Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 92
Lectionary: 92
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar,
from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot,
and plant it on a high and lofty mountain;
on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.
It shall put forth branches and bear fruit,
and become a majestic cedar.
Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it,
every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
And all the trees of the field shall know
that I, the LORD,
bring low the high tree,
lift high the lowly tree,
wither up the green tree,
and make the withered tree bloom.
As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar,
from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot,
and plant it on a high and lofty mountain;
on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.
It shall put forth branches and bear fruit,
and become a majestic cedar.
Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it,
every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
And all the trees of the field shall know
that I, the LORD,
bring low the high tree,
lift high the lowly tree,
wither up the green tree,
and make the withered tree bloom.
As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16
R. (cf. 2a) Lord,
it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
Reading 2 2 COR 5:6-10
Brothers and sisters:
We are always courageous,
although we know that while we are at home in the body
we are away from the Lord,
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Yet we are courageous,
and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Therefore, we aspire to please him,
whether we are at home or away.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each may receive recompense,
according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
We are always courageous,
although we know that while we are at home in the body
we are away from the Lord,
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Yet we are courageous,
and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Therefore, we aspire to please him,
whether we are at home or away.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each may receive recompense,
according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Meditation: What the
kingdom of God is like
What can mustard seeds teach us about the kingdom of
God? The tiny mustard seed literally grew to be a tree which attracted numerous
birds because they loved the little black mustard seed it produced. God's
kingdom works in a similar fashion. It starts from the smallest beginnings in
the hearts of men and women who are receptive to God's word. And it works
unseen and causes a transformation from within. Just as a seed has no power to
change itself until it is planted in the ground, so we cannot change our lives
to be like God until God gives us the power of his Holy Spirit.
The transforming power of the Word of God
The Lord of the Universe is ever ready to transform us by the power of his Spirit. Are you ready to let God change you by his life-giving Word and Spirit? The kingdom of God produces a transformation in those who receive the new life which Jesus Christ offers. When we yield to the Lord Jesus and allow his word to take root in us, our lives are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Paul the Apostle says, "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Do you believe in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit?
The Lord of the Universe is ever ready to transform us by the power of his Spirit. Are you ready to let God change you by his life-giving Word and Spirit? The kingdom of God produces a transformation in those who receive the new life which Jesus Christ offers. When we yield to the Lord Jesus and allow his word to take root in us, our lives are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Paul the Apostle says, "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Do you believe in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit?
The cross of Jesus is the Tree of Life
Peter Chrysologous (400-450 AD), an early church father, explained how the " tree of the cross" spread its branches throughout the world and grew into a worldwide community of faith offering its fruit to the whole world:
Peter Chrysologous (400-450 AD), an early church father, explained how the " tree of the cross" spread its branches throughout the world and grew into a worldwide community of faith offering its fruit to the whole world:
It is up to us to sow this mustard seed in
our minds and let it grow within us into a great tree of understanding reaching
up to heaven and elevating all our faculties; then it will spread out branches
of knowledge, the pungent savor of its fruit will make our mouths burn, its fiery
kernel will kindle a blaze within us inflaming our hearts, and the taste of it
will dispel our unenlightened repugnance. Yes, it is true: a mustard seed is
indeed an image of the kingdom of God. Christ is the kingdom of heaven. Sown
like a mustard seed in the garden of the virgin’s womb, he grew up into the
tree of the cross whose branches stretch across the world. Crushed in the
mortar of the passion, its fruit has produced seasoning enough for the
flavoring and preservation of every living creature with which it comes in
contact. As long as a mustard seed remains intact, its properties lie dormant;
but when it is crushed they are exceedingly evident. So it was with Christ; he
chose to have his body crushed, because he would not have his power concealed….
Christ became all things in order to restore all of us
in himself. The man Christ received the mustard seed which represents the
kingdom of God; as man he received it, though as God he had always possessed
it. He sowed it in his garden, that is in his bride, the Church. The Church is
a garden extending over the whole world, tilled by the plough of the gospel,
fenced in by stakes of doctrine and discipline, cleared of every harmful weed
by the labor of the apostles, fragrant and lovely with perennial flowers:
virgins’ lilies and martyrs’ roses set amid the pleasant verdure of all who
bear witness to Christ and the tender plants of all who have faith in him. Such
then is the mustard seed which Christ sowed in his garden. When he promised a
kingdom to the patriarchs, the seed took root in them; with the prophets it
sprang up; with the apostles it grew tall; in the Church it became a great tree
putting forth innumerable branches laden with gifts. And now you too must take
the wings of the psalmist’s dove, gleaming gold in the rays of divine sunlight,
and fly to rest for ever among those sturdy, fruitful branches. No snares are
set to trap you there; fly off, then, with confidence and dwell securely in its
shelter. (SERMON 98)
Do you allow the seed of
God's word to take deep root in your life and transform you into a
fruit-bearing disciple of Jesus Christ?
"Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and
transform me into the Christ-like holiness you desire. Increase my zeal for
your kingdom and instill in me a holy desire to live for your greater
glory."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: God gave us what was most precious, by
Isaac of Nineveh (a Syrian monk, teacher, and bishop), 613-700 A.D.
"The sum of all is
God, the Lord of all, who from love of his creatures has delivered his Son to
death on the cross. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
Son for it. Not that he was unable to save us in another way, but in this way
it was possible to show us his abundant love abundantly, namely, by bringing us
near to him by the death of his Son. If he had anything more dear to him, he
would have given it to us, in order that by it our race might be his. And out
of his great love he did not even choose to urge our freedom by compulsion,
though he was able to do so. But his aim was that we should come near to him by
the love of our mind. And our Lord obeyed his Father out of love for
us." (excerpt from ASCETICAL HOMILY
74.28)
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Ezekiel 17:22-24
In the history of Judah there were three deportations to Babylon: in 605, eight years later in 597, and again eleven years later in 586. All three deportations were carried out by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The first deportation took place while Jerusalem was under siege and included the young prophet Daniel. During another siege of Jerusalem, King Jehoiachin and about ten thousand men, especially soldiers and metal workers were deported in what became known as the second deportation; Ezekiel was among the captives. When Jerusalem fell in 586, all the people of Judah, except the poorest of the land and those who had escaped to neighboring countries, were carried away.
Ezekiel, whose name means “God strengthens,” was of priestly stock, probably a member of the house of Sadoc, and himself a priest. He was married, but does not seem to have had any children. In Babylon he lived in his own house, the exiles of this period having been allowed to take their families and the moveable possessions with them. The exiles, although comfortable, were painfully aware that they were captives. They were cut off from the Temple. They felt that their ancestors had offended Yahweh but that His anger would soon be appeased and then they would return to their own land.
Ezekiel received his prophetic calling in 593 (four years after his deportation) and his first duty was to convince his fellow exiles that their expectation of an early return was in vain; as was their faith in the inviolability of the Temple. Yahweh had decreed the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and the dispersion of the people of Judah. A fact which came to pass seven years later. The fall of Jerusalem demonstrated the truth of Ezekiel’s prophetic mission; now Ezekiel had to drive home the all-important truth that the people were not suffering for the sins of their forefathers, but for their own sinfulness. If a man truly repents, he will be saved.
With the Temple destroyed, the people were crushed and humiliated, they were on the verge of despair. Ezekiel offered words of comfort and hope. It is of this hope that we hear today as the sacred author uses a literary tool known as an A-B-A sandwich; a device which uses two allegories (an allegory is a literary composition in which each detail signifies some reality) to bracket the interpretation. In this case, Chapter 17 is the entire sandwich with verses 1 through 10 (the allegory of two eagles) forming one side, verses 11 through 21 being the interpretation, and our reading (verses 22 through 24) being the second allegory. To better understand the reading, we will read through the entire A-B-A sandwich.
First Allegory
17:1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me: 2 Son of man, propose a riddle, and speak this proverb to the house of Israel: 3 Thus speaks the Lord GOD: The great eagle,
The great eagle is Nebuchadnezzar.
with great wings, with long pinions, with thick plumage, many-hued, came to Lebanon.
Lebanon is an image for Israel, particularly Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 22:6; Zedekiah 11:1-3; Isaiah 10:34).
He took the crest of the cedar, 4 tearing off its topmost branch,
The topmost twig is Jehoiachin, king of Judah, who was taken into captivity with Ezekiel (2 Kings 24:8-15).
And brought it to a land of tradesmen, set it in a city of merchants.
Babylon
5 Then he took some seed of the land, and planted it in a seedbed;
The seed represents Zedekiah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, who was named king in his place (2 Kings 24:17-18).
A shoot by plentiful waters, like a willow he placed it, 6 To sprout and grow up a vine, dense and low-lying, Its branches turned toward him, its roots lying under him. Thus it became a vine, produced branches and put forth shoots.
The willow and vine are references to something which grows rapidly. Those of us in the south can associate kudzu with this same phenomenon.
7 But there was another great eagle,
This great eagle is Pasammetichus II of Egypt; with whom Zedekiah had made a covenant to help lift the Babylonian attack in 588 (Jeremiah 37:4-11).
great of wing, rich in plumage; To him this vine bent its roots, sent out its branches, That he might water it more freely than the bed where it was planted. 8 In a fertile field by plentiful waters it was planted, to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a majestic vine. 9 Say: Thus says the Lord GOD: Can it prosper? Will he not rather tear it out by the roots and strip off its fruit, so that all its green growth will wither when he pulls it up by the roots? (No need of a mighty arm or many people to do this.) 10 True, it is planted, but will it prosper? Will it not rather wither, when touched by the east wind, in the bed where it grew?
The east wind is the desert sirocco, a hot drying wind that withers crops. It is a metaphor for God’s anger (Exodus 10:13; 14:21; Psalm 78:26). This instrument of wrath was Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah was a weak king who had been appointed by Nebuchadnezzar when Jehoiachin was exiled. Zedekiah was caught between the king of Babylon to whom he had sworn a covenant of alliance (2 Chronicles 36:13) and the king of Egypt to whom he had appealed for help. Both Ezekiel and Jeremiah spoke of the allegiance which Zedekiah owed to Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:1-7).
