Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 406
Lectionary: 406
The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai,
"Seven weeks of years shall you count–seven times seven years–
so that the seven cycles amount to forty-nine years.
Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, let the trumpet resound;
on this, the Day of Atonement, the trumpet blast shall re-echo
throughout your land.
This fiftieth year you shall make sacred
by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants.
It shall be a jubilee for you,
when every one of you shall return to his own property,
every one to his own family estate.
In this fiftieth year, your year of jubilee,
you shall not sow, nor shall you reap the aftergrowth
or pick the grapes from the untrimmed vines.
Since this is the jubilee, which shall be sacred for you,
you may not eat of its produce,
except as taken directly from the field.
"In this year of jubilee, then,
every one of you shall return to his own property.
Therefore, when you sell any land to your neighbor
or buy any from him, do not deal unfairly.
On the basis of the number of years since the last jubilee
shall you purchase the land from your neighbor;
and so also, on the basis of the number of years for crops,
shall he sell it to you.
When the years are many, the price shall be so much the more;
when the years are few, the price shall be so much the less.
For it is really the number of crops that he sells you.
Do not deal unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God.
I, the LORD, am your God."
"Seven weeks of years shall you count–seven times seven years–
so that the seven cycles amount to forty-nine years.
Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, let the trumpet resound;
on this, the Day of Atonement, the trumpet blast shall re-echo
throughout your land.
This fiftieth year you shall make sacred
by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants.
It shall be a jubilee for you,
when every one of you shall return to his own property,
every one to his own family estate.
In this fiftieth year, your year of jubilee,
you shall not sow, nor shall you reap the aftergrowth
or pick the grapes from the untrimmed vines.
Since this is the jubilee, which shall be sacred for you,
you may not eat of its produce,
except as taken directly from the field.
"In this year of jubilee, then,
every one of you shall return to his own property.
Therefore, when you sell any land to your neighbor
or buy any from him, do not deal unfairly.
On the basis of the number of years since the last jubilee
shall you purchase the land from your neighbor;
and so also, on the basis of the number of years for crops,
shall he sell it to you.
When the years are many, the price shall be so much the more;
when the years are few, the price shall be so much the less.
For it is really the number of crops that he sells you.
Do not deal unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God.
I, the LORD, am your God."
Responsorial
PsalmPS 67:2-3, 5, 7-8
R. (4) O
God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
AlleluiaMT 5:10
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 14:1-12
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
Meditation: Herod's
reaction to John the Baptist
Do
you ever feel haunted by a past failure or a guilty conscience? King Herod, the
most powerful and wealthy man in Judea, had everything he wanted, except a
clear conscience and peace with God. Herod had respected and feared John the
Baptist as a great prophet and servant of God. John, however did not fear to
rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with his brother's wife. He ended
up in prison because of Herodias' jealousy. Herod, out of impulse and a desire
to please his family and friends, had John beheaded. Now his conscience is
pricked when he hears that all the people are going to Jesus to hear his
message of repentance and to see his mighty works. Herod is now haunted by the
thought that the prophet he murdered might now be raised from the dead!
A
sign of vanity and cowardice
Unfortunately for Herod, he could not rid himself of sin by ridding himself of the man who confronted him with his sin. Herod's power and influence was badly flawed. He could take a strong stand on the wrong things when he knew the right. Such a stand, however, was a sign of weakness and cowardice. Where do you get the strength of will and heart to choose what is right and to reject what is bad?
Unfortunately for Herod, he could not rid himself of sin by ridding himself of the man who confronted him with his sin. Herod's power and influence was badly flawed. He could take a strong stand on the wrong things when he knew the right. Such a stand, however, was a sign of weakness and cowardice. Where do you get the strength of will and heart to choose what is right and to reject what is bad?
God
is our help and our strength
The Lord Jesus gives grace and help to the humble, to those who acknowledge their weaknesses and their sinfulness, and who look to God for his mercy and pardon, wisdom and strength. His grace and pardon not only frees us from a guilty conscience, it enables us to pursue holiness in every area of our lives, in our thoughts and intentions as well as our words and actions.
