July 1, 2025
Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 378
Reading 1
As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying,
"On your way!
Take with you your wife and your two daughters who are here,
or you will be swept away in the punishment of Sodom."
When he hesitated, the men, by the LORD's mercy,
seized his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters
and led them to safety outside the city.
As soon as they had been brought outside, he was told:
"Flee for your life!
Don't look back or stop anywhere on the Plain.
Get off to the hills at once, or you will be swept away."
"Oh, no, my lord!" Lot replied,
"You have already thought enough of your servant
to do me the great kindness of intervening to save my life.
But I cannot flee to the hills to keep the disaster from overtaking me,
and so I shall die.
Look, this town ahead is near enough to escape to.
It's only a small place.
Let me flee there–it's a small place, is it not?–
that my life may be saved."
"Well, then," he replied,
"I will also grant you the favor you now ask.
I will not overthrow the town you speak of.
Hurry, escape there!
I cannot do anything until you arrive there."
That is why the town is called Zoar.
The sun was just rising over the earth as Lot arrived in Zoar;
at the same time the LORD rained down sulphurous fire
upon Sodom and Gomorrah
from the LORD out of heaven.
He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain,
together with the inhabitants of the cities
and the produce of the soil.
But Lot's wife looked back, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.
Early the next morning Abraham went to the place
where he had stood in the LORD's presence.
As he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah
and the whole region of the Plain,
he saw dense smoke over the land rising like fumes from a furnace.
Thus it came to pass: when God destroyed the Cities of the Plain,
he was mindful of Abraham by sending Lot away from the upheaval
by which God overthrew the cities where Lot had been living.
Responsorial Psalm
R.(3a) O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
Search me, O LORD, and try me;
test my soul and my heart.
For your mercy is before my eyes,
and I walk in your truth.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
Gather not my soul with those of sinners,
nor with men of blood my life.
On their hands are crimes,
and their right hands are full of bribes.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
But I walk in integrity;
redeem me, and have mercy on me.
My foot stands on level ground;
in the assemblies I will bless the LORD.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
"Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?"
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070125.cfm
Commentary on
Genesis 19:15-29
In today’s reading we move to the destruction of the two
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as a punishment for their terrible immorality.
Omitted is the scene when the two men, who are now being called ‘angels’
(Greek, angelos, meaning ‘messenger’) and who represent God’s own
presence, are offered hospitality in Lot’s house. It is while they are there
that that all the men of Sodom, both young and old, come demanding to “know”
(in a sexual sense) the visitors. Rather than abuse his solemn obligations of
hospitality, Lot offers his two virgin daughters instead. To our way of
thinking today, it was an abhorrent and horrifying offer, but it shows that, at
that time and in that culture, the demands of hospitality even outweighed other
very personal considerations. Sadly, a more terrible example of this is in the
Book of Judges (19:22-28).
In the end, the men of Sodom are dazzled by a blinding light
so that they cannot find their way into the house. The men/angels warn Lot of
the coming catastrophe and urge the family to flee at once. But when he makes
the announcement to his family, Lot’s sons-in-law refuse to take him seriously.
Their scepticism will seal their doom (perhaps this is also a device to exclude
non-relatives of Abraham being saved?).
At dawn the following morning, the angels again urge Lot to
leave with his household unless he wants to share the fate of the two cities.
But Lot is still hesitant. Is he reluctant to leave behind all his wealth and
prosperity? But the men take Lot by the hand together with his wife and two
daughters and forcibly bring them to a place outside Sodom. This is seen as an
act of God’s mercy, and it might be noticed that only the direct relatives of
Abraham are so rescued—the in-laws are left to their own devices.
Once outside the city, Lot is told to flee the Plain where
the cities are and take to the hills. Again, Lot is reluctant to do what he is
told:
Oh, no, my lords; your servant has found favor with you,
and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life, but I cannot flee to
the hills, for fear the disaster will overtake me and I die.