Interpretation
11 Thus the word of the LORD came to me: 12 Son of man, say now to the rebellious house: Do you not understand what this means? It is this: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took away its king and princes with him to Babylon. 13 Then he selected a man of the royal line with whom he made a covenant, binding him under oath, while removing the nobles of the land, 14 so that the kingdom would remain a modest one, without aspirations, and would keep his covenant and obey him. 15 But this man rebelled against him, sending envoys to Egypt to obtain horses and a great army. Can he prosper? Can he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still go free? 16 As I live, says the Lord GOD, in the home of the king who set him up to rule, whose oath he spurned, whose covenant with him he broke, there in Babylon I swear he shall die! 17 When ramps are cast up and siege towers are built for the destruction of many lives, he shall not be saved in the conflict by Pharaoh with a great army and numerous troops. 18 He spurned his oath, breaking his covenant. Though he gave his hand in pledge, he did all these things. He shall not escape!
These verses emphasize why Ezekiel considers Zedekiah’s rejection of Babylon so wrong: he has broken a solemn covenant with Nebuchadnezzar – a covenant sworn before God.
19 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, my oath which he spurned, my covenant which he broke, I swear to bring down upon his head. 20 I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there over his breaking faith with me. 21 All the crack troops among his forces shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered in every direction. Thus you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken.
The accusation continues but with the third-person description becoming a first-person speech of God. The covenant is no longer seen as between Zedekiah and Nebuchadnezzar, but between Zedekiah and God, since the covenant was sworn using God’s name. It is God who brings the judgment; even though He will use Babylon as the instrument of punishment
Second Allegory
22 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, And plant it on a high and lofty mountain; 23 on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.
The tender shoot represents a future king from the house of David (2 Samuel 7:13). Nazareth (from nezer, meaning shoot or branch) is the shoot of Jesse (Isaiah 15:1). Jesse was the father of King David.
It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
The birds hearken back to the story of Noah’s ark (Genesis 6:20) where the term is part of the description of all living things.
24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, Bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, Wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
The majestic cedar of the preceding verse is the symbol of the royal house of Judah. If this majestic cedar is the King of Judah, the “trees of the field” are the surrounding kings and they will know that God humbles the mighty and raises up a new power from nothing. God brings up a new king of the Jews to rescue them from the lowly state of punishment to which Judah has fallen. The cedar is the messianic tree of David.
2nd Reading - 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
Saint Paul now continues our reading from last week by teaching about our heavenly dwelling which is our ultimate destination and how we are to work to achieve it.
6 So we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
This earthly tent we occupy is not our home; our home is in heaven. We are just passing through this place. We are shown in other places (Acts 16:16-40; 22:22-29; Romans 13:1-7; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Ephesians 4:28) that just because we are not “with the Lord” now, doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t concern ourselves with building up the earthly city.
“We who in this world are ‘away from the Lord’ walk about on earth, it is true, but we are hastening on our way to heaven. For here we do not have a lasting place, but we are wayfarers and pilgrims, like all our fathers” [Saint Jerome (after A.D. 392), Short Commentaries On The Psalms, 63].
“This council exhorts Christians, as citizens of two cities, to strive to discharge their earthly duties conscientiously and in response he Gospel spirit. They are mistaken who, knowing that we have here no abiding city but seek one which is to come (Hebrews 13:14), think that they may therefore shirk their earthly responsibilities. For they are forgetting that by the faith itself they are more obliged than ever to measure up to these duties, each according to his proper vocation (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Ephesians 4:28). ... The Christian who neglects his temporal duties, neglects his duties toward his neighbor and even God, and jeopardizes his eternal salvation. Christians should rather rejoice that, following the example of Christ Who worked as an artisan, they are free to give proper exercise to all their earthly activities and to their humane, domestic, professional, social and technical enterprises by gathering them into one vital synthesis with religious values, under whose supreme direction all things are harmonized unto God’s glory” [Vatican II (7 December 1965), Gaudium et spes, 43].
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Our faith is the light which shows us the way as we progress toward eternal life.
8 Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Here we see Saint Paul’s conviction that he will meet the Lord when he dies (Philippians 1:21-23). When we reach our home in heaven, we will no longer need the light of faith, because God Himself and Jesus the Christ will be our light (Revelation 21:23).
9 Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
The Magisterium of the Church has defined [Benedict XII (29 January 1336), Benedictus Deus, 1000] that souls will receive their eternal reward or punishment immediately after death – or after they pass through purgatory, if they have to do so. The reward or punishment, given at the particular judgment and ratified at the general judgment at the end of time, is based on a person’s merits gained during his life on earth. Once he has died, he can no longer merit. Saint Paul is pleading with us to do everything we can in this life to please the Lord.
