June 17, 2025
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 366
Reading 1
We want you to know, brothers and sisters, of the grace of
God
that has been given to the churches of Macedonia,
for in a severe test of affliction,
the abundance of their joy and their profound poverty
overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
For according to their means, I can testify,
and beyond their means, spontaneously,
they begged us insistently for the favor of taking part
in the service to the holy ones,
and this, not as we expected,
but they gave themselves first to the Lord
and to us through the will of God,
so that we urged Titus that, as he had already begun,
he should also complete for you this gracious act also.
Now as you excel in every respect,
in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness,
and in the love we have for you,
may you excel in this gracious act also.
I say this not by way of command,
but to test the genuineness of your love
by your concern for others.
For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that for your sake he became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm
146:2, 5-6ab, 6c- 7, 8-9a
R.(1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD, my soul!
I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God while I live.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061725.cfm
Commentary on 2
Corinthians 8:1-9
Paul now moves on to a very different topic, namely, the
question of collecting funds to help poorer communities, especially that of
Jerusalem.
We are told in Acts that the church at Antioch in Syria sent
Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem with material relief (Acts 11:27-30). Later, Paul
organised a relief project for Jerusalem among the churches he had evangelised
and founded. Chapters 8 and 9 of 2 Corinthians contain what seem to be two
letters about this. In them, Paul not only urges the churches to give help, but
also lays out the deeper meaning of this exercise. It is both an act of charity
and an expression of unity between the churches.
The first 24 verses of chapter 8 (of which we only read the
first 9 today), form a letter of recommendation for Titus and two companions,
who are not named. The letter is written from Macedonia (Thessalonica and
Philippi, churches to which Paul addressed letters, were in Macedonia, a
province lying north of Greece). The letter begins, as we see in today’s
reading, with some ideas on sharing and equality in the Christian community.
Paul’s ideas on relieving people in need had been planted when Paul was with
the community in Philippi, but now he is expanding them to include help from
several churches together to the mother church at Jerusalem.
In writing to the Corinthians, he presents them with the
example of the Macedonians as a model of what ought to be happening in Corinth.
In encouraging the Corinthians to be generous, he puts before them the extreme
generosity of the churches in Macedonia.
We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the
grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia…
The central theme of his message is expressed by the Greek
noun charis, which is usually translated as ‘grace’, but also by
terms like ‘favour’, ‘gracious act’, ‘gracious favour’ and such.
‘Grace’ can be described as ‘the experience of being loved
by God’ or ‘God’s love tangibly experienced’. It may come as a direct gift from
God, or through another person or through some blessing which comes into my
life. A closely related term is eu charis tia, normally translated
as ‘thanksgiving’, that is, thanksgiving for the ‘graces’ received from God in
so many ways but especially in the saving work of Jesus:
…for during a severe ordeal of affliction their abundant
joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on
their part.
Three key words appear in this sentence:
- “Ordeal”
or ‘test’ (dokime): suggests being tried and found genuine.
- “Abundant”:
a word containing the idea of overflowing and excelling.
- “Generosity”:
the word haplotes has nuances which include both
simplicity and sincerity. Here it designates singleness of purpose that
manifests itself in generous giving.
The Macedonians have asked Paul insistently that they wanted
to offer what they could spare, and even more than they could afford, in order
to express their solidarity with their Christian brothers and sisters who were
worse off than themselves. Paul emphasises the spontaneity of the Macedonians
and the nature of their action. In this they were showing a true Christian
spirit, where the community’s resources are shared with those in need (the
Corinthians do not seem to be quite so spontaneous and seem to need some
pushing).
The idea that there should be rich churches and poor
churches was unacceptable and contrary to the spirit of the Gospel:
…they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will
of God, to us…
On the deepest level, their attitude is one of self-giving
and solidarity with their brothers and sisters. Through his colleague Titus,
who is in Corinth, Paul hopes that the Christians there will match the
generosity of the Macedonians and even more:
…we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a
beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you.
Apparently Paul had sent Titus to help with organising the
collection.
