Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 365
Lectionary: 365
Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel
next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,
since it is close by, next to my house.
I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,
if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”
Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbid
that I should give you my ancestral heritage.”
Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer
Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him:
“I will not give you my ancestral heritage.”
Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.
His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him,
“Why are you so angry that you will not eat?”
He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite
and said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or,
if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’
But he refused to let me have his vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him,
“A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!
Get up.
Eat and be cheerful.
I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and,
having sealed them with his seal,
sent them to the elders and to the nobles
who lived in the same city with Naboth.
This is what she wrote in the letters:
“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
Next, get two scoundrels to face him
and accuse him of having cursed God and king.
Then take him out and stone him to death.”
His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city—
did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing,
through the letters she had sent them.
They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.
Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation,
“Naboth has cursed God and king.”
And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent the information to Jezebel
that Naboth had been stoned to death.
When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death,
she said to Ahab,
“Go on, take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you,
because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his way
down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,
to take possession of it.
next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,
since it is close by, next to my house.
I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,
if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”
Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbid
that I should give you my ancestral heritage.”
Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer
Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him:
“I will not give you my ancestral heritage.”
Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.
His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him,
“Why are you so angry that you will not eat?”
He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite
and said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or,
if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’
But he refused to let me have his vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him,
“A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!
Get up.
Eat and be cheerful.
I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and,
having sealed them with his seal,
sent them to the elders and to the nobles
who lived in the same city with Naboth.
This is what she wrote in the letters:
“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
Next, get two scoundrels to face him
and accuse him of having cursed God and king.
Then take him out and stone him to death.”
His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city—
did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing,
through the letters she had sent them.
They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.
Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation,
“Naboth has cursed God and king.”
And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent the information to Jezebel
that Naboth had been stoned to death.
When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death,
she said to Ahab,
“Go on, take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you,
because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his way
down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,
to take possession of it.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 5:2-3AB, 4B-6A, 6B-7
R. (2b) Lord,
listen to my groaning.
Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
AlleluiaPS 119:105
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 5:38-42
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
9An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.)
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."
"You have heard that it was said,
9An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.)
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."
Meditation: Do not return evil for evil
If someone insults you or tries to take advantage of
you, how do you respond? Do you repay in kind? Jesus approached the question of
just retribution with a surprising revelation of God's intention for how we
should treat others, especially those who mistreat us. When Jesus spoke about
God’s law, he did something no one had done before. He gave a new standard
based not just on the requirements of justice - giving each their due - but
based on the law of grace, love, and freedom.
Law of grace and love
Jesus knew the moral law and its intention better than any jurist or legal expert could imagine. He quoted from the oldest recorded law in the world: If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (Exodus 21:23-25). Such a law today seems cruel, but it was meant to limit vengeance as a first step towards mercy. This law was not normally taken literally but served as a guide for a judge in a law court for assessing punishment and penalty (see Deuteronomy 19:18).
Jesus knew the moral law and its intention better than any jurist or legal expert could imagine. He quoted from the oldest recorded law in the world: If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (Exodus 21:23-25). Such a law today seems cruel, but it was meant to limit vengeance as a first step towards mercy. This law was not normally taken literally but served as a guide for a judge in a law court for assessing punishment and penalty (see Deuteronomy 19:18).
The Old Testament is full of references to the command
that we must be merciful: You shall not take vengeance or bear any
grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as
yourself: I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:18). If your enemy is
hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink (Proverbs
25:21). Do not say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will
pay the man back for what he has done" (Proverbs 24:29). Let
him give his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults (Lamentations
3:30).
Jesus does something quite remarkable and unheard of.
He transforms the law of mercy with grace, forbearance, and loving-kindness.
Jesus also makes clear that there is no room for retaliation. We must not only
avoid returning evil for evil, but we must seek the good of those who wish us
ill. Do you accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment or malice? When
you are compelled by others to do more than you think you deserve, do you
insist on your rights, or do you respond with grace and cheerfulness?
Grace of the Holy Spirit
What makes a disciple of Jesus Christ different from everyone else? What makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? It is grace - treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with loving-kindness and mercy. Only the cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and gives us the courage to return evil with good. Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. The Lord Jesus suffered insult, abuse, injustice, and death on a cross for our sake. Scripture tells us that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and guilt (Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7, I John 1:7, Revelation 1:5). Since God has been merciful towards us through the offering of his Son, Jesus Christ, we in turn are called to be merciful towards our neighbor, even those who cause us grief and harm. Do you know the power and freedom of Christ’s redeeming love and mercy?