The Lord Jesus gives grace and help to the humble, to those who acknowledge their weaknesses and their sinfulness, and who look to God for his mercy and pardon, wisdom and strength. His grace and pardon not only frees us from a guilty conscience, it enables us to pursue holiness in every area of our lives, in our thoughts and intentions as well as our words and actions.
Fight
fear with faith
God's grace enables us to fight fear with faith and to overcome the temptation to compromise good with evil. Do you rely on God's grace and help to choose his way of holiness and to reject whatever would weaken your faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ?
God's grace enables us to fight fear with faith and to overcome the temptation to compromise good with evil. Do you rely on God's grace and help to choose his way of holiness and to reject whatever would weaken your faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ?
"Heavenly
Father, form in me the likeness of your Son Jesus that I may imitate him in
word and deed. Help me to live the Gospel faithfully and give me the strength
and courage I need to not shrink back in the face of hardship and
temptation."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Integrity is a hardship for the
morally corrupt, by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD)
"John
aroused Herod by his moral admonitions, not by any formal accusation. He wanted
to correct, not to suppress. Herod, however, preferred to suppress rather than
be reconciled. To those who are held captive, the freedom of the one innocent
of wrongdoing becomes hateful. Virtue is undesirable to those who are immoral;
holiness is abhorrent to those who are impious; chastity is an enemy to those
who are impure; integrity is a hardship for those who are corrupt; frugality
runs counter to those who are self-indulgent; mercy is intolerable to those who
are cruel, as is loving-kindness to those who are pitiless and justice to those
who are unjust. The Evangelist indicates this when he says, "John said to
him, ‘It is not lawful for you to have the wife of your brother Philip.'"
This is where John runs into trouble. He who admonishes those who are evil
gives offense. He who repudiates wrongdoers runs into trouble. John was saying
what was proper of the law, what was proper of justice, what was proper of salvation
and what was proper certainly not of hatred but of love. And look at the reward
he received from the ungodly for his loving concern!" (excerpt
from SERMONS 127.6-7)
[Peter
Chrysologus, 400-450 AD, was a renowned preacher and bishop of Ravena in the 5th
century]
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, MATTHEW 14:1-12
Weekday
(Leviticus 25:1, 8-17; Psalm 67)
Weekday
(Leviticus 25:1, 8-17; Psalm 67)
KEY VERSE: "This man is John the Baptist, raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him" (v. 2).
TO KNOW: As Jesus' reputation spread, Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great and the ruler of Galilee, heard of the marvelous deeds that Jesus had performed. Herod feared that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. The king had imprisoned the prophet because of his courageous stance against the ruler's illicit marriage (Lv 18:16, 20:21). Herod wanted to kill the popular prophet, but he was afraid that his death would cause the people to revolt. At Herod's birthday party, he promised his step-daughter that he would grant her any request if she would dance for his guests. Prompted by her mother, Herodias, the girl asked for John's head as her reward. Like the prophets before him, John was murdered for proclaiming the truth of God.
TO LOVE: What are today’s important issues for which I need to take a stand?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to speak out against the injustices that I see.
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, in the Liturgy, and reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary.
Saturday 3 August 2019
St Dominic
Leviticus 25:1, 8-17. Psalm 66(67):2-3, 5, 7-8. Matthew 14:1-12.
O God, let all the nations praise you – Psalm 66(67):2-3, 5,
7-8.
‘This fiftieth year you shall make sacred by proclaiming liberty
in the land for all its inhabitants.’
In Leviticus we read of the meaning of the year of jubilee. God
asks that every fiftieth year be one of jubilee, wherein we remember and
acknowledge that all that we have belongs to God – all our goods, our money,
our earth, our children. In pondering this – that all that we have, profit
from, enjoy, belongs to God and not to us – how then do we care for what we
have? To care lovingly for that which doesn’t belong to us?
