August 3, 2026
Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 407/408
Reading 1
In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah,
in the fifth month of the fourth year,
the prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, from Gibeon,
said to me in the house of the LORD
in the presence of the priests and all the people:
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Within two years I will restore to this place
all the vessels of the temple of the LORD which Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, took away from this place to Babylon.
And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah,
son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the LORD,
‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
The prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah
in the presence of the priests and all the people assembled
in the house of the LORD, and said:
Amen! thus may the LORD do!
May he fulfill the things you have prophesied
by bringing the vessels of the house of the LORD
and all the exiles back from Babylon to this place!
But now, listen to what I am about to state in your hearing
and the hearing of all the people.
From of old, the prophets who were before you and me prophesied
war, woe, and pestilence against many lands and mighty kingdoms.
But the prophet who prophesies peace
is recognized as truly sent by the LORD
only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled.
Thereupon the prophet Hananiah took the yoke
from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it,
and said in the presence of all the people:
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Even so, within two years
I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
from off the neck of all the nations.’” At that, the prophet Jeremiah went
away.
Some time after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke
from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah,
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
Go tell Hananiah this:
Thus says the LORD:
By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
A yoke of iron I will place on the necks
of all these nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
and they shall serve him; even the beasts of the field I give him.
To the prophet Hananiah the prophet Jeremiah said:
Hear this, Hananiah!
The LORD has not sent you,
and you have raised false confidence in this people.
For this, says the LORD, I will dispatch you from the face of the earth;
this very year you shall die,
because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.
That same year, in the seventh month, Hananiah the prophet died.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 119:29,
43, 79, 80, 95, 102
R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let those turn to me who fear you
and acknowledge your decrees.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let my heart be perfect in your statutes,
that I be not put to shame.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Sinners wait to destroy me,
but I pay heed to your decrees.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
From your ordinances I turn not away,
for you have instructed me.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080326.cfm
Commentary on
Jeremiah 28:1-17
We read today of the dispute with the false prophet,
Hananiah. It is nice, of course, to hear encouraging words, but not if they are
false and misleading—that is what we see in today’s reading.
Internal evidence seems to indicate that chapters 27-28 were
a distinct unit from the rest of the text. They may have formed a special
collection for those in exile. The setting is the beginning of the reign of
King Zedekiah over Judah, and the year is 593 BC. Zedekiah had been installed
by the Babylonians as a puppet king; he would not last long.
The prophet Hananiah addresses Jeremiah, also a prophet, in
the Temple. The name ‘Hananiah’ means ‘The Lord is gracious’. It was a fitting
name for a prophet who brought soothing, but misleading, promises of the return
of the exiles and the temple vessels.
Speaking with the same words of authority that Jeremiah uses
(“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel…”), Hananiah predicts that in
two years’ time, the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon over Judah will be
broken. Everything that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away, especially the vessels
from the Temple, will be brought back. Jeconiah, the exiled son of King
Jehoiakim, and all the exiles will also return. Jehoiakim had been taken to
Babylon in 597 BC. Saying that all this would take place within two years
directly contradicted what Jeremiah had predicted earlier, namely, that the
Babylonian occupation would last 70 years (Jer 25:11-12).
Jeremiah then makes a response to Hananiah’s prophecy. In a
strongly sarcastic tone he says it would be wonderful if the words of Hananiah
were indeed true and that the exiles and the temple vessels could return. Then
he gives a warning. In the past (“from ancient times”), prophets normally would
forecast war, famine and plague. Very often their prophecies came true because
these things were likely to happen anyway. They were the results of the
people’s sinfulness and idolatry.
But Jeremiah says:
…the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that
prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the
prophet.
In other words, Hananiah’s genuineness as a prophet will
only be proved if his prophecy about Nebuchadnezzar is fully realised and peace
returns to Judah and Jerusalem. Which, of course, did not happen.
As if to prove his point by a symbolical gesture, Hananiah
then removes a wooden yoke from the shoulder of Jeremiah and smashes it. This,
he predicts, is how the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar will be broken within two years.