“Those who drag in a doctrine of moral indifference do violence to some few passages of Scripture, thinking that they support their own love of pleasure; in particular, the passage For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14). But there are other such passages, which there is no good reason to record for these purposes, as I am not equipping a pirate ship! Let me quickly cut through their attempt. The admirable apostle in person will refute their charge in the words with which he continues the previous quotation: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not! (Romans 6:15). With these inspired prophetic words, at a single stroke he undoes the sophistical skill at the service of pleasure. So they have not understood, it seems that ‘we must all appear before Christ’s tribunal, where each must receive what is due to him for his physical conduct, good or bad,’ that is, where a person may receive recompense for what he has done by means of his body” [Saint Clement of Alexandria (after A.D. 202), Stromaties, 3,8,61].
Gospel - Mark 4:26-34
According to Mark’s gospel, Jesus began teaching in parables shortly after appointing the twelve. A parable is a wise saying or short fictitious story used by Jesus to set forth His teaching. Parables may contain allegorical elements. Today we hear the parables of the growing seed and of the mustard seed.
26 He said,”This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land 27 and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”
Jesus is telling His disciples about His Church: The preaching of the gospel (the generously scattered seed) will unfailingly yield its fruit, independent of who sows or reaps – it is God who gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).
30 He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it?
This also refers to the action of grace in each soul: God silently works a transformation in each one of us causing us to make resolutions which shape our soul. We resolve to be faithful, surrender ourselves, respond to grace. Our callings and responses may be different as we are individuals (Ephesians 4:11-13). Even though we must make the decision to become a follower of Christ, it is the Holy Spirit who, working within us, gives a supernatural tone to our thoughts, desires and actions.
31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
The main meaning of this parable has to do with the contrast between the great and the small. The seed of the Kingdom of God on earth is something very tiny to begin with (Luke 12:32; Acts 1:19); but it will grow to be a big tree. The seed is planted in Peter and the apostles, has set its roots in Rome, and has grown to be a big tree; one which encompasses the whole world; a great multitude which “no man can number” (Revelation 7:9).
This growth also occurs in each soul. As predicted in the responsorial psalm [Psalm 92:12 (92:13 in the New American Bible)] “The righteous grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” To allow the mercy of God to exalt us, to make us grow, we must make ourselves small, humble.
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. 34 Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Ezekiel 17:22-24
In the history of Judah there were three deportations to Babylon: in 605, eight years later in 597, and again eleven years later in 586. All three deportations were carried out by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The first deportation took place while Jerusalem was under siege and included the young prophet Daniel. During another siege of Jerusalem, King Jehoiachin and about ten thousand men, especially soldiers and metal workers were deported in what became known as the second deportation; Ezekiel was among the captives. When Jerusalem fell in 586, all the people of Judah, except the poorest of the land and those who had escaped to neighboring countries, were carried away.
Ezekiel, whose name means “God strengthens,” was of priestly stock, probably a member of the house of Sadoc, and himself a priest. He was married, but does not seem to have had any children. In Babylon he lived in his own house, the exiles of this period having been allowed to take their families and the moveable possessions with them. The exiles, although comfortable, were painfully aware that they were captives. They were cut off from the Temple. They felt that their ancestors had offended Yahweh but that His anger would soon be appeased and then they would return to their own land.
Ezekiel received his prophetic calling in 593 (four years after his deportation) and his first duty was to convince his fellow exiles that their expectation of an early return was in vain; as was their faith in the inviolability of the Temple. Yahweh had decreed the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and the dispersion of the people of Judah. A fact which came to pass seven years later. The fall of Jerusalem demonstrated the truth of Ezekiel’s prophetic mission; now Ezekiel had to drive home the all-important truth that the people were not suffering for the sins of their forefathers, but for their own sinfulness. If a man truly repents, he will be saved.
With the Temple destroyed, the people were crushed and humiliated, they were on the verge of despair. Ezekiel offered words of comfort and hope. It is of this hope that we hear today as the sacred author uses a literary tool known as an A-B-A sandwich; a device which uses two allegories (an allegory is a literary composition in which each detail signifies some reality) to bracket the interpretation. In this case, Chapter 17 is the entire sandwich with verses 1 through 10 (the allegory of two eagles) forming one side, verses 11 through 21 being the interpretation, and our reading (verses 22 through 24) being the second allegory. To better understand the reading, we will read through the entire A-B-A sandwich.
First Allegory
17:1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me: 2 Son of man, propose a riddle, and speak this proverb to the house of Israel: 3 Thus speaks the Lord GOD: The great eagle,
The great eagle is Nebuchadnezzar.
with great wings, with long pinions, with thick plumage, many-hued, came to Lebanon.
Lebanon is an image for Israel, particularly Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 22:6; Zedekiah 11:1-3; Isaiah 10:34).
He took the crest of the cedar, 4 tearing off its topmost branch,
The topmost twig is Jehoiachin, king of Judah, who was taken into captivity with Ezekiel (2 Kings 24:8-15).
And brought it to a land of tradesmen, set it in a city of merchants.