What makes a disciple of Jesus Christ different from everyone else? What makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? It is grace - treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with loving-kindness and mercy. Only the cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and gives us the courage to return evil with good. Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. The Lord Jesus suffered insult, abuse, injustice, and death on a cross for our sake. Scripture tells us that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and guilt (Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7, I John 1:7, Revelation 1:5). Since God has been merciful towards us through the offering of his Son, Jesus Christ, we in turn are called to be merciful towards our neighbor, even those who cause us grief and harm. Do you know the power and freedom of Christ’s redeeming love and mercy?
"O merciful God, fill our hearts, we pray, with
the graces of your Holy Spirit; with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness,
goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. Teach us to love those who
hate us; to pray for those who despitefully use us; that we may be the children
of your love, our Father, who makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. In adversity grant us grace to be
patient; in prosperity keep us humble; may we guard the door of our lips; may
we lightly esteem the pleasures of this world, and thirst after heavenly
things; through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Prayer of Anselm,
1033-1109 AD)
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: You tear yourself apart by hating, by an
anonymous early author from the Greek church
"We have seen how murder is born from anger and
adultery from desire. In the same way, the hatred of an enemy is destroyed by
the love of friendship. Suppose you have viewed a man as an enemy, yet after a
while he has been swayed by your benevolence. You will then love him as a
friend. I think that Christ ordered these things not so much for our enemies as
for us: not because enemies are fit to be loved by others but because we are
not fit to hate anyone. For hatred is the prodigy of dark places. Wherever it
resides, it sullies the beauty of sound sense. Therefore not only does Christ
order us to love our enemies for the sake of cherishing them but also for the
sake of driving away from ourselves what is bad for us. The Mosaic law does not
speak about physically hurting your enemy but about hating your enemy. But if
you merely hate him, you have hurt yourself more in the spirit than you have
hurt him in the flesh. Perhaps you don’t harm him at all by hating him. But you
surely tear yourself apart. If then you are benevolent to an enemy, you have
rather spared yourself than him. And if you do him a kindness, you benefit
yourself more than him." (excerpt
from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 13, The Greek Fathers)
MONDAY, JUNE 18, MATTHEW 5:38-42
Weekday
(1 Kings 21:1-16; Psalm 5)
Weekday
(1 Kings 21:1-16; Psalm 5)
KEY VERSE: "But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil" (v. 39).
TO KNOW: The Law of Moses was intended to limit the extent of vengeance that could be taken against someone who inflicted an injury (Ex 21:23-24). This law of retaliation (Lex Talionis), an "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," may be described as the law of 'tit for tat.' It stated that punishment could not exceed the wrong that was done to someone. In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he taught that the law of love prohibited revenge and retribution. He emphasized that there were no limits to be placed on Christian forgiveness and love. His disciples must go an "extra mile" in response to another's need, even at their own expense. They were to give generously without expecting repayment. In today's violent world, Jesus reminds us not to repay injury with evil. St. Augustine said: "Forgiveness has two daughters: Justice and Compassion."
TO LOVE: Does capital punishment promote Jesus' teaching on non-violence or does it further the cycle of vengeance and retaliation?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be a peace-making member of my community.
Monday 18 June
2018
1 Kings 21:1-16. Psalm 5:2-3, 5-7. Matthew 5:38-42.
Lord, listen to my groaning—Psalm 5:2-3, 5-7.
‘Do not resist an evil doer.’
Jesus turns on its head our notion of justice. He says: ‘Don’t
lose the fight by seeking revenge and vengeance; hold onto to your dignity in
the face of anger or oppression.’ Jesus is telling us that relationships of
power do not need to be based on force.
Violence leads to violence. Jesus tells us to be neither
aggressive nor passive, but to stand our ground and attempt to meet force and
aggression with profound human dignity.
This is easier said than done, of course, but that’s the point.
It is easier to retaliate or be submissive.
In his passion, Jesus would ultimately show us the way of
absorbing violence without returning in kind or being weakened.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 5:38-42
Lectio Divina:
Monday, June 18, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
Almighty God,
our hope and our strength,
without You we falter.
Help us to follow Christ
and to live according to Your will.
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
our hope and our strength,
without You we falter.
Help us to follow Christ
and to live according to Your will.
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW
5:38-42
Jesus said to his disciples: "You
have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I
say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on
your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to
law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press
you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who
asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."
