his journey, some would-be disciples asked to follow him. Jesus made it clear that the pathway would not be an easy one. God's call was urgent, and Jesus' disciples must be willing to renounce everything for the sake of the kingdom.
TO LOVE: Do I work for religious tolerance among people?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to follow you no matter what the cost.
Sunday 26 June, 2016
Sun 26th. 13th Sunday in
Ordinary Time. 1 Kings 19:16, 19-21. You are my inheritance, O Lord—Ps
15(16):1-2, 5, 7-11. Galatians 5:1, 13-18. Luke 9:51-62.
‘I will follow you wherever
you go.’
In this Gospel reading from
Luke, Jesus explains the cost and sacrifices of following him as a disciple. He
highlights the commitment required. Life has not changed in many ways for
disciples today from those Jesus interacted with in this Gospel. We all have felt
the pull of others in our lives, as the disciples do in the reading: both the
disciple who wants to be with his father, and the disciple who wants briefly to
farewell his family before committing to Jesus.
Jesus is asking us for a
single-minded commitment to live out his mission in our daily lives. This is
hard and challenging work, we have to make hard choices to follow Jesus in our
life journey. He is not saying don’t serve your family, it may be that this is
where your mission is; the challenge is doing it in a Christ-like manner,
keeping his spirit alive.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
God’s Endless Mercy
|
Let’s not forget these words: The Lord never tires of forgiving
us, never. The problem is that we grow tired; we don’t want to ask, we grow
tired of asking for forgiveness.
June 26
Blessed Raymond Lull
(1235-1315)
Blessed Raymond Lull
(1235-1315)
Raymond
worked all his life to promote the missions and died a missionary to North
Africa.
Raymond
was born at Palma on the island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea. He earned
a position in the king’s court there. One day a sermon inspired him to dedicate
his life to working for the conversion of the Muslims in North Africa. He
became a Secular Franciscan and founded a college where missionaries could
learn the Arabic they would need in the missions. Retiring to solitude, he
spent nine years as a hermit. During that time he wrote on all branches of
knowledge, a work which earned him the title "Enlightened Doctor."
Raymond
then made many trips through Europe to interest popes, kings and princes in
establishing special colleges to prepare future missionaries. He achieved his
goal in 1311 when the Council of Vienne ordered the creation of chairs of
Hebrew, Arabic and Chaldean at the universities of Bologna, Oxford, Paris and
Salamanca. At the age of 79, Raymond went to North Africa in 1314 to be a
missionary himself. An angry crowd of Muslims stoned him in the city of Bougie.
Genoese merchants took him back to Mallorca, where he died. Raymond was
beatified in 1514.
Comment:
Raymond worked most of his life to help spread the gospel. Indifference on the part of some Christian leaders and opposition in North Africa did not turn him from his goal.
Raymond worked most of his life to help spread the gospel. Indifference on the part of some Christian leaders and opposition in North Africa did not turn him from his goal.
Three
hundred years later Raymond’s work began to have an influence in the Americas.
When the Spanish began to spread the gospel in the New World, they set up
missionary colleges to aid the work. Blessed Junipero Serra belonged to such a
college.
Quote:
Thomas of Celano wrote of St. Francis: "In vain does the wicked man persecute one striving after virtue, for the more he is buffeted, the more strongly will he triumph. As someone says, indignity strengthens a generous spirit" (I Celano, #11).
Thomas of Celano wrote of St. Francis: "In vain does the wicked man persecute one striving after virtue, for the more he is buffeted, the more strongly will he triumph. As someone says, indignity strengthens a generous spirit" (I Celano, #11).
LECTIO DIVINA: 13TH SUNDAY OF
ORDINARY TIME (C)
Lectio Divina: Sunday, June 26, 2016
The difficult process of forming the
disciples.
How to be born again.
Luke
9:51-62
1. Opening prayer
“Lord
Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind
with which you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of
the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God
in the disturbing events of your suffering and death. Thus, the cross which had
seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the resurrection and source of
new life.