Babylon
5 Then he took some seed of the land, and planted it in a seedbed;
The seed represents Zedekiah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, who was named king in his place (2 Kings 24:17-18).
A shoot by plentiful waters, like a willow he placed it, 6 To sprout and grow up a vine, dense and low-lying, Its branches turned toward him, its roots lying under him. Thus it became a vine, produced branches and put forth shoots.
The willow and vine are references to something which grows rapidly. Those of us in the south can associate kudzu with this same phenomenon.
7 But there was another great eagle,
This great eagle is Pasammetichus II of Egypt; with whom Zedekiah had made a covenant to help lift the Babylonian attack in 588 (Jeremiah 37:4-11).
great of wing, rich in plumage; To him this vine bent its roots, sent out its branches, That he might water it more freely than the bed where it was planted. 8 In a fertile field by plentiful waters it was planted, to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a majestic vine. 9 Say: Thus says the Lord GOD: Can it prosper? Will he not rather tear it out by the roots and strip off its fruit, so that all its green growth will wither when he pulls it up by the roots? (No need of a mighty arm or many people to do this.) 10 True, it is planted, but will it prosper? Will it not rather wither, when touched by the east wind, in the bed where it grew?
The east wind is the desert sirocco, a hot drying wind that withers crops. It is a metaphor for God’s anger (Exodus 10:13; 14:21; Psalm 78:26). This instrument of wrath was Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah was a weak king who had been appointed by Nebuchadnezzar when Jehoiachin was exiled. Zedekiah was caught between the king of Babylon to whom he had sworn a covenant of alliance (2 Chronicles 36:13) and the king of Egypt to whom he had appealed for help. Both Ezekiel and Jeremiah spoke of the allegiance which Zedekiah owed to Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:1-7).
Interpretation
11 Thus the word of the LORD came to me: 12 Son of man, say now to the rebellious house: Do you not understand what this means? It is this: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took away its king and princes with him to Babylon. 13 Then he selected a man of the royal line with whom he made a covenant, binding him under oath, while removing the nobles of the land, 14 so that the kingdom would remain a modest one, without aspirations, and would keep his covenant and obey him. 15 But this man rebelled against him, sending envoys to Egypt to obtain horses and a great army. Can he prosper? Can he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still go free? 16 As I live, says the Lord GOD, in the home of the king who set him up to rule, whose oath he spurned, whose covenant with him he broke, there in Babylon I swear he shall die! 17 When ramps are cast up and siege towers are built for the destruction of many lives, he shall not be saved in the conflict by Pharaoh with a great army and numerous troops. 18 He spurned his oath, breaking his covenant. Though he gave his hand in pledge, he did all these things. He shall not escape!
These verses emphasize why Ezekiel considers Zedekiah’s rejection of Babylon so wrong: he has broken a solemn covenant with Nebuchadnezzar – a covenant sworn before God.
19 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, my oath which he spurned, my covenant which he broke, I swear to bring down upon his head. 20 I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there over his breaking faith with me. 21 All the crack troops among his forces shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered in every direction. Thus you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken.
The accusation continues but with the third-person description becoming a first-person speech of God. The covenant is no longer seen as between Zedekiah and Nebuchadnezzar, but between Zedekiah and God, since the covenant was sworn using God’s name. It is God who brings the judgment; even though He will use Babylon as the instrument of punishment
Second Allegory
22 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, And plant it on a high and lofty mountain; 23 on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.
The tender shoot represents a future king from the house of David (2 Samuel 7:13). Nazareth (from nezer, meaning shoot or branch) is the shoot of Jesse (Isaiah 15:1). Jesse was the father of King David.
It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
The birds hearken back to the story of Noah’s ark (Genesis 6:20) where the term is part of the description of all living things.
24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, Bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, Wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
The majestic cedar of the preceding verse is the symbol of the royal house of Judah. If this majestic cedar is the King of Judah, the “trees of the field” are the surrounding kings and they will know that God humbles the mighty and raises up a new power from nothing. God brings up a new king of the Jews to rescue them from the lowly state of punishment to which Judah has fallen. The cedar is the messianic tree of David.
2nd Reading - 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
Saint Paul now continues our reading from last week by teaching about our heavenly dwelling which is our ultimate destination and how we are to work to achieve it.
6 So we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
This earthly tent we occupy is not our home; our home is in heaven. We are just passing through this place. We are shown in other places (Acts 16:16-40; 22:22-29; Romans 13:1-7; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Ephesians 4:28) that just because we are not “with the Lord” now, doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t concern ourselves with building up the earthly city.
“We who in this world are ‘away from the Lord’ walk about on earth, it is true, but we are hastening on our way to heaven. For here we do not have a lasting place, but we are wayfarers and pilgrims, like all our fathers” [Saint Jerome (after A.D. 392), Short Commentaries On The Psalms, 63].