He is also afraid of being attacked and robbed in
uninhabited places. He suggests being allowed to take refuge in another smaller
city which is not far away and where he would be safer.
We are told “He replied” (presumably the Lord) and grants
this concession and promises that this city will not be destroyed. But again,
he urges Lot to get there as quickly as possible “for I can do nothing until
you arrive there”. This city, we are told, was called Zoar, a word related to
the Hebrew misear, meaning ‘a trifling thing’. The town lay to the
southeast of the Dead Sea. Later, during the Roman period, an earthquake
occurred and the town was flooded; it was rebuilt higher up the shore and
inhabited until the Middle Ages.
By now the sun is already up. And at that moment fire and
sulphur rained down from heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah. The two cities were
destroyed and all the Plain with them, including all the inhabitants and all
plant life.
According to historians, it is usually understood that the
cause was volcanic, and there was a huge earthquake. This would naturally be
accompanied by a disastrous fire, especially in a region containing bitumen and
its accompanying gases. The text enables us to locate the catastrophe in the
southern part of the Dead Sea. The subsidence of the southern half of the Dead
Sea bed is known to be recent as geologists reckon, and the whole district is
still geologically unstable. The doomed towns were, besides Sodom and Gomorrah,
Admah and Zebolim. Of course, it was understood by the sacred authors as
punishment for the terrible immorality of Sodom and Gomorrah, and bears
resemblance to the story of the Flood, where just one family, loyal to Yahweh,
survived.
As Lot and his family fled, his wife, who disobeyed the
order not to look back, was turned into a pillar of salt. Now only three people
have survived—Lot and his two daughters (who had a double escape). The southern
end of the Dead Sea features colossal salt pillars and perhaps one of them
suggested the appearance of a woman and hence the legend.
Meanwhile, Abraham went early in the morning to the place
where he had spoken with the Lord and:
…he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all
the land of the plain and saw the smoke of the land going up like the smoke of
a furnace.
From the heights east of Hebron, Abraham could easily see
the region at the southern end of the Dead Sea, where the Cities of the Plain
were probably located. The passage from Genesis concludes:
So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the
plain, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow,
when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had settled.
The reading ends with the suggestion that Lot’s being saved
was less for his own sake than for the sake of his uncle, Abraham. Earlier,
when they were dividing the land between them, it had been suggested that Lot
had made a less wise and more selfish choice in picking that area. He has now
lost it all.
As we saw in the First Reading commentary for Monday of Week
13 in Ordinary Time, there is much discussion now about the nature of the real
sin of the people of Sodom. Traditionally it has been seen as a condemnation of
homosexual acts (Lev 20:13). Such acts were considered an abomination by the
Jews and were regarded as typical of the surrounding gentile peoples (Lev
20:23).
Others however would see the sin of Sodom as the violation
of the respect due to visitors, a sin against hospitality. Hospitality towards
strangers has almost a sacred character among the people of the Middle East.
This is seen in Lot’s anguished thought to even offer his daughters to address
the lust of the townspeople, rather than dishonour his visitors.
The Church today (see The Catechism of the Catholic
Church, 2357-2359) distinguishes between homosexual acts (teaching that
these are objectively sinful) and homosexual inclination (attraction to members
of the same sex that is not subject to one’s own free will). The Church now
recognizes that a minority of men and women are so constituted that they are
sexually attracted primarily to people of their own gender. We are called to
treat all people with compassion and to support and encourage all persons to
live out Jesus’ call to holiness. We do this by obeying the Commandments,
following the teaching of the Church as it evolves over time, and acting in
accord with our informed conscience.
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Commentary on
Matthew 8:23-27
In the previous verses to today’s reading, Jesus tells his
disciples to get into a boat and cross to the other side of the Sea of Gallilee
(also know as the Lake of Tiberias). As they crossed the lake, a storm suddenly
blew up. It seems this is a common feature of Sea of Galilee.