This reading from Leviticus is a challenge to us to think
differently about ownership. Will we be more grateful for what is given into
our care from God? Will we be more generous in our sharing of that which
belongs to God? Do we love God enough to have a looser hold and a different
understanding of ownership? May we see all our attachments in light of God’s
faithfulness.
Saint Peter Julian Eymard
Saint of the Day for August 3
(February 4, 1811 – August 1, 1868)
 |
| Stained glass window of Saint Peter Julian Eymard | Santa Clara de Montefalco Parish Church, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila | photo by Judgefloroo |
Saint Peter Julian Eymard’s Story
Born in La Mure d’Isère in southeastern France, Peter Julian’s
faith journey drew him from being a priest in the Diocese of Grenoble in 1834,
to joining the Marists in 1839, to founding the Congregation of the Blessed
Sacrament in 1856.
In addition to those changes, Peter Julian coped with poverty,
his father’s initial opposition to Peter’s vocation, serious illness, a
Jansenistic overemphasis on sin, and the difficulties of getting diocesan and
later papal approval for his new religious community.
His years as a Marist, including service as a provincial leader,
saw the deepening of his Eucharistic devotion, especially through his preaching
of Forty Hours in many parishes. Inspired at first by the idea of reparation
for indifference to the Eucharist, Peter Julian was eventually attracted to a
more positive spirituality of Christ-centered love. Members of the men’s
community which Peter founded alternated between an active apostolic life and
contemplating Jesus in the Eucharist. He and Marguerite Guillot founded the
women’s Congregation of the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament.
Peter Julian Eymard was beatified in 1925, and canonized in
1962, one day after Vatican II’s first session ended.
Reflection
In every century, sin has been painfully real in the life of the
Church. It is easy to give in to despair, to speak so strongly of human
failings that people may forget the immense and self-sacrificing love of Jesus,
as his death on the cross and his gift of the Eucharist make evident. Peter
Julian knew that the Eucharist was key to helping Catholics live out their
baptism and preach by word and example the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 14:1-12
Lectio Divina
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father and protector,
without You nothing is holy,
nothing has value.
Guide us to everlasting life
by helping us to use wisely
the blessings You have given to the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
without You nothing is holy,
nothing has value.
Guide us to everlasting life
by helping us to use wisely
the blessings You have given to the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 14:1-12
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to
his servants, "This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the
dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him." Now Herod had
arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the
wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, "It is not lawful
for you to have her." Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the
people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for
Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and
delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of
John the Baptist." The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and
the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John
beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the
girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
3) Reflection
•Today’s Gospel describes the way in which John the Baptist was
the victim of corruption and arrogance of the government of Herod. He was
killed without due process, during a banquet of the king, with the powerful of
the kingdom. The text gives us much information on the time in which Jesus lived
and on the manner in which power was used by the powerful of that time.
• Matthew 14:1-2. Who is Jesus for Herod? The text begins by telling about the opinion which Herod had of Jesus: "This is John the Baptist himself, he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in Him.” Herod tries to understand Jesus starting from the fear which assailed him after murdering John. Herod was very superstitious and hid his fear behind the ostentation of his riches and his power.
• Matthew 14:3-5: The hidden cause of the murder of John. Galilee, the land of Jesus, was governed by Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod the Great, from the year 4 BC until the year 38 AD. Forty-three years in all! During the lifetime of Jesus, there were no changes of government in Galilee! Herod was the absolute lord of everything; he did not render an account to anyone; he did whatever passed through his mind: arrogance, lack of ethics, absolute power, without control from the people! But the one who ruled Palestine since the year 63 BC was the Roman Empire. Herod, in Galilee, so as not to be dismissed, tried to please Rome in everything. Above all, he insisted on an efficient administration which would bring riches to the Empire. His concern was his own promotion and his security. For this reason, he repressed any type of subversion. Matthew says that the reason for murdering John was because John had denounced Herod, because Herod had married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Flavius Joseph, a Jewish writer of that time, says that the true reason for the imprisonment of John the Baptist was Herod’s fear that there would be a popular revolt. Herod liked to be called the benefactor of the people, but in reality he was a tyrant (Lk 22:25). John’s denunciation of Herod was the drop that caused the glass to overflow: “It is against the Law for you to have her.” And John was put in prison.