By so acting, Hananiah was perhaps symbolically trying to break the power of Jeremiah’s
earlier prophecies, which contradicted his own.
At that point, Jeremiah went off, but Yahweh soon had a
message for him. Hananiah is to be told:
You have broken wooden bars only to forge iron bars in
place of them!
Now, an iron yoke will be placed on the shoulders of all the
peoples Nebuchadnezzar has conquered and they will be reduced to servitude,
along with their animals. The yoke of the King of Babylon will not be broken
until the Lord sees fit to do so. It will, of course, eventually be broken, but
the pie-in-the-sky promises of Hananiah will be proved illusory.
Jeremiah then confronts Hananiah. He is no true prophet; he
has not been sent by God. Thanks to him the people have been given a false
sense of security. Hananiah will be removed and he will be sent to his death
within the year. And this indeed happened. Making false predictions was
tantamount to rebellion and was punishable by death. He who had predicted
restoration within two years himself died within two months.
The fulfilment of this short-term prophecy by Jeremiah gives
credibility to his other more important prophecies. It was, in a way, an
indication of who was the true and who was the false prophet, and which of
their predictions about the future should be believed.
Perhaps Hananiah meant well and he may even have believed
what he told the people. On the other hand, he may have been simply seeking
popularity and his own advantage. His words were in fact little more than
propaganda with little basis in reality.
Jeremiah had earned a great deal of unpopularity in
predicting suffering and defeat for his people and in telling them in the
plainest words that their difficulties were entirely due to their own failure
to follow God’s way. Very often the truth hurts, but we need to hear it. There
are times and places for encouragement (the apocalyptic literature is full of
it), but there are also times when people need to be brought face to face with
reality.
Comments Off
(Note: In liturgical Year A when Matthew’s Gospel about
the feeding of the 5,000 [Matt 14:13-21] is read on Sunday, this Gospel is read
on Monday; otherwise it is read on Tuesday of Week 18.)
Commentary on
Matthew 14:22-36
As soon as the people had been filled with the food that
Jesus gave them, Jesus packs his disciples off in the boat to the other side of
the lake. He sends the crowds away and then retreats to the mountain to pray
all by himself.
We know from John’s account that the people wanted to make him
a king. If Jesus wanted to take control of the crowd, this was the moment; they
were ready to follow enthusiastically. Jesus was indeed their King, but not the
kind they were expecting. He would draw the crowds to him in a very different
way, hanging in shame on a cross.
It looks too as if he did not want his disciples to get any
wrong ideas either. They must have been elated at their role in the
extraordinary event of feeding more than 5,000 people. So, perhaps with a lot
of grumbling, they are sent off even before the excited crowds have dispersed.
As they make their way across the lake in this dark mood,
things get even worse. They run into a big storm and their boat is being tossed
about like a cork. Then out of the darkness, between 3 and 6 in the morning
hours, they see Jesus approaching them across the water. Far from being
delighted, they are terrified out of their wits. Superstitious men that they
are, they think it is a ghost. Ghosts were very much a part of their world.
Words of encouragement come across the water:
Take heart, it is I [Greek, ego eimi =
I AM]; do not be afraid.
Jesus gives himself the very name of Yahweh; this is all the
reassurance they need. Their God is with them.
Only in Matthew’s account of this story do we have Peter’s
reaction:
Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the
water.
To which, Jesus replies:
Come.
Peter gets out of the boat and goes towards Jesus. It is an
act of love, faith and trust. But not quite enough. The power of the wind and
waves gets stronger than his desire to be with Jesus. He begins to sink.
Lord, save me!
Jesus lifts him up and says:
You of little faith, why did you doubt?
As soon as Jesus and Peter get into the boat, there is a
complete calm.
The rest of the disciples are overwhelmed and bow down
before him saying:
Truly you are the Son of God.
We have here behind this story an image of the early Church,
of which the boat and the disciples are a symbol. The surrounding water is the
world, and the wind and waves are the forces which threaten the tiny community.