“This council exhorts Christians, as citizens of two cities, to strive to discharge their earthly duties conscientiously and in response he Gospel spirit. They are mistaken who, knowing that we have here no abiding city but seek one which is to come (Hebrews 13:14), think that they may therefore shirk their earthly responsibilities. For they are forgetting that by the faith itself they are more obliged than ever to measure up to these duties, each according to his proper vocation (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Ephesians 4:28). ... The Christian who neglects his temporal duties, neglects his duties toward his neighbor and even God, and jeopardizes his eternal salvation. Christians should rather rejoice that, following the example of Christ Who worked as an artisan, they are free to give proper exercise to all their earthly activities and to their humane, domestic, professional, social and technical enterprises by gathering them into one vital synthesis with religious values, under whose supreme direction all things are harmonized unto God’s glory” [Vatican II (7 December 1965), Gaudium et spes, 43].
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Our faith is the light which shows us the way as we progress toward eternal life.
8 Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Here we see Saint Paul’s conviction that he will meet the Lord when he dies (Philippians 1:21-23). When we reach our home in heaven, we will no longer need the light of faith, because God Himself and Jesus the Christ will be our light (Revelation 21:23).
9 Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
The Magisterium of the Church has defined [Benedict XII (29 January 1336), Benedictus Deus, 1000] that souls will receive their eternal reward or punishment immediately after death – or after they pass through purgatory, if they have to do so. The reward or punishment, given at the particular judgment and ratified at the general judgment at the end of time, is based on a person’s merits gained during his life on earth. Once he has died, he can no longer merit. Saint Paul is pleading with us to do everything we can in this life to please the Lord.
“Those who drag in a doctrine of moral indifference do violence to some few passages of Scripture, thinking that they support their own love of pleasure; in particular, the passage For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14). But there are other such passages, which there is no good reason to record for these purposes, as I am not equipping a pirate ship! Let me quickly cut through their attempt. The admirable apostle in person will refute their charge in the words with which he continues the previous quotation: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not! (Romans 6:15). With these inspired prophetic words, at a single stroke he undoes the sophistical skill at the service of pleasure. So they have not understood, it seems that ‘we must all appear before Christ’s tribunal, where each must receive what is due to him for his physical conduct, good or bad,’ that is, where a person may receive recompense for what he has done by means of his body” [Saint Clement of Alexandria (after A.D. 202), Stromaties, 3,8,61].
Gospel - Mark 4:26-34
According to Mark’s gospel, Jesus began teaching in parables shortly after appointing the twelve. A parable is a wise saying or short fictitious story used by Jesus to set forth His teaching. Parables may contain allegorical elements. Today we hear the parables of the growing seed and of the mustard seed.
26 He said,”This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land 27 and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”
Jesus is telling His disciples about His Church: The preaching of the gospel (the generously scattered seed) will unfailingly yield its fruit, independent of who sows or reaps – it is God who gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).
30 He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it?
This also refers to the action of grace in each soul: God silently works a transformation in each one of us causing us to make resolutions which shape our soul. We resolve to be faithful, surrender ourselves, respond to grace. Our callings and responses may be different as we are individuals (Ephesians 4:11-13). Even though we must make the decision to become a follower of Christ, it is the Holy Spirit who, working within us, gives a supernatural tone to our thoughts, desires and actions.
31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
The main meaning of this parable has to do with the contrast between the great and the small. The seed of the Kingdom of God on earth is something very tiny to begin with (Luke 12:32; Acts 1:19); but it will grow to be a big tree. The seed is planted in Peter and the apostles, has set its roots in Rome, and has grown to be a big tree; one which encompasses the whole world; a great multitude which “no man can number” (Revelation 7:9).
This growth also occurs in each soul. As predicted in the responsorial psalm [Psalm 92:12 (92:13 in the New American Bible)] “The righteous grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” To allow the mercy of God to exalt us, to make us grow, we must make ourselves small, humble.
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. 34 Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church,
Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, JUNE 17, MARK 4:26-34
(Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10)
SUNDAY, JUNE 17, MARK 4:26-34
(Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10)
Key Verse: "With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it" (v.33).
TO KNOW: Jesus taught his followers by means of parables, stories that illustrated Christian truths using examples from everyday life. The images of farmers, grain, seeds and plants invited Jesus' followers to discover the nature of God's reign. Although a farmer did his work in planting the seed, it grew according to its own timetable. Jesus compared the irrepressible nature of the kingdom to a mustard seed that is small when it is sown, but which grew to the height of a tree when the plant matured. So too the kingdom moves steadily forward toward its fulfillment. Jesus' disciples were greatly encouraged; their own inadequacies would not hinder the coming of the reign of God, which would grow imperceptibly until fully established at the final judgment.
TO LOVE: In what ways do I see the growth of the spiritual seeds I have sown?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to trust that you will triumph over difficult situations in my life.
Father's Day (USA)
The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. In 1909, Mrs. Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon. She approached her minister in Spokane about having a church service dedicated to fathers. From then on, the state of Washington celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Other states and organizations began lobbying Congress to declare an annual Father's Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson approved of this idea, but it was not until 1924 when President Calvin Coolidge made it a national event to "establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations." In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day and put the official stamp on a celebration that was going on for almost half a century.