• Matthew 14:6-12: The plot of the murderer. An anniversary and a festive banquet, with dances and orgy! Mark says that in the feast were “the great of the court, the officials and the important people of Galilee” (Mk 6:21). This is the environment in which the murder of John the Baptist is planned. John, the prophet, was a living denunciation of that corrupt system. This is why he was eliminated, as a personal revenge. All this reveals the moral weakness of Herod. So much power accumulated in the hands of one man, unable to control himself! In the enthusiasm of the feast and from the wine, Herod makes a promise by oath to Salome, the young dancer, daughter of Herodias. Superstitious as he was, he thought that he had to respect this oath and respond to the caprice of the girl, and because of this he ordered the soldier to bring the head of John on a tray and give it to the dancer, who then gave it to her mother. For Herod, the life of his subjects was worthless. He disposes of them as he would the staircases in his house!
The three characteristics of the government of Herod: the new capital, large estates, and the class of functionaries:
a) The New Capital. Tiberiade was inaugurated when Jesus was only 20 years old. It was called that in order to please Tiberius, the emperor of Rome. It was inhabited by the lords of the earth, the soldiers, the policemen, the unscrupulous judges (Lk 18:1-4). The taxes and the products of the people were channeled into it. It was there that Herod made his orgy of death (Mk 6:21-29). Tiberiades was the city of the palaces of the King, where those who wore soft, delicate dresses lived (cf. Mt 11:8). The Gospels do not record that Jesus ever entered this city.
b) The large estates. Scholars say that during the long government of Herod, the large estates grew, causing harm to community property. The Book of Enoch denounces the lords of the land and expresses the hope of the little ones: “And then the powerful and the great will no longer be the lords of the land” (En 38:4). The ideal of ancient times was the following: “Each one will peacefully sit under his vine and nobody will frighten them” (1 Mac 14:12; Mic 4:4; Zech 3:10). But the politics of the government of Herod made this ideal impossible.
c) The class of functionaries. Herod created a whole class of functionaries faithful to the project of the King: the Scribes, the merchants, the lords of the land, the officers of the market, the tax collectors, the militia, the policemen, the judges, the local heads. In every village there was a group of people which supported the government. In the Gospels, some Pharisees appear together with the Herodians (Mk 3:6; 8:15; 12:13), and that shows the alliance between the religious power and the civil power. The life of the people in the villages was very controlled, both by the government and by the religion. Much courage was necessary to begin anything new as John and Jesus did! It was the same as attracting to yourself the anger of the privileged ones, both from the religious and the civil powers.
• Matthew 14:1-2. Who is Jesus for Herod? The text begins by telling about the opinion which Herod had of Jesus: "This is John the Baptist himself, he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in Him.” Herod tries to understand Jesus starting from the fear which assailed him after murdering John. Herod was very superstitious and hid his fear behind the ostentation of his riches and his power.
• Matthew 14:3-5: The hidden cause of the murder of John. Galilee, the land of Jesus, was governed by Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod the Great, from the year 4 BC until the year 38 AD. Forty-three years in all! During the lifetime of Jesus, there were no changes of government in Galilee! Herod was the absolute lord of everything; he did not render an account to anyone; he did whatever passed through his mind: arrogance, lack of ethics, absolute power, without control from the people! But the one who ruled Palestine since the year 63 BC was the Roman Empire. Herod, in Galilee, so as not to be dismissed, tried to please Rome in everything. Above all, he insisted on an efficient administration which would bring riches to the Empire. His concern was his own promotion and his security. For this reason, he repressed any type of subversion. Matthew says that the reason for murdering John was because John had denounced Herod, because Herod had married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Flavius Joseph, a Jewish writer of that time, says that the true reason for the imprisonment of John the Baptist was Herod’s fear that there would be a popular revolt. Herod liked to be called the benefactor of the people, but in reality he was a tyrant (Lk 22:25). John’s denunciation of Herod was the drop that caused the glass to overflow: “It is against the Law for you to have her.” And John was put in prison.