The Corinthians are rich in many things, Paul tells them,
perhaps with a taint of flattery, but he wants to emphasise that their wealth
will not be complete until they are also rich in giving:
Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in
knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel
also in this generous undertaking.
He is not ordering them to give but, by giving the example
of the Macedonians, is offering them a challenge and a test of the genuineness
of their faith and love.
In the concluding verse of today’s reading, Paul offers the
Corinthians the example of Jesus in a beautiful turn of phrase which we could
do well to pray over today:
For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his
poverty you might become rich.
There are scholars who think this is a reference to Jesus’
pre-existence with God (his ‘richness’) and to his incarnation and death (his
‘poverty’), and they point to the similarity between this verse and the passage
in the Letter to the Philippians:
…though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness… (Phil 2:6-8)
Others interpret the wealth and poverty as succeeding phases
of Jesus’ life on earth—his sense of intimacy with God and then the desolation
and the feeling of abandonment by God in his death:
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mark
15:34)
In either case, we think of the words of Isaiah:
…by his bruises we are healed. (Is 53:5)
In our own time we may again reflect on the life of someone
like St Teresa of Calcutta, who enriched many of us through her poverty and her
freedom from any personal possessions.
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Commentary on
Matthew 5:38-42
We continue Jesus’ interpretations of some commands of the
Mosaic Law as he pushes that law to a higher level of understanding. The saying
from the Old Testament, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is not, as
it may seem to be saying, an encouragement to take revenge. It is part of what
is known as the lex talionis (the principle of reciprocal
justice) by which punishment for an assault was to be restricted to not more
than the suffering experienced. The passage in Exodus says:
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. (Ex 21:23-25)
Jesus calls for a very different kind of response. He tells
us to offer the “evildoer” no resistance. He makes the famous recommendation to
turn the other cheek. As well:
…if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, give
your coat as well, and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second
mile. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to
borrow from you.
It is unsurprising that even in Christian circles not a
great deal of time is given to this text. Is it to be taken literally? Are we
really to allow people to walk over us and offer no resistance at all?
I think the answer is both yes and no. For many in our
modern world, turning the other cheek seems the ultimate in ‘wimpishness’ and
cowardice. Turning the other cheek is certainly not the way of countless
‘heroes’ in our movies and on our TV screens.
But Jesus did. During his trial before the Sanhedrin:
…they spat in his face and struck him, and some slapped
him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?” (Matt
26:67-68)
And Jesus’ response was silence. This was turning the other
cheek. Was this weakness or was it strength? Which is easier to do under great
provocation: to practise self-restraint and keep one’s dignity or to lash out
in retaliation? By lashing out, one comes down to the same level as one’s
attackers (of course, this is quite different from self-defence.)
In another account of Jesus’ trial, after having given an
answer to a question:
…one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the
face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?”
(John 18:22-23)
Jesus replied:
If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I
have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?
Here Jesus does respond to the attack but on a totally
different level. The physical and unreasonable attack on an unarmed person is
actively responded to on the basis of reason and non-violence. Jesus is not a
victim here, rather he is in control. And this is true of the whole experience
of the Passion. His executioners behave in the most barbaric way, but Jesus
never loses his calm and dignity right up through the very end. And that is why
we worship him as our Lord and Master. He asks us to follow in his footsteps.
Revenge, in all its various forms, is the easier way, the
more instinctive way, but it is not the better way. The way of active (not
passive) non-violence is, in the long run, far more productive, far more in
keeping with human ideals and human dignity. We have more than enough evidence
in our world of the bankruptcy of a never-ending cycle of violence and
counter-violence. We see it all over. Yet violence does not pay and revenge is
not sweet.
Turning the other cheek is not at all a sign of weakness. It
requires great inner strength, self-respect and even respect for the dignity of
one’s attacker. Jesus is calling us a long way forward and upward from “an eye
for an eye”.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/o1112g/
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Opening Prayer
Lord God, from You comes the initiative of love. You seek us
out and You tell us:
I am your God; you are my people. You love us in Jesus Christ,
Your Son.