The word that Matthew uses for ‘storm’ should actually be
translated ‘earthquake’. It was a word commonly used in apocalyptic literature
for the shaking of the old world as God brings in his Kingdom. The Synoptic
Gospels use the word in describing the events leading up to the final coming of
Jesus. It indicates that there is more to this story than just a narrative.
While waves crashed into the boat, Jesus remained fast
asleep. In great fear, the disciples woke up him:
Lord, save us! We are perishing!
Jesus was not very sympathetic:
Why are you afraid, you of little faith?
Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and sea. There
immediately followed a complete calm.
The disciples were awestruck and, in a way, were more afraid
than ever. A storm they could understand, but not what they saw Jesus doing.
What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea
obey him?
In their book, only one person could have this kind of
power—God himself. Their question contained its own answer. It was a further
step in their realising just who Jesus their Master really was.
We can, however, read another meaning into this story. We
can understand it as a kind of parable about the early Church, the Church for
which Matthew is writing. It was a Church consisting of many, small scattered
communities or churches. They were surrounded by large, pagan and often very
hostile peoples. Each little church community must have felt like those
disciples in the boat with Jesus surrounded by a large expanse of water.
Sometimes that water got very angry and threatened to engulf their boat.
At the same time, Jesus their Lord seemed to be very far
away; he seemed to be asleep, unaware and uncaring of their plight. The fact
that in the Gospel today they address him as “Lord” would indicate that the
story points more to their present situation as isolated communities in a very
uncertain world. Then they would come to realise that Jesus really was with
them and that he did care a lot. And peace would come back to them again. But
the peace would be in their hearts; the sea around them might be just as stormy
as ever.
This is something for us to learn. Most of the time we can
do very little to change the world around us or change the people who bother
us. Maybe we have no right to make them change. But we can change; we can learn
to see things in a different way; we can learn to be proactive instead of
reactive. Above all, we can learn to be aware that God is close to us at all
times, that he does know, that he does care, and that, instead of taking
problems and crises away, he helps us to go through them and keep our peace.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/o1133g/
Tuesday,
July 1, 2025
Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer
Father,
You call Your children to walk in the light of
Christ.
Free us from darkness and keep us in the
radiance of Your truth.
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.
Gospel Reading - Matthew 8: 23-27
As Jesus got into a boat,
his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so
that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke
him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" He said to them,
"Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?" Then he got up,
rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed
and said, "What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea
obey?"
Reflection
Matthew writes for the converted Jews of the
years 70’s who felt lost like a boat in the middle of a stormy sea, without the
hope of being able to get to the desired port. Jesus seems to be asleep in the
boat and it seems to them that no divine power will come to save them from the
persecution. In the face of this desperate and anguished situation, Matthew
puts together several episodes of the life of Jesus to help the community
discover, in the midst of an apparent absence, the welcoming and powerful
presence of Jesus the conqueror who dominates the sea (Mt 8: 23-27), who
conquers and casts away the power of evil (Mt 9: 28-34) and who has the power
to forgive sins (Mt 9: 1-8). In other words, Matthew wants to communicate hope
and to suggest that the communities have no reason to fear. This is the reason
for the narration of the storm calmed by Jesus in today’s Gospel.
•
Matthew 8: 23: The starting point: to enter into the boat. Matthew
follows the Gospel of Mark but makes it shorter and inserts it in the new
outline which he has adopted. In Mark, the day had been very tiring because of
the work that they had done. Having finished the discourse of the parables (Mk
4: 334), the disciples take Jesus into the boat and He was so tired that He
fell asleep on a cushion (Mk 4: 38). Matthew’s text is very brief. It only says
that Jesus went into the boat and that the disciples accompanied Him. Jesus is
the Master. The disciples follow the Master.
•
Matthew 8: 24-25: The desperate situation: “We are lost!” The Lake of
Galilee is close to high mountains. Sometimes, as the wind is forced upward by
the mountains, moisture condenses over the lake causing a sudden storm. Strong
wind, agitated sea, and a boat full of water are the result! The
disciples were experienced fishermen. If they
thought that they were about to sink, it meant that the situation was truly
dangerous! Jesus, however, is not aware and continues to sleep. They cried out,
“Save us, Lord, we are lost!” In Matthew the profound sleep of Jesus is not
only a sign of tiredness. It is also the expression of the calm trust of Jesus
in God. The contrast between the attitude of Jesus and that of the disciples is
enormous!