3) REFLECTION
• Today’s Gospel forms part of a small
literary unit which goes from Mt 5:17 to Mt 5:48, which describes how to pass
from the ancient justice of the Pharisees (Mt 5:20) to the new justice of the
Kingdom of God (Mt 5:48). It describes how to go up to the Mount of the
Beatitudes, from where Jesus announces the new Law of love. The great desire of
the Pharisees was to live in justice, to be just before God. This is the desire
of all of us. Just is the one who succeeds in living where God wants him/her to
live. The Pharisees tried to attain justice through the strict observance of
the Law. They thought that with their own effort they could succeed in being
where God wanted them to be. Jesus takes a stand concerning this practice and
announces the new justice which should surpass the justice of the Pharisees (Mt
5:20). In today’s Gospel we are almost reaching the summit of the mountain.
Only a little is lacking. The summit is described in one sentence: “Be perfect
as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48), on which we will meditate in
tomorrow’s Gospel. Let us look closely at this last degree which is still
lacking to reach the summit of the mountain, of which Saint John of the Cross
says, “Here reign silence and love.”
• Matthew 5:38: Eye for eye and tooth
for tooth. Jesus quotes a text of the Ancient Law saying, “You have heard how
it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth!” He shortened the text, because
the complete text said: “Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, foot for
foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, blow for blow” (Ex 21:23-25). As in the
previous cases, here Jesus makes a completely new rereading. The principle “eye
for eye, tooth for tooth” was already found in the origin of the interpretation
which the scribes made of the law. This principle should be overthrown, because
it perverts and destroys the relationship among people and with God.
• Matthew 5:39ª: Do not give back evil
for evil received. Jesus affirms exactly the contrary: “But I say to you do not
offer resistance to the wicked.” When some violence is received, our natural
reaction is to pay the other one with the same coin. Vengeance asks for “eye
for eye, tooth for tooth.” Jesus asks to pay back the evil not with evil, but
with good. Because if we do not know how to overcome the violence received, the
spiral of violence will take up everything and we will not know what to do.
Lamech said: For a wound received I will kill a man, and for a scar I would
kill a young person. If the vengeance of Cain was worth seven, then Lamech will
count for seventy-seven” (Gen 4:24). And it was precisely because of this
terrible act of vengeance that everything ended in the confusion of the Tower
of Babel. (Gen 11:1-9). Faithful to the teaching of Jesus, Paul writes in the
letter to the Romans: “Never pay back evil with evil; let your concern be to do
good to all men. Do not allow yourselves to be overcome by evil but overcome
evil with good” (Rom 12:17.21). To be able to have this attitude it is
necessary to have much faith in the possibility of recovery that the human
being has. How can we do this in practice? Jesus offers four concrete examples.
• Matthew 5:39b-42: the four examples to
overcome the spiral of violence. Jesus says: “rather (a) if anyone hits you on
the right cheek, offer him the other as well; (b) if anyone wishes to go to Law
with you to get your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. (c) And if anyone
requires you to go one mile, go two miles with him. (d) Give to anyone who asks
you, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away” (Mt 5:40-42). How are
these four affirmations to be understood? Jesus Himself helps us to understand.
When the soldier hit Him on the cheek, He did not offer the other cheek
explicitly and invite another strike. Rather, by not threatening or not
blocking another blow, He still “offers” the other cheek. At the same time, He
reacted with energy: “If there is some offense in what I said, point it out,
but if not, why do you strike Me?” (Jn 18:23) Jesus does not teach us to be
passive. Saint Paul thinks that paying evil with good “you will make others be
ashamed” (Rom 12:20). This faith in the possibility to recover the human being
is possible only beginning from the root which comes from the total gratuity of
the creative love which God shows us in the life and the attitudes of Jesus.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Have you ever felt within you such a
great anger as to want to apply the vengeance “eye for eye, tooth for tooth”?
What did you do to overcome this?
• In your daily life, how would you
implement or act out the four examples in Matthew 5:39b-42?
• How can these affirmations of Jesus be
applied to immigration and allowing immigration into the country?
• Many times, people will agree with
affirmations such as these, and then give a BUT… and proclaim
exclusions, exceptions, and limitations. Consider real-life modern situations
that suggest an opportunity for “turning the other cheek”, “giving more than is
asked”, eye for an eye”, etc. Do you too have a BUT, or ONLY
IFlimitation in your answer? Would Jesus say the same thing?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Give ear to my words, Yahweh,
spare a thought for my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God! To You I pray. (Ps 5:1-2)
spare a thought for my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God! To You I pray. (Ps 5:1-2)
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