Create
in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation, in the
Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May
your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may
experience the power of your resurrection and witness to others that you are
alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of
you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit.
Amen.”
2. Reading
a) A key
to the reading: The literary context
In
the context of Luke’s Gospel, the text for this Sunday is at the beginning of
the new phase of Jesus’ activity. The frequent conflicts with the people and
the religious authorities (Lk 4:28; 5:21.30; 6:2.7; 7:19.23.33-34.39) confirmed
Jesus as being the Servant Messiah as foreseen in Isaiah (Is 50: 4-9; 53:12)
and as assumed by Jesus himself from the beginning of his apostolic activities
(Lk 4:18). From now on, Jesus begins to proclaim his passion and death (Lk
9:22.43-44) and decides to go the Jerusalem (Lk 9:51). This change in the
course of events created a crisis among the disciples (Mk 8:31-33). They cannot
understand and are afraid (Lk 9:45), because they still hold on to the old way
of thinking of a glorious Messiah. Luke describes various episodes touching on
the old mentality of the disciples: the desire to be the greatest (Lk 9:46-48);
the will to control the use of the name of Jesus (Lk 9:49-50); the violent
reaction of James and John at the refusal of the Samaritans to welcome Jesus
(Lk 9:51-55). Luke also points out how hard Jesus tries to get his disciples to
understand the new concept concerning his mission. This Sunday’s text (Lk 9:
51-62) gives some examples of the way Jesus tried to form his disciples.
b) A
division of the text to help with the reading:
Luke
9:51-52: Jesus decides to go to Jerusalem
Luke
9:52b53: A village in Samaria does not welcome him
Luke
9:54: The reaction of John and James at the Samaritans’ refusal
Luke
9:55-56: Jesus’ reaction to the violence of James and John
Luke
9:57-58: Jesus’ first condition for following him
Luke
9:59-60: Jesus’ second condition for following him
Luke
9:61-62: Jesus’ third condition for following him
c) The
text:
Luke
9:51-6251 When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to
go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a
village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; 53 but the people would not
receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his
disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to bid
fire come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But he turned and rebuked
them. 56 And they went on to another village.
57 As
they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you
wherever you go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and
birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his
head." 59 To another he said, "Follow me." But he said,
"Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 60 But he said to him,
"Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim
the kingdom of God." 61 Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but
let me first say farewell to those at my home." 62 Jesus said to him,
"No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the
kingdom of God."
3. A
moment of prayerful silence
so
that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to
help us in our personal reflection.
a)
Which part of the text pleased you most and which touched you most?
b)
What defects and limitations of the disciples can we discover in the text?
c)
What teaching method does Jesus use to correct these defects?
d)
What facts from the Old Testament are recalled in this text?
e)
With which of these three vocations (vv. 57-62) do you identify yourself? Why?
f)
Which of the defects of Jesus’ disciples is most prevalent in us, his disciples
of today?
5. A key to the reading
that
may help us to go deeper into the theme.
a) The
historical context of our text:
The
historical context of Luke’s Gospel always contains the following two aspects;
the context of the time of Jesus in the 30’s in Palestine, and the context of
the Christian communities of the 80’s in Greece for whom Luke is writing his
Gospel.
At
the time of Jesus in Palestine. It was not easy for Jesus to form his
disciples. It is not simply the fact of following Jesus and living in community
that makes a person holy and perfect. The greatest difficulty comes from “the
leaven of the Pharisees and Herod” (Mk 8:15), that is, from the time’s dominant
ideology, promoted by the official religion (the Pharisees) and by the
government (the Herodians). Fighting against the leaven was part of the
formation he gave his disciples; especially that the manner of thinking of the
great had taken deep root and always raised its head again in the minds of the
little ones, the disciples. The text of our meditation this Sunday gives us an
insight into the way Jesus faced this problem.