Jesus seems to be far away, but he is not, and he appears in the midst of the
storm. Once he steps inside the boat, there is calm, not only because the
surrounding storm has stopped, but also because of the peace which the
awareness of Jesus’ presence gives.
There is an added element in this story in that Peter, the
leader of the community, comes hand in hand into the boat with Jesus. In time,
the authority of Jesus will be passed over to him.
There is also, of course, in the calming of the storm an
indication of Jesus’ real identity, expressed in the awe-filled words of the
disciples, “Truly you are the Son of God”, echoing Jesus’ own statement of “I
AM”.
There is a brief epilogue at the end of our passage. The
boat reaches the area of Gennesaret. The name refers either to the narrow
plain, about four miles long and less than two miles wide on the northwest
shore of the Sea of Galilee, north of Magdala, or a town in the plain.
Significantly for the work that Jesus was about to do, the plain was considered
a garden land, fertile and well-watered.
As soon as Jesus reaches the shore the crowds again gather
in huge numbers especially to have their sick cured. So great was their faith
that they asked only to touch the fringe of his garment. All those who did so
(in faith) were healed.
Jesus had sent away the crowds earlier probably because of
the late hour, but also perhaps because of the mood of the crowd which was
taking on political overtones not wanted by Jesus. But now they are back to seek
from him what he came to give them—healing and wholeness.
Comments Off
https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/monday-of-week-18-of-ordinary-time-year-a-gospel/
Monday,
August 3, 2026
Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer
Father of
everlasting goodness, our origin and guide, be close to us and hear the prayers
of all who praise you. Forgive our sins and restore us to life. Keep us safe in
your love.
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 14: 22-36
At once Jesus
made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he
sent the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills
by himself to pray.
When evening came, he was there
alone, while the boat, by now some furlongs from land, was hard pressed by
rough waves, for there was a headwind. In the fourth watch of the night he came
towards them, walking on the sea, and when the disciples saw him walking on the
sea they were terrified. 'It is a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear.
But at once Jesus called out to
them, saying, 'Courage! It's me! Don't be afraid.' It was Peter who answered.
'Lord,' he said, 'if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.' Jesus
said, 'Come.' Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus
across the water, but then noticing the wind, he took fright and began to sink.
'Lord,' he cried, 'save me!' Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. 'You
have so little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?' 32 And as they got into
the boat the wind dropped. 33 The men in the boat bowed down before him and
said, 'Truly, you are the Son of God.'
Having made the crossing, they
came to land at Gennesaret. When the local people recognized him they spread
the news through the whole
neighbourhood and took all that were sick to him, begging him
just to let them touch the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched it
were saved.
Reflection
The Gospel today describes the
difficult and tiresome crossing of the sea of Galilee in a fragile boat, pushed
by a contrary wind. Between the discourse of the Parables (Mt 13) and of the
Community (Mt 18), there is once again, the narrative part (Mt 14 to 17). The discourse
of the Parables calls our attention again on the presence of the Kingdom. Now,
the narrative part shows the reactions in favor and against Jesus provoked by
that presence. In Nazareth, he was not accepted (Mt 13: 53-58) and King Herod
thought that Jesus was a sort or reincarnation of John the Baptist, whom he had
murdered (Mt 14: 1-12). The poor people, though, recognized in Jesus the one
who had been sent by God and they followed him to the desert, where the
multiplication of the loaves took place (Mt 14: 13-21). After the
multiplication of the loaves, Jesus takes leave of the crowd and ordered the
disciples to cross the lake, as it is described in today’s Gospel (Mt 14:
22-36).
•
Matthew 14: 22-24: To begin the crossing asked
by Jesus. Jesus obliges the Disciples to go into the boat and to go toward the
other side of the sea, where the land of the pagans was. He goes up to the
mountain to pray. The boat symbolizes the community. It has the mission to
direct itself toward the pagans and to announce among them the Good News of the
Kingdom also, which was the new way of living in community. But the crossing
was very tiring and long. The boat is agitated by the wave because the wind is
contrary. Despite having rowed the whole night, there is still a great distance
left before reaching the land. Much was still lacking in the community to be
able to cross and go toward the pagans. Jesus did not go with his disciples.