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are!” (I John 3:1)
Sunday 17 June
2018
Week III Psalter. 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Ezekiel 17:22-24. Psalm 91(92):2-3, 13-16. 2 Corinthians
5:6-10. Mark 4:26-34.
Lord, it is good to give thanks to you—Psalm 91(92):2-3, 13-16.
‘It will put out branches and bear fruit and grow into a
noble cedar tree.’
Today’s Gospel is a reminder that the kingdom is like a seed
with great potential. We can too easily forget the seed of love that God has
planted in us and neglect to try to pass it on to others. And even when we do
try, most growth is slow.
When we wonder about the kingdom of God in our time we need only
consider again the image of the mustard seed.
With prayerful attention and trust in God’s presence, the growth
of the kingdom will be made manifest.
With patience and love, hope will grow in our hearts.
Saint Joseph Cafasso
Saint of the Day for June 17
(January 15, 1811 – June 23, 1860)
 |
| Statue de San Giuseppe Cafasso | José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro |
Saint Joseph Cafasso’s story
Even as a young man, Joseph loved to attend Mass and was known
for his humility and fervor in prayer. After his ordination, he was assigned to
a seminary in Turin. There he worked especially against the spirit of
Jansenism—an excessive preoccupation with sin and damnation. He used the works
of Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Alphonsus Liguori to moderate the rigorism
popular at the seminary.
Joseph recommended membership in the Secular Franciscan Order to
priests. He urged devotion to the Blessed
Sacrament and encouraged daily Communion. In addition to his teaching
duties, Joseph was an excellent preacher, confessor, and retreat master. Noted
for his work with condemned prisoners, he helped many of them die at peace with
God.
Joseph urged one of his former pupils—Saint
John Bosco—to establish the Salesians congregation to work with the youth
of Turin. Joseph Cafasso died in 1860, and was canonized in 1947. His
Liturgical Feast Day is June 23.
Reflection
Devotion to the Eucharist gave energy to all Joseph’s other
activities. Long prayer before the Blessed Sacrament has been characteristic of
many Catholics who have lived out the Gospel well: Saint Francis, Bishop Fulton
Sheen, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, and Saint Teresa of Calcutta among them.
Saint Joseph Cafasso is the Patron Saint of:
Prisoners
Prussia
Prussia
LECTIO: 11TH SUNDAY OF
ORDINARY TIME (B)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, June 17, 2018
The
Parables of the Kingdom of God The Kingdom is like a seed
Mark
4:26-34
1. OPENING PRAYER
Lord
Jesus, send us Your Spirit to open the Scriptures for us in the same way
that You opened them for the disciples on the road to Emmaus. With the light of
the Word, written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God
in the terrible events of your condemnation and crucifixion. Thus, the cross,
that seemed to be the end of all hope, could be seen by them as the source of
life and resurrection.
Create
in us the silence that will enable us to listen to Your voice in creation and
in Scripture, in the events of life and in other people, especially in the poor
and the suffering. May Your Word direct us so that we, too, just like the
disciples on the road to Emmaus, may experience the power of Your resurrection
and be witnesses for others of the truth that You are alive and that You live
in our midst, as the source of fraternity, peace and justice. We ask this of
You, Jesus, Son of Mary, who have revealed the Father to us and have sent us
Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. READING
a)
A division of the text that will help our understanding
Mk
4:26-29: The parable of the seed that springs up on its own
Mk
4:30-32: The parable of the grain of mustard
Mk
4:33-34: The conclusion regarding parables.
b)
The text: Mk 4:26-34
Jesus
said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a
man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and
through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own
accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full
grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for
the harvest has come.” He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is
sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it
is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large
branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such
parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without
parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained
everything in private.
3. A MOMENT OF PRAYERFUL
SILENCE
- so that the Word of God may enter and enlighten our lives.
4. QUESTIONS
a)
Why do both parables use growth as a theme for the kingdom of God?
b)
In one parable, the result is ripe grain (food), and in the other it is shade
for birds. How do these tie together?
c) What does Jesus mean by “the kingdom of God” in these parables, what would the listeners of the time mean by it, and what do we mean by it?
c) What does Jesus mean by “the kingdom of God” in these parables, what would the listeners of the time mean by it, and what do we mean by it?
5. FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO LOOK
MORE DEEPLY AT THE THEME
a)
For a better understanding
Why
Jesus taught through parables: Jesus recounted many parables. All of them
are taken from the life of the people. He helped people to discover the things
of God in everyday life in this way, as life becomes more transparent, because
the extraordinary things of God are hidden in the ordinary and common things of
everyday life. The people could understand the things of life. The parables
provide the key that opens that life and finds the signs of God in it.
Through
the parables, Jesus helped the people to see the mysterious presence of the Kingdom
in the things of life. A parable is a comparison. Jesus used the known and
obvious things of life to help to explain the invisible and unknown things of
the Kingdom of God. For example, the people of Galilee understood when someone
talked about seeds, land, rain, sunshine, salt, flowers, fish, harvest, etc.