In
Luke’s time, within the Greek communities. For Luke, it was important to help
the Christians and not leave them prey to the “leaven” of the Roman empire and
pagan religion. The same applies today. The “leaven” of the neo-liberal system,
spread by the media, propagates a consumeristic mentality, contrary to Gospel
values. It is not easy for people to realise that they are being duped: “What I
have in my hand is nothing but a lie!” (Is 44:20).
b) A
commentary on the text:
Luke
9:51-52a: Jesus decides to go to Jerusalem
“Now
as the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven”. This statement shows
that Luke reads Jesus’ life in the light of the prophets. He wants to make it
quite clear to his readers that Jesus is the Messiah in whom is accomplished that
which the prophets foretold. The same manner of speaking is in John’s Gospel:
“Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass form this world to the
Father, ...” (Jn 13,1). Jesus is obedient to the Father, “he decisively set out
towards Jerusalem”.
Luke
9:52b53: A village in Samaria does not welcome him
Hospitality
was one of the pillars of community life. It was difficult for anyone to let
someone spend the night outside without welcoming him (Jn 18:1-5; 19:1-3; Gs
19;,15-21). But in Jesus’ time, the rivalry between Jews and Samaritans urged
the people of Samaria not to welcome Jews who were on pilgrimage to Jerusalem,
and this led the Jews from Galilee not to pass through Samaria when they went
to Jerusalem. They preferred to go through the valley of the Jordan. Jesus is
contrary to this discrimination and, therefore, goes through Samaria.
Consequently he suffers discrimination and is not made welcome.
Luke
9:54: The violent reaction of John and James at the refusal of the Samaritans
Inspired
by the example of the prophet Elijah, James and John want to call down fire
from heaven to exterminate that village! (2 Kings 1:10.12; 1Kings 18:38). They
think that by the simple fact that they are with Jesus, everyone should welcome
them. They still cling to the old mentality, that of privileged persons. They
think that they can keep God on their side to defend them.
Luke
9:55-56: Jesus’ reaction to the violence of James and John
“Jesus
turned and rebuked them”. Some versions of the Bible, basing their translation
on some old manuscripts wrote: “You know not what spirit dwells in you. The son
of man did not come to take the life of men, but to save it”. The fact that
someone is with Jesus does not give that person the right to think that he or
she is superior to others or that others owe them honour. The “Spirit” of Jesus
demands the opposite: to forgive seventy times seven (Mt 18:22). Jesus chose to
forgive the criminal who prayed to him on the cross (Lk 23:43).
Luke
9:57-58: The first condition for following Jesus
One
says: “I will follow you wherever you go”. Jesus’ reply is very clear and
without any hidden meaning. He leaves no room for doubt: the disciple who
wishes to follow Jesus must impress this on his or her mind and heart: Jesus
has nothing, not even a stone to lay his head on. The foxes and the birds are
better off because they at least have holes and nests.
Luke
9:59-60: The second condition for following Jesus
Jesus
says to one: “Follow me!” These were the words addressed to the first
disciples: “Follow me” (Mk 1:17.20; 2:14). The reaction of the one called is
positive. The person is ready to follow Jesus. He only asks that he may be
allowed to bury his father. Jesus’ reply is hard: “Leave the dead to bury their
dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God”. This is
probably a popular proverb used for saying that one has to be radical in one’s
decision making. The one who is ready to follow Jesus must leave everything
behind. It is as though one were dead to all one’s possessions resurrected to
another life.
Luca
9,61-62: The third condition for following Jesus
A
third one says: “I will follow you, but first let me go and say good-bye to my
people at home”. Again the reply of Jesus is hard and radical: “Once the hand
is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God”.
Jesus is more demanding than the prophet Elijah when Elijah called Elisha to be
his disciple (1 Kings 19:19-21). The New Testament is greater than the Old
Testament in its demands on the practice of love.
c) A
further deepening: Jesus the formator
The
process of the formation of the disciples is demanding, slow and painful,
because it is not easy to give birth to a new experience of God in them, a new
vision of life and of the neighbour. It is like being born again! (Jn 3:5-9).