• Matthew 14:6-12: The plot of the murderer. An anniversary and a festive banquet, with dances and orgy! Mark says that in the feast were “the great of the court, the officials and the important people of Galilee” (Mk 6:21). This is the environment in which the murder of John the Baptist is planned. John, the prophet, was a living denunciation of that corrupt system. This is why he was eliminated, as a personal revenge. All this reveals the moral weakness of Herod. So much power accumulated in the hands of one man, unable to control himself! In the enthusiasm of the feast and from the wine, Herod makes a promise by oath to Salome, the young dancer, daughter of Herodias. Superstitious as he was, he thought that he had to respect this oath and respond to the caprice of the girl, and because of this he ordered the soldier to bring the head of John on a tray and give it to the dancer, who then gave it to her mother. For Herod, the life of his subjects was worthless. He disposes of them as he would the staircases in his house!
The three characteristics of the government of Herod: the new capital, large estates, and the class of functionaries:
a) The New Capital. Tiberiade was inaugurated when Jesus was only 20 years old. It was called that in order to please Tiberius, the emperor of Rome. It was inhabited by the lords of the earth, the soldiers, the policemen, the unscrupulous judges (Lk 18:1-4). The taxes and the products of the people were channeled into it. It was there that Herod made his orgy of death (Mk 6:21-29). Tiberiades was the city of the palaces of the King, where those who wore soft, delicate dresses lived (cf. Mt 11:8). The Gospels do not record that Jesus ever entered this city.
b) The large estates. Scholars say that during the long government of Herod, the large estates grew, causing harm to community property. The Book of Enoch denounces the lords of the land and expresses the hope of the little ones: “And then the powerful and the great will no longer be the lords of the land” (En 38:4). The ideal of ancient times was the following: “Each one will peacefully sit under his vine and nobody will frighten them” (1 Mac 14:12; Mic 4:4; Zech 3:10). But the politics of the government of Herod made this ideal impossible.
c) The class of functionaries. Herod created a whole class of functionaries faithful to the project of the King: the Scribes, the merchants, the lords of the land, the officers of the market, the tax collectors, the militia, the policemen, the judges, the local heads. In every village there was a group of people which supported the government. In the Gospels, some Pharisees appear together with the Herodians (Mk 3:6; 8:15; 12:13), and that shows the alliance between the religious power and the civil power. The life of the people in the villages was very controlled, both by the government and by the religion. Much courage was necessary to begin anything new as John and Jesus did! It was the same as attracting to yourself the anger of the privileged ones, both from the religious and the civil powers.
4) Personal questions
• Do you know any people who died victims of corruption and
domination of the powerful? And here among us, in our community and in the
Church, are there victims of authoritarianism and of the abuse of power?
• Herod, the powerful, who thought he was the lord of life and death of people, was a coward before the great and a corrupt flatterer before the girl who danced. Cowardice and corruption marked the exercise of Herod’s power. Compare all this with the exercise of religious power and civil corruption in the different levels of society.
• Herod, the powerful, who thought he was the lord of life and death of people, was a coward before the great and a corrupt flatterer before the girl who danced. Cowardice and corruption marked the exercise of Herod’s power. Compare all this with the exercise of religious power and civil corruption in the different levels of society.
5) Concluding Prayer
The humble have seen and are glad.
Let your courage revive, you who seek God.
For God listens to the poor;
He has never scorned His captive people. (Ps 69:32-33)
Let your courage revive, you who seek God.
For God listens to the poor;
He has never scorned His captive people. (Ps 69:32-33)
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