They had to learn to face together the difficulties, united and strengthened by
faith in Jesus who had sent them. The contrast is very great: Jesus is in peace
together with God, praying on the top of the mountain, and the Disciples are
almost lost there below, in the agitated sea.
•
The crossing to the other side of the lake also
symbolizes the difficult crossing of the community at the end of the first
century. They should get out of the closed world of the ancient observance of
the law toward the new manner of observing the Law of love., taught by Jesus;
they should abandon the knowledge of belonging to the Chosen People, privileged
by God among all other peoples, for the certainty that in Christ all peoples
would be united into one Only People before God; they should get out from
isolation and intolerance toward the open world of acceptance and of gratitude.
Today also, we are going through a difficult crossing toward a new time and a
new way of being Church. A difficult crossing, but which is necessary. There
are moments in life in which we are attacked by fear. Good will is not lacking,
but this is not sufficient. We are like a boat faced with the contrary wind.
•
Matthew 14: 25-27: Jesus comes close to them but
they do not recognize him. Toward the end of the night, that is between three
and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus goes to meet the Disciples. Walking on
the water, he gets close to them, but they did not recognize him. They cried
out in fear, thinking that it was a ghost. Jesus calms them down saying:
“Courage! It is me! Do not be afraid!” The expression “It is me!” is the same
one with which God tried to overcome the fear of Moses when he sent him to
liberate the people from Egypt (Ex 3: 14). For the communities, of today as
well as for those of yesterday, it was and it is very important to be always
open to novelty: “Courage. It is me! Do not be afraid!”
•
Matthew 14: 28-31: Enthusiasm and weakness of
Peter. Knowing that it is
Jesus,
Peter asks that he also can walk on the water. He wants to experience
the power which dominates the fury of
the sea. This is a power which in the bible belongs only to God (Gn 1: 6; Ps
104: 6-9). Jesus allows him to participate in this power. But Peter is afraid.
He thinks that he will sink and he cries out: “Lord, save me!” Jesus assures
him and takes hold of him and reproaches him: “You have so little faith! Why
did you doubt?” Peter has more strength than he imagined but is afraid before
the contrary waves and does not believe in the power of God which dwells within
him. The communities do not believe in the force of the Spirit which is within
them and which acts through faith. It is the force of the Resurrection (Eph 1:
19-20).
•
Matthew 14: 32-33: Jesus is the Son of God.
Before the waves that come toward them, Peter begins to sink in the sea because
of lack of faith. After he is saved, he and Jesus, both of them, go into the
boat and the wind calms down. The other Disciples, who are in the boat, are
astonished and bowed before Jesus, recognizing that he is the Son of God:
“Truly, you are the Son of God”. Later on, Peter also professes the same faith
in Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (Mt 16: 16). In this
way Matthew suggests that it is not only Peter who sustains the faith of the
Disciples, but also that the faith of the Disciples sustains Peter’s faith.
•
Matthew 14: 34-36: They brought all the sick to
him. The episode of the crossing ends with something beautiful: “Having made
the crossing they came to Gennesaret. When the local people recognized him they
spread the news through the whole neighborhood and took all who were sick to him,
begging him just to let them tough the fringe of his cloak. And all those who
touched it were saved”.
Personal Questions
•
Has there been a contrary wind in your life?
What have you done to overcome it? Has this happened sometimes in the
community? How was it overcome?
•
Which is the crossing which the communities are
doing today? From where to where? How does all this help us to recognize today
the presence of Jesus in the contrary waves of life?
Concluding Prayer
Keep me far from the way of deceit, grant me the grace of your
Law.
I have chosen the way of constancy, I have moulded myself to
your judgements. (Ps 119: 29-30)