God, may our response of love
go far beyond the demands of any
law. May we seek You and commune with You in the deepest of our being
and may we express our gratitude to
You by going to our neighbor with a love that is spontaneous like Yours. We ask
You this through Christ our Lord.
Gospel Reading - Matthew 5: 43-48
Jesus said to his disciples: "You have
heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I
say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you
may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad
and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you
love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax
collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what
is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as
your heavenly Father is perfect."
Reflection
In today’s Gospel we see how
Jesus has interpreted the commandment “You shall not kill” in such a way that
its observance leads to the practice of love. Besides saying “You shall not
kill” (Mt 5: 21), Jesus quoted four other commandments of the ancient law: you
shall not commit adultery (Mt 5: 27), you shall not bear false witness (Mt 5:
33), eye for eye, and tooth for tooth (Mt 5: 38) and, in today s Gospel, you
shall love your neighbor and will hate your enemy (Mt 5: 43), five times, Jesus
criticizes and completes the ancient way of observing these commandments and
indicates the new way to attain the objective of the law, which is the practice
of love (Mt 5: 22-26; 5: 28-32; 5: 34-37; 5: 39-42; 5: 44-48). Love your
enemies. In today's Gospel Jesus quotes the ancient law which says: You will
love your neighbor and hate your enemy. This text is not found like this in the
Old Testament. It is more a question of the mentality of the time, according to
which there was no problem if a person hated his enemy. Jesus was not in
agreement and says: But I tell you: if you love those who love you, what reward
will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much? And if you save your
greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Do not even
the gentiles do as much? You must, therefore, set no bounds to your love, just
as your heavenly Father sets none to His . And Jesus gives us the proof.
At the hour of His death He observed that which He preached.
Father, forgive them, they do not
know what they are doing. A soldier takes the wrist of Jesus and places it on
the arm of the cross, places a nail and begins to hammer it in. Several times.
The blood was flowing down. The body of Jesus contorted with pain. The soldier,
a mercenary, ignorant, far from knowing what he was doing, and of what was
happening around him, continued to hammer as if it were a piece of the wall of
his house and he had to put up a picture. At that moment Jesus prays for the
soldier who tortures Him and addresses His prayer to the Father: Father,
forgive them! They know not what they are doing! He loved the soldier who
killed Him. Even wanting it with all their strength, the lack of humanity did
not succeed to kill in Jesus His humanity and love! He will be imprisoned, they
will spit on Him, will laugh and make fun of Him, they will make of Him a false
king crowning Him with a crown of thorns, they will torture Him, will oblige
Him to go through the streets like a criminal hearing the insults of the
religious authority. On Calvary they will leave Him completely naked in the
sight of all. But the poison of this lack of humanity did not succeed in
suppressing the source of love and humanity which sprang from within Jesus. The
water of the love which sprang from within was stronger than the poison of
hatred which was coming from without. Looking at that soldier, Jesus felt
sorrow and prayed for him and for all: Father, forgive them! They know not what
they are doing! Jesus, in solidarity, almost excuses those who were
ill-treating and torturing Him. He was like a brother who goes with his
murderous brothers before the judge and he, the victim of his own brothers,
says to the judge: They are my brothers, you know they are ignorant. Forgive
them! They will become better! He loved the enemy!
Be perfect as is your Father who is in
Heaven. Jesus does not want to frighten, because this would be useless. He
wants to change the system of human living altogether. The notion which He
constructs comes from the new experience He has from God the Father, full of
tenderness and who accepts all! The words of threat against the rich cannot be
an occasion of revenge on the part of the poor. Jesus orders that we have a
contrary attitude: Love your enemies! True love cannot depend on what one
receives from others. Love should want the good of others independently of what
they do for me. This is the way God s love is for us.
Personal Questions
•
Am I capable to love my enemies?
•
Contemplate Jesus, in silence, who at the hour
of His death, loved the enemy who killed Him.
Concluding Prayer
How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the
Law of Yahweh! Blessed are those who observe His instructions, who seek Him
with all their hearts (Ps 119: 1-2)
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