•
Matthew 8: 26: The reaction of Jesus: “Why are you so frightened, you
who have so little faith!” Jesus wakes up, not because of the waves, but
because of the desperate cry of the disciples. He turns to them saying, “Why
are you so frightened, you who have so little faith!” He then stood up and
rebuked the winds and the sea, because there was no danger. It is like when one
arrives at a friend’s house, and the dog, at the side of his master, barks very
much. One should not be afraid, because the master is present and controls the
situation. The episode of the storm calmed by Jesus evokes the episode, when
people, without fear, passed across the water of the sea (Ex 14: 22). Jesus
recreates this episode. He recalls the prophet Isaiah who said to the people:
“If you have to go across the water, I will be with you!” (Isa 43: 2). The
episode of the calmed storm recalls and fulfills the prophecy announced in
Psalm 107:
•
Those who ploughed the waves in the sea on the ships, plying their
trade on the great ocean, they have seen the works of the Lord, His wonders in
the deep.
•
By His word He raised a storm-wind lashing up towering waves.
•
Up to the sky then down to the depths; their stomachs were turned to
water. They staggered and reeled like drunkards, and all their skill went
under.
•
They cried out to Yahweh in their distress. He rescued them from their
plight. He reduced the storm to calm, and all the waters subsided.
•
He brought them overjoyed at the stillness, to the port where they
were bound (Ps 107: 23-30)
•
Matthew 8: 27: The fear of the disciples: “Who is this man?” Jesus
asks, “Why are you so frightened?” The disciples do not know what to answer.
Astounded, they ask themselves, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind
and the sea obey Him?” Despite the long time that they had lived with Jesus,
they still do not know who He is. Jesus seems to be a foreigner to them! Who is
this man?
Who is this man? Who is
Jesus for us, for me? This should be the question which urges us to continue to
read the Gospel, every day, with the desire always to better know the
significance and the importance of the person of Jesus for our life. From this
question comes Christology. It does not come from elevated theological
considerations, but from the desire of the first Christians to always find new
names and titles to express what Jesus meant for them. There are tens of names,
titles, and attributes, from that of carpenter to Son of God, which Jesus
expresses: Messiah, Christ, Lord, Beloved Son, Holy One of God, Nazarene, Son
of Man, Spouse, Son of God, Son of the Most High
God, Carpenter, Son of Mary, Prophet, Master,
Son of David, Rabboni, Blessed
is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Son,
Shepherd, Bread of Life, Resurrection, Light of the world, Way, Truth, Life,
King of the Jews, King of Israel, etc. Every name, every image, is an effort to
express what Jesus means for them. A name, no matter how beautiful it is, never
succeeds in revealing the mystery of a person, and much less of the person of
Jesus. Jesus does not enter into any of these names, outlines, or titles. He
exceeds everything; He is the greatest! He cannot be put into a frame. Love
takes up all this, not the mind! Starting from this experience of a love which
is alive, the names, the titles and the images receive their full significance.
Definitively, who is Jesus for me, for us?
Personal Questions
•
What was the agitated sea at the time of Jesus? What was the agitated
sea at the time when Matthew wrote his Gospel? Today, what is the agitated sea
for us? Have you ever been on the point of drowning in the agitated waters of
the sea of your life? What saved you?
•
Who is Jesus for me? Which is the name of Jesus which expresses my
faith and my love better?
•
Do I take time to ask and pray for “the peace of Christ,” to have calm
in my personal storms?
Concluding Prayer
Each age will praise Your deeds to the next,
proclaiming Your mighty works.
Your renown is the splendor of Your glory,
I will ponder the story
of Your wonders. (Ps 145: 4-5)
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