The old mindset keeps creeping back in the life of people, of families and
communities. Jesus spares no effort in forming his disciples. He gave much time
to this, not always successfully. Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him and, in
the moment of trial, all abandoned him. Only the women and John stayed close to
him, near the cross. But the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent to us after his
resurrection, completed the work Jesus began (Jn 14:26; 16,13). Apart from what
we have said concerning the text of this Sunday (Lk 9:51-62), Luke speaks of
many other examples to show how Jesus went about forming his disciples and
helping them to overcome the misleading mentality of the time:
In
Luke 9:46-48 the disciples argue among themselves as to who is the greatest
among them. The competitive mindset here is that of fighting for power,
characteristic of the society of the Roman Empire, and it had already
infiltrated the just-beginning and small community of Jesus! Jesus tells them
to hold to the opposite way of thinking. He takes a child to his side and
identifies himself with the child: “Anyone who welcomes this little child in my
name welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me!” The
disciples were arguing as to who was the greatest, and Jesus tells them to look
at and welcome the smallest! This is the point most stressed by Jesus and the
one to which he witnessed: “[I] did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mk
10:45).
In
Luke 9:49-50, someone who was not part of the group of the disciples was using
the name of Jesus to drive out devils. John saw him and stopped him: “Let us
stop him because we do not know him”. In the name of the community, John stops
a good action! He thought he owned Jesus and wanted to stop anyone from using
the name of Jesus to do good. He wanted a closed community. This was the old
mentality of the “Chosen people, a separate people!” Jesus replies: “Do not
forbid him, because anyone who is not against you is for you”. The aim of
formation cannot lead to a feeling of privilege and ownership, but must lead to
an attitude of service. What is important for Jesus is not whether someone is
part of the group or not, but whether the person is doing the good that should
be done by the community.
Here
are some more examples of the way Jesus educated his disciples. It was a way of
giving human form to the experience he had of God the Father. You can complete
the list:
* he
involves them in his mission and on their return he goes over what happened
with them (Mk 6:7; Lk 9:1-2; 10:1-12, 17-20)
* he
corrects them when they go wrong (Lk 9:46-48; Mk 10:13-15)
* he
helps them discern (Mk 9:28-29)
* he
questions them when they are slow (Mk 4:13; 8:14-21)
* he
prepares them for the conflict (Mt 10:17ff)
* he
reflects with them concerning present problems (Lk 13:1-5)
* he
sends them to look at reality (Mk 8:27-29; Jn 4:35; Mt 16:1-3)
* he
confronts them with the needs of the people (Jn 6:5)
* he
teaches them that the needs of the people are above ritual prescriptions (Mt
12,7.12)
* he
defends them when they are criticised by their adversaries (Mk 2:19; 7:5-13)
* he
thinks of their rest and nourishment (Mk 6:31; Jn 21:9)
* he
spends time alone with them to teach them (Mk 4:34; 7:17; 9:30-31; 10:10; 13,3)
* he
insists on vigilance and teaches them to pray (Lk 11:1-13; Mt 6:5-15).
6. Psalm 19 (18), 8-14
The
law of God source of formation
The
precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing
the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening
the eyes;
the
fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever;
the
ordinances of the Lord are true,
and
righteous altogether.
More
to be desired are they than gold,
even
much fine gold;
sweeter
also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover
by them is thy servant warned;
in
keeping them there is great reward.
But
who can discern his errors?
Clear
thou me from hidden faults.
Keep
back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;
let
them not have dominion over me!
Then
I shall be blameless,
and
innocent of great transgression.
Let
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be
acceptable in thy sight, O Lord,
my
rock and my redeemer.
7. Final Prayer
Lord
Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will
of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength
to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your
mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word. You who live and reign
with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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