Jesus used all these things that the people knew very well, in His parables, to
help to explain the mystery of the Kingdom.
The
parable of the sower is a portrait of a farmer’s life. At that time, it was
hard to make a living from farming. The land was full of stones. There were
many rough plants, not much rain, and a strong sun. In addition, the people, in
order to take shortcuts, often walked across the land and trampled on the
plants (Mk 2:23). Despite all that, every year the farmer would plant, trusting
in the power of the seed and in the generosity of nature.
A
parable doesn’t say everything, but induces a person to think and make
discoveries, beginning with the experience the listeners have of the seed. This
is not a neatly packaged doctrine that arrives all ready to be taught and
embellished. The parable does not provide water in a bottle, but rather, leads
people to the source. It also has depth. The deeper you penetrate it, the more
you discover, and after, there is even more yet to discover and learn from it.
A farmer, listening, would say, “Seed in the ground, I know what that is, but
Jesus is saying that this has something to do with the kingdom of God! What
could that be?” It’s not difficult to imagine the long conversations that might
follow with the crowd. The parable moves with the people and gets them to
listen to nature and to think about life.
b)
Commentary on the text
It
is wonderful to see Jesus, again and again, looking at life and at what’s
happening around Him, for things and images that might help the people to
detect and to experience the presence of the Kingdom. In today’s Gospel, again,
He tells two short stories about things that happen every day in our lives: the
story of the seed that grows all on its own, and the story of the tiny mustard
that grows to be so big.
The
story of the seed that grows all on its own
The
farmer who plants the seed knows the process: first the seed, then the green
shoot, the leaf, the ear and the grain. The farmer knows how to wait and will
not cut the stalk before it is time, but he does not know from where the power
comes for the soil, the rain, the sun and the seed to make a seed turn into
fruit. That’s what the kingdom of God is like. It’s a process. There are stages
and points of growth. It takes time and happens in time. The fruit comes at the
right time but no one can explain its mysterious power. No one is its master.
Only God!
The
story of the tiny mustard seed that turns into something very big
The
mustard seed is small, but it grows, to the point where the birds can make
their nests in its branches. That’s what the Kingdom is like. It begins as
something very small. Then it grows and spreads its branches. The parable does
not say who the birds are. The answer to that question will come later in the
Gospel. The text suggests that it refers to the pagans who will not be able to
get into the community and be sharers in the Kingdom.
Jesus
explained the parable to His disciples
In
the house, when they were on their own with Jesus, the disciples want to know
what the parable means. They do not understand it. Jesus is astonished by their
failure to understand (Mk 4:13) and at that point responds in a way that is
difficult and mysterious. He says to His disciples, "To you has been given
the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables;
in order that 'they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen,
but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.'" (Mk
4:11-12) This makes the people wonder, “What use is the parable then? Is it to
make things clear or to hide them?” Perhaps Jesus uses parables so that people
will go on living in ignorance and not become converted? Certainly not! Today’s
Gospel says that “with many such parables He spoke the word to them, as they
were able to hear it” (Mk4:33).
The
parable reveals and hides at the same time! It reveals, to those who have
become attuned, who accept Jesus, the Servant Messiah. It hides, from those who
insist on seeing Him as Messiah who is a mighty king. These see the images of
the parable but they do not grasp their meaning. In a parable, the listener has
to move to the frame of reference of the storyteller. Without that, the
understanding cannot begin. If a story is told as concrete instruction, then
there is argument and debate by those opposed. With a parable, if there is
animosity towards the idea, as many had to the new ideas of Jesus, the
person goes away confused or disinterested rather than angry.
6. PRAYER - PSALM 96
Tell
of His salvation from day to day
O
sing to the Lord a new song;
sing
to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing
to the Lord, bless His name;
tell
of His salvation from day to day.
Declare
His glory among the nations,
His
marvelous works among all the peoples.
For
great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
He
is to be revered above all gods.
For
all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but
the Lord made the heavens.
Honor
and majesty are before Him;
strength
and beauty are in His sanctuary.
Ascribe
to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe
to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe
to the Lord the glory due His name;
bring
an offering, and come into His courts.
Worship
the Lord in holy splendor;
tremble
before Him, all the earth.
Say
among the nations, "The Lord is king!
The
world is firmly established;
it
shall never be moved.
He
will judge the peoples with equity."
Let
the heavens be glad,
and
let the earth rejoice;
let
the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let
the field exult, and everything in it.
Then
shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before
the Lord; for He is coming,
for
He is coming to judge the earth.
He
will judge the world with righteousness,
and
the peoples with His truth.
7. CLOSING PRAYER
Lord
Jesus, we give You thanks for Your word that has helped us to see more clearly
what is the will of the Father. Let your Spirit enlighten our actions and give
us the strength to be able to do what Your word has allowed us to see. Let us,
like Mary your Mother, not just listen to Your Word, but also to put it into
practice. You live and reign with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
forever and ever. Amen
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